Blizzard Drops Real ID Requirement

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Blizzard was recently mulling a requirement for use of real names on gaming forums. Now, they’ve done a complete about-face from their original plans and will not make the Real ID mandatory for posting on official Blizzard forums

I’d like to take some time to speak with all of you regarding our desire to make the Blizzard forums a better place for players to discuss our games, wrote Mike Morhaime, CEO & Cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. We’ve been constantly monitoring the feedback you’ve given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums. As a result of those discussions, we’ve decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.

I want to make sure it’s clear that our plans for the forums are completely separate from our plans for the optional in-game Real ID system now live with World of Warcraft and launching soon with StarCraft II, he continued. We believe that the powerful communications functionality enabled by Real ID, such as cross-game and cross-realm chat, make Battle.net a great place for players to stay connected to real-life friends and family while playing Blizzard games. And of course, you’ll still be able to keep your relationships at the anonymous, character level if you so choose when you communicate with other players in game. Over time, we will continue to evolve Real ID on Battle.net to add new and exciting functionality within our games for players who decide to use the feature.

In closing, I want to point out that our connection with our community has always been and will always be extremely important to us. We strongly believe that Every Voice Matters, and we feel fortunate to have a community that cares so passionately about our games. We will always appreciate the feedback and support of our players, which has been a key to Blizzard’s success from the beginning,” concluded Morhaime.

Source: forums.worldofwarcraft.com

World Cup Fever In BlackLight: Tango Down

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With the World Cup recently climaxing in South Africa, soccer-mania is still gripping the world. Developer Zombie Studios is responding with a special promotion for fans of Spain and the Netherlands.

The official Twitter account – @PlayTangoDown – will be releasing two special codes, one that allows players to unlock the weapons tags for both Spain and the Netherlands. These tags, which are mini-replicas of each country’s national flag, give the player an attribute boost when attached to their in-game weapon. The codes are non-exclusive and will also work with the PC and PSN versions of BlackLight: Tango Down as they are released in the coming weeks.

The World Cup flags are just one of the many weapon customization choices for BlackLight: Tango Down. To find out more, please visit http://www.playtangodown.com.

Kojima Talks About How The ‘Younger Generation Of Japan Is Losing’

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Hideo Kojima has been among numerous gaming veterans from Japan to talk about the trouble that the Japanese gaming industry is in right now. He decided to muse on the subject of East vs. West development online.

The Game Industry is very similar. The West is very motivated. The younger generation of Japan is losing, wrote Kojima. The designers and to-be-designers in the West have the focus, ambition, and ability to make their dream become true. So it is not the Japanese technology or culture that is losing, we are lacking the motivation. In contrast, the number of students that study abroad from Japan has decreased. There are very few Japanese students at the prestigious Harvard University, and in MIT. . . zero. The engineering population in Japan may be in jeopardy. We should first review our education system here in Japan.

Kojima shifted his attention to praising Western developers and berating some of his underlings. Lately I have come to conclusion that, with highly motivated foreigners… it doesn’t matter where they are from, working with highly motivated individuals is the only way to move forward, added Kojima. I am tired of taking care of people who do not have the passion. Time is used differently between people who have and don’t have motivation. They are willing to learn and study on their own. A programmer in our studio reads while he is walking, and finishes 2 novels a day. Another genius programmer we have plays COD, at the same time, eats his lunch during break.

The reason why the programmer plays COD during his cherished lunch time is because he likes gaming more than anything. Even if I am busy, even if I have to sacrifice something, I would . . . for movies and books. Saying you don’t have time because of work, using work as an excuse, will not help you grow. Creating abilities, at it’s core, is reliant on your love for the creation, concluded Kojima.

Source: twitter.com/hideo_kojima_en

IPad A Danger To Portable Gaming Systems And E-Readers, Says Survey

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The iPad is an outright hit, establishing tablet computers as a new category for consumer electronics. Interestingly, a Resolve Market Research report suggests that the iPad might end up having a huge effect on other electronics categories.

