They say that the third time is the charm. We'll that definitely holds true for NCsoft's MMO, Guild Wars, as it celebrates its third anniversary. To show their gratitude to the players who support the game, a sweepstakes is going to take place with some delectable prizes. Find out the details in the full article.

This issue of NCsoft's Guild Wars State of the Game is all about the events that happened during the first major third-party sponsored tournament known as the 2008 RAWR Cup Title Series. More details about the tourney at the full article!

Blizzard is announcing that as part of the preparations for Halloween, they are now accepting submissions for their annual Pumpkin-Carving Contest. The said event invites contestants to submit pictures of pumpkin carvings based on Blizzard games like World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo.

The 10 winners for this event will each receive a pair of Logitech 51 Surround Sound Speaker Systems. Before you get bust out the carving knife, here are some extra contest reminders:

• Most of all, your pumpkins should be original. If they feature original art, even better.
• Your pumpkin must be lit up in the photo. You can show another photo of the pumpkin unlit.
• The pumpkin must be related to one of the Blizzard game universes - Diablo, StarCraft, Warcraft, etc.
• Make sure to send in high quality pictures. Try to take the best picture possible. You might have to read up on how to take night pictures.
• Make sure you tell us what the pumpkin is supposed to be in the caption, just in case it's not clear
• We love humor, and it's always good if you can tie that into your pumpkin
  

Those interested in submitting their best works have until Monday, October 29, (12:00 a.m. PDT) to do so. Now, if you've got your carving all ready for the competition, you can submit it to Blizzard's judges via the Read link we've provided below.

The advent of the Logitech G15 keyboard can be considered an innovation to the gaming industry. This nifty gadget can be programmed to do things while away from the keyboard, thus presenting a big advantage to gamers who own the G15. The question: is the use of the Logitech G15 allowed in Blizzard's World of Warcraft? The answer: both yes and no.

The use of the keyboard is okay per se, however if the G15 is programmed to do stuff while the player is away, then that's where accounts get bannable. The key word, according to a blue post in the WoW forums, is "unattended".

A blue post by Issuntril illustrates the point well:

Indeed, the key word is "Unattended".

While I can certainly see the advantage of say, been able to create large amounts of water while away from your keyboard, this is still classed as automated play, and as such is against the Terms of Use.

In short, the keyboard should not be used to perform any action which a player cannot perform himself in-game using the regular macro interfaces. Obviously there is no in-game function which would allow you to cast multiple spells in the way you have specified, meaning it is not allowed with the keyboard.

So well, there you have it. Part of Logitech G15's tagline is The Logitech® G15 gives you a winning advantage, and everyone knows it’s more fun when you win, but players should take note that too much advantage just gives you the banhammer instead.

 

For the fortunate fans that managed to get their very own tickets to the BlizzCon event this August (we won't ask how...), there's much more than just Starcraft II goodies, souvenirs, and other delectable freebies that await you. Blizzard has just sent word of three competitions that are expected to take place at the event: the costume, character sound-alike, and dance contests. And in case you're wondering what's in it for the competitors, the site posted some rather tempting prizes for each event's first-prize winners:

• For the Dance Contest: One Dell XPS laptop with an approximate retail value of US$ 4,000.00, and a two-year subscription to Sponsor's World of Warcraft game service with an approximate retail value of US$ 300.00.
• For the Character Sound-Alike Contest: One Nvidia graphics card, one Logitech keyboard, one Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card, and one gift certificate with approximate retail value of the prize package to be no less than US$ 1,500.00.
• For the Costume Contest: One Dell XPS laptop with an approximate retail value of US$ 4,000.00, and a two-year subscription to Sponsor's World of Warcraft game service with an approximate retail value of US$ 300.00.
  

Full application rules and details should be available at the BlizzCon site (read link). Just check back in case we pick up an update for these upcoming competitions.

 

Just how polished are your leveling skills? You think you can go from level 1 to 10 in record time? Here's your chance to get more than just bragging rights.

Almost Gaming is hosting a contest for the best power levelers in the World of Warcraft. It's dubbed the WoW Leveling Contest (1-10) and it will basically test your ingenuity and resourcefulness when leveling. Here's what Almost Gaming's James Smith said: "The real challenge is that players are being asked to master a part of game they probably haven't looked at critically before."

