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23andMe's VIP service includes a one-on-one chat to explain your DNA
How does a DNA testing service like 23andMe convince you to shell out more when the base results are the same? By rolling out the red carpet, it seems. The company has introduced a $499 VIP Health + Ancestry Service that includes two Health + Ancestry kits, faster lab processing, overnight shipping, a year of "premium" support and, crucially, a 30-minute one-on-one walkthrough of your Ancestry results. Effectively, 23andMe wants to offer a concierge for your genes.
Periscope's VIP program rewards popular livestreaming users
If you're popular on Periscope, the livestreaming app will soon reward you as part of its new VIP program. The three-tier initiative is designed to incentivize creators who have invested time in using Twitter's live video option with tools that will help them make their audiences even bigger. In other words, it gives livestreamers a reason to use the platform more and make an effort to pad that follower total. Gold, Silver and Bronze levels require follower counts of 10,000, 30,000 and 100,000, respectively. There are also benchmarks for average viewer tallies and you'll need to be broadcasting at least twice a week.
Lord of the Rings Online offers a two-week VIP bonus for subscriptions
You are very important. We don't need to tell you that; you probably already know and think that on a regular basis anyway. But do games properly acknowledge how important you are? If not, perhaps you'd like to try out a bit of Lord of the Rings Online, which is offering two free weeks of VIP treatment for everyone who purchases a recurring subscription plan. It's not quite as good as having a velvet carpet rolled out when you arrive at a club, but you take what you get. The promotion runs until January 5th. If you want to try but don't want to feel pressured by the subscription fee, you don't have to worry; anyone who cancels during the two-week period will not be billed and will still be flagged as a Premium player. The only people ineligible are existing VIPs. So why not take the opportunity to be slaughtering orcs in style for a couple of weeks?
The Turbine billing system has attained sentience (not really)
We hope you've got a little extra money squirreled away in your bank account because the Turbine billing system is hungry. It seems that some players were charged a bit more than usual for their Dungeons and Dragons Online accounts this week, some of them as many as 100 times their normal VIP fee. TurbineTolero took to the forums to clarify the issue: This impacted a limited number of players after the maintenance work, and we have a list of the affected users. We're working with our partners to make sure that over charges are reversed. You do not need to contact us to receive help, but if you have any questions you are welcome to call or send a ticket (phone is 1-855-WBGAMES and tickets contact can be done via http://support.turbine.com). Our sympathies extend to those affected more than passingly by the bug. [Thanks to Marc for the tip!]
City of Heroes reveals pre-sunset billing and refund plans
NCsoft has been silent regarding the impending shutdown of City of Heroes past the initial announcement. An update has finally been posted, one that promises sunset events hosted in-game in the lead-up to the shutdown, although exact times and dates are not yet included. What is detailed is the policy for VIP status and the refund policy for players who had recently purchased Paragon Points. Anyone who had an active subscription for VIP status as of September 1st will be granted VIP status for the remainder of the game's operation. Players whose subscriptions had lapsed will be unable to renew those subscriptions, unfortunately. Any subscription fees paid as of September 1st and the value of any Paragon Points purchased on or after August 24th can also be fully refunded to you. Players with game time cards will need to contact support to receive a refund. It's certainly not the update that players have been hoping for, but it's at least a step toward knowing what will happen next with the game.
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best business model?
Free-to-play MMO business models come in all shapes and sizes. There are those that are completely free, those that sell only cosmetic items and nothing else, those that nickel-and-dime you to death with cash-shop barriers, and those that offer VIP packages so players can still sub and get everything that a normal subscription game would offer. With so many existing MMOs making that F2P conversion, it's safe to say that the market hasn't really figured out the perfect business model yet. Or has it? Let us know which MMO has the best business model in your opinion, be it subscription, free-to-play, or any combination. 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!
Trion selling End of Nations CE for $70, with special subscription and perks
Trion has revealed Collector's Edition details for its upcoming free-to-play MMORTS End of Nations. For $70 you'll essentially get a head start in the game, including a Black Dragons company with special units for your army, the chance to start out two commanders at level 5, two extra commander slots, and a 50% boost on in-game cash for five days.You'll also get a three-month VIP membership, with perks like an in-game store discount, extra in-game credits, and a 90 game XP boost. If you don't want to take the plunge on the CE, Trion's also offering a Founder's Edition, with different skins and fewer perks, for $30, which you can upgrade later if you so choose.Or, because the game is free-to-play, you could, you know, just wait until it comes out and see what you think for without cracking your wallet. Trion is having another closed beta event this weekend, and rolling towards an open release later on this year.
RuneScape hands out summer goodies to subscribers
If you've paid your dues and gone behind the velvet curtain in RuneScape's exclusive VIP club, swag beyond your wildest imagination awaits. Jagex is piling on the incentives for its members, but only if they stay on board from August 1st through September 30th. Players who subscribe to RuneScape for the next two months will find themselves rolling in 350,000 bonus XP per month, an extra daily spin on the Squeal of Fortune, and several cosmetic items including a tropical islander outfit. Jagex is also dangling one of four mysterious "powerful" items as a reward, although the specifics of these items are currently under wraps. The studio also released a behind the scenes video for RuneScape's Gielinor Games. You may watch it after the jump, but only if you've eaten all your vegetables.
