The inaugural BlizzCon Invitational has completed with Yellow winning the StarCraft tournament, and Grubby
taking home the "W" in Warcraft III. The turnout and interest in the BlizzCon Invitational was fantastic and we
hope that all of the gamers who attended enjoyed watching these two phenomenal matches.
We'd like to congratulate both winners, as well as all of the other BlizzCon Invitational players, for putting the
full and utmost amount of effort into each game and for displaying a rare magnitude of raw talent and skill. For
more details on the Invitational, please visit [http://www.blizzard.com/blizzcon05/tournaments.shtml]. We hope you enjoyed the show!
We want to thank all the gamers who came out to the Anaheim Convention Center to celebrate with us this weekend. We had a good time all the way up to the end, with Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain, comedian Christian Finnegan, and The Offspring all helping us close the show with a bang. Thanks also to our sponsors for helping support this massive undertaking. It was exciting to be able to see everyone enjoying the developer Q&A panels, the tournaments and contests, the StarCraft: Ghost multiplayer action, and the sneak peek of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade on display. We're eager now to get back into the office on Monday to continue working on our current projects...we'll see you online!
Sun on October 29, 2005
Thanks to the fact that most attendees got registration out of the way on the first day of BlizzCon, many of them were able to head right onto the show floor when we kicked off this morning at 10:00 AM (PDT). Also, because this second day of BlizzCon fell on a Saturday, the crowd was even bigger today than it was the day before. Whereas yesterday some attendees may have spent some time getting the lay of the land, today many of them headed straight to the areas they were eager to spend some time at.
One of the big highlights for many attendees today was the opportunity to check out some of the Q&A panels that they might have missed the day before. In these sessions, players listened as the developers discussed different aspects of our games, including the history and philosophy behind Blizzard's art design and cinematics, as well as specifics on StarCraft: Ghost's new multiplayer elements and World of Warcraft's classes, items, quests, battlegrounds, raids, and more. After each presentation, there was an opportunity for panel attendees to ask questions.
In the Art Design panel, members of World of Warcraft's creative development team and StarCraft: Ghost artists presented concept and 3D art to the panel attendees, taking time to explain how the pieces were created and fine-tuned to fit the themes of the Warcraft and StarCraft universes. The World of Warcraft Character Class panel was especially packed, as many of the visitors to BlizzCon have been extremely passionate about the issues related to the classes they play in the game. Blizzard developers Tom Chilton and Rob Pardo explained how each class came to be, describing the natural progression from Warcraft III to World of Warcraft. In their forty-five minute presentation, the two also expounded on the intended purpose of each class and the future of the classes as planned for future patches and for the Burning Crusade expansion set.
Beyond the panel discussions, many BlizzCon attendees hung out to watch the final rounds of the StarCraft and Warcraft III tournaments. At the time of this report, many are also eagerly awaiting the final showdown between the StarCraft Battle.net winners and the StarCraft Pro-Gamers. For more information on how the tournaments progressed up to the final matches, be sure to check out the coverage at the various tournament sites that had representatives here at the show.
The jousting booth also drew a steady crowd, offering players a chance to challenge their friends to a little real-life PvP action. With foam lances in hand, the jousters did their best to not lose their balance while trying to knock each other off of a three-foot-wide square platform. Near the Blackrock Spire rock-climbing wall, a handful of onlookers gathered to watch a few games of doubles Ping-Pong, played on one of the three Ping-Pong tables brought in for BlizzCon (factoid: a fast-paced match of Ping-Pong is a favorite stress-reliever at Blizzard's Irvine headquarters).
