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Star Trek Online lifetime subscription goes on sale
Starship captains in the future may not have a need for money, but you do if you want to buy into a lifetime subscription for Star Trek Online. Fortunately, Cryptic has made that option easier for interested parties, lowering the price from $299 to $199 through July 10th. A lifetime subscription to Star Trek Online includes all gold membership options, a monthly ZEN stipend, all veteran rewards past and future, and priority login.
Vindictus running its Golden Time event
It's the perfect time to play Vindictus if you've been on the fence. Not because of some huge update, but because the game is knee-deep in its month-long Golden Time event. During the event, each week brings a new set of boosts and promotions for players, just a little something extra to enjoy. This week is all about making the weary business of adventuring just a bit less weary, starting with a 50% discount to all repair costs. Players can also resurrect for free between 8 p.m. EDT and 10 p.m. EDT every day this week, and special items will be distributed to players who are logged in at 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday and Sunday. What does the next week bring? You'll just have to find out, but it should provide a nice encouragement to anyone playing the game. See? It's the perfect time for play. [Thanks to Soren for the tip!]
Star Trek Online celebrates New Romulus Weekend
Star Trek Online is pulling out all the stops for the first anniversary of its Legacy of Romulus expansion with a special weekend event. New Romulus Weekend will be handing out quadruple Romulan Mark rewards for New Romulus missions from May 22nd through the 27th. Cryptic is also putting both Legacy of Romulus editions on sale during this time, offering the starter pack for 2,000 ZEN and the legacy pack for 12,500 ZEN. Even after the weekend event is over, Romulan Mark rewards will remain doubled from here on out as a tribute to the expansion and the players' involvement in it.
EverQuest II's dino-tastic expansion pack is still in the works
EverQuest II folks, fret not, for SOE has not abandoned you for shiny new sandboxes. The recent producer's letter mentions several projects that the team is working hard on, the biggest of which is the upcoming unnamed expansion pack. "We are working on a variety of themes again, one of them we have hinted at with dinosaur-like creatures," the letter teases. SOE goes on to say that expansion previews will be happening soon, and come June there will be a "Gear Up, Level Up" promotion aimed at preparing the playerbase for the release. All players will receive bonuses that month, although All Access players will get the better end of it. It also looks as though there will be an expansion discount for those who pre-order in June. The team is also working to improve its matchmaking code, add a new Tunaria PvP warzone, create a Fabled Deathtoll dungeon zone, and toss in dressable NPC mannequins for housing.
EVE Fanfest 2015 dated, tix discounted for limited time
EVE Fanfest 2014 is still a recent and warm (if scandal-ridden) memory, but CCP is already looking ahead to next year. The studio opened the doors today for fans to pick up tickets to next year's convention. EVE Fanfest 2015 is scheduled for March 19th through the 21st, 2015, at the same place it's been in Reykjavik, Iceland. The studio says that in keeping with the space-themed MMO, there will be an observable solar eclipse during the event. CCP is offering several tiers of early discounts, starting with the current early bird limited special offer. While the regular price for the tickets will be $200, players can pick theirs up right now for $125 or 13 PLEX apiece.
Star Trek Online selling ships at a discount
It's a boring weekend, a sedate weekend, a weekend in which you're just not sure what you want to do. You could go cruising around in Star Trek Online, but you don't want to do it your busted old ship that looks as close to an El Camino as a futuristic warship capable of moving faster than the speed of light is capable of looking. No, you want a new ride. Fortunately for you, getting a new ride is fairly easy this weekend, as the game is having a sale on all ships until 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 12th. A 20% discount has been applied across the board to everything other than the new Patrol Escort Refit, giving plenty of incentive to pick up some new refits and new ships if you've got money to burn.
World of Warcraft throws half-off sale this weekend
World of Warcraft is on sale right now for 50% off the regular price through the official website. This means that the core game with all of the expansions through Cataclysm is available for $10, with Mists of Pandaria available separately for $10. The sale goes through the end of Tuesday, May 6th. [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip!]
Game values your PS3 and five games at £100 in console upgrade promotion
A long bank holiday weekend is the perfect excuse to spend a little bit more time than you would normally in front of your TV, controller in hand. If the impending opportunity to do just that has you mulling an investment in one of Microsoft or Sony's newest consoles, then retailer Game is happy to nudge you in that direction with a trade-in promotion that takes at least £100 of the console asking prices. From today (May 2nd) until next Thursday (May 8th), bringing a 250GB or 320GB PS3 slim and five games into a Game store will allow you to leave with a PS4 for £250 (£100 off the regular price). Similarly, you can swap a 250GB Xbox 360 slim, five games and £270 for an Xbox One plus Titanfall (a £110 saving). As attractive as those discounted prices are, however, we'd have trouble letting go of a console and five games for a fraction of their purchase price. It's a convenient way of stepping up a generation, sure, but it's Game who's getting the better end of the deal. We're not saying you'll get massively improved offers for the same gear elsewhere, but is nostalgia worth nothing to you monsters?
