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The Daily Grind: Do you like gaming conventions?
As you read this, PAX East is entering its final day for the year, and the Massively writers have been working on covering the event as best we can. Of course, some people would rather be on the ground instead of reading about the show second-hand because there's nothing quite like the thrill of being knee-deep in a convention. For others, though, the idea of standing around in a convention hall with thousands of other people sounds like a special kind of torture. Do you like gaming conventions? If you do, what's your favorite element of the shows -- the new games, the special giveaways, or just the energy level? If you don't, what bothers you -- the crowds, the spectacle, or the necessity of travel and cramped scheduling? Or are you the sort of person for whom it really depends on the show, i.e., you've been to some you loved and some you couldn't stand? 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!
Get your PAX strategy guides here
Heading to PAX East this weekend? If so, you're in good company, as the Massively and Joystiq crews are going too! ThriftyNerd has put together a brief PAX strategy guide, and it's well worth a look if you don't have your itinerary planned out to the minute (or heck, even if you do, because you might have forgotten something). The guide has a rundown on essential mobile apps as well as plenty of tips for both the seasoned con-goer and the wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Be sure to follow Massively all weekend as we'll be bringing you all the best MMO news direct from Boston.
SOE renames Fan Faire, sets official dates
As corporate re-brandings go, this one isn't as wince-inducingly awful as something like, say, the Syfy Channel. Still, Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire had a nice ring to it, but now we're obliged to refer to the company's annual fan convention as SOE Live. Senior marketing VP Laura Naviaux says the change is due to SOE's MMO diversification. While the company is still known for its EverQuest and EverQuest II flagships, it's also put considerable time and effort into DC Universe Online and PlanetSide 2, neither of which conjures images of ye olde renaissance faire. This year's SOE Live will happen at Bally's in Las Vegas from October 18th through the 21st. Naviaux says that SOE die-hards can relax, since the event will be the same Fan Faire they've been enjoying for years despite the name change. "Previous event attendees can rest assured that we are not removing any of our established activities in order to accommodate the new players; rather, they can expect even more to make this the ultimate SOE fan experience," she said. [Source: SOE press release]
Get some hands-on time with The Secret World at PAX East
Tired of taking our word about The Secret World? Well, if you're going to next month's PAX East convention, you can get some hands-on time with Funcom's upcoming title yourself. The full Templar faction starter experience as well as the haunted town of Kingsmouth will be on display, and all the action happens at booth 260 on the show floor. Funcom is also giving away 10,000 Illuminati, Templar, and Dragon dog tags, each of which contains a key code that grants access to TSW's beta weekends. PAX East runs from April 6th through April 8th in Boston, Massachusetts. More info is available at the event's official website. [Source: Funcom press release]
En Masse bringing TERA and sci-fi surprise to PAX East
PAX East 2012 is swiftly approaching, and that means that it's about time developers start announcing their plans for the show. Today, En Masse Entertainment joined that steadily growing roster with an announcement that the studio will be showcasing its upcoming action-based MMO TERA at the convention. Attendees will be able to get a look at a never-before-seen area of the game, so fans of the title would do well to stop by En Masse's booth to have a go-'round in the world of Arborea. To top it all off, the studio ends the announcement with the cryptic remark that it "will also have some new details to share that are sure to excite fans of modern sci-fi." We're not sure whether this means that TERA is going to be getting some sci-fi flavor or En Masse has a new project to announce or what, but we can't wait to find out. Of course, Massively will have its own presence at the show (including yours truly!), so even if you can't make it to Boston for the con, you can bet that we'll be bringing you all of the delicious, juicy TERA news that you could possibly ask for. In the meantime, though, just hang tight for a couple of weeks. We're sure it'll be worth the wait. [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
EVE Online Fanfest 2012 schedule unveiled
The days leading up to this year's EVE Online Fanfest are fading quickly, and this weekend, fans of internet spaceships from around the world will descend upon Reykjavik. In light of that, it's probably about time that attendees start planning their schedules, and CCP is here to help them do just that. The full Fanfest 2012 schedule is now up and running, and boy-howdy is it ever packed. In addition to the usual smattering of roundtables and panels, the convention will play host to a number of tournaments, and of course, hands-on time with DUST 514. The full schedule is too cram-packed to even begin to summarize here, so just head on over to the official site and start filling your agendas.
The Daily Grind: Do exclusive in-game event items annoy you?
I was looking longingly at an ad for EVE Online's Fanfest a few minutes ago. I say longingly because it's a bit late to be booking airfare to Iceland for a couple weeks hence, to say nothing of getting off work. The event seems like a good time, though, and the icing on the cake is the in-game swag that CCP distributes to attendees. Sony Online Entertainment does something similar for its annual Fan Faire shindig, and I remember tons of exclusive items on display in the virtual homes of Star Wars Galaxies fans who made the annual pilgrimages to Las Vegas. It's bad enough that I never made it to Fan Faire, but it was infinitely worse that I wasn't able to get my collection-obsessed paws on rare no-trade paintings and whatnot (yeah, first-world problems, yada yada). What about you, morning crew? Do exclusive in-game event items rub you the wrong way? 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!
