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Road to BlizzCon Day 2: Fruitcake and Fallout
I couldn't even begin to explain why, but I'm fairly certain my comrade-in-arms Anne Stickney insisted on making our BlizzCon road trip an annual event exclusively so she could get a glimpse of a 104-year-old fruitcake. Our itinerary went through numerous iterations leading up to the start of our journey. The fruitcake was struck from the list countless times, but she managed to worm it back in there every single time. At some point, a guy accepts his fate and travels cross-country to see an old, crusty fruitcake. What can you do? I'll let it slide, though. Day 2 of our road trip also included Goodsprings, Nevada, which I insisted on visiting from the beginning. Anyone who has played Fallout: New Vegas will recognize the location: it's the game's first Vegas locale. And, as it turns out, this supposedly-haunted town and its Pioneer Saloon may be recognizable to even those who have never touched a video game. It's been a standby location throughout modern pop culture, its Hollywood breakthrough predating Fallout by many years.
BlizzCon kicks off on Friday, virtual tickets still available
If you've been waiting patiently for the next big convention focused entirely around Blizzard's game catalogue, your wait is almost over. BlizzCon 2014 kicks off on Friday, November 7th, with the opening ceremonies starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. There's no chance of attending in person if you don't already have a ticket, but you can still pick up a virtual ticket, and DirecTV customers can also grab a pay-per-view stream that includes a virtual ticket and the associated benefits. The convention will host a variety of tournaments, including the Hearthstone championships, the StarCraft II championships, and the World of Warcraft Arena championship. There will also be the usual assortment of lore panels, development previews, and reveals for the various games under the Blizzard banner, included the much-anticipated Warlords of Draenor expansion. If you've been on the fence about getting a stream, take a look at the list of festivities and get ready to see what's coming from the studio this weekend.
Trademark filings hint at possible Hearthstone expansions
Gamers love to speculate about expansion titles, and with good cause. If an expansion is titled The Battle for the Southern Ridge, well, you can be pretty sure there will be some fighting and you'll be on the southern ridge. If it's titled Steve Gets a Subpoena, you look for a character named steve. This is why particular attention has been paid to two new trademark filings by Blizzard, both of which seem like perfect titles for an upcoming Hearthstone expansion. The names in question are "Eye of Azshara" and "Overwatch." While the latter could apply to many games, the former seems quite clearly aimed at either World of Warcraft or Hearthstone, and it seems even more unlikely that the company would announce the next expansion for World of Warcraft as players are still waiting for Warlords of Draenor. Is it a red herring or harbinger of things to come? We'll know more when BlizzCon takes place later this week.
BlizzCon Charity Auction expands online
Blizzard is breaking out some pretty incredible and exclusive loot from the depths of its vaults for this year's BlizzCon Charity Auction, and you don't have to be at the convention to participate. Proceeds from this year's auction go to Children's Hospital of Orange County -- and Blizzard has lined up quite the collection of items to bid on. This year, the auction will be expanded online for those interested in bidding to help raise money for charity. Included in the items available are pieces of art from various Blizzard titles, including the amazing Alex Horley painting from Warlords of Draenor, a still from the Lords of War series by Laurel D. Austin and Charles Lee, the cover art for War of the Ancients by Glenn Rane, and many other prominent pieces of art from various Blizzard franchises. And if you're looking for something to place on a shelf, several of Blizzard's Holiday Exclusive pieces are also up for grabs as well. To check out all the pieces, head to the official BlizzCon Charity Auction page, and keep your eyes peeled -- the online auction begins on November 5, and continues until November 14.
