Don't have a ticket to BlizzCon 2009 and still want to go? Best lock and load, because the second batch of entry passes go on sale today at 10AM Pacific on the Blizzard site. The first set sold out in less than 30 minutes, so if you're not there at precisely the appointed hour when the golden passes go on sale ... seriously, just don't bother.

The tickets cost $125 apiece and there's always the option to "attend" though DirectTV's $40 pay-per-view. But just imagine all the sights, sounds and smells you'd be missing. Best of luck to the faithful (and forsaken) warriors attempting to grab a ticket.

[Via Big Download, WoW]

If you missed out on the first batch of golden tickets to Blizzard's annual nerd mecca BlizzCon -- which we imagine you did, since they sold out in a nanosecond -- the second round of tickets will go on sale tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. PST. If you've got an extra $125 lying around, you can grab a ticket through the Blizzard store -- so make sure your Battle.net account is still up and running!

If you're horribly agoraphobic (or simply terrified of Murloc-clad cosplayers), you can also watch the two-day convention from the safety of your own home via DirecTV Pay-Per-View or via online streaming. These options will set you back $39.99, but ordering one of them gives you an in-game WoW item -- don't say your crippling social anxiety never garnered you any sweet bonuses!

Convinced that the creators of their favorite PC gaming titles just weren't making enough money with its MMO/Class 3 Narcotic, World of Warcraft, Blizzard fans came out of the woodwork yesterday to throw buckets of cash at the aforementioned developer. No, they weren't generously donating -- they were purchasing one of the rarest scraps of paper in existence: A golden ticket to BlizzCon 2009.

Said buckets of moolah were flying fast and furious -- the first round of tickets, priced at $125 a pop (a $25 increase over last year), sold out within 30 minutes. Don't fret if you don't get your hands on any of the remaining entry passes (the next round drops May 30) -- you can always pay-per-view the entire event on DirecTV (or online) for $39.99. A hefty fee, but given the huge games they'll likely be showcasing this year, it might just be worth it.

News

• WoW Insider interviews Tom Chilton on Patch 3.1 and beyond
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• Star Trek references in the World of Warcraft
  We've all (well, most of us -- ahem, Alex and Dan) seen Star Trek and loved it, so we compiled this little list of sightings in game.
• WoWMatrix responds to Curse and WoW Interface
  There was a kerfluffle in the addon scene lately, and popular addon updater WoWMatrix finally responds.
• BlizzCon tickets on sale May 16th
  Blizzard's convention is returning to the Anaheim Convention Center, and it'll cost you $125 and some time in line to go.
  
• Flying in old world Azeroth
  Blizzard has long said it wouldn't be possible to allow flying mounts in the original game world. And here's why.

Features

• Disappointment the patch 3.1 game world
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• Officers' Quarters: Fragmentation
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• The OverAchiever: Glory of the Hero strikes back
  How to do one of the biggest achievements in the game.
• WoW, Casually: Guide to the latest features
  Not every WoW player is a hardened veteran -- for the newer folks, there's WoW, Casually.
• Arcane Brilliance: PvPing as a Fire Mage after patch 3.1
  What's new in the world of Mages? Our Mage blogger Christian Belt tells you.

Blizzard recently mrguggugguggled that Grunty, the Space Marine Murloc, will be one of the giveaways in the BlizzCon 2009 goody bag. Those who purchase the DirecTV pay-per-view will also receive a redemption code for the little gurgler with a gun. So, if you aren't looking to go down the DirecTV route, you'd best be prepared to get your golden ticket when the rapid fire purchasing begins May 16.

Four days, Charlie. Only four days till Willy "Morhaime" Wonka gives you a chance to enter the factory.

[Via WoW Insider]

Blizzard announced to its children today that they may pay for their return to the warm bosom of BlizzCon on May 16. The cost for the "Tickets of Comradery" will set back the faitful's coin purses by $125 -- that's a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Blizzard apparently has a new system in place to prevent last year's ticket fiasco. Come May 16, attendee hopefuls go to the ticketing website and sit their actual butts in a virtual queue -- this will not guarantee a ticket, just that you'll be in a line for a golden ticket.

For those who can't get to the Anaheim Convention Center on August 21 and 22, there's always the option of the pay-per-view package from DirecTV for $40. There will also be a live stream of the event online, also available for $40, for non-DirecTV customers. So, Blizzard horde, hopefully this year's ticketing process won't be visited by the "Failoc."