The Daily Grind: Have you ever traveled specifically for a gaming event?
There are a lot of real-world gaming events going on this month. Whether we're talking about the Star Wars: The Old Republic guild summit in Austin, GDC in San Francisco, or the EVE Online fanfest in Reykjavik, opportunities to rack up frequent flyer miles abound. While lots of gamers spend lots of money on subs, cash shop items, and upgrades to their gaming rigs, the aforementioned shindigs tend to attract only the hardest of the hardcore fans. What say you, Massively readers? Have you ever traveled specifically to attend a game-related event? 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!
The Daily Grind: What do you hope to hear from GDC 2012?
Well it's almost time for game convention silly season. First up is the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco next week, followed by PAX East in April and E3 in June. A gaggle of Massively scribes are heading west in a few days to bring you the best (and the most grammatically correct) coverage of all the happenings at GDC. From preview sessions with The Secret World, DUST 514, and PlanetSide 2, to interviews with dev luminaries and glimpses of all that's new and shiny in the world of MMOs, there looks to be a lot of industry news coming your way next week. Today's Daily Grind is an easy one. Are you looking forward to GDC, and is there anything in particular that you hope to learn from this year's conference? 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!
Massively's own Eliot Lefebvre will tell your site how not to suck at PAX East
Are you planning on heading to Boston, Massachusetts for PAX East 2012? If you are, then boy have we got a treat for you. On Sunday, April 8th, our very own Eliot Lefebvre will be joining members of Guild Wars Insider, Darth Hater, ArenaNet, and Vox Games on a panel informatively titled How To Make Gaming Sites That Don't Suck. It is what it says on the tin, folks. So if you've got a blog lying around and you're not sure what to do with it, let this panel of experts tell you how to turn it into the next big thing. Or at least let them tell you why Papyrus and Comic Sans are not legitimate font choices. Please? If nothing else, just show up, ask questions, and show our favorite cynical curmudgeon some love.
City of Heroes announces Spring 2012 Player Summit
City of Heroes players, have you ever wanted to meet with the Paragon Studios devs and spew your ideas at them? Of course you have. Well, your chance to do just that is on the horizon, as City of Heroes' second annual Player Summit (or Pummit, for short) will be taking place on April 28th of this year at Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto, California. Tickets are on sale now via Brown Paper Tickets for the discounted price of $40 US. Tickets will also be available at the door for the slightly higher price of $50 US. The price of admission includes access to the event (durr), a City of Heroes t-shirt, dinner, and "a promo code [that the studio will] announce at a later date." The Pummit itself will be chock-full of events that are sure to pique any CoH player's interest, such as a variety of panels, workshops, and -- most importantly -- cocktail hour with the development team. Between the Design a Costume Set and Design a Power Set workshops, the story and endgame panel, and booze and karaoke with the team, players of all types are bound to find something that tickles their fancy. For the full details on City of Heroes' 2012 Pummit, just click on through the link below to the official announcement.
Star Wars: The Old Republic lets you make a holocall to the first guild summit
Maybe you want to head down to the first guild summit for Star Wars: The Old Republic but just can't quite fit a trip to Austin into your budget at the moment. The bad news is that no matter how awesome your guild is, BioWare is not going to provide you a private jet. The good news is that you can still get some of the impact of the event, as portions of the event will apparently be available via livestream for those who can't attend in person. Watching the event rather than attending might sound like a weak compromise, but according to the official announcement, players watching via livestream will be able to participate in some of the event discussions. It also looks like the streams will be covering the most important elements and highlight the developer presentations and feedback discussions. So you might not be able to take part physically in the events, but you can still get some of the feel.
City of Heroes sets the date for the next Freedom Player Summit
Did you miss the first City of Heroes player summit? It's understandable -- no matter how much of a fan you might be, a trip to California in November is hard to swing sometimes with the holidays fast approaching. But perhaps you'll have better luck in April, as that's the announced month for the second Freedom Player Summit taking place (once again) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Specifically, the summit is planned for Saturday, April 28th, 2012. It's also quite possible, of course, that you did attend the first summit and found certain areas of the event to be sorely lacking. That's something that the staff at Paragon Studios is looking at very seriously; it's made a change to a single panel track rather than multiples and will host more interactive panels instead of static ones. Keep an eye over the next few weeks for more details on pricing and location if you're interested in going; for fans of the game, it's a great chance to get your feedback heard in person.
