valentines day
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Sunday Morning Funnies: Ribbon-wielding cultists
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Pudie and Antubis and Sukugaru won last week's trivia! Pudie was the first to identify the origin of the song, and Sukugaru and Antubis reminded me that I had asked for the name of the song in specific, and not the movie title. The full answer was The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music from The Sound of Music. Lys' idea of Beauty and the Beast would also fit, and it hadn't occurred to me. You each have won a virtual and imaginary pet bunny prize! These bunnies shall come from outer space; very savvy and and genteel bunnies of witty and adventurous natures. As a bonus, for identifying the My Little Pony, Serthida wins a virtual and imaginary epic purple Valentine's Day cake! It tastes however you wish it to taste, and contains no calories, sugar, fat, etc. Heck, it's actually nutritious. This week's list of comics only appears to be of moderate length; it's actually quite long. As always, leave your comments, and send tips about WoW-related webcomics through our tip form, or leave them in the comments section as well.
Indie games bundled on the cheap for V-Day
So what if Sophie/Samuel didn't return your request for a weekend getaway to that little bed and breakfast in New Hampshire? Wouldn't you rather spend your weekend falling in love with a handful of indie games -- And Yet it Moves, Auditorium, Aztaka, Eufloria, Machinarium, and Osmos -- from an all-star list of developers? We knew you'd see our point! Besides, it's only $20 -- that's way less than the price of two nights for two people at The Buttonwood Inn, not to mention a steal considering each game individually purchased would add up to 85 buckaroos. And hey, now you can spoil yourself with an extra large box of tissues and a matching ice cream tub.
Reminder: Love is in the Blog event today
Today! Mix with the WoW.com staff! Then do Love is in the Air quests! Do it!: When: 5:30pm EST (2:30pm PST, 3:30pm realm time) Saturday, February 13 2010 (Show up at 5pm EST for the Meet and Greet) Where: Court of the Sun fountain, Silvermoon City Zangarmarsh U.S. Who: Any Horde character, any level. What: Love is in the Air daily quests. How: Ask Robinator, Robiness or any It came from the Blog Lurker or above for an invite to the guild. I am so excited about the Meet and Greet. Many, many of my fellow WoW.com staffers have said they will be there sometime during the pre-event mixer. We'll be hanging out by the fountain in the Court of the Sun, Silvermoon City until 5:30pm. Then we'll start the Love is in the Blog event proper. Unlike many of our events, lower level characters may have more fun than higher ones, so there's no need to get a DK up before the event this time. If you have any other questions about It came from the Blog, please see our FAQ. Be there!
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.
Super Street Fighter IV kind of celebrates Valentine's Day
Capcom's idea of celebrating Valentine's Day involves watching some virtual women fight. That's not exactly the canonical interpretation of the couples' holiday, but on the upside, it does mean we get a new Super Street Fighter IV trailer. That makes us a lot more willing to look past the odd undertones. It's not in-game footage, but we do enjoy seeing the unique style of Street Fighter IV cinematics. Capcom also released some (relatively) more appropriate Valentine's Day material: a set of Valentines made from Super Street Fighter IV screens. Actually, upon further review, forget the "appropriate" part.
WoW, Casually: Casual guide to Love is in the Air
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Of course, you people with lots of playtime can read this too, but you may get annoyed by the fact that we are unashamed, even proud, of the fact that beating WoW isn't our highest priority. Take solace in the fact that your gear is better than ours, but if that doesn't work, remember that we outnumber you. Not that that's a threat, after all, we don't have time to do anything about it. But if WoW were a democracy, we'd win. Love is very much in the air and the complete revamp of this holiday is good news for those of us with limited playtime. Me: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Didn't we say we were going to talk about PvP this week? I: They changed the holiday drastically. It's more timely. Myself: Holidays are fun! Whether you have an 80 or are just leveling, there are a lot of benefits to spending a part of your play session completing the Love is in the Air quests. Of course, if you are into achievements and titles, you are already doing this -- if you didn't get your title last year. But there are quite a few other reasons for casual players to participate in this particular event:
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.
