BlizzCon 2014 by all early expectations was not that big a deal. My normal freelance employer that sends me out went so far as to drastically cut back on staff for the event. It was as simple decision in their minds. Without a weighty announcement and Warlords of Draenor coming out a week later the show was to be a dud. I expressed my reservation, explaining that I’ve heard inklings from the community, Blizzard employees and other industry heads that it wasn’t to be missed. That something interesting was coming. It fell on deaf ears.
Now a week after the event, we’re swamped in work. Details to the final chapter of the StarCraft II saga didn’t headline the show. A request to stop the Internet hate was merely a footnote. New heroes and maps for Heroes of the Storm awoken the crowd. The randomness of Goblins vs. Gnomes got people’s heads scratching. Wild eSports results, including the first Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft champion, had competitive gaming junkies on the edge of their seats. Cosplay peaked our…interests. The Warcraft feel is now physically real. Everything was second fiddle to the reveal of Overwatch. The first original property from Blizzard since StarCraft, Overwatch raised a ton of questions.
Two expansions, a new IP, crazy eSports results & Metallica. Best BlizzCon ever? #BlizzCon #BlizzCon2014 @warcraft @StarCraft @PlayOverwatch
— Lore Hound (@LoreHound) November 9, 2014
BlizzCon 2014, the show that was supposed to be a dud by many accounts, turned out to be a smash hit. I ate up everything, panels, interview opportunities, community gatherings and epic battles between Zerg and Terran. So fast and furious was the convention that the closing ceremony, complete with new ETC music, crept upon me from the shadows; Metallica. I got to see Metallica perform before 10 o’clock for the first time in probably 30 years. From a scant few feet away rather than the nosebleeds of a massive arena.
Now the sticky question is how can Blizzard one-up itself? Will they concede in the unprecedented awesomeness that was BlizzCon 2014 and declare it the Trinity Killer of conventions? Perhaps a trifecta expansion reveal in BlizzCon 2015 alongside a Heroes of the Storm launch can overcome last weekend’s show. One thing is for certain I’ll be there once more.
Stay tuned for our full length interviews coming this weekend.