blizzcon-2013
Latest
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
A history of BlizzCon WoW reveals
It all started at BlizzCon 2005 with the above video revealing The Burning Crusade expansion. Some of you may only remember the cinematic trailers, but there has always been an announcement trailer comprised entirely of in-game footage. When Blizzard announced The Burning Crusade, they only revealed the new Horde race of Blood Elves. The Draenei were not revealed until about 6 months later. Flying mounts, socketed items, a new race, and a new continent. It was an exciting time to be a WoW player. There were just 8,000 attendees that first year, which makes the Murky pet everyone received extremely rare. On the rare occasion when an unscratched card appears on the market, it can go for thousands of dollars. Also interesting to note that the canceled Starcraft: Ghosts game for PS2 and XBOX was playable on the convention floor that year. The Offspring performed in concert at the closing ceremony. The following year was one of the only two years since then to not have a convention, but BlizzCon returned in 2007 and was set to announce the most popular expansion yet.
BlizzCon 2013: Voice actors to take the stage
BlizzCon will be hosting a voice actor stage with several panels over both days. Many of the voice actors from World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft will be on hand to discuss their craft as well as sign autographs. Posters will be handed out to be autographed during the sessions in between the panels. Included on the Warcraft panel Friday between 3 and 4 p.m. PST will be the voices behind Chen Stormstout, Garrosh Hellscream, Jaina Proudmore and a few others. To see the schedule and all of the voice actors appearing, go to the original post. The stage will be setup between Hall A and B and is described as being attendee-only, so those watching on the Virtual Ticket will be out of luck.
Warlords of Draenor now trademarked in the US and Europe
Here's some more fuel for speculation engines everywhere: Blizzard Entertainment has now registered the trademark for Warlords of Draenor in both the United States and Europe. This news follows the rumors from last week indicating that Blizzard had locked up the very same title in Australia. We still don't know what Blizzard has up its sleeve, though the obvious leap is to a World of Warcraft expansion. With Blizzcon kicking off on November 7th, it's likely we'll have an answer SoonTM.
Here's a blown up image of gigantic banners outside BlizzCon... and no, there are no hints
An image was posted over on Reddit's /r/wow today that shows some of the signage being put up outside the Anaheim Convention Center today. Stuff like this is pretty common for conventions, and Blizzard is just tweaking their design a bit, putting the games outside instead of indoors. Zooming in, as many people have, reveals nothing of consequence, however. The WoW image is just a picture of an Orc (Edit: Yes, it's Thrall, who is an Orc). And while Orcs originate from from Draenor, it doesn't give any clue as to what the next expansion is. Orcs are all over WoW's media. Blizzard handles all the new media and things by putting the material up before hand and covering them in black cloth. That's what they'll do this year, too -- so unless you're in the hall early, you won't know what it is. And on that note, no one gets in the hall early. The security there is insanely tight, there is no chance of getting in. Still, it's interesting to see things moving forward.
Breakfast Topic: What live event do you wish BlizzCon would hold?
We're just days away from the big event, and if you're anything like me (or our not-so-crabby friend up there), your e-spine is increasingly tingling as these final days tick inexorably away. We're no doubt about to indulge ourselves in two gloriously exhausting days stuffed to the gills with huge announcements, exciting events, informative talks and all-around great entertainment -- plus, some of WoW's most famous and talented players will be on the game's biggest stage competing live for honor, glory and the satiation of their near-unquenchable virtual bloodlust. Aye, there'll be tournaments and competitions galore at BlizzCon this year, just as there have been in years past -- including a live raid in which two of the world's top guilds race to drag Garrosh and his cronies down into the Orgrimmarian mud. Pixels shall be felled, victors shall be crowned, and all of WoWdom shall rejoice! It's just that ... well, sometimes, don't you kinda wish that in addition to the organized PvP tournaments and live raids, BlizzCon also featured other kinds of live gaming events? What if there was a competition among our greatest pet battlers? Or an online fashion-runway contest in which players strutted out their most fabulously, uniquely dressed and transmogged characters? Or a carefully staged scenario in which a bunch of unsuspecting PvE-only players were dropped into a zone and told to farm 50 herbs as quickly as they could, only to realize the hard way that standing in their way was a similarly sized group of the world's most accomplished PvP gankers? If you could add one live event to the BlizzCon schedule this year, what would it be?
Rumor: Warlords of Draenor trademarked as possible World of Warcraft expansion
The cat may be out of the bag with the next World of Warcraft expansion, as a few eagle eyes spotted Blizzard applying a trademark for "Warlords of Draenor" today. The trademark covers both computer game software and entertainment service categories, and the website www.warlordsofdraenor.com was registered during this past month. Of course, this is just a trademark and does not constitute confirmation of any expansion, past, present, or future. We'll be sure to find out more when BlizzCon opens next week.