The sponsors' area was also crowded, with hundreds of attendees stopping in throughout the show to check out the NVIDIA, Intel, Games for Windows, Upper Deck, and other booths and to pick up a rubber bouncing ball with a blue light inside of it, which proved to be a pretty popular souvenir. Nearby, caricature and tatoo artists also kept busy, as attendees had their portraits drawn or got temporary tattoos to prove their allegiance to their favorite World of Warcraft race. Those not participating in these events were taking a chance to rest up for tonight's concert presentation, which was set to start at 6:00 PM. The concert will be featuring Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain in their first appearance outside of Kalimdor, as well as comedian Christian Finnegan, and none other than the world famous rock band, The Offspring!
Araxas on October 29, 2005
After an exciting series of first day matches, the second day of the BlizzCon Invitational is poised to begin. In the StarCraft Invitational bracket, Nada and Yellow will be squaring off in the Round 3 Winners Bracket, while Reach and Nal_Ra fight to stay alive in the Losers Bracket. In the Warcraft III Invitational bracket, Grubby and Zacard will go head to head in Round 3, while ToD and Short Round face off in the Loser Bracket. Check out all the Day 1 replays from the BlizzCon Invitational below:
BlizzCon, the convention celebrating all Blizzard games, has officially begun! Gamers from around the globe are joining us in Anaheim today to take part in developer panels, battle with their fellow players, and indulge in the variety of entertainment available. The World of Warcraft expansion set details have been revealed at last -- check out the official site! We'll continue to post updates from the show floor, share photos, and show replays from the BlizzCon invitational at www.blizzcon.com, so stay tuned!
Block on October 28, 2005
As the first day of BlizzCon comes to a close, in-depth articles about the show have already begun appearing around the Web. To check out some of the expert opinion and analysis from the online press on the new game content we revealed at BlizzCon -- including a closer look at World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and the new multiplayer elements that we've added to StarCraft: Ghost -- visit the articles linked to below.
For a print-based preview on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, keep an eye out for the upcoming edition of Computer Gaming World magazine, which features a cover story on the expansion set and also includes details on some of the extensive upcoming patch content for World of Warcraft.
This morning, thousands of excited gamers waited in lines stretching around the Anaheim Convention Center, eager to see the future of World of Warcraft and StarCraft: Ghost at BlizzCon. Many of them wore hand-made costumes, and the atmosphere was keyed up as they anticipated the opening of the convention center doors.
Blizzard president Mike Morhaime kicked off the show with a welcoming speech about Blizzard's history and growth as a game studio over the years. He also touched on a few of the features in StarCraft: Ghost that attendees would be able to see for the first time at BlizzCon-namely the addition of Zerg as a playable multiplayer race and the fact that multiplayer games can now feature up to 16 players. The welcoming speech was followed by lead producer Shane Dabiri's official announcement of the World of Warcraft expansion. As part of Shane's announcement, BlizzCon attendees watched a trailer showcasing the new playable Blood Elf race that will make its appearance in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.
People came from near and far to view the expansion, to see the latest version of StarCraft: Ghost, and to meet the other gamers attending the show. Many were also speaking about the BlizzCon Invitational tournaments, and the seats in front of the stage where the Warcraft III and StarCraft tournament games were taking place were often packed. Pro-gamers from all over the world have traveled to BlizzCon to participate in the Invitational. The winner will take home a very special (and very heavy) trophy.
Other popular events at BlizzCon have been the Battle.net tournaments and the art gallery, where a steady stream of attendees have been checking out artwork from Blizzard's art department as well as fan art created by other gamers. Attendees are also enjoying the Battlegrounds Tournaments, both watching and participating in them. Many have also attempted to climb to the top of Blackrock Spire-the aptly named rock-climbing wall at BlizzCon. As of the time of this report, many people are enjoying the Q&A panels that they're attending or just hanging out on the show floor, saving up their strength for tonight's cocktail-and-contest mixer with the development team.
Last, but certainly not least, is the realm meetings. Many players have gathered to meet with those they've fought alongside (or against) in World of Warcraft, creating a communal feel that pervades all of BlizzCon. We'll follow up with our continued report on the festivities tomorrow.
Nebu on October 27, 2005
Earlier this month we posted information about StarCraft's nomination to the
Walk of Game. Thanks to the
support of gamers around the world, StarCraft is now in the running to receive a distinguished steel star
on this Metreon landmark. However, the competition is
understandably close, as some of the greatest games and
game characters of all time are among the nominees. Voting will end in one week on October 31, so we would
like to take one more opportunity to ask you to
visit the site and cast your vote for the nominees you feel are most
deserving of this rare honor.
Blaze on October 27, 2005
Extreme Candy War 2005 is the latest version of Blizzard's Halloween map where Alliance and Horde fight it out on the battlefield. Fans of World of Warcraft will undoubtedly feel at home as ECW '05's heroes are based off their respective classes. The object is to crush your opponent's Candy Mages who channel an invulnerable shield around their Candy Vault. Once the Candy Mages are down, destroy their Candy Vault to win! This year's version features updated hero abilities, new items, and faster paced gameplay.
BlizzCon will be underway this Friday, October 28, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Live tournament
coverage from the show floor will begin promptly on Friday at 10:00 AM and then again, for the second and
final day of BlizzCon, on Saturday the 29th at 10:00 AM. You can keep up with all of the action at the sites below!
Stop by the Intel booth on Saturday afternoon to meet Mad Mike Martin
from MTV's Pimp My Ride. Mad Mike will be around to sign autographs,
talk about the latest cars coming through the shop, and jump into World of Warcraft with you.
Block on October 26, 2005
Have you ever wished you could emulate your World of Warcraft character's exploration and fighting skills? Well,
it so happens that at BlizzCon, we'll have a few special activities set up just for you to give it a try. Climb
to the tip of Blackrock Spire on our rock-climbing wall! Do battle with other
enthusiastic combatants and relive
your dueling experience in our jousting area! And if you're looking to make an appearance in Azeroth without
all of the strenuous activity involved, you can have your picture taken and superimposed onto one of many scenic
settings straight from the game. Hoist your foam lances, pack your virtual climbing gear, and look your best --
at BlizzCon, Azeroth is nearer than ever!
The first twelve players eligible for the online portion of the Season Three tournament finals have been determined.
Congratulations to the three players per gateway who are now assured of a position in December's finals. The players
that are qualifying from each Battle.net gateway are:
Northrend
Kalimdor
Azeroth
Lordaeron
1. LifeInLags
1. SentimentaL
1. MYSTDEUD
1. DiscMePlease
2. hudGe
2. PLUS
2. KoD-Axslav
2. rArA.
3. IlIlIllIlIIllIl.
3. Miss.
3. TmG)Darius
3. TmG)C5ipo7i
The next qualifying period for Season Three is November 18, 2005 at noon (12pm) PST.
Block on October 25, 2005
We've updated the BlizzCon FAQ with some important details regarding how to obtain your ticket for the closing-night concert,
items that cannot be brought into the exhibit hall and the arena, and more. Please take a few moments to
review the new FAQ entries prior to attending BlizzCon this weekend.
SOLDIER on October 25, 2005
The BlizzCon Invitational tournaments for StarCraft: Brood War and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne will be in a double elimination, "best of three" format. Map selections will work similar to how it works on Battle.net in the sense that each player may veto a map. The maps that will be used are listed below:
Warcraft III:
Turtle Rock
Gnoll Wood (TFT)
Lost Temple (ROC)
Terenas Stand
Twisted Meadows
StarCraft:
Nightlight
Roads to Antiga Prime
Crusader
King of the Abyss
Signal
All replays will be uploaded and viewable here. Keep
checking back for updates on the tournament, standings, and replays!
Block on October 25, 2005
With BlizzCon right around the corner, we wanted to provide attendees with an opportunity to plan out their days at the show.
Have a look at the BlizzCon Event Schedule for a complete list of all the activities we have lined up for this weekend,
as well as the times and locations at which they’ll be taking place. In addition, you can check out the
BlizzCon Floor Plan to get a sense of how to navigate your way from one attraction to the next.
