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Is this your first year at BlizzCon? Don't worry if it is -- we're here to help you. BlizzCon is a huge event, and Blizzard fans from across the nation gather to get their game on. While it might seem like a big, confusing mess, BlizzCon can actually be broken down fairly simply. What the heck goes on at BlizzCon?

As we get started, let's throw a shout-out to the Friday night WoW Insider & Wowhead Reader Meetup. It's not an official BlizzCon event, of course, but we've been doing it for a few years, and everyone knows where to go. The pre-party itself is a fantastic time when we all get together at the Anabella (right near the convention center), drink, play some contest games, take pictures, hobnob with celebrities, and enjoy a little show. The party's so good, we stream it! If you're anywhere near Anaheim Thursday night, come enjoy a good time with fellow Blizzard friends.

An epic line

Friday morning is when the lines to get into BlizzCon begin. The line wraps around the convention center, through a walkway, around a parking lot, and often down the street. The line is huge. Is there any advantage to being the first one to get into BlizzCon? Not really, but standing in line with your fellow gamers is a sort of camaraderie and experience all itself.

Cosplayers, celebrities, and game personalities all tend to hover up and down the line, talking to attendees and putting on a sort of mini-show before the convention itself. I don't think you can call the convention line a great time, but it's better than standing around bored.

Inside the Con: Panels

The best part of BlizzCon is the panels. There are three convention halls lined with seats. Throughout Friday and Saturday, Blizzard personalities host discussions about the games, game balance, art, and other aspects of creating the games we love so much. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what goes into making a Blizzard game. And of course, more than a little news gets dropped on our eager heads.

At the end of each panel, usually you can take part in a brief Q&A. People get in line and wait eagerly for the moderator to hand them the microphone. A personal plea from all of us: If you get the chance to ask a question at the Q&A, don't try and spring a gotcha question on the team. Let's keep it productive!

On the convention floor

The floor of the convention is filled with distractions, games, and other good stuff. You can usually play unreleased content for Diablo, StarCraft, and even World of Warcraft. Little carnival games get an interesting Blizzard flair, such as with Loot Tornado. You can even step back to check out previous Blizzard games in the retro arcade.

My favorite bits on the floor are the art shows. You get the opportunity to see some of the jaw-droppingly amazing work created by Blizzard artists. Definitely take the time to peruse the galleries, as the BlizzCon presentation gives you rare glimpses at concept art and statuary like you wouldn't believe.

The grand finale

Blizzard likes to party, so it winds down each BlizzCon with a big show. This year? Foo Fighters. In previous years, we've seen people like Ozzy Osbourne and Tenacious D. The show is always jam-packed, very loud, and very awesome.

A little WoW Insider secret ... we usually don't see it live. That's because by the time we get done reporting all the news and information Saturday evening, we're all too tired to do much but sip martinis back at the bar and watch the stream.

BlizzCon survival tips

Now that you know a little more about what happens at BlizzCon, here are your top five survival tips:

• Up your nutrition up. There is food inside the convention hall, but it's expensive, not really high quality, and not exactly healthy. I'm not ragging on it, since it's fairly standard convention fare. But if you want to make sure you're doing three squares a day, have a bettle plan for eating outside the convention hall.
• Comfortable shoes are a must. I don't know what it is about the floor in there, but it's made of magical heel-crushing material. Pace around BlizzCon all day, and you'll be eager to get off your feet. Wearing comfortable shoes in BlizzCon will mitigate most pedestrian concerns.
• Grab some sanitizer. Look, I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but if you get several thousand gamers together, then you get to witness gamer funk. Exposure to that many people guarantees some germs floating about. Bring a little squirt bottle of sanitizer to minimize your changes of getting sick.
• Make a plan. As soon as you get your goodie bag and program on Thursday, take the time to look over all the events, the schedule, and your to-do list. Put together a schedule. Seats fill up fast for all of the panels, and if you have an idea about where you want to be, you'll save yourself a lot of frustration.
• Don't rush -- have fun! BlizzCon is a two-day convention. There's a lot of stuff happening inside the convention hall, but Blizzard does a good job of planning. You'll have plenty of time to do everything you'd like in those two days. Don't lose your mind rushing about. My favorite part is strolling around, watching people, and enjoying the atmosphere. You'll have time to do anything that interests you, so just relax and have fun.

For just a little more help, check out our Preparing for BlizzCon series. It has a lot of great high-quality information in it, and you can't go wrong by being forearmed with information. Have fun!

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