Another quick note here, which I'm posting because the team at BlizzCon is at the Lost Bar right now (I make absolutely no promises as to the sobriety of anyone involved); we've found out that the polar bear mount plus attached flag-bearing murloc given to all BlizzCon attendees and DirecTV subscribers isn't actually going to be usable until after the convention ends. I've just confirmed this with a friend of mine at the con who's logged into the game from his hotel's wireless as well, so this answers a few questions we've gotten about where are on earth all the mounts are with so many people attending BlizzCon or how to get them working ingame.

So if you're headed back to your home or hotel and you've been hoping to get your mount (or, like me, you've just been waiting to see it), hang tight for a few days. With BlizzCon ending late Saturday, hopefully we'll see them active in the following week.

The 2008 BlizzCon is coming rapidly, and with it, of course, comes exclusive BlizzCon swag. In addition to the goody bag, the BlizzCon store will also be open for business, and Blizzard's previewing the loot you can buy. Among the highlights:

• You may remember that the goody bags will come with either an inflatable Frostmourne or an Inflatable Paladin-in-a-Bubble. Luckily, if you don't get the one you want, you can buy it at the store.
• Alliance and Horde T-shirts
• A talking Pandaren bottle opener.
• The hardcover version of the WoW comic.
  
• Arthas' Helm.
• A WoTLK cinematic book.
• There will be lots of Diablo 3 and Starcraft II loot as well, including posters, stress balls, and t-shirts.

Check out all the gear at Blizzard's official site, and start planning your budget to buy some stuff. I know I'm planning mine!

[Thanks for the heads up, Nicholas!]

Here's some more information that may or may not assuage the rage if you weren't one of the lucky few who fought past the Fail Murloc to get a BlizzCon ticket. DIRECTV subscribers will have the chance to get the BlizzCon bear mount.

DIRECTV will be selling a BlizzCon coverage package directly through the official BlizzCon site. This package will be free to any new DIRECTV subscribers who sign up through the site, and cost $39.95 for anyone who's already a DIRECTV subscriber.

By purchasing the package, you'll not only get 16 hours of BlizzCon coverage, you'll also get the aforementioned BlizzCon bear mount, the same one that all the con attendees will get in their goodie bag. Sounds like a pretty good incentive to me. The package isn't available for purchase yet, but keep watching the official BlizzCon website to find out when it will be.

[Thanks to Rob for the forward!]

With the release date of BlizzCon 2008 coming ever closer, it should be near time for the floodgates of information to open. One of the questions that's always on everybody's lips about BlizzCons: What's in the goody bag? Blizzard gave us a sneak peek today.

First, they confirmed that the goggled bear mount with a Murloc passenger MMO-Champion discovered a few days ago is in fact the BlizzCon in-game pet. That's right, just head to BlizzCon, and you too could be among the first to own a "multi-passenger" WoW mount.

As for the next item, those of you who are annoyed at the prospect of any old Arthas-killing schlub getting their hands on Frostmourne may want to brace yourselves: now, any BlizzCon-attending schlub can get Frostmourne too: Namely, a 48" inflatable version of the sword. However, only half the bags will have that. The other half will have an inflatable Divine Shield ball, complete with hearthing paladin.

Of course, that won't be all. Blizzard is also promising stuff like "zerg creep," Pandaren Brewmaster bottle openers, Diablo health and mana stress balls, and much more.

With stuff like that, I'd say it may be worth buying a ticket on August 11th for the goody bag alone. But if you can't, don't worry. We'll be sure to have pictures of all the swag for you to drool over come BlizzCon itself, as well as all the coverage you could want on all things BlizzCon, both during the con and in the days leading up to it!

You may remember that we recently told you that Worldwide Invitational attendees would be receiving a Tyrael pet as part of their goodie bag haul as soon as patch 2.4.3 went live. The PTR servers when down for a little bit of an update a while ago, and when they came back up, WoW Insider commenter Darkra came through with the picture of my new favorite pet, which you can see above.

It's actually pretty strange, he looks both cute and bad ass at the exact same time. I'm not sure how it pulls it off, but I suppose that's just the awesomeness that is Tyrael. Congratulations to all you WWI attendees on what is surely the coolest non-combat pet to date, and for those of us unlucky enough not to make it to the WWI in person, let the Ebaying begin!

The identity of the free pet that Worldwide Invitational Paris attendees received with a code in their goodie bag has been a closely guarded secret, with the identity not known even at the WWI itself. Yesterday, Bornakk broke the silence on the pet and announced that after patch 2.4.3 goes live, WWI attendees will be able to turn in their pet codes for their own miniature version of Diablo's Archangel Tyrael!

Tyrael, as you may remember, is an angel that assists the Horadrim -- and later the heroes of Diablo 2 -- in fighting back the Prime Evils as they attempt to assault and take over the world of Sanctuary. He is one of the few angels who will directly assist humanity in fighting Hell, even when he is specifically forbidden from interfering by Heaven itself. He eventually destroys the Worldstone after Baal corrupts it at the end of the Lord of Destruction expansion.

So far, his fate after that has not been told, although it seems practically a given that he will appear in Diablo 3 in some capacity, as the official Diablo 3 site features his visage prominently.