blizzcon-2011
Latest
BlizzCon 2011 ticket barcodes are being sent out now
If you purchased an actual ticket to BlizzCon 2011 (as opposed to a Virtual Ticket), then you may want to start checking your inbox today. Blizzard has begun to mail out tickets to its respective lucky purchasers, and that might mean you! You can print out your ticket and just sort of look at it for a month. You can even fashion a crude lanyard for it from yarn and macaroni. Be sure to check out the BlizzCon merchandise presale if you haven't yet, and of course, tune in for all of our BlizzCon coverage here at WoW Insider. If you're going to be at the con -- and lucky you, by the way -- then stop by the BlizzCon 2011 WoW Insider Reader Meetup, sponsored by Wowhead!
BlizzCon preview sale opens at 10 a.m. Friday for virtual ticket holders
BlizzCon's merchandise preview sale has been going on for BlizzCon ticket holders for the past week, with lots of fun items. Mysteriously, the official BlizzCon T-shirts have absent artwork, signaling big announcements at the main keynote for the event. Virtual ticket holders will be granted access to the BlizzCon merchandise preview sale Friday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. Pacific. All you have to do is log into the Battle.net account that you purchased your virtual ticket under, hit the Blizzard store, and you have early access to all of the BlizzCon official merchandise for the 2011 convention. Probably the biggest surprise is the lack of T-shirt artwork for the official BlizzCon T-shirt, signaling a big, secret announcement that is important enough to revolve the entire convention around. New WoW expansion? Most likely. Cool new artwork to add to a shirt? That's a pretty big deal. Virtual ticket holders will want to get in on the sale quickly, as many items sell out quickly. The store will see you virtual ticket holders tomorrow. Check out our gallery of some of the items available this year at the preview sale. %Gallery-134119% Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Win a trip to BlizzCon from Steelseries
Steelseries, makers of World of Warcraft-licensed peripherals and gaming hardware, has just announced a contest to send two lucky winners to BlizzCon in October. The grand prize includes two tickets to BlizzCon, airfare to get there, accommodations, $200 in spending money, $200 at Morton's Steak House, and front-of-the-line access to sponsors' events at the convention. What have you got to lose? Even if you don't win the grand prize trip, there is still over $2,500 in prizes up for grabs, including gift certificates to Jinx, WoW Legendary gaming mice from Steelseries, game guides, a WoW atlas, and WoW TCG class starter decks from Cryptozoic. Free prizes! Who doesn't love potential free stuff? Check out the contest over at Steelseries. The contest ends on Sept. 30, 2011, so get your entries in soon.
BlizzCon 2011 presale merchandise now available
Just like last year, Blizzard has made certain BlizzCon-exclusive items available for preorder by BlizzCon 2011 ticketholders. There are almost 100 pieces of merchandise available this year, from designer toys to poker sets to calendars to Starcraft 2 Mega Bloks sets, and they're ready to be viewed (and purchased) right this very moment! Check out the presale on the Blizzard Store, but keep in mind that you won't be able to see the new merchandise unless you're logged into a Battle.net account with a BlizzCon ticket (or virtual ticket) attached to it.%Gallery-134120%
Announcing the BlizzCon 2011 WoW Insider Reader Meetup co-hosted by Wowhead
[Update: More details.] What's BlizzCon without the WoW Insider Reader Meetup? Last year, we rocked with Anabella with over 2,000 attendees. The drinks flowed, the swag flew and someone ended up in the pool. Oops. How do we top last year's event? By holding an even bigger one than ever before! And we're doing that with the help of our friends at Wowhead. The Wowhead team will be cohosting the event with us including Members of ZAM Network, TankSpot and WoW Interface. We're very excited to have them with us to make this the go-to party of BlizzCon 2011. And for those of you who can't make it to Anaheim this year, we have a special treat for you, too. Last year we brought you a 3-hour+ livestream of the event as it happened via webcam. This year, we're doing the same -- but thanks to our friends at Gamebreaker.tv, we'll have better lights, cameras, mics and streaming capabilities than ever before. Mike Sacco and Anne Stickney return to hosting duties throughout the night joined by Gamebreaker's Gary Gannon, Josh Allen AKA Lore, and Mike B. Mat McCurley will be returning as MC for the evening at the main stage with his trademark humor and, of course, a box full of swag to give away. He will be assisted by our very own Fox Van Allen, who needs no introduction (as he will talk endlessly about himself if you just ask). We have a long list of VIP guests, special giveaways, and more we can't wait to tell you about. Those details will follow in the next few weeks. Come join us and kick off BlizzCon with your friends at WoW Insider and Wowhead! What: WoW Insider's 4th Annual BlizzCon Reader Meetup cohosted by Wowhead Where: The patio and the poolside of the Tangerine Grill & Patio at the Anabella hotel When: Thursday, Oct. 20, starting at 5 p.m. Additional info: You can be under 21 and still attend. Shoes and shirt required. You do not need a BlizzCon pass to attend. You can RSVP on our Facebook Event page. %Gallery-105834%