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.
Blink-182 will bring BlizzCon to an 'epic conclusion'
Blizzard's already starting its surprises for BlizzCon, announcing that the punk rock group Blink-182 will be closing the convention on November 9th. The concert is scheduled to wrap up BlizzCon 2013, and Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime can't stop gushing about the big show: "After two days of hard work watching games and playing games and talking about games, we can't think of a better way to kick back and relax than to have your face melted by Blink-182. We're thrilled to have such an awesome band helping us bring BlizzCon to an epic conclusion." While BlizzCon is completely sold out, fans can still purchase a Virtual Ticket from the site or a Pay Per View event from DIRECTV to see Blink-182's performance.
Blink 182 will close BlizzCon 2013
The above is the virtual ticket promo video, but it reveals one huge detail about BlizzCon 2013 that we didn't know before: Blink 182 will be the band that closes the event. If you skip ahead to 1.15 in the video, it's right there in (literal) black and white. What's your take on the band choice? Overall, while this video has been made to promote the virtual ticket, it's got me really excited for the con. The costumes, the atmosphere, everything. I'm also really excited for those of you who have the virtual ticket, it's going to be by far the best way to see the con, and you can enjoy the band without being in a packed room full of people! WoW Insider has been putting out a ton of speculation, information and helpful guides for BlizzCon 2013, and will, of course, be covering every event as it happens!
Method square off against Midwinter in the BlizzCon live raid
BlizzCon is just a shade over one week away, and the time to start getting excited is now! In the past, one of the most fun player events at the convention has been the live raid, and this year will likely be no exceptions. Blizzard has brought in world #1 ranked Horde guild Method to face off against world #1 ranked Alliance guild Midwinter (what is it with M names anyway?) in a race against some of the Siege of Orgrimmar's most challenging bosses. The live raid will feature the heroic 25-man verions of Sha of Pride, the Kor'kron Dark Shaman, Malkorok, Siegecrafter Blackfuse, and Garrosh Hellscream. It will begin at 10 am Pacific time on Saturday, and commentary will be provided by lead encounter designer Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas and community manager Josh "Lore" Allen so us audience members can better follow the action. Make sure to tune in for the live raid, and let us know if you're for the Alliance (Midwinter) or the Horde (Method)!
Rumor: 'Vikings' star Travis Fimmel to play lead role in Warcraft movie
Variety is reporting that Travis Fimmel, who plays Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel series Vikings, is set to star in the upcoming Warcraft movie. A formal offer hasn't been presented yet, but their sources say he will be playing one of the four lead roles in the film. Last month, it was reported that Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) was in negotiations for one of the lead roles. Colin Farrell has reportedly been offered a lead but it's uncertain how likely he is to sign on. The plot of the movie has been a carefully guarded secret and all we really know is there will be four lead characters. We should find out more at BlizzCon where there will be a panel dedicated to the Warcraft movie with Duncan Jones (Director), Chris Metzen, and Rob Pardo. Warcraft will hit theaters on December 18, 2015.
Navigating Anaheim for BlizzCon
You've got your BlizzCon tickets confirmed, your flight booked, and your hotel reserved -- in short, you're packed and ready to head to BlizzCon 2013. But do you know what you're doing when you get there? Preparing for a vacation isn't unlike preparing for a dungeon run: it's important to be prepared and know the lay of the land before you arrive. At BlizzCon you'll probably be spending most of your time in the convention center or at your hotel -- but what if you want to hit up a grocery store for supplies or need to find a pharmacy? We'll help you map out convenient services that are closest to the convention floor and help you can get around while you're there.
Just what is BlizzCon and how can I keep up with it?
If you're new to the game or play casually, you may be wondering just what all the fuss is about BlizzCon. So just what is BlizzCon and what does it mean to you? We'll start at the beginning: BlizzCon is a convention held by Blizzard where they announce new games, hold panels with developers, let the best players in the world show off their skills in tournaments, offer hands-on demos of just-announced games, host costume and talent contests, and other fun Blizzard-centric activities. The con is held in sunny Anaheim, California on a standard Blizzard "when it's ready" schedule -- typically every couple of years. This year's convention will be on November 8 - 9th and if you want to attend... well, unfortunately tickets are sold out. However, you can still pick up a virtual ticket which will let you watch live streams from the convention floor as well as pick up some in-game goodies -- like the Murkalot pet -- for $40. But is it worth it -- and do you even care? Well, maybe. Here's a rundown of what you can expect to happen at BlizzCon this year -- and how to keep up with the news from afar.
