BlizzCon 2007 Announced, WoW TCG Expansion Released

After taking a break last year, Blizzard will return in August 2007 with the second edition of their BlizzCon gaming convention, dedicated to the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises, "and the players who have helped make them so popular around the world". As announced last night on the event's website, BlizzCon 2007 will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on August 3 and 4, with tickets set to go on sale next month for $100 per person. Here's what we know so far about it:

"BlizzCon will be open to gamers age 4 and older and will offer a wide variety of activities to help all attendees get the most out of the two–day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:

- Discussion panels with Blizzard developers

- Artist and developer signings

- Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents

- World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournaments and demos

- Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes

- Commemorative merchandise and other products based on the Blizzard franchises

- A silent auction

- Live orchestral performances of music from Blizzard games

- More exciting activities to be announced"

In other Blizz-news, yesterday also saw the release of the first expansion to the World of Warcraft TCG (Trading Card Game), called Through the Dark Portal. You can learn all about it on Upper Deck Entertainment's website, but in short, the expansion brings new playable races, powerful racial abilities, and an expanded look at classic World of Warcraft content. Players will also be offered three exclusive in-game codes, found on Loot cards randomly inserted in packs. Word is "You can ask a fortune-telling imp what your future holds, relax on the sunny beaches of Stranglethorn with a cozy picnic blanket, or take your pet gorilla out for a walk around Orgrimmar".

And in even more WoW-news, the game's "Under Development" page teases us with some new end-game content to be featured in future updates:

"In addition to the Black Temple's appearance in the upcoming 2.1 patch, an abundance of new solo and small-group content is coming to World of Warcraft. Groups and solo adventurers will discover much to do in the new quest hubs of Skettis, Ogri'la, and the Ethereum Prison. Druids will be able to acquire their epic Flight Form, and what's more, everyone can now quest for their very own Nether Drake epic flying mount!"

Nether Drakes, at last! And they'd better announce StarCraft 2 / Diablo III at BlizzCon, this time...

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)