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Gamigo doubles down to celebrate its 10-year anniversary
Birthdays are usually a time when you get to have more things for yourself -- people bring you cake and presents while letting you act more or less however you want. But Gamigo is turning that formula on its ear just a bit. The publisher of several free-to-play games (such as Black Prophecy and King of Kings 3) is celebrating its 10th anniversary by giving away some bonuses to players, starting with a chance to get twice as much in-game money. While each individual game will be getting some more specific promotions in the coming days, every 10th player who purchases money from a game's cash shop will receive double the amount purchased. It's a decent chance to double the size of your in-game wallet at no extra charge, although the promotion is only running for the next 10 days. If you'd had your eyes on a big purchase lately, now might be the time to put down the money -- you just might get lucky.
Microtransaction items for Japanese aid in gPotato's stores
The earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th may no longer be at the forefront of gamers' minds, but the country is still reeling from the impact. NCsoft and CCP Games have both announced efforts to help aid the Japanese people with charitable donations, and it looks like gPotato has decided to encourage players to donate as well. The company has added new merchandise into the microtransaction stores for several games that, items that will grant players a unique look as well as donating all profits to the Red Cross. Rappelz, Flyff, and Luna Plus are all offering capes for players, while Tales Runner offers a shirt and Iris Online offers a kitten hat. (Sadly, the cat in question is not Maru.) One hundred percent of profits will be donated to the Red Cross to aid in relief efforts, and the items cannot be purchased with "free" currency. The items will be available until March 31st, so if you play the games and haven't yet donated, now would be the time.
Schedule posted for the EVE fanfest livestream
If you're a fan of EVE Online, missing this year's fanfest is unpleasant... but unless you're taking a trip out to Iceland, it's also a sad reality. However, the livestream of the important events does at least help to take the edge off, giving players watching from afar a taste of what's going down at the gathering. The official schedule for the stream has just been posted, which gives everyone an idea of what to expect from the event. Players can either watch the stream free in normal quality on EVE TV or purchase the HD version for a nominal fee. (Purchasing the HD version also offers players a small promotional item for their characters by way of an additional carrot.) The livestream service currently is not planned to be recordable, so if you're considering shelling out money to watch the latest EVE Online gathering, there's that much more reason to check the schedule and make sure you won't be missing anything.
PAX East 2011: One Massive roundup
PAX East has already begun fading into memory, but there was a lot to see and do over the three days of the convention. Even if we disregard the numerous fan gatherings and community events taking place, there were an awful lot of games on the floor, with showings from MMOs that dwarfed last year's offerings. If you were lucky enough to be there, we can only hope that you had fun and got to see all of the impressive displays. Of course, you may very well have missed one or two things, what with all of the sound and lines and people walking around with a pixel costume. Even if you were sitting at home, you might have missed some of our coverage of this event. Just jump on past the break for a full recap of Massively's coverage of the con, covering everything from the venerable City of Heroes to the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Between the lines of PAX
I think that the first year of PAX East spoiled me for any and all future City of Heroes panels. At the time Paragon Studios held that panel, there was a new expansion due out in that marvelous sweet spot when it's just far enough away that a lot of questions are unanswered but not so far away that we can't be told all of the cool parts. Every panel since then has had a bit less to share, but really, that's kind of the nature of the beast. Until we get expansion number three on deck, we aren't going to have another panel with that much information and that many surprises unloaded all at once. Still, another part of my brain can't help but feel as if the most interesting part of this year's presence for City of Heroes wasn't the panel itself but the other elements surrounding the panel. (Considering that I already wrote up what happened there, this may also serve a stunningly convenient purpose for writing a column about the convention.) There's certainly no hints of a big revelation around the corner, but there were little elements hither and yon that piqued my interest for various reasons.
