World of Warcraft Warning: THADDIUS is Coming!

Those who have actually read the Mary Shelley novel know that Frankenstein’s creation actually started out as a physically beautiful humanoid of great intelligence and insight. Later, Hollywood cast the late Boris Karloff in the role and turned him into the grunting, cylinder-headed monster of popular legend.
Had Hollywood’s Frankenstein been given steroids and exposed to nuclear radiation, the result would have been a monstrosity beyond conception. Nonetheless, the artists at Blizzard Entertainment have indeed conceived it, and that monstrosity is coming to the World of Warcraft.

Named Thaddius, he is described as a “twisted, Frankensteinian boss” who haunts the new dungeons of Naxxramas (coming in patch 1.11). According to the game designers, they wanted at least one of the prison bosses of Naxxramas to be some type of “abomination,”  in keeping with the Scourge’s favorite weapons: virtually indestructible monsters.

Generally, several artists collaborate in the creation of new monsters, working, combining and revising until the concept comes together. The initial concept for Thaddius was a blend of flesh and metal (shades of the Borg!), with “dried blood and festering stitches.” His coloring was later lightened so has to make him more visible on screen, and a metal jaw was added to make him easily identifiable. Finally, he was constructed and animated in a way that players should literally be able to feel the ground shake as this creature lumbers toward them…

The way in which players will encounter Thaddius is still being tested, but so far, his designers are pleased with the results. But don’t take their word for it, nor ours…check it out for yourself.

Those who have actually read the Mary Shelley novel know that Frankenstein’s creation actually started out as a physically beautiful humanoid of great intelligence and insight. Later, Hollywood cast the late Boris Karloff in the role and turned him into the grunting, cylinder-headed monster of popular legend.
Had Hollywood’s Frankenstein been given steroids and exposed to nuclear radiation, the result would have been a monstrosity beyond conception. Nonetheless, the artists at Blizzard Entertainment have indeed conceived it, and that monstrosity is coming to the World of Warcraft.

Named Thaddius, he is described as a “twisted, Frankensteinian boss” who haunts the new dungeons of Naxxramas (coming in patch 1.11). According to the game designers, they wanted at least one of the prison bosses of Naxxramas to be some type of “abomination,”  in keeping with the Scourge’s favorite weapons: virtually indestructible monsters.

Generally, several artists collaborate in the creation of new monsters, working, combining and revising until the concept comes together. The initial concept for Thaddius was a blend of flesh and metal (shades of the Borg!), with “dried blood and festering stitches.” His coloring was later lightened so has to make him more visible on screen, and a metal jaw was added to make him easily identifiable. Finally, he was constructed and animated in a way that players should literally be able to feel the ground shake as this creature lumbers toward them…

The way in which players will encounter Thaddius is still being tested, but so far, his designers are pleased with the results. But don’t take their word for it, nor ours…check it out for yourself.