Unlucky fans attempt to buy their way into BlizzCon. Welcome to BlizzCon 2008.

Every year, thousands of fans gather in Anaheim to celebrate their favorite Blizzard titles. Having made its debut appearance in 2005, this annual event boasts over 16,000 attendees for the 2008 show that kicks off in a few hours. "16,000 you say? Impressive!", if you consider the fact that Blizzard cut off the registration a few days after tickets went on sale – it's no unreasonable claim to say that the number of fans here would easily be doubled had Blizzard allowed for that to happen.

Since BlizzCon is widely considered the "hottest enthusiast fan event of the year," it's no surprise that fans were already lined up outside as early as 10am on Thursday; 6 hours before registration opened. During these hours of anticipation I joined my fellow players to talk about the event, what everyone was most excited about and of course, what surprise items would be in the highly coveted "goody bag". On that note, I'd like to salute Blizzard for handing out one of the most rewarding bag o loots that I’ve ever received at a Convention.

I was surprised to see how many selfless people there were waiting for the doors to open. Players were literally going out of their way for one another to make the experience as pleasant as possible. I spoke with a player named Mark, who plays a 70 Warlock on Demonsoul, handing out Mountain Dew. He took it upon himself to leave the line for a Mountain Dew run. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "We were all thirsty just waiting in line and there were people that didn't want to lose their spot so I just went up to the local gas station and instead of buying drinks for only myself, I bought two-twelve packs of Mountain Dew and sold them to people, but not for profit of course, just to break even." Players waiting in line jumped at the opportunity to buy a beverage without losing their place in line.

BlizzCon 2008 is here! In what is considered to be a gamer's spiritual journey, more than 16,000 attendees have gathered in Anaheim, Calif., to learn more about their favorite Blizzard Entertainment titles.

Lucky for us, those 16,000 attendees just happen to include dedicated members of the ZAM Network staff, including some familiar faces (like Tamat and Wordaen ) from our own Allakhazam family, so you can expect to see tons of exclusive coverage that only this site will be able to provide. It will all be posted on our BlizzCon wiki.

The ZAM staff is comprised of hardcore gamers, and their excitement is already shining through in their coverage of the event. Yesterday afternoon was primarily just registration and the pre-show, but you can already find a wealth of exclusive information on our wiki. The opening ceremony hasn't even started yet, but you can check out a photo gallery, a recap of some upcoming WoW projects as told by Lead Designer Jeff Kaplan (dance studio, anyone?), an editorial by Editor-in-Chief Andrew "Tamat" Beegle on the unlucky fans who were unable to get tickets, and an interview with our very own WoW Senior Content Manager Brian "Wordaen" Kincaid on attending his first BlizzCon.

Keep checking our BlizzCon wiki for continuous updates throughout the weekend and keep reading below for more in-depth information.

Blizzard just announced that 16 hours of BlizzCon will air LIVE and in High Def, exclusively on DirecTV. DirecTV boasts that those who order the PPV event will 'feel like you're right there in the middle of it all'. Additionally, you'll receive a code for the BlizzCon 2008 World of Warcraft in-game polar bear mount ridden by a flag-waving murloc. The cost of the PPV will only be $39.95 which in my opinion is an excellent price all things considered. Check out the official announcement over at BlizzCon website.

But there is a catch! Yup, you heard me, a catch... a lottery actually . Good luck!

Blizzard Gamers,

On behalf of everyone at Blizzard, I want to apologize for the challenges and frustrations you experienced while trying to purchase BlizzCon tickets on Monday and Tuesday. BlizzCon is about the positive experiences you all have had with Blizzard games. As a result of this week's events, the excitement that many of you felt about the show has turned into dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Due to these circumstances, we've reevaluated our convention hall space and come up with some solutions that will allow us to offer 3,000 more tickets for sale. We know this will not be enough to satisfy the very high level of demand for tickets this year, but we want to ensure that BlizzCon remains a great experience for those of you who are able to attend. To avoid the issues many of you faced this week, we'll be selling these 3,000 via a lottery. We'll post further details once our plans are finalized. Please note that the lottery will only be open to those with an active Blizzard Account as of 9:00 PM PDT on August 12, the time that the "Sold Out" notice was posted.

I, and everyone else at Blizzard, share the frustration and disappointment that many of you have expressed as a result of this process. We'll do what it takes to avoid this type of situation in the future.

Sincerely,

Mike Morhaime

Blizzard has just launched the official site for BlizzCon 2008, which takes place October 10-11 in Anaheim, CA. Head on over for info on travel accomodations, good bag sneak peeks, and all the up-to-the minute news on tournaments and contests.

Of course, we here at Allakhazam will be here for you with our coverage of BlizzCon. Just two months to go!