Blizzcon 2011: Demons and Costumes and (Panda) Bears, Oh, my!

So another annual convention from the developers of World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft is in the books, and there were a few highlights of interest to those of us who couldn't make the trek to the convention. There was the ever-popular costume contest, the announcement of the next WoW expansion, and a deal for people willing to sign up for a one-year "tour" for the popular MMORPG, that is seeing a decline in subscription numbers. Personally, I was excited by this year's announcements, and I'd like to talk a bit about them and address my feelings on the controversial elements, specifically about the next World of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria. But before we get into any of that, let's take a look at the convention as a whole.

Outside of the WoW-Universe, there were a couple of major announcements with the debut of the trailer for Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and the release of Blizzard DOTA. The Starcraft trailer gives us a bit of a teaser for next year's expansion, showing that even though Sarah Kerrigan has been rescued and looks human again, all is not well with the former Queen of Blades. We get a preview of a bunch of new units and a brief look at the continuation of the story from Wings of Liberty, with a gorgeous trailer rendered using in-game technology. On the DOTA front, it is exciting to see the original Action/RPG/Realtime Strategy mod Defense of the Ancients get an officially supported release, with many of Blizzard's greatest characters as champions. The original DOTA spawned a subgenre of games including League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, and it'll be great to see the original game return with updated graphics and gameplay, and with Blizzard's official blessing and support.

This year's costume contest continues the tradition of moving away from "sexiest costume wins" and rewarding amazing craftsmanship. The top three this year included a great-looking Deathwing in human form, a decent representation of a WoW Paladin with Ashbringer, and the grand prize winner, one of the best costumes I've ever seen outside of a Hollywood movie. The costume, a note-perfect representation of a Starcraft Adjutant android was worn by Avery Faith of Los Angeles, CA. The combination of technical excellence in the fabrication of the costume pieces with the simultaneously creepy and beautiful aesthetic makes the piece something that really needs to be seen to be believed. (Which is why I picture it below.)

There wasn't a lot more that could be said about Diablo 3, aside from a new teaser trailer, since we've already seen a glut of preview videos and the news that it won't come out until 2012 broke before the convention. However, there was one thing they could do to make Diablo 3 news my personal favorite bit of the con. They made it free. Of course, there are strings attached to the deal. With the imminent release of Bioware's Star Wars MMORPG and some frustration with current raiding content, World of Warcraft is losing subscribers. The solution? Offer a free copy of Diablo 3 to anyone willing to commit to a 1-year subscription to WoW. The offer also comes with an automatic beta invite for the next WoW expansion and an exclusive in-game mount. For me, it was a no-brainer, since I hadn't planned on canceling my subscription this year anyway, and I was a guaranteed sale for Diablo 3, so reducing that game to my favorite price was a bonus.

Then we have the next WoW expansion, raising the level cap to 90, introducing a new zone, a new playable race and a new base class. Mists of Pandaria will be centered on the forgotten home of the reclusive masters of brewing strong spirits and practicing asian-style martial arts, the Pandaren. The race will be available to be played by either Horde or Alliance, and will have a strong connection to the new base class, the Monk. The developers are changing up the formula a bit, focusing on the conflict between Alliance and Horde instead of a single "last boss" like the last three expansions. The Pandaren will be drawn into the conflict, creating a brutal civil war in a land that once knew only peace and meditation, with the "main villain" as war itself. The announcement of a battle minigame system for non-combat pets, along with the "cutesy" look for the Pandaren has the neckbeards of the internet lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks, declaring WoW forever ruined.

...Really? We have talking walrus-men, cow-men, bird-men, fish-men, but pandas are somehow crossing the line? I get that none of those races has be the central character for an entire expansion, but people have been begging for Pandaren since the beginning of World of Warcraft. The accusations that the next expansion is "Kung-Fu Panda and Pokemon," and therefore is designed with small children in mind insults the intelligence of the average gamer. Pandaren have been present in the Warcraft lore for sixteen years, long before there was a Kung-Fu Panda, and gamers were outraged that they weren't a new race way back when The Burning Crusade was first released. I'm completely willing to check out the next expansion (and with my guaranteed beta access, I certainly will) before I declare it to be childish and stupid. If the game becomes something I no longer want to play, I'll stop. I don't see the point in being insulting and jumping to conclusions on the basis of a few videos and some sketchy details, however.

