August 28th 2008
BlizzCon Ticket Drawing Winners Selected
The winners of the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing have been chosen. We’ve sent emails to 1,500 randomly selected eligible Blizzard Account holders containing instructions for purchasing up to two tickets to the show. For your security, please note that in this email we are not asking winners to email us credit card information directly, nor are we asking winners to call Blizzard for any reason.
If we still have tickets remaining after this initial round, we will select more winners from the original opt-in pool. We will make an announcement on our websites once all tickets available have been sold. For more information, refer to the BlizzCon Ticket Drawing FAQ.
August 27th 2008
Blizzard Downloads for Your Phone
Now you can keep your favourite Blizzard game close to your heart, and your ear, with our new themed wallpapers and ringtones for your mobile phone. They’re part of a new service that lets you download content related to your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games to supported mobile phones.
Over 50 pieces of content are currently available, including ringtones from World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, as well as wallpapers featuring character artwork, logos, and more. Visit the new Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers page for more information.
August 27th 2008
BlizzCast Episode 5: Special WWI Edition Now Available
This special Worldwide Invitational wrap-up edition of BlizzCast begins with a brief chat between RTS Community Manager Karune, World of Warcraft Community Manager Nethaera, and Diablo III Community Manager Bashiok about their WWI experiences. Bashiok then takes you into the mind of Diablo III Lead Designer Jay Wilson, and the two discuss some recent hot issues surrounding the game. Listen to the show now or check out the transcript to see all the featured artwork.
August 25th 2008
BlizzCon Ticket Drawing Opt-In Period Ends
The opt-in period for the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing is now over. We will be randomly selecting winners within the next few days and will announce when selections have been made on our websites. If you are chosen, you will receive an email from Blizzard containing information about how to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008. If you haven’t done so already, please go to Blizzard Account Management and update your contact information. For more details, see the FAQ.
August 22nd 2008
Games Convention – Day One
We’ve updated our Games Convention site with coverage and photos from the first day of this year’s event, held once again in Leipzig, Germany. To find out what’s happening at the Blizzard booth, read all about it here.
August 21st 2008
Wrath of the Lich King Opening Cinematic Unveiled
Five years have passed since Arthas released Ner’zhul from his icy prison and merged with him, claiming the Frozen Throne of Icecrown. Now the heir of Lordaeron has risen again, and soon the world will learn what it means to incur the wrath of its one true king....
The opening cinematic for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now available for download
or streaming from the official Wrath of the Lich King website. Check it out now!
August 20th 2008
Games Convention Update
We have even more for you at this year’s Games Convention. Along with playable demos of StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King, SK-Gaming will be conducting a Live Raid on the Sunwell Plateau, and we’ll be showing a brand new cinematic trailer for Wrath of the Lich King.
To find out more, you can check out the Games Convention site for more information.
August 20th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing Opt-In Begins
The BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing opt-in is now live. People with eligible Blizzard Accounts who wish to enter the drawing can now do so by logging in to Blizzard Account Management. The opt-in period will last until 08:59 a.m. CET on Monday, August 25. After it ends, we will select 1,500 people from the opt-in pool and offer them a chance to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008.
This is a random drawing -- everyone with an eligible Blizzard Account who opts in any time during the opt-in period will have the same chance to win. Please make sure your Blizzard Account contact information (email and phone number) is up to date. For more information, read our FAQ.
August 19th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing Information
As discussed last week, we’re preparing a drawing to offer 3,000 more BlizzCon 2008 tickets for sale. We’re finalizing the process now, and you’ll be able to enter the drawing soon -- in the meantime, please check the BlizzCon site for more information on how the drawing will work.
Please note that a Blizzard Account is an account created for the Blizzard Online Store -- as opposed to an account created for a Blizzard game, such as World of Warcraft. If you have any questions regarding Blizzard Accounts, please read our Blizzard Account FAQ. We will announce when the drawing opt-in period begins on our website soon. For more information, please refer to our BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing FAQ.
August 19th 2008
Partnership With ATI
Making sure our games provide a high-quality experience on a wide range of hardware configurations is always a priority for Blizzard Entertainment. As part of that goal, we’re pleased to state that we’re working closely with ATI, which has just announced its partnership with us. ATI is serving as a sponsor of BlizzCon 2008, and we’re also continuing our existing technical collaboration, which provides us early access to the latest graphical technology and is intended to ensure that our games and ATI’s drivers are optimized to provide a polished, seamless experience for our players who choose their products.
August 14th 2008
BlizzCon: Statement from Mike Morhaime
Tickets for BlizzCon 2008 were sold out rapidly on Monday and Tuesday and Mike Morhaime, President of Blizzard Entertainment, has issued a statement regarding this situation. More information about the ticket sales and a solution can be found on the BlizzCon site here.
August 14th 2008
Blizzard at the Games Convention 2008
We’re excited to be able to showcase some of Blizzard’s games at this year’s Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, from 21 to 24 August. We’ll be providing playable demos of StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King, running quizzes and providing some extra excitement with a Live Raid.
