BlizzCon 2019 - November 1 - 2, Tickets on Sale May 4 and May 8

[Awelon]

Wow. I actually kinda thought they wouldn't have a BlizzCon this year after the fiasco which happened in 2019. But then again, it is a 25th year of Warcraft so why not, perhaps we'll gonna see a hint or two about a new expansion? Or perhaps they will announce something totally new, like StarCraft: Ghostque 3rd person action shooter in StarCraft.

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900 people on the poll has been to blizzcon MULTIPLE times? weird...

How come? I live in Europe and attended since 2010. It's not like it's expensive if you have an education and a job. Plus the BlizzCon is always a bonus on your California vacation. Most people spend easily 200 bucks on an alchohol in one month.

[Monstafish2k]

Why should i, as a PC gamer, buy a ticket to a convention held by a Company where all their (or most) devs play mobile games instead of PC games? If i wanted to visit a mobile game convetion i woul dgo to E3 or something like that.

After last year... would be surprised if it got sold out that fast. I would LOVE to see them not selling even 50% of the tickets... maybe THEN they realize who their real fans are and main audience is. And thanks to BFA im no longer playing ANY Blizzard game at the moment... i dont know if its a matter to be happy or cry about. Oh and they have nothing to announce... maybe Patch 8.4/5 for WoW or even play their fake D4 trailer to make people excited and then in 2020 announcing it beeing cancled while at the same time it wasnt even in development.

[SirCowdog]

As I replied to you earlier. It's unfair for you to single out ActiBlizz for the tax loophole while ignoring all the other companies that do it. It's a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution. ActiBlizz is hardly alone to blame in using it.


Is it a problem across the AAA space? Absolutely. Bit the actions of companies like EA or Epic aren't going to help you.


Again, this isn't wrong either. There's no union for game development so they didn't do anything illegal. This actually does require the workers banding together to disallow this practice.

My point is you can't just blame one company for bad behavior when the bad behavior persists across the entire sector.

Mental gymnastics and attempts to redirect. I single out ActiBlizz because that's the scope of the discussion. Do you really want to expamd this to all the wrongdoings of the world? The mods would shut it down faster than EA with a title that "didn't meet sales expectations".

[Eapoe]

Mental gymnastics and attempts to redirect. I single out ActiBlizz because that's the scope of the discussion. Do you really want to expamd this to all the wrongdoings of the world? The mods would shut it down faster than EA with a title that "didn't meet sales expectations".

You’re the one leaping thru mental gymnastics to try and get people to drop the arguement. As stated, your posts are flat wrong and false and show you either (A) have no idea how companies work in the world, or (B) you do know but would rather focus everything at ActiBlizz while giving everyone else a free pass.
No body has brought up those other companies other than to give you examples and proof that your fighting a losing stand.
Oh, and yes, a company does rehire for the same position. It’s actually not uncommon for one team to finish a project to be let go and then have other designers and code writers come in for less pay on the follow up project, keeping only the leads around. Also, that video said “some of the positions,” meaning not every position is being rehired like you’re trying to insinuate.

[telygroar]

Fu blizzcon.

[Lurker1]

I would pay 1k for a ticket easy blizzcon ftw!

[Zandalariprelate]

Those mini statues look extremely anime-ish. Like in-your-face reminder you are 40-years old virgin soy-boy still playing decade + old video game

Whoa this sounds oddly very specific.

[SirCowdog]

Y (A) have no idea how companies work in the world, or (B) you do know but would rather focus everything at ActiBlizz while giving everyone else a free pass..

Oh FFS....

The situation is bad across the entire AAA industry. Does the fact that Epic makes its employees work 100 hour weeks justify the tax evasion of Blizzard? Does the fact that EA underfunds and withholds resources to projects like Anthem, only to break up their sudio and lay off its employees when it doesn't perform to the unrealistic expectations?

You keep trying to bring in the wrongdoings of other companies as though that's somehow going to justify what Blizzard is doing "because that's just how things are", or t "that's just how the industry is" as though that somehow makes it right. Not only is it a bad argument, but is an intellectually dishonest one.

