Conventions
Latest
C-SPAN will stream convention coverage on Facebook Live
Facebook inadvertently replaced C-SPAN during a Democrat sit-in on gun control, but during the Republican and Democrat national conventions, C-SPAN will stream on Facebook Live. The social network will also feature footage filmed by convention participants, delegates, politicians and the media, according to Politico. "This is the most engaged we've been at the convention and its highly correlated to the fact we have a lot of tools to offer," said Facebook Manager Crystal Patterson.
The BlizzCon line has already been started by one dedicated player
BlizzCon 2014 starts tomorrow, and if you're already in California for the event, you've got a whole day of ambling about ahead of you. You might think there's no reason to even think about the lines or the waiting that will come around tomorrow. But you'd be wrong: There is already a line to get into the convention that starts tomorrow, a line started by one dedicated fan waiting patiently at the front gate. Massively's sister site WoW Insider reports that the fan is Brendan "Tibs" Thibodeau, a Navy veteran who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2005 and has racked up 29 level-capped characters with five legendary cloaks among them. Tibs has attended six BlizzCons and been at the front of the line for four of those, due in no small part to the dedication necessary to get in line a day before most people even think about queueing up. At last update, however, the second spot in line is still available. BlizzCon returns to Anaheim during the weekend of November 7th and 8th, 2014! Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor expansion or the latest news from Diablo III, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
Blizzard posts official BlizzCon schedule
You've got your tickets purchased, your hotel arrangements squared away, your bags all packed. You're ready for BlizzCon this year! But leaving aside the fact that you can probably unpack your bags now as you've still got a month to go, what are you actually going to be doing at BlizzCon? That's what you can find out by taking a gander at the official schedule, which tracks the events of the day on both Friday and Saturday for World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and Diablo III. A floor map is also available so that congoers can get a feel for the layout before arrival, although that's of less interest to fans planning on taking advantage of the streaming options available for the convention. If you're thinking of buying a virtual ticket for the high-quality streams, take a look at the schedule and see if it's stuff you want to watch streaming live. Unless, as we said, you've already got your bags packed to go in person.
GX3 Kickstarter gets a big boost from Blizzard
Conventions are expensive, and unless you have a major publisher or media franchise backing them, it's very easy for a convention to be successful without being successful enough to keep going. GaymerX managed two conventions, but the third round is currently on Kickstarter, trying to raise funds for another convention focused on inclusiveness and support of all different types of gamers. That goal is being helped significantly by a big name in online gaming: Blizzard Entertainment. The Kickstarter site for the convention lists the World of Warcraft developer as pledging "over $10,000" to making the convention a reality. There are still 23 days for the project to reach its funding goal, but that kind of money certainly helps kick a project along. If you're interested in donating yourself, the convention will be in the Bay Area of California in either November or December of 2015.
Blizzard donates to bring back GaymerX
It takes a lot of money to throw a gaming convention, which is why second-year LGBTQ gaming convention GaymerX wasn't certain there would be a third year of the event -- especially after NIS America backed out of a sponsorship deal (though the company eventually came through). Now the GaymerX crew is working on a third convention, which they're calling GX3, and they've pulled together some impressive financial backing in advance. The biggest donor on the list -- besides dating app Hornet, which donated ad space -- is Blizzard Entertainment, which has pledged to chip in $10,000 to the convention. Blizzard doesn't have the best track record on supporting diversity lately -- especially where women are concerned -- and this seems like a solid move to change some of that public perception... and help keep an awesome gaming con going. If you'd like to attend GX3 yourself, it will be held in November or December 2015 in San Francisco and you can pick up early tickets -- and other goodies -- on Kickstarter. Editor's Note: Our moderators have bedded down for the night, so we're disabling comments on this post. [Thanks, Orkchop, for the tip!]
Star Trek Online expansion details emerge from Las Vegas convention [Updated]
Star Trek Online fans at the recent Star Trek Las Vegas convention were treated to a special developer panel on Saturday, and information is starting to trickle out about what was discussed during the panel. And wouldn't you know it? It was expansion information. Fans on Reddit have compiled the available information, although there's been no official reveal on the forums or through other media regarding what will be coming (so far). According to fan notes, the expansion will be dubbed Delta Rising and will take place in the eponymous Delta Quadrant, introducing species such as the Talaxians, the Ocampa, the Kazon, and the Malon to the game's lineup. Captains will be able to hit level 60, with a new method of alternative advancement and a new set of Tier 6 ships to be unlocked and flown. New Voyager interiors and Intrepid models will be available, along with voiceovers by Tim Russ and Garret Wang (Lt. Commander Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim, respectively). If it's all true, all we're waiting on are pictures -- and of course, news about the new ships. [Thanks to Anon E. Moose for the tip!] [Update: Tipster Anthony let us know that TrekMovie.com has more information and photographs from the event at which the expansion was announced.]