Marvel Heroes kicks off Big Ten Week
Ten months ago, Marvel Heroes launched. Most games would save their big celebrations for a year or half a year or something else, but Marvel Heroes is celebrating the not-quite-a-year mark with the Big Ten Week. And what's coming back for this week? Well... everything. Every big holiday rush up to this point is coming back in one way or another, with the festivities lasting until Friday, May 2nd. Did you enjoy the whole bonus loot rotation from the Don't Fear the Reaper event? That's back. What about the St. Patrick's Day rewards? Yes, those too, with legendary recipes and the Luck of the Draw promotion (buy a hero and get another random hero for free, buy a costume and get another random costume for free). Winter holiday gifts, Lunar New Year gifts... it's an explosion of celebrations. If that's the sort of upgrade you like to see, you can check out the full list of repeats on the official announcement. And if you're looking for a free random hero this weekend, apply the code RNDMHRO to your account. More free things!
Google kicks off Chromecast offers program with £5 of free Play credit
With Google's Chromecast streaming dongle now fully settled in the UK, the great provider (of search results) has kicked off a promotional program rewarding new and old customers alike. You'll find the offer highlighted in the Play store, where (browser) window shoppers are being tempted with "£4.99 credit towards a movie rental." The truth is, however, that you can spend your free fiver on anything available on Play, like music, books or Android apps. Furthermore, anyone with a Chromecast purchased in the UK is eligible, regardless of when you bought it. The only catch really is you must redeem the credit online by mid-July and spend it before the same time next year. It would appear this is just the first freebie in an ongoing offers program, so don't be surprised to see others in the future that sweeten the deal for newcomers, as well as thank old hands for their patronage.
Sprint will pay you to switch from a rival carrier to its Framily plan
T-Mobile may have stolen the spotlight earlier this year by paying customers to switch, but it looks like Sprint is cooking up a similar deal in response. An S4GRU leak has revealed a Sprint promo that will pay you to switch from a competitor to the carrier's Framily plan between April 4th and May 8th. Much like T-Mobile's offer, you'll get up to $350 to cover early termination fees at the provider you're leaving; you'll also get up to $300 in service credit if you trade in your old phone at the same time. While we doubt that the month-long campaign will do much to reverse Sprint's losses, it might just give fence-sitters a stronger incentive to change networks.
Shroud of the Avatar has raised $3.7 million to date
Shroud of the Avatar hasn't launched yet, but Portalarium is celebrating its anniversary nonetheless. The studio pointed out that next monday, April 7th, is the title's one-year mark since it concluded its $2 million Kickstarter campaign. Portalarium is throwing several promotions for the anniversary, one in particular being a last chance to get or upgrade to the founder level at the original Kickstarter prices. Other anniversary events include developer hangouts, special access to Release 4, and prize giveaways. Shroud of the Avatar has gathered more than $3.7 million in crowdfunding to date and is eyeballing a late 2014 launch window. [Source: Portalarium press release]
UK Pokemaniacs can catch Electabuzz, Magmar at GAME in April
In lieu of rabbits who inexplicably birth chocolate eggs, UK video game retailer GAME has opted to celebrate Easter in proper reverence by offering two rare Pokemon to local fans. Here's how it works: Come April 4, anyone who walks into a GAME retail location with a copy of Pokemon X or Y will walk away with a rare Pokemon. Players who own Pokemon X will receive the fiery Magmar, while those who own Pokemon Y will add Electabuzz to their Pokedex. Additionally, both Pokemon come equipped with the items necessary to evolve into their final forms. Both Magmar and Electabuzz will be distributed in the form of a code printed on a GAME receipt, though the retailer claims that no purchase is necessary to receive a free 'mon. Not wanting fans of the Pokemon trading card game to feel left out, GAME will also be handing out free sample card packs, each of which includes a "special foil Pikachu card." Like the virtual Pokemon, there's no purchase necessary for this piece of swag, though GAME notes that these sample packs will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. Once supplies are gone, you'll have to find some other way to catch 'em all. Edit: Originally this article claimed that the items attached to Magmar and Electabuzz would allow the Pokemon to Mega Evolve, when in fact neither of these creatures have the ability to Mega Evolve. [Image: Nintendo]
Marvel Heroes adds Dr. Strange and Shuri
Marvel Heroes' roster has grown by two characters over this past weekend (sort of). Dr. Strange, the "Sorcerer Supreme," is now available in the game as is a gender-bending costume for the Black Panther that will make him Shuri, the first female to take on that character. The game is also running a "buy a hero, get a hero" promotion that lasts until the end of Monday. Through this, the purchase of any hero (other than Dr. Strange) will give the player a second, random hero (other than Dr. Strange) for free. If the player gets a duplicate of a hero he or she already owns, the bonus will then be a token to upgrade that hero's ultimate power. You can check out the Dr. Strange trailer after the jump!