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Blog Gadgets

Cosplay and Conventions: Characters come to life.

It is now Mid-August, and for most of us geeks, what we'd call the “con season” is coming to an end. That isn't to say there aren't any conventions of note in the other months of the year, but depending on how you mark it and what type of shows you go to, the annual convention season is the summer months, including San Diego and Chicago Comic Cons, Origins, Gen Con, and Dragon Con (Dragon Con, usually in August, is actually in September this year.) Anime and Video Game Conventions tend to be a little more spread out, with Anime shows scheduled based on region and many of the Video Game conventions turning up from late summer into fall. I've been doing conventions a long time, even running a successful regional show for several years. One aspect common to nearly all of the conventions that geeks love is something I never got into. Cosplay, an amalgam of the words “costume” and, obviously, “play” is a term for designing and wearing costumes based on favorite characters that originated in the anime/manga fan communities.

BelleChere as Dawn, one of her Award-Winning costumes.

Once the domain of anime and comic book fans and the occasional trekkie in a Starfleet uniform or dressed as a Klingon, cosplay now has people turning up dressed as nearly any imaginable figure from popular cuture. Some well-known cosplayers are known for less than flattering costumes, such as Tron Guy or Sailor Bruce (I posted that picture once before, won't make you bleach your eyes again,) and even the terrifying Man-Faye (Google it, not even gonna link that one.)  Luckily for us, Cosplay isn't the exclusive domain of the overweight male geek and the occasional bored “booth babe” paid to dress up as Lara Croft and get drooled over by horny attendees. The hobby itself has attracted quite a few good looking people who are dedicated to the artistry of making costumes and having everything look just right.

Cosplay is also one of the few geek subcultures where most of the notable figures are female. It would be not entirely fair to point out that this is based primarily on physical attractiveness, as many of the best known ladies in the cosplay world aren't just models. Many (though not all, of course) cosplayers research, design and make their costumes from scratch, and the craftsmanship and attention to detail on some of the best pieces is astonishing. From jewelry and the clothes themselves to small touches like intricately designed accessories and realistic (but convention safe) weapons, many of the ladies and gentlemen do it all. Svetlana Quindt of Kamui Cosplay takes her dedication to the hobby a step further, believing that the body is an important part of the costume, and it has to look right. For her best known (many are World of Warcraft inspired) costumes, staying fit is as important as getting the hair, clothing and makeup just right.

Alexstrasa from World of Warcraft in a Kamui Cosplay photoshoot.

It isn't all hot women in skimpy clothing, however. The rise of video game and Western comic book characters appearing at conventions has plenty of men turning up dressed as Iron Man, Master Chief, Link, and several thousand variations of Wolverine and The Joker. Some of the very best of the costumes at the annual Blizz-Con costume contest are as much about performing and moving in whatever costume someone happens to be in as showing a lot of skin or dressing as a sexy character. Video game costumes in general, whether worn by men or women, can often attract a lot of positive attention based on cleverness, sense of humor, and overall craftsmanship. A poorly-made or ill fitting costume just doesn't work for anyone (unless that is part of the gag in a humorous costume.)

Both in Japan and in the United States, there are quite a few cosplayers who are well known enough to have their own fans. In Japan, these “Stars” of the convention circuit and online are referred to as “idols.” Large fan communities have developed around cosplay idols like Kipi and Saya, and the male “King of Cosplay,” Kaname. In the US, quite a following has developed around Jessica Nigri, who gained attention first for her take on a Pikachu costume, and BelleChere who is probably best known for her most revealing outfits as Ivy from Soul Calibur and Vampirella. Depending on the regional conventions attended, there are dozens of notable men and women debuting new outfits and doing photo-shoots.

Famous Cosplay Idol Kipi as Misa from Death Note.

