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Soulbound: A World of Warcraft-themed wedding
We've all heard about weddings that get taken over by overbearing relatives and fussy wedding planners -- celebrations that end up bearing not the slightest resemblance to the hopes, dreams and plans of the hapless bride and groom. Even when the couple keeps a firm hand on the steering wheel, some personal touches get shut outside the circle for fear of seeming inappropriate. You guessed it -- we're talking about geekery of all sorts, from gaming to sci-fi and fantasy and all the way down to garden-variety nerdiness. It's hard to find a place to give a nod to these sorts of interests in a more formal or traditional setting. Then there are those unabashed couples who let their so-called freak flags fly high and proud. But we don't think there's anything freaky at all about the wedding of World of Warcraft players Amanda and Jeremy. They encapsulated their WoW romance in a traditional celebration that nonetheless managed to pack in game references in ways even the uninitiated could appreciate. A talented artist, Amanda toiled for two months to create all the WoW-themed details. It was personal, it was romantic, and it was truly the event of a lifetime. %Gallery-164403%
WRUP: AFK getting married
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too! Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting anyone here today -- we're closed. Closed for business. Yes sir, no WoW Insider today. Just a ship on autopilot until the next sunrise. Why? Oh, you know, someone here at WoW Insider's just "AFK getting married." That's a pretty big deal. And while none of us were actually invited to the wedding (nah, whatevs, that's cool, I didn't want to go anyway), we did want to take the day off and pretend that was the reason. So yeah, this wedding here is kind of cool. And it's happening ... I don't know, somewhere in the Upper Midwest? Also there are puppets here? I don't know, I may just have had too many mimosas.
Daily iPhone App: Avocado aims to connect couples on the go
In any marriage or romantic partnership, there are moments of agreement, negotiation, compromise and conflict -- but, above all, there has to be communication, digital or otherwise. The team behind the couple-centric new app and web service Avocado, which includes three couples, aims to facilitate that communication with easy one-to-one tools for messaging, photo sharing and collaborative task lists. The "less is more" ethos pervades the $1.99 Avocado app, so named because the avocado tree bears fruit in pairs. You simply sign up with two email addresses and a single password, and within minutes you can begin exchanging brief messages, photos, emoticons -- but only with that singular someone that the app repeatedly, annoyingly refers to as "your boo." The app comes in both iOS and Android versions, supporting notification alerts to make sure that you don't miss a moment; the web version provides a helpful archive. In some relationships, the shared (low-fi) checklist tool might be a lifesaver, although there are other options out there with more flexibility. When I suggested to my wife that we field-test Avocado, her response was "Really?... Do I need 'a fun new way to stay connected with the most important person in [my] life'? And is this fun new way kind of mushy and more about texture than taste, though it's really good mixed with lime juice and salt?" Yes, I allowed, we already have a full folio of digital points of contact, ranging from the simple SMS to the Twitter DM to the Facebook message -- even a phone call, if you're into that kind of thing. Sending an iMessage pings multiple devices and the Mac; you can build a private sharing spot with Glassboard if you want to. But there is one area where Avocado sells itself as a superior solution. Ever sent a text message to your significant other, then realized you accidentally sent it to your boss instead - or to your mom? Had a direct message that somehow lost its leading D and went live to the Internet instead of to your sweetheart? Yeah, we know. So there's something to be said for an app that makes the entire addressing process moot. By design, Avocado is point to point and person to person -- if you're in the right app, you're reaching your one and only. (Or, if we must, "your boo.") The core functions of Avocado may be pretty basic now, but the company has plans to add more features based on user feedback. If you haven't found that perfect way to connect digitally with that perfect person, maybe the Avocado app is for you. [hat tip Techcrunch]
True Love Between Gamers: I do take this rotting corpse as my husband
Ahh, the buoyant peal of June wedding bells -- as poignant and brimming with joy in Azeroth as here on Earth. Now that meeting a spouse online is no longer the social scandal it was in the earliest days of MMOs, folding a game soundtrack selection, a Frostmourne cake-cutter or a set of wedding bands engraved with WoW-related mottos into a wedding ceremony have become common ways couples pay homage to the game world where their love blossomed. But when players fall in love from opposite sides of an ocean, in-game weddings take on a whole new importance, standing in for the real thing until the couple can span the distance between them. That's not to say that players who are geographically closer together don't hold ceremonies in Azeroth, too. But still, for players separated by border, miles and oceans, the Azerothian equivalent among long-time gaming companions carries precious implications. Help us celebrate the stories of three couples who tied the knot both in Azeroth and out -- two who fell in love across oceans and one for whom Azeroth has nurtured bonds since before she even played the game herself. How sweet love is!
