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Masthead releases first Earthrise expansion, reactivates old accounts
Today marks a significant milestone for Earthrise, the indie sci-fi sandbox from Masthead Studios. A rather large patch has made its way to the live servers, and the changes are so numerous that Masthead's press release labels the update as Earthrise's first expansion. The big kahuna in terms of new content is the Territorial Wars functionality, and the patch notes mention new zones with bases ripe for the capturing as well as the ability for guilds to construct various economic and military structures. Speaking of guilds, leaders can now make use of a new ranking and permission system, and Earthrise now sports both friend and ignore lists in addition to improved client performance. The patch also brings a laundry list of weapon effect changes, combat re-balancing, and bug fixes, all of which are viewable via the patch notes on the official Earthrise forums. If all that's not enough to whet your appetite, consider that Masthead has reduced the initial client cost by 40% as well as gifted all previous account holders with 10 days of free play.
Nokia Perks leaked, ready to take on Groupon (video)
If you're looking to score deals and discounts online you've got plenty of choices -- Groupon, LivingSocial, GiltCity, Google Offers -- and yet, Nokia seems to think the world needs one more such service. The sleuths over at ZOMGitsCj spotted a video on Vimeo from the struggling handset maker (since removed) introducing Nokia Perks. The premise is pretty simple -- pop over to perks.nokia.com (currently offline), browse for deals and coupons, and click save on any you care to cash in. The discounts you pick are automatically sent to your phone and, just like Groupon, all you need to do is show the barcode to the register jockey. As a nice added touch, Perks also pops up directions to the store in the mapping app. For those who prefer motion visuals, a vid's hosted up after the break. [Thanks, Oliver]
Google Offers rolling out in Portland, Oregon tomorrow, SF and NYC this summer
If you've been watching our liveblog of Eric Schmidt at D9, you'll know that the Floyd's Coffee ad above isn't just a mockup -- this evening, the Google chairman announced his company's Groupon-like Google Offers service will launch in Portland, Oregon tomorrow. We'll also see it in San Francisco and New York City this summer, delivering daily deals directly to our NFC-equipped Nexus S smartphones.
Mortal Online launches Facebook integration complete with discounts
Facebook integration isn't exactly a new thing for MMOs these days, but it's not often that you can use it to outright pay less money for a subscription. But that's what Mortal Online is experimenting with, offering players of the game a discount based upon their friend counts. Of course, there's a slight catch -- said friends can't themselves be players. The integrated application will also announce your major achievements to your friends, making it a clear method for players to show off the game they're enjoying and give it a bit of advertising to boot. The discounts, naturally, are a nice incentive. A maximum of 1.25 EUR will be deducted from the subscription price if you have 750 non-playing friends, but even five non-playing friends will net you a 0.25 EUR reduction. The discount begins to apply 12 days after you link your account, meaning that new players to the game can enjoy the discount right from the start. It's money off and a chance to show off what you've accomplished, and that should be enough to win over almost any Mortal Online player with a Facebook account.
Dell offers unlocked Streak for $99 with purchase of a new PC
Dell's Streak 5 tabletphone hasn't held our interest much lately, even with Android 2.2 on board, but Dell's got a new deal that may be too good to pass up. If you already had your heart set on nabbing a Dell notebook or desktop PC priced at over $699 -- say, one of those shiny new Sandy Bridge rigs -- you can add an unlocked Streak 5 to your cart for an additional Benjamin. Now that's what we call an impulse buy. [Thanks, Matthew K.]