Not everyone is a huge fan of the current state of cosplaying as a hobby, as especially in the US, anything with a component of sexual attractiveness is a magnet for controversy. The primary opponents of cosplay as a hobby fall into two camps. There are the people who believe that revealing costumes and the fan-worship surrounding them contributes to a chauvinistic and immature culture of objectification of women as sexual objects. These people are also quick to point out that a culture that has a reputation for being romantically awkward doesn't do itself any favors with legions of lonely nerds drooling over costumed women perpetuating a negative stereotype. The second group of critics is with the cosplayers themselves, claiming that many who are into cosplay are fans primarily of attention for themselves, and the characters and media they represent come in a distant second place.

Personally, I think complaining about sexuality in geek subcultures is an exercise in futility, and efforts to improve the perception of geeks as a subculture are battles best fought in a different arena. Where negative stereotypes can be dealt with at all (and lets face it, some of those ridiculous and patently untrue misconceptions won't die no matter what,) they should be handled without disrespect to someone else's hobby. Name-calling, in particular the characterization of cosplayers themselves as “attention whores” is the sort of counterproductive behavior that reinforces negative opinions of fans of comics, games and science fiction as socially awkward neckbeards who will live and die as virgins. Be nice to a cosplayer, don't be afraid to ask to take a picture, and above all... look, don't touch.

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Blog Gadgets

She Said: Origins 2011 Part 3 - The 'Meh...'

The "Meh.."

Costumes 

As the attendance for the convention seemed down, so did the number of brave ladies and gents that decided to go around in jedi robes, steampunk finery, and Renaissance velvets. There were still a few I managed to find, but very little. Above and below are a few of my own pictures.

The Arcanis Soft Point
One of Arcanis' most prolific authors, Scott Charlton, has been with the gaming community for eons. He wrote Carnival of Swords, In the Shadow of the Devil, and The Bloody Sands of Sicaris. He also enjoys writing fiction based on the intricate stories already woven by the industrious Henry Lopez. His latest creation, Kiss of the Beautiful Devil, was one of the modules played at Origins this year. It's also, in my opinion as a player, his worst. I'll not give away spoilers, but it will require heavy editing and lots of feedback. I also do not mean to discourage or deride Mr. Charlton's abilities. He can weave a tale like a spider weaves a web. But, sometimes a web can be so full of various sticky threads that even players are caught as flies, with no way out. In fact, I encourage you, if you have played it, to send feedback to Kitty Curtis (feedback@shatteredempires.com). We love feedback, whether it is good or bad, just so long as it's also constructive.

The Origins Swag Bag

Origins veterans likely know what the Origins Swag Bag is. It's a medium-sized plastic bag that acts as kind of a Christmas stocking for us gamers. It has all sorts of coupons for booths in the Exhibit Hall, cards for newly developed games, keychains emblazed with the names of various gaming companies, and the coveted "Origins (Insert Year Here) d6 Die". This year, though, was filled merely with advertisements, a small Pog-like token (you guys remember Pogs?) that I have no idea of its purpose, and a keychain/beer bottle opener.

It did have the Origins d6 Die and a page of coupons to the food court. The staff at said food court, however, was seen being derisive at the coupons to the customers there, to the point one customer in front of me decided it wasn't worth it and kept the coupons in his pocket, unused. Bad food court. No cookie!

Guess Who's Coming to Democratic Dinner?

This might also fall in 'The Funny' category too, but I more shook my head than laughed at this particular scenario. Imagine, if you will, a bunch of gamers, dressed in steampunk costume, carrying various weaponry with them as either part of their costume or new purchases from the Exhibit Hall. Now imagine the look on a Secret Service agent's face, one who's job it is to protect Vice President Joe Biden, when said group of gamers passes him.

Probably not plotting anything concerning the Democratic Party.
(Doc is pictured in mid-game, 2nd from left.)

Columbus Convention Center. A word of advice. Do not schedule a Democratic Party dinner at the same time as a gaming convention, where all of us weirdos are gonna be high on Mtn. Dew while carrying swords and crossbows. It's bad form.

Tomorrow: Last in this series (Origins: The Funny and Interviews), and then the reins of the blog will be back in the hands of DocStout!

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