Nothing like a June wedding ... in Azeroth
Soulbound! When World of Warcraft devotees become devoted to one another, do their characters get in on the action too? Some players save their gaming passions for a WoW-themed wedding cake, but other couples prefer to tie the knot in Azeroth as well. Are you a real-life couple who's also celebrated your love through an in-game wedding? Here's your chance to declare your love before your fellow Azerothians. Send us a recap of your in-game ceremony, and we'll consider you for a special June wedding profile of your characters' big day. We'll select one couple for a full-length WoW Insider interview to run in June, traditionally the month for wedding bells. How did you meet? Where was the ceremony? Did you wear a White Wedding Dress, or did you take a different angle to wedding day fashion? Read us your vows! Did the other faction leave you in peace? And pictures -- don't forget to include screenshots of your special day. Keep your recap to 500 words or less, and send no more than four .jpgs of the event. (We'll get more info and images during the interview for the couple selected to be featured.) Send the glorious details to lisa@wowinsider.com no later than the last day of April. We can't wait to dish!
A Metroid marriage proposal that would make the Chozo proud
Marriage is a sacred commitment; it's no kind of small thing to consider. You need to show you mean business. You need to put some effort into a proposal.Jered McFerron did when he decided to rewrite the code for the 1986 NES classic, Metroid, in the C++ programming language. This undertaking wasn't initially to propose to his love, Jenni, but struck as an inspiration mid-project when he knew she was the gal for him.His approach involved changing key parts of the game to guide her into a special room where Samus would be confronted by the red ring item from The Legend of Zelda, as seen in the image above. Luckily for Jered -- and all of us on the internet with a soft spot for romantic stories -- she said yes.
RIFT players set record for most in-game weddings in one day
It wasn't but yesterday that we ran our feature on the gaming achievements of the Guinness Book of World Records: Gamer's Edition 2012, but between then and now, a new MMO-related record has been set. As many of you know, RIFT recently added marriage to its plethora of features, allowing players to make the ultimate commitment in Telara. Well, the ultimate commitment besides joining a raiding guild, at any rate. A press release today announced that RIFT players banded together with the goal of setting the record for the most in-game marriages in a 24-hour span. We're not certain what the previous record was if there was one at all, but RIFT players managed to set the bar with a staggering 21,879 marriages performed between noon on February 14th and noon on February 15th. RIFT executive producer and Trion Worlds CCO Scott Hartsman is pleased with the outcome, stating in the press release that "Ascended Weddings were a great way to lift the veil on RIFT's new 'Gatherings' feature, social experiences that bring players together in new and interesting ways." He goes on to add that "[the studio] looks forward to expanding this great new gameplay element in the always-evolving world of Telara." So congratulations to all of the lucky couples. Enjoy your new ball-and-chain! [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Online gaming linked with marital dissatisfaction
Good news, gamers! You can now blame another dysfunction (if you have it, and I'm sure you don't) on the games you play! It's not enough that those nasty ol' video games are making you violent and antisocial -- a new survey put out by Brigham Young University is linking online gaming with a decrease in marital satisfaction. The survey states that "gaming widows," whose spouses neglect them to focus on gaming, are dissatisfied with the states of their marriage. How that differs from corporate widows, football widows, or any other neglected spouse without a catchy title isn't really specified. Another conclusion pointed out by the survey is that when spouses play together, the marriage tends to be in pretty good shape. Who'd have ever thought that spending time bonding over a shared interest would be healthy for a relationship? While we're all in agreement that your level 80 Paladin probably doesn't deserve as much of your love and affection as your spouse, if you hadn't figured that out on your own, gaming probably isn't the root of your problems. Just a thought.
