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The Guild ends season 6 with a sweet farewell
If you haven't been keeping up with season 6 of The Guild, you've been missing out. Episode 12 marks the end of the latest season, which followed the exploits of Codex as she traversed the tricky real-life mechanics of working for the company that designed her beloved game. Of course the rest of the Knights of Good featured throughout the season as well, invading the game's HQ and creating even more problems for Codex to solve. Unlike previous season finales, this one seems to have a note of finality to it. No cliffhangers for the next season, just a fond and heartfelt farewell from Codex, who seems to have finally figured out her life. Is this the end of The Guild? There's been no final word on that as of yet. But the series, launched all the way back in 2007, has become a beloved fixture in and of itself over the years. If this is indeed the end, it will be missed. Season 6 of The Guild has been running on Geek and Sundry, Felicia Day's premium YouTube channel that hosts a variety of geek-themed programming. You can catch up on all of the episodes from this season on Geek and Sundry's official playlist for season six.
Season 6 of The Guild premieres today
Felicia Day and gang are back for Season 6 of The Guild. We'll get to see what happens now that [spoiler] is [spoiler], and how [spoiler] deals with [spoiler]. I'm sure we'll see the usual number of surprises and cameos this season as well. If you missed last season, Hank Green -- half of the Vlog Brothers -- recapped it in less than 5 minutes. That should bring you up to speed until you can catch up on the episodes. By the way, Netflix has all five seasons, should you want to view them on your television. You can also watch last season on Hulu, iTunes, Xbox live, Bing, and Geek & Sundry. So take a break from Mists, if you can, and enjoy the first episode. Actually, it might be a good thing to watch while doing pet battles. Hmmm ...
WildStar catalogues lore in its Galactic Archives
Senior Narrative Designer Cory Herndon is all about the lore of WildStar, which is why he's equally excited about the methods to relay it to the player. In the most recent WildStar Wednesday, Herndon unveils the game's Galactic Archives, which will do just that. The Galactic Archives will seem familiar to codices in other MMOs and RPGs. Entries are categorized into locations, creatures, sentient species, notable individuals, plants, minerals, technology, lore, enemies, and allies. Players will naturally unlock Archive sections as they play, expanding each individual article as more is discovered in-game. Herndon points out that while the Galactic Archives aren't the only method of relaying story, they are a crucial tool in gathering everything the player's experienced into one handy location. He also says that players pursuing the scientist path will enjoy expanded and additional selections beyond what others experience.
The Guild returns with season 6 on October 2
The Guild, the popular webseries created by Felicia Day is making a return with season 6 on October 2! Last season, the show followed the Knights of Good to the gaming convention MEGAGAME-O-RAMACON. In addition to the regular cast, season 5 was littered with cameos of recognizable faces from all over the science fiction and comics community. The end of the season left off with a cliffhanger as Codex managed to save the guild's beloved game from being sold off -- but she paid a price for it, and the details were left an intriguing mystery. Season 6 of The Guild has a brand-new home on Geek and Sundry, Felicia Day's premium YouTube channel that hosts a variety of geek-themed programming. While checking out the new season is of course highly recommended, you may want to take a look at Geek and Sundry's other programs as well -- I've become shamelessly addicted to Written by a Kid myself. If you're looking to catch up on the last season of The Guild, you can catch it on Geek and Sundry, MSN Video, Xbox Live, iTunes, Hulu, or Netflix.
The Anvil of Crom: Quality-of-life improvements for 2012
This week's Anvil of Crom took a bit of thought because honestly, I haven't felt very motivated to play lately. It's one part burnout and two parts wandering eye, as there are a lot of MMOs out there that I keep hoping Age of Conan will emulate in the interests of becoming a more complete game. It's certainly not a bad game as is; I've been traveling Hyboria for four years now (and writing about it for two), and you don't do that with titles you have to force yourself to play. Like most things, though, AoC could be better.
Hyperspace Beacon: Top five SWTOR launch day secrets
It's official: The year's most highly anticipated MMO is no longer anticipated. As of today, Star Wars: The Old Republic has officially launched in both North America and Europe (and our Australian friends have had it shipped from the US). Despite some earlier issues about the time of delivery, everyone who pre-ordered can play on launch day thanks to the 48-hour grace period and the adjusted shipping date for most retailers. I guess that'll teach BioWare not to release so close to Christmas. Now that you have the game in your hands, what do you do? Of course, you enter in the code to your SWTOR account, but I mean, what do you do once you get into the game? First, if you have absolutely no clue which direction to go, you should read a couple of the class introductions in Massively's giant SWTOR pre-launch guide. Once you've decided on a class, hop past the break as I give you my top five things you must watch out for very early on in the game -- things that will make your launch day experience just a bit more interesting.
