holiday-2012
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WildStar hints at future holiday content
The final WildStar Wednesday of the year is an interesting beast, to say the least. It's a humorous advertisement for something called Protostar's Gala Winterfest Extravaganza, which looks suspiciously like a thinly veiled preview for a future holiday when the game launches. The Gala Winterfest Extravaganza is "a pleasantly vague and non-threatening holiday event" put on by the Protostar Corporation. It involves an artificial winter makeover of the landscape and plenty of shopping. Seriously, shopping is mentioned like 16 times. Carbine's developers also posted a new holiday card for its fans in addition to the following promise: "We can't wait to introduce you to the Dominion, reveal the other classes, and get you guys into beta next year! Have a Happy New Year from everyone at Carbine!"
The Daily Grind: Did you get yourself a gift this season?
When I was a kid, I always thought it was strange that my mother would get herself Christmas presents. It wasn't until sometime later that I realized that she did this so she'd open something she'd actually use instead of just another macaroni plate or a misshapen ash tray. Since then, I've been pretty lenient on folks who tell me that they purchased themselves a present during the holidays. So if you want to brag about what you got yesterday or this month, feel free in the comments below. However, I'm genuinely curious if you've decided to treat yourself to an MMO nicety for the holiday. Maybe you're giving yourself a marathon gaming session, that cash shop item you've always wanted, or a game that nobody thought to get you. It's okay to share, I give you permission! 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!
WRUP: Final push for 'Best of 2012'
With Joystiq's annual 'Best of the Year' awards around the corner, each staff member has a short window to complete any outstanding adventure deemed a major contender for a spot on the site's year-end top ten list.Joystiq will reveal its 'Best of 2012' during the first week of the new year; the culmination of hours of intelligent debate ... and probably a lot of chair throwing and hair-pulling.We've been preparing for this list all year, but there are still a few games we each need to complete. Here's what the Joystiq staff will be playing during the final hours of 2012.
EVE Online's holiday celebration trailer is all over the naughty list
If you woke up this morning thinking to yourself, "Will today be the day that I see the strangest MMO trailer of my entire life," then we're happy to let you know that yes, yes it is. CCP wasn't just content to slap together a humdrum video highlighting the cool EVE Online snowball-slash-fireworks launcher that it's giving out to players this season; it decided to dial the crazy up to 11 and film the resulting mayhem. So once you hit the jump and watch this (and you will watch it), you'll be treated to such jolly activities such as Santa being incinerated, a charming fairy tale about a witch that eats kids, close-ups of a developer's slack jaw munching on masticated sausage, peeping toms, bleeped swears, and a snowball fight in space. Really, we have no words to sum it up. We best just give it to you and let you be the judge.
The Daily Grind: What's on your MMO gift wish list?
With the holiday season in full swing, plenty of birthdays going on, Wookiee Life Day approaching, and the apocalypse looming over it all, it's definitely a time to be giving and getting lots of presents. As members of a particular and peculiar subset of gamers, it stands to reason that our gift desires might be a tad different than those of Muggles. So what's on your MMO gift wish list this month? Is there a game that you'd love to find in your stocking? Have you had your eye on a particular cash shop item -- and dropped enough hints to your friends that this is your heart's desire? Would you love to get MMO-themed clothes, toys, or other physical objects to show off your hobby to the world? Lay it on us: What does your wish list look like? While Massively writers might not be so rich as to get you everything on your list, you never know when a secret admirer might be reading the comments looking for ideas to make your day. 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!
Winter holidays around the virtual world
Ho, ho, holy crap -- there are a lot of in-game events this time a year! It must be that people are in a celebrating mood or something. Well, we've survived a rocky and exciting 2012, and with any luck we'll make it through the apocalypse to open gifts and eat large dead animals with loved ones. Getting around to all of your favorite in-game festivities can be a full-time job, especially if you don't know what's new and when the events are wrapping up. We've tried to help you out with our annual holiday guide, so pack a snowball and leap with us into the thick of the excitement!
