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Blizzcon 2013: Iconic Characters of Warcraft
The Voice Actor Stage is a new addition this year at BlizzCon, and I certainly hope it becomes a staple. I sat down for the 3:00 - 4:00 panel "Iconic Characters of Warcraft" which, as the name implies, featured the voice actors for several of the most influential WoW characters in the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Our esteemed guests were: Keone Young, voice of Chen Stormstout James Sie, voice of Taran Zhu Patrick Seitz, voice of Garrosh Hellscream Aaron Phillips, voice of Wrathion Josh Keaton, voice of Anduin Wrynn Laura Bailey, voice of Jaina Proudmoore In addition, the panel was hosted by Andrea Toyias, Casting and Voice Over Director at Blizzard, and two writers whose names were announced but unfortunately not written on the projector. Andrea hosted the panel by asking each of the actors, one by one, a series of questions about the characters they voiced -- how they saw that character, how they got into the appropriate headspace to play that character, and so on. Each answer was unique and very interesting. Keone Young spoke about how his experience growing up on Hawai'i, before and during its annexation by the United States, influenced the way he perceived the struggles of the pandaren people, and also how his knowledge of the Hawai'ian patois informed his development of Chen's unique accent.
Meet WoW devs at the BlizzCon Community Corner
Free swag alert! BlizzCon attendees who stop by the Community Corner between halls B and C will have the opportunity to meet WoW community managers, and possibly get their hands on a free Warcraft t-shirt or hat by sharing BlizzCon photos on social media. Members of the WoW development team will be stopping by at scheduled times to meet with the fans: Friday, November 8 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Senior Game Designer Brian Holinka 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Lead Content Designer Cory Stockton, Senior Game Designer Jonathan LeCraft 4:30 - 5:15 p.m. - Lead Systems Designer Greg Street 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. - Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas and Lead Software Designer Patrick Dawson Saturday, November 9 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Lead Software Engineer (UI) Tom Thompson, Software Engineer (UI) Jacob Segal, Associate Software Engineer (UI) Bea Metitiri 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.– Lead Narrative Designer Dave Kosak, Lead Quest Designer Craig Amai
BlizzCon 2013 schedule app now available for Android, iPhone
Wondering how to keep all of the events and panels at Blizzcon 2013 straight? Or just how to get around that incredibly large convention center? There's an app for that -- the BlizzCon schedule app, first released for BlizzCon 2011, has been updated for this year's festivities. Both the iPhone and Android versions have received snazzy new updates with an all new map of the convention center as well as this year's schedule of events and panels. But that's not all! This year's update has also added new features and social media integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so you can share your experience as you experience it. In addition, the mobile app will also have access to all the free BlizzCon video streams, so you can watch all the action, even if you're not present for it in person. And the best part? The app is completely free. The app for BlizzCon 2011 was tremendously handy to have while wandering the convention center -- if you're attending BlizzCon 2013, I highly recommend picking up the updated version for easy access to maps and schedules while you're on the go.
BlizzCon attendees to receive free Virtual Tickets
If you're attending BlizzCon this year, you may have already seen the massive schedule of events and panels for this year's convention. In addition, you may have quietly wondered to yourself how exactly you were going to see absolutely everything you could while you were there. The bad news is, there is absolutely no way you're going to be able to physically attend every panel. The good news is that Blizzard is now providing free Virtual Tickets to all attendees as part of the goody bags, so you can catch up on any panels you may have missed after the convention is over. Phenteo If you've ever attended BlizzCon in person, you've probably experienced the existential dilemma caused when a must-see panel overlaps with a can't-miss tournament or other essential event. Since we can't grant you the power to exist in two places at once, we're instead giving BlizzCon 2013 attendees access to Virtual Ticket online streams so they can catch replays of the stuff they might have missed after the show. This year, the code in attendees' goody bags that unlocks the BlizzCon 2013 in-game goodies will also unlock the Virtual Ticket, allowing you to view on-demand replays of the events on the Main and Panel stages for up to two weeks after BlizzCon. You'll only be able to apply the code to one Battle.net account, so keep that in mind before you redeem it yourself (or give it to a friend). source There's nothing more frustrating than having to choose between two really cool panels, so it's nice to see that Blizzard is offering this as a bonus for people attending the convention. Now, instead of having to make the difficult choice of which panel to miss, attendees can wrestle with the question of which panel they'd like to see live, and which they'll check out when they return to the comfort of their own home.
