Coming off a successful Gamescom 2012 showing in Cologne, Germany, eSports returns to Germany. At IFA 2012 in Berlin through September 5 at the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and electrical home appliances, Europe’s leading gamers will be competing with in the ESL XMG Arena.

Two of Blizzard Entertainment’s most popular games are coming home in a new form. USAOPOLY, under license by Hasbro, Inc, used the 109th annual New York International Toy Fair to announce a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to release fresh takes on two classic board games. MONOPOLY: World of Warcraft and RISK: StarCraft combine tried-and-true foundations with new designs and gameplay elements inspired by Blizzard’s popular gaming universes. Those who dare to engage will discover a new chance to claim supremacy, both over their friends and over the battle-torn lands of Azeroth and the Koprulu Sector.

With Black Friday around the corner, Blizzard Entertainment  is offering gamers who haven’t yet engaged in the real-time strategy experience of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty a chance to get in for a breeze. For a limited time, the fastest-selling strategy game of all time and one of the bestselling PC games of 2011 is available from the online Blizzard Store for a just $29.99 -- that’s half off the suggested retail price. This deal is only good through Cyber Monday, November 28. The developer talks about the new game’s expansion, Heart of the Swarm, in this exclusive video interview below.

ANAHEIM -- After the Costume Contest at BlizzCon, comedian Jay Mohr kept the hits coming with the Intel Dance Contest. 31 competitors took the stage with a lot of interesting (and sometimes embarrasing) interpretations of various dances like the Goblin. With names like orc, troll and dwarf, you know this is a BlizzCon dance contest. Check out Mohr introducing the winners with highlights of each winner's dances after the break.

LOS ANGELES -- For the first time ever, the top players of Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II traveled from around the globe to participate in the Red Bull LAN in Santa Monica, California. Twelve of the world’s best StarCraft II players (four from each of the game’s races – Terran, Protoss, and Zerg) joined in the three-day LAN, playing for 10 hours each day with live TwitchTV commentary provided by Sean “Day9” Plott. Among the pro gamers was Shawn “Sheth” Simon, who talks about the experience in this exclusive video interview below.

Coming off a record-breaking competition in Columbus, Ohio, top pro players, aspiring amateurs, and thousands of video game fans will descend upon Anaheim, California, this weekend as the 2011 Major League Gaming (MLG) Pro Circuit competition returns to the Anaheim Convention Center.  From July 29-31, competitors from around the globe will battle for more than $120,000 in prizes and stipends playing some of the most popular video games of all time including the record-setting Call of Duty: Black Ops on PlayStation 3, Blizzard Entertainment’s blockbuster real-time strategy game, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on PC, and the popular Halo: Reach on Xbox 360. Dmaq talks about the rise of pro gaming in the exclusive video interview below.

While events like E3 showcase big games of 2011 and beyond to the world, most of these trade shows are closed to the public. BlizzCon is an exception to this rule, designed as a place for Blizzard game fans to meet the developers, pick up new swag, and party together. Blizzard Entertainment made this year’s big game event official. The sixth annual BlizzCon gaming convention will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2011. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and  Diablo universes. Diablo III, which will launch this year, is expected to be a key focus for the convention.