Ordinn on October 25, 2005
World of Warcraft player Jonathan Davis of Korn, fresh off a European tour to promote the band’s upcoming album See You on the Other Side (www.korn.com), will be the judge of the BlizzCon Original Song Contest sponsored by Creative Labs and FilePlanet. The five songs that received the most votes will be played live for BlizzCon attendees during the Cocktails and Contests event, which starts at 7:00 PM PDT at the Anaheim Convention Center this Friday. JD will choose the grand prize winner, who will receive an autographed Ibanez K7 guitar and Creative GigaWorks ProGamer G500 speaker system.
Caydiem on October 21, 2005
The extracurricular activities begin at 7:00PM PDT on Friday, October 28, at BlizzCon! Come relax at the beer gardens and enjoy cocktails as you chat with the Blizzard team in a casual, friendly environment. And don't forget the show! Onstage, your entertainment needs will be met by none other than the BlizzCon Dance, Sound-Alike, and Costume competitions. You'll also be able to feast your eyes and ears on the spectacular winning entries from our Movie and Original Song Contests! For your listening pleasure,
Audiomoe will be on hand to spin some tunes and help set the tone for the evening. Contestants, don't forget to sign up for your respective contest at the BlizzCon information booth!
We hope you'll come and partake of all the fun on the first night of BlizzCon!
Ordinn on October 20, 2005
The ten finalists for the BlizzCon Original Song Contest have just been posted, and we need your help to pick the
5 grand prize winners. Click here
to head over to Fileplanet, download the entries, and vote for the one you think should win! The five songs that
receive the most votes will each score the following prize package:
Sound Blaster Platinum X-Fi Sound Card
Free year of World of Warcraft
Free year of Fileplanet Premium Membership
SOLDIER on October 20, 2005
In addition to the pro-gamer Invitational tournament, BlizzCon will feature a number of tournaments that
will be open to show attendees. See our
tournament page for more details on how
Warcraft III and StarCraft players can compete at the event for prestige and great prizes!
Ordinn on October 20, 2005
We are happy to announce the will call registration hours for BlizzCon. Registration envelopes will be available for pickup at the registration booth in the Anaheim Convention Center beginning Wednesday, October 26 and continuing to Saturday, October 29. The registration booth is located in the Hall A lobby and is open from 11:00 AM PDT to 7:00 PM PDT on Wednesday and Thursday, from 9:00 AM PDT to 9:00 PM PDT on Friday and from 9:00 AM PDT to 6:00 PM PDT on Saturday.
Present the credit card used to purchase your online order and receive your BlizzCon badge, souvenir gift card, and concert voucher for any concert tickets you purchased. In order to redeem those concert vouchers for actual concert tickets, you will have to visit the concert window at the Arena Box Office, which is located next to the convention center and is open Thursday from 11:00 AM PDT to 7:00 PM PDT, Friday from 10:00 AM PDT to 10:00 PM PDT, and Saturday from 10:00 AM PDT to 8:00 PM PDT. When you hand in your voucher, you will be given a ticket with an assigned seat. Group seating is not guaranteed, but please note that if you wish to sit with a group of friends, you must all redeem your vouchers together, at the same time.
Nebu on October 19, 2005
BlizzCon Invitational: Warcraft III Players Announced, StarCraft Next
Today the last two players of the Warcraft III
BlizzCon Invitational tournament were unveiled to the public. The
number one seed was awarded to Grubby of the 4 Kings, who has been one of the most successful players of the past
year, in any game's competitive scene. Congratulations to all players; we look forward to hosting these exciting
Warcraft III matches at BlizzCon. We'd also like to thank several other players who were invited, but experienced
difficulties in obtaining the proper government permissions to attend the event.