While many have considered the iPad as a replacement for a netbook or laptop, the survey responses had 38 percent not buying a portable gaming system after the iPad and 49 percent not buying an e-reader. Once the Game Center has been deployed, it might make the iPad a much more appealing gaming device.

Other interesting results from the study suggested that the iPad is the first Apple product for 37 percent of users and 55 percent of respondents regard it as a very expensive toy.

Source: Mashable

Google Returns To China

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Google and China have been on the outs ever since the company’s Chinese branch was hacked, eventually resulting in them shutting down their Chinese portal. The portal was redirecting to the uncensored Chinese portal, which was removed last week after the Chinese government threatened to withdraw its license.

Now, however, the companies have mended their fences and Google has received their license back. This resulted in an almost immediate boost to Google’s stock and an increased rating from financial analysts.

Source: Forbes

Aurora Feint Expands Onto IPhone And Android

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The9 recently announced that it has invested in Aurora Feint. The Chinese online company is optimistic about Aurora’s OpenFeint, a mobile social platform and application for smartphones coming to both iPhone and Android.

“We are confident of the prospect for this mobile platform and believe it will play an important role in the future development of global mobile internet, commented The9’s Chairman and CEO Jun Zhu. The investment in Aurora Feint is an important step of The9’s establishment of a mobile gaming platform and is also an integral part of our global strategy.”

World Cup Benefits Sponsors; South African Economy Still Depressed

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The World Cup in South Africa has produced some clear winners, including the FIFA organizers that have earned $3.3 billion from the proceedings. Adidas has said they’ve sold a record number of soccer balls and jerseys this year, making its official sponsorship a resounding success.

Visa said that spending by foreign visitors in South Africa using Visa cards jumped 68 percent over June of last year. “This is a great strategic property for us,” said Visa’s chief marketing officer, Antonio Lucio.

However, the benefits for South Africa itself are a bit more mixed. Most of the construction jobs for building stadiums and infrastructure were temporary and unemployment remains around 25 percent.

“The World Cup took us forward 20 paces. Maybe we’ll go back 10 or 12 paces afterward, but we’ve still got a net gain,” said Lee-Anne Bac, a director of the financial consulting firm Grant Thornton. “We’ve got the momentum and we need to keep it going.”

Clearly, the benefits from visitors to hotels and restaurants will only lift the local economy in the short term. However, the investment in public transportation and good will from World Cup visitors could have immeasurable impact.

“The international media spotlight has been on our country,” said South African President Jacob Zuma said this week. “The world has seen this country in a different light. They have seen the warm, friendly people. They have seen the precision when it comes to planning and logistical arrangements.”

Source: MSNBC

Dragon Age 2 Dropping March 2011

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BioWare confirmed recently that Dragon Age 2 is indeed in development. The company promises a more responsive combat system and a dynamic story that is already among the most multifaceted in gaming.

Last year s launch of Dragon Age: Origins was one of the most successful in BioWare’s 15-year history and one of the most successful new IP launches in the 28 year history of EA, said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Senior Vice President of Electronic Arts and co-founder and Group General Manager of BioWare. Dragon Age 2 will simultaneously deliver an epic story and set a new bar for intense action in the genre. We’re very excited to deliver this next bold evolution in the Dragon Age franchise to our fans.”

Dragon Age 2 puts players in the role of Hawke, who rises from being a pauper to shaping the world of Dragon Age. In a story lasting around 10 years, players will help define the history of the world based upon the choices they make, the allies they choose and the legend they write.

With Dragon Age 2 we are creating an exciting new entry point into the Dragon Age universe while ensuring that fans of the original game retain a sense of satisfaction and familiarity in the world, said Dragon Age 2 Executive Producer Mark Darrah. We are amplifying the things that made Dragon Age: Origins such a huge success while introducing a more dynamic combat system, improving the graphics, and telling the most important story in our world.

Dragon Age 2 is expected to release for PS3, PC and Xbox 360 in March 2011.

Marcus PSP Answers Frustrated Brother Question

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Marcus was introduced at E3 as being the PSP equivalent of Kevin Butler. The spots featuring Marcus haven’t been bad, but it’s really hard to equal the panache and comedic timing of Kevin Butler. Here’s the latest example.