DC Universe Online developers having a chat with fans tomorrow
Are you enjoying DC Universe Online? Would you be enjoying it even more if you had a chance to speak with the developers about what's on deck for the near future and what issues will be getting addressed soon? If so, you're in luck (and you have some strangely focused sources of happiness, but that's not really germane to anything). The team announced earlier today on the game's Facebook page that this Wednesday will see the first post-launch virtual chat with development. Jens Andersen, Chris Cao, and Mark Anderson will all be on hand for this chat, starting at 8 p.m. EST (5 p.m. PST) on Facebook. The chief focus of the discussion will be on the game's recent February update, covering what went right, what needs more work, and what the team has learned from the first patch in what's sure to be an ongoing update cycle. So if you're a DC Universe Online fan, with or without the oddly specific criteria, you might want to clear out some time tomorrow evening to catch up with the development team.
CCP hides valuable information within QR code
Being a bit devious and underhanded in EVE Online is pretty much the basic standard of interaction. CCP's flagship game has built itself a reputation of rewarding the clever and the analytical, but the developers themselves have only occasionally taken part in the antics themselves. The development team has gone a step further this time, however, posting a bit of valuable information for fans... in the form of a QR code, with no further hints for players. Players with smartphones and other QR readers have already deciphered the meaning of the square, which promises a fan gathering at PAX East in Boston. There will be developers, drinks, and an event exclusive, but players will be required to mail their first and last names as well as their character names to paxeast2011@ccpgames.com in order to attend. It promises to be a fun time for EVE Online fans -- and while it's a bit of a sneaky way of making the announcement, really, it's par for the course. [Thanks to Prime Synergy for the tip!]
BlizzCon Roundup - Saturday
This year's BlizzCon is not one of startling revelations, but instead a chance for players to meet with and engage the developers, as well as celebrate Blizzard Entertainment's three long-running and much-loved franchises. But that doesn't mean there's nothing for World of Warcraft fans to learn from the various panels and interviews, so of course the team from WoW Insider is on the ground and reporting on every detail of the convention. And just like yesterday, we've distilled all the stories into a handy digest format! Focusing on Q&A panels and interviews, today's highlights include a talk with the two most prolific authors of World of Warcraft novels: Christie Golden and Richard A. Knaak. There are also transcripts from the two major Q&A panels, and some interesting tidbits from the designers -- including the long-awaited confirmation that the dance studio feature promised for Wrath of the Lich King has not been quietly forgotten. Read on past the break for a roundup of the day's coverage!
BlizzCon Roundup - Friday
For those of you unaware, this weekend is playing host to BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment's annual fan gathering for all of their franchises. For those of you really unaware, that includes World of Warcraft. (If you aren't familiar with the game, really, there's no helping any more.) And while the Massively crew is off taking care of other important things this weekend, our sister site WoW Insider has plenty of staff on the scene covering the big stories to come out of the convention. The focus of the World of Warcraft coverage, to no one's great surprise, are the changes coming in Cataclysm. Friday has featured the panel for Dungeons and Raids as well as Quests and Lore, not to mention the unveiling of convention swag and the first round of costume photos. Click past the break for the roundup of stories, and check back tomorrow for another helping of convention news!
LEGO Universe lets pre-order customers start extra early
Anticipation for LEGO Universe has been building ever since the foundation was laid for the game. Considering the way in which players have assembled for the game's release, it seems no surprise that the team behind the game has put together something special for launch. We had known that there would be an early access event to allow players to start piecing things together, but now it seems that an even earlier release is being opened up for "Founders" to start playing -- one that starts this weekend. Starting at 10:08 a.m. EDT on Friday, October 8th, the pre-order customers known in community terms as "Founders" will be able to log in and start playing the game, allowing them full access over the weekend. If you can't wait until then and still haven't pre-ordered, however, you aren't out of luck yet, as the official announcement encourages players to visit the nearest LEGO store to pre-order the game and get a special mini-figure. LEGO Universe players will have to keep their eyes peeled for further instructions, as the end of the week is quickly approaching, and it promises quite a set of experiences.
