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

[Felshatner]

You gotta hand it to em, they have a lot of balls raising the price after the shitshow last year and dwindling interest in their products/brand across the board. They're adding a bad-value premium ticket to boot. Yes, they will still sell out, but I hope it's to scalpers who end up having to resell the tickets at a loss.

In addition to a new WoW expansion, Diablo 4, Hearthstone expansion (these once would have been exciting), I expect we will see at least one new mobile title, further promotion of non-Blizzard Activision titles, and a decent chance of a Blizzard-branded Battle Royale.

[SirCowdog]

You gotta hand it to em, they have a lot of balls raising the price after the shitshow last year and dwindling interest in their products/brand across the board. They're adding a bad-value premium ticket to boot. Yes, they will still sell out, but I hope it's to scalpers who end up having to resell the tickets at a loss.

Targeting Whales. It's really that simple.

You alienate most of your normal fans and drive them away, so all you have left to do is target the people who are too uncaring or stupid to recognize they're being exploited.

EDIT: INB4 some knight rolls through spamming about "fans being able to enjoy what they want and who cares what you think": After last year's con and how Blizzard has shown an absolute and total disregard for their western customers in favor of the asia mobile market, you are throwing money away at the misguided hope that Blizzard is somehow magically going to stop being a sociopathic, money-grubbing corporation? I'm sorry, but that is STUPID. You can like to spend money on stupid things, but don't try to deny how stupid it is. Embrace your stupidity. Admit it. But don't try to defend it.

[Dystemper]

Targeting Whales. It's really that simple.

You alienate most of your normal fans and drive them away, so all you have left to do is target the people who are too uncaring or stupid to recognize they're being exploited.

Much like Disney is doing

[Appelgren]

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

[nyc81991]

Imagine increasing the price after last years let down of a Blizzcon...

[Hitei]

Targeting Whales. It's really that simple.

You alienate most of your normal fans and drive them away, so all you have left to do is target the people who are too uncaring or stupid to recognize they're being exploited.

If "whales" here means the general gaming public, sure. Most "normal fans" aren't the ones bitchmoaning about companies aren't allowed to make games for anyone but them. They are the actual normal fans who play games they like and don't play games they don't like, not shrieking gamerz rize up types.

EDIT: INB4 some knight rolls through spamming about "different people like different things": that's not true and only I like the right things anything I don't like is stupid and anyone who makes games that aren't for me is a sociopath because I don't know what words actually mean.

Typing "Inb4" isn't an argument.

[SinR]

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

I've been about 4 times. I live a day's drive from Anaheim, so its not that bad. It's pretty cool. Didn't go last year and really I'm glad I didn't cause everything just felt so... Down after the D:I announcement.

[SirCowdog]

If "whales" here means the general gaming public, sure. Most "normal fans" aren't the ones bitchmoaning about companies aren't allowed to make games for anyone but them. They are the actual normal fans who play games they like and don't play games they don't like, not shrieking gamerz rize up types.

That's the problem though. The "general gaming public" just isn't aware of what these game companies are doing, or how the business models work, or why they're being targeted with hype. They just want games, and they never think. Emphasis on the "never think" part.

And I get it. It's comforting to sit in ignorance and enjoy the fun. But when you start throwing hundreds of dollars to go to a convention who's only purpose is to reinforce that ignorance....that's troubling. Especially when you've got a company like ActiBlizz who's engaging in some of the worst behavior a corporation can do.

This isn't some mindless shreiking REEEEEEE moment because my class got nerfed. This is recognizing that Activision-Blizzard is not worth supporting, and pointing it out to people who probably don't know. The fact that anyone, like you, is trying to downplay that or rationalize it, is borderline unbelievable.

Re-assessing your opinion and position based on new information is the hallmark of intelligence. You don't like what I'm saying because it paints Blizzard in a poor light. But I want you to give serious consideration that it's not me that's doing it. Blizzard did that to themselves. If Blizzard WASN'T being an absolute scumbag, I wouldn't be here posting about it. I'd probably be playing their games.

Let me ask you this: Do you even know what I'm referring to when I say Blizzard is behaving in a way that players shouldn't be supporting?

[Appelgren]

I've been about 4 times. I live a day's drive from Anaheim, so its not that bad. It's pretty cool. Didn't go last year and really I'm glad I didn't cause everything just felt so... Down after the D:I announcement.

I can only imagine what a fucking stab to the guts that was seeing live. Holy shit

I would probably go if I lived in the US but living in sweden its just not worth it AT ALL imo. Too much money to listen to blizz devs BSing and being surrounds by nerds for days

[Thetruth1400]

The fact they are spitting on their legacy with Diablo Immortal is bad enough. Diablo, Warcraft and Starcraft were the brand names that made Blizzard who they are.

