A couple of days following the news of the new Real ID policy in the forums, Blizzard Entertainment Co-Founder and CEO Mike Morhaime announced that they will not be implementing the policy.

The Real ID feature was aimed at stripping away anonymity on certain Blizzard forums, targeting the elimination of trolls and gold farmers. However, what Blizzard viewed as an improvement, most players viewed as a downside, citing threats to privacy as a major issue.

In an official forum statement, Morhaime said, “As a result of those discussions, we’ve decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.”

Keep an eye on the ticket sales page to guarantee your entrance passes to BlizzCon 2010!

First batch of tickets will be released tomorrow, June 2 at 7PM Pacific Time. The second and last batch will be up for sale on June 5, 10AM Pacific Time. Keep in mind that a limit of 5 tickets, priced at 150 bucks each, per billing address has been set.

Can’t go? You won’t have to miss all the fun because DIRECTV will again broadcast BlizzCon in HD as a Pay Per View event, giving you extensive coverage of the 2-day geektastic affair.

Now you get to take a sneak peek of the female worgen with these recently released photos:

Gone are the days when you can stealthily go about Azeroth, as the Rich Presence feature allows Real ID buddies to view what games and modes you play once online. Secret characters cannot be kept hidden as well, as every single one of your toons will be shared to your Real ID friends. And we’ve barely even scratched the surface.

Don’t worry though, it’s completely voluntary and optional. Players must be in mutual agreement to be Real ID friends for such access to be granted.

Best of all, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. All you have to do is get a new friend to play and you’re all set.

Should you choose to hang on to the Zhevra, claim it now as it will officially be put to retirement once the Rocket is launched.

Who says World of Warcraft and dating don’t mix? The caricature of a WoW player sitting in front of his computer – with eyebags the size of steamer trunks, acne peppering his face and piles of hot pocket crumbs on his desk and on the floor – is just that: a caricature. Here to further debunk the myth that gamers are lonely, sloppy geeks who don’t have hearts – and lives – outside of WoW is Madison V., the lovely moderator of the dating/social networking site Datecraft.com. She talks about the site that has attracted hundreds of gamers looking for real life friendships, commitment and excitement, plus what she’s looking for in a guy.

J: Hey Madison, how’s it going?
M: Hey, I’m doing good, thank you very much.

J: For the benefit of those who don’t know, tell us what DateCraft is all about.
M: DateCraft is a relatively new site targeting gamers interested in online dating, but it’s not exclusive to Warcraft players as the name might suggest. It’s been active for 3 years now and we’re getting more members as we speak.

J: Any luck with the guys?
M: [laughs] Well, I’ve made friends with a lot of guys but I haven’t really hooked up with anyone yet. There are a few here and there who’s caught my attention.

J: Have you always been a gamer?
M: I guess so. I mean, as a child I remember being attached to my Gameboy. I had quite an addiction then.

J: What’s the biggest misconception about gamers that you’d like to disprove?
M: That our lives revolve around games. This goes hand in hand with being basement dwellers, though it’s more commonly associated with guys than girls. We have a life outside World of Warcraft. We have school, jobs, interests, hobbies, social lives…

J: Okay, just a little survey. If you were to choose: Marvel or DC?
M: I’d have to go with Marvel on this one.

J: Best geeky show on television?
M: Recently, I’ve been kinda obsessed with Chuck. It’s got the perfect mix of funny and smart and I enjoy a lot of the spy action going on.

J: Favorite geeky celebrity crush?
M: Oh I am in love with Matthew Gray Gubler! He’s positively adorable. It’s his quirky charm. Not to mention the hair.  I do have a thing for wavy, sexy hair.

J: Do you date non-gamers? If you haven’t, will you ever?
M: Sure, why not? It’d be silly to write someone off just because he isn’t a gamer.

J: What makes DateCraft a go-to site for those interested in online dating?
M: It’s really great if you’re looking for fellow geeks to socialize with because if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve found yourself a new friend.

Registration is now open―only 20 bucks to join, and of course, an active World of Warcraft account with both expansions activated.

Special features of this year’s tournament include customizable level 80 character templates with Lich King gear, earnable Armored Murloc as an exclusive in-game pet and the chance to covet the Vanquisher title.

First place winners get to go home $75, 000 richer, while teams placing second and third will be awarded $30,000 and $15,000, respectively.

The mount can fly as fast as your riding skill allows, and it will also be available to all your toons, both present and future, once activated.

Word is that the download queue has reached 6 digits, just hours before its debut. That’s an unheard of number, needless to say.  So what’s so special about the $25 shining, shimmering, splendid beast? Nothing much really, except if you take into account the fact that it’s made of pure elemental stardust.

1.    Battle.net matchmaking – an online dating site with a Blizz-centric search system
2.    Battle.net neural interface – product that allows you to play WoW with just the human mind, complete with sensory input for only $14,999 USD
3.    Cataclysm Headed First to iPad – upcoming expansion to be made available exclusively on the iPad for the first 30 days
4.    Equipment Potency EquivalencE Number – displayed over character’s ahead as a vertical bar-like object that lengthens with the more loot you get as time passes
5.    Armory Changes – items were either “ninja’ed” or “vendored”, achievements got cheesed, all professions became fishing and character views, races and portraits changed to Tuskarr