Blizzard Implementing "Cash-For-Items" Scheme In Diablo III

Developer	Blizzard Entertainment
Release Date	To Be Announced

Blizzard has recently announced a new type of Auction House for its newest iteration of the Diablo franchise. This new AH will feature weapons and armor available for purchase using cold, hard cash. They will run along side (though separately) from the traditional auction houses like World of Warcraft's that use in-game currency. 

Like the World of Warcraft auction houses, Diablo's cash-only AH will require the user to pay a fee to put it up for sale, then they will be required to pay a transaction fee when the item is sold. The seller then may keep the money on his (or her) account to use for in-game or other Blizzard products, or cash out for yet another fee. The fees are at this moment still being negotiated, though I'm sure on such a grand scale and with such a dedicated fan base that it won't matter. At all. 

This poses a scary situation. I can see many people, especially a few friends I know, making this a full time job. I'm already picturing my friends trying to make a living off of playing and selling items in-game. I suppose it remains to be seen on how much in-game items will cost. Blizzard has a tendancy of pumping out some really expensive, rare or even one-off items that may end up costing hundreds or thousands on the new marketplace. After all, Blizzard will profit off of every item sold. 

I'm not liking what this game is implying for the future of games. Micro-purchasing seems to be the way of the future. Look at games like Farmville (or any Zynga, or even any facebook game), any iOS game, and many Xbox or PS3 games like Record of Agarest War where in-game purchases will give you an edge over the average Joe pinch-penny. The era fair, balanced gaming is over. Hail your new King, Disposable-Income Man.

Unlock Left 4 Dead 2's "Dead Air" Early

Left 4 Dead 2 - Dead Air

Developer: Valve Corporation

Publisher: Valve Corporation

Platforms: PC (Steam)

Release date: July 22, 2011 (if promotion is successful)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to Valves Left 4 Dead 2 Blog, they plan on releasing the new DLC for Steam "Dead Air" early, if 20,000 people achieve the Stream Crosser achievement. All the achievement requires of you is to complete the level "Cold Stream" on any difficulty. 

Instead of having the whole development team sit down and play the game to hammer out all the bugs and glitches in "Cold Stream" they are asking players to help contribute to the debugging process. A few people have told me that they disagree with this method of essentially releasing an incomplete game and having players debugging it, which has led to lots of problems with other games in the past, I have to agree with this particular method in that the benefits highly outweigh the hindrances. For what little bothersome bugs one may find, you will be unlocking a new DLC, as well as being able to find Left 4 Dead 2 on sale on Steam for $4.99 (75% off) for today only.

Dead Air is a five-chapter Left 4 Dead campaign. On first release, it was the third campaign in the game but moved to fourth position in the wake of the subsequent issue of the Crash Course campaign.


The campaign opens, somewhat bemusedly, in a rooftop greenhouse when a low-flying C-130 sparks the idea that the local airport may still be operating evacuation flights. Thereafter, the campaign follows the challenges and travails of The Survivors as they make their way through Newburg to its Metro International Airport.


Along the way they must traverse rooftops, apartment buildings, becubicled offices, defy health and safety regulations by lowering a dumpster using a crane, shoot their way through a deconstructed construction site, surmount the manifold dangers posed by an electrical sub-station, find somewhere safe in short-term airport parking, deliver various keynote addresses at the airport's conference center, attempt to check in, discover what really happens to lost airline luggage, battle crowds in the departure lounge, check their economy boarding passes before proceeding to the departure gate, and (in true budget airline tradition) ensure the airplane is prepped to fly before finally boarding their flight through the rear exit.