Blizzard Entertainment and its partners release Blizzard licensed products every year. Some of these products come in the shape of novels, eBooks, graphic novels, action figures, dioramas, statues, children’s books, and epic weapons. Did you know from Fall 2013 to Winter 2014 there are so far 41 Blizzard Licensed Products?
There isn’t an official list of recent and upcoming products. Therefore, I will share a permanent list of recent and upcoming products for which you can pre-order now and relax later knowing that you secured your copy and it will automatically be charged and delivered on release date.
Some of the products were released already, and I felt I should mention them in case you missed them. They are in stock while supplies last and shipping now.
The Fall 2013 – 2014 Blizzard Licensed Products line up is as follows: (click links to reach the pre-order page)
UPDATE: Sunday, August 11 is the last day to submit your entry.
SteelSeries, J!NX and The League of S.T.E.A.M. have partnered to brew together a cool promotion that will send a lucky winner and a friend to BlizzCon 2013 (November 8-9th) free along with flight and hotel expenses covered. This contest only applies to North American residents: which includes United States, Canada and Quebec. The follow up winners will get SteelSeries and J!NX prizes.
Make sure to read my personal speculation about this strange and unholy partnership — there is something odd about this partnership that [might] or [not] be a hint of a new Blizzard game announcement. Don’t you love Blizzplanet’s speculations?
CHICAGO – July 29th, 2013 – With the return of BlizzCon this year to Anaheim, California, SteelSeries and our partners JINX and The League of S.T.E.A.M want to send YOU to the festivities in style. This once in a lifetime chance to be a part of gaming history is completely FREE to enter by visiting the contest landing page – https://steelseri.es/blizzcon. Sweepstake entries will be open from July 29th through August 11th to all North American residents.
The grand prize features two BlizzCon Show Passes, airfare and accommodations for you and a friend PLUS one custom costume by award winning costume designers The League of S.T.E.A.M! An additional $2500 in sponsored prizes will also be given away including World of Warcraft Wireless MMO mice and JINX gift cards!
To keep up to date with the latest happenings of all the companies that made this giveaway possible, please visit the following websites.
I’m sorry to Blizzard Entertainment, but I will shield up with the first amendment of the United States Constitution: Freedom of Speech. Of course, I’ll eat back my words silently if I misfire … oops!
I have seen several promotions and giveaways from licensed partners for several years, but I find the League of S.T.E.A.M to be a very strange partner which is not directly a Blizzard Licensed Partner.
I do know the BlizzCon 2013 Costume Contest sign ups begin on August 5 (approximately) as published recently at the official BlizzCon website. The League of S.T.E.A.M will create a costume for the Ultimate BlizzCon 2013 Giveaway announced in this press release.
I was curious about this League of S.T.E.A.M, and searched online for their website. After reading through their About page, this is what they say:
The League of S.T.E.A.M. is not your average performance group
Our talented group of inventors and actors take the audience back to a time of scientific adventure; a common ground between the paranormal and the Pythagorean. We are monster hunters from the Victorian era. From up on the stage to mingling the crowd, our members engage the audience with proton packs capable of firing blasts of “steam,” zombie manservants on chain-leads, net guns and titillating electro-shock packs and ethereal glowing ghosts. Every piece of machinery is meticulously designed, detailed, and fully functional, from the steam cannon to the extendable “Punchy Fist”. The League travels with an archive of past adventures, preserved and documented for the ambient pleasure of the viewer, featuring exotic specimens and chilling relics from the ancient Orient. Audiences for this extravagant experience continue to grow. The League of S.T.E.A.M. is one of the fastest-growing entertainment groups of its kind, and our series of filmed exploits has ensured us a popularity that fills our events to capacity.
Wait … this is a Steampunk-effing-League?!! I’m sorry, my geeky blood-pressure is going high at the moment. Don’t blame me for speculating, but what if this giveaway is subtly throwing hints about a new Blizzard Entertainment Steampunk-themed video game to be announced at BlizzCon 2013? Is that even feasible to imagine or a loooong-stretch?
Blizzard Entertainment is currently developing two MMOs: the Next-Gen MMO codenamed Titan and a unannounced MMO.