BlizzCon 2011 merchandise pre-sale begins early
After last year's BlizzCon merchandise presale delays, Blizzard is doing pre-sales early this year. The merchandise pre-sale will go live on Sept. 16 for BlizzCon ticket holders and Sept. 23 for digital ticket purchasers. If you'd like to avoid delays like last year and have your stuff available for the con, it is advisable to order early. We will have a gallery of the pre-sale merchandise available as soon as the store opens up for business. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Meet Murkablo, the BlizzCon 2011 exclusive pet
BlizzCon 2011 attendees and live stream purchasers will receive a gift this year of Murkablo, an in-game companion pet resembling the fearsome Diablo, main antagonist in the third game bearing his name. From the included screenshot, Murkablo appears to burn characters with fearsome, fiery breath. Along with Murkablo, players will receive an as-of-yet unrevealed StarCraft 2 in-game gift. You can still purchase the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket at the site for $39.99, which gives you four channels, panels, game tournaments, the contests, and more, without actually having to run from panel to panel like we will be doing. Ever since Murkablo was datamined, players had been wondering if Murkablo was going to be this year's BlizzCon exclusive pet or a pack-in companion for Diablo 3's inevitable collector's edition. Since BlizzCon pets are usually of the murloc variety, it was a safe bet that Murkablo would be our new best friend come BlizzCon 2011. Official announcement and screenshot of fire-breathing action after the jump.
The Queue: BlizzCon or bust, again
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Mathew McCurley will be your host today. I seriously cannot believe BlizzCon is only two months or so away again. It really feels like just yesterday we were all hanging out by the pool at the Anabella or listening to Chris Metzen tell us what geek was. Ah, the good ol' days of 2010. Anyway, it's BlizzCon or bust again for me, and I am already hyping myself up to stupid amounts, excited to see friends, meet more fans, and order more pizzas to the hotel room. I am getting excited. Mahgo asked: What happened to having more frequent patches but with smaller amounts of content in each?
Packing for BlizzCon: Tips for booking air travel
BlizzCon is upon us! Get ready for the convention with travel tips, tricks, and preparation articles from WoW Insider. BlizzCon 2011 is happening soon -- Oct. 21-22, to be exact. You have nine weeks to wait until the biggest Blizzard event of the year. We're all preparing for the big trip, and now's a good time to talk about air travel arrangements. If you've already gotten your plane tickets, good for you, you early bird. For many people, now's the time to purchase plane tickets. Did you know that the Guardian thinks that the best time to purchase airline tickets is about eight weeks before traveling? That's soon! Here's some information to help you when purchasing tickets and flying in to BlizzCon.
BlizzCon 2011 virtual tickets potentially giving out last year's pet
Blizzard has posted that it is looking into an issue with players who purchased the newest BlizzCon virtual ticket for the 2011 show. Some purchasers have received last year's pet Deathy after purchasing this year's ticket. Blizzard is looking into whether or not this should be happening; whether or not this was a mistake or a miscommunication, we do not yet know. It is safe to assume, however, that a new pet will become available for BlizzCon 2011, and purchasers of the 2011 virtual ticket should not be getting last year's BlizzCon exclusive Deathy pet. One of the perks of purchasing the BlizzCon virtual ticket is that players are treated to a BlizzCon exclusive in-game companion pet. In 2010, that pet was Deathy, a Deathwing-inspired version of everyone's favorite murloc. As in every previous year, a new companion pet (or a mount, once) has been given to BlizzCon attendees. Players and purchasers were potentially confused, as the new pet for BlizzCon this year has not yet been announced. When Blizzard does announce this year's BlizzCon pet, we'll be the first to let you know.
