Sticking with the Blizzard theme from earlier, the games developer has just announced that they're planning a third BlizzCon gaming convention to be held in October, in Anaheim, California.

In case you weren't up with these things, BlizzCon is a celebration of all things Blizzard! It takes the global player communities from the StarCraft, Warcraft (yes, including WoW), and Diablo franchises and throws them all into a couple of Californian convention halls, full of panels, playable games, previews, exhibitions and - of course - cosplay.


StarCraft II, World of Warcraft, Diablo II
Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment explains:

"Whenever we've been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it's been a great experience for us. We're looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year's BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them."

To ensure that all attendees get the most out of the two-day event, Blizzard will be offering a wide variety of activities, as well as simply serving as a gathering place where all the communities can come together.

Activities include: • Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment releases • Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers • Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents • Areas and activities devoted to licensed products such as the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game • Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes • Commemorative merchandise based on the Blizzard Entertainment franchises • A silent auction • More exciting activities to be announced

...if this sounds like your thing, tickets for BlizzCon will go on sale in the next few weeks, for US$100 per person. Stay tuned for more details, check out the official BlizzCon website, or maybe take a trip down Memory Lane with some of our coverage of last year's event, which UgLyPuNk and Ignant attended - and they took plenty of photos, too!