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The Game Archaeologist's fear and loathing in the Kingdom: Joshing with Jick
Here at the Game Archaeologist Labs, we've been dissecting just what it takes to make a hit MMO that defies normal conventions -- a homemade startup that loves its wordplay long time even in an age when only about 12% of internet forum posters are fully literate. Kingdom of Loathing is an anomaly for all these reasons and more, and yet it's succeeded when MMOs boasting $100+ million budgets have bit the dust. Like Batman and Robin, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Taco Bell and grease, and "That's what" and "she said," the two creators of Kingdom of Loathing are absolutely inseparable. Where there is Jick, there is Mr. Skullhead, and vice-versa. The pair comprise the public face of the game and are so adored by Kingdom of Loathing's fans that I received a ransom note the other day telling me that I'd never see my cat again if I didn't lavish enough praise on the duo. This was weird to me, as I don't own a cat, but that's neither here nor there. In our final week of plumbing the depths of Kingdom of Loathing, I had the pleasure of probing Zack "Jick" Johnson's mind, and I haven't quite recovered yet. I have looked into the abyss, and it looked into me -- and winked. Oh, you flirty abyss! So let's do this thing -- hit the jump and find out just what makes KoL tick from the inside out!
Adafruit shows off the Square dongle for credit card payments on the iPhone
Adafruit is one of a few companies that has been chosen to test the Square dongle that automagically takes credit card payments on any iPhone. Even though we got to see it in action at Macworld, I think every look we can get at this thing is worth it, considering just how darn revolutionary it seems. The video on Flickr shows just how quick and easy it is -- just swipe the card, and sign with your finger on the iPhone's screen. I haven't bothered carrying cash for a few years now, and something like this only makes it easier to not only take payments for vendors, but for me to pay. Hot dog guy needs a few bucks but doesn't have a landline connection to run a credit card on? No worries, just swipe and done. Want to give to the Salvation Army guy over the holidays but don't have any money left in the wallet? Just swipe and done. Word has it that the transaction cut will be 2.9% (though the video above shows 3.5% -- maybe you can change the percentage depending on circumstances), but odds are that in most cases, the convenience will be well worth it. The whole program's still in beta, but it probably won't be long before you'll see (and maybe even use) one of these out in the wild. [Via Engadget]
Over $40,000 donated to EVE Online "PLEX for Haiti" initiative so far
When the Republic of Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake on January 12th, groups around the world struggled to give as much aid as possible. Proving that gamers are givers, several MMO companies rushed to provide a way for their players to donate to registered relief aid charities like the Red Cross. Sony Online Entertainment raised over $25,000 in just three days by selling in-game items in Free Realms, EverQuest and EverQuest II. They donated 100% of the proceeds to charity and even added $10 of their own money for each purchase made. CCP ran their own EVE Online "PLEX Aid for Haiti" initiative where players were encouraged to buy PLEX and then contract them to the "CCP PLEX for Haiti" character in-game. Even PLEX purchased in-game with ISK helped the appeal as every two PLEX contracted to CCP equaled $35 US Dollars of cash that was bought but not converted into game time. CCP could then donate the full $35 without making a loss. It was a clever scheme that allowed players who were short on cash but rich in-game to donate real money to charity. CCP have just announced that so far the total tally of PLEX donated to the appeal has reached 2,290, which has a real cash value of just over $40,000 US dollars. One player donated a staggering 341 PLEX, which has an in-game value of over 88 billion ISK and makes a real world donation of almost $6,000. Of note is the revelation that only 1.4% of the donated PLEX were bought directly for cash, while players buying the PLEX using their spare ISK contributed the remaining 98.6%. That's a testament both to the generosity of gamers and the innovative system CCP used to collect aid. Hopefully we'll see this strategy used in future when someone is in desperate need of aid as it has proven very successful. For those that still want to donate, CCP are currently still accepting donations of PLEX to help the people of Haiti.
