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Guy uses iPad to pop the question
We've seen other geeky marriage proposals in the past, but it's always nice to be the first before the schtick gets old. TechCrunch reader Zach used his iPad to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Zach sat his girlfriend down on a bench, where he had asked her out two and a half years earlier, and whipped out his iPad. He told her to put the earbuds on, and then he played a slideshow with music and photos of the two of them together. There was laughter, there were tears; then there was the last slide. Does anyone have a guess as to what it said? That's right! "Will you marry me?" From the photo, you can see what the answer was. For those of you keeping track, we've seen: A proposal outside an Apple Store An iPod proposal An Apple Store wedding and even a girl marrying her MacBook Pro So, there are still entire Apple product lines that have yet to be used for this purpose! Get proposing!
Do you, MacBook Pro, take this Hermione to be your lawfully wedded wife?
We're not sure about the authenticity of this video or if this is truly love at first iSight, but Macenstein featured the story about this young British woman, 24 year-old Hermione Way, who unofficially married her MacBook Pro "Alex" on January 31st. Yes, that's correct. Unofficially married, because the U.K. (and probably every other country on the planet) refuses to recognize the legality of human / computer marriages. Hermione, who just happens to be the bloggess behind Techfluff.tv, would love to change all that. Her video blog entry shows both Hermione and Alex, a fascinating treatise on human / computer relations, and even has her Mum saying that she "...just wants Hermione to be happy." There's even talk of children in the future; the flesh and blood type, not little iPads running around. Whether you're a romantic at heart who would love to marry your computer -- and let's face it, we spend more time conversing with them than we do many of our human relations -- or if you think this is just a prank, the video is worth a watch.
Apple Stores have no gift registries. Bummer.
Lauren and I were chatting with Megan over on iChat today and trying to figure out how to set up her gift registry for her upcoming nuptials with her hawt Astrophysicist boyfriend. Of course, Megan is dying for one of those awesome iPhone remote dodads but we thought that we'd just go for more of a general Apple Store registry thing. I gave my local Apple Store a call to ask how we could get it established. The gentleman at the other end of the phone was polite. Perplexed but polite. "Um...A gift registry? I don't think we've ever been asked THAT before," he said. "We don't have one. We're kind of a specialized store, you know." Yes, we do know. And it's the kind of specialization that we like. But even Home Depot has a gift registry service, so what's the hold-up Apple? Don't you realize that geeks get married and have babies too? Sadly, it looks like Megan must rely on word of mouth instead. Don't forget, Apple does have a limit on how many gift certificates you can redeem at any one time online. I think it's something like 4 cards for online purchases but unlimited for in-store ones. Check with an Apple representative for details.
New Final Fantasy XI wedding service is live
It was announced some time ago that Square-Enix would make it easier for Final Fantasy XI players to get married in-game, with the vague insinuation that the feature would go live at around the same time as the version update. Sure enough, the new wedding system is now in place, and it makes the entire procedure so much easier that it's almost trivial. After all, you already get to avoid meddling in-laws, reams and reams of wedding invitations, and the joy of finding a caterer who won't server your guests microwaved dog food. The official page offers all the details you could want on the wedding system, including the procedure for crafting all of the wedding items if you prefer that option to purchasing them. It also offers traditional Vana'diel wedding vows, a nice touch for a roleplaying event, especially one supported by the game's official systems. So go ahead and tie the knot in Final Fantasy XI, free and without the bulky and restrictive system of the past. No rumors yet of a messy and acrimonious divorce system being added into the game, but now that marriage is simpler, perhaps it's in the cards.
Drama Mamas: Wife aggro
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com. Wife aggro (GF aggro, SO aggro -- whatever you call it at your place) isn't about WoW. Let's get that misconception out of the way right now. Wife aggro is about balancing a relationship with a hobby that tantalizingly dangles one person physically in front of yet emotionally light years beyond the reach of the other partner. Wife aggro is about attention – who's giving it where, who's not getting enough. Wife aggro is about what happens when couples lose their grip on how to separate "me" time from "us" time, on how "being at home" is different than "being available." Wife aggro is about what happens when the wires of "my" time, "your" time and "our" time become crossed and start arcing angry, white-hot sparks. And left unchecked, wife aggro is about demands that cast one partner as the shrill arbiter of what the other partner is "allowed" to do and be. Dear Mamas: I started WoW this year after many years of patient waiting until all the planets and resources aligned for me, and I was completely rewarded. During those times I was able to play 3-4 hours (at least) almost daily, having no personal issues because of the game (I'd still go to work, the gym, dancing classes, read, watch TV, out with friends, and last but not least, my girlfriend), and started getting invited to my Horde guild's raids. But then I got married. In spite of having talked about it with my fiancé before the big step and agreeing I'd still play it casually, the first weeks were hell ... Every time I'd even try to look at my computer, she would invent something for us or me to do, and my gaming "time" was pushed back and back. Finally the bubble popped and we had a huge argument, and the best I could get from her was one WoW day a week.
