BlizzCon 2009: Noobz on display
by Michael Gray 
Aug 25th 2009 at 8:00PM
Noobz are a series of blank figures created in the form of armored Terrans from Starcraft. For the festivities at BlizzCon 2009, Blizzard put on display a special treat regarding these little Noobz. Two hundred and fifty Noobz figures had been passed out to Blizzard employees several months ago. The employees were encouraged to paint and decorate the Noobz for themselves. At BlizzCon, the best of the painted figures were put on display.
I hope to get my hands on one of the blank Noobz soon. I didn't pick one up at BlizzCon, since my bags were already packed from taking so much other swag home. I think the idea of decorating one of these is awfully fun, and I totally salute Blizzard for promoting the idea.
I especially think it's awesome that they featured the artwork of their general employees in this way. It really helps build a sense of community, and they should be commended for that. Besides, the employees who created the figures in our gallery below showed off a lot of talent, and I thought the Noobz were a lot of fun to see. Check it out yourself!
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dan Aug 25th 2009 8:08PM
I want one.
Mr. Tastix Aug 26th 2009 3:43AM
I second that! I've seen the one based off Ragnaros and man does it look cool! When I first saw these I thought they were little miniatures. Then I saw the boxes and saw them in a better perspective, and they're bloody big to what I thought. WHICH OWNS!
I'd love to buy one that had already been painted and a blank one, personally.
Rabidgun Aug 25th 2009 9:20PM
The tuskar and thrall ones are kickass.
Ventroo Aug 25th 2009 9:40PM
I don't get these things. So you take a model(in this case what looks to be a terran space marine, and put a new skin on it? It's still a space marine but with a different skin on it... Seems like an incredibly cheap way to make something that can be then be sold to fools for a huge margin.
Tori Aug 25th 2009 11:00PM
*facepalm*
Are you really that antagonistic over such a small thing? These are a cute idea, some people like painting their own models, and I think it's a fun and creative thing to do. If you don't like it that's fine, but for god's sake don't get your panties in a bunch for something so ridiculous. Just chill.
michaelmarmo Aug 26th 2009 1:57AM
I'm with ventroo.
Boo F'n hoo.
mike Aug 26th 2009 2:25AM
agreed with Ventroo..
To me these just look ridiculous, so I don't get them either. As for making cheap products with huge margin tho, that you gotta expect as it would be equally ridiculous not to have a huge margin on a plastic toy/gadget you KNOW people will acquire for the brand alone.
Skarlette Aug 26th 2009 2:32AM
Yeah, not QQing, but I don't see the attraction. They're just...odd.
Ventroo Aug 26th 2009 3:19AM
Yeah, sorry I could have worded it better. To each his own I suppose. Some people don't get the amount of money I spend on video games, I don't get the appeal of noobs.
grump-e Aug 26th 2009 8:06AM
The point is that you can decorate them any way you like.
They could even be something like an egg, the shape doesn't really matter but something with arms and legs is better.
Painting one of them isn't a big deal but its the fact that they were decorated with a lot of passion and dedication that matters, that every employee got a chance to do his best.
Its not the figurine, its what it represents.
Hey I like Valve more than Blizzard but this is a great way to raise the employee morale, much better than hats day.
And they look cool.
veil Aug 26th 2009 10:00AM
believe it or not, some people are of the creative variety, and enjoy these types of things. kid robot's dunny's and munny's are of the same make. pointing out that you "don't get these" is fairly humorous. it makes as much sense (and as little) as someone who spends hours every week killing pixelated mobs and collecting pixelated loot, or making redundant comments on a blog dedicated to the aforementioned killing of pixelated mobs, or really anything that someone out in the vast world might actually personally enjoy.
Volaro Aug 25th 2009 9:45PM
Haha, the Jaina one made my day.
DrPestilence Aug 25th 2009 10:12PM
I want one.. But where can you buy them!
Turlagh Aug 26th 2009 7:59AM
I like the Goblin controlled Murloc by Tony Misgen.
LostOne Aug 26th 2009 10:28AM
This is awesome, I wish I was a Blizzard employee. I like the gun labeled Ban Hammer, and most of the murloc ones are awesome. There are way too many really clever ideas here to list all the ones that made my laugh.
Muadeeb Aug 26th 2009 10:38AM
I wouldn't mind getting a blank one, not liking the prepainted ones myself. Some of the staff ones were funny, though few were well done. Don't take this wrong I am a table top Warhammer and 40k player with a couple award winning armies. I understand most of the staff may well not have a background in painting, let alone detal figure painting.
The apeal to me as with a few others here would be customizing and painting the figure myself.
Speedmonkay Aug 26th 2009 12:07PM
Michael, How did you all fail to get a pic of the coolest one there ? It is a greyish metal looking one that had been greatly modified with parts cut out and wires and gears and things added to it. That Noobz was by far the best.