halloween-2011
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Guild Wars is giving players another shot at hats
If you're up in New England, you may be one of the millions of people who got to experience an extra-spooky Halloween this year in light of the complete lack of power to your home. And among the many other problems you faced, you weren't able to take part in the finale of the holiday event for Guild Wars and couldn't obtain your free hat. While the developers behind the game won't replace all of your spoiled food, they are giving players a second shot at getting a hat. If you're wondering how you get hats, the post announcing the extension helpfully explains that they're obtained in exchange for Halloween items traded to a special hat vendor NPC being spawned in Lion's Arch and Kamadan. Said hat vendor will be in town most likely some time next week and will remain in place for about a week, giving everyone a chance at a special holiday hat -- albeit a little belated.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Zola's a little cranky, and so am I
Halloween is here! OK, technically Halloween has been in Tyria for a week and a half, but Mad King Thorn is here today! By now, everyone's hit Lion's Arch and Kamadan to pick up festival masks, we've mobbed the King in the hopes of getting chosen for Rock Paper Scissors, and we've laughed at his delightfully horrible jokes. (And before you even ask, yes, the pumpkin-on-head joke still cracks me up.) I've thoroughly enjoyed almost all of Halloween 2011 in Guild Wars. Yep, I said almost. There's a single aspect of this festival that stands out very strongly and unpleasantly to me. Follow along after the jump, and let's talk it over.
Leaderboard: MMO trick vs. MMO treat
Ah, Halloween. It's the time of the year that every single MMO in existence reveals its deep-rooted bigotry against pumpkins and our already decorated virtual funhouses are given yet another layer of pretend nonsense. Not that I'm complaining, mind you -- I adore Halloween in MMOs. It's my favorite holiday, virtual or real, and I'm always anxious to see what the crazed minds of maddened developers have come up with in their spare time between logging TPS reports. Today's Leaderboard is simple: Do you want a cool new trick in your MMO or a tasty treat? A "trick" being new quests, special content, or a fun spookhouse to explore, and a "treat" being nifty Halloween rewards that you can consume, wear, or otherwise show off to the 2,540 other folks who got the same exact thing. It's trick-or-treat today on Massively, so which side do you support, and how far are you willing to go? If they pull a knife, you pull out a bag of candy corn -- that's the Halloweentown way!
New RIFT video is dressing up for Halloween
It's always a bit of a scary time in RIFT's setting of Telara. After all, it's rough to think that at any moment the sky could tear open right next to your favorite restaurant and turn it into a shrieking pit of death. So you can imagine that things get even jumpier around this time of year, what with everyone seeing death around every corner and undead in every shadow. What's a resident of Telara to do? Well, fortunately, there are Ascended running around to keep the world safe on a day-to-day basis. But as the video just past the break shows, when you're facing something a bit more frightening than the average day, you need to call on a more formidable set of allies. Check on past the cut to see RIFT's holiday spectacular in all its glory, a reminder that even in these times of darkness, there are knights around every corner. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Star Supremacy hands out treats to beta testers
As Star Supremacy continues its star trek through beta and toward release, Barbily Games has a few treats (but not tricks) in store for testers. After gathering feedback and bug reports from players in the beta, the dev team has whipped up a few hefty updates that should improve the game end-to-end. These updates include an improved UI, a chat system, alliances, item trading, and a tutorial. And even though the team is mired in beta craziness, there's always time for a little Halloween fun. The Star Supremacy devs have issued a challenge to players to find hidden GM bases. Those that do will be rewarded with special in-game items, such as pumpkin helmets and longevity tokens. Finally, Barbily is giving away gaming headsets to a few lucky fans that have "liked" the game's Facebook page. The drawing will happen when the page reaches 30,000 likes. Star Supremacy will be heading into open beta on November 15th. [Source: Barbily Games press release]
The Daily Grind: Will you be participating in MMO Halloween festivities?
