valentines-day-2010
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Happy Valentine's Day from the game industry!
This past week may have been filled with investor calls and press events, but that doesn't mean that some members of the game industry weren't thinking about this weekend's day of love. Over the course of the past seven days, we were either sent these cards (by email) or found them on the various official sites of said developers/publishers -- and now we've compiled them into a love-filled gallery just for you. We might suggest you print out one (on high quality paper, of course) and give it to your dearest, but hey, let's be honest -- you should probably buy an actual card. And a copy of Flower. Hitomi demands digital gifts! %Gallery-85457%
Reloading! New Left 4 Dead Valentine cards
Ellis: So, this one time, me and my buddy, Keith, we saw these infected Valentine cards on the internet. And Keith was like, "Hey, we could make some money selling those." So he got out his little sister's box of crayons and made a couple. Then, I was like, "Keith, we ain't gonna make no money selling five cards." So he spent a whole year drawing, like, a thousand cards or something. Then we saw new versions of those cards, like, to download the next year and ... Rochelle: Ellis, sweetie. Not now. Ellis: Okay. [Thanks for the tip, Jesse!] Source - Valve Valentine 2010 [PDF]
Complete your pick-up line with Tetris Jewelry
If you've been sitting around wondering how you can manage to wedge video games into your Valentine's Day plans, then 1) Tread very carefully and 2) We think we have your answer. Behold, Tetris jewelry. Sold by TetrisGems -- apparently the official provider of Tetris jewelry -- the pieces feature real gemstones or cubic zirconia set in either gold or silver. This is real jewelry, folks, with the cheapest pieces running $130 and the most expensive capping out at $450. And honestly, what better way to say "I love you" than with the gift of an L block? Why not get multiple pieces and fit them together? Just be sure not to connect too many pieces together or they might disintegrate. Also, never give that special someone a line piece as their first romantic gift. You really need to save that for when the time is right.
Love Struck in Atlantica Online
It's that time of the year, and love is filling the air. Cupid's arrow hit Atlantica Online big time with the introduction of the Love Struck event, taking place Tuesday, Feb. 9 through Tuesday, Feb. 23. During the event, players can roam through Atlantica Online and purchase Cacao Beans from Wandering Merchants. These Cacao Beans, in addition to a few other ingredients, can in turn be crafted into sumptuous Valentine's Chocolate. Possible options and ingredients can be found in the Crafting Skill menu, under Food. Also, a player's food crafting rank must be at a level 1 or higher. Want to know more? Keep reading for specific info on available event items.
Mabinogi fuses science and magic with new Alchemist update
In real life, alchemy was an early scientific movement that wound up stumbling upon a few concepts important to modern science. In Mabinogi, it's at the heart of the most recent update as a mixture of both science and magic, allowing characters access to new skills and abilities through research and magical prowess. The Alchemist update for the game has just been released into the wild, and brought with it a new form of gameplay, the aforementioned Alchemist abilities, and not one but two different holiday events for players to enjoy. Within the new zone, Taillteann, players will be able to explore both the Alchemist's House to research components of the new skills, or take part in the game's new Shadow Missions. If taking part in the missions and the new storyline isn't as appealing for the moment, however, there's also an event running for both Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year, with both offering players a few carrots if they take part in the festivities. Mabinogi has been keeping a steady stream of content updates for some time, and this newest update promises to give players even more to explore within the world of Erinn.
Fallen Earth developers want you to be their valentine
Assuming the Prairie Chickens, scavengers, and warring factions don't get you, the Grand Canyon of Fallen Earth is a pretty romantic place. And the wide open spaces give a real sense of of inspiration, even if they just inspire you to get down behind cover before you test your clone's survival ratio against buckshot. So it makes perfect sense to compose a poem in the vein of Valentine's Day, and send it to some of the people closest to your heart in the wasteland... the game's developers. From now until the end of February 14th, there's a thread on the official Fallen Earth forums for players to submit their most original and interesting wasteland-inspired love poetry. Three winners will be chosen on the 15th, based on the quality and originality of each entry, and will be rewarded with a t-shirt and special valentines directly from the development team. But even if that doesn't warm your heart, they've even given out an early gift of affection through a special discount when you purchase the game in the official store. Ain't love grand?
Massively's Neo Steam free item pack giveaway
Are you a Neo Steam player looking for more in-game stuff? Are you just a fan of stuff, but also curious about Neo Steam? We can help you out, either way. To celebrate Valentine's Day and the fact that we love all of you so much, we're giving away a single reusable key code for all Neo Steam players to enjoy a special mount, angel wings costume and Kirin Incense Premium Boost item. In addition to this, Neo Steam is also hosting a number of special in-game events running through the 24th for Valentine's Day and the Winter Olympics. Look for more info on that to come and keep reading past the jump below for the code and instructions on redeeming it.
Love is in the air in your favorite MMOs
Love is in the air in World of Warcraft and the event has completely changed this year over previous years. WoW.com has the latest on this Valentine's Day-themed event. Fool for Love Achievement: If you are into holiday achievements, the Overachiever guide has all of the details. Love is in the air FAQ: Answers any event questions you may have. New Boss Loot: The list of the loot from the three new bosses. Naughty, naughty loot. But WoW is not the only MMO that has an event going on now or soon: Spring Fling in City of Heroes City of Heroes also has a Secret Admirer's contest A chocolate related Valentine's event begins Tuesday in 4Story. Valentione's Day in Final Fantasy XI Lover's Jubilee in Lineage II MapleStory has become a world of romance. Double experience next weekend for Aion. Valentine's Day UStream event for all SOE games on Friday, February 12th, which includes EverQuest, EverQuest II, Free Realms, Planetside, and Star Wars Galaxies. Which MMO do you think does this romantic holiday best?
City of Heroes announces Secret Admirer Contest
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and City of Heroes is ready and willing to help you woo your sweetheart. Well, as long as your sweetheart is the War Witch -- anyone else and you're on your own. They're making it worth your while, though. The City of Heroes Secret Admirer Contest invites you to create a digital or homemade Valentine's Day card for the War Witch and submit it for the chance to win some great prizes. While we can't guarantee that the lady herself will be presenting you with her phone number, three people in each category (homemade and digital) will be presented with prize packages including Logitech gaming headsets and a pile of CoH goodies. The contest is going on now and will last until the submission deadline of February 28th. Take a look at all the rules and regulations here, and good luck to you!
Love is in the air in Final Fantasy XI
For most people, Valentine's Day either means either buying something nice for your partner if you're in a relationship, or staring in silent rage at the endless array of heart-shaped candy boxes if you're single. Unless you're a player in Final Fantasy XI, in which case it means yet another opportunity to get yourself a heart-shaped wand and possibly fulfill your dream of being a magical girl. The not-so-deceptively named Valentione's Day is fast approaching yet again, and as per tradition, the official site has put together a short piece of fiction to commemorate and preview the event. This year seems to hint at a slight twist to the events of prior years -- while the charm wand has become strongly associated with the event (since that was how one earned it in the first place), it's usually the end reward of the process. The small preview story seems to hint that we'll be called upon to slay more than a few monsters with said wand before everything is said and done... or perhaps it's just a sweet little vignette. Either way, Final Fantasy XI players will get a chance to find out between February 4th through February 15th.
