MetaFilter posts tagged with blizzard

A Virtual Weimar: Hyperinflation in a Video Game World

Pyrogenesis — Sun, 26 May 2013 06:09:12 -0800

A culmination of a series of unanticipated circumstances — and, finally, a most unfortunate programming bug — has over the last few weeks produced a new and unforeseen dimension of hellishness within Diablo 3: hyperinflation. [via]

Project(or): Snow

maxwelton — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:16:32 -0800

"During a blizzard, I pointed a video projector out the window and projected a movie onto the snow. These are the results in motion, and you can also see high-resolution stills."

Not Just for Summer Anymore

aabbbiee — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:08:28 -0800

The Weather Channel is teaming with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s Hydrologic Prediction Center (HPC) to name winter storms in the US starting with the 2012-2013 winter season. "The process for naming a winter storm will reflect a more complete assessment of several variables that combine to produce disruptive impacts including snowfall, ice, wind and temperature. In addition, the time of day (rush hour vs. overnight) and the day of the week (weekday school and work travel vs. weekends) will be taken into consideration in the process the meteorological team will use to name storms." Names chosen for 2012-13 storms include Iago, Orko, Q, Gandolf, Virgil, and Xerkes. The full list of names for the 2012-2013 is available. Naming winter storms is common in Europe. The names from the Free University of Berlin are widely used. Names are also used by the National Weather Service in Buffalo, NY for lake-effect storms. Jeff Masters of Weather Underground has more information.

WoW indeed

unSane — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:33:37 -0800

Steganographic information (account ID, a timestamp and the IP address of the current realm) is secretly embedded in World of Warcraft screen shots. Via Schneier.

Evil is Back

Avenger50 — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:06 -0800

You may have heard that evil is returning to Sanctuary tonight. Your Diablo 3 launch day preparation guide includes opening cinematics, a cartoon, the story so far, a primer on the new Auction House (now with real money), and build guides for the Demon Hunter, Barbarian, Monk, and Witch Doctor. Since no one at Blizzard beat Diablo 3's Inferno difficulty, death is guaranteed.

StarCraft changed my life

Avenger50 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:25:23 -0800

StarCraft changed my life.

Massive rare blizzicane strikes Alaska

stbalbach — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:49:40 -0800

A massive rare 'superstorm' is currently bearing down on Alaska, with hurricane force winds (100+mph gusts), blizzard, sea-surge flooding. "This is going to be one of the worst storms on record over the Bering Sea". The storm passed through an area of unusually high sea surface temperatures. "This may help explain why the storm is turning from an ordinary Bering Sea disturbance into a ‘superstorm’." You can follow details of this storm via The Weather Channel, The National Weather Service Alaska Region, The Weather Service's Facebook page, Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, Alaska media outlets such as the Anchorage Daily News and KTUU.

In this white darkness, we will take the place of everything

Rhaomi — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:15:29 -0800

Just wait till we're alone together. Then I will tell you something new, something cold, something sleepy, something of cease and peace and the long bright curve of space. Go upstairs to your room. I will be waiting for you... As a rare October blizzard drifts a blanket of white across the Northeast just before Halloween, what better time to settle in and read (or watch) Conrad Aiken's most famous short story, "Silent Snow, Secret Snow." About a small boy who increasingly slips into an ominous fantasy of isolation and endless snow, it could be viewed as a metaphor about autism, Asperger's syndrome, and even schizophrenia before such conditions even had names. In addition to the 1934 short story, the tale has also been adapted as a creepy 1966 black-and-white short film (also at the Internet Archive) and as a Night Gallery episode (1, 2) narrated by Orson Welles. Or for a more academic take, see the essay "The Delicious Progress" examining Aiken's use of white as a symbol of psychological regression.