If this speculation doesn’t excite you, I don’t know what will. A Steampunk Blizzard game — would you play something that wicked sweet?
I might be totally wrong on this one, I admit. However, tell me straight to the face you won’t get excited after reading what the League of S.T.E.A.M is and after viewing their photos. I present to you … the League of S.T.E.A.M
Cesar (Blizzplanet-ES) informed me io9 broke the news that Legendary Entertainment director Duncan Jones has revealed a teaser trailer of the Warcraft Film. No one has been able to find a video as it took everyone by surprise.
Blizzplanet correspondent David Frazier interviewed Micky Neilson at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con on Friday, July 19th to forward a combination of SOL community and Blizzplanet questions about licensed products revealed at the Blizzard Licensing Panel, and about products that weren’t mentioned at the panel.
Blizzplanet correspondent David Frazier recorded video of the Blizzard Licensing Panel led by Kat Hunter (host), Chris Metzen, Micky Neilson, Nick Carpenter, Cory Stockton. — Thursday, July 18th 2013
I totally love JINX and their creativity. Personally, I never saw these coming. In addition to the recent World of Warcraft Summer 2013 T-shirt line-up, JINX released today three new shirts based on classic Blizzard games:
The San Diego Comic Con 2013 booth information is now available. From the list of exhibitors, I hand-picked for our audience some of the booths of interest to visit. Some of them might have potential to display info about upcoming Blizzard licensed products.
The Panel Schedules are not available yet to the public. I’ll update you once those are launched to let you know which day and time Blizzard Publishing plans to make announcements.
The SDCC takes place on July 18-21 at the San Diego Convention Center located at 111 West Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101 (Map)
Confirmed
Mega Brands booth 3949 — No new line of World of Warcraft. However, I have confirmation Mega Brands will be giving away a ton of MEGA BLOKS WOW blind packs (I assume the World of Warcraft Mega Bloks #91100 Series 1 Mystery Pack [1 Random Figure]). They will also display a massive Mega Bloks Halo Promethean Knight and give attendees literally thousands of free giveaways. Keep an eye on that booth.
This year, there is potential for Sideshow Collectibles to announce the 2014 Blizzard-licensed product line-up at the Blizzard Entertainment booth # 115.
Speculation
Funko’s 2013 catalog shared at the Toy Fair New York revealed the concept art of an upcoming line of StarCraft, Diablo and Warcraft POP Vinyl figures: Jim Raynor, Kerrigan, Tyrael, Diablo, Arthas & Illidan. By now they should have some prototypes to show (speculation of course). Update: Blizzard announced new Funko merchandise that will be on sale at the Blizzard Booth.
DC Entertainment might have announcements about the StarCraft Graphic Novel, and/or unveil plans for upcoming Blizzard Licensed graphic novels we haven’t heard of yet. (speculation)
It’s been a while we haven’t heard anything about the DC Unlimited Warcraft/StarCraft action figures. Diamond Distributors and the DC Comics booths might be a good spot to check out upcoming line-up.
Finally, the XBox and SONY booths. I haven’t heard anything about Blizzard showcasing Diablo III (PS3), or Diablo III (Xbox 360). I’ll update if anything reaches my ears.
Among the Special Guests is Louise Simonson (DC Comics World of Warcraft). Tony Washington (DC Comics World of Warcraft) will be at the Artists Alley (table CC-20)
Exhibitor Booths
I added all the booths of interest by booth number / proximity. You can print the page or take a screenshot for your mobile. The Floor Map (PDF) can be found here.
Blizzplanet Map (shows booths of interest marked — 1.63MB / GIF). Make sure to hover your mouse over the image and click “Open in New Tab” for the full size.
Below are the latest Blizzard Entertainment job openings for the week of June 1-7th: Lead Software Engineer in Test, Associate Media Artist, Story Board Artist, and Associate Learning & OD Specialist. There is another position they have wanted to fill for some time: User Experience (UX) Designer.
For a full list of job openings in United States, Europe, Asia and Oceania visit the following page.