A certain point of view: Jef's hands-on with SWTOR's beta
Hey Star Wars fans, what say we recap my recent beta experiences in The Old Republic? I know what you're thinking (because it's the same thing I thought after BioWare's marketing folks sent along an unsolicited invitation): Here comes a giant anti-themepark rant and zomgwtf call someone who cares! Surprisingly though, I had a decent time. I managed to get a Republic Trooper off the Ord Mantell starter planet and firmly entrenched in a few Coruscant quest lines, and I logged over 10 hours of gameplay in the process (in the comfort of my own home, mind you, and not under the watchful eye of a PR droid at a convention). To be frank, TOR's not half bad. It's had a lot of money thrown at it, there's a ton of what passes for modern-day MMO content, and if you're into that sort of thing, you'll no doubt enjoy yourself for a time.
The Guild Season 5 now available for everyone
While Season 5 of The Guild was released for Zune and the Xbox 360 earlier this week, it hasn't been easily available on the web for everyone. Well, that's changed today. For your viewing pleasure, the online smash hit The Guild season 5 has officially hit the 'net! Episode 1, Road Trip, has our online heroes traveling to the Megagame-o-Ramacon, the aptly named convention of all things gaming. The Knights of Good will have their work cut out for them, as the fruits of road trips -- and the actual destination -- never come easily. Felicia Day, the show's creator, and the rest of The Guild were at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, where fans saw a preview of this episode. If you've missed a handful of episodes, catch up over on MSN Video or watch them all on Hulu. You can also catch up over on the Xbox Live Zune marketplace, too.
The Guild: Season 5 to debut July 26
<a data-cke-saved-href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=y0egtxm3&from={from}' href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=y0egtxm3&from={from}' target='_new' title='The Guild Season 5 Trailer' >Video: The Guild Season 5 Trailer</a> Have you been missing The Guild? I know I have. Luckily, fans don't have too much longer to wait. Season 5 of the series created by Felicia Day is coming to Xbox Live on the Zune video Marketplace and to MSN Video on Tuesday, July 26. Picking up where season 4 left off, the newest season of the show follows the Knights of Good to the gaming convention MEGAGAME-O-RAMACON. In addition to the regular cast, season 5 features recognizable guest stars from the science fiction community as well as over 200 extras. The Guild will also appear for the fourth consecutive year at the San Diego Comic-Con with daily signings at booth 4201 and a panel at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, in the Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom. A preview of season 5 will be shown along with a Q&A, so if you're headed to Comic-Con, be sure to check it out. If you're looking to catch up with the series, all four previous seasons are available for viewing on MSN Video, or you can watch them all on Hulu as well.
The Old Republic dev blog outlines codex system, exploration mechanics
You may have heard about the fact that BioWare is banking heavily on story as a selling point for its Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. Narrative has arguably been the focus of BioWare's marketing campaign over the past year, and by all accounts, TOR will have story in spades. How will individual players keep track of the sprawling mythology? And how will they keep track of how their particular class-flavored vignettes fit in with the larger whole? Enter the codex. If you're familiar with BioWare's single-player RPG titles, notably the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, you'll likely feel right at home with TOR's version of the codex. In a new dev blog, TOR lead designer Damion Schubert explains how BioWare devs borrowed from Mass Effect's encyclopaedia-style codex and Dragon Age's chronicle-style codex to arrive at the perfect system for The Old Republic. Aside from being a lore dissemination tool, the codex also functions as something of a questing system, with many entries locked behind requirements such as exploring certain locations in the game world. "All of these features combine to make a nice little collection game for the player, where the reward for the act of collecting is more lore and context offering insights and depth into the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic," Schubert explains. Check out more of his codex-related insights on the game's official website.
The Guild ends the year with DVD release and new comic
The Guild, the award-winning web series by Felicia Day, has a couple of new offerings for this holiday season. Season 4 of the popular web series is now available on DVD through Amazon.com as well as iTunes. The DVD version of the release is packed with extras, including the Game On music video, recaps of earlier seasons, featurettes involving Cheesybeards and Zaboo's mom as well, as audio commentary with the cast and gag reels. The iTunes release is available in both standard and HD versions. An iTunes exclusive bonus feature, The Making of the Team Cawkes Painting, is included when you purchase the entire season. The Season 4 DVD is $10.99 on Amazon; the iTunes version is only $9.99 for HD, or $5.99 for standard edition. And if you happen to be looking for something to read rather than something to watch, The Guild has also released a new one-shot comic titled Vork. Written by Day and actor Jeff Lewis, who plays Vork in the series, this comic centers around Vork and his role within both the game world and real life. As with all Guild comics, the story takes place before the events in Season 1 of The Guild. The comic's only $3.50 from Dark Horse, and you can choose one of two variant covers: Darick Robinson's gladiatorial version of Vork, or the more simplistic, real-life Vork styling of Gilbert Hernandez. For more on The Guild, you can check out the entire series on MSN.