CCP lays out the path to attend the EVE Fanfest
At the end of March, it's time for EVE Online players the world over to once again come together in their shared love of backstabbing, corporate management, and monocles. Yes, the EVE Fanfest is approaching swiftly, and if you're planning to head over to Iceland for the event, now is probably the time to start making some plans about how to get there. Fortunately, CCP Games has made some accommodations for players so that getting to the event and in the door can be a wee bit easier. Tickets to the event can be purchase from the game's account management page, with a special early bird discount available through the end of January and bulk discounts on groups of 5-10 tickets. You can also book Fanfest activities through the same purchase page, allowing you to save time when you actually get on the ground. There are also deals available for players flying in via Icelandair, making it easier than ever to get to the convention -- a welcome change for the legions of fans not already based there.
BioWare stages SWTOR freeze mob event in New York City's Times Square
If you happened to be walking around Times Square on the night of December 20th, you may have witnessed one of the more unique MMO launch day promotions in recent memory. BioWare enlisted the help of Darth Malgus and a cadre of heavily armored Jedi (or at least, their cosplay equivalents) to stage a Star Wars: The Old Republic freeze mob event complete with lightsabers and bewildered onlookers. What's a freeze mob? Well, it's just what it sounds like, and fortunately for those of you who didn't get to see it live, there's a video of the shenanigans after the cut.
EVE Online Fanfest 2012 tickets on sale now
Hold up there, space cowboy. We know everyone's excited about that other sci-fi game, but EVE Online fans have something to look forward to as well. CCP has announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2012 EVE Online Fanfest. The event will be taking place in Reykjavik, Iceland from March 22nd to the 24th. Tickets cost 100 USD until January 31st, at which point the price rises to 125 USD. The Fanfest will play host to many events such as roundtable discussions with the devs, contests, auctions, tournaments, and of course, a pub crawl with the devs. To get more information and/or purchase tickets, just head on over to the 2012 EVE Online Fanfest official site.
Funcom hosting The Secret World Templar Q&A on Facebook
Want to know more about The Secret World's Templar faction? Aside from reading up on everything related to Templar Week, the best thing you can do is tune in to Funcom's next Facebook developer Q&A session. The shindig happens tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. EST, when lead content designer Joel Bylos and writer Ben Schroder will be fielding your Templar-related questions. Funcom's press release says that interested gamers are free to submit their questions in advance, but the devs may not be able to answer everything. Thus far Templar Week has served up some new screens, art, and a few mission details, and the dev Q&A looks to be the icing on the cake. Funcom also notes that the Illuminati faction will be getting a similar week-long publicity treatment in the near future. [Source: Funcom press release]
TERA wins G-Star 2011's highest honor
Things have been looking fairly bleak for TERA fans over the last few months. There have been reports of server merges and general discontent among the Korean playerbase, executive switcheroos at Bluehole Studio, and an American launch date delay to the spring of 2012. This year's G-Star convention finally provided a ray of sunlight in the form of the prestigious Presidential Award. Yes, TERA won it, and the honor is a pretty big deal in the South Korean gaming community. The country's Ministry of Culture (a government board responsible for gaming industry regulations) chooses the nominees while a pool of journalists, industry veterans, and gamers vote on the winner. TERA also took home G-Star awards for best sound effects, graphics, and character design.
Guild Wars 2 is at G-Star with new items but no beta
With Guild Wars 2 appearing this weekend at the G-Star convention, there's been a lot of speculation about two potential pieces of news -- a date for the beta or the eighth profession reveal. Unfortunately for the speculators, the latest updates from Eric Flannum have put those rumors to rest. Flannum confirms that while there will be news coming out on the 11th, it will not include either of those updates, which are still on track for a later date. That being said, there's still some news to be found, including the preview of some high-level armor sets that are exclusive for the Korean demo. Flannum stated that there will be other elements unique to this demo, although he declined to elaborate beyond the armor. Guild Wars 2 fans will have to keep their eyes peeled for what comes out of the convention... and wait just a wee bit longer to find out when the beta will begin, or what the last profession will be.
Wargaming.net heading to G-Star 2011
Wargaming.net's assault on the global MMO scene continues this month as the development firm heads to Korea for Asia's largest gaming-related tradeshow. The folks who brought you World of Tanks (and who will shortly be bringing you World of Warplanes, World of Battleships, and World of post-apocalyptic Volkswagen Beetles with chainguns mounted on their hoods) are traveling to G-Star 2011 to promote the recently released World of Tanks Korean language pack. The team has also launched a promotional Korean website, and Wargaming.net seems intent on creating a large presence in the Asian gaming market for its free-to-play action MMO brands. "We've created a truly high-quality AAA title with World of Tanks [which is] already wildly successful in Russia and in the West," said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi via press release. "Now we are looking forward to promoting our product [in] the mature and competitive Korean market." [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
