7th-anniversary
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Lord of the Rings Online turns seven
Happy birthday Lord of the Rings Online! Today marks the seventh anniversary for LotRO, and as such, Turbine is handing out presents. All players who log in today will get fireworks, with premium and VIP players receiving extra gifts. The new seven-year gifts include a new portrait frame, a shield-cloak, a loot box key, and a dancing emote for your monster play character. LotRO's in-game anniversary festival begins tomorrow, April 16th, and will continue through April 29th.
Eberron and beyond: Seven years of Dungeons and Dragons Online
Dungeons and Dragons Online has always been a strange creature in the realm of MMOs. Ever since its launch, it decided to veer off in its own direction instead of following the rest of the pack. It brought back complicated character creation, somehow worked the arcane rules of D&D into an MMO format, and put a huge emphasis on group instanced content instead of world exploration. Then when Turbine turned DDO into an experimental platform for a successful free-to-play model, suddenly the rest of the industry was following DDO instead. Virtually overnight, a small-teetering-on-extinction MMO became a modest hit well into its lifespan. As DDO celebrates its seventh anniversary and looks back on the past year, let's look at how this odd duck of a game continues to surprise and delight gamers. Join us as we consider the journey that bridged the gap from last February to this one -- and see if, just maybe, DDO is calling you to roll its dice once more.
MapleStory celebrates its seventh anniversary with experience bonuses and cake monsters
Do you feel lucky, MapleStory players? You should, because Nexon is celebrating the game's lucky seventh anniversary, and the studio is passing the good fortune on to the players with a series of in-game events and double experience weekends. For the duration of the month, players will be treated not only to double experience and drops every weekend, but they'll also be able to take part in events such as the Maple Rising Star Contest, which requires players to complete tasks to show support for their favorite NPC contestant. And of course, no anniversary would be complete without a visit from the deliciously vicious Cake Boss monster, which combines a challenging battle and a tasty treat into one mutant monstrosity. To put the icing on the proverbial cake, Nexon has released a short anniversary trailer that recaps the major MapleStory events of the past year, so put on your party hats and join the festivities after the cut. [Source: Nexon America press release]
Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back
Spring is in the air in Guild Wars! I can hear the pitter-patter of speed-enhanced feet coming from the Dragon Arena, the roar of the crowds watching Rollerbeetle races, and the endless grunts of unlucky players on the Nine Rings. It's a celebration -- the celebration of the seventh anniversary of Guild Wars, to be precise. In and around the annual birthday cupcake hoarding that's going on for the duration of festivities, this year has a few other exciting tricks up its proverbial sleeve. For one thing, a new and limited-edition pet has been made available; the Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by having a brief chat with Ceira, Sworn to Fire, in Embark Beach. For another, the bonuses from all weekend events are active for the anniversary, so players will have to go pretty far out of their way to not reap sweet, sweet rewards for any time spent in-game between now and May 8th. Seven's a pretty nice number, don't you think? This is something of a special event, as ArenaNet's promise to get Guild Wars 2 shipped before year's end means that this'll be the last birthday that Guild Wars gets to have before the sequel comes along and grabs everyone's attention -- if, indeed, that's not already happening, what with the beta weekend that's going on right this moment. Even with Guild Wars 2 soaking up some limelight, though, Guild Wars is doing its creators proud and aging with grace and dignity. Let's take a look at some of the building blocks of the game's longevity.
Guild Wars celebrates its 7th anniversary [Updated]
It's that special time of year again! Despite the amount of effort that has got to be getting poured into the upcoming Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event, ArenaNet isn't neglecting the baby game's elder sibling. The Guild Wars site has been updated with some information about festivities for the in-game celebration. From April 24th through May 8th, players will be able to enjoy the time-honored traditions of Guild Wars' birthday celebrations: Players can stroll down the Shing Jea Boardwalk for some festival games, race Rollerbeetles, unlock birthday hats, and collect some sweet, sweet treats. In addition, a new pet is being made available. The Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by visiting Ceira, Sworn to Fire in Embark Beach and then traveling to the Zaishen Menagerie and tracking down the fiery beastie. After the anniversary has drawn to a close, the Hound will still be unlockable, but at the cost of 100,000 Balthazar Faction or 20 golden zaishen coins and 100 gold -- so maybe don't dawdle if you're interested in a shiny new pet. The updated page also promises "drops and activities never before seen in anniversary celebration," so join in the fun to find out what's new! [Update: According to a Gamebreaker TV special, all of the normal weekend events observed in Guild Wars will be running simultaneously for the anniversary celebration!]
Goddess of Destruction expansion brings big changes to Lineage II [Updated]
'Tis the month for MMO anniversaries it seems, and Lineage II is joining the likes of City of Heroes, Free Realms, Guild Wars, and Lord of the Rings Online in front of the birthday cake. NCsoft's long-running fantasy opus is also throwing a bigger bash than any of its contemporaries. Today marks the release of the new Goddess of Destruction expansion, and it's a doozy, bringing new classes, skills, and hunting grounds to the world of Aden. The devs have added 30 new hunting grounds, 60 new raid bosses, and more than 400 new equipment items, making this the largest content update in the game's seven-year history. The level cap has been increased from 85 to 99, and characters above 85 can awaken eight new classes to take on the titular goddess Shilen and her minions. Finally, the expansion boasts new starting areas, a relaxed leveling curve, and instanced clan housing, all wrapped inside a free update for Lineage II subscribers. [Update: The expansion is not released yet, as this official word from NCsoft states: "Goddess of Destruction is a free update to existing players releasing later this year, and will be available as an all-new retail box as well as a digital SKU for players looking to join the game with additional value and incentives."]