Corpsegrinder sings at BlizzCon

kavasa — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:16:39 -0800

BlizzCon, the monumental annual event that Blizzard Entertainment puts on every year, just wrapped up this weekend. It concluded with a massive party and concert, during which George Fisher was at one point invited on stage. Mr. Fisher is also known by his stage name "Corpsegrinder" and is the singer for heavy metal band Cannibal Corpse. In order to introduce him to the audience, this snippet of an interview with him was played (YT link). In case it's not totally clear what's getting beeped out, here's the unedited version (YT link, NSFW language). While there has been some outcry and official response on the WoW forums, it mostly seems centered around the feelings that some Alliance players have that they're being marginalized. One Blizzard employee has offered an apology on the official forums, although it's not clear if he's apologizing to LGBTQ persons, Alliance players, or both. That apology is also followed by this post from the same employee. Interestingly, as the Horde are in many ways the "outcasts" of the game world, it has a strong pull for LGBT players and the game's largest LGBTQ guild - The Spreading Taint on the Proudmoore server - is a Horde guild. To provide context for people that may not be familiar: Blizzard entertainment produces three of the most successful game series ever made: WarCraft, StarCraft, and Diablo. This post mostly concerns the World of Warcraft, an MMO set in the WarCraft universe. Players can be members of one of two factions in the game, the Alliance or the Horde. The Alliance is comprised of a core of traditionally "good" fantasy races (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.) while the Horde has the traditionally "bad" races (orcs, trolls, goblins, etc.)

Theme Park Piracy

finite — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:57:33 -0800

An unauthorized Angry Birds theme park has opened in China. There is also a Blizzard-themed park called Joyland.

MMORPG modifications copy pirated server options

filthy light thief — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:49:06 -0800

With news that Blizzard will require an internet connection to play Diablo 3 to curb piracy and prevent character-boosting cheats (previously), Wall Street Journal's China Realtime Report blog has new coverage of an old game. The article covers the actions of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd., the Chinese distributor of the MMORPG The Legend of Mir 2, and their fight against illicit private servers that offer increased experience per task and more common rare items.

Please, for all that is holy... STOP IT.

blue_beetle — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:22:33 -0800

How to Ruin Your PC Port in 5 Easy Steps by Ben Kuchera explains the lengths video game publishers will go to to ensure that the PC version of their game is worse than the console version. Blizzard demonstrates how to follow these guidelines for Diablo III even if you don't have a console version.

Snowdecahedron

escabeche — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:03:19 -0800

Snowdecahedron. When life hands you a blizzard, make a Platonic solid. "Temporary public art" from Dan Sternof Beyer.

idiot with an FPP

cubby — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:42:41 -0800

Ebert reviews Jamie Stewart's "Man in Blizzard," shot during the recent snows in NYC Scroll down to view Vertov's "Man with a Camera" (version with some nice added music here), which inspired the short. Vertov has inspired many before.

NYC Sanitation Department Demolition Derby - Blizzard 2010 Edition

ericb — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:41:34 -0800

NYC's Dumbest: NYC Sanitation Workers Destroy A Ford Explorer [NSFW language]. NYC Sanitation Department At Work:

"A vigilant Brooklyn Heights man picked-up his video camera early Monday and uploaded onto YouTube a jaw-dropping clip totaling just over four minutes of crinkling metal and concaving bodywork that would make a detailer's stomach churn. The footage reveals a white Ford Explorer and two other sedans parked on Joralemon Street near Hicks Street that became a demolition derby victims after a Sanitation tow truck attempted to haul a hulking orange front end loader for several hours since around 6 a.m."

I hope they didn't remove the perfect gem.

furiousxgeorge — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:03:41 -0800

How Battle.Net 2.0 is killing Starcraft 2. Alternative link, with kittens.

Zerg 'em if you got 'em

BlackLeotardFront — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:21:29 -0800

StarCraft II (previously) has yet to be released, but that hasn't stopped the open beta in Korea from being played so extensively that standout players and strategies are becoming clear well in advance of the limited US beta. Moreover, tournaments are taking place and, while probably inaccessible to those unfamiliar with StarCraft, many matches are available to watch in very high definition on YouTube, complete with surprisingly professional and insightful commentary by SC veterans.

Despite not being a major SC fan, I found myself embarrassingly absorbed by a monster 47-minute Terran vs. Protoss battle, TheLittleOne vs. LiquidNazgul: parts one, two, three, four. It's an excellent crash course in SC2 culture and terminology as well as a fun watch and great match. There are many more.