GaymerX president on LGBT convention closing: 'We're still here'
LGBT-focused gaming convention GaymerX will be no more after this year's GaymerX2, being held July 11-13 at the InterContinental San Francisco hotel. But Toni Rocca, president of GaymerX and organizer of the con, isn't sad. Rocca told Joystiq she and the GaymerX organization did something new, something no one was doing two years ago, when the con was first announced. She's proud of what the GaymerX convention accomplished, and what's more, GaymerX as an organization will continue forward. This isn't the end of GaymerX, but a new beginning.
Champions Online hosts FoxbatCon in-game
We're moving into the heart of convention season, when people move across the country to stand in lines and buy trinkets representing our favorite hobbies. So why not also pick up some trinkets in Champions Online to represent your character's favorite hobbies? It's time for FoxbatCon, the in-game event that celebrates the intensely campy 1960s television series focused around the roguish scamp known as Foxbat. After all, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by cosplayers inside of a superhero game? The FoxbatCon event will run until April 11th, allowing players to pick up Foxbat Swag Bags from defeated villains full of convention-themed prizes. Players can also take part in missions (some of which will be introduced during the event) to earn Foxbat Creds, which can be redeemed for even more con swag. If you're eager to celebrate the camp value of an old (fictional) show, jump into the game now for the full experience. [Thanks to matixzun for the tip!]
Tickets now available for EVE Fanfest 2014
It's time to pack your bags and get ready for a trip to sunny Iceland if you're an EVE Online fan. Yes, the EVE Fanfest isn't until May, but the tickets are now available for purchase if you already know you need to be there. Tickets are normally $175, but there's a limited number of early bird tickets available for $150 if you jump on the deal fast enough. As it has in previous years, the fanfest will contain an assortment of panels and revelations for the games under the CCP Games umbrella, including EVE Online, DUST 514, and the upcoming EVE: Valkyrie. There will also be pub crawls, dinner with the developers, and the Party at the Top of the World to finish it all off. If that sounds like your sort of deal, grab your tickets now and start budgeting for the trip in a few months.
PAX East 2014 is sold out
PAX East sold out, man. It totally sold out. We're not trying to wax poetic here; it has literally sold out. No, we are not using the new meaning of "literally" from the Oxford English Dictionary. It has completely sold out; you cannot buy any more tickets. It sold out. What did you think we meant? The convention is slated to start on April 11th of next year, but there are no longer any badges available for the event. So if you haven't already purchased one, we're sorry, but at least you'll be able to save some money. And as always, we'll be doing our best to elbow through the throngs to bring you coverage of MMO news from the show floor.
PAX East 2014 tix now on sale
Save the date, PAX fans. Well, actually, save two dates. The first is April 11, 2014, which is when the next iteration of PAX East officially throws down. The second date is today, and that's when tickets officially go on sale. As of press time, three-day badges are gone, but single-day passes are still available. PAX East 2014 runs from April 11 through April 13, 2014 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
Do you con?
This past weekend I made a 5-hour drive to San Francisco for the inaugural run of GaymerX. If you're not familiar, the gay gaming convention made pretty big news in tech circles when it successfully Kickstarted itself into existence this year. And it's still making news after the fact thanks to the unbelievably rad live rendition of GLaDOS's Still Alive making the rounds on the Interwebs (above). I met up with a lot of awesome people there and helped moderate a panel on podcasting with the dudes from Horde House, WoW Insider regulars Spike and Slagkick of Game Buoy, and some other great folks from Qoopa Klub and Gayme Bar. I ran into nerd heartthrob Orkchop and his wife, played a killer game of Cards Against Humanity, and made a lot of gaming friends from around the country that I'll hang out with again. This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: "Huge success." It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. So, the question of the day is this: Do you guys love going to conventions as much as I do? Have you gone to any memorable ones lately? And are there any you're really looking forward to (*cough, cough* BlizzCon)?
PAX Australia 2013: Aussies on cosplay, World of Tanks, and more
The PAX Australia 2013 coverage continues as Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi gets down and dirty with the people of PAX. Follow along after the break to catch what some Australians thought of World of Tanks as well as their general impressions of the event as it unfolded! And while we're talking WoT, don't forget to check out our interview with Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi.
WildStar team hosting panel and gathering at SDCC
Heading out to California for San Diego Comic Con? As long as you're out there, would you like a nice dose of WildStar entertainment? The team at Carbine Studios is hosting a panel on Friday discussing how story and narrative are developed in the game, featuring lead narrative designer Chad Moore, content director Mike Donatelli, creative director Matt Mocarski, and design producer Stephen Frost. Anyone attending the convention will want to be at the panel if you've got even the vaguest interest in the game. But what if you're in San Diego and aren't attending the con? You can still get some special face time with WildStar at the fan gathering on Friday in the Hotel Palomar. More to the point, this gathering promises to allow players a look at two new races -- in all likelihood the last two playable races that have been teased for some time. So Friday should be a good time for fans of the game in San Diego, and anyone else watching from afar. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
The Daily Grind: What do you want to learn from PAX East?
