Blizzard puts a few limits on the costume contest
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 23rd 2009 at 8:00PM
Not so fast, says Blizzard. When a player asks just how far costumers might go (a live mount?), Bashiok says that there are some tweaks to the rules this year: costumes can't go over 10' in any direction, include "liquids or messy substances," or be judged on items that can't be worn or held. That would seem to disqualify the turtle mount, from official judging anyway -- they want the contest to revolve around costumes, not vehicles.
Which doesn't mean that we won't see some crazy costumes on the show floor (and obviously you'll see them here on the site, even if you're not in Anaheim). But the contest itself might be a little more low key than last year -- seems like the Sea Turtle/ATV was enough to make Blizzard dial it back a notch.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Mounts, BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jagoex Jul 23rd 2009 8:09PM
"Omg" at #3 in your BlizzCon 2008 Costumes Gallery! Both characters look AMAZING.
Fizzl Jul 24th 2009 6:46AM
That forsaken costume should have won! If you take her turtle away the winner becomes just an average looking Draenei with cardboard tubes on her shoulders.
Evelinda Jul 24th 2009 11:51AM
i could not agree more... That forsaken is the best costume i have ever seen. The draenei is great too, dont get me wrong, but the forsaken is just in a league of her own.
firstyfirt Jul 23rd 2009 8:12PM
first
Nick Jul 23rd 2009 8:16PM
Ha.
Turlagh Jul 24th 2009 7:37AM
What a maroon, as Bugs would say.
devilsei Jul 23rd 2009 8:32PM
Am I the only one who feels like Blizz is just tryin to kill creativity for this contest here?
boatarific Jul 23rd 2009 9:24PM
yes. why would they want that? theyre simply trying to keep things clean and unobstructive.
Derbeste Jul 23rd 2009 10:15PM
Of course! Creativity is an exploit.
devilsei Jul 23rd 2009 10:38PM
@Boat: I can understand wanting to make sure obstructions don't come up, but why tell them they can't do this or that, when instead you can tell them that it won't be considered, as the criteria of the contest is based solely upon the costume.
That way people who really want to go that extra mile (IE draenei on the sea turtle), they can, but it will be by their choice, and knowing it won't be considered, keeping the field more even. I don't think the girl made the turtle knowing she'd win, she probably thought it would be cool though to add a little flair to her costume. Besides, at end game, I thought every 80 was attached to their mount outside of raids... :P
@Derbeste:
-Creativity crits Contestants for 9001 amaze damage
-Contestants are slain
-Creativity crits Judges for 9001 amaze damage
-Judges are slain
Yep... NERF IT TO THE GROUND BABEH!
Bronwyn Jul 23rd 2009 11:04PM
I don't think they're trying to kill creativity because they're actually not putting anything explicit in the rules, they're just saying how big it can be and that you can't win for your costume based on a bulky addition (i.e. the turtle) that isn't part of the wearable/carryable costume. And the messy liquids thing just seems like common sense.
They're still leaving it way open to interpretation.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Jul 24th 2009 11:37AM
It makes sense.
You should be juding the COSTUME, not MOUNT.
If you didn't go with a mount and did a better costume than the turtle girl would you feel happy about it if you lost to her just because she had a mount?
devilsei Jul 24th 2009 12:11PM
I agree Topic, its a costume contest, not "whatever I can fit through the big doors with a bit of angling" contest. Which is why I said that instead of straight out banning anything large that, explicitly state that only the costume itself will be judged, anything else is your own choice to include and should very well know that anything beyond that will not be considered.
And I'm still wondering about the liquids thing, did any costume actually have something like that? Did someone dress up as a giant slime creature? I mean of course its obvious, but did someone actually have a costume with liquids and such?
Darxide Jul 26th 2009 10:24AM
"You should be juding the COSTUME, not MOUNT."
Thats what she said
Otome Jul 23rd 2009 8:33PM
That's a shame too. That turtle mount was quite possibly the greatest costume ever at Blizzcon.
I guess it blew their minds so much they back-pedaled.
eric_barbaric Jul 24th 2009 10:12AM
I disagree with you, and agree with the first person who posted. The forsaken costume is in a whole different league than the turtle mount draenei. Like Fizzl said, take away the turtle and you have an average looking draenei with cardboard shoulders. The forsaken on the other hand is amazing.
mirilene Jul 23rd 2009 8:35PM
Keep it outside where it belongs is all. That sea turtle was bad ass. But waiting 10 minutes for it to get on stage and off slowed the whole thing down.
I'm kind of surprised they arent taking the opportunity to put *other* limits on costumes, like shameless girl on girl action to get some cheers or super skimpy outfits. Yes, succubuses are "hawt" and dont wear a lot. You're hot too. We get it. Again, keep it outside where i can slip you a five and get a picture of you and your attention whore friend making out wearing blood elf costumes while i give a big thumbs up behind you guys.
mirilene Jul 23rd 2009 8:36PM
*succubi
On second thought, its built into the name. Objection withdrawn.
volde Jul 23rd 2009 9:55PM
To stand up for the "skimpy costume" ladies out there... majority of the costumes labeled as skimpy were pretty dead on to the models in game. If you don't want a little extra skin showing from the cosplayers at Blizzcon, take it up with their character's creators, not the cosplayers themselves.
As Jessica Rabbit would say "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way"
Mr. Tastix Jul 23rd 2009 11:35PM
I'm pretty sure the "shameless girl on girl action" would overwrite the "skimpiness" of any costume however. Yes, Blizzard's designers are dirty perverted old men but honestly, what game doesn't do it nowadays?
For the majority of video games nowadays you'll probably find at least one female character who enters the skimpy factor. For their clothing or just the way they're drawn. World of Warcraft just so happens to have more than one of those characters.