With that in mind and knowing that my first love is real-time-strategy BlizzCon should be a blast this year.    

My son and I are covering the StarCraft II World Championships for eSportsMax.com, so feel free to send me any questions, comments or concerns.  I’m not sure that moving the event to the arena outside of the main BlizzCon hall was a good idea, especially since they have now discounted tickets to a mere $20.00.    Is there really that little demand to watch StarCraft II?  If so, what can be done to fix it?   People like to at least attempt to play the games that they watch and the learning curve in SC2 is not only steep, it is unforgiving, the equivalent to EVE Online in this diagram.

I’m even intimidated by the game at times, especially when I haven’t been able to play for a while.   My son plays every night.  He simply can’t get enough of the game.   He had a great experience at Red Bull Battlegrounds in New York.   DJWheat and TotalBiscuit were both kind enough to do interviews with him and the advice that they gave and the impression that they made on him have impacted what career path he feels he would like to take. 

With the exception of Diablo III, which I played, but never really became enamoured with I have three games at BlizzCon that will call out for my attention.  

I’m enthralled by Hearthstone and the fact that I can play it here and there casually as a break from stressful endeavours keeps me coming back.  

I don’t play enough to be considered a good player, though I did break into the Legendary Ranks in an early season.    I generally sit somewhere between Rank 15 and 5 now as I tend to jump between decks and test out everything in ranked even if I know it might get stomped.  I also have a strange tendency to put cards in my deck that I like rather than the ones that I know are better cards.   Fun trumps winning if that makes sense to anyone.  I’m a Knife Juggler junkie and frankly find it hard to keep the Demolisher out of my decks just because I enjoy the card.

But, back to Warcraft.

No game has created more memories for my family than WoW.   I’m excited that the game will have new content and that I have a reason to play with my family again.   Garrisons seem cool, though I know so little about them as to be considered an ingnorant doofus.  I guess it’s “All About the Bass”.   See what I did there?

I’m cautiously optimistic that the expansion will keep us playing, especially with the ability to fill our raids with “strangers”.    If you want to be less “stranger” then drop me a line and we’ll hook you up when we decide to run some content.  It’s always more fun to run with people associated with TenTonHammer or eSportsMax. 

In the meantime, check out the new WoW TV commercials.   I don’t find them as entertaining as those for past expansions, but your mileage may vary.

Are you heading back to WoW? What are you looking forward to?  What has you worried?

• Scream Fortress 2
• EVO 2015 Coming Back to Vegas Baby!

Because the real world is usually more humorous than the virtual one.   Here are some real world stories.  You can’t make this stuff up.

• From the Crappy-Award-Dept. – America’s Best Toilet
• From the Something-Smells-Funny-Dept. – World’s Funniest Comic

If you received even an iota of enjoyment from this then please support both myself and TenTonHammer by doing one of more of the following:

• Read my previous columns
  
  • HCTB 27: Sexually Suggestive Content Gets Twitched
  • HCTB 26: Memories and Moments
  • HCTB 25: Winners and Losers – Iron Tide
  • HCTB 24: First World Gamer Problems
  • HCTB 23: Strongbad is Back
  • HCTB 22: Free Steam Keys
  • HCTB 21: Destiny Bounty Guides
  • HCTB 20: Destiny Video Farming Guides
  • HCTB 19: Casino Cave Closed
  • HCTB 18: Why Light Is Important in Destiny
  • HCTB 17: Do You Like Green Engrams?
  • HCTB 16: Destiny Is A Nursery Rhyme
  • HCTB 15: Is This My Destiny?
  • HCTB 14:  Censored
  • HCTB 13: Hype and Hope
  • HCTB 12: Irritated by Ice Bucket Challenge
  • HCTB 11: Censored
  • HCTB 10: I Got Fireflied
  • HCTB 9: Gaming Junkets, Do We Need Them?
  • HCTB 8: Need For Speed or Gaming Gourmand
  • HCTB 7: Every Breath You Take
  • HCTB 6: Dear LPBs and Twitch
  • HCTB 5: Comments
  • HCTB 4: If MMO Fans Were World Cup Fans
  • HCTB 3: Censored
  • HCTB 2: Censored
  • HCTB 1: EA vs Activision
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