Blizzard has announced today, in a press release on their European Web site, when and where their fourth Blizzcon gaming convention will be held.
This years’ extravaganza will emanate from the usual place, the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, on August 21 and 22.
2008’s convention was an unbelievable experience for me personally, as I got to play a very solid multiplayer build of StarCraft 2, as well as the first ever public hands-on with Diablo III. The world got it’s first glimpse at the StarCraft Trilogy and plenty of great online interviews with Diablo and StarCraft developers.
Last year’s convention was bigger than the previous year’s, and this year’s convention aims to be even more outrageous. The growing popularity of the now annual event has caused Blizzard to reserve another convention hall to support the anticipated crowds. Hopefully this year’s ticket sales will go smoother than last’s.
What can we expect at this year’s convention? Find out after the jump.
Well, for one, we can expect the latest build of Diablo III to be playable, and hopefully with all of the characters announced. We can also expect the full beta tested version of StarCraft II’s multiplayer as well as possibly a few missions from the Wings of Liberty campaign.
But what everyone is very anxious about is an announcement of Blizzard’s new MMO that is in development. Will it be a StarCraft MMO? Or will it be an entirely new franchise? In any case I plan on being there once again to experience the excitement and mayhem that is Blizzcon, and to bring that experience to those unable to attend.
Blizzard's EU press release below
PARIS, France -- February 17th, 2009 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its fourth BlizzCon® gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®'s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® universes. In response to the festival's increasing popularity, this year's event has been expanded from three convention halls to four. "We've been amazed by the incredible response to each of our previous BlizzCon events," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased to be bringing the convention back to Anaheim this year, and we look forward to this new opportunity to meet Blizzard gamers from around the world." BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities throughout the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy: Further details, including ticket availability and pricing, will be announced on the official BlizzCon website, www.blizzcon.com, as the event draws closer. To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities can be found at http://eu.blizzard.com/en/jobs/.
Blizzard Entertainment® gaming celebration to return to Anaheim Convention Center on August 21-22
