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The BlizzCon line has already been started by one dedicated player
BlizzCon 2014 starts tomorrow, and if you're already in California for the event, you've got a whole day of ambling about ahead of you. You might think there's no reason to even think about the lines or the waiting that will come around tomorrow. But you'd be wrong: There is already a line to get into the convention that starts tomorrow, a line started by one dedicated fan waiting patiently at the front gate. Massively's sister site WoW Insider reports that the fan is Brendan "Tibs" Thibodeau, a Navy veteran who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2005 and has racked up 29 level-capped characters with five legendary cloaks among them. Tibs has attended six BlizzCons and been at the front of the line for four of those, due in no small part to the dedication necessary to get in line a day before most people even think about queueing up. At last update, however, the second spot in line is still available. BlizzCon returns to Anaheim during the weekend of November 7th and 8th, 2014! Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor expansion or the latest news from Diablo III, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
Blizzard posts official BlizzCon schedule
You've got your tickets purchased, your hotel arrangements squared away, your bags all packed. You're ready for BlizzCon this year! But leaving aside the fact that you can probably unpack your bags now as you've still got a month to go, what are you actually going to be doing at BlizzCon? That's what you can find out by taking a gander at the official schedule, which tracks the events of the day on both Friday and Saturday for World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and Diablo III. A floor map is also available so that congoers can get a feel for the layout before arrival, although that's of less interest to fans planning on taking advantage of the streaming options available for the convention. If you're thinking of buying a virtual ticket for the high-quality streams, take a look at the schedule and see if it's stuff you want to watch streaming live. Unless, as we said, you've already got your bags packed to go in person.
Champions Online hosts FoxbatCon in-game
We're moving into the heart of convention season, when people move across the country to stand in lines and buy trinkets representing our favorite hobbies. So why not also pick up some trinkets in Champions Online to represent your character's favorite hobbies? It's time for FoxbatCon, the in-game event that celebrates the intensely campy 1960s television series focused around the roguish scamp known as Foxbat. After all, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by cosplayers inside of a superhero game? The FoxbatCon event will run until April 11th, allowing players to pick up Foxbat Swag Bags from defeated villains full of convention-themed prizes. Players can also take part in missions (some of which will be introduced during the event) to earn Foxbat Creds, which can be redeemed for even more con swag. If you're eager to celebrate the camp value of an old (fictional) show, jump into the game now for the full experience. [Thanks to matixzun for the tip!]
PAX East 2014 tix now on sale
Save the date, PAX fans. Well, actually, save two dates. The first is April 11, 2014, which is when the next iteration of PAX East officially throws down. The second date is today, and that's when tickets officially go on sale. As of press time, three-day badges are gone, but single-day passes are still available. PAX East 2014 runs from April 11 through April 13, 2014 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
PAX Australia 2013: Psykopig remix edition
Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi has just returned from PAX Australia 2013. There was a lot of excitement and even more people at the con, and to give you an idea of what it was like, we've put together a series of videos detailing Piggy's adventures. The first of three clips can be found past the break. It's filled with plenty of Pig dancing and plenty of cosplay, some of it awkward and some of it amazing. Stick around to the end to see a special appearance from one of Star Wars' most infamous characters!
PAX Australia 2013: Aussies on cosplay, World of Tanks, and more
The PAX Australia 2013 coverage continues as Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi gets down and dirty with the people of PAX. Follow along after the break to catch what some Australians thought of World of Tanks as well as their general impressions of the event as it unfolded! And while we're talking WoT, don't forget to check out our interview with Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi.
WildStar team hosting panel and gathering at SDCC
Heading out to California for San Diego Comic Con? As long as you're out there, would you like a nice dose of WildStar entertainment? The team at Carbine Studios is hosting a panel on Friday discussing how story and narrative are developed in the game, featuring lead narrative designer Chad Moore, content director Mike Donatelli, creative director Matt Mocarski, and design producer Stephen Frost. Anyone attending the convention will want to be at the panel if you've got even the vaguest interest in the game. But what if you're in San Diego and aren't attending the con? You can still get some special face time with WildStar at the fan gathering on Friday in the Hotel Palomar. More to the point, this gathering promises to allow players a look at two new races -- in all likelihood the last two playable races that have been teased for some time. So Friday should be a good time for fans of the game in San Diego, and anyone else watching from afar. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
The Daily Grind: What do you want to learn from PAX East?