TUG is now available through Steam Early Access [Updated]
Do you have $9.99, a yearning for a unique open-world sandbox, and a tolerance for a not-quite-ready-for-primetime experience? If so, TUG is ready and waiting for you to explore it. Nerd Kingdom's MMO is now available through Steam Early Access for 10 bucks. The low introductory cost is due to the "unfinished nature of the game" and will be raised as time goes by. TUG currently features two modes, creative and survival, for players to enjoy. Developer Peter Salinas said that the title has made great strides through its alpha testing: "We've had such tremendous feedback and support from our players in our early alpha, and we can't wait to see all the amazing and creative things players will continue to do with the game. By looking at our community's play patterns and listening to their feedback, we can keep our development focused on what our players want." Massively has a hands-on look at TUG coming to you later this afternoon, so stay tuned! [Update: A message sent to Kickstarter backers assures everyone that the official launch date for the game is still January 2015 and that all backers will receive Steam keys early next week.] [Source: Nerd Kingdom press release]
Want a free year of Office 365? Bring your iPad to a Microsoft Store
If you're enamored with Office for iPad but don't want to fork over $70-plus per year for the necessary Office 365 subscription, you'll want to make a beeline to your local Microsoft Store this weekend. Microsoft has launched a promo that will offer a free year of Office 365 to the first 50 people who bring an iPad to a given retail location from March 28th through March 30th. You'll undoubtedly have to hustle if you want to take advantage of the deal, but the trek could be worthwhile if you like the idea of giving Office an extra-long trial run.
Double Fine to publish indie games, starting with Escape Goat 2
Double Fine may be known for creating games like Psychonauts, Brutal Legend and Broken Age, but it's expanding its efforts to add indie game publishing to its repertoire. Its first act as an indie publisher is to provide "promotional assistance and distribution" for MagicalTimeBean's Escape Goat 2, COO Justin Bailey told Game Informer. "Our goal is to help indies build their own community and empower them with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed on their own," Bailey said, adding that multiple indie developers have approached Double Fine to ask for publishing assistance. "They all had a unique request and that's where we started to see there was a real need for the knowledge we've gained over the last 14 years on how to prototype, fund, develop and publish our own games." Double Fine's publishing ambitions boil down to the efforts of two individuals: Bailey and senior publishing manager Greg Rice, who will offer advice for crowdfunding hopefuls as well as development feedback, platform porting advice and promotional assistance. "We're open to working with each developer and figuring out how we can help make them successful," Bailey added. Double Fine recently teamed up with MagicalTimeBean to create a quirky promotional video for Escape Goat 2. The game launched yesterday on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam, GOG and the Humble Store for $10. [Image: MagicalTimeBean]
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.
Apple's new US promo gives Apple TV buyers free $25 iTunes gift cards
Color us intrigued. Apple seldom offers discounts on any of its devices outside of Black Friday, and yet it just launched a short, US-only promotion (PDF) that gives Apple TV buyers free $25 iTunes gift cards to jumpstart their media libraries. There's no major strings attached -- you just have to buy the device between now and March 5th to get the bonus credit. It sounds like a solid deal, but you may not want to rush to the store right away. The promo comes hot on the heels of rumors of a next-generation Apple TV, which suggests that the crew in Cupertino may be clearing out inventory ahead of a new model. If you're not worried about owning the latest and greatest, though, it's a tempting offer.
T-Mobile will give you $250 if you trade in your old BlackBerry for a new one
If you hadn't heard, BlackBerry chief John Chen isn't happy with T-Mobile -- he believes the carrier fired a shot across the bow when it enticed BlackBerry users to switch phones in a recent promotion. To mend that bruised relationship, the magenta network is launching a limited-time trade-in offer that gives loyal users a strong incentive to upgrade. As of February 21st, T-Mobile will give you $200 for your existing BlackBerry, and $250 if you're upgrading from a T-Mobile BlackBerry to a BB10 device like the Q10 or Z10. The payout is the same regardless of the device's age, so long as it's in good condition; if you're still rocking a Curve 3G, you'll get the full amount. Market share trends suggest that there won't be too many people upgrading to new BlackBerrys, but the olive branch is welcome all the same.
