September 25, 2012 9:28 PM EST
Geek Speak: World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Launch Party [BLOG]
Since it has been two years since WoW's last expansion pack, Cataclysm, fans have been chomping at the bit for the newly created world, characters, lore and storylines, as well as improvements on existing dungeons and battlegrounds.
Charged with the task of shocking and awing the global gaming community, Blizzard simultaneously threw launch parties around the world, including the US, Paris, London, Cologne, Stockholm, Milan, Madrid, Moscow and Shanghai, which was all streamed live on the group's YouTube channel.
As yours truly has been lucky enough to interview some of Blizzard's developer superstars and, of course, attend the launch party in London, I thought it would only be appropriate to share some of the best moments at possibly one of the most exciting events in online gaming history.
Lianna Brinded is a senior business writer with IBTimes UK
World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Unveiled: Exclusive Developer Q&A
World of Warcraft Launches Mists of Pandaria
It has been two years since WoW's last expansion, Cataclysm. Blizzard launched Mists of Pandaria on 25 September
Parties around the Globe
In a mass coordinated effort, Blizzard threw launch parties that spanned the globe.
Queues around the Block
Reminiscent of an iPhone launch, queues to get into the launch party started two days before the event. By the day of release, fans trailed across Chinatown and Leicester Square.
Rise of the Pandarens
Fans donned hats of the newly created WoW race, Pandarens, for launch in cold London weather.
Launch Party Theatrics
Crowds were entertained by performers on stilts, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing to celebrate the launch of Oriental-inspired characters, Pandarens.
London's Cafe de Paris Transformed
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria transformed the London nightclub into a China-themed oasis for gaming geeks
The Final Countdown
Countdown monitors laced the walls and occasionally switched to live streams of launch parties around the world.
Developer Superstars
Fans welcomed a number of Blizzard employees to the stage to celebrate their creation. Competitions and prizes were also given out
Blizzard Developers Signed Copies of Mists of Pandaria
To celebrate the launch, some of the creators were ready to sign hundreds of copies of the latest expansion pack
Exit Through the Giftshop
As soon as it reached midnight CET, fans were able to snap up their copy of Mists of Pandaria and various epic pieces of merchandise