Halloween is here! OK, it's not quite here yet, but the parties have started in a host of MMOs out there. Our Halloween round-up from yesterday includes over 20 celebrations, which brings up the question: Will you be attending any of them? Festivals might include special event quests, seasonal NPCs, spooky costumes for your characters, and of course Halloween-themed goodies dropping from monsters throughout the land. It's a once-a-year celebration that pulls focus pretty hard in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Is that focus a good thing to you? Do you indulge in the festivities, costumes, and piles of virtual candy, or do you wait anxiously for things to return to your regularly scheduled gaming? 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!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition
Halloween is here! Yes, yes, it's here in real life, but it's here in Tyria as well! Halloween is one of my favorite Guild Wars celebrations for a lot of silly reasons. I love tapping the "R" key and unleashing a string of Ghosts-in-the-Box, I love the costumes, I love the beleaguered citizens of Lion's Arch and Kamadan (they're so funny and mopey in their transformed states!), and most of all I love the Mad King Thorn and his stupid jokes. I know they're lame and I don't care. The pumpkin-on-head joke slays me every year. As of this writing, the new quests haven't dropped yet, but there's still plenty to do. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at what's going on in Tyria!
A haunted Halloween MMO tour [Update]
While many real world holidays receive digital treatments in MMOs, it always seems like Halloween is the most popular. Perhaps it's because MMOs are already into the spirit of the season, with characters dressing up, "trick or treating" mobs for their candy, and tackling spooky, scary areas where doom is sure to lurk. Or perhaps developers just really like pumpkins and haunted houses. Who doesn't? With most MMOs sporting Halloween content, it's a safe bet that there's something for you in your favorite game. So hop on the hayride and get ready for a tour through the most terrifying, cute, and boo-tastic Halloween events in town! [Update: Added more festivals... for justice!]
City of Heroes' Cord 'Thinktank' Carney details Dr. Kane's Mansion
Halloween is almost here, and of course that means that many MMOs are gearing up for seasonal events. One of those MMOs is Paragon Studios' City of Heroes. A new addition to the festivities this year is Dr. Kane's Mansion, and World Designer Cord "Thinktank" Carney has taken time out of his busy schedule to talk a bit about the creation of City of Heroes' Halloween event and Dr. Kane's Mansion. One of the key challenges, Carney says, was balancing the event so that it's accessible to new players brought in by the game's free-to-play transition as well as ensuring that it isn't a cake-walk for veterans. Also of note is the task of making the event feel dynamic and alive by providing a variety of NPCs you can speak to, a multitude of triggered events, and so forth. For the full article on the making of Dr. Kane's Mansion, head on over to the official City of Heroes site.
League of Legends unearths harrowing Halloween skins
It's not too late to sign up for Riot Games' Institute of Horror, brought to you by League of Legends and your deepest, darkest nightmares! During the Harrowing event, fright-proof players can enjoy Halloween goodies and decorations sprinkled around their favorite maps. Skin collectors (ew) will be delighted to hear that there are four frightfully fascinating variations to nab, as Annie, Blitzcrank, Nidalee and Nocturne now boast a spooky makeover. These will be available as soon as the patch goes live. Unfortunately, these skins will be gone once the Harrowing is over, so get them pronto or forever hold your peace. You can view League of Legends' severed-tongue-in-cheek Harrowing trailer after the jump.
City of Heroes adding a haunted house to the Halloween event
In a game all about creating colorful costumes, you might expect that Halloween would be a major holiday. And for years that's been the case in City of Heroes, with a special costume slot only available via taking part in the event. But this year it's time to bring back something that's long been missing from the holiday event by instilling a sense of terror. There's a new part to the event now, Dr. Kane's House of Horror, and it's going live on the servers on October 20th. Accessed via the Team-up Teleporter, the house will be a cooperative venture for four players between 15-50, with heroes and villains alike seeking to prevent Dr. Kane from unleashing the unquiet dead upon the world. That's in addition to the usual festivities for the event, which include costume slots and zombie invasions across the game world. With City of Heroes Freedom in full effect, everyone can enjoy the celebration this year, even if you might not make it out of the new haunted house in one piece.
Guild Wars rolling out the annual Halloween contest
We're still a month away from the holiday that invariably fills every game with ghosts and ghouls, but that's no reason not to get started on your Halloween plans. Especially if your plans involve the annual Guild Wars contest, a chance for players to show off their creativity by designing some game-themed art. And this year, one of the prizes includes the small sensation that's sweeping the nation, the Charr plush doll pictured above. Running until October 13th, the contest calls for players to submit a photo of their work in .JPG format for ease of viewing. This year's prizes are split between the general art category and costumes, with both sides receiving the same lineup of offerings. Win the Grand Prize, First Prize, or Second Prize, and you'll be able to call one of the adorable fiery harbingers of destruction your own. Make sure to take a look at the official rules, and then you should probably buckle down and start working on that Dervish outfit.