You may contact recruiters and talent sourcers directly via Twitter at:
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented and enthusiastic lead software engineer to help drive our game automation projects and test infrastructure. The ideal candidate has experience managing teams to build test infrastructures and tools, working with development teams to drive test requirements, and developing test automation for large projects. In addition, this person will need to have passion for creating epic games, and a strong desire to push the state of the art for testing games. — Read More / Apply
Associate Media Artist
Do you know more about Blizzard games than all of your friends? Does your creative curiosity drive you to constantly experiment with different kinds of media and tools to realize your latest creation? Will you thrive in a no-holds-barred, rapid-fire, high-energy environment with fast turnaround times? If so, this position may be the perfect fit for you!
We’re looking for a creative and highly motivated individual that has a deep level of familiarity with our games to join the creative development team as an associate media artist. The ideal candidate will have a portfolio of creative work that could include any or all of the following disciplines: graphic design, photography, video editing, 3D modeling, or any other medium that combines creativity with technical artistry to generate something great. — Read More / Apply
Story Board Artist – Cinematics
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented story artist to assist our cinematics team in creating the next generation of our award-winning cinematics! The story artist will not only function as a conventional storyboard artist but additionally will contribute collaboratively to both story and sequence development with the director. — Read More / Apply
Associate Learning & OD Specialist
The associate learning and organizational development specialist assists in the coordination and delivery of learning and development solutions for Blizzard Entertainment’s product development managers and employees. This position reports to the learning and organizational development manager for product development.
In support of Blizzard Entertainment’s product development group, the associate learning and organizational development specialist is responsible for assisting the L&OD manager with the development and implementation of strategies and programs in the areas of (a) talent planning (help build capabilities of potential successors and top talent throughout the studio) (b) performance coaching / management development (help build leadership capabilities of managers),(c) Employee Opinion Survey support (help teams analyze results, create action plans, hold meaningful discussion with teams), and (d) learning solutions (help with providing learning solutions that meet the needs of a varied workforce), with the goal of effectively utilizing Blizzard Entertainment’s human resources. — Read More / Apply
User Experience (UX) Designer
Are you the type of person who uses a product and immediately strives to figure out how you could design it better? Do you enjoy solving problems at a conceptual level, but also love figuring out the details when it comes time to make those conceptual ideas concrete? We’re looking for a UX Designer to join our corporate applications UX team to do exactly that!
The UX designer will be working on internal applications that aid the company and our players with solutions that streamline efficiency, support game development, and foster Blizzard Entertainment’s culture and core values in the workplace. The UX designer will collaborate with a variety of teams (customer service, game development, human resources, etc.) to design solutions that meet strategic business objectives while also creating a useful, intuitive, and epic experience for our users.
This role is best suited for someone who embodies the philosophy that UX design is centered around people, and that our goal is about getting things right for our users, not about just getting things done.
Through research, design, testing, and iteration, the UX designer will be involved in all phases of the user-centered design process. — Read More / Apply
Latest Blizzard Entertainment job openings for those with the skills to join one of the best employers in United States. Blizzard Entertainment is ranked # 6 America’s Ideal Employers
Blizzard Entertainment Careers Team have posted new job openings these past days. Recently, Blizzard Entertainment was ranked #6 America’s Ideal Employers 2013 by Universum after a survey with the participation of over 65,000 students. Join one of the best employers in United States and the World.
Follow the links below to submit your resume at the appropriate page:
Looking for a different position? No sweat. These above are just the newest ones. Over 80 job openings available at Blizzard Entertainment here. Look for the navigation bar to search Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania job openings.
Language Tester, Italian
Quality Assurance – Irvine, CA
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for intelligent and highly motivated multilingual game testers to help test our games in Italian. Job duties include documenting bugs, working closely with a team of translators, testing games for hours upon hours. An ideal candidate is a hardcore gamer with a localization background, or an individual with a higher education in a language-related discipline, who is good at both finding bugs and describing them in an organized and clear fashion. language testers must be able to work full-time at our headquarters in Irvine, California. Applicants must also be available to work extended hours and weekends when necessary, to meet project deadlines.
Responsibilities
Review the Italian translation of Blizzard Entertainment games.