Trion releases RIFT wedding trailer
A couple of weeks ago Trion announced its plan to get RIFT in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the most virtual marriages in a 24-hour period. Today the company has released a new video designed to show off the matrimony mechanics and give fans a sneak peek of what's in store for the Valentine's Day record attempt. The festivities begin at 12:00 p.m. EST on February 14th, and Trion says that "any two RIFT players who get hitched in-game will be counted in the Guinness World Records title attempt and will receive 'The Avowed' in-game title." Don't forget to check out the video after the break. [Source: Trion press release]
Trion attempting virtual marriage world record in RIFT
Want to help Trion set a Guinness world record? You'll need a copy of RIFT and a significant other, as the firm is aiming to make video game history by setting the record for most virtual marriages in a 24-hour period. The event will take place on February 14th at noon eastern, and there are no restrictions with regard to character race, class, or sex (opposing faction nuptials are a no-no, however). Trion is also offering up an exclusive Valentine's Day character title (Tier of Knots) to each wedded character. RIFT's marriage mechanics will go live in the 1.7 update in early February, and they include rings, a wedding planner book, and wedding instances that support up to 200 friends. More info is available on the RIFT forums. [Source: Trion press release]
The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2
Last week on the exciting cosmic adventures of the Game Archaeologist, we uncovered the ancient civilization of Lucasfilm's Habitat, one of the early predecessors to graphical MMOs. While we talked about how it came to be and pondered just how much money we'd waste if game companies were still charging by the minute, we didn't have the time or space to cover the community and events that formed around this experimental project. That day has come. Prepare your bladder for imminent release! Giving a bunch of players tools to do every which thing in the game and turning them loose without strict regulation might seem like a recipe for an instant sewage pit of a game today, but our cultured, classy behaviors weren't quite trained into us in 1986. When players first set eyes on Habitat, they weren't thinking of min-maxing, kill-stealing, or raid progression; they were trying to make sense of a virtual world using the only frame of reference they had to date: their own lives. Out of a melting pot of ideas and objects came fascinating stories from one of the earliest MMO proto-ancestors of the modern era. Get your '80s on as we head back... to the future!
RIFT's 1.7 patch filled with content, coming soon
What's next for RIFT? Well, the 1.7 patch, for starters. The update is called Carnival of the Ascended, and if it sounds a bit festive, it is. Telaran weddings are in the offing, as Trion is introducing a marriage mechanic to its fantasy MMO. There's also the new River of Souls Chronicle, which the official forums bill as an "undead adventure for two." A new master mode dungeon is coming too, as is an expert dungeon overhaul with more options and better loot for endgame avatars. Finally, there's a free weekend coming your way on January 19th, and you can return to Telara (or check it out for the first time) for no charge through January 22nd.
WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch viewing and 'booming sound' on your mobile
Despite all the product rivalry at CES, a little romance was inevitable -- and not just in the Engadget trailer. WOWee, purveyor of the ONE portable speaker, has paired up with MicroVision and its dashing PicoP laser projector technology (shown above) to create a "marriage of sight and sound." It looks like the two companies will start out by simply bundling their respective wares, which will be available together in 120 countries from this quarter, rather than rushing to announce a hybrid device straight away. A wise decision, no doubt.
Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012
Well, we can't decide if this is one of the cheesiest or most clever event invites in CE history. Sony's PR arm just sent us an e-vite to the marriage of Sony Electronics Home Division and Sony Entertainment Network, simplified to "Television and Internet" on the company's appropriately generic Wedsite wedding page. Now this won't be a cheap Vegas wedding by any means -- the ceremony will take place at the Bellagio Wedding Chapel on the evening of January 11th, with a "Reception Immediately Following." Since this is technically a marriage between cousins, we've spent time with both the bride (Bravia) and the groom (Sony Entertainment Network -- or SEN, when among friends), so we mean no offense if forced to choose sides in the chapel. Coincidentally, we'll already be in town, so we may pop in to greet the likes of family members "Al Gore, Father of the Internet" and HMZ-T1, aka "Aunt Madge." Care to come along? The couple-to-be's site appears to be open to all, so hit up the source link to sign the guest book and send in your RSVP.
Drama Mamas: Love and marriage and WoW
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. This is the story of how a World of Warcraft duo saved a marriage and how the end of the duo now threatens that marriage. Drama Mamas, Hi! I'm a newlywed, but I have been with my husband for the better part of three years and I have been living with him for about a year now. When I first moved here, I didn't play WoW -- I was mostly into console gaming. However, our relationship began to get rocky and we decided that we needed something to bond over. He seemed to have so much fun playing WoW, so I decided to give it a try, and I loved it. He created a character specifically to play with me, and it was a blast. Five months of playing and six days /played on my main character, I finally hit 85 and got into some minor endgame content -- the quests, the heroics, the gear. All of this was leading up to the hope that I could join his guild with him -- the top raiding guild on our server -- and continue to play together.
