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World of Warcraft kicks off Azeroth Choppers
Are you ready to ride through Azeroth and Draenor in style? Because that's the goal of the new web series fusing American Chopper and World of Warcraft. The first episode is out now, and you can guess the heart of it just from the premise. Two bikes will be designed -- one for the Horde, one for the Alliance -- and fans will vote on which bike winds up in the game as a mount. The first episode, of course, is very much the proof of concept; it features a very early glance at the starting point for both bikes as well as a discussion of Horde and Alliance aesthetics. You can watch the whole episode just past the cut. It's going to be running at least through the end of May, so you'll get a front-row seat to see both choppers brought from concept into execution.
The Daily Grind: Do you keep MMO accounts on for veteran rewards?
I've got a guildie who's a bit insane. He is notorious for staying subscribed to MMOs he's not playing, sinking tons and tons of money into these games but not logging in. Is he doing it to support developers? Nope. He does it for the veteran rewards. Seriously. He once told me he stayed subbed to City of Heroes because he really, really wanted a veteran minipet. When I consider what that minipet must have cost him in subscription fees, all I can do is think how many brand-new games he could have picked up on Steam for all that dough! And yet here I am looking at my Ultima Online account the same way. The account is 16.5 years old with nine years of vet rewards on it. I left it on a few extra months last year to get to the ridable ethereal polar bear mount reward because hello, ridable ethereal polar bear mount, right? What about you -- do you leave your subscription MMO accounts on to collect vet rewards? 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!
Hearthstone launches, offers players a way to earn a special World of Warcraft mount
Whoa, this sneaked up on us unexpectedly! Blizzard abruptly announced today that Hearthstone has officially launched and updated to the new 1.0.0.4944 patch. The free-to-play card game has been widely available for some time now, but now it's all there for keeps. Today's patch includes golden hero and special card backing visuals as rewards for ranked play. Other changes include balance tweaks, a reconnect feature, access to multiple regions, and a whole lotta bug fixes. Players can also earn a Hearthstone mount for World of Warcraft by winning three games in play or arena mode.
Fat Chocobo dashing out of Weight Watchers and into Final Fantasy XIV
Face it: You have gone far too long without seeing a giant chicken's giant butt. Happily, Square Enix has your well-being in mind, for the studio has posted a preview of an upcoming Final Fantasy XIV mount that is brimming with chunky avian posterior visuals. A brief and bizarre post on the official site introduces "Fat Chocobo," a special mount that would rather not move unless it has food comically dangled in front of its beefy face. The chocobo mount is confirmed as a special goodie for those who order the PlayStation 4 collector's edition of FFXIV as well as those who have purchased one of the other CEs. No word as of yet what the studio will do to compensate players if said mount collapses after taking six rapid steps in succession.
RIFT gives the new Steppes of Infinity Conquest map a spin
This past weekend, RIFT players and devs alike jumped into the new Steppes of Infinity Conquest to try out the PvP map on the test server. On the forums, a dev gave players an idea of what to expect from the map, saying that teams will be ferrying stones between upgradable forts for points. However, once 1,750 player deaths occur, players have a five-minute timer to score as much as possible followed by loot for the winners. The devs followed up the playtest with a peek at some of the upcoming goodies for the game, including an Umbral Budgie mount, a mech mount, and a new powerful focus.
RIFT announces account-wide premium mounts
Mount aficionados of Telara have reason to celebrate, as Trion Worlds has announced that RIFT's premium mounts are available account-wide. Now, all of a player's premium mounts will be available to every character on his account, regardless of which character acquired the mount in the first place. Trion has also announced that all premium mounts will be 25 percent off in the game's shop from today, February 21st, until February 23rd. For the full list of account-wide mounts, plus some notes on other features introduced in the game's latest patch, check out the full post on RIFT's official site.
A look at WildStar's customization options
How much do you like character customization? If you shrug and click the nearest "random" button when making a new character you probably don't care much. But if you like to carefully examine customization options before creating a character, and then even more carefully examine customization options after creating a character... well, WildStar's developers understand the way you work. They'd like to help, insofar as giving you a whole bunch more customization options could count as "helping." Customizing your character doesn't end at creation -- it extends to how you play your character, how your character's outfit looks, and even how your mount looks. Not to mention, of course, that there's the housing system. The game's latest DevSpeak video about customization is just past the cut, and we got a chance to talk a little more with the fine folks at Carbine Studios about tuning your character just right.
World of Warcraft introduces Iron Skyreaver mount
Have you ever wanted to fly around on a two-headed dragon with freaking jet turbines strapped to it? If so, you're scaring us, but you're also in luck because World of Warcraft has just unveiled its latest cash-shop sparklepony, the Iron Skyreaver. This fierce, armored chimera steed will let you explore the lands of Azeroth in style, and the twin afterburners on its back ensure a swift journey while doubling as Gnome-roasters in a pinch, so that's a win-win. If you'd like to see the new mount in action before you shell out your hard-earned cash, just click on past the cut to check out the Iron Skyreaver's announcement video.
