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October 11, 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Comes to a Close
With the day's panels and tournaments coming to an end, BlizzCon 2008's closing ceremonies are about to begin, featuring the comedy of Patton Oswalt, the thunderous death-knight metal of Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and the symphonic majesty of Video Games Live, who are returning to the convention this year with new arrangements of music from Blizzard Entertainment games.
We'd like to thank everyone who helped make BlizzCon 2008 possible, including comedians Jay Mohr and Patton Oswalt; Video Games Live; AMD, Dell, DIRECTV, Intel, and our other partners and sponsors; and, most of all, the community of gamers whose support and dedication are what this show is all about. We hope everyone enjoyed the informative developer panels, the live tournaments and contests, and the hands-on gaming BlizzCon had to offer.
While the convention might be coming to an end, there's still more to come at BlizzCon.com. Keep your eyes on the site for more photos and other post-show coverage.
October 10, 2008
BlizzCon 2008: Day One Wrap-Up
The first day of BlizzCon has drawn to a close, with Jay Mohr hosting another awesomely epic evening of contests, costumes, dances, and /silly one-liners. We’ll have photos, results, and more from the contests soon -- but in the meantime, here are some of the day’s highlights.
BlizzCon 2008 Developer Panels Roundup: Day One
At Friday's developer panels, attendees got an in-depth look at Diablo III's wizard class, heard some big news about StarCraft II's single-player campaign, and got a chance to ask game designers, artists, and programmers all their burning questions. If you couldn't make it to any of the panels, here's a quick recap of what you missed.
Diablo III Update: Meet the Wizard
At the Diablo III Class Design panel, game director Jay Wilson went into more detail about the game’s third playable class, the wizard. A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard combats the hordes of the Burning Hells by hurling environment-shattering lightning bolts, channeling explosive arcane energies, and creating pockets of space outside the normal flow of time.
To find out more, check out the video introduction or visit the brand-new wizard information page to read the latest excerpt from the journal of Abd al-Hazir and see some of the wizard’s powers in action.
BlizzCon 2008 Begins
BlizzCon is officially underway! Gamers from around the world have come to Anaheim to join us for this two-day
celebration of Blizzard Entertainment games and the passionate communities of players surrounding them. We'll be
updating BlizzCon.com regularly throughout the show with news and photos from the floor, as well as from the
various contests, developer panels, and other events we've planned. We'll also be broadcasting streaming video of the
2008 StarCraft Invitational and other tournaments -- so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days.
October 9, 2008
Ask a Question Contest at BlizzCon 2008
Here's your chance to participate in BlizzCon even if you aren't able to be there in person. We're now asking folks to submit
their burning questions related to the Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo game universes. We'll sort through them all and pick the
best questions to be answered live during DIRECTV's pay-per-view broadcast of BlizzCon 2008. If your question is selected,
you'll also receive an ATI graphics card and some exclusive BlizzCon merchandise. For submission information, contest rules,
and a list of prizes, visit our contest page.
October 8, 2008
Attention Trial Account Players – Important Notice
The streaming trial client, which allows trial users fast access to the trial version of World of Warcraft, will be temporarily unavailable while we prepare for our next major content update, "Echoes of Doom." Trial users can continue playing World of Warcraft by downloading the full trial client here: [PC] [MAC]. Streaming trials will be brought back online within a few days of Echoes of Doom’s release, and we will provide further updates as they become available. Please visit our Technical Support forum for additional information.
You can upgrade your account to a full version at any time. Just purchase and install the retail version of the game (available at most software and video game retailers), then enter the provided Authentication Key at our online
Account Management service to upgrade your account. After you upgrade you will still be able to play the character you create during this trial. For details about the trial version client, refer to our Trial Account FAQ.
BlizzCon Tournaments Live Stream Information
When the fierce gaming competition gets underway on the tournament stages at BlizzCon, you'll be able to follow the action at home -- right on your computer screen. On October 10 and 11, we'll be providing streaming video coverage of select tournaments live from the convention floor. Whether you prefer the coordinated team play of World of Warcraft's Arena, the meticulous hero management of Warcraft III, or the fast-paced space battles of StarCraft, you’re sure to find something to cheer about. Stay tuned to BlizzCon.com for the live stream on the first day of the show.
BlizzCon 2008: We Want Your Photos
If you're attending BlizzCon 2008 and are bringing a camera along, we want to see your pictures. Send your best photos of the event, particularly from Friday’s contests, to blizzconweb@blizzard.com. We'll collect the finest of your submissions and post them on the site for all to see. Take a look at last year’s
BlizzCon photo gallery to get a sense of what we're looking for.
