Blizzard: FAIL!

[furtech]

I tried twice to get a ticket to Blizzcon. Twice I failed-- I was in the 3-4K range when they sold out each time. And this is with constant refreshing and clicking through-- less than a second-- to get my spot in line. I think the best I ended up with was 8,400.

Blizzard is a multi-billion dollar company. One would think that a company with those resources could figure out how to sell tickets to a VERY popular event. This is the first year I know of where at least the servers didn't crash when ticket sales opened. I can understand this happening the first year (unexpected)-- but that same thing happened for several more events!

Their solution to make it "easier" is to split the ticket sales into two batches. Their brilliant thinking, I guess, is: TWO CHANCES! Woo!

All that does is give the bots and others two chances to buy tickets. If they had sold it in one batch, I would have gotten my ticket. Instead, I was in the 8k spot in line twice. Yay.

If the Nitwits-in-charge at Blizzard just limited everyone to -one- ticket at -one- sales event, most of the people who really want a ticket would get one.

/endrant

Comments

[shoka.livejournal.com]

Going to disagree with your gripes... Servers only crashed the one year, they fixed it with the queuing system and unless they melted down this year (when I try to get a ticket), they haven't melted down since. The two batches was supposed to make it easier for folks who couldn't be online for one batch and it has saved my ass when I was someone who had to work through the a batch sale. Likewise, the selling multiple tickets allowed me to go when I got queued high and a friend pulled a low queue number.

And man if it was one ticket per sale, I'd hate to be the spouse or parent with a Blizz playing spouse or kid who just got that one ticket.

On growing the size of the event, most of the con works are actually Blizzard employees. It's been a blast to talk to them and thank them for both their wonderful work over the years on their games and for their dedication to the fan base with the convention.

So what Blizzard game are you playing now? Did the worgen finally pull you into WoW?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Maybe splitting hairs here. I admit I don't know if it was a server crash or some other gaff, but 2011 was the first year that I know of where there weren't major problem with sales. The ones I remember let you get to final checkout...then either froze or crashed and you had to start all over (by which time it was way to late to get a ticket). Maybe you just live well.

If you can't be bothered to reg on a specific date or get someone to do it for you, tough. I think one sale date, one ticket per person is the most fair. Twice I refreshed at the exact moment sales opened. Twice I clicked through in about a half-second. And twice I was #8,000+.

I can see two ticket options, but four is ridiculous.

I'm all for making it adult-only. (Technically you have to be to own an account.)

I never said it should get bigger.

YMMV but my blog, my rant.