I'm not giving other companies a pass, I'm staying focused on the topic so as not to get the discussion derailed in EXACTLY the way you're attempting! If you want to start different threads about other companies, by all means get to it. I'll challenge you there. But THIS discussion is about Activision-Blizzard and how their convention doesn't deserve attendance because of their actions.

Stay on topic.

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As I replied to you earlier. It's unfair for you to single out ActiBlizz for the tax loophole while ignoring all the other companies that do it. It's a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution. ActiBlizz is hardly alone to blame in using it.



Again, this isn't wrong either. There's no union for game development so they didn't do anything illegal. This actually does require the workers banding together to disallow this practice.

My point is you can't just blame one company for bad behavior when the bad behavior persists across the entire sector.

As I said to Eapoe, yes you absolutely can hold individual companies responsible. The fact that other companies are performing the same reprehensible actions doesn't magically absolve Blizzard of wrongdoing.

Likewise, the fact that Blizzard technically not braking any laws doesn't mean it's a practice we want to support by giving Blizzard more money.

[Risale]

I used one of my 10 vacation days and soent 200 dollars on a ticket for them to announce a shitty reskin mobile game made by a Chinese company.

I never ever understood why folks in the US put up with 10 days of vacation, bloody hell that is borderline indentured servitude.

[Awelon]

I never ever understood why folks in the US put up with 10 days of vacation, bloody hell that is borderline indentured servitude.

Amen Brother(?). Luckily I've 34 days of paid vacation here in the modern western country and don't have to put with the shit US is doing. 10 days per years is like a bitchslap on face of an employee.

[SirCowdog]

No, it isn't mental gymnastics. Companies operate within the law and that's what matters.

If a company pays 0 tax because it isn't obligated to pay any tax? That's legal. You can complain that that's wrong all you want, but singling out any individual company isn't fair because it's a systemic issue that needs to be addressed.

And honestly? If they did ax a lot of their good talent? That's up to them. Skilled individuals will always find a place to work at.

You're missing the point.

Legal or not, Is that the type of behavior you want to see game companies practice? Systemic problem or not, you're still feeding into ActivisionBlizzard specifically by continuing to give them money despite price increases; dispite the disregard they've shown to their fans. And by doing so your approval of their practices is implicit.

Legal doesn't mean ethical nor does it mean what you'd like to see in the gaming industry. I feel bad for anyone who uses a multi-million dollar corporation's idea of "legal" as their compas.

[Tarikla]

I'm really sacred, because of the statues.

They look an awfully lot like Clash of Clans art style. I can already see Blizzard announcing a Clash of Clans ripoff with a Warcraft Theme, just like Diablo Immortal is a ripoff of a mobile ripoff of Diablo...

It's really sad because this is the first year i could go on Blizzcon - I have the vacations days and the money for the plane and whole trip - but i'm sacred as hell that we'll have only mobiles games and a WoW expansion to show off. and that is not near enough for me to justify the 2.5K i'd be spending to go to Blizzcon from France.

[CSINada]

I am a wizzard from future, here to give you a hint whats comming up in November!

Diablo Immortal DLC (oh you poor bastards, i know you think there is Diablo 4 project, haha, poor souls)

WoW expansion in form of reskinned BFA with different name, they listened to your complaints about BfA and care about you, changed almost nothing but added new mount
BIG ANNOUNCMENT WoW mobile game
New info on WoW vanilla, to be released with next xpac, technology is just not there yet

Overwatch new champion

Heartstone, 9040953 expansion announced

Starcraft 2 ..... and many more!



Hoping for completly new game that we all wait for so long? Nope that aint profitable as mobile games and milking current titles.

[SirCowdog]

I can't fault a company for legal behavior.

Yes, you absolutely can. WTF!

As I said, you're completely missing the point, and I think you're being intellectually dishonest about the entire subject. You keep trying to press the issue of "You must hold all companies responsible" as though that's a barrier or excuse for holding one company responsible.