BlizzCon Closing Concert Details
Video Games Live and Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain will both return to Anaheim this Saturday to re-rock the Anaheim Convention Center during the BlizzCon 2008 closing ceremony. Recently upgraded from Level 70 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris this past June, Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain’s performance will conclude their “On and On, South of Northrend!” world tour. The Video Games Live performance will feature music from each Blizzard game universe, and new Blizzard music will be debuted as well.
The closing-night ceremony will take place in Hall C of the Anaheim Convention Center at 5:30 PM. For those attending BlizzCon, be sure to arrive early, as seating will be first come, first served. Ganking fellow attendees to steal their seats is strictly forbidden and generally frowned upon. Generally.
Both acts will also be included as part of DIRECTV's live BlizzCon HD pay per view package. See the BlizzCon DIRECTV Pay Per View page to learn more.
October 7, 2008
New Battle.net Forums
We've just brought our brand-new Battle.net forums online. The new forums bring a host of new features and stability, as well as helpful tools for us to better moderate and organize posts. They're available right now -- to access them, visit: http://forums.battle.net.
The forum login requirements remain the same. In order to post you will need an account created by a Battle.net supported game and a CD-key.
If you're still looking for some posts or information from the old forums, we've left them up at the original address (http://www.battle.net/forums.shtml). The old forums aren't open for posting, but if you’d like to copy a thread or back up some information, they'll remain available until Monday, October 13.
The benefits of implementing these new forums are numerous, and we hope you're as excited as we are to see this step toward the continued growth and support of our Battle.net community.
Halloween Pumpkin Contest
The Royal Photographic Society of Azeroth is renewing its competition in celebration of Halloween. In a longstanding Blizzard Entertainment tradition, this year we’re proud to announce our sixth annual pumpkin-carving contest.
Between 12:00 a.m. PDT on October 8 and 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 28, the RPSA will be accepting submissions for the pumpkin contest. The shutterbugs who submit the most outstanding photos of their work will have their pictures proudly displayed on WorldofWarcraft.com and Blizzard.com on Halloween. In addition, the five most interesting, original, and well-carved pumpkin designs will be recognized for their merits with a Logitech G51 Surround Sound Speaker System designed specifically for gamers. Special thanks go out to Logitech for these prizes!
Pumpkin submission tips:
- The winning entries will display high levels of originality, craftsmanship, and humor.
- Your pumpkin must be lit up by a candle or other light source in your photo entry. You can show another photo of the pumpkin unlit if you wish.
- Pumpkins must be related to World of Warcraft or another Blizzard Entertainment title.
- Try to take the best picture possible, as picture quality helps make a good impression on the judges.
- Make sure you tell us what the pumpkin is supposed to be in the caption, just in case it’s not clear.
If you want to view some past pumpkin-carving contest winners, you can see them here:
[2003], [
2004], [
2005], [
2006], [
2007]. Check out the contest page for additional details, including the official rules and submission form. Good luck!
October 6, 2008
BlizzCon This Week!
BlizzCon 2008 begins this Friday, October 10, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The show will feature two days of gaming,
contests, developer Q&A panels, tournaments, and more, in addition to live entertainment by comedian Patton Oswalt, all-Blizzard metal
band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and Video Games Live. Our recruiting team will be there, too, so if you’re interested in a career
at Blizzard Entertainment, bring along your resume, demo reel, art portfolio, or business card.
See our media alert for more details --
and keep an eye on www.BlizzCon.com for live updates throughout the show.
BlizzCon Contest Submissions Closes
The submission window for all BlizzCon 2008 contests has now closed. We thank everyone again for all of your entries and look forward to a great night of contests at BlizzCon!
October 2, 2008
Diablo III Bestiary Update: Scavenger
 The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the ferocious scavenger.
I had indeed seen scavengers: small, burrowing creatures that feed upon carrion. Unlike most animals of this type, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Scavengers have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats.
Check out the scavenger entry now!
We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of artwork and seven new screenshots.
October 1, 2008
New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new artwork.
September 30, 2008
BlizzCon Contest Submission News Update
The submission window for the BlizzCon 2008 /Silly, Dance, and Costume contests has now closed. We thank everyone again for all of your entries!
Please note that the Movie, Original Song, and Motivational Poster contests closed late last week, and players have until October 3rd to enter our Diorama contest. We're looking forward to plenty more great submissions for this final contest.