Drama Mamas: Couples counseling
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com. Usually couples counseling is for the problems that come with being a couple, not dealing with them. But this week we encounter two situations that involve drama caused by someone else's romance. One may (or may not) be a case of wedding envy. The other letter concerns the awkward public displays of affection from a couple separated by distance, but not by a need to exhibit. On to the counseling...
Mario World marriage proposal is clever (but kinda creepy)
Marriage proposals via video games aren't exactly new, but they're still clever -- and usually cute. Last Thursday, Brad Smith proposed to his girlfriend of five years using a hacked version of Super Mario World, placing coins in world 1-1 to spell out, "Will you marry me?" Cute, right? But we have to question Brad's filming of the occasion, because, if we didn't know better, we'd think the couple was being watched by a serial killer hiding behind their couch. You can see what we mean after the break.Seriously -- tell us that, when the camera pulls back to catch Brad on his knee, ring in hand, you don't want to yell out, "Look out! There's someone else in the room!" Or maybe it's just the close proximity to Halloween that's got us all on edge. Still ... Brad, if you're reading this, please drop us a line to let us know you're alright?
15 Minutes of Fame: A World of Warcraft love story
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.In this era of Match.com and eHarmony, it's not so unusual to have married friends who met online. Couples tie the knot with elaborate in-game weddings. The taste for WoW-themed wedding cakes grows every year. Wedding rings unite lovers in Azeroth and the world at large. So it's no surprise that 15 Minutes of Fame would eventually roll around to the story of a couple who met and fell in love inside the World of Warcraft. Meet Ghrelsognn and Aleiriella of Defiance on Farstriders-US. Ghrel and Aleir are no starry-eyed youngsters – both in their 40s, they found themselves mesmerized by love when (and where) they least expected it. Join us for the story of their walk up the levels and down the aisle, in their own words, after the break.
15 Minutes of Fame: A World of Warcraft love story, Part 2
From an Oscar-winning 3-D effects director to a custom action figure artist and even a bunch of guys who get together for dinner and group raiding in person every week, catch it on 15 Minutes of Fame.
Video: HRP-4C 'fashion robot' is getting married, won't shut up about it
Ok, ok, "she" isn't really getting married, that would be illegal outside of Massachusetts. Besides, HRP-4C is already hitched, apparently, to her creator Kazuhito Yokoi who appeared at the Osaka fashion show dressed in a tuxedo. Looking wobbly, perplexed, and creepy as hell, HRP-4C bravely slipped on a helmet of taffeta and lace in what's being called her first professional runway appearance. The crowd seemed to enjoy it until HRP-4C turned on them with her green lasers. Really, see for yourself in the unsettling video embedded after the break.[Via Crave]
Games Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher pt. 2
So, I know this is on many player's minds. Is this going to replace city raid content?Josh: No. Ok then. Josh: Well, I mean the short answer is no. Paul: My answer is totally no. "This is a long term, total commitment from our studio to our players and to our newer players coming along." Josh: Long answer, I've been with Mythic for eight years. I was here before Camelot launched and we know what this type of content does to a greater RvR campaign. While the RvR campaign is certainly more diverse and larger in Warhammer than in Camelot, but we know pragmatically that by tying the content to the campaign and requiring success on the battlefield to gain access to this content, that success may push you towards capital city content. Even if RvR is not your focus and your focus is to get down into the dungeon, you're going to wind up working your way towards the capital city. It just happens organically, so we're really not concerned about that too much. At the end of the day, if people end up deciding that they enjoy this content more than city capture, we never felt that we need to integrate the players into the game in one set, specific way. Personally, I really love scenarios over everything else. I don't have much time to play, so for me, 15 minute scenarios are the way to play. That doesn't mean I won't engage in RvR, but overall I get 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there, and scenarios will always be my core fascination. But there are other people who like large-scale raid content, who don't like RvR or PvP. This is a great way to have them go down and get that Disney Land experience while running through well-thought out content, but there's also that added danger that at any moment enemy players can swarm in. Also, as Paul likes to say... Paul: I don't like building fart balloons. *Laughs* Paul: It's like the extended cut of a great movie. You have the main core of the movie, but you also have that extended stuff. You can watch the main core of the movie, but if you really want to obsess and you really want to see all of the detail you can watch the extended cut. It's more of the same, but it's new and cool. That's what it is. The movie is still the movie, our game is still our game, regardless.Ok, so, this is basically a small expansion, honestly. Where do you see Warhammer going from here?Paul: Go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight. This is a long term, total commitment from our studio to our players and to our newer players coming along. Try it out, it's never going away, it's only going onwards and upwards.Josh: I agree with Paul. Our boxed expansion schedule, such as it is, is probably going to mirror very closely to what we did in Camelot -- an alternating sequence of free expansions via patches and then boxed retail expansion content. Almost certainly you will see retail expansions in the near future, but you will certainly keep seeing free expansions as well. "To go to a person at a time like this when unemployment is rampant, the economy is in the tank, and retirement funds have gone away and say, "Hey, can I have 10 to 15 dollars of your money every month to play my game?" is actually a pretty bold request." We've always felt the relationship we, the developer, have with our players should be something more than just simple money extraction. At least 50 percent of it should be grateful generation of wonderful things for them to have for free.All right. Now the hard question. 