Metallica will rock out at BlizzCon 2014
Imagine that you're a big-name game developer with a pile of money and millions of fans to impress at your yearly convention. Would you hire your favorite band from your youth to play a custom gig? Hell yeah you would! And so would Blizzard, which is why the studio's just announced that Metallica will be performing at BlizzCon next month. It's the perfect band to listen to while riding around on your Azeroth Chopper and playing your Orc. "We're thrilled to announce that Metallica will be performing the closing concert at BlizzCon 2014, playing before a sold-out convention crowd on the night of November 8!" Blizzard gushed in its announcement post earlier today. "If you didn't score tickets to the show, don't worry -- you can still get a front-row seat from home with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket." Hey, at least it's not Blink-182.
Metallica to perform at BlizzCon 2014
Blizzard Entertainment has announced Metallica will be performing live at BlizzCon 2014. As with previous years, the performance will take place during the convention's closing ceremony Saturday, November 8. If you won't be attending BlizzCon, you will be able to watch the concert with the BlizzCon virtual ticket. Performances at previous BlizzCons included Foo Fighters, Tenacious D, Blink-182 and Ozzy Osbourne.
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 (and expansions), 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, though sometimes it's an annual event. This year's convention will be on the weekend of November 7 - 8th 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, access the BlizzCon-exclusive store, and pick up some in-game goodies -- like this year's Grommloc murloc 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 2014 Online Merchandise sale begins
BlizzCon's online merchandise sale is now open for business and selling a variety of cool new products. If you have purchased tickets for this year's BlizzCon, or a Virtual Ticket for the show, you may now check out and purchase several of the items that will be available at the convention this year through Blizzard's Gear Shop. The sale has a ton of new items from all of Blizzard's titles -- it's not everything we'll be seeing at BlizzCon, but there's still a wide selection of items to choose from, both brand-new items, and familiar favorites from BlizzCons past as well. This year's items include several new t-shirts from Blizzard's titles, some new hats, and a special World of Warcraft 10 year anniversary messenger bag, which you can see in the image above. The new faerie dragon plush has also been made available, as well as two new posters -- one featuring art from Heroes of the Storm, the other a stunning image of Grommash Hellscream from the recently released animated series Lords of War. To check out the items and order, you must have either purchased a Virtual Ticket for BlizzCon 2014, or tickets for the event in Anaheim. If you have purchased a Virtual Ticket, your account should already be flagged for the sale. If you have purchased physical tickets, you'll need to use the redemption code included in your ticket email in order to flag your account. Supplies are limited, so take a look at what's available and place your orders quickly.
Blizzard posts official BlizzCon schedule
You've got your tickets purchased, your hotel arrangements squared away, your bags all packed. You're ready for BlizzCon this year! But leaving aside the fact that you can probably unpack your bags now as you've still got a month to go, what are you actually going to be doing at BlizzCon? That's what you can find out by taking a gander at the official schedule, which tracks the events of the day on both Friday and Saturday for World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and Diablo III. A floor map is also available so that congoers can get a feel for the layout before arrival, although that's of less interest to fans planning on taking advantage of the streaming options available for the convention. If you're thinking of buying a virtual ticket for the high-quality streams, take a look at the schedule and see if it's stuff you want to watch streaming live. Unless, as we said, you've already got your bags packed to go in person.
BlizzCon 2014 map and schedule revealed
Blizzard just posted the schedule and map for BlizzCon 2014. Of particular note for WoW is the Warcraft Movie panel on Friday afternoon. Could we finally be getting our first glimpse of actual movie footage? I'm not holding my breath. There's also a curiously empty 2-hour period after the opening ceremony. Hmm, I wonder what's going to be happening on the main stage then? Here's all the WoW panels: Warcraft Movie Presentation: Friday at 2:15 - 3:15 PM PT WoW Items, Class Changes, and More: Friday at 4:45 - 5:45 PM PT WoW Live Raid: Saturday at 10 - 11 AM PT Warlords of Draenor Cinematic Panel: Saturday at 2:15 - 3:15 PM PT WoW Q&A: Saturday at 3:30 - 4:30 PM PT You can view the full Friday and Saturday schedules as well as the floor plan on the official BlizzCon site. BlizzCon 2014 is being held on Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8. Only one month away!