Ensure consistency with the glossary between games and other projects.
Perform quality assurance for Blizzard Entertainment games and other projects.
Review localized material and provide regular feedback to project leads and supervisors.
Handle other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Passion for video games and linguistics
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in both Italian and English
Excellent knowledge of fantasy, and / or science fiction worlds and an understanding of Blizzard Entertainment games
Willing to work extended hours
Excellent teamwork skills
Able to work independently
Strong motivation and a high level of commitment
Pluses
Previous experience in video game localization or video game quality assurance
Higher education in language-related disciplines, and / or work experience as a professional translator
Excellent knowledge of Blizzard Entertainment games
Applicants must submit (i) a cover letter (with language proficiency), (ii) a resume, and (iii) a mock game analysis of their latest favorite video game in English and Italian. Only resumes with cover letters and game analyses will be considered.
The game analysis should demonstrate applicant’s understanding of the game play mechanics and relationships to the design and implementation of the game.
The game analysis should be on either a computer game or console game. Please limit the game analysis to no longer than 5 pages (the average length of an analysis is approximately 3 pages).
This game analysis should not be a game made by Blizzard Entertainment.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliated companies is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
Customer Service – In-Game Services
Office – Irvine, CA
Customer support representatives or game masters (GMs) are service specialists supporting Blizzard Entertainment customers via phone, web chat, and email within the game environment and on account related issues. Through problem identification, troubleshooting, education and resolution, GMs are required to provide innovative and exceptional customer handling following Tier I Empowerment Guidelines. As a key member of customer service, GMs are expected to maintain Blizzard’s culture of excellence and commitment to quality in every aspect of their work.
Responsibilities
Provide first contact resolution of customer issues via phone, web chat, and e-mail.
Deliver timely and accurate responses to customer questions and requests.
Take personal ownership of customer requests and maintain accountability for follow-through.
Provide exceptional customer experience as measured through customer surveys.
Maintain productivity that meets or exceeds departmental goals for Tier I.
Perform account maintenance, data entry, and order processing functions.
Display a professional, positive, and enthusiastic demeanor to employees and customers.
Learn and review departmental policies and procedures.
Provide proactive customer communication via phone, chat, or email when necessary.
Maintain accurate account of hours worked and report any discrepancy in a timely manner.
Maintain security and confidentiality of Blizzard internal information and customer / account information.
Respond to general customer inquiries.
Identify, update, and report on interface or game mechanic issues.
Provide for restoration of character / item losses of low complexity.
Investigate reports of player harassment or inappropriate behavior.
Investigate and communicate reports of service outages.
Escalate and communicate any customer well-being issues.
Escalate or refer issues beyond the scope of Tier I training and duties.
Other duties, as assigned.
Requirements
Team player with a positive attitude
Able to work under pressure in a fast-paced, ever changing, high-volume environment
Comfort with using telephony related hardware and software
Flexible to work rotating shifts
Strong customer service and written communication skills
A minimum of 1 year experience handling customers within service / technical fields
Basic computer and typing skills
Familiar with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office
Successful criminal background check may be required if allowed by local law
Pluses
Previous call center or direct customer-facing experience
Excellent attention to detail
Drive for self-improvement
Passion for supporting gamers
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliated companies is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
Associate Producer / Producer
Office: Irvine, CA
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a producer to join our support systems engineering team. Support systems engineering is a 100% agile software development group currently using the Scrum framework. In this position, the producer will be empowered as the product owner for one of our Scrum development teams. The ideal candidate has a passion for product development and a natural aptitude for business.
Responsibilities
Meticulously maintain a product backlog that represents the product’s vision and roadmap with a focus on customer and business needs.
Build and maintain relationships with customers from all levels and job positions within the company.
Communicate a clear vision and release plan for the assigned product(s).
Actively manage expectations, results, and forward progress for internal and external stakeholders.
Determine and report on product return on investment.
Provide regular reporting of product scope, schedule, progress, and planning.
Promote a collaborative environment for development, user experience and quality assurance to deliver successful products within.