BlizzCon virtual ticket now on sale
Unable to attend BlizzCon 2011 in the flesh this fall? No problem. The BlizzCon virtual ticket for this year has just gone on sale for $39.99. The virtual ticket provides streaming access to all convention panels, the Saturday night contests and to-be-announced concert, exclusive interviews, and more. Your $39.99 also nets you the BlizzCon 2011 exclusive pet. You and I both know that when it comes down to it, that's all you really care about. If you've purchased the virtual ticket before and weren't happy with the product, fear not: The online offerings of the virtual ticket have been much improved over the years. In 2009, the DirecTV coverage was shoddy all around, leaving viewers in the dark about half of the panels of the convention. In 2010, the multichannel coverage of all of the panels, the ability to go back and rewatch panels later or fill in gaps you missed earlier in the weekend, as well as the interviews with Blizzard that you can't see anywhere else really made your $39.99 worth it. It wasn't unusual for BlizzCon attendees in Anaheim to watch the panels from the comfort of their hotel rooms via online stream, only venturing out for evening parties and meetups (such as our own!). If you can't physically attend BlizzCon 2011 (or even if you can), it's money well spent. Give it another chance. For the full details of the virtual ticket, head over to Blizzard's official blog post on Battle.net.
BlizzCon 2011 will host two StarCraft 2 global tournaments and more
Blizzard has shared the plan for two big e-sports events at BlizzCon in Anaheim, CA, and it looks like there's going to be a full plate of noobs, ownage and ggs yet again this year. Not only will the Global Battle.net Invitational showcase some of the best StarCraft 2 players from Blizzard's online multiplayer service, but the 2011 Global StarCraft League Final matches will be held at the same event, pitting the best of the best at the game against each other. Those are just the two StarCraft 2 events -- Blizzard traditionally also holds contests and tournaments for World of Warcraft arena matches and the World of Warcraft TCG at BlizzCon, and though we haven't seen an official announcement yet, it's possible we'll see some Warcraft 3 or even Diablo 3 e-sports play as well. Outside of competitive play, Blizzard usually also offers new content for attendees to play through, so Diablo 3 specifically, plus any other unannounced games, may be playable too. Tickets for the October 21-22 event are sold out, but the tournament play will likely be streamed online through "virtual tickets" later on this year.
Enter to win a ticket to BlizzCon 2011 by donating to Child's Play
If you missed your chance to purchase a ticket to BlizzCon 2011 last month, there's still a way to get yourself in the door if you're feeling charitable. Looking For Group: BlizzCon, a networking site for organizing groups and meetups at BlizzCon 2011, is giving away one ticket to a random member of its website who makes a charitable donation to Child's Play. Child's Play, if you don't recall, is a charity created by the authors of Penny Arcade to give toys and games to kids in children's hospitals. To enter, all you have to do is join LFG: BlizzCon (it's free) and make a donation to Child's Play by June 30, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The donation can be for any amount, small or large. To read the complete rules on how to donate for the contest, check out the official contest page.
Additional BlizzCon 2011 benefit dinner tickets on sale June 8
Missed your shot at getting tickets to the BlizzCon 2011 benefit dinner for the Children's Hospital of Orange County? You're in luck! Blizzard has just announced that another batch of benefit tickets will be going on sale June 8 at 7 p.m. Pacific, 10 p.m. Eastern. The BlizzCon benefit dinner is an annual event and fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of Orange County where you, the Blizzard fan, get to have a great meal, chat up Blizzard luminaries, developers, artists, executives, and more, all to benefit a good cause. The event happens the Thursday night before BlizzCon. Benefit dinner tickets cost $500 USD per ticket and include access to the benefit dinner, a ticket to BlizzCon, and more. Check out the BlizzCon ticket sales page for updates and the BlizzCon benefit dinner FAQ. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the people I know who have attended this benefit dinner say it's a once-in-a-lifetime awesome thing to be at and be a part of. Blizzard knows how to rock a benefit dinner.
