halloween
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Halloween makes the rounds in SOE's line-up
'Tis the season for spookies and crawlies, and SOE is not above appropriating Halloween for its own ghoulish ends. Pretty much every one of its MMOs is hosting Halloween festivities this month with events, prizes, and macabre decorations. DC Universe Online is bringing back the Witching Hour and Midnight Masquerade with a few new rewards, Landmark is hosting a spooky building contest, Dragon's Prophet is reprising its Styx Festival, and both EverQuest and EverQuest II are reprising their infamous Nights of the Dead. Out of the bunch, PlanetSide 2 is the only one with a truly new holiday: Nanite of the Living Dead. With this event, players will be scouring the planet for "space pumpkins" to destroy for fun and profit.
Recommended Reading: Winning (and losing) big on a video poker bug
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Finding a Video Poker Bug Made These Guys Rich -- Then Vegas Made Them Pay by Kevin Poulsen, Wired In 2009, John Kane discovered a glitch in video poker machines that allowed him to hit multiple jackpots in a single sitting. Then one night, Kane hit seven in an hour and half, earning over $10,000 and setting off some major red flags with the casino's security. That sum was actually quite modest compared to other days. Wired has the story of how finding a bug in the gambling machines lead to earning a load of cash for a pair of men, until the workaround was discovered.
PlanetSide 2 patches in Directive improvements and space pumpkins
The latest PlanetSide 2 patch is a pretty big one even without the pumpkins. Yes, there are pumpkins. Space pumpkins. You will need to shoot them to get currency, which you can then cash in for Halloween-themed masks, maximizing your character's spookiness through the month. But the patch has a lot of other changes in it as well, starting with major improvements to Directive tracking and overall Directive progression, complete with a new Leadership tree. Experience awards are also adjusted slightly, changing certain bonuses and how they're distributed to make life a bit easier for players. Offline cert points have also been removed from non-Member accounts and added exclusively to Members, thus making your subscription seem just a bit more worthwhile. For a full rundown of these changes, other balance tweaks, and the like, check out the full patch notes. [Thanks to theKavorka for the tip!]
The Secret World adds new mission for the Halloween season [Updated]
The Secret World's Halloween offerings are expanding this year with a new mission chain called The Broadcast on October 20th that sends players to investigate mysterious radio signals affecting the dead. Funcom said that it will also be offering "a new loot setup" for the holiday as well as the return of the Cat God and Spooky Stories missions. Today's newsletter also announced a special double AP golden weekend starting on October 9th that will feature the encore of the golden guardian fight. Producer Joel Bylos spent some time in the letter discussing Issue #10, of which he said that the team is working on a nightmare monster section for Tokyo, postponing the release of the new auxiliary weapon, and allowing players more freedom to customize their user interfaces. [Update: Funcom has delayed the Halloween events but expects them to go live before Halloween itself.]
Valve 'underestimated' desire for Dota 2 event, explains lack of Diretide
Last year, Valve ran a special in-game event for Dota 2, called "Diretide," to coincide with the real-world event of Halloween. This year, Diretide was nowhere to be found, and it's only been just recently that Valve explained why. So why no Diretide this year? According to a post on the Dota 2 blog, a "significant" update was taking up most of the team's focus and energy. The team reasoned that ceasing work on the update to work on Diretide "seemed like something you would actually be unhappy with us for." As for why Valve waited until now to explain themselves: "You were already mad and disappointed in the lack of Diretide. Telling you that you weren't getting it at all wouldn't have really helped much," the post states. To make amends, Diretide will be coming to Dota 2 with the next update. When that update will hit, however, is a question currently lacking an answer. The blog also notes that, "while we always want the community to tell us exactly how we're doing, this is probably a good time to stop cc'ing innocent car manufacturers with your messages." The post doesn't mention it, but one Dota 2 developer community member has also tweeted that he'll involve the police if he gets another call about Diretide on his personal number. So, you know, maybe stop harassing people. Update: We incorrectly referred to the individual who received harassment via phone as a Dota 2 developer, when they are, in fact, not. The text has been updated to reflect the correction.
Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events
Stop me if you heard this before: Halloween in The Secret World ROCKS! I know, I'm preaching to the choir, right? There just isn't any other game that really comes close to sharing the spirit of the holiday like the one that is perpetually steeped in it. And when Halloween itself finally comes around, you actually have good reason to settle in after those real-life activities and enjoy more ghostly goodness in game. Heck, you can even get gussied up in some elaborate costumes that can include a working chainsaw. Who gets that in meatspace? Last year, however, I went through the agony of living with the fact that circumstances prevented me from experiencing everything the holiday events offered. It was torture seeing that incomplete quest chain and not having a furry little void cat to console me! I want to save you all from the same kind of pain and regret, so here is a quick guide to get you on the path to completing all the festivities before they dissipate into the night on November 11th.
Try Old School RuneScape for free this weekend
Plenty of RuneScape fans -- one million to be exact -- have been enjoying the nostalgia of the Old School servers that opened up last February. And now those who aren't paid members can get in on all the fun; Jagex is offering free access to everyone from now through Monday, November 4th. This event grants players the full member feature set for the duration of the weekend, just in time to participate in the holiday events (like going for the black Halloween mask, the first new one since 2002). All progress made during the weekend will be saved and stored so players can continue their adventures if they purchase a membership anytime in the future. Also on tap this weekend are the RuneFest 3 festivities (which players can catch via livestream) and the launch of the new PvP worlds. [Source: Jagex press release]
Indie Royale bundle celebrates Halloween with Organ Trail and more
A new, spooky Indie Royale bundle is available to purchase at a current minimum price of $5.24. The Halloween 2 pack includes eight games: Organ Trail: Director's Cut, Dark Fall: Lost Souls, Nightmares From the Deep: The Cursed Heart, Rise of the Ravager, Exceed 2nd: Vampire REX, Alien Zombie Megadeath, Dead Hungry Diner and, Overcast: Walden and the Werewolf. Those that pay at least $7 will receive the whole bundle as well as the chiptune album Marsupial Madness by Adhesive Wombat. The sale is good through Tuesday, November 5.
League of Legends' Harrowing adds spooky skins and mystery gifting
Once again it's time for The Harrowing in League of Legends, and this Halloween-themed update contains spooky champion skins, a new mystery gifting system, and exclusive summoner's icons. There are two new champion skins that can be tried out during the event and purchased to keep afterward: a Haunted Zyra and Officer Vi. Riot Games is also bringing back legacy Harrowing skins for a limited time for those who missed them in previous years. Players can choose to spend their RP to send a mystery gift in the form of a random skin to a friend. This mystery gifting will result in a skin that's worth more RP than what it cost to buy, perhaps to encourage friends to gift to each other. The team's also added five summoner's icons that can be earned during the event. The Harrowing will continue through November 12th.
Two old ghosts argue in Team Fortress 2's Halloween update
Now through November 11, Team Fortress 2 is celebrating All Hallow's Eve with a new "Scream Fortress" update including a custom Payload Race map replete with spooky skeletons, magic spells and two bickering old men. The custom map is Helltower, where the Red and Blu teams must each push their own respective cart through enemy territory to an end goal, just like in any traditional Payload Race match. This isn't the usual Payload Race, however, because on this map players can equip a spell book to their action slot, which allows them to pick up and cast various spells throughout the match. There's also a custom event called The Witching Hour - a path appears for each team leading to the base of the in-map clocktower, where players can grab a rare spell and teleport back to their spawn room with enhanced health and speed buffs. The update also adds over 100 new items for dress-up (turn the Scout into a terrier or give the Pyro a nice Goldilocks wig) and eight new holiday-themed achievements. In order to grab the update, simply head into Steam and boot up Team Fortress 2 for the mandatory install.
The Think Tank: How are we celebrating Halloween this year?
Halloween is an iconic holiday in most MMOs. Costumes and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night are both staples of our favorite gaming hobby anyway, so a holiday is an added bonus. So how do the Massively writers celebrate Halloween in MMO-land? Do they grind for special promotional items or just enjoy the spooky new quests? Read on past the jump to find out more!
Perfect Ten: Virtual haunted houses
Happy Halloween! Or if that's not politically correct enough for you, Happy Scare-Related Holidays feat. the Stylings of Ed Casbar and His Electric Teeth. It'd be the best of holidays if most people didn't have a prejudice against a middle-aged guy going trick-or-treating. Hey, us adults need sugar fixes too, you know! And just because you don't understand my seductive Night Elf cosplay outfit doesn't mean it's less valid than the tots with Iron Man masks. At least the online world is prejudice-free, which is why I love bouncing around between MMOs looking for a little haunted mansion action. Let's take a quick tour through 10 virtual haunted houses that go from zany to freaky, although not necessarily in that order.
Mingle with monsters as Heva Clonia Online launches today
After just two weeks of open beta testing, the anime-styled free-to-play game Heva Clonia Online launched today. Along with the full launch, OGPlanet is introducing new content and features including a new region, more quests, new dungeons, an increase in the level cap (to 49), and new class evolutions. Additionally, the cash shop is now available for use. As Heva Clonia Online's launch coincides with Halloween, it is fitting that there are numerous holiday-themed events for players to participate in and earn prizes from. And what better way to keep that holiday spirit all year round than by cloning and collecting the Halloween monsters? To start your adventures, visit the official site. For more on the game, check out Rise and Shiny and watch the gameplay trailer below. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
The Daily Grind: What's the scariest MMO quest you've ever experienced?