There's the rub though; they're who they used to be in name only. Now, they are a publicly traded company with a parent company who wants one thing; results. They are taking that good will that they earned off the backs of their predecessors in the company and using it to get said results; in this case being, profit.

As sad as it is, Blizzard is now a company that prioritizes money first, players second. Sure, they can say they still prioritize customers, but I feel like people haven't felt that in a long while. Also, with them moving towards a market (mobile gaming) that their core players (the players who made them the company they are) are being tosses to the wayside in favor of turn over customers and whales, and all of that is thanks to their parent company and public trading.

If they were a private company, they wouldn't have to answer to stock holders and their boards, and might focus on long term health of their games, not quick flips to generate money.

[Tziva]

It is going to be the same thing as ever. Not having those CMs hasn't hindered their interviews for 8.2, or them pulling in people to playtest it. Having those employees didn't make Blizzcon 2018 not super lackluster compared to 2017. So why would you think not having them is suddenly going to tank 2019?

I can't speak to whether it hindered their 8.2 interviews to be honest, as I've not done anything as press since before the layoffs, but anecdotally as an outsider, it definitely seems like they are relying more heavily on public streams than 1v1 press interviews. They've done one press summit for WoW I know since then, but not sure about the other games. That said, arranging and wrangling the press experience and coordinating interviews for dozens and dozens of press for Blizzcon is a whole lot different than setting up some Skype calls about a patch with a few major fansites.

But to be clear, I didn't say anything about "tanking" the convention. I expressed skepticism that those things would be done as well or with the same experience and enthusiasm, and I also expressed conflicted emotions about it given the way the layoffs and other decisions had been handled recently. I think the community team members were very valuable to both the player and con-goer experience --moreso than most people realise -- and their loss will have an impact for us.

isn't its whole thing being largely Dev based, not support staff?

Devs do the talks and provide the information, but afaik they don't handle any of the planning of the actual events. They're probably too busy doing actual dev things.

You do not need a dedicated CM to put up the signature wall or the art gallery, those aren't even the kinds of things they'd be doing. I don't recall the actual hosting of the costume or voice line contests ever being amazing, those are entirely on the fans. I don't think Blizzcon is going to be ruined because one awkward person introducing people for a contest is going to be replaced by a different awkward person introducing people for a contest. I've never been a collectable person, but watching video of the pin trading area, it likewise seems to be 99% attendees doing there thing.

As far as the rest, it seems like we're mostly talking about different things. You're talking about information or participation, I'm talking about the actual planning and coordinating. Using the Community Night, for example, the role of the CM wasn't to be the awkward person introducing the contest. They were the people that coordinated the whole thing, reviewing and handling the applications and selecting the participants, connecting with those cosplayers, arranging the backend stuff for the contest like prejudging and photoops, arranging the judges and hosting, etc; basically planning the night. They did this for all the community night contests and features. Similarly for art wall or pin trading, I don't mean they are standing there facilitating the process, I mean they are the ones that come up with these ideas, plan them, and implement them on the show floor. Those were just a few of the examples I tossed out but they do a lot of things along those lines: organising, coordinating, and facilitating interactions between the community and the devs/company, including organising and implementing many of the community events and features at Blizzcon.

My point is that the community people have historically been responsible to various degrees-- some of them significant -- for the attendee experience at the convention. Those jobs being shifted elsewhere is something I feel will probably have a negative impact. You can't outsource everything or move things to unpaid employees or less experienced people or departments without there being any repercussions. Maybe the difference will be minimal and only noticed by a few, maybe it will be huge. I don't know, but I think it's a valid concern.

[Gref]

Lost Vikings, blackthrone and rock and roll racing on mobile. That works. I would try them.
But ho boy if they announce wow, sc etc on mobile, I expect a riot there.

[Taeldorian]

I’ve went to 1 blizzcon and the hype was pretty damn awesome. However this was during legion and the price was 190$ or so iirc. Raising the price again by this much is really off-putting. I’d love to attend blizzcon and I’d do it specifically for WoW but I can’t really justify spending that just to go see WoW shit when all of it will be revealed on this website or wowhead/Twitter. When I went during legion it was mainly just socializing and drinking which was also awesome but I already do that in college for 200$ less than these tickets. Doesn’t seem worth it to me especially after last year.

However I’m still hyped regardless for WoW stuff. Always will be even if I’m not playing in the future. Just can’t justify spending 230+ to socialize and party when I do that for free/cheap at college. Everyone at blizzcon is usually super awesome though so if you do wanna go for the social aspect its well worth it imo. If blizzcon is still around later in my life I’d probably go again.

