Sound Blaster site may hint at expansion details
by Michael Sacco 
Aug 17th 2009 at 8:30PM
Creative Labs posted a teaser flash video on their Sound Blaster site today; though to what they're announcing or counting down is currently unknown, we can definitely see that it's WoW-related, given the Horde crest in the center of the screen, and the Lament of the Highborne playing in the background.
Now, normally this wouldn't be very interesting, but when brightness and contrast are adjusted on the image's background, two distinct maps appear. The first is what is clearly Azshara on the left side of the image, and the second is the peninsula of Gilneas on the right side.
So why is this interesting? Well, those are the starting zones that the leaked Cataclysm information states are for the new races coming with the expansion.
It seems that the zones are in the spotlight a bit too much for it to be a coincidence. It very well could be an announcement meant to be timed with BlizzCon, or it could just be that the maps typically surround the Maelstrom and thus their positioning makes sense with the swirling Maelstrom graphic in the center.
We'll see what Creative has to say when the teaser ticks down some more!
Filed under: Expansions, BlizzCon, Rumors, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Lilyn Aug 17th 2009 8:36PM
If you look closely there's a part of Kalimdor and EK on each side that match up perfect with the ingame map as well
Lilyn Aug 17th 2009 8:38PM
Found a picture on MMO-Champion with it as well
http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/august/sb_lightcompare1.jpg
Schubie Aug 18th 2009 9:19AM
Headphones.
Bod Aug 18th 2009 10:29AM
lol ... or not rofl...they launched some headphones...
Niaymh Aug 17th 2009 8:37PM
Too coincidental imo.. could be true
Jari Aug 17th 2009 8:39PM
Probably just speakers with the WoW logo stamped on them.
Mike Aug 17th 2009 8:41PM
and if you turn the secret map over and apply heat and a bit of lemon juice, an cipher appears.....leading us to...
Aedilhild Aug 17th 2009 9:23PM
. . . Chester Copperpot! Chester Copperpot!
The gossip is getting to me, dammit — it's all starting to make sense.
chainlink12 Aug 18th 2009 1:08AM
lol 2 great movies, National Treasuer and The Goonies. Anyways, I think this is definatly hinting at something.
Spazmoose Aug 18th 2009 1:19PM
So, the headphones will lead us back to Ulduar?
http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=32477
Mr.Happy Aug 17th 2009 8:46PM
/facepalm You really think Blizzard would announce the expansion through a sound company? It's obviously just a WoW product their making which they want to hype.
sooper Aug 17th 2009 9:48PM
I bet it's a customizable headset with swappable Horde/Alliance - logos/colors/graphics on the outside cups.
Furiursa Aug 18th 2009 1:09AM
@ sooper
This
Wowie Aug 18th 2009 8:17AM
Yep, exactly. Until someone shows me a connection between this random company and Blizzard, I'm going to assume the Sound Blaster site is just trying to recreate the hype surrounding the WWI splash page that lead us to the D3 announcement. Sure, they'll change it a little every day and add runes and stuff, but they're not telling us anything new about the future of WoW. Any one of us could come up with something like this based on the leaks about "Cataclysm" so far.
I'm not buying it.
delcoro77 Aug 18th 2009 9:26AM
Yes, Sound Blaster is just a "random company" that is appropriating a giant corporation's IP for their own use just to latch on to their hype.
Either that or you're an idiot.
One of those two things.
Kaijin Aug 17th 2009 8:51PM
Man, people at WoW may also be the same people the second shooter on the grassy knoll and Elvis sightings. Could the whole "OMG those are the starting zones!" also be that the speaker symbol thingy is in the *gasp* center to the map? And that it is just a coincidence?
Kaijin Aug 17th 2009 8:53PM
*behind the second...
You try typing with a two year old on your lap :P
Nazgûl Aug 17th 2009 8:58PM
While I like to speculate, I think this specifically is ridiculous. The fact that the speaker is in the center of the map is the only reason the two places on the map are there.
While I do believe everything said about Cataclysm has some semblance of truth to it, I think this "discovery" is just people seeing things that aren't there.
rawr Aug 17th 2009 9:05PM
Tinfoil hat time? Common sense would say with blizzcon around the corner and the new expansion likely being years away this is a product announcement timed for blizzcon.
But then again generating rumors about the new expansion gets more hits amirite.
Narshe Aug 17th 2009 9:46PM
Years away? You DO realize the next xpac is being released next year right?