funeral
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Pepper's new job is performing Buddhist funeral ceremonies
Pepper the robot has seen a variety of gainful employment in its relatively short life. It's worked in a mobile phone store, a Pizza Hut and a French train station, but now it seems it's jacking in the corporate world for more spiritual pursuits: Buddhist funerals. At the happily-titled Life Ending Industry Expo in Tokyo, Aldebaran's humanoid 'bot could be found clothed in religious robes and chanting sutras in a computerized voice while tapping a drum.
Thousands pay tribute to famous Twitch gamer in live funeral
Philip Klemenov, a well-known pro gamer and livestreamer who went by "Phizzurp," had his life tragically cut short when he died in a car accident on October 2nd. However, his passing is also showing how the streaming community can unite in moments of loss. About 9,000 people watched Klemenov's funeral live on his Twitch channel on October 9th, offering tributes and condolences that they couldn't deliver in person.
The Daily Grind: Do you attend player events?
Confession time! I am a total hypocrite: I love the idea of player events but I rarely attend them in-game. Actually, maybe that just makes me more lazy than hypocritical. I think that a player event can boast more ingenuity and yield more memories than developer efforts, even if players are hamstrung by not always having the tools to do everything they'd like. We've all heard stories of funerals, of PvP wars, of naked Gnome races, of scavenger hunts, of concerts, and of costume contests. But the question today concerns attendance. Do you go to player-created events or just read about them in the paper the next day? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game funeral?
During the roleplaying heyday of Star Wars Galaxies, I attended a funeral for another character. His player was calling it quits and wanted to send off the toon in the most dramatic way possible: by asking his friends to eulogize his avatar in a Coronet park. (Of course, when he returned under the same name a few months later, the effect was somewhat diminished.) Other players hold funerals for players who have passed away in the real world. In some games -- Ultima Online comes to mind -- players are deeply respectful, and devs sometimes get involved too, inserting permanent shrines of remembrance in the game. In other games (we're looking at you, World of Warcraft), funeral-crashers and social miscreants have infamously ruined more than one somber occasion. How about you? Have you ever attended (or held) an in-game funeral, RP or otherwise? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Officers' Quarters: In the wake of drama, tragedy
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available now from No Starch Press. Drama happens in guilds. As officers, we do everything we can to avoid it. Sometimes we make mistakes that set us up for it. At other times, it's simply inevitable. Much of it is stupid and pointless. However, nothing puts it all in perspective like a sudden, shared tragedy. This week, a guild leader wonders how he can deal with this terrible circumstance in the aftermath of a guild-shattering argument. Scott, I have a really difficult problem that I would like your advice, or at least your opinion. This problem is two fold and I will start with the short but serious series of events that have transpired the last few days. I (basically) started the guild a week before Cataclysm. We took off quick and became extremely successful. One of the first guilds to hit 25 on the server (which made me a really proud guild leader). Early in the guilds history, we had a member join our guild, lets call him Eddie. Eddie has an abrasive personality and he tends to insult people. The thing is, hes not and never is being serious. He jokes and unless you spend more than 5 minutes talking to him, you just assume he's insulting you, which he's not. Well Eddie, being new to the guild (that had relatively little officers), hit the ground running and showed qualities of a true leader. He built our raid team, geared people, taught people, and did his job in a way that I've not seen done even as I raided through Wrath. Eddie however joined the military and had to leave for Basic Training. When he left, it was agreed upon that the raid leader spot would be temporarily given to another officer and would be given back when Eddie returned.
Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!)
The iPhone's dead, long live the Windows Phone. That must be the genius proclamation that incited Microsoft to celebrate Windows Phone 7 reaching RTM status with the incomprehensible procession you see above. An elaborate parade, replete with hearses and black capes, was organized last week to denote the passing of the BlackBerry and iPhone into the land of unwanted gadgets. We'd say this is done in poor taste, but we don't enjoy stating the obvious. We will, however, enjoy the fallout from this poorly judged stunt. See our favorite image after the break and lots more at the source. Update: Apparently the team also engaged in a Thriller dance. Words are failing us, so just hop on past the break and mash play.
Press your ashes into vinyl for £2000, FLAC download free with purchase
We've heard a lot about the death of the record industry, but this is ridiculous! And Vinyly (get it? get it?) will press your charred remains into your very own hyper-personalized spinning analog musical platter. The starter kit comes with your own generic gravestone-style cover art, 24 minutes of audio of your choosing, and 30 copies of your final release. If you're looking for something a little more flashy, £3500 gets you a painted cover portrait, £500 gets a song written and produced just for your dead self, and £1000 gets your record distributed to brick-and-mortar stores all over the world. And Vinyly will upsell you all the way to a £10,000 FUNeral, where you can be sure the DJ will be playing you-know-what. They also do pets.
Michael Jackson memorial service gets HDTV broadcasts around the globe by 1 p.m.
