11.55

...and that, my friends, is that. Nothing huge, but nothing too disappointing, either.
Up next is a Diablo panel (surprise!), where we've been told to expect a conversation about heroes and - I suspect - the Demon Hunter herself.

See you there!

11.52

...sitting here in southern California, I can't help but be struck by the thought that it would be the perfect time for an earthquake. Are Blizzard big enough to organise that, do you think? Surely it wouldn't be too tricky...

11.51

Deathwing is a little bit cranky today!

11.50

Now a quick chat to the Warcraft fans - introducing the WoW: Cataclysm cinematic trailer.
Metzen is asking us to close our eyes and open our ears... to hear the impending cataclysm as it approaches.

11.48

Mmm, hyperviolence.
This is also playable on the show floor, hoorah!

11.47

Class-based combat
Team-based battles
Who will stand victorious?
...and who will lose their ear?

11.46

This isn't the only thing they have here today for Diablo fans: they're also very pleased to announce PvP Battle Arenas!

11.45

So, it's the Demon Hunter. Again, we've met the female version first. I do like that.
...and she's playable right here at BlizzCon!

11.44

"While I'm here - they are the prey. And I am ... the Hunter."

11.42

This year we will debut a new playable character class for Diablo 3 - the fifth and final class.
...and we're being introduced via an awfully shiny, awfully red cinematic. Who will it be?

11.41

"I want to thank you guys for letting us geek out with you!"
...but now we have some business to discuss (as the stage turns red and he calls for Diablo fans)

11.40

So the point - to some degree - is that Blizzard create massive video games, and sometimes it can feel like it's big business.

Important to remember though, despite all the flashy lights and demo booths and carryon - the heart of BlizzCon is you - bringing everybody together.

"It's about having fun."
"It's about inspiration!"

11.40

"The power of words"
This word is power! This word is identity! This is our word!

(A big screen is simply reading GEEK behind Metzen. It's fabulous.)
He's now showing a selection of images that are associated with the word Geek (and he's scared he'll show his age).

Geek is: Transformers, growing up playing with toys so complicated it proved forever that we are in fact smarter than our parents.

Geek is: D20 showing a natural 20 (crowd is getting more and more excited about this)

Geek is: Conan the Barbarian (crowd is excited! Metzen is doing Arnie impressions!)

Geek is: (a broken clicker) Captain America!

Geek is: Samurai Showdown 2 - the greatest fighting game ever made.

Geek is: Thundercats (yelling "ho" really loud before taking down the bad guys)

Geek is: Luke Skywalker turning off his targetting computer because he's feeling it.

Geek is: Dungeons + Dragons, jousting across the sky

Geek is: Action figures with kung fu grip (greatest technology in the world)

Geek is: Batmannnnnnn, Frank Miller reminding us how terrifying he really can be.

Geek is: Remembering that there is in fact no spoon.

Geek is: Robotech - remembering more than just Top Gun

Geek is: Spider-man - learning that with great power comes great responsibility (oh, Tobey McGuire)

Geek is: Doom 2 - and actually being terrified while playing late at night :)

Geek is: Alien - Ripley, giving props to the undisputed baddest chick in the universe

Geek is: Thor, and his Magic Hammer (that's why Thrall got one)

Geek is: Battlestar Galactica (we almost didn't deserve how great that show was) - knowing that home is where your heart is, which is reassuring as your planet just got nuked so your options are a bit limited.

Geek is: Everquest - exploring for the first time with your friends (respect must be paid)

Geek is: 300! Holding the line against impossible odds.

Geek is: Na'vi

Geek is: Borg Captains, knowing that resistance is NEVER futile (not for heroes, anyway)

Geek is: DM screen from D&D - "Mega!" - sitting around a table with your best friends, armed only with graph paper and funny dice, imagining far-flung worlds of your very own.

Geek is: The One Ring - the near-perfect cinematic realisation of the story that started it all. (Mr. Jackson, we thank you)

Geek is: Star Wars. Duh. "Watching your kids looking at Star Wars for the first time and wondering if it will transform their little imaginations like it did yours." (Oh, Metzen, you've mellowed!)

Geek is: Superman! Believing that we believe in these characters because there is a hero inside every one of us just waiting to get out. "We hope, by some extension, that you feel that in our games."

Geek is Geek.

