Conventions
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BlizzCon makes the must-see list
Videogame Price Charts (who?) has compiled a list of seven videogame conventions to attend before you die. Unfortunately, the list seems unattainable by design, as they want you to attend E3 before 2007, but besides last week's Leipzig Games Convention and this weekend's upcoming PAX, Blizzard's own BlizzCon is right there on the list.We're not sure why you'd want to go to BlizzCon if you didn't happen to be a fan of Blizzard's games, but then again, who isn't a fan? They list the legendary costume contest and the chance to try out PC games as reasons to go (along with meeting your guild -- I did all three at BlizzCon last year), though they forget all of the great Blizzard panels and the entertainment offered at each 'Con (where else can you see Level 70 ETC, besides, you know, in-game).Especially since it's going to be bigger than ever this year, there's no question that BlizzCon is going to be awesome. And even if you weren't able to grab a ticket (we're hearing just now that lottery winners are being notified), we'll have everything you need to know and see from Anaheim this October right here on WoW Insider.[via WorldofWar]
The Daily Grind: Planning to attend any conventions?
Tis the season to be traveling! As the summer ramps up, more and more companies are planning different outings and fan events. Blizzard has announced that not only will they have their (now sold-out) Worldwide Invitational in Paris, but also will be hosting another Blizzcon this October. Sony Online Entertainment has announced the next in a long line of highly successful Fan Faires coming to Vegas this August. CCP is expected to host yet another "party at the top of the world" as their EVE Online fan fair returns this year. Funcom will have a great showing as part of the MMO track at Dragon*Con where they've been partying with fans for years. And who can forget all the gaming goodness that goes on at PAX, GenCon, and other related conventions happening all around the world! For today's Daily Grind, we thought we'd ask you what kind of plans you have for traveling this year? Are there any conventions that are absolutely must-see events for you? Which events, if any, are you excited to check out? And if it's a general event like Dragon*Con or PAX, what are your "must see" games while you're there?
Breakfast Topic: Convention chaos
We are just about to hit full steam on the convention season, and Blizzard isn't taking any time off this year. Not only did we hear about BlizzCon on Monday, but we already knew that WWI was going to happen in Paris, and then learned that Rob Pardo would be visiting the Paris GDC. And while Blizzard may not be officially a presence at other cons this summer, their presence is going to be felt for sure -- PAX, GenCon, or DragonCon, whereever there are gamers together, there is WoW. So where are you going to be? Planning on visiting any cons this year? I won't say it's hassle-free -- the crowds, lines, and just plain costs of these things tend to make me avoid them, especially right after I've been to visit one. But then again, every year around this time I start to get excited about maybe going to them again, and while I have no idea what my plans are right now, I can tell you for sure that WoW Insider will have a presence at all kinds of conventions this year. What about you?
WoW Rookie: Lowbie instance guide
Dungeons, known as instances, are special zones where players group together to fight tougher monsters than the outside environment. They are called instances because each group who enters them is given a separate copy of the dungeon and will not interact with other players of either faction when inside. Higher quality loot is available in instances than the environment, in addition to excellent quest experience and rewards. Today's WoW Rookie gives you a guide to the dungeons may enter in your first forty levels or so. Instances are known in most cases by their initials. Notable exceptions will be listed below. This guide also gives suggested levels for completing the dungeons. Entering at a lower level will usually prove difficult and, at times, painful. If you do an instance at a higher level than recommended will garner little experience and rewards that do not benefit your current level.
WoW Insider at Dragon*Con Redux
We're packing up the last of the swag (which took up a whole suitcase of its own!) and prepping for the road. But before we head out, I thought it best to go over some of the last details for Dragon*Con. Additionally, for those headed there, we've got the scoop on some last-minute track changes that we've heard about, and some great information culled from various Dragon*Con sources for all your convention needs. For those of you who won't be able to make it, but are curious to read more about WoW Insider's inaugural trek (no pun intended) to Dragon*Con, I've also added some information that will help you find all the latest and greatest straight from us on the convention floor.
WoW TCG: Interview with Ben Drago, Manager of Organized Play
When I came upon Ben Drago at the Darkmoon Faire in Chicago, he was yelling like Ragnaros. He was facing off against three WoW TCG players-- one was playing a Paladin, the second a Mage, and the last a Hunter. It was a Molten Core raiding event, and Drago was more than giving the guys a run for their money. The Paladin dropped quick (the player complained that Drago's Shazzrah "wouldn't let me heal!"), and while the mage and hunter held their own for a while, Drago eventually crushed them all with Rag's firey might.He handed out a few booster packs as prizes anyway, and then sat down to talk with me about the WoW TCG that he promotes all over the country and the world, what player reaction has been like, and Upper Deck's event plans for Blizzcon and beyond.
Nintendo at Tokyo Game Show 2007?
The talk around town is that Nintendo might have a significant presence this year at the traditionally Sony-dominated Tokyo Game Show, going so far as to secure a booth. The video game trade show hasn't made much of an effort to include Nintendo in the past, as the company stuck to the Space World expo and its own events to make announcements. But with the Wii's current momentum and Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Sky set to appear on the Nintendo DS, leaving Nintendo out of TGS just doesn't make sense. Wired's Chris Kohler has an interesting post on how Nintendo's attendance at the September event will affect the console market in Japan and what the company might present at the convention. Playable DQIX demos of seem given, but we're sure that Nintendo has a lot more planned for the biggest dedicated video game show in Japan. What games and announcements are you looking forward to hearing about?
TGS undermonetized, but so what?
Advertising's omnipresence in Tokyo is so complete and thorough that we only take notice when it's missing. Like air, you only notice it when it's gone. It's therefore notable that most prime Makuhari convention center facades lack advertising of any sort, even though they were clearly designed to support large-format ads. There are a few possibilities that might help explain what's going on: Advertising's inneffective: Given limited budget, game companies appear to prefer to pour Yen into their booths, the babes that staff them, the bags the babes hand out, and other tangible improvements to enhance their show presences. Game promoters have other means of driving traffic to (and interest in) their booths and their games. Bad placement: Advertising plastered on lofty facades might be worthless if everyone's got his nose buried in a portable game device Operational challenges: Perhaps show organizers aren't too skilled at wringing money from companies in attendance (if there's one thing the E3 organizers did well, it's help companies shell out lots of dough). Small potatoes: in the grand scheme of things, this show isn't that important. It's just three days out of a 24-7, 365-day effort to woo gamers. That might explain why Nintendo's nowhere to be seen.
Real Life WoW Dancing
Those wacky Norwegians are at it again. At the recent fest called 'The Gathering', apparently the liquor & drugs were as plentiful as the shame was scarce, because in front of an auditorium full of people, a dozen gamers took to the stage to give their real-life renditions of the various dances from the different races in WoW. Ever wanted to see a full-grown man doing the female Night Elf dance? Yeah, me neither...