Get your Winter Veil quests done despite the crowds
The first day -- or first few days -- of any in-game holiday is always busy. Sometimes it's so busy (as above), that the number of people crowded in on their mounts makes it impossible to see or interact with the questgivers. Complaints on the official forums have drawn out Bashiok, who offers a couple of solutions to the problem: Bashiok Grr! Yeah, some people can be jerks. Some people are just oblivious though, too. If you think someone is specifically and intentionally blocking an NPC in a malicious way, that is behavior specifically mentioned in our harassment policy, and something you can report that player for and we'll take a look. An easy workaround though is enabling nameplates for friendly characters (default Shift+V) and then right click on the nameplate of the NPC you're wanting to interact with. source Of course most people in these crowds are probably just trying to get their quests done like you are, so chances are you'll get more traction by bringing up nameplates with Shift+V -- or waiting for a few days until the excitement calms down.
Patch 5.4.2: New chimaera mount video
Adriacraft is at it again, digging through the patch 5.4.2 files and bringing you video of a new mount, discovered in the most recent patch to the PTR. It's simply named the Chimaera 2, not the snappiest moniker, I grant you, but it's just a filename for now. And, of course, it could reflect the fact that it has two heads. Could it be the Iron Chimaera mount that had concept art previewed at BlizzCon? Wouldn't it be great if the idle animation was the heads fighting? Of course, with any new mount the question is always where will it come from? If it's the Iron Chimaera it seems very likely that it's in-game at least, rather than a microtransaction item. Maybe it'll be a rep grind, but those mounts often come in two colors, or are faction-specific. Perhaps a boss drop, then, from a raid, or maybe it's something I wish Blizzard would do more, a mount that simply has a world drop chance off rares or mobs. Like they did with the dinosaurs and the Zandalari Warbringer rares, or similar.
The Daily Grind: How do you choose your mount?
World of Warcraft used to make earning your first mount a pretty big deal. These days, it's less a deal simply because the game has so many mounts it's almost absurd. Almost anything large enough for a player character to fit on top is a mount... and if it's not big enough, a bigger version will be found for players to ride just the same. That's not the only game to do this, of course. Final Fantasy XIV now offers multiple mounts and multiple ways to dress up your mount. Dragon's Prophet offers you a variety of draconic options. Many games love to give players promotional mounts or special mounts for pre-order bonuses, subscriber bonuses, microtransaction items... you get the idea. So in this field of variety, how do you choose your mount? Do you plan for the cheapest option and aim for form over function? Do you display a special promotional mount with pride? Is your favorite mount a rare reward from in-game content? Or do you pick your mount based on character personality? 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!
Final Fantasy brings version 1.0 characters into beta
Returning players who log into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta phase four will be given the option to import their version 1.0 characters for the first time since the game went offline in November 2012. The Lodestone reports that players will not only see their old characters once more, but also any items that they had on them at the time of the apocalypse. Players will have a one-time opportunity to alter that character's look, gender, race, and name, and these changes will carry over to live. Square-Enix is also handing out the legacy chocobo whistles with phase 4 for those that earned them through the legacy campaign. This will add a special mount to your character's stable. And if you've never played an MMO before and need a beginner's guide to partying up for dungeon runs, check out the following video (protip: Tell everyone you're a noob!).
SWTOR update 2.4 preview from Chicago cantina tour
The BioWare community team and Lead Designer Jesse Sky traveled to Wizard World ComicCon last week to give fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic a taste of the new upcoming content. The developers announced that, besides the arena PvP content, Update 2.4 will introduce players to two brand-new operations centering around the planet Oricon, the planet where the Dread Masters have been rumored to be hiding. Developers also gave every fan attendee a thumb drive containing concept art and screenshots from the planet. If you are on the SWTOR mailing list, then you saw the teaser about the new Varactyl mount coming soon. The cantina crawlers in Chicago received a couple of screenshots and a video of the new mount, which we have featured after the break. And one more rumor coming directly from our tipster in the field: Jesse Sky said that although we will never see actual sitting in chairs due to coding issues, we will see an emote that will make our characters look as if they are sitting very soon. [Thanks to Mike from Nefarious Intent for the tips!] %Gallery-195790%
Stylish Boomerang iPad mount/stand now shipping
Nothing makes me happier than to see a Kickstarter or Indiegogo project not only get funded, but make it to the newly-redesigned BiteMyApple.co online store. That means that even if you didn't have an opportunity to back the project, you can purchase the product outright. That's the case with the über-cool Boomerang (US$79.99 with one Multi Mount), a mounting/stand design with legs that mimic the shape of the classic Australian weapon/toy. Whether you're using the Boomerang as a table stand for your iPad (as shown above), sticking it to a Multi Mount attached to a window or the wall, or decide to attach it to the optional Desk Stand seen below ($89.99, requires Boomerang), the unique magnetic mounting interface will keep your iPad close at hand. You can also use one or two "legs" of the Boomerang as a hand grip for iPad photography. The original Boomerang Kickstarter project had 516 backers and raised a total of over $50,000. Xvida, the company that's producing the Boomerang, also has an air vent mount, a suction cup mount, and a headrest mount available as options for $24.99 each. Additional Multi Mounts are also available directly from the company for $24.99 for a package of two. The Boomerang works with the second through fourth generation iPads.