Apple gives iPhone 3GS owners some love, lets them taste Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail in iOS 6
Anyone who's been scanning to see who gets what in iOS 6 has noticed that the iPhone 3GS is the red-headed stepchild of the family -- some features that really don't need a cutting-edge phone have been left on the chopping block. Apple is showing those owners some TLC, after all, by officially flicking on support for Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail lists through the entire iOS 6-ready device list. With the exception of Safari's Offline Reading List, the only features now left out for iPhone 3GS owners are the ones you'd expect to be excluded from a 3-year-old phone, such as FaceTime, Siri and those 3D-heavy map flyovers. While the iPhone 4S is still the darling of the lot, 3GS owners can now cling to their aging veteran phones a little more securely for at least another year.
Forza Horizon collector's edition, pre-order goodies revealed
Forza Horizon hooks up early adopters with a code for a free whip, instantly available in Forza Motorsport 4: the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392. If you pre-order Forza Horizon at a participating US retailer and don't own Forza Motorsport 4, you can also select from one of four exclusive cars to download and use in Forza Horizon on launch day, October 23: a 2012 Aston Martin Virage, 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia, or a 2010 Nissan 350Z.Should you decide to pre-order, you'll have the option of Forza Horizon's standard package (stick shift, cloth seats, AM/FM radio) or you can opt into the more limited edition package. Forza Horizon's collector's edition includes a steelbook case, and VIP membership branding you as a special player in the community and granting access to exclusive DLC and in-game events. VIPs will be able to download a special five-car DLC pack on day one, additional liveries and a progress token that instantly unlocks more advanced cars in career mode.%Gallery-160186%
Massively Exclusive: City of Heroes previews the upcoming Mecha Armor
Do you dig giant robots? Of course you do. The team behind City of Heroes apparently likes them as well, seeing as how the game's next major update, Issue 23, allows you to dress up like one. The newest Tier 9 VIP reward is the Mecha Armor costume set, and the fine people at Paragon Studios were kind enough to give us a chance to take a sneak peek at the costume set before it's available on the test server. The gallery below contains an image of a male, female, and huge character in the new costume set, complete with wings, backpacks, and other armor reminiscent of any number of Gundam designs. Like other Tier 9 VIP rewards, the armor will only be unlockable for a limited time, so if you're feeling a desperate need to play with these costume parts -- and we can't blame you -- it's best save up your reward tokens now. %Gallery-9156%
Apple introduces VIP discounts for iBooks publishers
Some sharp eyes have once again discovered something new and cool in Apple-land. Apple appears to be offering rather hefty discounts to some (possibly all) iBooks publishers as part of a new iTunes VIP program. Information is still developing on this front. Made available through iTunes Connect, these discounts appear to be exclusive to the iBooks program. Discounts range from $500 off the base Mac Pro down to $60 off the base mini. As with previous programs of this nature, Apple places a limit on the kinds and quantity of hardware affected. The discount is for two computers, two iPods (which appear to include iPads, etc.) and one Apple TV. It's unclear whether Apple will extend these discounts to its App Store members as well, although that was a benefit for the Select and Premier programs until they were more or less discontinued a few years ago.
Silkroad Online rolls out premium server tomorrow
Wanna feel like a VIP? Silkroad Online's got you covered. Tomorrow Joymax will take the wraps off of its new premium server, Genesis, which will cater to the high-rollers and high society among MMO gamers. The members-only server will reward loyal customers by offering huge XP, SP and drop rates, GM events, and discounts on cash shop purchases for a limited time. Joymax isn't limiting the fun to just subscribers, either; all players on all servers are invited to partake in Silkroad's Carnival. The Carnival will deliver a smaller but still significant XP boost than what Genesis is offering, and any players who head over to an attendance event will rack up SP and skill/stat reset scrolls. This event goes until December 13th, so there's plenty of time to shake your booty and rack up the rewards! [Source: Joymax press release]
DDO's Vaults of the Artificers goes live
For Dungeons and Dragons Online players, today is a special -- nay, hallowed day. It is Patch Day, and with it comes much leaping, dancing, spinning in circles, and singing at the top of one's lungs. Today Turbine has released Update 12: Vaults of the Artificers, a hefty patch that introduces a completely new system to the game: challenges. Challenges are repeatable quests that have unique objectives and time limits, and can be completed for shiny rewards. VIP players will get the challenge adventure pack for free, but free players aren't left out in the dark -- Turbine is giving everyone one free challenge every day. These can be picked up in House Cannith. DDO's Update 12 has plenty of other changes and fixes, including the introduction of store-purchasable rename tokens if you're dissatisfied with your hero's moniker and a shared platinum bank account. You can read up on Update 12 with the official patch notes or by checking out our hands-on impressions from last month! %Gallery-66255%
The Road to Mordor: Getting the most out of your F2P account
We're going to step waaay back from Rise of Isengard today (screenshots notwithstanding) to address a question that I've seen pop up time and again. The question comes from players on the free-to-play side of the game who are wondering "What do I need to do or buy to get the most out of my LotRO gaming experience?" In my opinion, the lovely aspect of Lord of the Rings Online's hybrid model is that you, the player, have a wide range of choices when it comes to how you want to fund your gameplay. If you decide not to go the subscription/VIP route, it can get a little confusing, especially in light of just how much there is in the LotRO store. Do you need to buy anything at all? What are the essentials? How should you go about earning some free Turbine Points to finance these purchases? Unlike many other recent MMO F2P conversions, LotRO's offers you more flexibility than "just suffer with F2P restrictions or subscribe," which should give you hope that you can tailor the game to your exact needs. In today's Road to Mordor, I'm going to put myself in the shoes of a F2P player and tell you exactly what I'd do to get the most out of my account.
