Geeking Out...

I've been in Anaheim for the week working on Blizz-con which is being held at the Anaheim Convention Center. Today is the opening day, and it is, as expected, a geek fest.

22,000 people are expected here. The tickets sold out in 11 seconds. DirecTV is doing a pay-per-view of four channels (one for each stage), 300,000 pre-sold subscriptions.

I'm working on the RTS stage. "Real Time Strategy" for those who don't know. And don't worry, up until about 2 days ago, I didn't know what RTS stood for either.

But I'm learning. HP - "Hit Points". GG - "Good Game" (Indicates game is over). TP Out - "Teleport Out". MIHTGTTBHP- "Man I Have To Go To The Bathroom, Hit Pause". Okay, I made that last one up.

This is some serious gaming. The stage I'm working at features two players, going head to head and two or three "Shoutcasters" commentating on the game as it goes on. It's like watching a sporting event mixed with a game show. Each player is in a sound proof booth(that's the game show part) and the commentators have headsets and computers that "observe" the game and they commentate on what's happening.

And the best part? The crowd stands and cheers when big deal things happen. "The Level 6 Beast Master goes down!" What?! Woot woot!

I've got at least 1000 seats in the audience, and yet, they stand, 15 deep all around the perimeter of the room. They sit in the aisle ways. All stare up at the big screens at watch the game unfold.

This is the Star Craft or World of Warcraft geek Superbowl. And they are all here.

I don't get it. But people seem to love it. I've sat here through three matches thus far and I'm beginning to understand it. I'm a little tempted to run out and buy the game.

I guess everyone has what's important in their lives. For these people it's the fantasy world created in the games. It's something else to the guy who's gonna have to sweep the floors in the convention center on Sunday when this all wraps up.

Here's a few more pics:

The view of my stage. "Angular, non blobular gobo's" was my directive.

My little home away from home. The video monitor next to my console would draw a crowd of people when all the seats for the stage were full.

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