Behemoth collects over 30k for Haiti relief, extends promotion again
Since January 20, the team at Behemoth have been raising money through Xbox Live DLC sales of Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid to support relief efforts in Haiti. Over four days, Behemoth has collected $15,585.65 through DLC purchases; however, since the promise was to donate 200% of all DLC sales, The Behemoth has matched the total leaving the donation jar filled with $31,171.29! That's great, but for The Behemoth it isn't great enough. Today the team announced they will continue to extend the promotion until the total donation jar hits $50,000. What a bunch of sweethearts. Check out a list of the DLC you can buy to help offer support for the people in Haiti. They really need your help.
CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts
The devastating January 12 earthquake which struck the Republic of Haiti claimed many lives, and has left even more people homeless. It's a terrible situation, but at the very least there are numerous aid efforts underway, and some companies in the MMO industry are finding ways to help as well. CCP Games now ranks among them, with their PLEX Aid for Haiti initiative. The company is offering a way for the EVE Online playerbase to get involved and help with donations. Here is the message from Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, in its entirety:
IGN holding charity event for Haiti recovery efforts
Though it may lack the star-studded cast of last night's Hope for Haiti telethon, IGN will be holding its own charity drive to help the nation get back on its feet after last week's devastating 7.0 earthquake. The news site will be taking donations from readers next Wednesday during a 12-hour "online webathon," the proceeds from which will go to Habitat for Humanity. The site will also be holding a number of online auctions for items donated by altruistic members of the gaming industry -- such as the gold-plated Bayonetta gun seen above. Check out the IGN for Haiti event page for more details -- and make sure tune in at 9 a.m. PST next Wednesday to watch the webathon unfold!
Real World Heroes gives titles for charity in City of Heroes
It's trite and cliche, but also true -- the holidays are the optimal time to stop and remember that there are people less fortunate than you in the world. Charity drives step up in frequency and everyone looks for the spirit of the holiday, of giving gifts out of kindness and hope that others can share in your good fortune. That being said, it can help give an incentive for everyone if there's something more to be had than simply the warm fuzzy feeling. Real World Hero, a player-run charity drive, has teamed up with the community team in City of Heroes to provide a little extra incentive for players of the game to step up and do something super. Running between November 30th and December 24th, players who include their character information when they donate will be eligible for a limited-time special gold title for their character, marking them as a generous soul. The event is not being officially sponsored by the company, but the support is certainly added incentive to take part. With Operation Gratitude, Donate Games, and the ever-popular Child's Play as the designated recipients, it's a good time for City of Heroes players to be a bit more heroic in their day-to-day lives and be known for it in-game to boot.
Azeroth United and Raid for the Cure running charity giveaways
Halloween is over and we're headed towards Thanksgiving, which means it's the time of year that charities everywhere ask you to open up your hearts and wallets and support some good causes. Azeroth United, the recently-formed community for WoW players, just revealed the prizes in their "Hearts, Hands, and Voices" charity giveaway. They're officially supporting Child's Play (they got mentioned on the main website), and your donation there (of $10 or $20) will get you into two tiers of giveaways, featuring prizes of all kinds from all over the WoW community. Sounds like a great chance to both support a good cause and maybe even win some free stuff. And from our old friend John "BigBearButt" Patricelli comes news of a "Raid for the Cure" -- on Saturday, November 14th, a group of players from both factions will walk in-game on the Kael'thas server from Darnassus to Ratchet (and on to Booty Bay) to raise awareness and funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity. Pink shirts will be handed out at the event, and making a donation of any kind over on the WoW page for the charity will enter you in a raffle to win a guest appearance on the Sidhe Devils Gone Wild podcast (a member of that guild has been dealing with breast cancer, and the in-game run is in support of her and her cause).