Hands-on with SWTOR's Jedi Knight on Tython
Last month, Massively was invited to LucasArts for a whole day's experience with BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. One of the perks of living on the West Coast is that I get to attend all these awesome in-depth Silicon Valley events and really expand on Massively's sessions at various conventions! For all my enthusiasm, I have to admit I approached this hands-on with no small amount of trepidation. I'm a huge Star Wars fan (I still play Star Wars Galaxies!), but I fell out of "expert" range on the saga a decade ago. Like many of you readers, I've been wary of the hype and even warier of delusions of grandeur on the part of game companies trying to do justice to the IP. I was really afraid that it wouldn't be as good as I'd hoped and that I'd walk away disappointed. And given the parts I saw, SWTOR's not as good as I'd hoped. It's better. %Gallery-108535%
The Guild season 4, episode 10
Video: Season 4 - Episode 10 - Festival of the Sea Codex gets a little help from her friends to fill up Cheesybeards this week on The Guild, Felicia Day's awesome web series that you've all been keeping up with, I'm sure. I've been loving this season, especially the whole Vork/Zaboo's mom relationship, which takes a fun turn in this episode. Wil Wheaton, as usual, still kills me every time he shows up. Season 4 has been ramping up really well, and I'm sad that there are just two episodes remaining. Looking for more on The Guild? We've previously interviewed Felicia Day at BlizzCon 2009, and Michele Boyd gave us an interview for 15 Minutes of Fame. And of course, the cast of The Guild was also kind enough to stop by our BlizzCon reader meetup last year and say hello to everyone.
The Guild season 4, episode 9
Video: Season 4 - Episode 9 - Pirate Paddy Pirates' Day is coming next weekend, which makes "Pirate Paddy," the latest episode of The Guild, the award-winning web series by Felicia Day, just a wee bit more appropriate. This week the story moves on to Codex's commercial for Cheesybeard's, which has been abruptly taken over by Bladezz and his mad editing skills. When everything blows up in her face, Codex is struck with a sudden realization -- but will she manage to pull herself out of the mess she made? Meanwhile, Tink and Clara are mired in their own problems -- mainly an error in ordering products for their new business, which has quickly overtaken Clara's home. You can check out episode 9 above, and find any episodes you've missed and get caught up on The Guild's official series channel. Looking for more on The Guild? We've previously interviewed Felicia Day at BlizzCon 2009, and Michele Boyd gave us an interview for 15 Minutes of Fame. And of course, the cast of The Guild was also kind enough to stop by our BlizzCon reader meetup last year and say hello to everyone.
The Guild season 4, episode 8
Video: Season 4 - Episode 8 - Busted The Guild, the award-winning web series by Felicia Day, is still merrily chugging along with season 4. This season features all kinds of new problems for Codex and her cohorts in the Knights of Good. Season 4 has taken the focus a little further away (but not too far) from the game and moved it to Codex, who is still dealing with the disastrous fallout from the events at the end of season 3. In the latest episode, "Busted," things are rapidly coming to a head as Codex tries to juggle her real-life, failing, fake relationship with her failing computer and her new job, as well as the return of Zaboo's mother -- which is creating all kinds of chaos. The gaming element is still present, of course, as the Knights of Good struggle to come up with the funds for a new guild hall, and the rakish guild leader of the Axis of Anarchy, Fawkes (played by Wil Wheaton), is stirring up all kinds of trouble in the name of mischief. Or is it in the name of something else? You can check out episode 8 above, and you can find any episodes you've missed and get caught up on The Guild's official series channel. Looking for more on The Guild? We've previously interviewed Felicia Day at BlizzCon 2009, and Michele Boyd gave us an interview for 15 Minutes of Fame. And of course, the cast of The Guild was also kind enough to stop by our BlizzCon reader meetup and say hello to everyone.
Game On! The cast of The Guild releases new music video
They've done it again. Almost one year after the ridiculously catchy "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar," the cast of The Guild has released a second video. Game On begins with Codex trying to back off of gaming a bit. "People say it's weird," she says. Zaboo, with his typical over-the-top enthusiasm, has hired an entire troupe of dancers to lure her back in. It's a fun video with shades of Benny Lava in some of the subtitles, and the typical antics of our favorite Guildies are in full force. Vork is stoic (read what you will into the meaning behind his faux-Vishnu costume), Clara and Bladezz are ogling various dancers, Zaboo is flailing about, and Tink is strutting her stuff. Check out the video on The Guild's site.
