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Gen Con 2010: Massively's interview with Wizard101
Wizard101, the free-to-play game from Kingsisle, has been gaining a bit more attention lately. The announcement of the upcoming Celestia expansion turned a few heads with its promise of a new level cap, a pet system, and new content, and as the release date approaches, the Kingsisle team has plenty to say about the game. We had the opportunity to chat with the developers last week at Gen Con, and if you're curious as to what the fuss is all about, you're in luck. We discussed the the game's past, present and future, and gained a great overview of what Kingsisle hopes to accomplish in the coming months. Follow along after the jump to see what we discussed!
Upper Deck awards TCG and minis North American Continental Champions
I spent my Saturday out at Gen Con in Indianapolis, and while I did hunt down some of the World of Warcraft action there, there was just too much going on to pay attention to the 2009 North American Continental Championships for the WoW minis and TCGs, which took place right there in the TCG hall. Fortunately, the official site covered it all, so if you're a fan of the trading card game and want to know who the best current players in North America are, there you go. On the TCG side, Corey Burkhart took the top spot by playing a Troll Shaman deck for the win. In the minis competition, Michael Allen picked up the big prize. The official site has lots more information, including rundowns of each match, standings for each round, and even a Facebook album full of photos.The winners picked up thousands of dollars in prizes (including a 17" MacBook Pro and a 30" Apple monitor for Corey), and all of these guys will all compete in the World Championships, to be held in Austin, Texas this October (that prize goes up to a whopping $100,000 overall, so the stakes can get big). Congratulations to all the winners -- sounds like it was a rousing event there in Indy, and Upper Deck is probably on their way as we speak off to meet with us later this week at BlizzCon.
Gen Con 2009: MMOs in the E-gaming area
Massively was at Gen Con 2009 yesterday in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while most of the (gigantic) convention was involved with more traditional types of gaming, from dice and board games to collectible card games and RPGs, MMOs made their own splash in the "e-gaming" area. Sony Online Entertainment probably had the biggest presence -- in among huge posters of Free Realms and Star Wars Galaxies, they had demos running of all of their current games (though we didn't see any previews of DCUO or The Agency running). A costumed model posed for pictures in front of a large Legends of Norrath poster, while over in the CCG area, SOE held tournaments of the game for players.%Gallery-70176%
Upper Deck finalizes Gen Con plans
Anybody else going to Gen Con this coming weekend? I'll be there on Saturday (and we might even be having a mini-meetup on Saturday night -- Twitter is probably the best place to listen for that), and I'll be sure to take pictures and/or movies of anything WoW that I see on display. Upper Deck has finalized their plans for the event, and it appears they'll be out in force. In addition to what's been announced previously, there'll be a North American Continental Championship for the WoW TCG, with the winner walking away with $10,000 in prizes, including a brand new MacBook Pro, $1000 in Amazon gift cards, and a 30" monitor. But if, like me, you're far from a pro player, you'll still be able to get in on the fun: they'll be demoing the game all weekend, and giving away special promo cards with every demo. WoW Minis will also be there, and they'll be selling a special limited edition Fleet Master Seahorn figure for $9.99, which introduces the questing mechanic to the minis game (we'll expect to see those at BlizzCon as well, I'm sure).Plus, who knows what else we'll see there -- in the past, we've seen some great displays from Blizzard partners, and even a real-life server protest a few years back. Gen Con is one of the biggest gatherings of gamers in the country, and wherever there are gamers, odds are we'll find World of Warcraft. It'll be my first time seeing the convention this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it.
WoW and its partners at Gen Con 2009
Gen Con Indy 2009 is just around the corner (it's the weekend before BlizzCon), and if you're headed out for the "best four days in gaming," keep an eye out there for some of this Warcraft stuff. Blizzard won't actually be there, as far as we know (it's more of a convention for board games and roleplaying than video games), but lots of their partners will. Upper Deck will probably have the biggest presence -- both the WoW TCG and the WoW Minis games will have setups where you can sit down and play either one, and they'll be running the Continental Championships as well, where they'll crown some of the best players in the country. And there'll be other tournaments and gameplay for both games going on as well -- the guys from wowtcgscrub.com are organizing a tournament of their own, and Upper Deck will have other ways for you to compete at all levels all weekend long.Fantasy Flight Games, the makers of both World of Warcraft: The Board Game and World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game, will also be in attendance. They haven't announced anything special for the Warcraft games, but they'll likely have them out and playing in at least one demo space. And Warcraft will be there in attendance through the fans as well for sure.In fact, I'll be there for the first time this year -- my friend and I are going to be checking out the show on Saturday. I have no idea what to expect, but i've heard from a few readers that are going already, so if there's interest, we might try to schedule a WoW.com meetup that evening. So if you're headed for Gen Con this year, keep an eye out for the World of Warcraft there.