Azeroth United announces Hearts, Hands and Voices charity drive
Our good friends over at Azeroth United have announced their charity drive for the year, and while it's still getting underway, you can now head over and start giving donations, of either money or items to be offered as prizes for sponsorships. The drive doesn't officially start until November 1st, but especially if you have a site that has WoW-related items or services to offer, AU could use your help putting together gifts for people who donate. Additionally, they've put together mp3 promos of various AU members, so if you have a podcast in the community or any other audio outlet, you can run promotions of your own to help out the cause.Said cause is an excellent one, of course: they're aiming to get at least $5,000 to donate to Child's Play, the charity started by the Penny Arcade folks that helps get video games together for children in hospital. The drive, we're told, will run through December 13th, so they've got a long way to go, but right now they're working hard at getting sponsor items together and getting the community revved up for the event. Stay tuned for more -- this seems like an excellent opportunity for the Warcraft community to do good and help out the world outside of Azeroth.
Last week to join Mend Pet's SPCA charity drive
The last time we posted about Brajana and her SPCA charity drive over on Mend Pet, she'd only just started it and was revving up to get a nice list of prizes going. Nowadays, she's got a great list of prizes (including a free FigurePets set, a few good loot cards, some custom-made character artwork, and even a custom-designed UI -- you can make yours look just like Turpster's if you want), and she's rolling into the last few days of the drive. It all ends on Friday, July 31st, so if you haven't gotten your donation in to the SPCA International yet (the money will go to volunteer programs, including animal shelters all of the world, and help out with food, shelter, and vaccination costs), do so right away. And make sure to follow the instructions on Brajana's site -- for every donation you make, no matter how big or small, you'll get two chances to pick up some of that great loot, and you'll be helping out real-life pets all over the world.It's a great way to help out a worthy cause, give some back to the Warcraft community and the hard work that bloggers like Brajana do, and maybe even win some free stuff. Remember, she's asking for your donation before Friday, July 31st, so head over there and get it in as soon as possible.
Mend Pet sponsors an SPCA charity donation drive
Brajana at Mend Pet has kicked off a month-long donation drive and giveaway to support the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She says that since Blizzard has decided to finally give out some more stable slots to Hunters back in patch 3.0.2, what better way to celebrate than by helping some real-life animals. She has a link on her blog for you to give as little or as much as you'd like to support the SPCA and their cause, and if you choose to put the donation "in honor of" Mend Pet (just follow the instructions on her post), she'll enter you in a drawing to win some prizes. What prizes, you ask? Apparently those are still being worked out, but we're sure they'll be great. And it's a great cause anyway -- do you really need prizes to show some pet shelter love?If you do, just hang on -- the donation drive lasts through the 31st of this month, so Brajana has some time to get everything together, and even if you donate now, you'll still be entered for sure. It's always awesome to see the WoW community put its size and power to good use, and this is definitely a worthy cause to support.
Carbonite going free, continuing development
The guys behind Carbonite have finally responded to Blizzard's new addon policy, and probably not in the way you might have guessed: they're continuing development, and they're making the addon free. Carbonite was rumored to be the addon that started all of this trouble: they had a partial version up for free download, and were charging for the full version of the addon, which apparently Blizzard didn't appreciate. But rather than shutting down the addon completely, they've decided to go free for everyone, and they're continuing development -- version 3.00 is supposed to be out next week.It's worth noting that they still have a number of donate buttons on their download page, which Blizzard is supposedly fine with -- all Blizzard wanted was the donate buttons out of the game itself. And of course, if you find this addon (or any other) helpful, you should definitely support the people who make it.Reaction on the addon's forums is grateful as expected -- lots of people figured that this addon would be shutting down for good, so many are glad to see it will be continuing development. And one developer does say that Carbonite will be removing any obfuscation from their code, as per the new policy, so it's possible that other addon developers will be able to more easily hook into their code and use their techniques. Of course, whether the addon will still be financially worth it for the devs remains to be seen but for now, they're going along with the new policy and widening their audience at the same time.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
The Daily Grind: Profiting from mods?