11.29

While he was trying to work out what to say, he was struck by the "power of words" (which is reassuring as he's a writer).
He's now trying a 'social experiment' where he'll say a word and we are responding.
First word: HORDE (big cheer, some boos)
Second word: DIABLO (bigger cheer, whistling)
Third word: ALLIANCE (big boos, some cheering, suggestions to "keep it clean")
Fourth word: "have you guys played any good RTS games lately?" STARCRAFT (more cheering)

"I hear passion, I hear energy, I hear identity..."
(and he's got cottonmouth like you wouldn't believe, he says)

Fifth word - may take a detour from the usual BlizzCon type space - this four letter word can be controversial, but it's important to be mature about these things.
(gets out his 'roboclicker')

Are you ready for the fifth word, BlizzCon?!
(you'll have to wait until after Chris has a sip of water)

...The word!
"Detour!"

The word:
(awkward pause)
GEEK.

11.24

Major Update on Diablo 3:
...handing over to Chris Metzen, who has cut his hair and "feels like Bono".

11.23

Now onto WoW - remember that all launches on December 7th - and the game is currently playable here in beta mode.

The expansion is also available for digital download purchase, so you can start playing the moment the servers are turned on - midnight PST December 7th.

11.22

In addition to the usual developer panels and such, two of the best-selling WoW authors are here - and Jay Mohr is back for the competitions this evening.

Mike admits that he painted himself into a corner- how do you top the Prince of Darkness? (Answer: with a band that can kill a yak from 200 feet using mind bullets...)

11.20

Two of the best SC2 players are here to play an exhibition match - think of it like Michael Jordan vs Kobe Bryant in a one-on-one.

There's also the competitions where you can win a million billion dollars - if you're not in it yet, then go home and start practicing!

11.18

StarCraft II global launch - looks amaaazing - "Stay Calm and Build More Pylons" - footage from France / US / Korea... and then a segue to the International Competition and other major game events. So exciting eSports!

11.16

A brief look at eSports and FruitDealer and how much money's available if you win - and now, we look back at the highlights of the past year... BlizzCon 2009 (I was there, were you?)

11.14

For one glorious week, the Terran Marines were able to defeat Justin Bieber, as the cinematic topped YouTube charts. Not known how they fared against Lady Gaga the week after.

11.13

Arthas has been slain 489 thousand times this year - not a great year for the Lich King.

First time since 1998 that they have launched two games in one year - it's a double rainbow year! (...what does it mean?)

11.12

They will also be auctioning off bits and pieces of Blizzard servers - computers that ran actual realms - and all proceeds will go directly to charity.

11.11

Announcing another charity pet - the Moonkin hatchling - to go onsale in November.

11.11

Donated more than 1.1 million $ to the Make A Wish foundation thanks to the charity pandaren pet - thanks, WoW players!

11.10

There are two brand new stages to check out this year - the artist stage and the game show stage (for lore buffs who want to prove their trivia leetness).

Also: BlizzChat - live community discussions complete with Blizzard moderator.

11.09

More than 100thousand people over 100 countries watching the DirecTV feed on tv or online. Mike's now promising big things for this weekend:

StarCraft 2 mods on show include four new games created with the map editor:
StarJeweled, Iron Chef, Left 2 Die and ... BLIZZARD DOTA wooooooooo!

11.08

20 years ago, things were very different - Britney Spears was a 9 year old making her first tv appearances, Terminator 2 was released, and there were only three great Star Wars movies... (obviously, some things really don't change).

They'd like to thank everybody for the support they've given Blizzard - a huge round of applause for being generally awesome.

11.07

"We're in the midst of celebrating some pretty epic milestones as well." This year is the 10th anniversary of Diablo II, last year was Warcraft's 5/10, and there are 12 million WoW players.

"If we took every WoW player and lined them up, we'd reach maximum Disneyland capacity for about five months straight."

This coming February is Blizzard Entertainment's 20th anniversary.

11.05

(after some technical difficulties, here we go!)

...and lo, we have visuals! And sound! Lots of sound! This year we've been treated to a lovely montage of the three major titles of the show.

Hello, Mr. Plattner :)
He's going through the usual discussion - including the fact that seating is *exceptionally* limited and if you leave the halls, you may not be allowed back in.

Audience participation - moving through the stages of reactions. One that's a bit "oh, um, that's nice, I think" - another that's "Oooh, that's pretty cool" - and now another that's loud enough to be heard "in Korea".

Hello, Mike Morhaime!
Thank you for shaving for us this year, it's a nice clean look. I also LOVE this year's StarCraft II bowling shirts. They're awesome.

10.49

Hmmm, let's see how this here thing actually works, shall we?

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