Dungeons and Dragons Online Valentine's Day screenshot contest
Love is in the air, and so are Turbine Points. No, really. Dungeons and Dragons Online is holding a Valentine's Day screenshot contest, and Turbine Points are up for grabs, as well as a special forum title for the winner. There are five categories in the contest, designed for individuals, couples, and groups in DDO. Categories are I <3 DDO, Cupid's Arrow, Perfect Pair, Most Romantic Individual, and Most Romantic Guild. Just pick your category and send your screenshot in along with a short description. Original screenshots only, no photoshopping, if you please. A full description of the categories along with all the rules and regulation can be found on the official site. The winner in each category will receive 500 Turbine Points and a special forum title of either "I <3 DDO" or "Hopeless Romantic." The contest began today and will run until February 21st (at which time winners will be announced on my.DDO), so good luck!
SOE is sending you a streaming video of love
The holiday of love is rapidly approaching, and SOE is doing something a little different this year. In addition to your standard Valentine's Day events, like EverQuest II's Erollisi Day, they're also putting together a streaming video Valentine's Day party. The party will commence on Friday, February 12th, at 1 PM PT (4 PM ET) on SOE's Ustream channel. The community team will be gathered to make paper hearts and answer your questions live in the Ustream chat room while they deliver player submitted Valentine's Day greetings and announcements. SOE developers will also be dropping by the party to talk with players, so you never know what will happen! Today, however, is the last day to submit your own personal greetings to the party! The full instructions are available at the official announcement on any of the SOE sites, but you can be lazy and click this link to go straight to them on the EverQuest II site.
Xstreet wishlists beta for Second Life users
Linden Lab's pushing Valentine's day in Second Life pretty hard this year, particularly the commercial aspects of it. In fact, it feels like it's being pushed hard enough that it has taken on a slightly creepy and embarrassing air, rather like that guy at the Christmas party who won't shut up about the mistletoe. Nevertheless, the Lab's implemented an open beta of product wishlists on their Web-based shopping portal, Xstreet. There doesn't seem to be much that is overtly difficult, weird or special about the implementation, though we'd question the wisdom of launching a public beta of the feature right on the verge of the heavily-promoted Valentine's day. Far better, we'd think, to let it settle a while first and get the inevitable kinks out of it before a major commercial date rolls around.
It came from the Blog: Love is in the Blog
Love is in the air and that means it's time for another It came from the Blog get-together: When: 5:30pm EST (2:30pm PST, 3:30pm realm time) Saturday, February 13 2010 (Show up at 5pm EST for the Meet and Greet) Where: Court of the Sun fountain, Silvermoon City Zangarmarsh U.S. Who: Any Horde character, any level. What: Love is in the Air daily quests. How: Ask Robinator, Robiness or any It came from the Blog Lurker or above for an invite to the guild. As you can see, we are also going to be having a pre-event mixer. Many of our bloggers will be showing up for a meet and greet a half an hour before the event. They will be chatting with readers and posing for photos to be posted on the site. So show up early if you wish to hangout with some of the WoW.com staff. If you have any questions about It came from the Blog, like why Horde or why U.S., please see our FAQ. We hope to see you there!
A whole mess of LittleBigPlanet Valentine's DLC coming this week
The world of LittleBigPlanet is scheduled to become a much more loving place this Thursday, when a few Valentine's Day-themed content packs arrive on the PlayStation Store. The PSP iteration of the game is getting a free costume (the one on the left in the above image), as well as the "Luvre Theme Pack," which adds four costumes and 15 romantically-inclined stickers for $2.99. The PS3 version of the game will see the return of last year's Valentine's Day Mini-Pack, which adds a Cupid costume and a few new materials and stickers to the game for $2.99. Oh, Media Molecule is also making the free Chinese New Year costume pack available until February 25. Just imagine: You can finally fuse Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year into the single, unstoppable uber-holiday they were meant to become.
TomTom Ease arrives in limited edition red for Valentine's Day
Funny that this special red edition of the TomTom Ease is actually beating the regular version to market, but hey, it's Valentine's Day. Nothing new here apart from the case color -- you're still looking at a 3.5-inch QVGA display, 2GB of internal memory preloaded with Tele-Atlas maps, Map Share / IQ Routes, an integrated battery, and a built-in Fold & Go mount. Amazon has the limited-edition red exclusively for $119 now, if you're ready to commit -- or you can wait and just be friends with the boring gray model, which should be out any day now.