Get City of Heroes Going Rogue: Complete Collection for a special anniversary price [Updated]
If you haven't taken the jump into City of Heroes after seven years, we want you to realize just how much crime has gone down on your watch -- crime that you haven't done a blessed thing to stop. Feel that? It's guilt, and it will eat you alive, my friend. Of course, it's not too late to slip on a comfy pair of spandex and take to the skies (or more likely, the sewers), and NCsoft is willing to meet you halfway. As part of City of Heroes' 7th anniversary celebration, the site is promoting a special GameStop sale of Going Rogue: Complete Collection for just $14.99. Not only is this half off the normal price, but it comes with the works: City of Heroes, City of Villains, Going Rogue and 30 days of game time. The Complete Collection even includes special emotes, costume pieces and powers to give you a boost. In short, it's the perfect package to get into the game, even if you're just looking to upgrade to the expansion. Head on over to GameStop to check it out. [Update: NCsoft is also offering a promotion on several booster packs and earlier editions of the game as well as a half-off sale on character transfer and rename services!]
Celebrate City of Heroes' 7th anniversary with the devs!
Few MMOs make it to seven years, and fewer still retain a sizable, fanatical playerbase the way City of Heroes has. From its humble origins as a different type of online RPG through its growth in fame, power and two expansion packs, City of Heroes has mimicked the superhero archetype in more ways than one. The devs at Paragon Studios want to celebrate this seven-year milestone with the coolest crowd on the block: namely, CoH players! While there will be no in-game events this year due to content coming in May, the devs will be available for a meet and greet this Thursday, April 28th on the EU and NA servers. Check out the schedule to see when and where you can hang out with your favorite dev and perhaps unload a burning question or two. The team will also appear later that day in a special UStream live chat event. Stay tuned to Massively, as tomorrow our Mild-Mannered Reporter column will be throwing the confetti and blowing kazoos to mark this auspicious occasion!
Lineage II's 7th anniversary kicks off with three weeks of events
It's sometimes hard to believe that the MMO genre is already over a decade old. Lineage II celebrates its 7th Anniversary this month, demonstrating an impressive longevity that not all MMOs can hope to match. To celebrate, NCSoft has three weeks full of events planned for current and ex-players of the game. Starting today and lasting until May 4th, all expired Lineage II accounts have been temporarily reactivated for free. During this time, any subscription purchases will be rewarded with special in-game anniversary rewards such as a chest full of gear or a pitch black version of the 7th anniversary cloak. During the first week of the celebrations, players will benefit from free teleports at gatekeepers and double experience and skill points from monster kills. Extending the celebrations for a third week, an anniversary letters event will run from April 27th until May 11th. Players will sometimes find letter blocks when hunting monsters. Special rewards will be available for players who collect enough letters to spell out the words "NCSoft" or "Lineage II." On April 27th and May 4th, the highest level characters on each account will be gifted with anniversary gift packs full of goodies. All characters above level 80 will also get an impressive-looking blood red endgame cloak on April 27th. For more details head over to the official announcement on the Lineage II website.
Mog Bonanza numbers revealed, grand prize totals over 85 million gil
74 people just woke up today and nearly fainted at the keyboard when they logged into Final Fantasy XI. Yes, that's right, the Mog Bonanza numbers have been revealed, along with the grand total of all of the prizes.This year's lottery netted over 6,000,000 marbles sold across all of the FFXI servers, resulting in a grand total of over 12 billion (yes, billion with a B) gil being spent on the contest. As we stated earlier, the grand prizes of gil were influenced by the amount of gil in the contest, which resulted in some pretty intense amounts being offered to winners.In short, 74 people now have the ability to claim the grand prize of 85,738,149 gil from their local Mog Bonanza moogle. Interested in the other prize amounts and winning numbers? Read onwards and we'll spill all of the stats on the winners.
Final Fantasy XI celebrates seven years with their Adventurer Appreciation campaign
It's been seven eventful years since chocobos and moogles have invaded MMOs, and Final Fantasy XI is still going strong as they celebrate another anniversary with their player base. Of course, any intrepid adventurer knows what the Adventurer Appreciation holiday is all about. It's not that the moogles come out and give away free items or how they recount many insane statistics to you, like how many times you've talked to NPCs. No, it's not about any of that.It's about getting your Anniversary Ring to boost experience gain again! Wooooo hooooo!*Ahem* Excuse me. It's more than just getting a massive experience boost. Especially this year, with the rumor of ancient and powerful Mog Tablets resurfacing across all of Vana'diel. Who knows what's truly in store for this year's event, but it's certain to be worth your while! The campaign will start with the appearance of moogles in the city squares on May 12th and will end on May 25th.Remember, if you still have your ring from last year, use your charges before getting a new one! You can't get a new one, until you throw your old one away!
Anarchy Online turns seven; free stuff for everyone!
Funcom's other MMO, Anarchy Online, has just had its seventh birthday. A number of the people that worked on the game got together to make a video that looks at AO since its beginnings, including Morten Byom, Craig Morrison, Ragnar Tørnquist, Colin Cragg, and indeed, Age of Conan's game director Gaute Godager.To make sure that everyone is digging the anniversary vibe, there are various freebies up for grabs, most in keeping with the theme of "seven". All current subscribers will receive 700 paid points and 7 buddy keys. Those on free accounts have the chance to upgrade to the full game for $7/€, and will get 7 days free play time included . On top of this, a party planner NPC is giving away all sorts of items in-game. Last, but not least, there is an AO-themed gaming PC from GameRigs.com to be won -- check out the details at their website.