Warcraft movie slated for discussion at BlizzCon
The upcoming Warcraft movie will get its own one-hour panel at BlizzCon 2013. The panel will feature director Duncan Jones as well as Chris Metzen and Rob Pardo on hand to discuss the transition of Warcraft from game to screen. Taking place from 1-2pm Saturday on the Main Stage, the one-hour presentation may just clear up some burning questions players have had about the film -- like what exactly the film is going to be about, among many, many other things. The movie itself was first announced as a possibility all the way back in 2006, and the last time we had a panel at BlizzCon dedicated to the film was a Q&A panel back in 2007. Since then, discussion about the movie had mostly dwindled out, leaving many to wonder if we'd ever see Warcraft on the big screen at all. 2013 marked an absolute flurry of new information on the film, as Duncan Jones was announced as the new director, filming was rumored and later confirmed to begin in 2014, a mood piece teaser was shown at San Diego ComicCon, story and casting rumors flew, and we were at last given an actual release date for the film: December 18, 2015. So what can we expect from this year's movie panel? That's a very good question. No doubt discussion of the evolution of the film may take place, although whether or not any questions will be taken at the panel hasn't really been made clear. But that small teaser piece from ComicCon hasn't aired anywhere since it was shown in San Diego. Will we get to see the teaser? Will we get a different teaser? Will casting be announced for the film? If you're headed to BlizzCon or you've signed up for a Virtual Ticket, you won't want to miss this panel -- and for those not attending, we'll be covering it here as well.
BlizzCon schedule revealed
The news is coming thick and fast today, with the announcement of yet another name change for Blizzard All-Stars, now Heroes of the Storm, and now the Blizzcon schedule and map have been revealed. It's all viewable on the official Blizzcon site, and I don't know about you but I'm getting really excited now. There's a live Arena tournament going on throughout the show, as well as a live raid on the Saturday morning, and they're not holding back with the WoW information, as 12.30pm on the Friday is a "WoW -- what's next?" panel. Not to mention panels on Heroes of the Storm, on Hearthstone, Diablo, and a ton of live StarCraft action and panels taking place too. Of course this is all viewable on the Virtual Ticket, and you'll also get the ability to watch on-demand versions of every panel and tournament. But what takes your fancy? I'm really excited to learn anything at all about Heroes of the Storm, and to watch the live matches, it's the Blizzard release I've been the most excited about for some time. So how about you? What's really got you going? And of course, WoW Insider will be doing our level best to bring you to-the-minute liveblogs and updates of the event as it unfolds.
The BlizzCon Artists' Stage wants your questions!
The Artists' Stage will once again be making a showing at BlizzCon, featuring presentations and live demonstrations by many of Blizzard's master artists throughout both days of BlizzCon. This year, they are looking for your questions for the artists and participants featured on stage. Those of you interested in quizzing Blizzard's artists can submit your questions on the official BlizzCon forums. In addition to the request for questions, Blizzard has released a full schedule of events for the Artists' Stage. And for those that have found the Burdens of Shaohao miniseries a delight, Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson, Senior Art Editor Doug Gregory and Senior Illustrator Laurel Austin will be hosting The Making of The Burdens of Shaohao Friday evening at 6pm. For the full list of powerhouse artists that will be making appearances at the Artists' Stage, as well as the event schedule, check out the official BlizzCon website -- and don't forget to submit your questions while you're there!
