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BioWare details new TOR planet, web comic
BioWare has released preliminary details on another planetary play field from their upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. Belsavis plays host to an ominous Republic prison facility, apparently used to process all manner of Sith, Mandalorians, and troublesome aliens of various species. Check out Belsavis' HoloNet entry, don't forget to watch the video, oh and there's also the media section featuring screens, wallpapers, and lore. BioWare has also partnered up with Lucasarts and Dark Horse Comics to bring you Blood of the Empire, a new web comic by senior writer Alexander Freed. The title, set prior to the Treaty of Coruscant, promises to shed some light on the machinations of the Emperor's inner circle as well as inform portions of The Old Republic's extensive back story. Check out a preview panel from the forthcoming comic.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Scrapbooking profession
This week's list has some real gems, including a new comic: Awkward Zombie: Nicked. I love this one! Cru the Dwarf actually listens sometimes! Experience Points: It's time to dig up a little scratch. Dark Legacy Comics: The Oracle. Check out the latest Flintlocke vs. the Horde. GU Comics: Salted Yeti Cheese. This should be especially relevant to people who are still farming their polar bear mount! The latest LFG made me laugh out loud. I'm kind of glad that I wasn't sipping my drink at the time. My poor keyboard can't take much more. Monkey Punchers: Hopeless. NoObz: Ninja. The newcomer to the list is a web comic that is just starting up, called NPC, or Non-Player Character, by Mary Varn. Check out the first comics, Pandering and Lies. Teh Gladiators: At Least I Had Chicken.... World of Warcraft, eh?: Don't Tase Me, Bro. Grinders: Head in the Clouds. Penny Arcade: This is Actually a Real Thing.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Mob evolution
Sunday is the day to catch up on your homework, chores, Brewfest hangover, and the week's worth of WoW-related web comics. Because I cannot help you with your homework for ethical reasons, and I'm allergic to your chores, I compiled a comic list for you instead!Humor Call of Duty: World at War-Craft from Action Trip. Save the Mammoth Calves from Dark Legacy Comics. Secret Alt from Monkey Punchers. Undermob from NoObz. Ding! cautions that perhaps players should reconsider the placement of certain buttons. Humor with a plot-line Hares and Heroines from Flintlocke vs. The Horde. The latest from LFG. Noobcow and the First Quest Giver for Reals from Manic Graffiti. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Zul'Farrak from Road to BlizzCon. Latest from Sluggy Freelance. They Finally Meet Their Match from Teh Gladiators.
Sunday Morning Funnies: 10-20 years and 50% off your teeth
Another Sunday, another list of comics, and a friendly reminder that the annual holiday, Brewfest, is underway! If you haven't headed over yet, or haven't done any of the holiday dailies for today, then move along! If you plan ahead, you can even get the achievement and title! There are also mounts, trinkets and a host of prizes to be had. Humor In Tow from Awkward Zombie. From Extra Life comes Seemed Reasonable at the Time. NoObz has a "source" for "information" on the next expansion. Humor on a plot-line LFG has its own thieving and assassinations. Noobcow and Progressive Quest Mobs from Manic Graffiti. One Haughty Hottie comes to you from Road to BlizzCon. Check out more Sluggy Freelance. Surprise Visits and When Epics were Epic from Teh Gladiators. Other Emissary is still evolving!
Shamus Young talks about his favorite WoW nitpicks
Most folks are probably at least aware of Shamus Young's DM of the Rings series. It was the only web comic I've ever religiously checked every day, on the off chance the creator was feeling kind and had put up an extra comic. DMotR has long since finished, but Shamus is still out there blogging on various gaming topics. Shamus started playing World of Warcraft about a month ago, and has been having the same growing pains many of us rookies did in our younger levels. But since Shamus is something of a name in the pen-and-paper gaming Internet circuit, it's interesting to see what he has to say in his review of WoW. His first complaint is about low drop rates for quest items -- yeah, the eyeless Murlocs of Westfall spring to my mind. Most of the other issues are pretty familiar (bag space, respawns, res sickness). But one that did really stick out for me was a complaint about the in-game day/night cycle. Shamus would prefer a four-hour cycle to Azeroth's day, so that he could actually see the change. I think it's a fair point, even if we have heard it before. So, Shamus's list doesn't really bring a brand new light to how we view Azeroth, but it's still an interesting read.
