launch day
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Join us at Champions Online's launch
How would you like to play Champions Online with the Massively team on launch day? As we mentioned on Friday, we're going to have an in-game event to celebrate the launch of Champions Online. A few of our writers will be in-game to run through some quests, and we want you to join us! This will take place all day tomorrow, at various times throughout the day. Instead of meeting up in the initial tutorial though, we've decided it would be best to meet people at each crisis zone, which is just after the initial tutorial. This basically means around level 5, which is not hard to reach. Simply send an in-game message to the following account names for a group invite:Shawn Schuster - @MassiveShawn (in the Desert crisis zone)Kyle Horner - @General-Kraken (in the Desert crisis zone)Colin Brennan - @Octal_Black (in the Canada crisis zone)Since Champions is set up in instanced shards, we'll get groups together as we can in each crisis zone. As a general rule, we'll try to meet up in instance #5 of each zone. Later this week, we'll put up a small gallery of images from the event and hopefully do this more often for new game launches. Hope to see you all there!
Play Champions Online with the Massively crew on launch day
Here at Massively, we're working on several different ideas to get our team more involved with our readers. This sense of community is very important to us, as is evident in our recent forays through the Choose my Adventure series. But now we're ready to do it Champions Online style.This Tuesday, September 1st, you can meet up with a few members of the Massively staff in Champions Online. We'll run through the initial tutorial together, save Champions HQ and storm either Canada or the Desert, depending on what the group decides. It should be a fun way to celebrate the launch of Champions Online, and an especially fun way to get the Massively reader community together. Look for more details to come on Monday and we hope to see you there!
Why weren't you in line this morning?
We don't want to imply that the iPhone 3G S launch was a dud. There's reports out that the 3G S may have sold more units than the 3G on opening day, but even more reports are coming in that the lines and general mayhem at Apple and AT&T stores were much more subdued this year than in previous years. There's a lot of speculation as to why, but we at TUAW figured we'd go straight to the source and ask our dear readers. Why weren't you in line this morning? %Poll-31179%
Palm Pre goes on sale nationwide, line forms on the right
Oh, hey, look at that: you can buy a Pre now! As of 8:00AM on the East Coast, the phone went on sale at Sprint stores, with Best Buy, Radio Shack and Wal-Mart also retailing the phone today as Saturday dawns across the country. After Sprint's invite only pre-Pre launch event last night, we still saw plenty of folks lined up outside Sprint's "flagship" New York store in the Flatiron Building before the doors opened. Apparently people started queuing around 5:00AM, with Chris Lee and Randy Williams the first through the door -- replacing a Treo Pro and a HTC Mogul, respectively. Like last night, the process took about 40 minutes, but a lot of that is spent waiting for a small pit crew of Sprint employees to swap over your address book, so if you forgo that we'd say you can be in and out in 30, which should still be plenty of time to savor the moment. Word is that the Flatiron store has about 100 units, but it's clear that inventory varies widely between locations and retailers -- Touchstones seem to be a much rarer commodity. We'll be checking out some other launches across the country, so stay tuned, and be sure to send in your own pictures and impressions! Some word from the wilds: Tipster Brad says that his Best Buy store in Orlando has only 9 Pres available, and they're giving them out one by one on an appointment basis -- he was fourth in line, so he'll be going back at 12:15PM to pick his up. Unfortunately, their Touchstone stock is zero. Kevin C. Tofel was fourth in line at his local Sprint store, which purportedly had 30 phones in stock, but he picked up the last of the Touchstones. We just checked in at the Bryant Park Sprint store in New York City, and while Pre inventory is cool, they are all out of Touchstones. We're starting to think the supply of those is quite limited. We also hear that at least one tenacious gentleman got in line at 6:00PM yesterday, and spent the night outside the store in order to get his first.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic launch dubbed 'stunning success;' 120 Russians can't be wrong
We love covering the antics of gadget-crazed buyers on launch day as much as anyone, whether it be die-hard gamers waiting for a PS3 or international fanatics clamoring for Apple's latest. Sometimes, though, these big launch sellouts feel a bit... contrived. Such is the case with Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, dropped first in Russia on Wednesday ahead of its worldwide release yesterday. An internal memo (conveniently posted onto the Mobile-Review forums by a Nokia employee) talks up the usual release day shenanigans: buyers camping for days, bribery attempts for spots in line, inventory disappearing in minutes, and an inevitable prediction that this thing will be bigger than the iPhone. However, while the memo liberally quotes from the LiveJournal musings of Mobile-Review editor Eldar Murtazin, it skips over one choice bit of information he provided: a measly 120 phones were available at this "flagship" location in Moscow. [Thanks, pops]
All LotRO servers down for a hotfix
If you just got home from work, planning on digging into a bit of LotRO's Mines of Moria goodness before dinner, you may be pretty peeved to find out that an emergency hotfix has brought the servers down from 5:30pm - 7:30pm Eastern.But don't fret! That gives you plenty of time to read through our launch day coverage, which includes an interview with Executive Producer Jeffrey Steefel, a Know Your LotRO Lore article featuring The Watcher in the Water, an unboxing of the Collector's Edition and more! Plus, don't forget our previous coverage that could be just as helpful today, especially our complete tour of Book 1. Update: The servers came back up promptly at 7:30 EST. Enjoy Moria!