Today's broadcasts of Michael Jackson's memorial services have become s big of a television event as there has ever been, with networks domestically planning to cover the proceedings in high definition, but Sky News HD is following up on its broadcast of the Obama Inauguration by taking of the Sky Arts 1 HD channel again, and Cinedigm flicks on its digital distribution network, though not in 3D, it will air the memorial starting at 1 p.m. EST for free at theaters around the country. If not for anything else, this should extend even beyond Presidential Address' ability to compare the audio/video delivery capabilities of different networks, with CNN, Fox, ABC, Fox News, CBS, E! and more broadcasting, plus internet streams available from most (CNN, Sky, CBS, ABC are confirmed), plus Hulu and the StaplesCenter.com website itself. So let us know, which network will you be tuning to / avoiding this afternoon, or are you already switching back and forth with one gloved hand on the remote, comparing camera angles and contrast levels in detail?Update: A live HD stream from Microsoft & Canada's Inmusic.com is available and apparently not subject to geographic restrictions for those tuning in via desktop (Thanks, Aaron) Read - Jackson memorial live in high definition in movie theaters and on TV Read - World will watch Jackson memorial Read - Michael Jackson Memorial In High Definition Read - Media is all about Michael Jackson Read - Michael Jackson Memorial Coverage times / networks
WoW Moviewatch: Serenity Now and the funeral
Caution: There is some offensive language in this video.This weekend was the third anniversary of WoW Insider, and when I was putting together the big list of our top ten stories ever, I noticed there was one missing. Even though it happened in April of 2006 (we started posting in December of 2005), we never really covered the Serenity Now funeral attack. But it is one of the biggest stories in World of Warcraft, whether you think it's atrocious or hilarious or whatever, so during today's Moviewatch, we'll give it its due.A woman who played WoW passed away in real life, and her guildies decided to hold an ingame funeral for her -- in the contested zone of Wintergrasp Winterspring (of course -- too much Wrath lately, sorry) On a PvP server. And though now, four years into the game, we know exactly what would happen, back then, it came as a surprise -- as you've probably seen in the video (set to some amazing music), the guild Serenity Now crashed the funeral and pretty much decimated everyone who showed up.
'E3 Up in Smoke' funeral could be the event of Min-E3
You (yes, all of you) are cordially invited to independent publisher Gamecock's E3 funeral and wake (celebration) of originality. The "E3 Up in Smoke" event will begin the final day of Min-E3, Friday the 13th of July at .... wait for it ... 4:20PM. The marching procession will begin at the EIEIO headquarters in the Hotel California (1670 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica) and lead to someplace we assume will have fire -- given the idea of a Viking funeral had been implied previously. Gamecock says the event is designed to join friends, colleagues, and unemployed-booth-babes-in-mourning, for a "final goodbye to the magical beast that was E3." But it's not all sadness and gloom. They plan to wholeheartedly celebrate a resurgence of independence, originality, and creativity to come in the gaming industry. They also tell us to expect very special guest eulogies, music, and good times, "flavored with Gamecock's own secret sauce." It's certainly a big way to end Min-E3 and a nice thing that anyone can attend. Goodbye E3, we do miss you, and we'll be sure to celebrate your life properly at the funeral.
Irish undertaker offers webcasts of funeral services
Using gadgets to listen in on the graves of your deceased family and friends must have really caught on, because northern Ireland undertaker Jim Clarke has added a macabre new feature to their funeral services: webcasting. The bereaved now have the (thankfully free) option of enabling live streams from a network of webcams and mics recently installed by S Clarke and Son Funeral Directors in local funeral homes and churches. "Our internet option means [mourners] get to become part of a grieving process they might have missed out on. ... The pictures are so clear that people watching can see the faces of everyone in the crowd, and hear everything clearly, so they can spot relatives they might not have seen in years." We weren't aware the grieving process required physical presence, and we'd imagine with images that clear you'd probably want to get the consent of mourners to be filmed while so vulnerable, but hey, if watching bitstreams of inexpressible sorrow helps give some closure to a loved one's death, who are we to judge?[Via TG Daily]
RedOctane mourns the death of 'air guitar'
RedOctane recently held a Guitar Hero II PR stunt mock cremation service for its dearly departed predecessor 'air guitar.' Slash, Buddy Holly, and Ace Frehley -- at least the cheapest look-alikes RedOctane could score in East London -- filled in as pallbearers. Since no funeral parlor would disgrace its reputation by hosting such a preposterous mingle, the gang said "goodbye" in a Shoreditch art studio. "People generally took it seriously," observed RedOctane's Dave Noble.Multiple sightings of the departed have since been reported.
Yes, the "Axe of Inappropriate Responses"
Yes, in case you're wondering, we did see this on Digg earlier today as well. It's a screenshot from the WoW Forums in which a player (from Syndicate on EU Ragnaros) posts announcing the death of his brother, another player who was well loved by some on the server. And then, of course (this is the WoW Forums, after all), a level one alt makes a response that's not quite the most conventional thing to say when you hear of someone's passing.Now, Joystiq thinks it means WoW players are desensitized and "sad." But as many people have said, on both Digg and Joystiq, I like to think that, seeing as he was a true WoW player, Nano wouldn't have minded at all. In fact, he probably would have /laughed right along with us.
WoW players set up memorial service for croc hunter
With many still lamenting the unfortunate death of Steve Irwin, the man who struck fear into the hearts of elusive crocodiles everywhere, several World of Warcraft players have decided that it would be a marvelous idea to have an in-game memorial service. User Bubbrubb asserts in a WoW forum post that he's deeply upset about the Australian's passing and that a dignified gathering on the computerized coastal area, Zoram Strand, would be a fitting way of saying goodbye. "I would like to spell out CRIKEY with players as a tribute to his wonderous catch phrase, and then we can dance and swim in the ocean to celebrate his life instead of mourning his death."The World of Warcraft has been host to similar events in the past, providing a common virtual ground for those hoping to express their grief with others. Of course, it also provides an outlet for those hoping to barge in on funerals and completely wreck the proceedings with little fear for real repercussion or reprisal. Let's hope there's a magical security detail for this one. [Via CVG]
Found Footage: OS 9's funeral
Ah, a walk down memory lane. Sit back and watch his Steveness conduct OS 9's funeral at 2002's WWDC.
