in-game-items
Latest
The Daily Grind: Would you re-buy a game for bonuses?
So Final Fantasy XIV has announced its relaunch date, along with another collector's edition for people to buy. I'd like to point out here that I still have the original collector's edition sitting on a shelf in my office, and it has been stated clearly that all of the digital gewgaws for the collector's edition will be awarded to people with the old version. Yet I still have to fight the urge to buy another CE anyway, because there's an art book and other physical trinkets. MMOs especially are games that you should never need to re-purchase. But sometimes you can find a game packaging something nice in with another purchase, and it almost becomes worth it to have another copy despite not needing a second account. So would you re-buy a game for new bonuses, either in-game or just bonus trinkets? Or does the very idea seem ridiculous to you? 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!
PlayStation Home updated to version 1.7
PlayStation Home has earned itself another global platform update, bringing Sony's virtual environment to version 1.7. This update adds the Camera to the Emotes menu, so you can pull it out at any time and take some pictures of your bad virtual self. There are also improvements to the in-game item store, new animated items to buy and find, and some new features on the ignore and block system, as well as some general stability improvements.You can download and install the update on PlayStation Home right now. There are also some new deals and sales going on for Home's various virtual areas (like the x7 nightclub, above), but we'll let you find those for yourself. After all, exploration is what really draws players into Home, right? There is something that draws players into Home, right? We're pretty sure there must be something.
Trion selling End of Nations CE for $70, with special subscription and perks
Trion has revealed Collector's Edition details for its upcoming free-to-play MMORTS End of Nations. For $70 you'll essentially get a head start in the game, including a Black Dragons company with special units for your army, the chance to start out two commanders at level 5, two extra commander slots, and a 50% boost on in-game cash for five days.You'll also get a three-month VIP membership, with perks like an in-game store discount, extra in-game credits, and a 90 game XP boost. If you don't want to take the plunge on the CE, Trion's also offering a Founder's Edition, with different skins and fewer perks, for $30, which you can upgrade later if you so choose.Or, because the game is free-to-play, you could, you know, just wait until it comes out and see what you think for without cracking your wallet. Trion is having another closed beta event this weekend, and rolling towards an open release later on this year.
Subscribe to TERA's newsletter, get free stuff for the game
The people at En Masse Entertainment want you to read the TERA newsletter. But they're not going to spend a whole lot of time boring you with its virtues. No, they're just going to straight-up bribe you with the promise of free character goodies. All subscribers to the newsletter with an active TERA subscription will receive a code for a free Black Bandit Mask as long as they've signed up to receive the newsletter by 2:59 a.m. EDT on July 26th. If you aren't currently signed up to receive the letter and have a burning need to cover your face, you can sign up under Account Management on the official site. The codes for the masks will be distributed along with the next newsletter, which will include instructions on how to redeem them. It's a neat little promotion to ensure that players are kept in the loop about the game's development with just a little extra bribery.
World of Tanks coming to retail in late August
Collectors rejoice! World of Tanks is coming to a retail establishment near you on August 31st. The free-to-play action MMO, which launched in April as a digital download title, will now be available as a boxed version priced at $19.99. So what's in it for consumers apart from the decidedly retro notion of owning a physical copy of a game? Quite a bit, actually, as the package includes the full game client and approximately $30 worth of in-game items including a premium account, game credits, gold, and an upgraded tank. World of Tanks has been played by over 5 million people and features historically accurate renditions of more than 150 armored vehicles from America, Germany, and the Soviet Union. The game is the first entry in Wargaming.net's action MMO trilogy, which includes World of Warplanes and World of Battleships.
The Daily Grind: What's the most you'd pay for a collector's edition?
So the year's most inescapable MMORPG has officially made it to the pre-order stage. Not only that, but BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic opus has also pulled the curtain back on its collector's edition treasure hoard (which will dent your wallet for the princely sum of $150.00). While both the in-game and real world goodies are quite appealing to Star Wars fans, the price tag is one of the most expensive in the history of MMOs. Today's Daily Grind is all about your reaction to said price tag. Are you going to shell out twice what a normal CE costs for SWTOR? If not, what's the most you'd pay for a collector's edition? 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!
Recruit-a-Friend program comes to EverQuest
Sony Online Entertainment's Recruit-a-Friend program (otherwise known as the powerlevel-your-alts-with-multiple-accounts program) has been a hit in EverQuest II for quite some time now. It's only natural that the initiative make its way to the original incarnation of Norrath, and SOE's Piestro has posted a notice on the official EverQuest boards marking just such an occasion. Recruits and recruiters will enjoy a wealth of benefits including in-game mounts, bonus Station Cash, Legends of Norrath booster packs, a unique title, and of course, loads of bonus XP. Check out all the details on the o-boards, then hit up the official RaF page to get started.
Trion details RIFT collector's edition
Start salivating, RIFT fans, as Trion has taken the wraps off its collector's edition plans for the upcoming fantasy MMORPG. The limited packaging will feature the requisite in-game items including a level 20 turtle mount, a satchel that boosts inventory space, and a Bogling Wastrel pet. If you opt to purchase the retail box version of the collector's edition, you'll get the aforementioned items plus the Telara Chronicles graphic novel hardcover, a RIFT-emblazoned gaming mouse, the official game soundtrack, and an 8GB USB drive featuring the RIFT logo. Pre-order customers will be able to select one of three unique pets, and depending on their pre-order retailer of choice, they'll also receive exclusive weapon enhancements. Full details are available via the official RIFT website.
