fan-faire-2012
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The Tattered Notebook: Exploring identity with EQII's SOEmote
This week, EverQuest II launched a new feature called SOEmote. It gives players the ability to use a webcam and create facial expressions for their avatars, but it also includes the ability to change your voice to match your character in voice chat. You wouldn't think that being able to raise and lower eyebrows, tilt your head, or sound like a pixie would match up well with killing orcs and looting treasures, but neither would home decorating, and yet it's become a very popular activity in game. Will SOEmote follow suit and be yet another outlet for player creativity, or is it just a gimmick? In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll take a look at the new feature and give some first impressions about its potential.
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.
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]