Take justice to the streets in City of Heroes
If you're not satisfied taking out thugs with merely a katana or a kick, then Paragon Studios has your answer: Street Justice. It's a brand-new powerset just released in City of Heroes Freedom, available to Scrappers, Brutes, Stalkers, and Tankers. It looks like a flashier mashup of the Martial Arts and Super Strength sets, and according to a post by Paragon's Phil "Synapse" Zeleski, Street Justice is like many of the newer CoH sets in that it comes with a special mechanic, in this case, combo levels and finishing moves that give more freedom to the player than does the similar gameplay hook of Dual Blades. Street Justice is available for purchase in the game's cash shop for 800 Paragon Points (about $10 US). It is one of two new powersets not granted freely to VIP subscribers. Check out the video after the break to peek before you buy.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Freedom content
So last week, I had meant to cover all of the impressions from the head start of City of Heroes Freedom. What I actually managed to cover was the Paragon Market, which is to the whole of City of Heroes what my nose is to the rest of my face. It's not the first time that a small part has taken over a column, though, and so we're bravely forging ahead into the actual content updates that came along with this patch. And let's be honest, they're pretty significant -- a new zone, a new signature arc, changed power pools, and so forth. Unfortunately, my time with the new content hasn't been as extensive as I would have liked, so there are some parts of the update that I really haven't gotten to sink my teeth into just yet. But I can definitely offer my feedback on what I have seen so far and hopefully rectify the stuff that I've still missed out on in the near future. So is this update all that and a bag of chips, or is it somewhat less awesome than advertised?
City of Heroes Freedom goes live
City of Heroes is not what it used to be as of today. It's something more, in fact, with the launch of City of Heroes Freedom. While the launch of the game's hybrid subscription model was announced some three months back, today is the day that the gates are open and players can begin enjoying the game's content as a paid subscriber or a free player. This comes on the heels of the head start program, bringing in new content, zones, and story arcs for players to enjoy. If you're a returning veteran, you can enjoy all of the content for the game that you had previously purchased, as well as existing veteran rewards. Meanwhile, new players can just log in and start enjoying all of the game's seven years of content and updates. Whether you're an old or new player, however, you can take a look at the launch trailer just after the jump for a glimpse at what awaits everyone within City of Heroes Freedom at launch.
LotRO dares you to photograph the White Hand of Saruman
Rise of Isengard launches next week for Lord of the Rings Online, and Turbine is trumpeting the expansion the best way it knows how: by encouraging players to dip their hands in white paint and slap everything in the world around them. OK, maybe not that extreme, but close enough! With the studio's White Hand of Saruman contest, LotRO players are tasked with photographing people, objects or environments plastered with the iconic sigil of Isengard's key bad guy. Turbine's not encouraging players to flirt with the wrong side of the law, as it adds the disclaimer "Permanently defacing property or committing illegal acts is not permitted" to the contest rules. Players can download the white hand template from the contest website, set up an interesting picture, and then submit it for a chance at one of several prizes. These prizes include a custom-built Alienware PC, lifetime memberships to LotRO, and in-game Turbine Points. The contest will end on November 15th, after which the winners will be declared.
Early Freedom for City of Heroes VIPs [Updated]
City of Heroes' F2P Freedom conversion is still launching "this year," but if you're a current subscriber, you can check it out ahead of the pack. Beginning on September 13th, existing players can participate in a headstart program that enables access to the Paragon Market cash shop as well as the brand-new First Ward co-operative zone. Paragon Studios is also promising official costume contests with prizes, dev-led groups in brand-new Incarnate trials, and live open-world invasion events on every server in addition to headstart-only "exclusive sales bundles and promotions." Current subscribers are all set for the headstart; former players can still get in on the fun by reactivating and gaining VIP status now. [Update: The official site now features a post on the headstart program, including details on the special sales and promotions.]
