With the fervor for BlizzCon getting underway, I should speed up the construction on my Death Knight armor. What? It's a costume.
News Blips:
Whip out those wallets and ready your browser's "refresh" button — Blizzard reveals sale dates for the coveted BlizzCon tickets. Those seeking to attend will want to mark their calendars for June 2 at 7 p.m. PST and June 5 at 10 a.m. PST, when tickets become available. Be prepared to pay the hefty price of $150 for admission, as Blizzard expects the convention to quickly sell out. As a cheaper alternative, BlizzCon's pay-per-view service will also return for $39.95, providing high-definition streaming of the show floor for the entirety of the event. Check out the official website for more details, and good luck!
Mike Capps, president of Epic Games (Gears of War, Bulletstorm), lends his thoughts on PC gaming piracy and the company's shift to console development. In an interview with Edge magazine (via TheSixthAxis), Capps reminisced on Epic's PC gaming roots but deplored the pervasive problem of piracy. "It killed a lot of great independent developers and completely changed our business model," Capps said. When asked about Epic's decision to favor console platforms, Capps bluntly responded that "the money's on console." This is coming from the same guy who believes Farmville is the "biggest game of all" for PC right now.
The lawless lands of Red Dead Redemption might not show up for gamers in the United Arab Emirates anytime soon. A retailer within the posh Dubai Mall has purportedly confirmed (via MEGamers) that Rockstar's sandbox-shooter has been banned by the UAE's National Media Council for as-of-yet unknown reasons. The game does carry a Mature rating for nudity and violence, but there's nothing explicit enough that would warrant an outright ban — although, hog-tying and killing a nun could be a strong contender.
Kotaku reports on the myriad decisions behind purchasing a PS3. A Nielsen poll indicates that a majority of people aged between 7 and 54 saw Blu-ray as the top reason for purchase. Surprisingly, PS2 owners seeking to upgrade fared better than the accessibility to the PS3's library of games and the ownership of specific titles; in fact, only 12 percent of those polled expressed interest in purchasing a PS3 for a specific game — and only God of War 3, at that. Sony's Kevin Butler better watch out — Kratos may very well be the superior spokesman.
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