Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment


Book Description

To celebrate Blizzard's 30th anniversary, a gorgeous retrospective on artistry at Blizzard and the impact the studio has left emblazoned on gaming history. For thirty years, Blizzard has been pushing boundaries and breaking expectations of what it means to draw for video games. Get a glimpse behind the curtain at how art has evolved at Blizzard and meet some of the artists who've shaped Blizzard's style and range to what it is today. Discover how art cross-pollinated amongst game teams and how grassroots movements from fans inspired some of Blizzard's most iconic artwork. With insights from more than fifty artists, animators, designers, and storytellers, this sweeping compendium is fans' ultimate keys to the kingdom of three decades in Blizzard artistry. Dig into the technical side of Blizzard polish--how light bounces around optimistic Overwatch scenes but seeps through the cracks in Diablo. Explore the development history behind your favorite games, including how Blizzard's fallen games helped produce some of the studio's most iconic heroes. Pore over never before seen images of the worldbuilding process, how levels and landscapes were born from post-it doodles and whiteboard sketches.




Cinematic Art of StarCraft


Book Description

For more than two decades, players have led the zerg, protoss, and terrans into battle for galactic dominance in StarCraft, StarCraft II, and multiple campaign expansions. The Cinematic Art of StarCraft offers a detailed view into the history and philosophy of Blizzard's revolutionary cinematics team. Focusing on the craft and storytelling of cinematics and filled with anecdotes from the creators, The Cinematic Art of StarCraft gives fans a unique peek into the cinematics that have wowed millions of fans across the Koprulu sector.




The Art of Overwatch


Book Description

Overwatch has taken the world by storm, boasting millions of players and gaining critical acclaim. Now, in this beautiful hardcover, Blizzard Entertainment reveals the creative process behind one of the most popular FPS games of all time! Filled with never-before-seen art as well as commentary provided by the game’s development team, this book is sure to please any Overwatch fan. · Never-before-seen artwork! · Essential companion to the international best-selling game Overwatch! · Introduction and commentary provided by the game’s development team! · Overwatch is a global phenomenon with 30 million players! · Produced in close partnership with Blizzard Entertainment! · Behind-the-scenes look at your favorite characters! · Overwatch creation revealed!




The Cinematic Art of World of Warcraft


Book Description

With never-before-seen concept art and accounts of the creative and technical process, this is the definitive visual gallery of how countless artists brought the world of Azeroth to life in incredible detail and motion.




Brutal


Book Description

The ï¬?rst monograph by the art director for leading video game company Blizzard Entertainment Brütal: The Art of Samwise is a career-spanning art book that assembles the many artistic creations of world renowned artist Samwise Didier into one volume. For nearly thirty years, Samwise’s unique art style, which combines the use of bold colors, visual storytelling, and a touch of humor, has been featured in numerous art books, illustrated novels, album covers, comic books, and video games, and is instantly recognizable to his legions of fans. Brütal: The Art of Samwise celebrates all the artistic creations of Samwise’s imagination, including many images never seen before from his personal archives. This book also contains selections of Samwise’s favorite and most iconic images he created for the video game company, Blizzard Entertainment, where he has worked since 1991. As a senior art director for Blizzard, Samwise was responsible for directing the art style for Warcraft, StarCraft, and Heroes of the Storm, as well as for creating artwork for the World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Diablo franchises.




The Last Winter


Book Description

From legendary Blizzard Entertainment artist Samwise Didier, The Last Winter is a lavishly illustrated epic fantasy novel. Upon the death of Sprign, goddess and creator of the Pandyr and all other beasts in Mistgard, the island has come under attack by ruthless frost and fire giants from afar. Long fragmented, every creature in the eight clans must now come together to defend their land. Hammerheart must join with Darkcloud, Mistcloak with Thundermaw, and, most important, the children of Sprign must unite with their forgotten comrades of the ninth clan: the Bearzyrk. Led by the eldest of the Pandyr, the clans make their way to the Aesirmyr Peaks for a final standoff. As frost covers Mistgard, old prejudices must be overcome if the Pandyr hope to match the giants Lord Wintyr and King Sumyr in battle. Features all-new original illustrations throughout from Blizzard Entertainment art director Samwise Didier.




Starcraft: Uprising


Book Description

Far in the future, 60,000 light-years from Earth, a loose confederacy of Terran exiles are locked in battle with the enigmatic Protoss and the ruthless Zerg Swarm. Each species struggles to ensure its own survival among the stars in a war that will herald the beginning of mankind's greatest chapter -- or foretell its violent, bloody end. She is the Zerg Queen of Blades. Her name has become legend throughout the galaxy, and that legend is death for all who stand against her. Yet once, long ago, Sarah Kerrigan was human -- the unwilling subject of an insidious clandestine experiment. She was forced to serve as a merciless assassin for the Terran Confederacy until a twist of fate propelled her toward a destiny none could have foreseen. This is the untold tale of Kerrigan's shadowy origin...and the war that was fought for her very soul. An original tale of universal conflict set in the world of the award-winning, bestselling computer game from Blizzard Entertainment.




World of Warcraft: Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond


Book Description

The afterlives await in this sprawling compendium, lovingly crafted by the World of Warcraft game team and official Blizzard Entertainment historian Sean Copeland. What lies beyond the veil of death? Journey past this mortal coil and discover the secrets of the afterlives. Study the practices around death and dying on Azeroth, then follow a Broker through the groves of Ardenweald, over the gleaming towers of Bastion, and into the depths of the Maw for a detailed voyage unlike any other. Featuring gorgeous artwork never glimpsed by mortal eyes, a stunning fold-out map, and fresh secrets straight from the game team, Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond is made to be treasured for eternity. In his authorial debut, Blizzard Entertainment historian Sean Copeland opens the vaults of both World of Warcraft and his years of hidden knowledge for all curious souls.




The WoW Diary: A Journal of Computer Game Development [Second Edition]


Book Description

The WoW (World of Warcraft) Diary offers a rare, unfiltered look inside the gaming industry written by the game's first level designer, John Staats. The World of Warcraft Diary offers a rare, unfiltered look inside the gaming industry. It was written by the game's first level designer, John Staats, from notes he took during WoW's creation. The WoW Diary explains why developers do things and debunks popular myths about the games industry. In great detail he covers the what it took to finish the project; the surprises, the arguments, the mistakes, and Blizzard's formula for success. The author includes anecdotes about the industry, the company, the dev team; how they worked together, and the philosophy behind their decisions. The WoW Diary is a story made from notes taken during the dev team’s four-year journey. It is a timeline of Vanilla WoW’s development cycle, a time-capsule with an exhausting amount of details that also looks at the anatomy of computer game studio. In order to illustrate how all the parts of computer game company work together, he interviewed everyone from the company’s founders to his former teammates; and the supporting departments who helped make WoW a reality.




The Art of Michael Whelan


Book Description

Award-winning artist Whelan has illustrated the work of almost every major author in speculative fiction. Here are featured all the artist's major recent paintings, as well as a series of 25 never-before-seen works produced especially for this book. Over 100 full-color reproductions.