Pocket Legends adds Paladin and Ranger classes
Three's company no longer; Spacetime Studios is adding two new classes to its smash hit Pocket Legends, bringing up the grand total of available characters to five. The new classes to be included in today's update are the Vixen Ranger and the Rhino Paladin. The Ranger looks to be a dual-wielding fighter while the Paladin is geared out as a classic tank. The new classes aren't the only things being added today. The update has a new level 76 red dragon to defeat, additional dungeons, a heroic instance, a 3v3 capture-the-flag map, more options for existing classes' skills, and the game's Winterfest holiday event. [Source: Spacetime Studios press release]
RIFT releases Update 2.1, begins Fae Yule
You've gotten a taste of the new festival content, you've seen the huge raid, but nothing will prepare you for RIFT's 2.1 update quite like this post will. Trion Worlds took the curtain off of its first post-Storm Legion update today, triggering the game's seasonal Fae Yule celebration as well. The centerpiece of Update 2.1 is a 20-person raid called Endless Eclipse. The new endgame raid is not the only challenge being added, as Trion's patched in a new expansion-themed chronicle, updated the PvP conquest system for level 60 battles, and added weekly crafting quests for high-level adventurers. With Fae Yule's second round in the game, Trion's shoved in plenty of more activities and rewards. There's a nifty sledding minigame, holiday-themed instant adventures, lots of dailies, and merry decorations for players' dimensions. This update comes out on the heels of Trion's announcement that the studio was suffering layoffs.
TERA holiday event wants you to kill Santa
What could possibly more fun than hunting down and killing Santa? How about doing it in a corset and fishnets? From December 14 to January 2, TERA is inviting players to find both Fat and Tiny Santas in game during their Santa's Slay event. Holiday drop loot includes themed cosmetic items, enchanting gear, and high-level consumables. You also have a chance to win a Santa cap that's exclusive to this event. Check out more info on the event's official announcement.
APB locks and reloads for Christmas
All Points Bulletin is preparing for a bloody Christmas siege -- and if you can get through this holiday event without saying, "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho," then you are better people than we. The game is kicking off its holiday festivities on Wednesday, December 12th, and has a few twists from last year's event. During the event, players will need to seek out Elves for a few new missions. These Elves aren't messing around, either; they're prepared to hand out weapon skins and cool threads for the street-tough. The studio also floated the rumor that there will be a snowball grenade launcher up for grabs. The studio has a 12-day promotion starting on December 13th for shoppers. Each day, the cash shop will hand out a different surprise gift to those dropping money on the title. [Source: Reloaded Productions press release]
Star Trek Online reveals holiday rewards
If the sound of Q's Winter Wonderland returning in Star Trek Online got you excited yesterday, then just wait until you see the rewards. The developers posted on the bounty of goods that players can earn and win during this holiday event. To earn the rewards, players will need to accumulate collectables by participating in the various holiday activities. Those collectables can be traded with other players and cashed in to purchase Tribbles, winter jackets (now with stylish midriffs!), scarves, winter weaponry, and snowmen pets. Fleets can work together to build a Breen ship ornament in their starbase. However, the big prize of the event is a Breen Chel Grett Warship. The warship is free for the taking to captains who run the footrace 25 times out of the 35 days of the event.
Star Trek Online expands Q's Winter Wonderland
Q's Winter Wonderland -- Star Trek Online's holiday event -- is preparing to return to the sci-fi title on Thursday, December 6th. When it arrives, players will discover a few new tricks up Q's sleeve in this enchanted wonderland. The dev team has added a central gazebo with vendors, a snowball fight against magically animated snowmen, and a footrace down a slippery path. There are plenty of new rewards as well, including costumes, winter gift boxes, and the ability to breed epohh pets. All of the old activities will be returning as well. The event continues through January 14th and can be accessed by talking to Q at Qo'noS or Earth Spacedock.
525K PlayStation 3 consoles, 160K Vitas sold last week
Proving that people will buy more things when they're cheaper, Sony boasted about Black Friday sales boosts for both the PS3 and Vita. Last week, including Black Friday, Sony sold over 525,000 PlayStation 3 units and 160,000 Vitas in the US, the publisher reported today.For Black Friday, Sony offered discounted $199 bundles for both the console and handheld – the PS3 with Infamous Collection and the Uncharted Dual Pack, and Vita bundles with a choice of Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified, Lego Batman 2, or Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation. Amazon had an even more appealing Vita bundle, which threw three months of PlayStation Plus and a copy of PS All-Stars in with the Liberation set for $180. Those sold out within five hours.
3DS XL holiday bundle includes free Mario Kart 7
A new 3DS XL bundle offered in North America starting December 2 will include a pre-installed copy of Mario Kart 7. The new "limited-edition bundle" contains a stock blue/black system with a free copy of last year's online-enabled kart racer loaded onto the SD card.The set is priced at $199.99, the regular price for a 3DS XL, making the game effectively free. Also available at retail is Nintendo's Black Friday 3DS bundle, with a red (non-XL) 3DS and Super Mario 3D Land.
