The relatively annual celebration of all things Blizzard returns this year as the company announces BlizzCon 2008. Perhaps to help avoid the August event crush that occurred last year, which saw BlizzCon, SOE Fan Faire, and Quake Con all taking place over the same weekend, Blizzard has moved the convention back to October, which is when the 2005 original took place. The show will run from the 10th to the 11th at the Anaheim Convention center in California, where fans will be able to get hands-on time with upcoming releases, attend panels, play in tournaments, collect as-of-yet-unannounced spacial, limited edition merchandise, and see hideously inappropriate women dressed up as elves, both Blood and Night varieties. Joy!

Tickets will go on sale within the coming weeks for $100 a pop. Maybe this year I'll actually make it out there. I needs me some free murloc-themed goodness.

The BlizzCon Costume Contest Winner

Blizzcon 07: WoW Lich King Footage

Blizzcon 07: Starcraft 2 Multiplayer

Fresh from the BlizzCon floor comes this (kinda shaky) video of a presentation on Starcraft 2 outlining the details of multiplayer mode. After a nice look at the back a bald guy's head the camera man finally manages to focus in on the screen and we get a fairly decent look at how all this is going to play out. Looks pretty cool and the audience sure seems to think so. Especially when it comes to explosions. everyone loves explosions.

You may not actually need any of the stuff contained within the BlizzCon goody bag—excepting the hand sanitizer with Blizzard cozy—but I'm sure there are plenty of things in here non-attendees will want. Don't worry, we'll find a way to get rid of all this stuff, from the Diablo button to the Colossus magnet to the World of WarCraft XL t-shirt to the Heroes of Azeroth trading card game starter deck to the beta key. Oops, just kidding. That beta key is mine.

Actually, Blizzard doesn't quite know to which game the beta key applies. Therefore, if it's for Wrath of the Lich King, it's all yours, lucky Kotaku reader.

Details On The StarCraft II Single Player Campaign

Can't get enough World of Warcraft? Of course you can't! So swim in the cool waters of these new Wrath of the Lich King screenshots. There's little in the way of action, instead focusing on the new environments in which you'll find yourself when the WoW expansion his released.

You'll recognize many of them from the recently released preview trailer shown today, but considering you'll spend a considerable chunk of your life in this virtual land next year, a few extra minutes of gazing won't be that noticeable on your death bed.

Sorry, Western anime fans, video gamers and sci-fi dorks, but as far as I'm concerned, World of Warcraft cosplayers are kicking your ass up and down Cosplay Avenue in the cosplay department. It's not even a contest anymore. It's a slaughter.

These two got lucky with the lighting—shockingly dim for a convention hall—using their glowing eyes, amulets and orbs to great dramatic effect. I've only been at BlizzCon a few hours and I've seen some amazing handmade outfits, ones that hide tummies discretely. And these get-ups aren't easy to navigate a crowd in, so bonus points for that, my beloved, behooved cosplayers.

Blizzard has released a new batch of screenshots for StarCraft II showing off new unit abilities, like the Battlecruiser's plasma array, and an updated look for a number of previously revealed units. A preview of some of the new map types is also awaiting you in the gallery below. Don't forget that if you want to see these guys in embiggened size, the original, massive image is available right below the thumbnail.

I'm going to keep this one brief (yet again). I'm also going to rub a little something in the Kotaku collective face, as I will be playing StarCraft II this weekend—and lots of it. That's 'cause I'm at BlizzCon, right now, pounding convention center floor, covering the Con for Kotaku. If it's any consolation, I'm running on four hours sleep. Upon my return from the Anaheim Convention Center, the only games I'll be playing are Ninja Gaiden Sigma (almost... there...) and Picross DS.

Anyway, what are you playing this weekend?

WoW's Wrath of the Lich King Trailer

Here it is, in all of its glory the first official trailer for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion pack Wrath of the Lich King.

Warth of the Lich King [Blizzard]

More Lich King, Seige, Death Knight Deets

Today and the rest of the weekend is a wee-bit convention heavy. We're simultaneously covering the 2007 QuakeCon, BlizzCon and Fan Faire. The news seems to be chugging along pretty steadily, so if you want to track just what's happening at your con of choice click the appropriate link below, or you can just catch them as they hit the main page.

BlizzCon
QuakeCon
Fan Faire

Looks like the the rumors are true, the next World of Warcraft expansion will indeed by Wrath of the Lich King. The expansion was confirmed in the BlizzCon Souvenir Show Guide packed into those fancy goodie bags.

The picture, taken by Highamage, shows the brief article about the new expansion which will be detailed during the show.

Some of the highlights of the article include:

*Introduction of the Death Knight as a playable dark necromatic character class.
*New zones, quests, items and monsters packed into the Northrend, an icy continent that is home to the Lich King.
*Raised level cap to 80
*New battelgrounds featuring siege engines and destructable buidlings.
*More character customization, including hair, dances and skin color.

Wrath of the Lich King [Blizzard Forums]