T-Mobile G1 launch day roundup
Sure, our front page got stacked with news on the launch of the world's first Android phone -- the G1 -- but if you missed any of the action (and there was quite a bit), we've put together this helpful roundup. Below you'll find an easy-to-use guide to all the goings-on about the T-Mobile device, complete with galleries and videos that will delight and enthrall any healthy viewer. Keep an eye on this post as we'll be updating with a few other bits and pieces today that you'll most definitely want a look at.Update: We've added a link to our initial impressions, a more detailed look at the device and software.The liveblog:Live from T-Mobile's Android event in New York CityHands-on coverage:T-Mobile G1 first hands-on (updated)Video: Android walkthrough on T-Mobile G1Product announcement:The T-Mobile G1In-depth / details:T-Mobile's CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering -- plus a few details you might have missedT-Mobile soft capping 3G data at 1GB per monthConfirmed: T-Mobile G1 has no 3.5mm headphone jackT-Mobile G1 site goes live for real, first ad appearsT-Mobile G1 has push Gmail with Google Talk presenceT-Mobile G1 impressions: what we love, what we don't
AT&T announces iPhone 3G pricing plans
Finally, a piece of news we can actually do something with. AT&T today announced its pricing structure for the next iteration of Apple's iPhone -- which you can plunk down money for come 8 am, July 11th. There's not much that's surprising here -- new customers and those eligible for an upgrade will be able to nab the phone for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB), while "early upgraders" will have to fork over $399 or $499, all with a two year contract and $18 upgrade fee, of course. The telco says a no-commitment version of the phone will be available for $599 and $699, though it looks like that will come after the initial launch. AT&T appears to be leaning pretty heavily towards the all-in unlimited plans, but there are options if you don't want to go that route. We've sorted out the basics after the break, and included AT&T's "iReady" video -- certainly good for a few chuckles.
Wii Warm Up: Karting
Okay, so it's here -- Mario Kart Wii's North American launch day, that is.Who's getting it (or got it already)? What are your initial impressions? Have you played online?And, folks in Europe and Japan (and even Australia!), have you noticed a difference in online play? Has it been lagging more since North American players joined that fray, or are things still smooth? Have you been schooling a lot of Mario Kart Wii "noobs" in races and battles?
Age of Conan goes gold, launch day draws near
The Funcom folks have already promised us ale and wenches on Age of Conan's launch day. The game went gold today, we know all about their subscription and box prices, and the Open Beta is just over a week away. So what's left to do? According to the devs, quite a bit. And they're already planning out beyond the launch. Speaking with Warcry last week, Funcom's Shannon Drake tried to give us a sense of what launch day would entail. He also spoke about the challenges the company will face even after the game's hit retail shelves.Like most MMOs, the development team will split into 'live' and 'expansion' groups in the near future. What exactly that expansion is remains to be seen, of course. Drake also talks about how it's possible for an MMO developer to still enjoy their game even after all these years of work, what PvP-focused players can expect, and his favorite part of the game: Hyborea's sound design. Head-choppers and MMO players prepare: the gates to Conan's world open in less than a month!
Breakfast Topic: Faction Pride
I remember the night of January 15, 2007. I stood outside a game store in the bitter cold anxiously awaiting the doors opening so we could get our hands on a shiny new copy of the freshly launched Burning Crusade. There were probably thirty people there, and of course the conversation was all about World of Warcraft. The air was tense between proud members of the Alliance and the Horde. Most players identify strongly with one faction or the other. It was strange to me how the faction rivalry crossed over into the real world. I play Horde. I've been known to wear a t-shirt that says "Real Women Roll Horde." I've tried playing Alliance characters, and it just doesn't work for me. My real-world friends who play WoW also play on Horde side. I gravitate toward fellow followers of Thrall. Recently I've started a new job where a number of people play the game. Much to my surprise, I've found some Ally players that I actually like.
Wii get, part deux: Because launch day was about more than consumerism
When Alisha asked for "Wii get" stories from the Joystiq network staff, I wanted to tell mine. Most of my friends don't love video games with the same intensity that all of us do, so I never bothered to share the experience with them. Sure, they would listen if I did, and might even find certain parts amusing. There would really be no point to it all, though, because they just wouldn't get it. While reading over all your stories yesterday and taking part in your memories, I felt the joy of the Wii's launch day bubbling inside me again, a whole year later. I decided to tell my story as well, only it turned into an epic tale of not only launch day, but my thoughts and fears before and immediately after I got my Wii. So, with that said, I humbly present to you my Wii get story. I hope that you enjoy it, but even more than that, I hope it's something you can relate to. As the Wii's hype grew and grew in the months before its release, I knew that I had to have one on launch day. Gone were the days where I could sit back, relax, and wait for my birthday or Christmas to come while my parents dealt with the hysteria of finding a console to spoil me with. This time, it would be all up to me.