Tomorrow, Thursday October 19th, we will begin announcing the StarCraft competitors. Be sure to check the
BlizzCon Players page for updates over the next few days!
Araxas on October 19, 2005
On October 21 at 12pm PST, the top three solo players on all Battle.net Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
ladders will be the first to qualify for the online portion of the Season Three finals. The winners from
that tournament will advance to the Grand Finals, which will be played in-person over a LAN. Good luck
to all players in this first opportunity to qualify during Season Three!
Leading the pack so far are:
Northrend
Kalimdor
Azeroth
Lordaeron
1. LifeInLags
1. SentimentaL
1. MYSTDEUD
1. rArA
2. hudGe
2. PLUS
2. TmG)Darius
2. DiscMePlease
3. AlternativMusic
3. Miss.
3. KoD-Axslav
3. TmG)C5ipo7i
Will they be able to hold onto their top three positions long enough? Be sure to check the
Warcraft III ladder pages often on Thursday and Friday to find out.
Nebu on October 17, 2005
BlizzCon is about more than just the games. It's also about the hardware, accessories, and gaming lifestyle.
The exhibitors we’ve partnered with for BlizzCon will be there to celebrate all aspects of gaming culture.
Exhibitors ranging from NVIDIA to Intel to Games for Windows and more will be on hand with their latest gaming
products. Come to their booths to see hands-on demonstrations, win prizes and promotions, and purchase their
products at the show. Click here to view the full exhibitor list.
SOLDIER on October 17, 2005
Blizzard is pleased to announce the first mapping contest: the Battle.net Cinematic Map Contest! This contest will test your storytelling ability, cinematography, originality, and more. This contests theme is "Revenge!"
Last Friday, the first two players invited to BlizzCon's Warcraft III Invitational tournament were identified. Today we will unveil two more players and will continue to do so every weekday this week. Be sure to check the BlizzCon player page often!
Nebu on October 17, 2005
BlizzCon is about more than just the games. It's also about the hardware, accessories, and gaming lifestyle.
The exhibitors we’ve partnered with for BlizzCon will be there to celebrate all aspects of gaming culture.
Exhibitors ranging from NVIDIA to Intel to Games for Windows and more will be on hand with their latest gaming
products. Come to their booths to see hands-on demonstrations, win prizes and promotions, and purchase their
products at the show. Click here to view the full exhibitor list.
SOLDIER on October 17, 2005
Blizzard is pleased to announce the first mapping contest: the Battle.net Cinematic Map Contest! This contest will test your storytelling ability, cinematography, originality, and more. This contests theme is "Revenge!"
Last Friday, the first two players invited to BlizzCon's Warcraft III Invitational tournament were identified. Today we will unveil two more players and will continue to do so every weekday this week. Be sure to check the BlizzCon player page often!
Blaze on October 14, 2005
The unforgiving winter is upon us... a time when resources are scarce and flanks exposed. Call forth the warriors, for there could not be a better time to attack than now.
With the launch of the new Mod Support website, Blizzard is proud to announce the first mapping contest! So get off your JASS and fire up the World Editor. The full rules and guidelines will be announced soon. Please keep checking back for more information and prizes!
Caydiem on October 14, 2005
Can you perfectly mimic a whelp's squeal? Are you a dead ringer for the male Gnome's voice? Then you just might be a winner in the BlizzCon Character and Monster Sound-Alike Contest! This latest BlizzCon contest is sponsored by Games for Windows and Alienware, and the prizes are out of this world! Five lucky winners will receive Alienware Gaming Notebooks -- perfect for playing World of Warcraft on the go! So, if you sound like you belong in Azeroth, let us hear it! Contestants can signup at the show; check the BlizzCon information booth for more details at the event.
Araxas on October 13, 2005
Beginning tomorrow, October 14th, we'll be announcing the long-awaited list of pro-gamers participating in the BlizzCon Invitational Tournaments. Starting with the Warcraft III tournament list, two players will be announced each weekday on the BlizzCon Invitational Players page. Along with the pro-gamers and their bios, we'll also be announcing the seeding that each participant has received, which will determine whom the first-round opponents will be in these double-elimination tournaments.
