Written by Vasilis Zafiridis
Final part
Expansions
Let's begin from scratch.
An expansion is additional software (usually made available for retail sale) that adds new content, features, new characters or complete a character's personality to a game.
The content of an expansion is usually not available to anyone who does not own the expansion. Most expansions will not install or run as stand-alone products.
For example, the Frozen Throne expansion for Warcraft III added new campaigns, units, maps, and other content to the game.
Timeframe
As of 2013, six have been released. It was stated in an interview prior to the first expansion, that concepts for that expansion had been made, and that Blizzard already had enough ideas for 5-6 more.
Blizzard tends to plan expansions far in advance of the current content; in February 2014 (prior to the Warlords of Draenor alpha) the team had already begun planning the next two expansions.
Following the release of World of Warcraft's first expansion in 2007, Blizzard announced plans to release expansions once per year. However, this rate of production was never delivered, with subsequent expansions arriving roughly every 2 years.
Warcraft II
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal - expansion of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Warcraft III
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne - expansion of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade - first expansion, released 16 January 2007
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - second expansion, released 13 November 2008
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - third expansion, released 7 December 2010
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - fourth expansion, released 25 September 2012
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - fifth expansion, released 13 November 2014
World of Warcraft: Legion - sixth expansion, announced 6 August 2015
That's the last part of the brief tribute to World of Warcraft.
But we couldn't say goodbye for now, without inform you about the upcoming movie, which is directed by Duncan Jones and written by Chris Metzen. It is based on the Warcraft video game series and novels set in the world of Azeroth. The film stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Daniel Wu, Ruth Negga, Anna Galvin and Clancy Brown.
The film portrays the origin story of the initial encounters between the humans and the Orcs, with an emphasis upon both sides of the conflict, and will take place in a variety of locations established in the video game series.
The film was first announced in 2006 as a project partnership between Legendary Pictures and the game's developer, Blizzard Entertainment.
Filming began on January 13, 2014 and concluded on May 23, 2014. The film is set to be released by Universal Pictures on June 10, 2016.