Three players from each faction (Horde and Alliance) will have a chance to bring home the following:

• First Place - Hanns-G HX-192RPB Black 19" 2ms DVI LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers
• Second Place - Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard and a Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse
• Third Place - 60 day WoW game card

Players can choose to do anything they want to win the contest - as long as it follows Blizzard's Terms of Service. You can solo or have your guildies help you power level. You can even use strategy guides. And remember the famous WoW Forums adage: screenshot or it didn't happen. In this case though, you'll be needing video as proof of your leveling prowess. And when you roll the character you'll be using for the contest, you have to stay at level 10 until the contest ends.

Interested players can click on the Read link below to check out the additional info on video submissions. Submissions will be accepted until June 30.

According to Almost Gaming, they have a number of contests lined up including a level 1 to 20 contest this summer, which leaves us kind of intrigued. What race/class are you guys planning to roll? Any power leveling suggestions?

Some Guild Wars players are probably still shocked at Guild Wars 2's announcement. Why would ArenaNet make a sequel instead of continuously supporting a very successful MMORPG? They say it's to make the ultimate Guild Wars, but saying goodbye to a world fans loved would definitely be painful.

For now, all we can do is enjoy what's left and what's in store for loyal Guild Wars players. To celebrate GW's glorious days (and to promote the first and last true expansion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North), ArenaNet is holding the "Return to Tyria" Sweepstakes. Lucky winners will receive good prizes for their gaming needs.

• Grand Prize: Complete Alienware Area 51 Multimedia Computer System
• 1st Place (5 winners) : ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT Video Card
• 2nd Place (5 winners) : Logitech X-540 Speakers, Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard, Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
• 3rd Place (5 winners) : Sound Blaster Xi-Fi Xtreme Gamer Sound Card

All winners, including ten 4th placers will also receive developer signed copies of Guild Wars: Eye of the North. To join, or see the specs of the grand prize gaming powerhouse, go to the Guild Wars site via the Read link below.

Every single World of Warcraft addict player is either a member of the Alliance or of the Horde. But regardless of allegiances, every player wants to get the best possible gameplay experience by having the best hardware system possible. In this case, AlienWare PC units are probably one of the most suitable systems out there today.

No, we're not selling AlienWare items, and no, they're not paying us for this. It's just that the company has teamed up with Blizzard on various occasions now whenever the latter comes up with contests and competitions. Anyway, AlienWare recently announced that these units have been customized for players depending on the side they're playing for.

 Here now are the specs of an AlienWare WoW PC:

• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Intel Core 2 Duo E6700
• Dual 640MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer
• Exclusive AlienFX lighting control
• 2GB DDR2 PC-6400 SDRAM at 800MHz
• 500GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM
• Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
• Logitech MX518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse

Also, these systems come in either blue or red. Just imagine being with the Horde and playing with a blue unit. It just feels weird. Anyway, try your luck in those contests and you might win one of these. If you aren't so lucky, you can still get them for £ 2,499.22 or US$ 4,870. These AlienWare PCs will be shipped starting March 5.

Time to dust off that old Photoshop icon sitting on your desktop!

As a way to celebrate the coming of the WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade, WoW Insider is holding a contest for fans who have talent and little time to spare.

At the moment, three contests are open, and the call for lyrics, fanart, and Machinima entries (have I mentioned that we just love Machinima) is loud and strong. In the meantime, the lucky (and talented) contestants can expect to receive anything from a Logitech G15 keyboard, to the trademark Green Linen Shirt.

Think this is the contest for you? Then just head over to WoW Insider for the full set of rules and the full list of prizes.

The second day of E3's drawing to a close. Although things might have been significantly less hectic today compared to yesterday or two days ago, we're not letting up - as a matter of fact we refuse to let up (we're stubborn that way, yeah). We're still hoping for more groundbreaking news tidbits and/or announcements, but even if nothing that momentous drops, we're certain we won't be disappointed, what with all the bright, shiny and new stuff coming our way... :)

Here's what today brought us:


Our intrepid correspondents' own notes:
E3: Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Impressions
Heavenly Sword - Hands On Impressions
E3: Guitar Hero 2 Impressions
E3 Eye Candy Part Deux: Booth Babe Upgrade and Video to Boot!
More E3 Eye Candy from the Floor!

Breaking news:
Capcom unveils Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded
Logitech delivers DriveFX realistic racing wheel
New Sony service as a tool for PS3
Final Fantasy goes to mobile phones
Swing your Wii!
Don't Expect Game Boy Evolution Anytime Soon
Peter Moore Responds to PS3 Pricing and Wii Philosophy
Wii WiFi to be Similar to DS
Iwata Talks Prices, Names, and Blogs

More of the list after the jump!