How to reserve a room for BlizzCon 2011
Going to BlizzCon 2011? That makes two of us! But if you're like other confirmed con-goers, you may have had trouble reserving a room; lots of hotels in the area are telling callers that they're sold out for the days BlizzCon takes place. This is not necessarily true! We've discovered that Blizzard and/or the Orange County Visitor's Center has reserved many rooms in the hotels surrounding the convention center specifically for BlizzCon guests. In order to claim them, though, you have to call the Visitor's Center directly. If you have a specific hotel in mind, you can ask for it, but they can also hook you up with other hotels that fit your price range. There's no cost to reserve a room, and you have until Sept. 1 to cancel the reservation with no charge. You just need a credit or debit card to have on file. The number to call for reservations is (714) 765-8868. They're open normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
BlizzCon benefit dinner tickets on sale tomorrow
Blizzard's annual charity dinner benefiting the Children's Hospital of Orange County happens in tandem with BlizzCon, the festival for all things Blizzard. This special benefit dinner, hosted at the Anaheim Hilton hotel, is limited to about 200 tickets and includes dinner with various Blizzard developers, artists, executives, and people from various levels of corporate life, as well as a signed Blizzard print and a ticket to BlizzCon, goodie bag included. Each benefit ticket costs $500 and is limited to two per household. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Eastern). The ticket proceeds go to a wonderful cause, so if you love Blizzard and love helping people, this event is a great way to have fun while giving to a good cause. Also, from the people who I know who have gone to the benefit dinner in the past, everyone says it is an amazing and joyous time.
Reminder: Final round of BlizzCon 2011 tickets on sale tonight
The second round of BlizzCon 2011 tickets are going on sale this evening in just a few hours at 10pm EDT / 7pm PDT. The first round went down last Saturday morning as planned, and tickets sold out in just a matter of minutes (technically, the queue for ticket sales was filled in less than a second). This demand is extra surprising, especially considering that ticket prices to the annual Irvine, CA-based fan convention went up this year to $175 a piece. Still, if you want to try your hand at Blizzard Entertainment's least fun game ever and attempt to buy some tickets of your own, you can join the party on the Blizzard store website later on this evening. Good luck to everyone; may your F5 skills be strong.
Second wave of BlizzCon tickets goes on sale tonight
If you missed out on picking up a ticket to one of the hottest events of the year, then your last chance is coming up tonight. A second batch of BlizzCon tickets is set to go on sale at 10:00 p.m. EDT (7:00 p.m. PDT) later today for the high, high price of $175 a pop. Each ticket not only gets you into the two-day convention (October 21-22, 2011 in Anaheim, CA) but includes a goody bag and the option to purchase limited-time BlizzCon merchandise before the show. Once the tickets go on sale tonight, you'll have minutes -- an hour at most -- to head over to the BlizzCon website and place your order. Blizzard is limiting you to only four per household, so if you have a group of friends who want to come, they'll need to coordinate their purchases as well! This is the sixth BlizzCon since the event started in 2005. Last year's BlizzCon admitted over 27,000 fans to the shindig.
Second batch of BlizzCon tickets on sale Wednesday, May 25
Here's a quick reminder for everyone trying for BlizzCon 2011 tickets again -- the second batch of tickets is going on sale Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. Pacific, 10 p.m. Eastern. The first batch of tickets sold out in seconds -- but unlike other years, not many problems were reported, and things went surprisingly smoothly. To purchase tickets, you'll need to go to Blizzard's BlizzCon tickets page. This is the page you are going to want to refresh constantly in order to purchase passes. Tickets sell out in literally seconds, so be quick with refreshing and clicking purchase. Once you click purchase, you'll be placed into a queue where you will wait for your chance to purchase tickets. If you are one of the lucky few, you'll be brought immediately to the purchase page. Tickets cost $175 each and are limited to four tickets per household/address. Here are some tips when attempting to purchase BlizzCon tickets: Log into your Battle.net account prior to going to the ticket page. The ticket queue will reach critical mass in seconds -- you need to refresh quickly and often. Start refreshing prior to the exact moment tickets go on sale. Everyone's clocks are different. Also, remember that the ticket information for each ticket you bought needs to be filled out and completed by June 10 at 8 p.m. Pacific time. If you need to change the information later than that date, check the BlizzCon tickets badge information page.
BlizzCon 2011: Round one of ticket sales are sold out
The first round of tickets for BlizzCon 2011 is sold out. Would-be convention-goers snagged up the tickets quickly, as predicted, and queues reached into the 12,000-15,000 range. BlizzCon tickets will go on sale once more on Wednesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST). Here are some fun BlizzCon ticket facts: Based on queue positions when tickets sold out, likely less than 4,000 total transactions were completed. The WoW Insider staff all clicked to buy our tickets at nearly the exact same second. Some of us didn't get a queue. Others ended up 13,000 deep. Whether or not you're getting a BlizzCon ticket today was a matter of one single second. Did you get the number of tickets you needed? Are you ready for BlizzCon? I got my tickets, and cannot wait to see everyone in October at the annual WoW Insider reader meetup party.