Penny Arcade's WoW CCG contest ends, hilariously
Early this month we discussed a contest, announced by the creators of Penny Arcade and aimed squarely at the hearts of card-and-mmo-players everywhere. It seemed so simple: craft a ten-word story about World of Warcraft and win yourself a huge pile of trading card game loot. The devil is, as is so often the case, in the details. With many hundreds of entrants the competition was quite fierce, and today's unveiling of the top five entries proves out just how fierce. Like you, a lot of bloggers from the site submitted stories, but we know when we're beaten. How can you top "Overlord Saurfang is only afraid of one thing... Mrs. Saurfang?" Or "Naked they run, level 1 banks: Clark Kents of Azeroth?" I espcially like winner #3's tale: "The gunshot echoed like a ghost with nobody to haunt." Many of the honorable mentions are great too, like "'Small trogg problem in Orgrimmar's basement.' What an understatement, Thrall", or "Tipping his sombrero in salute, he dismounted his mechanical chicken." We're curious, though: did you enter? If you'd be willing, why don't you share your submission(s) with us in the comments? This blogger volunteers to go first: "The murlocs, their scales glinting, advanced with hungry mouths wide."
Everyone hates the zigzag
Not familiar with Eegra's Hilarity Comics? We're definitely fans, and this week's strip doesn't disappoint. Yes, everyone loves the long block in Tetris. Not only does the line help you rack up points, but it's also probably gotten you out of some jams. But the zigzag? That piece is a heartbreaker, and arguably the most loathed block in Tetris.Check after the break to see the rest of the comic.
Penny Arcade WoW CCG contest
The Penny Arcade guys do a lot of amazing stuff beyond their incredibly popular three-days-a-week webcomic. The one thing they haven't done -- at least in recent memory -- is a contest that anyone can enter to win a mountain of super cool swag, at least until today. This particular contest consists of three huge mountains of World of Warcraft CCG swag, each of which contains the rare X-51 Nether-Rocket card that also happens to be redeemable in-game for a sweet rocket mount that your WoW character can scoot around on. We're pretty sure that thousands of WoW players are going to be entering this contest solely for said rocket card.The actual contest itself is most awesome, asking participants only to supply Gabe and Tycho with a ten word story. We've been having fun at Massively by simply coming up with ten word stories for the hell of it -- although we're beginning to think it might be a good idea to enter some of these things. If you'd like to do that same, simply email Gabe with the subject line of "Ten Words" and as many quality ten word stories as you can come up with.
/silly: The dough-based confectionery is a falsehood
I will come right out and say it - it is just plain silly how incredibly under appreciated mages are. I'm not referring to how they are treated on the forums for how much DPS they can dish out or what absurdly high numbers they can crit up to. No, I'm talking about the services that mages do for others on a daily basis. As illustrated in today's comic, they open rifts through the fabric of reality to help you get around quickly and conveniently, and far more amazing then that, they give you food. How can you beat that? Next time you are munching down on a health and mana rejuvenating slice of conjured heaven, take a moment to give some kind words or a hug to your guild's resident chef/chauffeur. Every time you thank a mage, an angel gets its wings. (and then a warlock rips them off and sets them on fire, but that is a fairy tale for another time)This is the first comic Ive done that draws from a source outside of the Warcraft Universe, and I'm hoping that the majority of our readers will "get it" even with the external reference. The way I see it, we WoW players do not live in a gaming vacuum - we are aware of other worlds out there beyond our cherished Azeroth, and possibly even spend time in them ourselves. As always, I will keep a close eye on the comments to gauge how well this little diversion came across. If you like it, you will let me know. If you don't, you will let me know even more verbosely. But hey, at least we have our new comment system so you can all show how much you agree/disagree with each others opinions, and all this feedback will help shape the comics to come. At least, until you all figure out my home address and assemble the lynch mob. Let me just state for the record that I'd hate to be burned at the stake... again.Every Tuesday, Arthur E. "Arturis" Orneck posts another hand drawn snapshot into his demented little mind, because he learned way back in kindergarten that its polite to share, unless what you are trying to share is lycanthropy, vampirism or the T-Virus.
