Instead of Harry Potter fans dressing up as their favorite wizards, they should dress up as wizards posing as normal people. Hilarity ensues.

News Blips:

Ubisoft locks down the online accessibility of its games with the introduction of its new Uplay Passport system. GamerZines reports that starting with the August 30 release of Driver: San Francisco, Ubisoft will require its customers to either purchase a new copy of a game or buy a $9.99 code from the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Store for online access. Ubisoft later confirmed to Gamasutra that the Passport will "provide players with access to bonus content, exclusive offers, and online multiplayer play" for most of its major titles including Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

Microsoft wants a "single ecosystem" for its products -- and that might mean Windows on the next Xbox console. At Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference earlier this week, Windows Phone Division President Andrew Lees explained that in the near future, "We won't have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets -- they'll all come together." This Is My Next says the massive shift of integration -- potentially including the launch of a new operating system on the next-generation Xbox -- could occur after the Xbox 360's 10-year lifespan and the three-year run of Windows 8. 

GameStop brandishes its recently acquired Impulse digital distribution service as a rival to Steam. A report from Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian states that GameStop's stronger embrace of digital platforms will boost its revenue to $1.5 billion by 2014 -- a hefty increase in sales from this year's projected $500 million. The report also apparently confirmed that Battlefield 3 won't appear on Steam, strengthening GameStop's online offerings as a result. "The upcoming EA title Battlefield 3 will be sold as a download through GameStop, but not through Steam," said the report. "Given Steam's dominance -- and insistence on users downloading a Steam client application -- publishers are likely to be receptive to a competitive alternative." [Gamasutra]

Tribes: Ascend developer Hi-Rez Studios switches to developing the game exclusively for the PC while putting the Xbox 360 version on hold. GameSpot says that while the free-to-play sci-fi shooter won't grace consoles just yet, hope isn't completely lost. "An eventual XBLA version -- and even PSN version -- is not out of the question but neither will be this year," a Hi-Rez representative said. Tribes: Ascend has a planned release later this year for the PC.

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