Silly season is upon us folks, and no I'm not talking about NASCAR. I'm talking about gaming conventions that stretch seemingly from Easter to Christmas, and first out of the gate is this weekend's PAX East 2013 shindig in Boston. Massively is sending a trio of reporters (Eliot Lefebvre, Karen Bryan, and Matt Daniel) to bring you all the news that's fit to print about The Elder Scrolls Online, WildStar, Firefall, EVE Online, The Repopulation, and more. We'll also be kidnapping luminaries from SOE and Hi-Rez and getting them drunk enough to tell us their deepest, darkest secrets. We'll be sitting in on a number of industry- and game-specific panels, too. My point is that there's Massively's PAX East coverage, and then there's everyone else's. So if you've got burning questions on the games above or others you might have seen on the convention schedule, post them below and we'll see about wrustling up some answers. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22-24, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar or DUST 514 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
Guardians of Middle-Earth review: MOBA fête
"Multiplayer Online Battle Arena," or MOBA, is the name given to the emerging genre of games initiated by Dota, and now led by games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Heroes of Newerth, Smite, and more. Because MOBA games come from a heritage of real-time strategy gameplay, they tend to have most of the qualities of that genre. They're complicated, high stakes affairs, with lots of controls and nuances, where one little move can sometimes turn the tide of battle completely. These are traditionally games meant for hotkeys and minimap clicking, mouse precision and a Ventrilo client, rather than the relatively imprecise triggers and joysticks on a console controller.Which makes it all the more impressive, then, that Monolith (a studio with a long shooter tradition that includes No One Lives Forever and the FEAR series) has chosen to take on Guardians of Middle Earth, a MOBA game designed from the ground up to recreate the traditionally PC-centric experience on consoles. Yes, games like Awesomenauts and Monday Night Combat have borrowed MOBA principles, but Monolith here goes full bore, all the way back to the top-down isometric view that began with the original Starcraft Aeon of Strife map at the genre's inception.In fact, given this task, the fact that Monolith's game also happens to use the Lord of the Rings license (right around the release of the new Hobbit film) is almost inconsequential. Tolkien nerds may want to see Sauron battling it out with Gandalf directly, but MOBA nerds should be even more excited to see what Monolith does with this emerging new form.%Gallery-157247%
SOE Live posts live cast schedule
SOE Live begins tomorrow, and chances are you already know whether or not you're attending. For those of you who would like to go, but pesky money or travel is getting in the way of your big dream, SOE has an electronic alternative: live casts. The studio is broadcasting the show through Twitch and CurseTV for all three days of the event. The schedule for the live casts is up, starting with the keynote address on Thursday and ending with the costume contest on Sunday night. SOE is making available plenty of the big panels including almost anything to do with PlanetSide 2 and several tournaments. EverQuest and EverQuest II expansion panels on Saturday morning are a must-see for players of those games as well. Massively will be on the scene in Las Vegas for the show, so stay tuned for all of the exciting information that we'll be channeling your way!
SOE Live puts out a call for player-run panels
Have you ever been sitting and watching a panel at a convention while thinking that you could totally host a panel yourself? Sony Online Entertainment seems inclined to agree with you. That's why this year's SOE Live event has halls set aside and time blocked off for player-run panels, during which you and your fellow players can get up on the stage and have the attention of your fellow attendees. If you've got something you'd like to present and you want an audience, here's your chance. Submitted panels will be subject to an approval process, as SOE is expecting a lot of interest. Panelists who are approved will be given an all-access pass for free and will be given a refund for any previously purchased pass. There are also a number of restrictions on content and hardware available: There's space for running a PowerPoint presentation, for example, but you'll need to bring your own laptop. If none of that scares you off, get thinking about your topic and see if you can hold the interest of a room as well as you think.
Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event
Raph Koster and Blizzard may be polar opposites in terms of design philosophy, but both will take home awards at this year's GDC Online convention. Koster, instrumental in the development of sandbox worlds like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, will take home the Online Game Legend Award. Blizzard, which turned the MMO space on its ear via World of Warcraft's resounding financial success, will see its flagship title inducted into the Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. The ceremonies take place on October 10th in Austin, Texas. Don't forget to cast your vote for the GDC Audience Award prior to September 14th! [Source: GDC press release]
SOE Live contest submissions due by September 8th
This year's Fan Faire, er... SOE Live is happening in October, and Sony Online Entertainment is looking to send a few lucky folks on a free trip to Las Vegas for the festivities. The annual shindig is a chance for fans to rub elbows with developers, celebrate SOE's extensive suite of online titles, and collect a bunch of in-game exclusives that those of us stuck at home will never get. Contest hopefuls will need to submit an original video featuring EverQuest II's new SOEmote facial recognition technology. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Bally's Casino resort along with admission to the SOE Live events. Further details and contest rules are available on the EQII website. Contest submissions are due by September 8th! [Source: SOE press release]
