Every fall, Orange County gets a little nerdier, and it's about that time again, everyone: Blizzcon is coming to Anaheim this weekend. Are you going and need your appetite whet? Thinking about buying a virtual pass but not sure? Well, let me give five reasons why this year's Blizzcon is going to be super awesome.
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5. Legacy of the Void Reveal
World of WarCraft might be Blizzard's main money maker nowadays, but in my heart, StarCraft will always define Blizzard. The battlefields of Aiur were where I and many others made our first forays into PC gaming, and we might be looking forward to a return very soon.
The official StarCraft 2 Soundcloud account has been posting a few teasers lately. Does that mean I'm expecting an announcement for Legacy of the Void, StarCraft 2's third and final expansion this weekend? Well ..see..you..
4. Blizzcon Cosplay / Talent Competition
Orange County doesn't have any big anime cons, so cosplay doesn't show up as much as it should, but when it does like it will this weekend, the cosplayers go big. Need proof? Just check out last year's slideshow.
3. Watching the Blizzard Employees Get Super Excited about Things
Blizzcon seems a big party for us sure, but if I go by all of the Facebook updates from my Blizzard employee friends, it's a lot of work for them, but it pays off. For many of the employees, it'll be the first time that they see the public react to the work they've been doing for the past year.
Sounds nerve wracking, but when the crowd loves the work? Well, it's almost like Christmas.
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2. The Swag
The thing that Blizzcon has over all other conventions is that the swag is amazing. Custom WoW pets? SC2 portraits? Hearthstone card backs? They're down right collectable — and resellable on eBay. Heck, even if you can't make it in person, the digital ticket comes with its own little virtual swag bag.
Last year, Blizzard dropped a surprise box of little vinyl figures into the bags. How're they going to one up themselves this year? Well, we'll see..
1. eSports
At its core, Blizzcon is about community, and what's community centric then thousands of fans watching their favorite professional players going at each other's throats for hundreds of thousands of dollars? I gave you guys a little preview in March when MLG Anaheim was in town, now it's time for this past year's qualifying to come to a head. Costumes, announcements, and panels are all great. But cheering on your favorite players until you lose your voice? Now that's what is good in life.