Taverncraft offering 15% discounts all weekend long
We all know that the best way to enjoy a tall, frosty beverage is from a chalice fashioned from the skulls of your vanquished foes. But what's the second best way? Why, a giant World of Warcraft stein from Taverncraft, of course! If you've always coveted these wonderful utilitarian works of art, we have good news: This weekend only, Taverncraft is offering 15% off its entire stock of collectable World of Warcraft steins. If you've been putting off ordering that sweet murloc stein or the epic Tankard O' Terror, this may be the time to bite the bullet and get it done. According to Taverncraft's Twitter page, all you need to do to take advantage of the deal is to enter the code 5H7G3T prior to checkout. Or you could drink the blood of your enemies in, like, a vendor trash-quality sippy cup. If you think you can pull the look off. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Steam offering discounts on MMOs for the holidays
You never get everything you want over the holiday. That's inevitable. That's also why Steam, the digital distribution service that's become all but ubiquitous, always takes the chance to offer steep discounts for players once the holiday season starts up in earnest. This year has already seen the rollout of some big sales, with Final Fantasy XI, Aion, and Global Agenda all available for discounted prices -- prices in excess of 50% off. Final Fantasy XI's complete collection is being offered for $4.99 up through January 3rd. Aion is available for just $10 (a 75% reduction and the steepest discount of the lot) through January 2nd, and Global Agenda can be picked up for a $15 outlay with no subscription fee. It's a wide enough range of games that nearly anyone will find something worth picking up, and on the off chance you don't see your dream game listed, keep your eye on Steam over the next few days. It's better to give than receive, yes, but it's even better to do both.
Daily Deals for December 9, 2010
Deals and more deals: here's today's installment of the Daily Deals, courtesy of our friends at dealnews.com. Highlights include a $10 discount on Logmein Ignition for iPad and savings on iPad refurbished units. Enjoy! iTunes Music Store: iPhone App Store Freebies: Ace Sniper, Rogue Runner, Heights, Yeah DJ, more iTunes Music Store: Red Conquest! for free MacUpdate Promo: MacUpdate Promo Winter Bundle: 12 Mac apps for $50 iTunes Music Store: iPad App Price Drops: HTML Edit, Agents!, Braveheart HD, LogMeIn, more Apple Store: Refurbished Unibody Apple MacBook Pro Laptops from $929 + free shipping Apple Store: Apple cuts prices on refurbished iPad, most by $50, from $429 + free shipping B&H Photo Video: Drobo 4-Bay FireWire 800 / USB 2.0 Hard Drive Array for $299 + free shipping MacMall: Apple MacBook Air Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz 13" Laptop for $940 + free shipping Dell Small Business: Dell P2311H 23" 1080p LED LCD Display for $139 + free shipping iGoneMobile: Ink and Toner Roundup: Deals from $11 + free shipping mwave: MWAVE Bluetooth Keyboard Keycase Folio for iPad for $60 + free shipping
Preorder Cataclysm at Gamestop and get special perks
If you haven't preordered Cataclysm yet, either digitally or via your local brick-and-mortar, then Gamestop has a deal for you -- as long as you like buying stuff, anyway. Folks who preorder the upcoming expansion from Gamestop receive an immediate smattering of 20 percent discounts, good on stuff like select EVGA GeForce video cards, SteelSeries headsets, Linksys routers, and even the Alienware M15X gaming laptop. If you don't need discounts on hardware, then you're probably better off just doing the whole shebang digitally, because you'll have access on launch night regardless of how or where you bought the game. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Apple's Australian Store discounts most things by around 10 percent, foreshadows Black Friday deals
Just like last year and the year before, Apple's kicking off its Black Friday sale in the land of Oz first. Australian Mac lovers can now buy the iMac, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air for A$121 less than their usual price, while the iPad and iPod touch dip down by A$51 apiece and the iPod nano is now A$25 cheaper. It's all for today only, but should also be followed by similar discounts in the US and Europe.
Get Champions Online at a discount for a week
Champions Online put itself on the line during its anniversary by letting players have a full week of access to the game completely for free. The idea, beyond a doubt, was that once players had a taste of the metaphorical milk, they would simply have to purchase the equally metaphorical cow. But if you've been stymied by the fact that this month's cow budget is a bit on the tight side, there's good news on the horizon: for the next week, you can buy the game for only $6. The sale isn't being run at any brick-and-mortar stores, but is being run through two of the most popular digital distribution services, Steam and Direct2Drive. Both retailers will be offering the game at the discounted price for a week, with Steam getting a slight edge simply because it also has a free demo available for the game. Players interested in purchasing Champions Online at a steep discount can head to either service before September 22nd, perhaps encouraging the creation of a cow-themed superhero.