The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game wedding?
Last week Bree talked about in-game funerals, giving readers an opportunity to chat about those they'd attended. Several people mentioned in-game weddings, so in today's Daily Grind we're going to turn to that markedly more cheerful event. It's not uncommon at all for people to meet that special someone in an MMO, so the concept of celebrating that relationship in the game where it started doesn't follow too far behind. Quite a few developers have acknowledged that by providing wedding attire and accessories for the happy couples, with some even going so far as to provide a wedding system with in-game perks for those who have tied the knot. Whether it be a RP union between two characters or a ceremony for two players, have you attended an in-game wedding? Have you participated in one? Use that handy comment button below and tell us all about it! 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!
75% of MapleStory's marriages suffer the heartbreak of divorce
Monogamy isn't in the cards for most MapleStory players, and neither are faithfulness, silver anniversaries or alimony-free lifestyles. You see, MapleStory boasts an incredibly high rate of divorces with its marriage system, as a whopping 75% of players who get married in-game end up getting those unions annulled. MapleStory's marriage system is fairly popular, with 26,982 such events occurring last year in North America alone. Each marriage costs $25 for the couple, but it seems that the initial investment wasn't enough to keep a majority of the players together for long. Within a year, over 20,000 of those marriages broke up. Due to the high divorce rate -- much higher than the real-world version by far -- Nexon investigated individual stories of in-game divorce trying to figure out why these virtual marriages aren't sticking. One player named Seth realized that his "Maple spouse" was merely using their relationship to bum free items off of him, which led to their break-up. Marriage in MapleStory is a detailed process involving an official engagement, two rings, real-world cash, and a spiffy in-game item that gives the happy pair a big boost to stats. However, if a marriage is annulled, each partner has a 10-day cooling off period before he or she can remarry. [Source: Nexon press release]
Proposing with portals: how really romantic gamers pop the question
Unless you proposed from orbit, chances are your marriage request was not nearly as elaborate as Gary Hudston's. And, perhaps outside of 2008's homebrew Bejeweled proposal, no where near as geeky either. Hudston hired a skilled developer to create series of custom levels for Portal 2 that his potential betrothed would have to play through. When it heard about his apparently not so secret project, Valve even helped him secure Ellen McLain, the voice of GLaDOS, to record original audio. You can check out the hilarious and heartwarming video after the break or just play through the levels yourself by downloading them at the source link. Sadly, unless you happen to be the future Mrs. Hudston, you'll be no closer to marrying yourself off after solving its puzzles.
AutoWed vending machine concept offers marriage of convenience, nuptials at $1 a pop (video)
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to introduce to you perhaps the most outlandish concept we've seen all year. Looking something akin to a Moroccan Barbie accessory, and sporting a small portrait of Jesus Christ, the AutoWed Wedding machine has blasphemy written all over it. Pop in a dollar or a pound, depending on your location, and in moments you're served with a pair of plastic wedding bands and a personalized certificate, (unofficially) sealing the deal. And to think we ever raised a brow at that live crab vending machine.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me join my life, my heart, my iTunes account
Dear Auntie TUAW, Can you believe my wedding is in a few weeks?! That's got me thinking all of our digital goods that we now will both share. While I would like to know if it is possible to combine 2 iTunes libraries and still keep metadata (like play counts and composers), I am more concerned with the number of Apple ID's that will be under 1 roof. I've got an old Apple ID that I've made a LOT of purchases with, both hardware and digital goods. In January, I purchased MobileMe, mostly to keep our calendars in sync on 3 macs and 2 iPhones, but I would also like for that me.com address to be my new Apple ID for purchases in both the iTunes store and the Mac App Store (especially for syncing apps on all the machines). Can I just use that ID on all machines? What happens to my purchase history, like all my apps, movies, and anything with DRM? And of course, my future wife has her own Apple ID as well. Is it possible to bring all this together? And don't worry, the band will play a polka the first set, just for you. Thanks! Love and happiness, Dave