Requirements
Strong desire to be a part of and contribute to a team environment
Exceptionally self-motivated and directed
Passion for user experience
Previous experience in product development
Able to set and manage business priorities judiciously
A demonstrable understanding of marketing techniques
Knowledge of the software development lifecycle and associated activities
Possess a strong understanding of agile development methodologies, particularly Scrum
Clear ability to manage a range of different personality types in a facilitative and professional manner
Superior listening, written, and oral communication skills
Proven ability to plan, execute, and complete project activities to achieve high quality results
Able to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical personnel
Pluses
Experience creating mock-ups, workflows, wireframes, and / or prototypes
Product Owner Certification
PMP Certification
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliated companies is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
Associate Producer – Locatization
Office – Irvine, CA
The Blizzard Entertainment Localization team is looking for an associate producer (AP) to support the localization of text, audio, and video assets for Blizzard game titles, as well as, the localization of support services initiatives that accompany the launches of those titles. The ideal candidate has superior organizational and communication skills, three years of localization-related experience on a AAA title, fluency in one or more non-English languages, strong technical skills, and in-depth knowledge of Blizzard games. For more information, check out the posting.
The associate producer’s primary responsibilities will be assigned by the localization production staff, and involve hands-on localization tasks within game clients as they ramp up for release. Other responsibilities will be to organize and execute localization requests for support services teams, such as, community, PR, web, video and post production, etc., whether via Blizzard’s internal localization teams or its external vendor partners. The AP will also work with localization QA to champion localized product quality and the platform services project management team to ensure transparent and proactive communication to all relevant project stakeholders. Secondary responsibilities will be to challenge and champion the tools and initiatives designed to assist the department in running as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Requirements
Passion for video games
Superior organizational skills and attention to detail
Excellent oral and written English communication skills
Self-motivated with an ability to work under tight deadlines
A minimum of 3 years’ localization-related product development experience on a AAA title
Willing and able to travel internationally as needed
Team-oriented with the ability to work independently
Computer literate and familiar with MS Office products
Pluses
Understanding of the complete localization life-cycle
Fluency in one or more non-English language(s)
Experience with MS Project
Above-average knowledge of Blizzard and its games
Working knowledge of database and version control software
Working knowledge of audio, graphic, and movie file types and applications
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliated companies is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
Network Engineer
IT – Network Operations
Office – Irvine, CA
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a highly motivated and skilled network engineer to join our network operations engineering team. The ideal candidate possesses a high level of experience with cutting-edge network platforms. The network engineer must be efficient and organized while working in a self-directed team environment.
Responsibilities
Design, install, and operate LAN / WAN network infrastructure.
Perform network performance tuning and administration.
Research new technologies including software and hardware, based on business requirements.
Provision and deploy new routers / switches / security platforms in current or new data centers.
Document operational processes and procedures.
Develop and maintain network topology diagrams for all networks.
Troubleshoot and locate root causes of network incidents.
Mentor network administrators and technicians.
Participate in production support and in on-call duties.
Requirements
A minimum of 5 years’ experience with enterprise-level or service provider network design and support
Excellent knowledge of TCP / IP protocol
Knowledge of application flows, packet capture, and analysis
Extensive experience with network routing protocol like BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP
Extensive experience with Cisco routing and switching
Knowledge and experience of public and private peering
Security experience with Cisco and Juniper firewalls
Experience with network monitoring tools
Experience with load balancer solution
In-depth understanding of network H / W architecture
Superior troubleshooting skills
Pluses
A degree in computer science or a related field.
Comfortable with Linux / UNIX
Network certification(CCIE,JNCIE)
Experience with supporting MySQL and Oracle
Experience with SAN switching
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and its affiliated companies is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
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). They will also display a massive Mega Bloks Halo Promethean Knight and give attendees literally thousands of free giveaways. Keep an eye on that booth.
and the 2014 line-up (unless it’s revealed at NYCC).
.
.
, and 
. The Trivial Pursuit: World of Warcraft has been under the radar several months. SDCC might be a good place to show it to the world. Will it happen? Check out their booth to find out.
(PS3), or 
(Xbox 360). I’ll update if anything reaches my ears.
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