In case you missed the news the other day, Blizzard has essentially told everyone who has developed a mod for World of Warcraft - no matter how much time, effort and care they've put into it - that they can no longer ask for any money for their mods via the mod (in-game advertising). This includes soliciting for donations people optionally offer the mod maker for making such a great and useful item, if it's 'nagware'. Many mod developers put in a great deal of time creating their mods, and some of the mods have been good enough to actually wind up getting incorporated into Blizzard's in-game UI due to almost universal adoption by the player base.This morning we thought we'd ask you what you thought about this? On the one hand, Blizzard has the right to completely block all mods from World of Warcraft altogether if they feel that the mod developers are making too much money by 'selling' their mods, or their advertising is too intrusive. It's their game. Like it or not, they get to dictate the rules. On the other hand, the base UI at launch was, in my opinion, horrid. It lacked a great many things that have since been added to WoW's base UI due to things modders dreamed up. Should all requests for funding stop? Should it only stop when it is a "pay" mod - or mod with a pay service attached like wowecon? Or should mod authors be allowed to solicit donations on their own web site (as they are essentially allowed now) for those who love the mod and want to donate something to keep it going, but not in game?
Addon devs respond to Blizzard UI policy changes
Blizzard dropped a bombshell on the addon community last Friday with their new addon policies (among a few other clarifications, addon developers can no longer charge for their addons or even ask for donations in-game), and developers are reeling. Already, the creator of the popular QuestHelper has responded on his changelog, saying that the addon is "dead." He says that he has tried to get donations without having an ingame link, it doesn't work, and that without any money coming in, he doesn't see any reason to keep the addon in development. Likewise, the developer of Outfitter has pulled his addon from the usual outlets, saying that he "will no longer add value to the World of Warcraft" and that Blizzard is trying to "continue a system of treating addon developers as if their time and products are worthless."Blizzard may not be too worried about Outfitter -- they're planning to add an official Equipment Manager into the game soon (and Tobold makes a point that Blizzard may want addons to be worthless). As far as we've heard, there's no word from the folks behind Carbonite yet -- there's lots of speculation on their forum, but we've contacted them to try and get an official statement. They are the addon that's believed to have kicked this all off -- they were actually charging (and holding up full time jobs) for their addon, and word is going around that Blizzard released these new policies to put the kibosh on them.We'll have to wait and see on the long term policies of these changes -- a few developers have already called for a strike, though who knows how successful an idea like that would be. We'll definitely see a few devs hold back from working on their addons, but it's unlikely changes like these will shut down the community completely.
Blizzard employee raises over $34,000 for LLS
The final total on that charity drive we mentioned last week is in, and it's huge. While Blizzard employee Katherine Allen aimed to collect about $5000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, she ended up picking up a whopping $34,000 (and growing) for the charity. Whether you gave in order to get entered for the drawing (she's giving away a few yearly passes and one lifetime subscription), or just for the charity of it, she is now thanking everyone who gave on the site, and we have to thank you, too: it's events like this that show off just how generous World of Warcraft players can be.The drawing will be held on January 8th, so if you did give and entered the contest, keep an eye on your email inbox to see if you won. And while the contest itself is over, there's still a few days left to donate to the cause if you missed it the first time around and still want to support the Society.Sure, we're known for our QQing, we've got untold number of loot ninjas and drama queens in our ranks, and don't you dare nerf our class or we'll whine like nobody's business. But when you ask them to come through and help their fellow human beings, World of Warcraft players are one of the best communities around. Good luck to everyone who entered the contest, and thanks again to everyone who donated to the cause.
Blizzard employee offering a lifetime pass to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Here's a cool way to donate some money to charity and have a chance at probably the best prize a WoW player could want. Katherine Allen (our own Michael Sacco, formerly known as "Belfaire," says she's a friend) is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and she's offering a contest with each donation: by giving at least $25 and putting an Alliance or Horde comment on the donation page, she'll enter everyone who does so in a drawing to win one of three one-year timecards for the game. And because donations have already topped $5500 (as of this writing, they're at $7,420), she's picking one more name out of the hat, to win a lifetime subscription. That's right -- donate, win, and you'll never have to pay for WoW again.Very nice -- not only is that an amazing prize, but it's awesome that because of the generosity of WoW fans, they've already met their fundraising goal for the society, and then some. Donations are being accepted until January 5th, so there's still time to get your name in the pot if you'd like. Even if you don't pick up a prize, you'll be helping to try and save the lives of 145 people a day, and while trouncing the Lich King is definitely a thrill, helping people in real life is even better.