Legends of Norrath championship qualifiers start 16th of May
If you're a hotshot Legends of Norrath player and want to get into the 2009 World Championship Tournament at Gen Con Indy in August, clear your schedule for this coming weekend. The first of the Championship Qualifiers will begin on Saturday the 16th of May, and if you're in the top 16 players of the day, you'll be playing on Sunday as well. Both first and second place will take home some cash, and travel and accommodation for Gen Con Indy so that they can compete in the World Championship.Of course, if the cards don't line up for you this weekend, there will be other opportunities to win your championship spot over the next few months: Legends of Norrath 2009 World Championship Qualifier Tournaments Dates: Scheduled for May 16-17, 2009 Scheduled for June 6-7, 2009 Scheduled for June 20-21, 2009 Scheduled for August 1-2, 2009 There will even be a few spots to be won at the actual Gen Con Indy event for a handful of lucky late entrants. The eventual World Championship tournament boasts US$10,000 and US$5,000 first and second prizes, and the winners' likenesses will be put on new cards. Full entry details for this weekend's contest can be found here. We'll keep you posted on further qualifier news as it comes up.
A Star Trek Online interview about time travel and travel time
We've said before that the main source of information on Star Trek Online at this point is hints and implications peppered through interviews with Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert. The latest of those interviews is lighter on details than were previous conversations, but it's still worth a read.Speaking to Ten Ton Hammer at Gen Con, Emmert started out vaguely answering questions about character customization. Nothing new there. But it got a bit more interesting when he used time travel as an example of something pivotal to the franchise, but that's made difficult to implement by technological and budgetary limitations. He spoke as if he'd already given a great deal of thought to it; perhaps that's a clue that despite the problems, time travel is something Cryptic intends to put in the game.Other topics included the uniqueness of Star Trek ship design, instancing, procedurally-generated areas for exploration, and travel time.
Gen Con 08: Turbine tells us what's in store for Asheron's Call
At Gen Con, we spoke with Turbine's Andy Cataldo, the Community Manager for Asheron's Call, about the future of this historic game. Cataldo told us a lot about AC's epic 100th update. The update is coming within the next few weeks, and it's a doozy. According to Cataldo, AC players will get a whole new faction system, three land areas to battle over, tons of new loot and spells, and various other improvements to the game, particularly to enemy AI.In addition to working its regular monthly event and patch schedule, Turbine is attempting to respond to player demand for a variety of new features in the 100th and all future updates. Particular emphasis is being placed on adding features common in modern MMOs, such as a quest tracking menu. AC has been around for almost ten years, so it has some catching up to do!Learn more about Turbine's big push to modernize the game, add lots of new content, and more in the interview after the break.
Gen Con 08: Turbine tells us what's in store for AC, Part 2
Given that the game has been around for so long, do you see this addition of modern MMO features as something that the player base is really clamoring for, or are you sort of scaling that against what other games have right now?Really, it's what the players are asking for. That's one of the things we pride ourselves on: listening to the players. Feedback and player concerns are very important to us.
Meet the Flying Lab Software team at Gen Con Indy
Any Pirates of the Burning Sea fans heading to Gen Con Indy this year will be able to catch up with the folks from Flying Lab Software. They will be there representing their game in the Exhibitor Hall at Booth #1033, but if you really want to get to know the team, then you'll want to go along to their meet-up at the pub!On August the 14th, wear your PotBS shirt if you have one and head on over to Loughmiller's Pub. From 6pm to 9pm -- and probably later -- you'll find yourself in good (albeit pirate) company, with members of the FLS team and your fellow fans. There will even be some prizes up for grabs, so if you're going to be in the area, register for the meet-up and treat yourself to a night of PotBS fun.