DIRECTV BlizzCon Package Preview
For anyone interested in experiencing the panels, contests, tournaments, and other highlights of BlizzCon from the comfort of their own home, we'd like to provide a more thorough idea of what to expect from DIRECTV's U.S. pay per view package of live HD event coverage.
Multiple cameras will be travelling the show floor to capture the experience of being at BlizzCon, and the coverage will be anchored from a central broadcast desk. The hosts for the show will be:
- Geoff Keighley, executive producer and host of Spike's GameTrailers TV, the #1-rated videogame show on television
- Becky "AKTREZ" Young, creator and leading lady of the Girls Entertainment Network
- Kat Hunter, general manager of professional gaming team for the Championship Gaming Series, the San Francisco Optx, and former Frag Doll
Celebrity guests Patton Oswalt and Jay Mohr will also be appearing -- Jay is returning to host the live BlizzCon contests, and Patton will be performing a comedy routine during the closing-night ceremony, which will also feature all-Blizzard rock band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain. In addition, senior Blizzard Entertainment developers such as Rob Pardo, Jay Wilson, Dustin Browder, and Jeff Kaplan will be rotating in and out of the broadcast desk throughout the day to talk about their work and share their thoughts on the convention as it unfolds.
Viewers will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Blizzard Entertainment headquarters, get the BlizzCon-exclusive in-game polar bear mount for a World of Warcraft character they play, and be able to download high-resolution cinematic trailers for upcoming games (with an appropriate DVR).
DIRECTV is currently running a special promotion -- available only through the BlizzCon website -- offering the pay per view event free to new customers who sign up for DIRECTV by September 30. Time is running out on this offer, so act quickly.
Beginning this Sunday, September 28, through the end of the convention, current DIRECTV customers will be able to order the package for $39.95. For more information, please visit www.directv.com/blizzcon or call 1-800-728-9375.
BlizzCon 2008 Available Live on Pay-Per-View in Australia
If you live in Australia but are unable to make it to BlizzCon 2008 in person, Foxtel's Main Event is broadcasting coverage of the conference live on pay-per-view on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12 beginning at 4 a.m. (AEDT). Main Event will present eight hours of live coverage per day, including main stage presentations, interviews, tournaments, game demos, and more. As a bonus, people who purchase both days of the show will be eligible to receive a gift card redeemable for the BlizzCon-exclusive World of Warcraft in-game polar bear mount. For full details, visit the Main Event site at www.mainevent.com.au, or order Day 1 and Day 2 directly.
We're also looking into the possibility of bringing televised BlizzCon 2008 coverage to other regions of the world -- keep an eye on BlizzCon.com for more.
September 19, 2008
Get DIRECTV, Watch BlizzCon Free
DIRECTV’s BlizzCon package features over 16 hours of live HD coverage of the event, including exclusive
interviews and commentary. New DIRECTV subscribers in the US who sign up for DIRECTV by September 30 through
www.blizzard.directv.com or 800-728-9375 will receive the
BlizzCon pay per view package for free, while existing DIRECTV customers will be able to order it for $39.95
beginning on September 28. The package also includes the BlizzCon-exclusive World of Warcraft in-game polar
bear mount. For full details head over to the BlizzCon site.
September 17, 2008
Blizzard Authenticator Back in Stock
We've just received a new shipment of the Blizzard Authenticator, and they are once again
available for purchase in the Blizzard Store. The Blizzard Authenticator is a keychain device that can be linked to a World of Warcraft account to add an extra layer of security; on demand, it generates a one-use alphanumeric code that is required when logging in to the account. For more information on the Blizzard Authenticator, check out the
FAQ.
September 15, 2008
Wrath of the Lich King invades stores November 13
In the frozen wastes of the north, the Lich King Arthas Menethil rallies his undead army and schemes to bring an end to all life on Azeroth -- and in a couple of months, you'll begin your epic journey into Northrend to confront the Lich King and his minions yourself. Blizzard Entertainment's second expansion to World of Warcraft -- Wrath of the Lich King -- will be in stores on November 13 in North America, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia, and on November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The expansion will be available in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18, and the launch timing for China will be announced at a later date. For more information, read the press release or visit the Wrath of the Lich King website.
Wrath of the Lich King will be available in both a standard edition and a special Collector's Edition (in select areas). The Collector's Edition will contain an art book, behind-the-scenes DVD, exclusive in-game pet, and more. For pictures and a complete list of contents, check out the Collector's Edition website.
Retailers in North America are currently taking pre-orders for the game. Reserve your copy now online!
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