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Messiah's Favourite BlizzConn 2011 Moments
Posted Tue, Oct 25, 2011 by Messiah
BlizzCon was awesome this year, more so than any other that I
have seen. If for no reason other than the pure number of new things
coming out soon(ish). I mean really at what other point in Blizzard
history have we known about so many projects in the works. At
BlizzCon this year they previewed the next World of Warcraft
Expansion: Mists
of Pandaria, the StarCraft 2 expansion: Heart of the Swarm,
more Diablo III info, Blizzard DoTA, and let’s not forget they still
have project “Titan” hidden away in the background.
Given all this I have real issues nailing it down to just one favourite moment of the event. Therefore I won’t. I will list my three favourite moments. There was a whole lot of really cool things, and I am excited about non-WoW topics as well, but of course my favourites are all World of Warcraft related.
Anyway, ever since Blizzard first started fooling around with the idea of the Pandaren, I have eagerly been waiting for them to arrive. While everyone thought the Pandaren figure produces a while ago was a joke, I thought he was awesome looking. Again, I realize that it is a pretty silly idea to brink kung fu pandas into the game, but hey, we already have Cows that can turn into bears, cats, owl looking things, and trees, so is a martial arts panda really a far stretch?
If you end up playing both games though, it really is a free game for you. For me, I don’t cancel and re-subscribe to WoW when playing other games as I am always popping in to talk to people anyway, so this is pure win for me.
Better yet, for those that want to get the collectors version of Diablo III, if you do go out and buy it when you enter the code you get a credit towards the one year contract for WoW. It’s another well thought out scheme from Blizzard as it ensures they sell both versions, and is good for us collectors as well.
Sure enough later in the event, they spent some time explaining the pet combat system, and the audience went silent. It was hilarious. Blizzard was actually up on stage talking about all these “cool” new features and how combat would work, and earning badges and abilities, and more. All I could think, and by the stunned silence from the crowd I believe many (most?) were thinking the same thing, was what the hell did they put in their water or their pipes?
They know this is a direct rip off of Pokemon, right? Did they essentially licensed Pokemon to put it in WoW? Was it April 1st and no one had told me or the rest of the BlizzCon attendees? Lastly I know WoW has been dumbed down over time, but are they really admitting that they have dumbed it down to the point that adding in features that 6 year olds find amusing and entertaining is the right level for the game?
All I could think was wow…I hope Nintendo sues them and it gets removed before release.
Given all this I have real issues nailing it down to just one favourite moment of the event. Therefore I won’t. I will list my three favourite moments. There was a whole lot of really cool things, and I am excited about non-WoW topics as well, but of course my favourites are all World of Warcraft related.
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
All I can say, is OMG! Yes. Ok, I know it’s kind of childish to like the idea of essentially kung fu fighting pandas being added into a rather serious toned game, but I still like it. Maybe it is due to growing up in the age when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first came out, and then the mass hysteria and copycat comics that came out after as everyone tried to duplicate TMNT’s success. And no, I’m not talking the huge second wave of success, I’m talking the original black and White comic success in 1984. There had to be a title for every single possible animal and Asian fighting style ever thought of, and while I don't remember a Kung Fu Panada there was a psycho gun toting bear.Anyway, ever since Blizzard first started fooling around with the idea of the Pandaren, I have eagerly been waiting for them to arrive. While everyone thought the Pandaren figure produces a while ago was a joke, I thought he was awesome looking. Again, I realize that it is a pretty silly idea to brink kung fu pandas into the game, but hey, we already have Cows that can turn into bears, cats, owl looking things, and trees, so is a martial arts panda really a far stretch?
WoW yearly pass = Free Diablo III
HURRAY! This is a great marketing scheme from Blizzard. Many players would likely take at least a few months off to play Diablo III anyway, and once there may not ever come back to WoW. By doing this Blizzard is giving you a $50 game for committing to spend $180. This in essence means you are kind of trapped into going back to WoW, or you would have paid Blizzard a little over 3x what Diablo III was worth. If you leave WoW, Blizzard wins huge!If you end up playing both games though, it really is a free game for you. For me, I don’t cancel and re-subscribe to WoW when playing other games as I am always popping in to talk to people anyway, so this is pure win for me.
Better yet, for those that want to get the collectors version of Diablo III, if you do go out and buy it when you enter the code you get a credit towards the one year contract for WoW. It’s another well thought out scheme from Blizzard as it ensures they sell both versions, and is good for us collectors as well.
WoW Pet Combat = Pokemon: and the dead pan silence….
Ok, I like most of Blizzard’s ideas or I would not have played every game they have ever made. However, I thought to myself that I can not be the only one that shook my head and wondered what the hell they were thinking when they announced the upcoming vanity pet combat system. I know people collect those pets, but I have never understood why, they don't improve your character in any way.Sure enough later in the event, they spent some time explaining the pet combat system, and the audience went silent. It was hilarious. Blizzard was actually up on stage talking about all these “cool” new features and how combat would work, and earning badges and abilities, and more. All I could think, and by the stunned silence from the crowd I believe many (most?) were thinking the same thing, was what the hell did they put in their water or their pipes?
They know this is a direct rip off of Pokemon, right? Did they essentially licensed Pokemon to put it in WoW? Was it April 1st and no one had told me or the rest of the BlizzCon attendees? Lastly I know WoW has been dumbed down over time, but are they really admitting that they have dumbed it down to the point that adding in features that 6 year olds find amusing and entertaining is the right level for the game?
All I could think was wow…I hope Nintendo sues them and it gets removed before release.