Massively Mob Meetups: Dragon*Con 2010 & PAX 2010
Labor Day weekend is coming up and you know what that means: Dragon*Con 2010 and PAX 2010 are here! The two dueling conventions are back to capture the hearts of nerds across America, and Massively.com is going to be in full force at both conventions this year -- a first for us! To celebrate, we're having not one, but two MMO fan gatherings, so our fans from both sides of the country can attend! If you're a PAX person, then come visit us at 8:00 p.m. PDT at The Night Kitchen in Seattle! The Night Kitchen is equipped with a lovely lounge and free wi-fi, so bring your laptop and show off your l33t epics to the mob and the staff! Rubi Bayer, Larry Everett, and Justin Olivetti will be hosting the party, so be sure to drop by, say hi, pick up some late night snacks, and tell us all about your favorite games! If you're a Dragon*Conite, then be sure to drop by the Sheraton's Capitol Ballroom at 10:00 p.m. EDT for the MMO Gathering of Heroes! This is the Dragon*Con MMO track's official dance party, and it's also being hosted by Massively's own Krystalle Voecks and former Massively.com columnist Rafe Brox. Rafe and Krystalle will be laying down the beats for the party, but Grand Poobah Shawn Schuster and I, Seraphina Brennan, will be in attendance as well. (Most likely in costume!) Plus, we can't forget about Kevin Stallard, the leader of the MMO track and former Ask Massively man! So if you want to come meet some fellow MMO-lovers, dance, or meet some of the Massively.com staffers, then this is your party. (P.S. -- A Dragon*Con 2010 pass is required to get into this party.) So, to recap: Saturday, September 4th at 8:00 p.m. PDT at Seattle's Night Kitchen, or Saturday, September 4th, at 10:00 p.m. EDT at Dragon*Con's MMO Gathering of Heroes, located in the Capitol Ballroom of the Sheraton hotel. If you need help, or reminders, join our Steam Community group, The Massively Mob! We hope to see you at one of our events!
Friday night's all right for fighting with Champions Online developers
Champions Online, like any game developed by a smaller studio, is fundamentally produced by people who enjoy the game that they're making. So it's not exactly surprising when they decide to host a night for players to play directly with the development team. They've run a few in the past, but this time they'll be taking on the largest new piece of content in the game at the moment: the still-infamous mini-expansion in Vibora Bay. A couple of players are a bit surprised in the discussion thread that the developers are opting for PvE content rather than the PvP nights that had been fairly well-established. An official response was quick to come, explaining that while the developers also like the PvP encounters, they want to get a chance to play with the members of the community not necessarily interested in the PvP side of things. The event will be running from 4 PM to 7PM PST (7 PM to 10 PM EST), making it an excellent chance for Champions Online players to enjoy the game on Friday night with the team behind it.
Talk with DC Universe Online's team this Sunday
If you're a fan of the upcoming DC Universe Online and wish there were ways to be more directly heard by the developers -- or to hear more directly from the developers -- your ship has just come in. This Sunday, the developers are holding a special live chat via Facebook, allowing fans the opportunity to talk with them and get updates on the status of the game straight from the source. Game director Chris Cao, senior producer Wes Yanagi, creative director Jens Andersen, and art director Mark Anderson will all be available for questions or speculation. The best part? All you have to do is become a fan on the official DC Universe Online fan page (again, on Facebook) to take part in the chat. Running from 6 PM to 9 PM EST (3 PM to 6 PM PST), it should be a great opportunity to chat with developers about the state of the game and how it's coming along. So mark the spot down on your calendars, and keep your eyes on the fan page for more details on connecting as the event arrives.
Warhammer Online courts their notable bloggers
If there was any doubt in the Warhammer Online community that producer Carrie Gouskos was serious when she said she wanted increased community involvement, it doesn't have much of a leg left to stand on. The amount of information that's been coming out of the team has been exceptional, and the regular producer letter has certainly helped the feel of the team being invested. But they're taking it a step further: they're bringing four of the biggest bloggers about their game straight to the office, and they're giving them -- and other players -- a great opportunity to connect with the team. Not only will the invited bloggers have a chance to ask the developers any questions they can think of, with an emphasis on patch 1.3.5, the team is inviting players to send the bloggers questions via Twitter. The event will be taking place on Thursday, April 8th, with the tweeting of questions set to begin sometime after 2 PM EDT. The trip itself lasts both Thursday and Friday, and should provide some of the most vocal Warhammer Online fans with some interesting news about their favorite game. Win-win for the fan community, yes?