Tabula Rasa lead developer stops to thank beta players
Tabula Rasa lead developer Paul Sage took some time out at the end of last week to reflect on the long road the game has taken to reach launch day. In an open letter to the TR community, he talks about his favorite class, the best thing about the game (in his opinion), some of the title's little-known secrets, and thanks a bunch of the folks involved in bringing the game to store shelves. Most of all, though, he wanted to get across his thanks to the players who saw the game through the long and sometimes painful beta process.I want to thank every beta player out there: the grumpy ones, the indifferent ones, and the blissfully playing ones. Seriously, we make games so people will have fun. One of my biggest thrills is watching someone have a good time in the game. I love it when people taunt the Bane and cheer when they take over a control point. I very actively listen in general chat, read the boards, and listen to what you are saying, even when you think I'm not. Beta testing isn't like playing a game. Yes, you get a sneak peek, but sometimes you also get to stand on a carpet and have it ripped out from under you. I understand that can be frustrating. So for that, let me again say "thank you."
Leopard Day in Knoxville
It's finally here: Leopard launch day! So I headed down to my local Apple store in Knoxville to join in the fun (and pick up shirt along with a nice new 24" iMac). I thought I'd take you along for the ride. As per usual with the Apple Store, things were run to near perfection. By 6pm the line was well down that wing of the Mall, and when the doors opened they just started handing out shirts to everyone in line. I got there a little late and so was standing in line for about 20 minutes before I got my shirt. They even sent out an Apple Store employee with a cart full of bottled water to hand out to folks in line. There was an impressive number of Apple Store employees, some of them apparently on the store floor for the first time that night.Once in the store, we entered another rapidly moving line. We were met at the head of the line by an Apple Store employee who asked what we wanted, then scurried off to get the iMac. They came back, took our credit card with their little PDA-like devices and we were off. As you can see in the gallery, many other folks were playing with the display Macs, talking to Apple Store employees, and generally enjoying the up-beat vibe of the Leopard launch.As I said before, I was absolutely impressed by how well run the entire thing was. Even though there were hundreds of people there, we were back in the car and headed home by 6:45pm with our precious new iMac. My biggest surprise is that they weren't hawking external hard drives more. Sure enough when I opened the box of the iMac there was fresh copy of Leopard waiting to be installed.%Gallery-9229%
Further iPhone launch day details unearthed
Alright, you already knew what day the thing was launching, then you discovered the time, and finally, you realized that you wouldn't even have to get off work early on the left coast thanks to all sales happening in local time zones. For those still obsessing over what will go down just a fortnight from now, BGR has discovered that "all AT&T stores will be closing up at 4:30PM" while employees set up those cutesy iPhone displays, toss back a few Red Bulls, and hopefully receive their shipments from the (potentially armored) trucks. At 6:00PM, either the doors will open back up or the fanatics will force their way in, and the outlets could stay open "as late as midnight" to satisfy the demand. Oh, and make sure you bring some spare change along -- word on the street is that a bevy of typical accessories (chargers, cases, etc.) will be tempting you as you wade through the checkout line.[Image courtesy of Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
What's your Burning Crusade launch-day plan?
Only 12 more sleeps until Launch Day, and it's bringing back memories of November, 2004 for me. Back then I was a naive young lad, blissfully playing away his days in the beta, thinking that hardly anyone knew about the game, and that it'd just be a matter of heading down to FutureShop (Canada's Best Buy before we also got Best Buy) to pick up a copy of the Collector's Edition. Yes, yes, you may laugh now. I really had no clue. In fact, by the end of the day, I was just lucky to get my hands on a copy of the non-collector's release, and begin the installation. Fortunately, our guild had already chosen a server by the time I was finished installing, so it was just a matter of creating a character and then fighting the other thousand orcs for boar kills. Cut to now, 2 years and 2 months later. Now I have a plan, even if it's not much better than what I had before. I've pre-ordered through EB Games and Amazon.ca, knowing that I'll hopefully get 1 on launch day, and another copy a few days later. Now I tried to pre-order the collector's edition, but my local EB didn't know if they were getting any, so I'm just on the list for the normal version. I've been on the list since September, and I've since lost my receipt, so I wonder if I'll just lose my $10 I put on the pre-order. No biggie, Amazon is there to back me up, and the extra copy will be a very late birthday present to my brother (Happy Birthday, Dave!).
