Preparing for BlizzCon: Expect geeks behaving badly
by Robin Torres 
Jul 8th 2009 at 9:00PM
After BlizzCon 2007, I had to apologize for assuming that forum trolls and all around funsuckers were mostly teenage boys. But the ill-mannered clods I encountered at BlizzCon looked to be in their 20s. Regardless of their age and gender, there unfortunately will be plenty of inconsiderates harshing your Blizzard buzz while you are trying to enjoy the con. Here are some things to expect and some tips on how to handle them.
- Talking during the panels: Just like at the movies, people will talk loudly during the panels -- either to each other or on cellphones. You travel across country or around the world and pay all this money to hear the latest about expansions or your class and some jerk won't shut up. Advice: eHow suggests starting with a glare and moving onto a polite request to be quiet, should the glare fail.
- Barrens Chat everywhere: In lines, during the presentations, while the comedy host(s) perform -- people will just shout out random comments and Chuck Norris references. It's like they can't survive without General or Trade chat. Advice: Think of it as a kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show experience. We can't turn off the channel, like we can in-game, so try to find fun in their comments whenever possible. And, I must admit, some of them are funny.
- Rude verbal attacks: Over and above the attempts at interacting with the entertainers and developers, there will be people who will actually shout out personal insults and vicious criticisms. I was livid at the outburst from a guy in my section when he swore loudly at the person on stage for mispronouncing a word. That's right: you think you can avoid trolls by not reading the forums and comments, but you will still have to deal with these people in person at BlizzCon. Advice: Take several deep breaths and mentally pretend you are voting them into oblivion, like the comments here at WoW.com.
BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon, you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there are some great looking costumes.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events, BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
jfofla Jul 8th 2009 9:08PM
I must say I am both surprised and not.
I have been to every Blizzcon, and for the most part, the people have been very nice. However, these are WOW players, and the rage is legendary.
rhorle Jul 8th 2009 9:15PM
I'd be more worried about the diablo fans then the wow ones. Just lookt at how easy they rage when anything with world, of, warcraft, or wow is mentioned on their forums.
Pablo del Olmo Jul 8th 2009 11:14PM
I went to Blizzcon last year and I didn't experience any of the things mentioned in this article. People were generally very friendly and respectful.
Ringo Flinthammer Jul 8th 2009 11:24PM
I don't know where you were sitting. I've been to all of them and the "omg, they aren't looking twice at my terrible fake ID" crowd has been blasted on pricy crap beer and basically needing to be thrown out.
The closer you sit to the presentation, though, the less of this crap you put up with.
Dulock Jul 9th 2009 3:54AM
I would have to agree that everyone was really nice and for the most part courteous last year. I think the biggest thing that people need to know is that everyone else camps out for anything big so be prepared to get to things early just so your not sitting in the back of the audience.
Hendrata Jul 9th 2009 11:31AM
I am actually surprised. The reason Wow or any other MMO players (or the general internet users) are dicks is because of anonymity. I dare those same trolls to be jerks in their workplace, family, daily social circles.
But when there's anonymity and no one knows where you are and the worst thing they can do to you is to not group with you, the jerkiness level goes through the roof.
So I would expect in real-life gatherings, people would behave at least a little bit, but I guess some of them just forget that this is RL and not in-gae.
Bronwyn Jul 9th 2009 1:40PM
@Hendrata
Having had first-hand experience with a group of nerds (Not to say I'm not a nerd, I am, but there are different kinds)- if you tend to "hang out with your own kind" a lot, you end up with sort of distorted views of what is acceptable, and it gets even worse if you're the type of person who hardly goes anywhere and just spends a lot of time playing WoW. Anonymity certainly brings out the worst in more people, but there's a different scale of what is acceptable when you're in vent with your guild and what is acceptable when you're at a convention in public.
benicrystal Jul 8th 2009 9:40PM
This.
Times 10.
soatari Jul 8th 2009 9:40PM
Careful there, your prejudice is showing.
Gheb Jul 8th 2009 9:40PM
I think it was 2 years ago that some dipshit kept going to the microphone during panels to ask questions about the druid class, whether it was on the dungeon panel, or on the questing panel.
He went so far as to finally say "Without changing my gear too much, I can tank, heal, or do DPS as good as any other class." with which everyone shouted "NERF DRUIDS." Dev. Tom Chilton agreed, and said "We get it, you're overpowered, Nerfs coming next patch."
DON'T BE SAID DIPSHIT.
sneaky sneak Jul 8th 2009 10:50PM
Protip, it was really a rogue and/or arms warrior pissed that they weren't the only ones who could succeeed in melee PvP.
Okabe Jul 9th 2009 9:27AM
This should just become standard.
Act like an asshole, get your class nerfed.
Manatank Jul 8th 2009 9:40PM
Thank you for adding an article to this series that actually relates to Blizzcon.
Grissum Jul 9th 2009 1:46AM
/agree
Calavera Jul 8th 2009 9:43PM
They should be handing out big stickers with the "/ignore" written on them, so that you can put them over the trolls mouths cartoon style.
kuri Jul 9th 2009 11:21AM
Thank you for the business idea.
Now to set up my order for a booth. :P
eric_barbaric Jul 10th 2009 3:11PM
You're on to something there. Instead of a sticker though (which can be easily removed) make it a stamp with self contained permanent marker ink. That way everyone will know what an ass they are by the (1) Ignore stamp on their forehead, or (2) the red aggrivated skin on their forehead where they scrubbed of their stamp.
Mep Jul 8th 2009 9:45PM
I wish some of these people would rage quit life...
badbuell Jul 8th 2009 9:46PM
I don't think it'll be as bad at Blizzcon as it is at the general forums, because of the lack of anonyminity. Without anonyminity, the Internet Fuckwad Theory does not hold: http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Internet_Fuckwad_Theory
Thus people are generally not going to be such fuckwads.
Plan Jul 8th 2009 10:12PM
That may have been true back in the day, but nowadays the nerd ragers and basement dwellers don't seem to be bothered by acting out in public, even if there are cameras on them.
Thus, wastes of life like that dude Swarm going into nerd rage hysterics because his arena team lost, or Celex slamming his headphones down and storming off like a petulant three-year-old at another arena event. Search Google and you can find dozens upon dozens of videos of maladjusted kids and grown-ass-men flipping out over the game, and hundreds more Vent recordings of WoW players raging at each other or issuing death threats over shit like losing a piece of loot.
I've played lots of RTS and FPS and encountered some true nutcases, but WoW players have their own pathetic niche when it comes to raging over pixels, tying their egos to their in-game accomplishments and just generally acting like awful human beings.
I'm sure Blizzcon has its share of nice people, but as another commenter said below, if you go you have to be prepared to deal with idiocy on a mass scale by the very nature of the game and the convention.