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?
New seasonal vanity pet, the Toxic Wasteling
Vanity pet collectors, rejoice! The Crown Chemical Co. apothecaries not only drop some pretty nice necklaces, they're also the source of a new vanity pet, the Toxic Wasteling. You may think this looks a lot like the Disgusting Oozeling, but there's a major difference -- rather than a debuff applied to your character, the Wasteling is a hungry little guy. So hungry in fact, that he'll eat random critters, and as he does, he grows in size. Check out the video to see the Toxic Wasteling in action -- and for those pet collectors wondering about the Truesilver Shafted Arrow for the Perma-Peddle achievement, he's now available on holiday vendors for the low price of 40 Love Tokens.
Fool for Love just got easier
Love is in the Air on most servers by now, and players should notice a substantial change in the way the event is being run this year. No longer do you have to furtively log on each hour on the hour during the course of the event in the hopes that you'll get that candy bag with that ONE piece of candy you need for the Be Mine! achievement. The candy bag, as well as all other random rewards from previous years are available on vendors in each capital city, and purchased with Love Tokens. How do you get the tokens? Well, you certainly don't have to run around begging people to give you cards and building gifts. This year, the tokens are available through daily quests. Since it's the first day of the event, we may not have seen all of the possible dailies, but here's the rundown on two of them: Remember the Gifts of Adoration? This year, faction leaders are looking for jewelry. You can turn in a Lovely Charm Bracelet to the faction leader of your choice for a Lovely Card that will give you an hour long buff, and 5 Love Tokens. The method used to obtain these bracelets? Kwee will give you a Lovely Charm Collector's Kit with the following flavor text: "Pliers, bone saw, scalpel and sundry other tools allow for the collection of Lovely Charms from worthwhile enemies. Collect 10 charms to make a bracelet!" Yes, you read that correctly. You murder beasts and creatures in your level range, and hack Lovely Charms off of their corpses. I'm thinking I love this event already. Other ways to obtain Love Tokens include the daily quest "A Perfect Puff of Perfume," which requires you to hose down ten players or NPC's with perfume. Vendors and city guards will work just as well as other players, so don't worry about running out of people to spray. This quest will also earn you 5 tokens. The changes so far to the event make it much, much simpler to get that coveted Fool For Love meta achievement, and should provide a welcome change to players used to the same old grind from previous years. Check out the gallery below for the complete list of items available on the vendors, and stay tuned for more Love is in the Air info as it comes in! %Gallery-84863%
Loot is in the air
Love is already in the air on the European realms and MMO Champion has the details on the loot which drops from the three new Love is in the Air bosses. Three apothecaries have taken up shop in Shadowfang Keep: Baxter, Hummel and Frye. They'll be there for the duration of the holiday as daily quest bosses and following is a list of what they drop (mouseover for their stats): Winking Eye of Love Heartbreak Charm Shard of Pirouetting Happiness Sweet Perfume Broach Choker of the Pure Heart Forever-Lovely Rose Vile Fumigator's Mask Toxic Wasteling The Heartbreaker But the drop from Apothecary Hummel that I am most excited about is the Big Love Rocket Mount. It's pink, it has zhevra seats and a naughty, naughty name. Naughty. Stay tuned for more Love is in the Air info as it comes in.
Atlus lets you pick your special V-Day event in Demon's Souls
Atlus is an awfully empathetic company. It realizes that not everyone gets all sunshine and lollipops around the 14th of February -- in fact, some folks experience the opposite sensation: Darkness and ... salt-water taffy? We guess? With this dichotomy in mind, Atlus is allowing players to vote on the special event which will overtake its hard-as-hell RPG Demon's Souls on Valentine's Day -- will it be the easy-going White Tendency which appeared during the holiday season? Or the extra difficult Black Tendency which destroyed players on Halloween? Only you, and your either loving or jilted heart, can decide. %Gallery-34304%
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!
