Yes, it’s yet another layer to keep off unauthorized access from your accounts. But there is a huge difference. As posted by Blizzard Entertainment in their official site, you will be asked to make a phone call only in the event that your login attempt appears out of the ordinary.

“For example, if you were to log in from a location from which you do not typically play, you may be asked to call in and provide your selected PIN and a unique, single-use security code before access to the account will be granted.”

The best part is that this new feature is completely free!

For the 8^th time now, Blizzard is welcoming artists to submit photos of their hollowed out Blizzard-inspired masterpieces from the 15^th to the 27^th of October for their annual pumpkin-carving contest. The five best entries will not only be displayed in Blizzard’s galleries, the winners will also take home a 64 GB iPad! So, sharpened those knives yet?

Merely minutes since the worldwide ticket sale or BlizzCon was opened, tickets have sold out left and right. Luckily for Blizz fans, SteelSeries, JINX, BradyGames and Cryptozoic Entertainment  are giving you the opportunity of a lifetime!

No need to spend a single cent to get your hands on two tickets to the Blizzard event of the year, BlizzCon 2010. There is no purchase necessary to enter, all you have to do is accomplish the entry form.

Don’t cry if the grand prize tickets aren’t yours to bag, you can still take home other noteworthy goodies. Check for full details here.

Female gaming has certainly gone a long way and nowadays, it’s totally normal to see geeky girls immersed in a long-standing male-dominated arena. But as a female gamer myself, I believe that’s about to change. Maybe not soon, but definitely sooner than you think.

I recently had the chance to interview fellow gamer girl Madison, who is also the forum moderator of an online video game dating site called DateCraft, by phone. Throughout the 10-minute discussion, we covered games, geeks and guys―all in between laughs. Read below for the transcript:

Teresa: Hello Madison. First off, thank you for agreeing to this interview. How are you?
Madison: Oh it’s no problem at all. This was unexpected so thank you for contacting me. Well, right now I just got off work, I’ll pick up a few things from the grocery, finish paperwork, squeeze in some game time, make dinner and then after that, I’ll log on to DateCraft and check up on the site.

Teresa: Seems like you have a lot going on. Is it a challenge to manage and moderate a site like DateCraft?
Madison: On some days when I’m preoccupied with stuff IRL, it can be a challenge. But it’s seriously fun, so at times it doesn’t really feel like one.

Teresa: Any other online dating sites you’ve tried, like match.com?
Madison: Yes, I did in fact try match.com. But that was a long time ago. I ended up deleting my profile.

Teresa: Too many stalkers?
Madison: [laughs] No. I just never really got around to completing my profile, got lazy and then got bored.

Teresa: Do you always go for the geeky, gamer type of guys?
Madison: Oh you mean like scrawny, with glasses, squeaky voice…Well, If you’re talking about the stereotype, I haven’t actually dated guys like that. They can be cute, though. But in terms of gamer, well, all my exes are in one way or the other. But some of them are jocks so that doesn’t exactly fit the geeky description.

Teresa: What makes you proud to be a geek?
Madison: We’re non-conformists. We don’t let pressures from society affect that way we think, how we should act and everything. In a way, we’re like harmless little rebels.

Teresa: Geek culture has exploded all over the place for the last 10 years but the stereotype still remains. What do you think of that?
Madison: Honestly? I’m actually okay with that. At first, it was annoying being pigeonholed. People assume that we all stutter and have low self-esteem or whatever when for some of us, it’s quite the opposite. Then suddenly, geek is the new cool. The stereotypes are funny, rather than insulting. It’s good to poke fun at yourself, you know? Besides, if we do manage to shake off the various cultural stereotypes that still abound, then the entertainment industry won’t be the same because a lot of shows and movies capitalize on these stereotypes.

Teresa: How did you get started on gaming?
Madison: Three words. “Super Mario” on Gameboy. Oh wait, I think that was four [laughs].

Teresa: So what other games do you play aside from WoW?
Madison: Apart from Farmville? Kidding. I tried Aion Online for kicks and loved how I could customize my characters, right down to the smallest freckles. I loved how my toon was so girly. Imagine fighting wearing a tutu skirt! Come on, if that’s not girly enough, then I don’t know what is. The graphics were for the win, talk about major eye candy. I think I’m going to resub, but only after I’ve paid off my maxed out credit card. Haha. I also play Mass Effect 2. Who says chicks like me don’t know their way around the big, bad virtual world?

Teresa: Let’s say you were given a chance to create your own videogame, what would it be like?
Madison: Oh I would make it like WoW with the fun factor kicked up to 10 notches. Yup, a game has to be majorly fun for me in order to sustain my interest.  I’d make the objectives really challenging as you level up but at the end you are well rewarded. Come on, who wants a cheesy prize at the end after all that hard work? While I’m not that hard core a player or raider, I can understand players’ sentiments when they give it all and achieve something, like a world first, only to find loot or a reward that makes them go, “what the heck…that’s it???”

Teresa: Lastly, does a guy have to be a gamer for you to be interested in him?
Madison: Not really. It’d be cool if we both play, especially if we play the same games, but it’s not a requirement or anything.

Teresa: Cool. Thanks again Madison!
Madison: Oh it was my pleasure, thank you.

- Teresa Diaz

This just in! Blizzard is selling two new in-game creatures: the “Celestial Steed”, a flying mount in the form of a supernatural warhorse and the companion pet “Lil’ XT”, a mini-Deconstructor.

Available through digital download, both the mount and pet will be made available to all present and future characters once activated, provided the account carries a North American World of Warcraft License.

The Celestial Steed is priced at $25 while you can get Lil’ XT for $10.

For instance, news of the neural interface for Battle.net presented a new technology which would provide a completely simulated Warcraft experience, but sets you back $14,999 USD.

Another hit was the Equipment Potency EquivalencE Number (EPEEN), a new in-game tool designed to flaunt one’s gear superiority and also, poke fun at those hardcore gear elitists.

It’s a small favor to ask but we hope this gets updated to include the two new faction leaders from the Goblin and Worgen races joining the Horde and the Alliance, respectively, in the Cataclysm expansion. A goblin trade prince riding a giant mechano-shredder will be an awesome sight along with the werewolf form of King Genn Greymane!

Staying true to tradition, expect this two-day event to turn out an exciting mix of discussion panels with Blizzard entertainment developers, community contests, hands-on gameplay, tournaments… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo fans are surely in for a treat as Blizz has a lot more in store, and they’ll be dishing out more details as the event draws nearer. Mark your calendars now and save up for tickets, availability and pricing of which has not yet been released. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted!