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From July 3 to July 6, anime, manga, and Japanese culture enthusiasts from near and far gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center for Anime Expo 2013 to celebrate the games, books, movies, television shows, and more that have enriched and brought joy into their lives. Some of these talented individuals also stepped into character to showcase diverse and incredible cosplays just for the occasion!
The cosplay at this year's Expo was downright stunning, and we were thrilled to see so many Diablo-themed pieces grace the halls (and sidewalks) of the event. Through the wonders of technology, we were able to get in touch with three talented artists who could have easily passed for denizens of Sanctuary, and we've oodles of gorgeous pictures of their cosplay for you to peruse below!
- Cynthia Hall, Archon Armor -
Having previously rocked the mantle of the Demon Hunter, Cynthia decided it was about time to re-roll and put her cosplay skills to the test with a new hero. Her chosen class for AX 2013? The Wizard, featuring iconic Archon Armor.
Thomas L. Hicks | Roget Ratchford of Rose Eye Photography | Elite Cosplay
A piece this detailed is invariably a labor of love, one requiring months of investment and hardwork. To give us a little perspective in what goes into building a Diablo III cosplay, Cynthia also shared with us some unique behind-the-scenes photos:
Want to see more of Cynthia's work or learn about her latest cosplay adventures? Then be sure to visit her official pages on Facebook and deviantArt. (You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram, as well!)
- Venn Kaden, Mini Tyrael -
This community is no stranger to epic Tyrael cosplay. From JoJo Chen's infamous "Tyrael's Secret" to the striking designs of Crimson, we've been blessed with some pretty amazing interpretations of Justice over the years.
And now we're happy to add Venn Kaden's work to that list! Influenced by the coveted figurine from BlizzCon 2011, feast your eyes on this absolutely adorable Mini Tyrael cosplay which made it's debut just last weekend.
Interested in seeing more cosplay from Venn? Show her your love (and check out more photos her work, including in-progress shots) over on Facebook and Instagram.
- Monika Lee, Diablo III Wizard -
Instead of recreating a character or armor set from the game itself, Monika elected to craft a cosplay based entirely on a single piece of concept art. Her inspiration? This piece, originally completed by Victor Lee in January 2007. While a completely different take on the Wizard we've all come to know and love, we all agree Monika's incarnation is just as captivating and (dare I say?) magical.
CoryD Photography | Martin Wong Photography | Leonard Lee
Want to know how this cosplay was made? So did we! Take a peek:
MLZ Studios also put together an amazing fan video of cosplay from Anime Expo 2013 in which Monika's Diablo III "Concept Art" Wizard was featured! Her spotlight begins at roughly 0:30 seconds in:
Love what you see? Follow Monika on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about her work, browse photos of all her epic costumes, and find out what character she's cosplaying next!
Blizzard Quote [source]
Reminder: If you're heading to San Diego Comic-Con this week, you won't want to miss out on the following Blizzard events and activities!
Diablo III Console Playable in Sony Booth
Looking to test drive one of Sanctuary’s heroes on a dual-shock controller? Curious how same-screen co-op feels on a PS3? (Or just want to say "hi!" to Grimiku?) Then gather up a few of your friends and head on over to the Sony PlayStation Booth for some sweet multiplayer action.
Demo stations will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PDT (9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday) in booth #301 of the Exhibit Hall, so if you're in the area (and in the mood for some ritual demon slaughter), be sure to stop by and check it out!
Diablo Papercraft, Zerg Plushies, and Epic Lanyards – Oh My!
If you're interested in snagging some sinister swag, make sure to stop by the Blizzard booth (#115) early to grab a few of our San Diego Comic-Con exclusive items we have available. Gather your friends for a Zerg Plush Rush! Stare into the tiny, menacing eyes of Mini Sylvanas and tremble! Create your own papercraft Lord of TERROAR!
Epic Quest of Epicness
Also, don't forget to participate in our “Epic Quest of Epicness” for your chance to Epic Purple Lanyard:
Seriously. It's epic.
How to Play:
- Stop by any one of our epic partner booths during the event
- Take an epic picture of an upcoming Blizzard item
- Authenticate that epic shot with us during one of our epic designated times
Legit photos will earn lanyards. EPIC LANYARDS. (Limit one per attendee. Lanyard quantities limited per day; first come first serve.)
To learn more about Blizzard's San Diego Comic-Con schedule of events including panels, booth activities, and partner shenanigans, be sure to click here.
Hope to see you there!
Another week and again we have 4 prizes of 30 million gold each to be given away.
Contest is now closed
SpazzyMints, leontom, wxmyjnsn and whitejack are this weeks winners.
Rules & How to Enter:
- The contest is for North American Diablo 3 servers only.
- To enter leave a single comment on this post. Multiple comments will be deleted.
- If you enter with multiple accounts I will know and disqualify your entries.
- At 11:00PM PST (today) I will stop collecting entries and any post after that point will not be eligible to win. The winners will be announced shortly after. (Due to late posting)
- You do not need to be online at the time of the drawing.
- Winners will be contacted directly by me and have his or her name edited into this post.
- If you have any other questions or concerns please send me a message directly.
Blizzard Quote [source]
Earlier this year, senior technical game designer Wyatt Cheng delivered a detailed talk at GDC 2013 titled "Through the Grinder: Refining Diablo III's Game Systems." This talk focused on the power of iteration, revealing the many stages of design through which key systems like health recovery, combat controls, and character skills went through during the initial development of Diablo III. Thanks to the wonders of technology, this insightful behind-the-scenes talk is now available to watch online. (Sweet!)
Head on over to the GDC Vault now to watch "Through the Grinder", as well as other keynote talks presented at GDC 2013.
Want to know a bit more about the talk before watching? Here's the official overview:
"As with all Blizzard games, Diablo III went through many iterations before the final product was released. Wyatt will describe different game systems that were attempted, explored, and then ultimately removed. We'll go into detail about the pros and cons of each system, what worked and didn't work, and how the team used each failure to bring them closer to success.
1. Health Recovery: From Regenerative Damage Shields to potion dilution, where potions become less effective as you drink them, many different health recovery mechanisms were tried. What were the major issues with each of these systems and how did it lead to health globes in the end?
2. Controls: At Blizzard, control is king. Although simple on the surface, a number of iterations were required to polish the Diablo III interface, in order to provide the player with tight and responsive controls.
3. Skill System: The skill system underwent multiple revisions. Early systems involved different variations of point spending, an evolution from Diablo II. Later systems had runes, with multiple rune ranks that dropped as items, which could be used to modify skills."
Blizzard Quote [source]
Written by Aaron Williams and illustrated by French artist Joseph Lacroix, Diablo: Sword of Justice has been unleashed today!
Previously released separately, these five issues of Diablo: Sword of Justice will now also be available in one comprehensive volume. This edition of the book will also feature never before seen concept art and sketches.
Click here to view all four cover sketches.
From the dark world of Sanctuary comes the tale of a hero's birth. Haunted by his harrowing past, a wanted man named Jacob finds his destiny at the foot of a mountain shattered by the legendary sword of Tyrael, the archangel of Justice.
You can check out previews of some of the standalone issues below.
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| Issue #3 | Issue #4 | Issue #5 |
Interested in finding out more about the story of Diablo: Sword of Justice? Get your copy now at the Blizzard store, or preorder your copy today at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!