Pre Plus and Pixi Plus free on contract, with free accessories, too
What we really want from HP is a brand new webOS smartphone, but it'd be unfair to say we'd "settle" for a Palm Pre -- especially at prices like these. To commemorate the opening of the new HP Wireless store, the company's offering both Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, on AT&T or Verizon, free of charge for a limited time. Not only that, but these handsets feature free shipping, and the Pre comes with free accessories (including a Bluetooth headset, car charger and leather case) to boot. Meanwhile, Sprint's still sitting in the corner all alone, expecting folks to slap down cash money (up to $100) for these handsets' original incarnations. If you've been considering these devices already, it seems that now's the time to choose... but before you sign your life away, why not read our full review?
GameStop's 'GameDays' sale includes cheap Assassin's Creed 2 and more
GameStop's annual GameDays promotion has started up once again, bringing a pretty good selection of discounted games. Perhaps the best deal in the whole lineup is Assassin's Creed 2, available on both Xbox 360 and PS3 for $29.99. Other exciting deals on those systems include Fallout 3 for $20, Bayonetta for $40 (PS3/360) and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for just $15 (PS3/360). Handheld gamers can pick up COP: The Recruit, Dissidia Final Fantasy, or Phantasy Star Portable for $20, and top off the purchase with a $10 copy of Worms 2. Of course, these are just a few of the discounts -- go browse for yourself. [Via CheapCollegeGamers]
Educational institutions: Get your discounted iPad 10-pack
MacRumors reports that Apple has begun offering iPad 10-packs to educational institutions at discounted rates. The discounts are relatively minor: $20 off of each iPad in a set of 10, or $40 off per iPad if they are ordered with AppleCare. The iPad 10-packs are shipped in a single box, which eliminates individual packaging. In addition to the ten iPads, the packs contain ten power adapters, ten USB-to-Dock cables, and one set of documentation. Currently, only the WiFi models are available in the educational 10-packs. Like the iPhone, there are no iPad educational discounts currently available to students or teachers. Many believe that the iPad can revolutionize the tools for education. This educational 10-pack could be an early sign that Apple will aggressively pursue the iPad as an educational tool. The iPad 10-packs begin shipping in April.
Bounty Bay Online celebrates three years of operation
It's been three years since Bounty Bay Online has set sail for the high seas, yet it doesn't feel like it, does it? Sure, Frogster Interactive's pirate MMO may not bring home the chests of gold like its big sister, Runes of Magic. But the game is still gliding along with a decently sized community who are more than willing to spend their rum money on it. So there's no better way to celebrate 3 years of operation than by running some promotions for the community! The promotions certainly aren't bad, as they already involve double experience going from today until the 24th, and double cash shop points (buy any amount of points, get that same amount of points again for free) until the 25th. The celebration will be continuing until March 31st, so be sure to log on and reap some of the rewards. Nothing like discounts and faster leveling to say thanks to the community!
Macworld 2010: Pre-show deals
If you are joining us at Macworld this week, you know that deals abound on the show floor -- every company usually has some sort of show discount or sale going on. And sometimes, even if you're not here at the show, you can still take advantage of the sales back at home. Here's a few we've seen even before the show officially starts tomorrow. Tropical Software is offering $10 off its normally $39.95 purchase of notekeeping app TopXNotes. Unmarked Software has a Macworld 2010 promotion going on, with a 20% discount on TextSoap 6, an application that will "scrub up your text" and clean out unwanted garbage and characters. This isn't specifically Macworld-related, but SmileOnMyMac is here, and they just added their iPhone app TextExpander touch functionality to a number of other apps, so it's on sale for $1.99 right now. Stay tuned all week long for more deals and discounts from the show floor. If you're looking for a full rundown of show events, parties and activities, be sure to check out the Hess Memorial List.