Ordinn on October 12, 2005
While the BlizzCon goody bag will have a little something for everyone to take home, attendees might still want some loot to
share with friends and guildmates who couldn't make it to the show. With that in mind, we’ve created a variety of
limited-edition items that will make their debut at BlizzCon. Please visit the
BlizzCon Merchandise page to check out
some of this epic BlizzCon gear. These items will all be produced in limited quantities, so be sure to stop by the BlizzCon
Store as early as you can at the show...before someone ninja loots everything out from under you!
Ordinn on October 11, 2005
Comin' straight out of Orgrimmar: Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain will perform the last show of their Storm, Earth,
and Fire World Domination Tour this month in Anaheim, California, hitting the stage before The Offspring. Having
power-leveled past their previous name -- "Tenth Level Tauren Chieftain" -- L60ETC is undoubtedly best known for
their multimillion-selling single, "The Power of the Horde," a track that appeared on their 2003 album "Warcraft III:
The Frozen Throne." In addition to the hard-rocking, heart-thumping tunes it contained, that album might best be
remembered by music lovers everywhere for the popular little computer game that was included as a bonus feature on
the disc. After conquering every major city in Azeroth, L60ETC will be blasting the sounds of war one more time
during their tour-ending performance at BlizzCon on Saturday, October 29, 2005.
STRENGTH AND HONOR!
Tyren on October 10, 2005
Blizzard is happy to announce that New York-based comedian, writer, and actor
Christian Finnegan will be performing at
BlizzCon at the closing night concert. Mr. Finnegan is a regular on VH1's Best Week Ever, had his own special on the
standup series Comedy Central Presents, and had a featured role on Chappelle's Show as "Chad" in the Mad Real World.
We're excited that he'll be lending his talent for the event, and we're looking forward to putting on a great show for
all of BlizzCon's attendees. Visit the official BlizzCon site to learn more about our upcoming gaming convention,
scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Anaheim, CA.
Blaze on October 7, 2005
Welcome to the redesigned Battle.net website, Blizzard’s tournament portal for all Battle.net-enabled titles. The objective of the site is to cover all existing and future Blizzard games supported by the Battle.net online gaming service. Read the introduction to the Battle.net gaming service to check out the features of available to you. Here is a rundown on just a few of the many new features on Battle.net:
Warcraft III: Season Three
The third Warcraft III Ladder Season is underway. Visit the Season 3 website to view all Season 3 related news, schedule, brackets, prizes, FAQs, and rules.
Mod Support Website
We are proud to unveil the Blizzard Mod Support Website, the official resource for all map and add-on makers. This site was designed to give proper credit to talented map makers and to support the mod community. Among the many things we have planned for this section include:
"Spotlight maps" that show outstanding creativity, technical ability, and fun gameplay will be featured on the site regularly.
A resources page providing assets (such as icons) and tools helpful to the aspiring modder. This page will also feature tutorials from the community and Designer Journals straight from the desks of Blizzard developers.
The Blizzard Map Vault, an archive of all Spotlight Maps, official bonus maps, and contest winning maps.
Helpful links to great websites in the mod-making community.
You can access this section by clicking Maps & Mods near the top of the main page.
Tournaments
One of the main goals of the site is to give exposure to the tournament scene relating to Blizzard games. The Battle.net tournaments section features a concise summary of major tournament events including the BlizzCon Invitational tournament to take place at Blizzard’s inaugural game convention this year. Tournament reports will be featured here as well. You can access this section by clicking the tournaments panel on the left side.
Warcraft III Stats at a Glance
By selecting your Warcraft III realm in the panel on the right side, you can see the top players and clans on each respective ladder type. You can also search for a player’s profile on the selected realm or view any upcoming automated tournaments scheduled for that realm.