/silly: Void where prohibited
I would assume that the life of a warlock is saturated in paranoia. To start with, it is a well known fact that 'locks play loosely with that whole "morality" concept. Both the Alliance and Horde tend to distrust them, and for good reason; never leave a warlock alone with your virgin daughter if you don't want bloody demonic ritual mess all over your carpet. Worse then that, however, is the unspoken truth that Zahktib or Jhar'kruk or whatever the heck randomly named demon they currently have as their minion is doing so entirely under coercion, and most likely has dark, bitter, perhaps slightly silly revenge thriving in their shadowy demonic minds, as illustrated in the comic above. Special thanks go out to a strategically placed forearm/bracer, preventing me from having to submit the image for ESRB approval or label the post NSFW.As long as we are on the subject of warlock pets, one question has puzzled me from the moment I first saw their big blue gaseous level 10 companions:Why are they called Voidwalkers, when don't have any legs?No no, don't answer. Just ponder it for awhile. Let it rot away a few layers of precious brain cells. You'll thank me for it later, as those specific cells were the ones that were going to spark up next week and convince you that you should re-roll as a Dwarven melee hunter that only uses throwing weapons for ranged pulls. It wouldn't have been a pretty sight.Arthur E. "Arturis" Orneck sold his soul for the honor of drawing this weekly web comic that you partake of each Tuesday morning. The WoW Insider staff went to great expense to have a real-world warlock turn it into a large purple shard, which he gets sent photos of once a week from various exotic locations, much like the gnome from Amelie.
/silly: Where everybody knows your name
"Welcome, stranger. Pull up a stool and make yourself at home. Say, you look like you're a bit run down this morning. Tuesday gotchya down? I here ya. But I think I've got just the thing to perk you up. Nothing gets your blood pumping like a stiff shot of /silly. This ones on the house. I told ya last time, your money is no good here."Once again I have pulled from my epic stable of alts to fill a starring role in this week's comic. The legendary Banhammer, level 9 dwarf warrior extraordinaire, is here to get his drink on. Which is what he does best. And most often. Not that I'm insinuating that he has a drinking problem, but he often refuses to enter combat unless he is properly "buffed". And by "buffed", I mean "completely sloshed out of his gourd." It's a time honored dwarven tradition, I hear.It may be the lack of sleep talking, but I'm actually quite happy with the way this comic turned out. I employed a different technique of coloring that I had found in a digital art magazine a few months back, and the results are a lot more clean and professional then I had expected. Perhaps we will see more of this style in the near future - or perhaps I'll switch to drawing stick figures with sidewalk chalk, just to keep you guys on your toes. Expect the unexpected!
Fifth annual Child's Play charity drive begins
Child's Play organizers have announced that the annual charity drive is now underway. The drive was first launched some five years ago by Penny Arcade masterminds Gabe and Tycho as a fundraiser for the Seattle Children's Hospital, and has since grown to become a global hub of good will for those in need, while simultaneously demonstrating that gamers by and large are not the anti-social jerkwads the media would make them out to be. Those interested in contributing to the drive, which now includes hospitals in more than 25 states and five countries, can easily donate items though purchases made via Amazon, and officials note that the tax deductible gifts will be sent directly to those hospitals in need. In addition, the annual Child's Play Fundraider Dinner is scheduled to take place on December 11 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, and will as always include both a silent and live auction, with all proceeds going towards the charity.
/silly: Anything else would be uncivilized
"Ah, there you are. Caught me in the midst of an epic tome, I must say. Please, do have a seat by the fire, and welcome... to Blade Masterpiece Theater. Zug zug, good chap."This week's dose of silly is a nice one panel sight gag that can be considered anything but high brow humor. I am fairly happy with how the shading came out on this one - once again I seem to be in good graces with the patron saint of Corel Painter, and I hope that particular buff doesn't fade any time soon. As always, I am constantly experimenting with the process I use to create these comics. In this particular instance, I left the sketch mostly intact, skipped the inking phase and went straight to coloring. The final results are less "clean" but more pleasing to the eye, I think. More experiments to follow in the coming weeks, I assure you.