SWG invites you back and offers gifts if you stay
Did you have a Star Wars Galaxies account and were just itching to try out the Galactic Civil War content? Maybe the interviews with Tony Tyson or Lydia Pope made you consider trying out the new Witches of Dathomir content? Now is your chance! If you had an active account between January 1st, 2008 and September 15th, 2010, then you are eligible to log in for the free week of SWG, which started yesterday November 23rd and goes to November 30th at 4 a.m PST. All week, those players will receive a whip decorative item and a fedora decorative item. These items are replicas of the items worn by Indiana Jones from another LucasFilm franchise: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film starring Harrison Ford is coming up on its 30th anniversary, and the current LucasArts MMO is giving away the fedora and whip in-game items to celebrate. As an added bonus, if you choose to renew your subscription before midnight (PST) December 31st, you will be given the option to make the whip and fedora wearable items. Check the official website to find out how you can take advantage of this offer, and may the Force be with you, always.
In-game items and real-world prizes abound in Runes of Magic's summer giveaway!
What's the one thing better than free in-game prizes? Free out-of-game prizes, of course! How could you turn down winning some neat stuff like an iPad, subscription to PC Gamer, and SteelSeries accessories? You can't, and it's as simple as that. Thanks to Frogster, we here at Massively are now hosting keys for the Runes of Magic Great Summer Giveaway! Grabbing and redeeming a key will get you access to the in-game Runesurfer's pack, which gets you a cool flying disc mount as well as a couple of in-game potions to temporarily enhance your character. And, when you redeem your key, you're also entered in a contest for a chance to win some great prizes! Hungry for more information, including what's in the pack and what you can win? Want to grab yourself a key? Then look no further than after the break!
Funcom offers prizes for friends and followers
Tis the season for getting cool things -- and for making new friends. Funcom obviously agrees, as they've got a contest going where they'll be giving away some pretty nice prizes for people who become friends, fans, or followers on their various Facebook and Twitter accounts. The idea is pretty simple: for every one of the Funcom accounts you link up with, you'll be entered in the drawing for prizes. So, with two accounts each for Age of Conan, Anarchy Online The Secret World, as well as for Funcom in general, there are 8 different ways you could land some sweet swag. Among the prizes for this giveaway are free game time; beta access to Age of Conan's next expansion, Rise of the Godslayer; a guaranteed spot in hotly anticipated The Secret World beta test; in-game items for Age of Conan and Anarchy Online; and "much, much more" according to their information. With Rhode Island and Florida excluded from the ranks (that pesky "must buy a bond for your prizes" thing we're sure) most everyone else can enter for a chance to score some sweet Funcom goodies. If you're looking for where exactly to link up your accounts, they've even listed the links on the Age of Conan site, making the clicky-clicky that much easier. Just make sure you've joined up before January 4th, 2010 when the contest ends. Good luck!
The best of WoW.com: November 3-10, 2009
It's been a big week in the World of Warcraft -- aside from both the impending patch 3.3 release and the onset of the game's fifth anniversary (yes, it's been almost five years since Blizzard brought their MMO online), Blizzard has finally done something that many thought they would never directly do: start selling in-game items for real money. There was lots of argument about that one this last week, and you'll find that, along with the usual news and insights, over on Joystiq's sister site WoW.com. Check out our most popular posts of the last week in the second half of this post.
Get a sneak peek at SOE Fan Faire '09's in-game items
E3 may be the show on everyone's minds right now, but SOE is doing what they can to make sure that people don't forget that they have their very own event later in the month. They've put up a preview of some of the digital schwag that attendees will receive for coming to SOE Fan Faire 2009, and the new rule this year is that you'lll be able to get one in-game item for each game you have an active account for -- no need to choose just one anymore.The preview has pictures and some details about the items, and there's one in particular that will probably get the most attention: the Dianoga Dumpster for Star Wars Galaxies players will spit up collection items if fed once a week for a month, and besides that, it just looks kinda cool. Other neat items include a statue of Firiona Vie for EverQuest II, and a flying dragon mount for Vanguard, although, that one might divide people due to its bright pinkish-purple color. Registration for the fan faire is still open, so if you simply must have a pink dragon, now's the time to book.
Forum post of the day: For fun and profit
What does a spiffy rare mount cost? You can get a Spectral Tiger for about $900 (once sold for $2,000) on eBay. You could pay 20,000 gold for an Amani Warbear. BlizzCon 2008 World of Warcraft in-game polar bear mount with mounted, flag-waving murloc? $40 bucks. All you have to do is sign up for the DirecTV package and that fabulous bear is all yours. If I were a mount collector, I might persuade my friends to sign up for the package in my name. Kothor of Skywall is ordering the video package even though he's planning on attending Blizzcon. He suggested that Blizzard should make all of the rare mounts available for purchase. This suggestion was welcomed by several who have spent countless hours grinding for their prized ponies.
