While I don't remember that specific post, the first thing I thought when I heard about the direction the new expansion would take was "That's just what Tobold has been asking for."
 

You're my hero!
I should comment even more on that blog. Perhaps Blizzard reads it!! :)
 

Very prophetic words indeed Tobold. The sad reality is that it's too little too late. Asking players to wait another 4-6 months for such a content infusion is stretching the loyalty of the player base too far, in my opinion.

Aion is getting buzz because it's new, but also because it's an alternative to the boredom that is WoW right now. You can see how the players are, if not playing another game, not playing WoW as much when you look at the guild consolidations taking place on a number of servers. Fewer and fewer guilds means fewer players overall while the existing players guild hop around trying to find a place they can make some progress.

Perhaps it is time for another game to draw us off so Blizz can spend their time on really good content and less time placating the bored whiners during the summer and winter months.
 

I should comment even more on that blog.

Is that technically possible, Nils? I have the impression you are already writing more on my blog than I do! ;)
 

Remember that your Frozen Jihad parody wasn't that far off either!
 

Off-Topic:
I tried blogging on my own, because I also realized hat I comment on blogs quite a lot.

I just run into three problems:
1) I need the inspiration
2) I'm not good at writing very long and structured texts. At the same time I'm unable to put all my thoughts into a short text.
3) I am a perfectionist and the only way to ever finish a piece of text (considering point 2) is if it's "just a comment". :)
 

Total Biscuit on BLue Plz also predicted. Are you two in cahoots?
 

Nice prediction!
 

Indeed, you nailed it. But Michael Zenke beat you to it by a whole year - check out his post from 2007:

Small changes are made to almost every zone in the game, with an emphasis on creating “BC-like experiences” from level 1. Improvements in quest design, mount ‘previews’ (ala Vanguard), and some effort to include PvP battlegrounds in zone quest lines are all on the table. Geography is up in the air as well... One result: remap the old world to allow for flying mounts.
 

@ Jeremy Tay. I predicted myself that WoW would need to change the old continent. However, Tobold hit the spot exactly right with "cataclysm" and an accurate prediction. I guess Blizzard does like this blog. Actually, I was thinking of sending the link of this blog to CCP games as I feel they could benefit from it. ( even more than they could with Massively.com )
 

That's awesome. Certainly you deserve an item or NPC named after you for this.
 

It's not a prediction. You've been hired as a developer. Working for free. You just don't know about it.
Grats! (I think... considering the now famous quotes from the Activision CEO I'm not so sure if I'd like to be hired by Blizzard.)
 

Awesome!

I suspect that part of it is that you predict so much that sometimes you have to hit a bullseye but getting the very owrd right is fantastic!

It certainly could be that they read your blog. It's one of the most intelligent places for WoW discussion, not just from your excellent blog entries but also from a very good set of commentators.
 

Tobold, as always your ideas are shown to be sound. Keep up the good work.
 

Tobold = Rob Pardo.
 

To bad you don't live in America, you could sue them for millions!
 

Niiiiice
 

You should get a cut frankly they even took the name...
 

*stands in awe*
 

@Sorcefire: Blizzard already says to not play their game all the time, and go play something else while they work on content.

Aion, is VERY PVP heavy, and though that might excite some of the WoW fan base, it won't drag everyone away, or at least not for long.

People keep pointing at Aion as a WoW replacement, but I feel it to be a different game, regardless of how much of a WoW-clone it is, it's appeal is similar, but different.
 

Once again, To boldly develop, where no developer has developed before ;-).
 

I did think i remembered you suggesting that but couldn't be bothered to go through your posts to look.

Maybe they are listening ;)
 

That's awesome! Congratulations!
 

That's exactly the post I remembered when you wrote about Blizzard's Cataclysm this year. I didn't bother to look for it in your archives, though. Fun!
 

To quote Tobold from his blog entry of 16th August 2009, where he expresses his disbelief in the much-discussed but still unconfirmed plans for the new WoW expansion:

"So, personally, I don't think this batch of "leaked" information is true. It is just the usual fake assembly taken from various people's wish list, and peppered with not-completely-false-sounding lore, but with no regard to technical aspects and game balance. Doesn't look like Blizzard at all."

Did it just seem too good to be true?