The Guild's new music video: Game On
The Guild has released a new music video, which was originally debuted at San Diego Comic-Con last week. This time, they've jumped from the virtual scene into the Bollywood scene. Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh) leads a song in which he tries to convince Codex (Felicia Day) to put down her book and jump into the game. The set is complete with a full ensemble of dancers, wonderful choreography, the rest of The Guild's cast and even a real elephant. They did a wonderful job of mimicking Bollywood style and still keep with their usual sense of humor, which shows up in everything they do. This comes in the middle of their season 4 storyline involving the quest to build the better guild hall, as well as Codex's usual dose of drama where gaming and real life collide. Check out their latest adventures on Bing.
The Guild sells out for Christmas
It was just on Sunday that we first heard about a Guild Christmas special, and now here it is. The Guild gang have decided that the web series thing isn't really happening with the money, so they're taking the advice of commenters and selling out with six different pieces of merchandise, one for each Guild member. They're actually pretty funny, from a Codex "answer Orb" to a talking Tinkerballa doll to a Vork unbreakable bank (unfortunately, all of the items have been recalled for various reasons). There's some cool guest stars in the mix as well -- see if you can spot Heroes' James Kyson Lee (in a Delorean!) and our buddy Alex Albrecht, along with a few other familiar faces. Good stuff, and man, The Guild crew is getting really good at making some quality video. No word whether these will show up on Xbox Live at all (they're actually out now on YouTube, so this may just be something the guys did for fun, outside of the Microsoft agreement), but you can watch them all right now above. Merry Christmas, guildies! All I really want for Christmas is a Vork unbreakable bank -- in these troubled times, it's really the safest thing to do with your hard earned money. Like The Guild? We do, too! We've got all the episodes of season 3 posted: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and episode 12 above. We've also chatted with all of the folks at BlizzCon, including Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, and Jeff Lewis and Michele Boyd. And as if that wasn't enough Guild, here's the liveblog of their panel, and the guys were nice enough to stop by our meetup as well. Stay tuned for more Guild here on WoW.com!
The Guild season 3 finale
The Guild has come to the end of season 3, and it's all come down to this. Codex is facing off what's left of the Axis of Anarchy, Riley has appeared to ruin Zaboo's game, and all of the other issues this season come to a head as the showdown reaches its conclusion. And being that this is the season finale, there's a few surprises in the mix as well, and a shocker of a finish. You can watch the show over on MSN (which is now calling itself Bing), on the Xbox Live and Zune marketplaces, or right after the break below. The gang has also released the final gag reel of the season, with outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from the last three episodes. Lots of fun stuff in there as well, though definitely be sure to finish the season first -- as you might expect, there's some spoilers. And I'm sure the gag reels, and lots of other special footage, will end up on the eventual DVD release for this season. We'll let you know about that, and season four, when we hear about it. Long live the Knights of Good! Like The Guild? We do, too! We've got all the episodes of season 3 posted: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and episode 12 above. We've also chatted with all of the folks at BlizzCon, including Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, and Jeff Lewis and Michele Boyd. And as if that wasn't enough Guild, here's the liveblog of their panel, and the guys were nice enough to stop by our meetup as well. Stay tuned for more Guild here on WoW.com!
The Guild season 3, episode 10: It's on!
Alright, I hate this episode. I do. If you're a fan of The Guild, you're better off skipping this episode... and watching it next week along with episode 11. That's because this season is coming to a close and the Knights of Good and the Axis of Anarchy are headed for a collision course and this episode will only leave you wanting more. Curse you, Felicia Day! Curse your clever scriptwriting and intriguing character development! Curse your Wil Wheaton cameos and the rest of his dastardly crew! I should've held off on watching this because now, well, I have to wait another week. And I hate waiting. You, on the other hand, are now being hypnotized with WoW.com subliminal messages (it's a new technology our tech guys have been working on) that will make you click on the Read More link below and watch the antepenultimate episode of Season 3. I know I made that word up (EDIT: turns out I didn't make that word up... it actually exists. Subconscious grasp of the English language FTW. - thanks, Splodesondeath!). What else am I supposed to call the episode before the penultimate one? So check out the latest episode and see the season build up to a crescendo where the Knights of Good take on their greatest challenge yet. Like The Guild? We do, too! We chatted with all of the folks at BlizzCon, including Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, and Jeff Lewis and Michele Boyd. We also saw their panel, and the guys were nice enough to stop by our meetup as well. Stay tuned here every Tuesday for a brand new episode of season 3!