Challenge the original LotRO Lore-Masters at Gen Con Indy
If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings Online, and you're still undecided about attending Gen Con Indy this year, let us make your decision a bit easier. During this wildly-popular gaming convention, you will have the opportunity to challenge the original lore-masters at their own game. Not only will there be prizes to be won, but you will get to meet some of the story and content designers on the game, such as Jonathan "Berephon" Rudder, Paul "Rhidden" Simon and Chris Pierson. This event will not be based on LotRO trivia or from the movies, but actual Tolkien-based lore, taken from the Fantasy Flight Games' Lord of the Rings Trivia Game.In addition to this contest, a few of the developers will also be participating in several Writer's Symposium panels at the convention, as well as doing book-signing in the Author's Avenue. The convention itself will be held from August 14th through the 17th in Indianapolis, IN, so don't miss it!
LoN Championship Qualifier for May takes place this weekend
The full details for the Legends of Norrath May Championship Qualifier have been spilled at EQ2Players. While there are regular tournaments for LoN all the time, these championship qualifiers are the ones you really want to win -- tasty cash prizes, and of course a place in the championship at Gen Con Indy, are up for grabs for those that can prove their skill.The event will begin at 10:00AM PDT on Saturday the 17th, and spans both days of the weekend. This tournament doesn't have an entry fee, but you must be a U.S. resident to be eligible. The eventual winners of the championship at Gen Con will be showered with riches, so if you fancy your chances, it would be worth getting involved on Saturday and Sunday. More information on the prizes and tournament structure can be found after the break.
Warhammer Online tours America, unites people
It's not stating the situation too excessively to remark that people are excited about this game. Many are anticipating it with the same fervor mustered by religious zealots. Some use the phrase 'WoW Killer'. And all of this without even having played the thing at all.Well, there's news that might mitigate that last little bit: If you can't wait for the eventual open beta download, you can play WAR at a few events across the country! The list of events, with locations and dates, after the jump!
January LoN championship qualifier to take place this weekend
Last month the first qualifying round for the Legends of Norrath championships took place, and we're now staring down the barrel of round two. Beginning at 10AM PST on January 26th, the January LoN Championship Qualifier will commence. As with last round, there's about USD$5000 in prizes up for grabs, with the overall winner getting cash, a trip to Gen Con Indy, entry into the LoN championship and their likeness on a new card.There is no entry fee to get involved, but only US citizens may participate. Aside from the main prize, players up to 16th place will be rewarded in cash. The first day will be a series of heats, and the top 16 from day one will advance to day two where final placing will be determined with more battles. Get the full details of the qualifier after the break.
LoN championship qualifiers begin this weekend -- $5000 prize pool and more
The first in a series of qualifers for the 2008 Legends of Norrath Championship will take place this weekend. On Saturday the 15th of December, from 10:00AM PST, players of LoN can participate in tournaments to win a spot in the Championship that will take place at Gen Con Indy.But there's a lot more at stake than just the Championship entry -- the total prize pool is worth around USD$5000 and is spread among the top 16 players from the weekend's contests. Aside from the Championship spot, first place will get $500, paid air travel to Gen Con Indy, a 4-day Gen Con Indy badge, and -- brace yourself for this one -- their likeness on a new LoN card!The rest of the players ranked up to 16th will get a share in the remaining cash, with second place taking a sizeable $750. Unlike some of the recent LoN tournaments, this one will not have an entry fee, so if you fancy your chances then keep this weekend open. The full event details, and a list of the prizes, are posted after the break.
The road to $100,000 continues in Indiana
When I was but a wee lad of five, my grandmother taught me how to play poker. What can I say, she knew how to have fun. As I grew up, my love for card games extended to board games and video games. Then came trading card games which took up a good deal of my teen years and I played for the enjoyment of competition. Others apparently play to win enough cold hard cash to buy an BMW M6 Convertible.The US Nationals of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournament is this weekend at Gen Con Indy in Indiana. The first and second place winner of the national tournament will get flown to San Diego, California over Thanksgiving weekend to compete in the World Championship tournament and get their shot at the $100,000 grand prize.Upper Deck, the makers of the card game, will be covering the three day national tournament live on their site. There are elimination rounds through Sunday when the final winners will be crowned. Now, if we can just get paid to play WoW itself.
Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale
Tickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.See also: Official VGL report from Philly (with some local links to boot) Video Games Live ticket purchases opened a bit early The official page for Gen Con Indy PS2 impressions: Guitar Hero II