BlizzCon goody bag sneak peek
This announcement kills two Tallstriders with one stone -- we get more information on both what's in the BlizzCon 2013 goody bag, and what the Cute But Deadly stuff is all about! As many folks have already guessed, Cute But Deadly is a new line of Blizzard universe-themed figurines and, as the name implies, they are adorable representations of their horrifically menacing counterparts. For now, at least. The BlizzCon limited edition figurines include Arthas, Kerrigan, and Diablo, and are the Cute But Deadly kickoffs. I imagine they're only available through the BlizzCon goody bags, and they kick off what's sure to be a popular new set of Blizzard collectibles. Just look at Diablo's little face! Editor's Note: Kerrigan is cute, too.
BlizzCon Arena Tournament teams and casters announced
BlizzCon will have a plethora of tournaments this year, ranging from Starcraft II, through the internal games of the recently-announced Heroes of the Storm, to a live raid, and a Hearthstone tournament with some of the big-name streamers. But the one that really excites me, the one that I will be sneaking in to watch whenever I have a spare moment, is the WoW Arena Invitational. It's a rare chance for some of the world's best players to get together and show the crowd their skills. The action, in 3v3 arenas, will be fast-paced and frantic at times, but it's definitely worth taking a look. Even if you don't PvP, there will be a team of casters ranging from old hands like VHell and Azael to newer recruits such as Hoodrych and Lore, to guide you through the action. And today the teams were announced, too. I'm not going to reproduce the list here, but head over to the official blog and check them out. There's a prevalence of warlocks and shaman, which is notable, and some big names are coming along. Two teams each attend from NA, EU and China, and Korea and Taiwan field one team per territory. The blog gives a bit more detail on each team, their history, their players and such. Who are you rooting for?
Encrypted Text: If you could ask one rogue question
Every week or two, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Scott Helfand (@sveltekumquat) will be your shadow on this treacherous journey; try not to keep your back turned for too long, and make sure your valuables are stashed somewhere safe. The BlizzCon 2013 schedule was released last week, and I spied with my ninja eye one notable omission: For the first time in several years, there will be no open Q-and-A session or discussion panel devoted to talking about WoW's classes. In fact, the only Q-and-A session apparently scheduled for BlizzCon expressly forbids class-specific questions. Well, ain't that a Shiv in the pants. On the plus side, this means I don't have to take the fall for the fact that we're about to snap a streak of three consecutive BlizzCons in which WoW Insider's resident rogue columnist boldly strode up to a microphone during a Q-and-A and asked the game designers a question about our class. (Chase Christian asked the devs in 2011 how they planned to keep rogues distinct from monks (they have); in 2010 about whether rogues would ever be able to wield something other than a dagger in their off-hand (they now do -- if they're in combat spec); and in 2009 about whether Vanish would ever be fixed (believe me, today's Vanish issues ain't nothing compared to yesteryear's). On the minus side: What are we going to do with ourselves during BlizzCon if we can't spend our time becoming progressively more frustrated during the course of an hourlong Q-and-A session, watching the minutes tick inexorably by, never to return, as players of blatantly inferior classes take up the panel's precious time with their clearly inconsequential questions? I'll tell you what we're gonna do: We'll create our own Q-and-A panel -- well, minus the A's, at least for now. We've got a decent audience here, right? We've got a comment section, no? Let's do this.
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 store updated with new merchandise
For all you BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket holders who may have been dallying over whether or not to buy any con merch, there are now a load of new items to tempt your wallet, and a few popular existing items have been restocked. The new options include several Diablo-themed skateboard decks, a truly precious Zergling T-shirt, and the Blizzard 2013 Key Art T-shirt. The Key Art is particularly interesting, for a few reasons. First of all, it's been released prior to the convention itself. In previous years the Key Art has been withheld because it was totally spoiler-riffic -- think BlizzCon 2011, where it featured a panda, and thus wasn't released until after the announcement of Mists of Pandaria. This year's art, however, features front-and-center one very angry-looking Garrosh Hellscream (or what we assume is Garrosh Hellscream). Considering the Diablo and Starcraft art portions both reference known upcoming releases: Diablo: Reaper of Souls, and Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, I think it's safe to say that the Key Art confirms that WoW's next chapter will feature as BlizzCon's main attraction. But beyond that, we don't really know. It honestly raises more questions than it answers, and makes me even more intrigued to find out what Blizzard has next in store for World of Warcraft.
BlizzCon 2013 schedule is now online
One of the major annual nerd pilgrimages is less than a month away because on the 7th and 8th of November, hundreds of Blizzard fans will be flocking to Anaheim, California for BlizzCon 2013. If you're one of those lucky pilgrims and you're looking to plan out your visit to Blizzard mecca, you're in luck because the convention schedule is now online. The opening ceremonies will kick off on Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and throughout the next two days BlizzCon will be host to a slew of panels including the intriguing "World of Warcraft: What's Next," and exciting events such as the StarCraft II World Championship Series semi-finals and grand finals. For all of your scheduling needs, the list of events, locations, and a handy map await you at the BlizzCon site.