[Via WoW Insider]

Blizzard Entertainment has announced details of this year's BlizzCon event, the celebration of all things Blizzard and the most convincing reason for WoW players to leave the house. This year's event will take place Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 at the Anaheim Convention Center, in four convention halls (last year's event was contained in a mere three).

The event will feature panel discussions from Blizzard staff, tournaments, contests, playable demos of upcoming Blizzard games, an auction, and, of course, merch. Blizzard has yet to offer information about price, availability, or method of purchase for tickets. Keep rapid-firing F5 on www.blizzcon.com for more information. Actually, don't do that -- if Blizzard's servers crash, they'll just have to buy more, and the cost might show up in ticket prices.

[Via WoW Insider]

If you take a look at our weekly roundup feature you might be able to figure out that the Big Download team is a little short of breath; it's been a very busy last seven days, and we can prove it right now:

Exclusive features

• BlizzCon and related features: We have out our hands-on impressions of Diablo III and Starcraft II from the show floor along with coverage of the Diablo III Art and Lore panel. Our Boot Disk feature this week is related to BlizzCon as we look back at Diablo II and our Alt-Tab op-ed column takes a look at how the Activision-Blizzard merger might affect Blizzard the developer
• Reviews: Big Download has our final word on Civilization IV: Colonization and the indie game hit World of Goo.
• Previews: We have an exclusive hands-on preview of the next chapter in American McGee's Grimm
• Interviews: Take your pick this week as we chat with the creators of Project Aftermath, Atmosphir, Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment and Blood Bowl along with a quick Q&A about this week's purchase of Gamecock by Southpeak.
• Neverware: Cancelled PC Games Part Two: It's baack. Take a look at the many PC games that you will never get to play.
• Video Game Cosplay Gallery: It's October so that means we are looking at all of the costumes made by fans and pros for their favorite video game characters.
• Mac Monday: Our weekly look at Mac gaming takes a look at the title Droid Assault
• MODMonday: Our weekly mod feature takes a look (again) at a Max Payne total conversion, the Half-Life influenced Max Freeman.
• Big Iron: Our hardware column this week takes a look at how hardware can't improve gameplay.
• Big Ideas: The weekly look at game concepts takes a gander at the double-jump. Really.
• Freeware Friday: Our look at free PC games is all about the impressive strategy game P.U.R.E.
• Virtual Bargain Bin: Our look at cheap PC games is about the classic Ubisoft title Beyond Good and Evil.
• BigCast: After a week off, our BigCast podcast is revamped with a new format. Check it out.
• Contest: You have a chance to win one of three copies of the PC version of Dead Space.

When we weren't taking photos, sitting in Starcraft 2 panels, or watching the closing ceremonies at BlizzCon, all of our available free time was devoted to Diablo 3. It was the first thing we played within minutes of the grand opening, and the game they had to pry us away from when the doors closed. Yes, it's just that good. Plus, we still have two character classes that haven't been revealed yet, so who knows what else this has in store for us.

We were happy just to be able to return to the world of Diablo after seven years since the Lord of Destruction expansion set was on store shelves, and it was worth the wait. Find out everything we could during our exhaustive hands-on after the break, and be sure to check out the galleries below that show off in-game screens and concept art. Plus we're sticking that gameplay footage in again, because it's the only way we can enjoy Diablo until there's a beta, or some sort of miracle occurs.

Blizzard's Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo wants us to think about Starcraft 2's two followups, containing the Zerg and Protoss single player campaigns, as expansion packs, so does that mean they won't contain as much gameplay as the Terran-based initial game? Plus, you'll have to wait at least whole year between "expansions." Said Pardo, "With any luck, it would be like a year for each successive one, but that's going to be a target date, that's not a promise."

Since SC2 won't be out until 2009, you won't be able to play the Protoss single player until at least 2011. That's a long time to wait. Check out what Rob said after the break, and start yer speculatin'.

Not everyone was thrilled with the weekend news that Blizzard is looking to monetize Battle.Net in some way. So we made that one of the first questions we asked Blizzard VP Rob Pardo. The good news is, they're not going to make Diablo III subscription based. Find out everyone he told us after the break.

Story guru Leonard Boyarsky and background artist Chris Donnelson spoke at yesterday's Diablo III Lore & Art panel just before the closing BlizzCon eremonies, and they detailed how the background of the previous two Diablo games will tie into this one. Check out the highlights after the break, and find out how the gameplay has been changed to emphasize the story and art in this title, and what's been happening in the 20 in-game years since the events of Diablo II.