Thank you for visiting Battle.net. We hope you enjoy the redesigned site, with its new features and easier navigation.
Blaze on October 7, 2005
Welcome to the redesigned Battle.net website, Blizzard’s tournament portal for all Battle.net-enabled titles. The objective of the site is to cover all existing and future Blizzard games supported by the Battle.net online gaming service. Read the introduction to the Battle.net gaming service to check out the features of available to you. Here is a rundown on just a few of the many new features on Battle.net:
Warcraft III: Season Three
The third Warcraft III Ladder Season is underway. Visit the Season 3 website to view all Season 3 related news, schedule, brackets, prizes, FAQs, and rules.
Mod Support Website
We are proud to unveil the Blizzard Mod Support Website, the official resource for all map and add-on makers. This site was designed to give proper credit to talented map makers and to support the mod community. Among the many things we have planned for this section include:
"Spotlight maps" that show outstanding creativity, technical ability, and fun gameplay will be featured on the site regularly.
A resources page providing assets (such as icons) and tools helpful to the aspiring modder. This page will also feature tutorials from the community and Designer Journals straight from the desks of Blizzard developers.
The Blizzard Map Vault, an archive of all Spotlight Maps, official bonus maps, and contest winning maps.
Helpful links to great websites in the mod-making community.
You can access this section by clicking Maps & Mods near the top of the main page.
Tournaments
One of the main goals of the site is to give exposure to the tournament scene relating to Blizzard games. The Battle.net tournaments section features a concise summary of major tournament events including the BlizzCon Invitational tournament to take place at Blizzard’s inaugural game convention this year. Tournament reports will be featured here as well. You can access this section by clicking the tournaments panel on the left side.
Warcraft III Stats at a Glance
By selecting your Warcraft III realm in the panel on the right side, you can see the top players and clans on each respective ladder type. You can also search for a player’s profile on the selected realm or view any upcoming automated tournaments scheduled for that realm.
Thank you for visiting Battle.net. We hope you enjoy the redesigned site, with its new features and easier navigation.
Ordinn on October 7, 2005
While we wish every player could attend this year's BlizzCon, we understand that a large number of players will be
unable to make the trip. But there is still hope! Blizzard is pleased to announce that
WoW Radio will be offering live video feeds of some of the different events at
BlizzCon. You can look forward to watching some of the Q&A
panels, the costume contest, interviews with Blizzard employees, and several other big events live from your computer. As we
head into the last few weeks before the convention begins, please keep checking
WoW Radio's BlizzCon website, for more information.
WoW Radio also airs Shoutcast "Radio Shows" every day that you can listen to from your computer. These talk shows cover
the latest news and community discussions about World of Warcraft. Check out their website for running schedules and
downloads of their archived shows.
Ordinn on October 5, 2005
The World of Warcraft development team has confirmed that BlizzCon attendees will be able to go hands-on with a playable
sneak peek of the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion. For those who won’t be able to attend BlizzCon, please note that
gaming magazines hitting newsstands in different regions of the world around the time of the event will feature in-depth
previews on the new content we have in store. Click here to learn more about BlizzCon.
We have recently placed some exhibit-only BlizzCon tickets on sale, for those of you who are interested in attending BlizzCon
and trying out the World of Warcraft expansion set. See the recent announcement for more information about this limited
supply of exhibit-only tickets.
Nebu on October 5, 2005
Every year, gamers worldwide cast their vote on www.WalkOfGame.com to
induct the next set of honorees to receive a steel star on the "Walk of Game," located in the Metreon entertainment complex
in San Francisco, CA. This year,
we’re very proud to announce that StarCraft has been included among the esteemed group of classic games and
game characters that have been nominated for this honor! We’d like to encourage all gamers to visit the site
and vote for any of the nominees that they believe most deserves a star. Voting will be open throughout
the month of October.