StarCraft II world championships to be held in Anaheim Convention Center Arena
BlizzCon is expanding into new territory this year. While the StarCraft II tournaments have historically taken place in the convention hall, the StarCraft II WCS Global Finals will now be held in the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. All BlizzCon ticket holders will have access to the tournament, but Blizzard will also be selling approximately 1,000 additional tickets for the finals at a price of $25 each (plus a $2.37 service fee). Note: those additional tickets do not grant access to BlizzCon, but only the Loge and Terrace balcony sections of the Arena. The tickets will go on sale via Eventbrite beginning October 7. If you're interested, we highly recommend Blizzard's event FAQ which includes additional details about ticketing.
The Queue: Death knight riot
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Jeez, Adam forgets to mention death knights and you guys riot and burn the comments down. This is why nobody likes death knights. I'm kidding. Please don't kill me (and then raise my corpse as a ghoul). DespicableBrad asked: With the recent release of the WoD Cinematics and revelation of the end boss for the expansion along with the announcement of only 2 raid tiers for WoD, I can't help but shake the feeling that Blizz is sort of planning to rush us through WoD and get us into the next expansion more quickly than we found ourselves on WoD's doorstep post-MoP. With the upcoming Blizzcon, and a possible expansion announcement on the horizon... do you think this is possible? Is Warlords perhaps a "short" expansion to get us more quickly into the next one and into more frequent content patches/releases?
BlizzCon 2014 in-game goodies sneak peek
Last week, we had our first glimpse at Grommloc, the BlizzCon 2014 in-game pet. Today, Blizzard has revealed the remaining in-game rewards. Hearthstone Blizzard Entertainment-themed card back. The design incorporates elements from the compass inlaid around the infamous orc statue. StarCraft II New portraits and a Heroes of the Storm-themed decal. One portrait depicts Hierarch Artanis. The other is yet to be unveiled. Diablo III Warlords of Draenor-themed weapon transmogrifications. Each class will receive its own weapon, but only the demon hunter, barbarian, and monk are displayed. Kargath's bladefist and Blackhand's hammer are easily recognizable in the image. Only available for Windows/Mac version of the game. Heroes of the Storm Nexus Mount and Nexus Brawler portrait The official BlizzCon site has a more detailed image of each than you see in the header above. It being BlizzCon and all, we can't help but wildly speculate a little: given the protoss theme of the StarCraft portrait, and the fact that one of the portraits is still veiled in mystery, could we finally see a Legacy of the Void announcement? Nearly three years passed between the launch of Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm. Half of that time has passed since Heart of the Swarm's release, which would make this pretty good timing for an announcement -- though certainly not a release date.
BlizzCon and the expansion after Warlords
The Queue has received a number of questions about expansion timing, and while we have no answers, it is a situation we find interesting. Warlords of Draenor launches the week after BlizzCon 2014. In recent months, Blizzard has been reiterating their goal of releasing the next expansion more quickly. More specifically, Tom Chilton has mentioned in recent interviews that Warlords of Draenor may have only two total raid tiers, with the next expansion landing a year or a year-and-a-half after Warlords. For the sake of discussion, let's assume Blizzard will actually accomplish their timeline goals in this development cycle. If Warlords does have two raid tiers that last six months each, the next expansion releasing one year after Warlords, could we be in for a surprise at this year's BlizzCon? Announcing the expansion to follow Warlords before it has even launched doesn't make much sense -- marketing wouldn't want to undercut themselves. It simply wouldn't make sense to hype the next-next big thing before the next big thing has even hit the shelves. If BlizzCon 2014 did not announce an expansion on this timeline, however, when would it be announced?
