Tickets are now up for sale and we fully expect Blizzard fans to make a mad scramble to get a chance to go to the BlizzCon 2008 event. But no need to worry, a stampede is not necessary to get your tickets, cos it's all online, anyway. Oh, and if you can't come to Anaheim, let the event come to you via DirecTV. Everything you need to know after the jump.

It was roughly a few weeks ago that Emotiv was able to introduce their EPOC neuroheadset to the whole world.

Now we got wind that the company is looking for candidates to be the beta evaluators for upcoming brain-controlled gadget. Find out the details after the jump!

Remember Earth No More, the multiplatform shooter announced by 3D Realms in the middle of last year? Well, it looks like the game's hit a bump on its development path as two men have sued 3D Realms for allegedly stealing their game idea. More in the full article.

If you happen to be in San Francisco next month, it might be a good idea for you to drop by the Epic Games booth at the Game Developer Conference 2008 event. The reason being the exclusive closed door presentation the company will be holding of its monster game engine, Unreal Engine 3.

Read the full article for more details!

The latest report released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reveal that the video game industry grew four times faster than the U.S. economy in 2003 to 2006. After seeing 17% annual growth, gaming left the national economy's 4% in the dust.

More interesting findings await at the full article.

As expected, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed a notice of appeal to the recent decision of courts that declared California's video game violence law unconstitutional. According to the said bill signed back in 2005, the sale of video games is restricted to anyone below 18 years of age. The Governor explained:

Many studies show the link between plagying ultra-violent video games and violent behavior. We have a responsibility to our kids and our communities to protect against the effects of games that depict ultra-violent actions. We protect our children from buying inappropriate movies and ought to be able to protect them from buying inappropriate video games as well.

In a counter move, the Entertainment Software Association or ESA has filed a motion to Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the Northern District of California for the reimbursement of attorney fees and other expenses during the trial from Schwarzenegger. The amount bring asked by the association totals US$ 324,480. ESA President Michael Gallagher had this to say:

California citizens should be outraged at their elected leaders. Hard-earned tax dollars were spent on defending this law that California's state leaders knew was unconstitutional... From early on, the industry warned Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Yee that this bill was unconstitutional and would be thrown out by the courts and that California taxpayers would pay the cost.

Both the ESA and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) believe that the governor's appeal is going to be a disappointment as other rulings on prior similar cases are consistent with the decision of the California courts. EMA President Bo Andersen gave this piece of advice to Governor Schwarzenegger:

The court's ruling is consistent with rulings that have barred eight similar laws around the nation, and we fully expect it to be upheld on appeal. Rather than wasting more public funds in trying to defend a patently unconstitutional law, we believe the state should invest in helping parents make informed decisions about the video games brought into their homes.

The big buzz just a few days ago loomed over the societal-political sector, when a video game violence bill beset by a preliminary injunction was held back permanently after courts found the law was unconstitutional. The bill, proposed by senator Leland Yee and former California Assemblyman, was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger back in 2005.

But before the law could come into effect on January 1, 2006, the collective alliances of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA), and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) countered the law with a suit. The result rendered the law useless when courts decided to place a preliminary injunction on the law.

Like many other video game laws, the California video game violence law wanted to restrict the sale of violent video games (as classified by the law) to anyone under the age of 18. It only went as far as punishing violators with a US$ 1,000 fine, but back in Monday, the law was proven unconstitutional and was rendered ineffectual - permanently.

The game industry, instead, had provided invitations to the political sector to aid in the much-needed re-education of purchasing decisions and rating systems for media and to encourage parents to partake in the game selection process for their inappropriately aged children. But it appears the politicians will not sway so easily.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has suggested that he will appeal the ruling by U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte and stand by the bill "the Governator" signed into law two years ago. In defense, he commented:

I signed this important measure to ensure that parents are involved in determining which video games are appropriate for their children. The bill I signed would require that violent video games be clearly labeled and not be sold to children under 18 years old. Many of these games are made for adults and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents. I will vigorously defend this law and appeal it to the next level.

As GamePolitics put it, "It’s not over until it’s over in California," and we couldn't help but nod in agreement.

BlizzCon is set to be one of the biggest events to hit the worlds of Warcraft and Starcraft, with 8,000 attending the last BlizzCon and tickets for this one already sold out. Held for two days on August 3 and 4 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, the event will be holding contests and tournaments, including a dance, song, and fan art contest.

 

Now if you managed to get your hands an a ticket, remember that that's gonna be a big place and you're gonna want to have time for everything there is to do out there. Here's a couple of helpful tips from Blizzard to help you on your way to getting your way:

• Get your badges early at the pick-up stations on Thursday, the day before the event, between 4pm and 11pm or on Friday starting at 7am
• Prepare a loose schedule that gives you ample time to do everything you want given the limited amount of time you got
• Live events will have buttloads of people attending them: go early or get smushed
• Bring a bag, and bring the essentials (plus they give out goodie bags when you pick up your badge so make room for that)
• Remember there are stuff you can't bring inside BlizzCon, so check with the website first
• Check the size of your bag: you can only bring one that's not bigger than 20 inches x 10 inches
• The BlizzCon store empties out rather quickly so get them while they're hot
• Lines for games will be longest in the afternoons so try to line up for them in the morning so you don't waste your time waiting
• There are special places reserved for in-game friends to see each other on the second level, rooms 202 and 203 so be sure to visit
• Remember that Anaheim Convention Center is right beside Disneyland, you might want to take a visit as well before or after the show, especially if you're from out of town

That's it everyone, have a great time at BlizzCon! Stay tuned for further updates.

This year's E3 Media & Business Summit may have been a pedestrian and commuter's frenzy after all that traversing from hotel to hotel across sunny Santa Monica, but the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) may have other scenic ideas for next year's invite-only event.

 

After E3 2007 concluded, the management sent out surveys to gauge the performance of the new Electronic Entertainment Expo. So with general survey items along the lines of "how was our E3?" came a few questions hinting at the big business show's future, including five locations in California:

• San Francisco
  
• Los Angeles
  
• Laguna Beach
• Santa Monica
• San Diego

Aside from a suggestive offer for a repeat performance at Santa Monica, (Develop Conference & Expo, Brighton anyone?) some event invitees were surprised to find that Las Vegas, a location they wouldn't mind hoofing around from venue to venue, wasn't present in the list at all.

Worry they did not, though, because the survey also asked if they would rather have the event camped in one major venue than in several, which might make things easier for the marathon-challenged investors, retailers, and correspondents alike.

A few more details were released today, as the Gamecock media group begins the long and hard preparations they're expecting to face come the Expo for Interactive Entertainment, Independent and Original (EIEIO) event.

The first important detail guys will want to know will be the event schedules - a press release we've picked up indicates that the EIEIO event will be from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on July 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 12, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on July 13.

On the event proper - the second detail - visitors can enjoy quite a number of treats, including playable games, accessible developers, Gamecock suckers - we assume this means the Gamecock dev team - and food and drinks. As for Gamecock CEO Mike Wilson's take on EIEIO, and its comparison to the upcoming E3 event:

EIEIO is going to be a celebration of the amazing lineup of independent developers that Gamecock has been lucky enough to sign on, and I'm thrilled to say that every one of them will be in attendance to give personal demos of their works in progress. And, of course, there will be a truckload of that very special Texas hospitality that our friends have come to expect. While this year's E3 'business summit' might seem a bit strange and uptight, those who still harbor a true love for original games and the talented folks that create them should know that there’s plenty of room at the Hotel California. Such a lovely place...

The EIEIO event is expected to take place in Hotel California, at 1670 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA.