Entries in blizzcon (55)
BlizzCon 08 Ticket Adventure: Episode Two
Oh BlizzCon, how I wish to be a part of you. Yes, that is right folks, another episode in my on-going saga to join the masses at BlizzCon 2008. I am not simply going just for World of Warcraft either. Yes, I was a hardcore raider during vanilla WoW before turning casual with The Burning Crusade but that is only part of my addiction to Blizzard Entertainment's products. My first Blizzard game was actually their epic Rock N' Roll Racing. But it is hard to be addicted to a racing title from that generation for too long. It was really Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness that drew me into Blizzard and StarCraft that had me addicted. But I was by no means a great StarCraft player. Great in my high school, yeah, but nothing special outside that. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos/The Frozen Throne was a different story though. I was an avid AT (arranged team) player, even winning a few tournaments with my brother. You won't find my name on any replays or in the Worldwide Invitational so stop looking. Just small local tournaments and one regional appearance. And like many of my generation, I learned to mouse click thanks to Diablo II. My point is, I really want to goto BlizzCon, not only WoW but all of Blizzard's properties...and the goodie bag. Despite asking for all your luck I missed out on the lottery drawing. The drawing was my last chance at receiving a ticket through the more official channels. When the BlizzCon e-mail failed to appear in my mailbox I turned into a new man. More grouchy than Oscar in Azeroth. My girlfriend was not amused. This morning at breakfast I started looking at the grey market once again. I refuse to pay the ridiculous eBay prices for my entry into Valhalla so I have found some other alternatives:
- Pixelated Executioner is offering a BlizzCon ticket for the best, original 700+ word story related to Wrath of the Lich King. However, the goodie bag is NOT included.
- Blizzard and its partners are offering an all expenses paid trip for two to BlizzCon. All you have to do is enter some information to be eligible. 25 runner-ups will receive a mix of SteelSeries (they make the Zboard line), UpperDeck Entertainment, Brady Games and J!NX swag.
BlizzCon Ticket Drawing Winners - Are You One?
Blizzard just announced on the World of Warcraft site that they have selected the 'winners' of the BlizzCon opt-in ticket drawing. These lucky 1500 people now have the chance to buy two tickets to BlizzCon for $100 each. If anyone who was selected doesn't purchase both tickets, another round of selections will be made. For those of us patiently waiting for BlizzCon tickets, it's a big moment. This is likely one of the last chances for Blizzard fans to get tickets to the show, although who really knows how good those odds were, since we don't know the number of people who actually opted in. This drawing, of course, was the result of a failure on Blizzard's part to ensure that their online store would be able to handle the amount of people wanting tickets when they went on sale a while back. It was a good enough solution for this year, but in the future, more and more people are likely going to want to get tickets to BlizzCon. They've got to come up with something that will allow tickets to be distributed fairly. I'd love to hear all of your thoughts on the subject, too. How do you think this whole debacle was handled? What are your thoughts on a solution for the future? A bigger venue? More expensive tickets? Fewer swag items? Also, how many of you guys opted in to get tickets, and did any of you get that email letting you know you could purchase them?
BlizzCon Ticket Woes
I was on vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina until August 10th. Yes, the day before BlizzCon tickets went on sale. I actually cut that vacation two days short so I could get home to a solid internet connection. I knew that I would need one to scoop up the two tickets I wanted to purchase. There I was, August 11th, stuck in the epic "fail Murloc" and XML error cycle like thousands of other users. F5, F5, F5, still the murloc haunts me. After Blizzard Poster Nethaera said the tickets had been sold out, I thought all hope was lost and began looking at eBay. Don't look at eBay. It is simply heart-breaking. Yes I saw that there would also be a small reserve of tickets to be sold at 8PM but that is PST time, and I was going to be unavailable then. My BlizzCon hopes were dashed. Just two days later, Mike Morhaime, the big cheese at Blizzard, pulled some strings and reworked the show's floor to allow room for 3,000 more people. To top it off they decided that these tickets would only be made available via a lottery system for those with an active Blizzard account (meaning their Online Store) as of August 12th. Huzzah, less chance that the last batch will be placed on eBay! The details on the lottery came out yesterday and will include an opt-in period much like the Wrath Beta. After that time frame elapses - still unknown - Blizzard will select 1,500 lucky members and allow them to purchase two tickets each. Should there be any tickets left, there will be another drawing and so on until all remaining tickets are sold. I have been fairly lucky at bingo in my life so I hope that luck carries over into this process. I really, really, want to snag that BlizzCon Polar Bear mount. Should anyone want to feel my pain, I invite you to play BlizzCon 08 - The Game. You can learn more about the lottery system via the BlizzCon Drawing FAQ. Good luck.
Who's Getting BlizzCon Tickets?
BlizzCon tickets go on sale tomorrow. According to a blue post, it will happen sometime after the work day starts. So you won't have to stay up late tonight in order to guarantee yourself a spot. Last year, tickets sold out in days. Earlier this year, World Wide Invitational tickets sold out quickly, went back on sale, then sold out quickly again. So apparently, people like WoW and want exclusive swag. If you want to go to BlizzCon, you'd better check that official BlizzCon website often on Monday, so you don't get left high and dry. I know at least a few of you are anxious to get your hands on tickets to the convention. Many people seem to already have made plans, travel arrangements, and hotel reservations. Who of you are among them? How many of you have made up your minds about getting that polar bear mount, winning the costume contest, or making your to class designers about nerfing warlocks? The show isn't going to be far from where I live, so who knows, I may just have to show my face there. Or maybe I'll dress up in a murloc suit.
Get Tickets To BlizzCon On August 11
Blizzard sent out a press release today announcing that tickets for their BlizzCon Gaming Convention will be available for purchase on the official BlizzCon website on August 11, 2008. Those of you lucky enough to get in on the tickets will have to pony up $100 per person to attend the event on October 10 and 11. BlizzCon is going to be held in Anaheim, CA in the Anaheim Convention Center and should have tons of interesting content for fans of WoW, Diablo, and Starcraft. These include hands-on demos of upcoming games, discussion panels with developers, gaming tournaments, contests, commemorative merchandise, and a silent auction. Attendees of previous Blizzard events have also received beta keys, exclusive in-game items, and other great swag. Just remember, if you want to go, buy tickets fast! Last year they sold out very quickly, and this year tickets will probably go even faster. If you can’t make it or don’t get tickets, you can also check out the in depth coverage that will be happening on DIRECTV Pay Per View, if that's your thing.