by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

A few days ago, I had a conversation with a friend about attending the next Blizzcon. When I told him how excited I was to go for the first time, he replied with, “Why? It’s the same boring format every year.” Needless to say, I was stunned by his comments, but it did make me think about why the world needs Blizzcon every year.

I considered that maybe the new up-and-coming games are the reason why fans go ballistic for the convention. Or maybe it’s the Hearthstone, WoW Arena and Starcraft tournaments? After hours of dissecting the matter, I arrived at the real reason, and it isn’t something you can package, market, or sell on store shelves.

It’s Blizzcon’s positive impact on the community.

Yes, I believe this impact on the community is a major reason why players and fans need Blizzcon every year. Don’t get me wrong, new games, tournaments, swag, etc. are all good reasons, too, but when the people that play Blizzard’s games get together an indefinable energy is created. Don’t believe me? All the proof is on the faces of those that go. I remember as I sat at home, watching the Virtual Ticket, I saw countless photos on Twitter of people with joy and happiness on their faces. Blizzcon presents the opportunity for players to come together under one roof and spend time in each other’s company without having to worry about loot, dps, or being in the right place at the right time for that rare mob to spawn and drop a shiny new mount. Along with that, cruel negativity and unforgiving trolls are given the middle finger and told to take a hike during this weekend. Instead, convention-goers seek out old war buddies from the 40-man Molten Core days, the brave souls that they charged into the depths of Hell with, and/or they wind up making new friends during the course of the convention. But is this feeling confined to Anaheim? Not at all.

Some fans may not have experienced this energy first hand, but it doesn’t diminish the impact Blizzcon has on the overall gaming community or on me. Every Blizzcon, I grab a group of friends that weren’t able to go to the convention either, and we gather in mumble/vent to spend time with one another watching the Virtual Ticket. Despite our location, we still roar with pride when Chris Metzen calls for the heroes of the Alliance and the Horde. We still cheer when new gamer trailers are announced. And we still theorize and speculate into the wee hours of the morning. It all boils down to the camaraderie. The term goes hand-in-hand with Blizzcon.

Need I say more?

What gets you excited for Blizzcon? Share your comments below