Mortal Online newsletter announces launch delays, holiday discounts
We all know that launch dates for an MMO are loose targets at best and long shots in the darkness at worst. While it's disappointing when a game doesn't hit the target date, by and large players are used to it and all but expect it to happen -- it's part of the cycle. But it's still more than a little depressing to see that Mortal Online, the upcoming game from Star Vault, is going to be delayed by a month. That's the word in the latest newsletter for the game's fans, which is a bit of a depressing way to lead into the holidays, to say the least. The Limited Editions of the boxed game will also be seeing a slight delay, due to production issues with the artbook included. To compensate purchasers of the Limited Edition, an extra week of free playtime is being added to make up for the delayed ship. And to help take the sting off the entire sad process of delaying the game, Star Vault is offering discounts on both digital downloads and the last boxed editions of the game. Mortal Online's fans and beta testers are still likely to be sad about the delay, of course, but a few little bonuses never fail to take the edge off.
Savings on Wii, Spirit Tracks, music games at Target next week
Target's circular for the week of December 13 includes some near-Black Friday discounts on brand new items. With a promotional price of $24.99, Target has the best deal yet on the just-released The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (along with other recent DS releases like Style Savvy and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days). While you're buying a $25 game, you can also impulse-buy a Wii, which includes a bonus $30 gift card, or a DSi with a $10 gift card. Or a copy of Tony Hawk: Ride for $88 (not the only time we'll see discounts on this one, we're guessing).
Apple Black Friday deals hit the Australian store
Put aside, for the moment, the incongruity of non-US stores featuring discounts for the day after a US-only holiday... just roll with it, OK? Apple's online store for Australia -- where, of course, it's already Black Friday -- has got the one-day discount page posted and ready to go. The pricing drops are in the vicinity of 8-10% on the listed gear, which is certainly nice, and consistent with the second take on the leaked Apple ad posted by Boy Genius Report (the first one posted by the site featured delightful discounts that were much higher -- and unfortunately quite bogus). Look for similar discounts on the US store starting tonight. Thanks to Victor Cajiao!
Apple giving huge discounts on Black Friday? No way!
The boy geniuses over at Boy Genius Report are getting a lot of hits out of a story they ran late yesterday. Apparently, one of their contacts tipped them to a "shot of Apple's yearly Black Friday deals" that is "reported to be something Apple will email out shortly." The email (seen at right, pasted with an editorial comment from yours truly) shows alleged discounts of up to 30% on all iPods (excluding iPhone or iPod shuffle), up to 25% on all Macs, and up to 15% on all accessories, Apple software, and Apple hardware. This will only happen on November 27th and apparently "select" Apple stores will open at 6 AM. Well, most of us here at TUAW are pretty sure this is a fake. A compelling fake, mind you, but an utter fabrication. Why? First reason -- Apple almost never discounts their products, other than selling refurbished equipment on the cheap. That's part of the reason that the company is so successful and has the highest margins in the personal electronics and computing world. Discounts of "up to 25% on all Macs" are an Apple fanboy's most exciting dream (next to the iTablet, of course), but we doubt if the Cupertino Kids would discount anything more than 5%. Reason two -- Apple Stores are, for the most part, hugely popular anyway. Apple doesn't need to drag in customers on Black Friday by enticing them with wicked discounts. Let's face it, most of the Apple Stores are going to be packed on November 27th, so why would Apple want to create traffic jams and general hysteria by doing something like this? Hell, most of the Apple retail employees would probably quit during Black Friday, leaving the company in the lurch for the rest of the holiday season. Number three -- Historical precedence shows that Apple usually provides discounts on Black Friday, but not as big as BGR is indicating. In 2006, Apple provided free shipping to shoppers at the online store. Last year, Best Buy discounted up to US$150 on Macs and Apple matched that, but there was no steenkin' 25% discount. And finally, reason number four -- Apple's probably not going to send out anything with that much blank space at the top of it. They're too picky about design. They don't want someone to have to scroll down through an email to read the discounts, even if there is an Apple logo floating around at the top of the email. How sure are we that this isn't going to happen? Well, if it actually happens the way Boy Genius Report says it will, I'll wear a Boy Genius Report baseball cap (provided by BGR, of course) for four hours at Macworld Expo 2010 and give you guys some free advertising. TUAW readers -- what do you think about the discounts? Are they going to happen or not?