BlizzCon tickets beginning to arrive by email
If you were one of the lucky few to snag a ticket to this year's BlizzCon, you should keep an eye on your mailbox because tickets are being sent out. (If you weren't one of the lucky few, you can still pick up a virtual ticket, though!) This year's ticketing process looks to be much like last year's: you'll need to print out your ticket and have it and a photo ID in order to get your badge. Badge pick-up is at the Anaheim Convention Center -- and if you show up on Thursday, the line shouldn't be hard to spot. Pick-up hours are Thursday, November 6 from 9 am to 9 pm; Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8, from 8 am to 10 pm. You'll also get a code to claim your virtual goodies this year, but Blizzard says nothing is available until a rather generic "later date." See you at BlizzCon, everyone!
BlizzCon offers up virtual tickets
If you really want to check out BlizzCon but can't quite manage a flight out to California, a solution is available. Virtual tickets are now available from Blizzard for $39.99, allowing you to watch the panels, the competitions, and the events live from the comfort of your own home. Sure, you won't get to actually be packed in the convention hall, but this way no one cares whether you're wearing pants or not, so you even come out ahead. Purchasing a virtual ticket will give you access to bonus in-game goods for World of Warcraft, Diablo III, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, and Hearthstone, although the details are not yet available. All of the streams are also available in high definition and can be re-watched, so you needn't worry about missing something. If you've already purchased a physical ticket, you still have access to a virtual ticket as well, so you can still take advantage of the streaming. Everyone who wants to attend can at least get something like that experience.
BlizzCon Virtual Ticket on sale now
BlizzCon is only a couple of months away and the Virtual Ticket is now available for purchase. The price of the virtual pass is $39.99 and grants access to a livestream of the developer panels, exclusive interviews, live contests hosted by Chris Hardwick, the closing ceremony, and various in-game items. Additionally, you'll be able to participate in the limited-time BlizzCon merchandise sale on the Blizzard store, most of which is generally only available at the convention itself. You can acquire your virtual pass via the Blizzard Store. If you have any questions, refer to the virtual pass FAQ on Battle.net.
World of Warcraft gears up for its Arena tournament with a $250,000 prize pool
Still hoping to prove you're the best World of Warcraft PvP player around? You're in luck; qualifying rounds have just begun for the 2014 North American Arena Tournament, which will be held at BlizzCon this year. Qualifiers are open to 3v3 teams who are ranked at or above 2500 on their home realm. The best of the best will face off against seven other teams for a chance at a $250,000 prize pool, so there's certainly motivation to smash some faces. If that's not your thing, you've still got something to look forward to. A special live developer Q&A session will take place on Friday at 1:00 p.m. EDT with lead game designer Cory Stockton and lead narrative designer Dave Kosak, answering player questions on everything from world design to Garrisons. There's no prize involved there aside from information, but if that's what you're tuning in to get, you'll probably be happy with it.
PAX Prime 2014: Hearthstone eyes an expansion
The PAX Prime Blizzard booth was one of the larger and more populated venues on the show floor this year. A slow-moving line wrapped around it as players waited eagerly to try out Warlords of Draenor or to see Heroes of the Storm for the first time. Yet it was Hearthstone -- a free-to-play game available to anyone at anytime -- that was winning gamers over. I talked with Game Director Eric Dodds about how this small project at Blizzard blew up into a great success story. He said that when the team noticed that Twitch livestreams of Hearthstone were drawing in thousands and tens of thousands of viewers is when the studio knew that it had a hit on its hands.
Five days to qualify for the North American Arena Tournament
The deadline is fast approaching for those PvP enthusiasts who wish to take part in the North American Arena Tournament. This competition will determine who goes on to represent North America in the WoW Arena World Championship at BlizzCon 2014. To qualify, teams must have an individual 3v3 Arena rating of at least 2,500 on the live realms by 10:00 am PDT on Monday, August 25th. The tournament itself will use a double-elimination format to determine the top three teams from North America, who will then move on to the competition at BlizzCon. The total purse for this year's event is an impressive US$250,000, with a winners' share of US$120,000. Not bad at all! Good luck to all those who are working to qualify!
