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Gamestop Expo 2013 to take place in Vegas this August
GameStop's annual Expo event is set to return to Las Vegas on August 28. The event serves as a manager's meeting for the chain, and as of last year the company has also opened the show to the public. Expo 2013 will feature 250,000 square feet of exhibitions from 80 major game developers and publishers, and offer a look at Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4. Just like last year, general admission to the Sands Expo Center for the show costs $35. GameStop has knocked $10 off the VIP pass (which grants access to a special lounge, a swag bag, and panel discussions), which is now available for $90. GameStop is also giving away an all-expense-paid trip to one lucky PowerUp Rewards member who buys or trades something in the month of May. Just like 2012, the show's August 28 kickoff puts it right before PAX Prime in Seattle.
Drysc on Blizzard customer service
We are all rather critical of Blizzard at times. After all, many of us spend an inordinate amount of time in the game; especially the WoW Insider staff on patch days. We expect things to work in a certain type of way, and we expect that when we encounter a problem, things will be solved ASAP.Nothing is wrong with these expectations we have, and indeed we should have them. After all, we want this game to be the best game possible. For many folks it's the only one they'll play. The happiness and smooth sailing in game is principally the responsibility of the customer service department at Blizzard. They're the ones to fix our issues when something goes wrong.Drysc, one of the most visible community managers, made a wonderful post earlier this week on exactly what happens in Blizzard's support services. The full post and response are worth taking a second to read. The bullet points of his posts are as follows:
Sony starts bribing Gamestop managers to sell PS3s
Sony has just started a rewards program for Gamestop managers to see who can sell the most PlayStation 3s, according to a tip received by Gamers Report. The article goes on to explain that Sony will host regional contests to see which store can sell the most PS3s, with the winner receiving a boatload of points to be redeemed in the private Sony/Gamestop retail rewards site (credentials required). Additional points will be granted to the number one store in the whole company, which should provide enough Sony swag to bury the top manager's Subaru in PlayStation paraphernalia. While it's not unusual to have companies strike a deal with Gamestop/EB Games to push a particular product, this looks like it might be a larger-than-average marketing push by Sony. It's clear that the PS3's sales aren't setting the world on fire like Sony was hoping, and it's possible that this is the start of a larger marketing campaign that coincides with the end (finally!) of the drought of PS3 games later this summer. Regardless, prepare to get barraged with offers for PlayStation 3's every time you call or visit a Gamestop for the next couple months. And no, telling them that you already have one doesn't stop them -- we've tried.