Xbox 360 sells 750,000 in the US over Black Friday
Sales of the Xbox 360 during the Black Friday sales period (November 18 - 23) exceeded Microsoft's internal forecasts, coming in at 750,000 units. Even at a discounted price, that's not a bad haul for Microsoft.Sales of three-month Xbox Live Gold subscriptions increased more than 50 percent from 2011's Black Friday week, and Halo 4 sales "exceeded expectations." Anything Halo 4 makes now is gravy, after reporting $220 million in day-one sales.People with Xboxes at home turned them on more often than last year, with a 43 percent increase in the use of entertainment applications during Black Friday week. Perhaps that's why we hear rumblings of an "Xbox TV" set-top box coming next year.
Amazon Cyber Monday deals include Vita, Halo 4, the word 'Cyber' [update: PC download deals]
Here's something to think about while you browse Amazon's list of Cyber Monday lightning deals, which include Soulcalibur V and a coordinating arcade stick, a 3G/Wifi Vita, Dance Central 3, the return of the Halo 4 with $20 gift card offer, and Adventure Time: Hey Ice King, etc. Are the savings worth the continued use of the term "Cyber Monday?"The timed deals begin at 9:12am PST (12:12pm EST) and continue throughout the unfortunately named day.Update: Amazon passed along some worthwhile PC download offers as well: XCOM is $24.99 today; Borderlands 2 is $29.99 for one copy or $90 for a four-pack through Nov. 26; and Kingdoms of Amalur with bonus DLC will be $12 on Nov. 26.
Amazon's Sunday Lightning Deals offering more Halo 4
For those that missed out on yesterday's Halo 4 Lightning Deal, you have another shot at getting a $20 Amazon gift card and $10 in Instant Watch credit with the game today. Unfortunately, a few of the earlier deals for today have already been claimed, but if you rush to your computer with your credit card in hand, you might be able to score The World Ends With You ($14.99) and Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 ($19.99) before the deals run out.Punch your way past the break to check out the full schedule of today's Lightning Deals, courtesy of Thrifty Nerd.
Steam Autumn sale continues with deals on Skyrim and Hotline Miami [Update]
Steam's Autumn Sale, which is running through November 26, continues with big deals today on games such as Skyrim ($29.99), Saints Row: The Third ($9.99) and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron ($29.99). Flash sales for today include Mass Effect 2 ($5.99) and Hotline Miami ($4.99).The Autumn Sale also features a ton of deals on indie games, such as Limbo ($4.99), Braid ($4.99), Botanicula ($4.99) and Costume Quest ($7.49). Unlike other sales during this promotional period, all indie games included in the Autumn Sale are discounted through November 26.Other deals on Steam for today include War of the Roses ($14.99), Crysis 2: Maximum Edition ($11.99) and Farming Simulator 2013 ($14.99).Update: Technically, these deals are yesterday's featured sales, and are still on sale for the next 22 hours. This means even more games are discounted on Steam right now, including Borderlands 2 ($29.99), F1 2012 ($24.99), Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($4.99), Chivalry: Medieval Warfare ($12.49), Total War: Shogun 2 ($10.19) and Mark of the Ninja ($7.49).
Amazon selling $180 Vita bundles with Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation, PS All-Stars
There's no telling how many minutes or seconds remain on this deal, as we're sure it's flying off of shelves, so you'll have to make your mind up about this Vita deal post haste.Amazon is selling the Crystal White Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation bundle – with extras including a copy of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, $10 off Assassin's Creed 3 for PS3 or Xbox 360, and 3 months of PlayStation Plus – for a special price of $179.99, $70 cheaper than the base Vita bundle.The bundle is offered as a Deal of the Day, but we doubt it'll last all day.
Origin Black Friday sales include cheap Medal of Honor, Need for Speed, Command & Conquer
As a retailer, EA's Origin service is also obligated to participate in Black Friday craziness. If you have any money left, you could spend it on a selection of cheap EA games.For example, Battlefield 3 is $12 to download on PC or $20 physically (on PC, Xbox, or 360). Need for Speed Most Wanted is discounted a bunch ($25 on PC, $30 on PS3 or Xbox, $20 on Vita). Medal of Honor Warfighter is $30 on PC, Xbox, and PS3. The gigantic Command & Conquer Ultimate Edition is just $25. Browse all the deals here.Origin is also offering Black Friday deals in Europe, where the company felt it necessary to explain the concept of Black Friday: "Black Friday is a relatively new concept in Europe. It traditionally refers to the beginning of the Christmas shopping period and falls on the day after the American Thanksgiving day. On Black Friday, US retailers tend to open incredibly early and offer amazing sales deals for a limited time only."