[Biomega]

"Everyone was shitting on us for BlizzCon '18. You know what we should do? RAISE THE TICKET PRICES BY 15%! That'll teach them to disrespect us."

[rrayy]

Don't think the new expansion is getting announced at Blizzcon this year. Too much left of BFA

It is getting announced. WoW has been on a 2 year cycle since TBC. That means the new expansion releases in 2020 with it being announced this year.

[Razzako]

LMFAO. Did NOT see them raising the price coming, probably a D4 demo this year around to make them sales amirite.

[Tziva]

I’ve went to 1 blizzcon and the hype was pretty damn awesome. However this was during legion and the price was 190$ or so iirc. Raising the price again by this much is really off-putting. I’d love to attend blizzcon and I’d do it specifically for WoW but I can’t really justify spending that just to go see WoW shit when all of it will be revealed on this website or wowhead/Twitter. When I went during legion it was mainly just socializing and drinking which was also awesome but I already do that in college for 200$ less than these tickets. Doesn’t seem worth it to me especially after last year.

However I’m still hyped regardless for WoW stuff. Always will be even if I’m not playing in the future. Just can’t justify spending 230+ to socialize and party when I do that for free/cheap at college. Everyone at blizzcon is usually super awesome though so if you do wanna go for the social aspect its well worth it imo. If blizzcon is still around later in my life I’d probably go again.

Honestly, this should be pretty much the primary reason anyone goes to Blizzcon (except maybe playtest demos) because as many have pointed out, you can get all the information online almost as quickly as you get it from Blizzcon. Going to the convention in person is really about the experience, connecting with guild and teammates, and other fans. Part of the reason I like going is to see people I only get to see like once a year.

There's a lot of reasons to express disappointment with Blizzard lately, but I don't think the ticket price is really one of them. It's not out of line for other major conventions in the US. E3, Twitchcon, PAX, CES, and ComicCon are all similar prices for a full pass (although obviously differing lengths and some allow you to save cost by buying per-day). It's on the higher end of the spectrum to be sure, but not so much that it seems wildly inappropriate. They haven't raised prices in a few years so it's probably due for one anyway just for inflationy reasons. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of money and you have to be pretty invested in the games and/or community for it to be worth it -- especially if you have travel costs -- but it's definitely not a pantsonheadcrazy price.

[smityx]

I'd be willing to bet that it will be one of the last Blizcons at least in the US. Blizcons after that will be held in China as soon as they feel they can go full mobile.

- - - Updated - - -

It is getting announced. WoW has been on a 2 year cycle since TBC. That means the new expansion releases in 2020 with it being announced this year.

What this will do is keep the new disillusioned fans away after last years debacle. The still "true" fans will come to their over priced entertisement event

[Varitok]

Gotta love the "Second class citizen pass" they added.

[kamuimac]

That's the problem though. The "general gaming public" just isn't aware of what these game companies are doing, or how the business models work, or why they're being targeted with hype. They just want games, and they never think. Emphasis on the "never think" part.

And I get it. It's comforting to sit in ignorance and enjoy the fun. But when you start throwing hundreds of dollars to go to a convention who's only purpose is to reinforce that ignorance....that's troubling. Especially when you've got a company like ActiBlizz who's engaging in some of the worst behavior a corporation can do.

This isn't some mindless shreiking REEEEEEE moment because my class got nerfed. This is recognizing that Activision-Blizzard is not worth supporting, and pointing it out to people who probably don't know. The fact that anyone, like you, is trying to downplay that or rationalize it, is borderline unbelievable.

Re-assessing your opinion and position based on new information is the hallmark of intelligence. You don't like what I'm saying because it paints Blizzard in a poor light. But I want you to give serious consideration that it's not me that's doing it. Blizzard did that to themselves. If Blizzard WASN'T being an absolute scumbag, I wouldn't be here posting about it. I'd probably be playing their games.

Let me ask you this: Do you even know what I'm referring to when I say Blizzard is behaving in a way that players shouldn't be supporting?

or ... crazy idea i know ... people enjoy the direction in which games are going .

yes there is few very vocal people on forums who dont like it but silent majority who dont spend half of life on forums enjoy both mobile games and microtransactions.

every developer atm is releasing mobile games with MTx

you know why ? because people have shitload of money with nothing to spend them on.

i get it - there are poor people here or people from poor countries but there are milions out there who make >3k $/euro per month and dont care if they spend 100-200 monthly on games.

thats why whole gaming market is moving into this direction.