The Great Blizzard of 1888

mosk — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:42:48 -0800

According to the breathless headline in the New York Times, it was "THE WORST STORM THE CITY HAS EVER KNOWN. BUSINESS AND TRAVEL COMPLETELY SUSPENDED. NEW-YORK HELPLESS IN A TORNADO OF WIND AND SNOW WHICH PARALYZED ALL INDUSTRY, ISOLATED THE CITY FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS AND GREAT DISCOMFORT, AND EXPOSED IT TO MANY DANGERS." It became known as The Great Blizzard of 1888, and it occurred on this date, March 12, 1888. The Great Blizzard of 1888, also called The Great White Hurricaine, was a classic nor'easter. It raged for 3 days and completely paralyzed New York and New England, dumping more than 40" of snow and leaving several million residents in several states without access to food, stores, or transportation. It also had at least two notable lasting effects: because the storm wreaked havoc on New York City's burgeoning but vulnerable spiderweb of power and telegraph wires, it helped spur New York City's decision to place those wires underground, and it also lead the city of Boston to develop its subway system.

People who play gnomes are more likely to be annoying in real life.

mek — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 15:57:49 -0800

Nick Yee's Daedalus Project (touched on previously) is dedicated to the study of human behaviour in MMOs. His recent dissertation names "The Proteus Effect": a correlation between MMO characters' appearances, and their players' behaviors. "In the final study (pdf), I showed that the Proteus Effect persists outside of the virtual environment. Placing someone in a taller avatar changes how they consequently negotiate in a face-to-face setting." His archives cover a lot of ground, and current MMO players can help by taking the survey. For a little lighter reading, refer to his critique of Internet Addiction Disorder, a "condition" that started as a joke, but almost made it into the DSM-V.

Say goodbye to your schoolwork, social life, and all your loved ones

XQUZYPHYR — Fri, 18 May 2007 23:48:34 -0800

After nine years of waiting, Blizzard has just announced Starcraft II. IGN is liveblogging the announcement from the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in South Korea, where love for the original is so great it brings with it $100,000 tournaments, matches aired on television, and fatalities from over-playing.

I'm holding out for the Tauren

thanotopsis — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:31:31 -0800

Kotaku interviews Dez , the producer of Whores of Warcraft (NSFW)(previously), as well as Mia Rose and Hannah Harper, 2 porn stars recently added to the rolls of addicted World of Warcraft players. Apparently, Dez has at least 2 level 70 characters, and plays in a guild with Hannah's husband, where she's taken her Blood Elf Priest to level 26 already. Talking about Phat Lewt not getting you hot? How about some Bare Maidens? (gee, NSFW, you think?). Dez also has a fascinating MySpace page, mostly for his ...interesting mix of friends.

Hey! You Got Blood on my Elf!

thanotopsis — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 12:58:15 -0800

WoWFilter: It's official. The Burning Crusade debuts today in Los Angeles at BlizzCon, a company-sponsored event that is also showing off Starcraft: Ghost. The convention has been sold out for nearly 3 months now. Surprisingly, even after selling out all the tickets, Blizzard went on to announce that The Offspring will perform (with an opener from Christian Finnegan), there will be a fully equipped exhibit hall, and the event will take place right next to Disney Land. The convention opened its doors this morning, and Blizzard promptly put up the official site for the expansion. The only question that remains is: What is the new mystery playable race for the Alliance? My vote is for drunk Panda Ninjas.

Economics of death

jeffburdges — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:36:26 -0800

How should right and wrong be measured ?

Top 5 snow storm hits NYC

riffola — Mon, 17 Feb 2003 11:54:52 -0800

19 inches of snow at Central Park and counting. This is now a top 5 snow storm in NYC history. In 1996 the accumulation was 24 inches.

Don't climb the Andes without minutes on your cell phone.

elgoose — Tue, 02 Jul 2002 08:04:21 -0800

Don't climb the Andes without minutes on your cell phone. A hiker is stranded in South America's Andes mountains when a blizzard begins. He reaches into his backpack for his cell phone -- only to find his prepaid minutes are up. Lucky for him the telemarketer called just then to sell him more time.