It's like letting a murderer go free because other people also committed murder. That doesn't make the one murder we're talking about now acceptable. Fuck sake, how do you not understand this? Wait, I'll answer that for you. I think you DO understand it, but don't want to admit the point, so you keep trying to dodge it with this collective responsibility.

So let me make it clear. YES, the problem is systematic. But we're talking specifically about ActivisionBlizzard. So stop trying to change the subject.

And that was "you" in the general sense in the post you quoted, not the specific like in this post.

[SirCowdog]

Since when was murder ever legal?

And no, you can't. Because the moment you say to company X you can't do this because of ethics, it puts them at a competitive disadvantage compared to every other company.

Again, we should focus our energy on why is any company allowed to do this not why is ActiBlizz doing this.

Also, no one is ethically required to pay taxes. You're required to pay the bare minimum tax. That's what everyone should pay. I agree that the tax minimization strategy that a lot of large companies should be closed but that's no reason to be upset at ActiBlizz for playing the same game as everyone else.

You should probably get more involved with ITEP and Patriotic Millionaires to stop these practices. Here's an example of why we have to address it at the legal level. Granted, this is for a higher minimum wage, but the principle remains the same: https://patrioticmillionaires.org/20...ess-practices/

Here's a company that studies a lot of the common tax loopholes: https://itep.org/category/corporate-taxes/

Do you just not understand the concept of scope?

[SirCowdog]

I just disagree with your stance. Taxes aren't a moral issue so ethics shouldn't apply.

No, you're doing exactly what I accused you of earlier: Mental gymnastics. Every time I bring up the specific case of Blizzard's actions you redirect or deflect or otherwise avoid talking about it because you know you'd have to admit that the way Blizzard is acting is shitty. Not just tax evasion, but everything else they're doing.

Whatever, we're done. I'm sick of trying to argue with people who are either too deeply defeated to even try. Attitudes like the one you've expressed in this thread are exactly why game companies keep doing this shit.

[Zachsophone]

Well YouTube is still filled with Blizzard shills ( T&E, Hazel, etc ) and for a decent streamer on Twitch 230 USD is pocket cash so yeah tickets will sell out as usual.
After the recent events at Blizzard the past year and quality ( or lack of ) in their games + last Blizzcon and it's facepalm moments + the price hike I think the average Joe will be less drawn in to go then let's say 7 years ago.

Do you define a shill as anyone who still enjoys the game and current systems, even if some people don't like them? I don't know if you can throw everyone into that category just because you don't enjoy the game or how its being developed anymore.

[Tanidor]

Bloody heck.....THOSE PRICES! Do people actually pay up to $1000? How is the dinner? I honestly hope it is Michelin star quality! Though even I have paid SOOO MUCH less at Michelin Star Quality Restaurant! Approx £200-£300 for a full course dinner and dessert.

[tripleh]

Curious how things are gonna go with the requirement of the phone app in order to get in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7YGrenehmQ Apparently tons of spyware on that app. Why couldn't they use the authenticator instead? It's linked to the wow accounts, but the spyware seems questionable. Wondering if theres gonna be any ticket cancellations .

[God Save The King]

With prices like that, and the big let down with Diablo Immortals from last year, I expect a lot fewer people to attend this year.

Still sold out within seconds.

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Bloody heck.....THOSE PRICES! Do people actually pay up to $1000? How is the dinner? I honestly hope it is Michelin star quality! Though even I have paid SOOO MUCH less at Michelin Star Quality Restaurant! Approx £200-£300 for a full course dinner and dessert.

It's nothing to do with the dinner, it's all the other benefits. Plus it is a charity dinner which helps a children's hospital.

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Bloody heck.....THOSE PRICES! Do people actually pay up to $1000? How is the dinner? I honestly hope it is Michelin star quality! Though even I have paid SOOO MUCH less at Michelin Star Quality Restaurant! Approx £200-£300 for a full course dinner and dessert.

It's nothing to do with the dinner, it's all the other benefits. Plus it is a charity dinner which helps a children's hospital.