What’s On This Week? 14th May 2012

It’s a relatively quiet week for sociable gamers, this one. Just as well. With warm but gloomy weather expected all the way to June. I’m tempted to just sit inside and play Minecraft.

Diablo III launches this week with events in shops all around the world. Blizzard have shipped parts of the dev team all over. Those of you heading to tonight’s UK launch event in London can meet Lead Art Designer Julian Love and Senior World Designer Leonard Boyarsky. Other launches happening tonight are in Irvine, California, Berlin and Paris. Find more info on the rest of the world over on Blizzard’s Diablo III launch pages.

On Wednesday we have an industry-focused panel discussing “What’s the Point of Videogames?” in London. Well personally, they’re a form of escape and an excellent means of procrastination but I’m sure gaming luminaries like Ian Livingstone and the Financial Times management columnist Lucy Kellaway will have a much more nuanced take on things.

Thursday is another industry-focused event – UK trade magazine MCV and Xbox 360 are hosting another pub quiz for publishers, games media and the like.

The weekend sees Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer battles being hosted in Brighton on Saturday. Bring your 3DS and challenge Nintendo’s battle masters.

Or there’s always the traditional pub sesh. eSports fans are invited to join London Barcraft in Kentish Town on both Saturday and Sunday to watch Starcraft II tournaments from this year’s MLG Spring Arena.