Silly season is upon us folks, and no I'm not talking about NASCAR. I'm talking about gaming conventions that stretch seemingly from Easter to Christmas, and first out of the gate is this weekend's PAX East 2013 shindig in Boston. Massively is sending a trio of reporters (Eliot Lefebvre, Karen Bryan, and Matt Daniel) to bring you all the news that's fit to print about The Elder Scrolls Online, WildStar, Firefall, EVE Online, The Repopulation, and more. We'll also be kidnapping luminaries from SOE and Hi-Rez and getting them drunk enough to tell us their deepest, darkest secrets. We'll be sitting in on a number of industry- and game-specific panels, too. My point is that there's Massively's PAX East coverage, and then there's everyone else's. So if you've got burning questions on the games above or others you might have seen on the convention schedule, post them below and we'll see about wrustling up some answers. Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of March 22-24, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2013. Whether you're dying to know more about WildStar or DUST 514 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!
Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event
Raph Koster and Blizzard may be polar opposites in terms of design philosophy, but both will take home awards at this year's GDC Online convention. Koster, instrumental in the development of sandbox worlds like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, will take home the Online Game Legend Award. Blizzard, which turned the MMO space on its ear via World of Warcraft's resounding financial success, will see its flagship title inducted into the Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. The ceremonies take place on October 10th in Austin, Texas. Don't forget to cast your vote for the GDC Audience Award prior to September 14th! [Source: GDC press release]
SOE Live contest submissions due by September 8th
This year's Fan Faire, er... SOE Live is happening in October, and Sony Online Entertainment is looking to send a few lucky folks on a free trip to Las Vegas for the festivities. The annual shindig is a chance for fans to rub elbows with developers, celebrate SOE's extensive suite of online titles, and collect a bunch of in-game exclusives that those of us stuck at home will never get. Contest hopefuls will need to submit an original video featuring EverQuest II's new SOEmote facial recognition technology. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Bally's Casino resort along with admission to the SOE Live events. Further details and contest rules are available on the EQII website. Contest submissions are due by September 8th! [Source: SOE press release]
Firefall reveals founder's packages, special deals available at PAX
Earlier today Red 5 Studios posted a portion of its Firefall monetization model on the game's official website. While we've heard a lot about combat revamps and various other gameplay details in recent weeks, one thing we've never really known is how the sci-fi shooter will sell itself. This week's PAX convention will see the studio begin selling its founder's packages, complete with special attendee discounts. The packages start at $15 and offer an assortment of "convenience and cosmetic items." Check out the Firefall website for further details, and don't forget to watch the founder's package video after the jump.
Help your favorite game win the GDC Online Audience Award
GDC Online is coming up fast, and now's your chance to get in on the voting action for the conference's annual Audience Award. Starting today and running through September 14th, fans can vote for their favorite persistent online game and cheer for it as the winner is announced at the show in Austin, Texas on October 10th. Past winners have included League of Legends and Wizard101, and voters may pick from "any currently operating persistent online game, whether it be a subscription MMO, free-to-play web game, social network game, or anything else," according to a GDC press release. More info on the contest, potential nominees, and the voting process is available via the official GDC Online website. [Source: GDC Online press release]
SOE Live tickets go on sale
It may no longer be Fan Faire in name, but SOE's annual fan festival still has the same spirit and focus. The newly branded SOE Live has opened up registrations for this fall's convention, and the studio is offering discounted prices if tickets are purchased now. SOE Live will take place from October 18th through the 21st at Bally's Casino in Las Vegas. The all-access pass for the event is $139, but if you register before August 1st, you can secure a discounted price of $119. Day passes will go for $39 if you're interested in just attending for a day, and evening passes, which allow access to just late-night activities, are $99 a pop. The studio welcomes families, as children ages 12 and below can get in for free. The festival has a full schedule, including dev panels, tournaments, giveaways, and parties. Players can shell out an additional $50 to have Sunday brunch with the devs or $40 for a laser tag event.
The Daily Grind: What do you hope to learn from E3?
So E3 2012 is a day away, and Massively is gearing up to stagger drunkenly around the Los Angeles Convention Center schmoozing with game devs. Oh wait, that's not us, but we are excited to see some of the MMOs on display at this year's con, including The Elder Scrolls Online, Neverwinter, Defiance, the Riders of Rohan expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, and dozens more. For some of us, it's our first E3. For others, it's old hat at this point. One thing's for certain, though: Gaming's Graceland has a lot to offer both vets and newbs alike. For today's breakfast topic, share your thoughts on this year's event. More specifically, what do you hope to learn from E3? 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!