Tauntaun mounts are migrating to SWTOR
Tired of cold, sterile vehicles toting your Force-using butt all over the galaxy? Star Wars: The Old Republic is about to give you a living, snorting mount in the near future. That's right: Tauntaun mounts are coming to the game. Images were given out of SWTOR's first animal mounts at the San Diego Cantina Tour. Apart from the pictures, we have no specific information concerning the mounts' speed, possible varieties, or release. We're also curious if they'll come with the ability to slice them open with a lightsaber as a makeshift sleeping bag if you're caught out in the cold. [Thanks to Austin for the tip!]
World of Warcraft player becomes trade chat hero
It started with an innocent question in World of Warcraft's trade chat: "What would you do with 200,000 gold?" Among the various responses, a player said that he'd like a Vial of the Sands to give to his friend. The vial actually gives the player a Sandstone Drake flying mount, one of the more difficult-to-obtain mounts in the game. The story doesn't end there: The asker of the question then tracked down the guy who answered and delivered the super-expensive vial into his hands. When the donor found out that the mount was for the guy's friend, he bought and gifted a second mount so that the two friends would have matching rides. The reason for the generosity? "I wanted to make someone's day," the donor said. And thus the legend of the trade chat hero is born.
The mount you'll engi-need in Patch 5.4
We posted last week briefly about the Sky Golem, the redesigned engineering mount that will allow you to pick flowers as you fly around. And we posted a picture of the Sky Claw, but now, there is video of this mount in all its glory. And guess what, Engineering just became the best profession. Again. It's all a little confusing, really, as we were convinced that this would look like the sky claw we'd all seen before, but this is far, far better. It's effectively a shredder suit, that you put on, and fly around in. There are four different colors available, as you can see from Adriacraft's video above, and all of them look pretty great. This is crafted by engineers, at a cost of 30 Living Steel, as well as 30 Jard's Peculiar Energy Source. These are currently created on a daily cooldown, so it's going to take engineers a while to get this mount built. However, there is no requirement for Engineering skill to use it, at present at least, so this mount can presumably be sold on the Auction House! I am leveling my engineering just to build this. And you should too.
The Daily Grind: Should mounts do something other than transport?
While I'm totally rocking the minivan these days (no, I was never cool), I actually love my car. It's not just an object that transports me from point A to B; it's a mobile base of operation. It has hookups for my gadgets, diaper bags, DVD players, and so on. It's home away from home, as it should be. What about our mounts in MMOs? Most of them do nothing other than give us a nice increase in speed, with a select few granting us a pilot's license and clearing us for flight. But do they have functions other than just transporting us? Once in a while I read about a mount that allows you to pick up passengers, or one that offers a vending service, or even one that fights alongside of you. What do you think? Should mounts do something other than just transport, and if so, what? 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!
Red Motion mount eliminates shutter judder, we go eyes-on (video)
Red announced its new Motion lens mount prior to opening its booth at NAB, and now we've had a chance to see this guy in action. The mount, which is compatible with the company's Epic and Scarlet cameras, is meant to fix the CMOS rolling shutter problem. The Motion includes a liquid crystal shutter that's placed in front of the main sensor and is timed to engage when the sensor is fully open. It also adds up to 8x neutral density, which can be enabled electronically through the camera UI with 1/100-stop precision. In a demo at Red's NAB booth, the camera captured every flash of a strobe -- without the new mount, some flashes would likely slip through the cracks. It's set to ship for $4,500 in the fall (or possibly this summer), and will be available with Canon EF or PL mounts. You can see it in action today in the hands-on demo after the break.%Gallery-185020%
Insert Coin semifinalist: Snapzoom connects any scope to any smartphone
There are adapters out there that allow you to hook up your phone with a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Most of them, though, aren't universal. And we mean that on both sides of the equation -- they won't connect to all scopes or all phones. Snapzoom wants to be all things to those with a hankering for long distance photography, such as bird watchers or amateur astronomers. The solution is so simple that it actually stuns us that no one had thought of it before. That's not to say there isn't a lot of smart design involved, but ultimately the Snapzoom boils down to a set of adjustable clamps that provide an incredible amount of freedom. While image quality will rest largely on your choice of smartphone, there's no shortage of incredible shooters out there that you can slide into the mount. Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!