/silly: Dire Straits
Greetings, my brothers in arms! Once again it is time to delve into the land of my artistically rendered personal views on this walk of life we call World of Warcraft. A few hours of private investigations deep into my inner psyche brought forth this small one panel sight gag, aimed at those sultans of swing, the Feral Druid. Since this ended up being a mere one panel affair, I invested extra time into the quality of the art, so no one should feel that they wasted their money for nothing. Addendum: Check after the jump for a nifty bonus pic!
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: E3 checklist edition [update]
With E3 next week, the Joystiq crew has been frantically searching for all of our essential items for the conference. We've scoured Flickr to see dozens of images of people throwing their packing lists (image not our list; via Tengaport), and we've compiled what we think is the quintessential list of E3 packings, listed after the break.Here are our picks for best game-related webcomics of the week*, be sure to vote for your favorite! Transformer Xbox 360s! (post) Infidelity My grandpa ain't no mankey Zombie powder Dawn of the Dead A casual chat Fictitious Pulp ** * Let's preempt the chatter: Penny Arcade wasn't game-related this week.** Update: Fanboys Online is back up, sort of -- the strip itself is, at least. Just in case something should happen there, Tim from 2P Start is hosting the strip, too.
Readers pick best webcomic: Undisputed Champion
Most of you got the joke. Obviously, some of the commenters were a bit clueless, but 2P Start's satire Undisputed Champion took top honors as the most popular webcomic of the week. For those of you who did not click on the "for context" link and were left in the dark: last week, 2P Start discovered our secret W.W.W. formula and decided to put it to good use this week. And, sure enough, the formula worked. Maybe you voted against it because it was asked in bold letters for you not to vote just below the comic and you did so out of spite. Regardless, a big thanks to Ray and Tim for basing a two-week strip on our little webcomic feature, we're as always a bit humbled.Awkward Zombie took second place, but since it was a two-parter we're electing to call it two half-wins for the webcomic -- it's still cumulates to one whole win. Penny Arcade took third. A special nod goes to Weird Comix for good writing.A note about the Fanboys strip: as I explained in the comments (and later linked in the post), a clerical error had caused the comic to be overlooked. Apologies to Scott Dewitt, it will be thrown into next week's runnings. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomic you stumble upon this week!
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: 'Penny Arcade did it!' edition
Did you know that every game-related webcomic is just a knock-off of Penny Arcade? Most of our commenters have, at some point, figured it out and/or cried "PA did it!" as loud as they can with Lucida Grande font. Steve Napierski of Dueling Analogs figured it out, and explains the gospel in his latest strip. Have you all seen the light now?Here are our picks for the best Penny Arcade-related webcomics this week. Be sure to vote for your favorite! (And let us know of any gaming comics we may have unfortunately missed.) A cold day in Aiur Undisputed champion (for context) Superb technique New gameplan The ongoing war (hey, it's game-related) Surf strike (part 1, part 2)
Penny Arcade Expo exhibitor list unleashed
The exhibitor list for this year's Penny Arcade Expo has been made, checked twice, and finalized. While the past exhibitors are all still present (including favorites Pink Godzilla), the major publishers have signed up en masse. Joining Nintendo and Microsoft this year on the super-sized list of 53 exhibitors are Sony, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Sierra and Konami, among many others. Indie representation will be provided Gamecock, Telltale, and more. Is that the shadow of E3 we see before us? Full list after the break.
Readers pick best webcomic: nightmares
It looks like ze secret formula has once again worked, as Scott Johnson's Extra Life strip claimed the top spot for best webcomic of the week.Coming in second place was Dueling Analogs, while the frisky VG Cats take third. As always, thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: winning formula edition
Originally, we planned on making this an "awkward moments" edition, whereby we find M-rated game screens with suggestively AO moments (e.g. Bowser belly-flopping / dry-humping in Smash Bros. Melee). However, 2P Start has unwittingly discovered the formula for success in the Weekly Webcomic Wrapup. Curses, our plans are foiled!It'd be unfair to put their comic in the running this week, as knowing the formula means they couldn't possibly lose. Registered voters should heed the call for a change of taste.Here are our other picks for the week's best game-related webcomics; be sure to vote for your favorite! (And let us know, as we trust you will, of any gaming comics we missed.) Athletic Wiikness On the Hunt Foreign competition Nightmares Link to the past life experiences Pet peeved That terrible grip Church of gaming Not the doctor Death: the red ring
