grassroots
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Enter at Your Own Rift: Happy half-birthday, RIFT!
It's hard to believe -- but amazing nevertheless -- that RIFT is almost a half-year old. Six months ago, hundreds of thousands of gamers rushed through the gates to become the first to explore Telara, included me, and we were introduced to what's become one of the most dominating MMOs of the year. Following this smooth release (and it was smooth), Trion Worlds set a remarkable standard for itself by pumping out meaty content updates at a steady, rapid pace and marketing RIFT out the wazoo. We've already witnessed two live events, numerous subscription specials, the addition of a ginormous raid, and my not having hit 50 yet -- to my eternal embarrassment. Of course, there have been bumps in the road as well: a lackluster initial world event, a segment of disgruntled players and opponents, and the looming specter of several heavy-hitting MMOs waiting in the wings. But for right here and right now, this is Trion's time, and the company is taking advantage of this half-year milestone to light the fireworks and lay out the good china in celebration. We got on the phone with Scott Hartsman and his Justice League to talk about what the studio has up its sleeves for this event -- and what's next for this rapidly expanding title.
How many trees must die for iWave's Earth-friendly headphones, iPhone cases? (update)
We're not experts or anything, but cutting down trees to manufacture your headphones ($30), ear buds ($20), and iPhone cases ($25) does not really seem all that "green" to us. But what good is selling stuff made from "reusable, environmentally friendly and recyclable materials" if you can't broadcast your sense of social responsibility with "rustic wood grain finishes and smooth earthy tones" that "mirror the true beauty that surrounds us?" Is we right, or is we right? The Grass Roots Collection (get it?) starts shipping August 1st. PR after the break. Update: A rep from iWave just sent in an email to assure us that no trees whatsoever were harmed in the making of the Grass Roots collection. We just want to take this opportunity to set the record straight -- and to point out that the Earth in the above illustration reminds us of a Chia Pet. Thanks!
iPhone provides grassroots inspiration
MSN Money has a fascinating report on the reaction to Apple's unveiling of the iPhone at January's Macworld. If any event could be said to trigger a groundswell of grassroots reporting, it was the iPhone. In fact, the iPhone certainly set new records in that regard with a huge response of rich media--podcasts, photos, videos, hands-on reports and more. According to the MSN article, the iPhone was mentioned by more blogs for the next 10 days than either McDonald's or George W. Bush. Wikipedia had an iPhone entry within minutes of Jobs' keynote speech. Nifty article, well worth a read.
Giant Wii FAQ
We'll be honest...you probably know all the information in this rather gargantuan FAQ from IGN. It was written for an audience that doesn't obsessively check video game news sites every day (nerds!...we love you guys), and as such, it's an extremely comprehensive database on pretty much everything about the Wii, updated with all the new information from the September 14th event. If you need a little refresher course, or just want to link one of your living-under-a-rock friends and do a little grassroots marketing, head on over to IGN (and try not to get buried in advertisements).