300,000 subscribers -- how do you guys feel about that? It's the number you started with, and it's the number you currently hold now.Josh: There is no start and there is no now. Now, as a company, we're legally not allowed to comment on those numbers any further than what was reported, but we're very happy with the enthusiasm and continued dedication of people all over the world who have played Warhammer for the last nine months.It's been a really difficult time not just for the games industry, but for everyone. To go to a person at a time like this when unemployment is rampant, the economy is in the tank, and retirement funds have gone away and say, "Hey, can I have 10 to 15 dollars of your money every month to play my game?" is actually a pretty bold request. So for people to come to us and say that the commitment we've shown and the game that we've built is worth that kind of display, we have nothing but thanks for those people. We are unbelievably grateful that they've stuck with us and we hope that this type of content that we've been developing for the last nine months is an indication of our dedication to our end of this type of interaction. They trust us to do this, and we're trying to make good on our end of it and bring great things to them consistently.We are very happy with where the game is. We would obviously love to have more people try Warhammer, which is why we have the trial out...Paul: Which you can download right now!Josh: And we're very happy to continue on into the future. Also, this event is the last thing I'm allowed to do before I go get married. I'm very excited, I'm getting married next Saturday.Paul: It's an exclusive for Massively!Josh: I love you Aubrey, please continue marrying me. Put that in big bold letters. Breaking news: Josh loves Aubrey. I will totally do that. Josh, Paul, thank you so much for your time! The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!
All the World's a Stage: Going to the Chapel
I'm back again for another week, guest-writing once again for David Bowers. Today's All the World's a Stage is themed in honor of Mr. Bowers, for whom today is a special day. Everyone at WoW Insider is wishing him the best and it's in the spirit of the festive and celebratory that we take a little bit of time to talk about the roleplay wedding. Last week, we talked about some tips for setting up a roleplay event. These included a small series of steps that would help you formalize and execute an actual plan for such a gathering. Today, we're going to focus in on a specific kind of roleplay event -- the "roleplay wedding." Roleplay weddings come and go in popularity. Just now, it's been a long while since I've heard of one happening on my server. But around this time last year, it seemed that I couldn't take a quiet stroll in Darnassus without tripping across a pair of Night Elves getting handfasted. So, let's talk about that most sacred and beloved of roleplay subjects -- the wedding.
DOMO embraces same-sex marriage in game
While they're certainly not the first game to offer same-sex marriage, Aeria's Dream of Mirror Online announced today that they're embracing the once controversial topic with their new and improved dynamic in-game marriage system. The same-sex aspect of this marriage system is simply one of the many features, but it hasn't been added as just an afterthought. It's been a popular topic of discussion among DOMO players since the game's launch in Fall of 2007.This marriage system allows couples to embark on a series of challenging quests where they can plan their in-game wedding, complete with dream locale, wedding outfit and even a perfect set of rings. Once married, the couple will be granted unique features which include the ability to summon their significant other to their location, as well as special healing abilities during battle.
Do you take this Sackboy? The LittleBigPlanet marriage
The Escapist reports that Jed, a smitten Little Big Planet gamer, created a level last October in order to propose to his girlfriend, Andrea. She said yes, and now the couple have sent out a wedding invitation in the form of another custom level, which invites players to join them for their wedding on April 11. The catch, is that the couple plans to get married in Little Big Planet. As the escapist points out, with a maximum of four players, the logistics of such a wedding are a bit of a mystery. Regardless, we have to admire Jed's creativity and look forward to their special (digital) day.Check out videos of both the proposal and wedding invitation levels after the break.
Proposing with an iPhone app
Need to propose to someone? There's an app for that. Brian X. Chen at Wired reports that coder Bryan Haggerty proposed to his girlfriend Jeannie Choe this week with an iPhone app of his own making -- he sent her on a video scavenger hunt that marked points on a map drawing out the "<3" symbol (which has a lot of sentimental meaning to the couple -- he also gave her a necklace with the same thing on it), and then led her to a hilltop park, where he popped the question. Unfortunately, Wired doesn't tell us if she said yes, but it's Valentine's Day, so we'll assume she did. The app must have been distributed ad-hoc, too, because we don't see it on the App Store at all (not too surprising, considering that as cool as it is, it's got some limited functionality). But congrats to Haggerty and Choe -- if they run into any issues at the ceremony, there's probably an app for that too.