Ordinn on October 3, 2005
Missed out on the full $120 Show Pass that includes the concert but still interested in checking out the exhibit halls?
You're in luck! We're now offering Exhibit-Only tickets for BlizzCon at a price of USD $85! An Exhibit-Only ticket
entitles you to all the same privileges and access as a regular BlizzCon ticket except for the closing-night concert.
You'll still get your goody bag and access to the exhibit halls, seminars, stores, tournaments, and developers at BlizzCon.
If you'd like to take advantage of this limited-time offer, please
click here to purchase your BlizzCon
Exhibit-Only ticket now.
Araxas on October 3, 2005
We appreciate the community's feedback on the first versions of the winning maps from the Invitational Map Contest.
This feedback has been incorporated and the final versions of all five maps are ready. The ZIP file below includes both
melee and observer versions of each map. Please note that the former requires the game to be played in "melee setting,"
while the latter requires "use map settings." Thanks to Bill_307 and all the winning map authors for building and updating
these great maps!
Thanks to the fact that most attendees got registration out of the way on the first day of BlizzCon, many of them were able to head right onto the show floor when we kicked off this morning at 10:00 AM (PDT). Also, because this second day of BlizzCon fell on a Saturday, the crowd was even bigger today than it was the day before. Whereas yesterday some attendees may have spent some time getting the lay of the land, today many of them headed straight to the areas they were eager to spend some time at.
One of the big highlights for many attendees today was the opportunity to check out some of the Q&A panels that they might have missed the day before. In these sessions, players listened as the developers discussed different aspects of our games, including the history and philosophy behind Blizzard's art design and cinematics, as well as specifics on StarCraft: Ghost's new multiplayer elements and World of Warcraft's classes, items, quests, battlegrounds, raids, and more. After each presentation, there was an opportunity for panel attendees to ask questions.
Beyond the panel discussions, many BlizzCon attendees hung out to watch the final rounds of the StarCraft and Warcraft III tournaments. At the time of this report, many are also eagerly awaiting the final showdown between the StarCraft Battle.net winners and the StarCraft Pro-Gamers. For more information on how the tournaments progressed up to the final matches, be sure to check out the coverage at the various tournament sites that had representatives here at the show.
The sponsors' area was also crowded, with hundreds of attendees stopping in throughout the show to check out the NVIDIA, Intel, Games for Windows, Upper Deck, and other booths and to pick up a rubber bouncing ball with a blue light inside of it, which proved to be a pretty popular souvenir. Nearby, caricature and tatoo artists also kept busy, as attendees had their portraits drawn or got temporary tattoos to prove their allegiance to their favorite World of Warcraft race. Those not participating in these events were taking a chance to rest up for tonight's concert presentation, which was set to start at 6:00 PM. The concert will be featuring Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain in their first appearance outside of Kalimdor, as well as comedian Christian Finnegan, and none other than the world famous rock band, The Offspring!
Last, but certainly not least, is the realm meetings. Many players have gathered to meet with those they've fought alongside (or against) in World of Warcraft, creating a communal feel that pervades all of BlizzCon. We'll follow up with our continued report on the festivities tomorrow.
Comin' straight out of Orgrimmar: Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain will perform the last show of their Storm, Earth,
and Fire World Domination Tour this month in Anaheim, California, hitting the stage before The Offspring. Having
power-leveled past their previous name -- "Tenth Level Tauren Chieftain" -- L60ETC is undoubtedly best known for
their multimillion-selling single, "The Power of the Horde," a track that appeared on their 2003 album "Warcraft III:
The Frozen Throne." In addition to the hard-rocking, heart-thumping tunes it contained, that album might best be
remembered by music lovers everywhere for the popular little computer game that was included as a bonus feature on
the disc. After conquering every major city in Azeroth, L60ETC will be blasting the sounds of war one more time
during their tour-ending performance at BlizzCon on Saturday, October 29, 2005.
