Project Lore

I Guess I Found The Manga's Matching Bookmark Every year Blizzard has given show goers a real life quest to complete.  This year was no different.  The company essentially had us running around, standing in line (or cutting them),  collecting junk, or simple signatures a few times before we could score a chance at some truly epic loot. I wasn't aware of the quest at first, but I luckily managed to complete my mission despite being a day behind.  Not to mention being incredibly busy with coverage, picture taking and interviews.  Perhaps my press badge had something to do with it. This year we had to run to five separate vendors, not including the starting area of Brady Merchantile.  From there participants had to go to the following wares vendors, in no particular order.

• J!nx
• Tokyopop
• SteelSeries
• Upper Deck
• Swag Dog

With junk in hand I headed back to Brady Merchantile for my chance at the top prize, a free WoW Beer Stein.  I obviously failed or it'd be full of brew right now (long weekend!).  Instead I scored myself an advanced copy of Warcraft: Legends Vol. 5 (review forthcoming). Prizes in my particular order of appreciation.  Don't worry, none of it is exclusive to BlizzCon.

• WoW Beer Stein
• FigurePrints Paper Model
• Warcraft: Legends Vol. 5
• Upper Deck TCG booster packs (chance at loot!)
• Steelseries mouse and mousepad
• Pair of Wildstorm monthly comics
• Swagdog hat & shirt
• Ulduar Patch v3.2 poster
• J!nx keychain

It'd be nice if there was something more to the quest than getting a signature and some fishing lures.  Sadly, that would make things incredibly complicated with 20,000+ bodies running around the convention center.  I imagine that the quest areas would end up looking like the Worgen and Goblin starting zones.  I guess the simpler the better when things involve real people, a limited amount of SWAG, and a time frame. Whoa, BlizzCon's closing ceremonies will be commencing shortly.  What a whirlwind, information-filled weekend it's been.  That's all from me live from BlizzCon.  Fear not thought, our coverage isn't over.  I'll have at least one more post for you tomorrow.  Then it's off to battle jet lag.

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There is only a month and a week to go before a swarm of nerds infest Anaheim, and likely Disneyland.  Initially I planned on putting this post up next week, for the nice round month figure, but some BlizzCon news was broke early morning.  That makes today's maintenance hours a far more fitting time.  According to an Internet sleuth named SeanbaJuice, comedian Jay Mohr will be MCing BlizzCon for the second year in a row.  Blizzard's PR, which is likely still sleeping as of this writing, has yet to answer calls for confirmation.  Rob Pardo should have never given me his cell number. I've been to numerous game conventions before, E3, NYCC, VGXPO, but never one dedicated to a single company.  Oh, I've tried.  When id Software was still the king of FPS (not to mention independent) I almost ventured out to Texas for the free QuakeCon.  Those aspirations were dashed, twice.  I wasn't about to let that happen to BlizzCon this year.  Since the quasi-annual conference was announced for 2009 I have been plotting my attendance.  I ferreted away large wads of Washingtons for the plane ride, located multiple forms of identification, squirreled away some Lincolns for the tickets, and turned in my change for spend money.  Finances in order, I awaited that faithful day.  By the grace of the greater Internet I scored a pair of tickets and officially marked my calendar. Even if I wasn't a fan of Jay Mohr there is still plenty to get excited about.  I won't be partaking in any of the contests, original song, fan art, costume, movie, sound-alike, dance or otherwise, but I will take a gander at them, time permitting.  Instead I will be focusing my attention on the as-yet-detailed panels for all things Blizzard Entertainment.  Being a fan of all of the company's franchises it will be hard to play favorites. Who am I kidding, the reveal of WoW's third expansion will have be backflipping over turtle mounts and prancing around cosplay nutjobs.  But we all know the real reasons I am attending, Grunty and the rest of the goody bag. The silent auction may be of interest.  Perhaps we should start a donation page to put whatever-it-may-be in PL's studio?  Is anyone else getting pumped yet?  Tickets ready, bags packed and Game Fuel acquired?  Could Cataclysm really be the next expansion?  Is this going to be anyone else's first BlizzCon.  Anyone been to them all so far? BlizzCon 2009 will be held in the Anaheim Convention Center on August 21 and 22.  Tickets are sold out, and beware of scalpers! What's this I hear, Ozzy Osbourne at BlizzCon?!  Interesting...

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