Many of you have participated in our “I <3 SC” Mosaic competition and now even more of you have the chance to become part of the exclusive “I <3 SC” club. Print out your “I <3 SC” signs or take out your t-shirts and join us at the Games Convention in Leipzig for the an official “I <3 SC” group picture at the Blizzard Booth. Meet up with other StarCraft fans at 16:00 on Friday, August 22.
Looking for a job at Blizzard? Our Game Masters will be at the booth ready to answer your questions about recruitment and working at Blizzard. Bring your CV along and talk to us about how you can start your career at Blizzard.
August 11th 2008
BlizzCon Tickets Now On Sale!
Tickets for BlizzCon 2008 are now available for USD $100 each. BlizzCon will take place October 10-11 in Anaheim, California -- head over to the official site for more information or to place your BlizzCon ticket order. We look forward to meeting some of you at the show!
Update: We have appreciated everyone’s patience as we've worked to address issues with the BlizzCon ticket sales today. To avoid having people stay up into the early hours attempting to make ticket purchases, we will take ticket sales down and continue implementing optimizations throughout the day.
There are still plenty of tickets available, so if you weren't able to purchase tickets today, please check back later today. We'll continue to provide updates on the North American World of Warcraft forums here.
BlizzCast #4 Live!
BlizzCast episode 4 brings us several new perspectives on World of Warcraft. Starting us off is an interview with Russell Brower, director of audio and video, about the process of creating music for World of Warcraft to be a part of an evolving, epic experience in the world of Azeroth. Next we interview World of Warcraft game designer Jonathan LeCraft about professions, covering both what we have learned from them in the past and where they are going in Wrath of the Lich King. We finish up the episode with our Q&A segment, which features developers answering a variety of questions from our communities. Listen to the show now, or check out the transcript to see all the featured artwork.
August 8th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Website Launched
We just released the official BlizzCon 2008 website. You can now find new information about this year's panels, contests, and tournaments. Make sure to check back regularly as the site will be updated with new event information such as event schedules, floor plans, store info, and much, much more.
If you’d like to see a sample of what it is like to participate in a live Blizzard event, check out our Blizzard Worldwide Invitational Videos page to see developer panels, contests, and tournaments from our event in Paris, France, in June 2008!
August 6th 2008
World of Warcraft Released in Russian
We are delighted to announce the release of World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade in Russian, available today. As well as being able to experience the worlds of Azeroth and Outland in Russian, players now also have access to full Russian language support and a range of payment options in roubles.
For existing players, you can convert your account to a Russian account, by following the procedure outlined here. Once your account is converted, you will be able to pay for the account in roubles. Some restrictions apply and you can read all about the distinctions here. A free migration option is available for a limited time for transfers from existing European realms to Russian language realms, to allow you to take immediate advantage of Russian language in-game support.
New players can create a Russian account here, and find out more about the benefits of these accounts here. Two new Russian language realms have been opened today for new character creation only.
A free trial is also available, allowing you to experience the World of Warcraft for ten days, absolutely free.
We extend a warm welcome to all our current and future Russian speaking players, and hope that they will now enjoy World of Warcraft even more.
August 1st 2008
Diablo III “Overthrown” Premium Statue Unveiled
Commemorating the exciting announcement of Diablo III, Blizzard Entertainment and Sideshow Collectibles are proud to introduce the Diablo III Premium Statue series with its epic first release. Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, “Overthrown” depicts a mighty barbarian atop the conquered Diablo, shouting towards the high heavens in vicious triumph. Standing a massive 18" (457.2mm) high, hand-cast in high-quality polystone and meticulously painted to exacting standards, each piece is individually finished with a unique edition number. To see some pictures or to pre-order the piece, head on over to Sideshow’s website and check out the regular edition or the Sideshow exclusive edition (includes alternate helmeted head).
BlizzCon Goody Bag Sneak Preview
For everyone contemplating a trip this year’s BlizzCon (October 10-11 in Anaheim, California), we’d like to give you a glimpse of just a couple items you might find in your goody bag when you arrive at the show.
Frostmourne. The very name of Arthas’s runeblade strikes terror into hearts across Azeroth. Now it comes to you in a more convenient package, and you don’t even have to travel to Icecrown Glacier to get it. As you go about your daily activities, whether they be raising legions of the undead or just brooding on your throne, carrying this 48” inflatable Frostmourne will grant you an extra touch of sinister majesty.
And of course, a new BlizzCon brings with it a lovable murloc to welcome into your heart--but murlocs don’t always come alone. This one has developed a taste for speed, and sits astride an exclusive polar bear mount, waving a BlizzCon flag. It’s the perfect way to cruise Northrend in style.
BlizzCon features an array of contests, tournaments, discussion panels, hands-on playtime, and other events, not to mention plenty more fun and unique treasures waiting to be unearthed from the goody bag, so make your plans now before tickets go on sale August 11.
More WWI Developer Panel Videos Online!
We have just published three more videos from some of the developer panels at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational. Check out our Videos page to watch Blizzard developers discuss the art of the StarCraft universe, the design behind Diablo, and listen to answers to many questions attendees had about World of Warcraft.