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suppose that you've played a lot of MMOs. You're reading Massively, after all, and since we're something of a specialist site, well, there you go. Since you've played a lot of MMOs, I'm also betting that you've done your fair share of quests. Some of these quests were probably boring. Some might have been well-written or mechanically novel. And some might even have been scary. Since it's Halloween and stuff, why don't we get into the spirit by reminiscing about scary MMO quests. What's the scariest quest you can recall? 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!
Announcing Engadget's #ScaryGadget Costume Contest!
Tomorrow is Halloween, which means from offices to classrooms, to banks and the streets of your hometown, people will be donning all sorts of costumes. Sure, you could be like everyone on the block and dress like Miley Cyrus, or try to score discount burritos at Chipotle, but why not go for something even more creative? Here's our challenge for you, our creative and engaged readers. If you're dressing up as a gadget, app, or really anything that is a nod to technology, we want you to snap a picture and tweet it out or pop it on Instagram while mentioning us (@engadget) along with the hashtag #ScaryGadget. Maybe you'll dress up like the Snapchat ghost (before his face was officially removed), or as one of your favorite characters from Orange Is The New Black. Or maybe Microsoft's Panos Panay, complete with headset and Surface 2? Whatever route you choose, we'd like to see. We'll pick the best and over the next day will pop those onto our Instagram (yes, we have one of those now) and write up our favorites later in the week. The prize? Fame and notoriety as one of the most creative costume geniuses of our times.
Steam scares up some deals with a Halloween sale
Steam's streak of holiday sales continues unabated. The Steam Halloween sale, which runs until November 1 and sees discounts extended to numerous "creepy" games, is currently underway. Sorry, wallet. Highlights include Benjamin Rivers' Home for $.74, Darksiders for $4 and Darksiders 2 for $10, the entire F.E.A.R. collection for $13.74 and both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for $7.49. You can also grab DmC: Devil May Cry for $17, or simply peruse the more than 100 other deals now available on the sale page.
Jukebox Heroes: Halloween tunes
Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood to terrorize your neighbourhood. And whosoever shall be found without the soul for getting down must stand and face the hounds of hell. ~ Thriller Is it thriller night already? It's just about, actually, and that means that we need to get a little freaky and a lot creepy in today's edition of Jukebox Heroes. Let's put aside our jaunty ballads and epic fanfares for music of the crypt. Let's dance with skeletons and play pin-the-wart-on-the-witch as these tunes fill our ears. My advice? Turn it up. If you keep the monsters rocking out, then they'll be too preoccupied to eat you.
Masquerade of Liars now live in Neverwinter
Halloween festivities continue to invade our MMOs, with Neverwinter's Masquerade of Liars festival currently online and set to run until November 4th. The event brings costumes, masks, decorations, and all the other stuff you'd expect to see in an MMO holiday, including special boss encounters with transformed NPCs. Collect Liar's Charms from daily quests and trade them to wandering illusionists for masquerade tokens, which you can then trade for special holiday loot. You'll also find Liar's Charms scattered about the world; they'll drop from skill nodes and slain monsters during the event. There's a fair amount of lore to be discovered by talking to the masquerade loremaster each day of the festival, yet another way to gather a few charms. Speak with the masquerade master in the center of Protector's Enclave for a full introduction to the event.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's rogue's gallery remixes
Guild Wars 2's wicked snake people, the Krait, are nasty on their best of days, and ArenaNet is making them even nastier in the new Tower of Nightmares release. The titular tower has been built in secret in Viathan Lake under a force field, and its unveiling will cause massive changes in the area. The trailer shows us green skies filled with black seeds and sinister winds; at the top of the tower is a plant of some kind. I'm not used to describing plants as lurking or looming, but this one is definitely doing both. I'm excited for this release because it looks creepy, and regardless of how effective it ends up being, I almost always appreciate it when MMOs attempt to be scary. I like that the lore of GW2 doesn't always take itself too seriously, but when it goes dark, it can hit some disturbing notes. My misgivings about the patch lie in this being the third enemy mashup we've seen: Dredge and Flame Legion, Inquest and Aetherblades, and now Krait and what have to be some extremely persuasive snake charmers.
Steam begins selling The Secret World: Massive Edition
Steam has a new promotional bundle on sale for newcomers to The Secret World. Called The Secret World: Massive Edition, the bundle contains the core buy-to-play game, all of the issues to date, and this Halloween's Plague Doctor outfit (seen in the picture above). While Issues #1-4 were previously free with the core game, Issues #5-7 were sold as DLC. The promotional edition is on sale at half-off for $29.99. The game, its issues, and the Plague Doctor outfit can also be purchased separately. Funcom also announced that it will extend the game's current Halloween festivities through November 11th.