Local news on WoW lingo
This is pretty silly, but we do have to give them credit: Bay Area NBC may have done a report on how incomprehensible our game's jargon is, but at least it's not a report about how WoW breaks up marriages or ruins the lives of children. But yeah, portraying WoW players as aliens with a foreign language all their own is a little far out -- the game's got jargon just like everything else, and what they don't do in this report, unfortunately, is show the etymology of all of these words ("QQ" means to cry because it looks like eyes crying, and "kek," as you know if you've ever been Alliance facing the Horde, is what "lol" translates into from Orcish). Not to mention that it's too bad she comes so close to the "I'm a girl, I don't get videogames" stereotype -- maybe if she sat down in the starting area for 20 minutes she'd know a little bit more about how it all works.But maybe we're asking too much. Let's not forget that this is the media showing World of Warcraft played by a normal dude with a reporter girlfriend and a nice apartment. Sure, they're didn't spell "pwnz0r" quite right, and the guy isn't exactly "top 10 out of 12 million" -- he does have Ashes of Al'ar, but his guild is actually number 11 on the Greymane server -- but at least they're telling the story instead of trying to write it for us.
EVE Online's very own Corpse Bride
Massively multiplayer online games aren't just a passing hobby for many players out there, it's a real passion in their lives. At Massively, we frequently hear about unions of all types in MMOs -- titles which allow players to marry one another, couples who decide to tie the knot in-game, married couple experience bonuses, and now and again an inventive marriage proposal. But this is something new... EVE Online player Suva Orefinger is ready to settle down with her (real life) boyfriend, and he says he'll marry her... assuming she's willing to prove her commitment to him. In typical EVE fashion, her boyfriend's bargaining posture has led to a rather unique proposition. He's posed a challenge to Suva: fill a Charon-class freighter with corpses and he'll make his vows. This is no easy feat. A character must die for each corpse to be created in EVE, and the Charon is a massive ship, which can hold nearly 100,000 of these victims of New Eden's violence. "Something easily gotten is not highly valued," her boyfriend says. But if Suva can do it, he'll be all hers, 'til death do they part.
Happy Birthday and Best Wedding Wishes, Woz!
A very happy birthday to Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak, the co-founder of the company we all know and love. No comments about "third founder" Ron Wayne, please. Woz will be 58 on Monday, the 11th, but we wanted to give you the scoop on some other things going on in his life right now, so we're running his birthday greetings early.Woz's Segway Polo team, the Silicon Valley Aftershocks, is playing in the annual Woz Cup at SegwayFesT 2008 in Indianapolis this weekend. They're currently at 2nd place in the standings.Woz also took the time on Friday, August 8, 2008, to get married to WozWife 4.0 at SegwayFesT 2008. You will be happy / uninterested / dismayed to know that he did not marry former gal pal Kathy Griffin - the name of the new Mrs. Wozniak is not being released at this time.
Fiesta: to have and to hold, 'til death do you part
Ten Ton Hamster recently spoke with GM Dakkon from Outspark, about the new marriage system coming to their super-cute MMO Fiesta. They say the perfect spouse is someone who can be your best friend as well as your lover. Well as of June 30th, friends in Fiesta will be able to tie the knot in-game, by purchasing rings (that "allow the couple to warp to each other from anywhere within the game") and a marriage license. That special day is celebrated with a wedding dress and a tux, fireworks, and cute mini-pets. While Outspark is saying "I do" to virtual weddings, thus far there isn't a system for digital divorce in Fiesta. Is it unreasonable to assume that roughly half of these marriages will end up there? One envisions this playing out with much drama... and so many possible scenarios. Custody battles over the mini-pets, and of course who gets to keep the house? Green card hunters looking to marry their way onto another server. And who knows... maybe even a black widow, marrying her way to greater and greater wealth. All jokes aside, Outspark is onto something interesting here. It seems to be a bit of a social experiment, but definitely one to watch, at least until the devs implement prenups. But one real question remains: will Outspark ban same-sex marriages in Fiesta? Perhaps controversy will ensue after all.
Laptop cakes pay homage to internet dating
Shockingly enough, the image you see above isn't as radical as you probably think. Just last year we saw a San Francisco couple profess their inexplicable love for TiVo with a his and her cake arrangement, while another treated guests to a flavorful version of their wedding day playlist. This perky pair, however, decided to create cakes that would visually describe just how they ended up together, complete with on-screen profiles and a crossover cable (or something) with a heart along the way. Gives a whole new meaning to the networking category, now doesn't it?