Get your PAX strategy guides here
Heading to PAX East this weekend? If so, you're in good company, as the Massively and Joystiq crews are going too! ThriftyNerd has put together a brief PAX strategy guide, and it's well worth a look if you don't have your itinerary planned out to the minute (or heck, even if you do, because you might have forgotten something). The guide has a rundown on essential mobile apps as well as plenty of tips for both the seasoned con-goer and the wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Be sure to follow Massively all weekend as we'll be bringing you all the best MMO news direct from Boston.
SOE renames Fan Faire, sets official dates
As corporate re-brandings go, this one isn't as wince-inducingly awful as something like, say, the Syfy Channel. Still, Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire had a nice ring to it, but now we're obliged to refer to the company's annual fan convention as SOE Live. Senior marketing VP Laura Naviaux says the change is due to SOE's MMO diversification. While the company is still known for its EverQuest and EverQuest II flagships, it's also put considerable time and effort into DC Universe Online and PlanetSide 2, neither of which conjures images of ye olde renaissance faire. This year's SOE Live will happen at Bally's in Las Vegas from October 18th through the 21st. Naviaux says that SOE die-hards can relax, since the event will be the same Fan Faire they've been enjoying for years despite the name change. "Previous event attendees can rest assured that we are not removing any of our established activities in order to accommodate the new players; rather, they can expect even more to make this the ultimate SOE fan experience," she said. [Source: SOE press release]
The trouble with universal apps and the new iPad
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to afford a new iPad yet (nor have I had time to drool over one at the Apple Store), but I've heard from many of you just how amazing that Retina display is. I'm not surprised. The iPhone's transition to the Retina was great, and it must be even better on a larger scale. Of course, there's a tradeoff for having graphics that look this great in a universal app. Developer Justine Pratt has run through a few of the pros and cons of going universal. The most obvious drawback is app size. Those bigger graphics take up more space, and for many graphics-heavy applications, that could put them over the cellular data download limit (now at 50 MB). Universal apps specifically are taking this hit, even if they're not running with the new iPad-sized graphics on the iPhone hardware. There are good reasons to stick with universal as well, of course. Customers like apps that run on both devices. Given how different iPhone and iPad versions of an app can be, a universal often feels like getting two apps for the price of one. But each developer has to decide for themselves whether universal is the right way to go or not. In the past, universal was almost a no brainer, but I think as more and more devs figure out just what the differences are in the experience on the iPad and the iPhone, we'll see more and more devs (with limited resources, at least) choosing to split their apps up and run them device only more often.
The Daily Grind: Have you ever traveled specifically for a gaming event?
There are a lot of real-world gaming events going on this month. Whether we're talking about the Star Wars: The Old Republic guild summit in Austin, GDC in San Francisco, or the EVE Online fanfest in Reykjavik, opportunities to rack up frequent flyer miles abound. While lots of gamers spend lots of money on subs, cash shop items, and upgrades to their gaming rigs, the aforementioned shindigs tend to attract only the hardest of the hardcore fans. What say you, Massively readers? Have you ever traveled specifically to attend a game-related event? 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!
TERA wins G-Star 2011's highest honor
Things have been looking fairly bleak for TERA fans over the last few months. There have been reports of server merges and general discontent among the Korean playerbase, executive switcheroos at Bluehole Studio, and an American launch date delay to the spring of 2012. This year's G-Star convention finally provided a ray of sunlight in the form of the prestigious Presidential Award. Yes, TERA won it, and the honor is a pretty big deal in the South Korean gaming community. The country's Ministry of Culture (a government board responsible for gaming industry regulations) chooses the nominees while a pool of journalists, industry veterans, and gamers vote on the winner. TERA also took home G-Star awards for best sound effects, graphics, and character design.
The Daily Grind: What was your favorite PAX reveal?
PAX Prime 2011 has come and gone, and it's now time to turn our eyes to DragonCon and what is sure to be an eventful final few months of the year. Before we move on, though, it's worth looking back at the events of this past weekend and thinking on a few favorites. While this year's PAX didn't boast any zomg-that's-awesome reveals, there was a steady stream of new and interesting information flowing out of Seattle over the weekend. Whether your taste runs to PvP and Star Wars The Old Republic, endgame content and Korean imports like TERA, or interesting newcomers like WildStar and its decision to insert the Bartle model firmly into the midst of its game design, there was a bit of something for everyone. Today's Daily Grind is an easy one: What was your favorite PAX Prime reveal? 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!