Meet WoW Insider at the Chicago Child's Play benefit
Child's Play, the charity started up by Penny Arcade that hooks up kids in the hospital with videogames to play while there, is holding a benefit event in Chicago early next month on December 9th, and I'm going to be there. It's definitely a worthy charity, and I know there are lots of WoW Insider fans in the Second City (many of whom I was able to meet at our Wrath launch meetup), so if you're a fan of videogames, helping sick kids, and want to come out and talk some WoW with me, tickets are available right now.There's a raffle going on as well (I'm angling to get some World of Warcraft-related gear in the pot), and there'll also be a Mortal Kombat vs. DC tournament going on thanks to Chicago's own Midway Games (and I heard there was a Rock Band event, though that may have since fallen through -- we'll see). And oh yeah, since the event is taking place at Plan B, there'll be drinking. It's $10 admission, or you can give $50 for admission and an open bar, though you have to be over 21 for both. I'll let you guess which ticket I bought (hint: the one with the booze).Should be a lot of fun -- if you're in Chicago and weren't able to make it to our launch party, see if your calendar's clear for this event. And if you're not in Chicago, Child's Play has lots of events going on around the country, and obviously they're happy to take donations anyway. Hopefully we'll see lots of WoW Insider readers at the event next month -- when else do you get to drink, play games, and help kids all at the same time?
Mourning for China
Apparently it's natural disaster season in Asia. The massive cyclone that hit Burma () on May 3 has taken an estimated 78,000 lives with an additional 56,000 missing. Last week (May 12) an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of china. The death toll for that quake has reached 34,000 with the body count expected to rise. Many of the quake victims have been children, as least 6 schools collapsed while classes were in session. It will take weeks, months, or even years to sort out the amount of damage caused by these events. The Chinese government has declared a mourning period for three days for those injured, missing, and passed. This includes the closing of movie theaters, web portals and television stations. The9, who services World of Warcraft in is participating in the blackout as is Shanda Interactive Entertainment, host of the World of Legend game. If you are helping out, there are a number of charitable organizations taking donations to assist in providing relief to victims in Asia. Studies show that making donations to such organizations actually help to boost your own mood in addition to helping those who are in need.
Gamer Dad suffers a heart attack, needs help
Many of you who have little ones running around (or the occasional visit from a niece or nephew) may be familiar with GamerDad, a site specifically aimed at approaching gaming from a parental perspective. Sadly, Gamer Dad himself Andrew Bub suffered a heart attack at the beginning of the month. He had a quadruple bypass and will soon be undergoing more surgery.Bub's wife Linda (seen above) is currently asking for some financial help from GamerDad readers right here. If you're a fan of GamerDad or just of people who are doing good work, there are many worse ways you could spend a few bucks. From all of us at Joystiq, we wish GamerDad the best of luck and a quick recovery.[Thanks, Anthony]
Heroic kid gets PS3 from Sony
If you were into heart-warming, somewhat-video-game related stores in August, you may remember 9-year-old Matty Lovo, the boy who saved his dad's life by taking control of a 100,000-pound truck after pops passed out. The kid thought, understandably, that his reward should be a PS3.Sony apparently agrees. They rewarded Matty for his quick-thinking and (we assume) PlayStation 2-honed driving skills with a PS3 and a stack of games. It's a classy move from the company, especially considering all the free PR the kid brought them. (Just so you know, if Big Mutha Truckers was a PS3 game, this post would have ended with a hilarious joke. We're sorry for the inconvenience.)
