Filed under: Events, real-world

Star Trek Online team seeks world record

by Rubi Bayer Feb 4th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Events, real-world, Star Trek Online

Namco Bandai and Atari are helping Cryptic keep the hype machine for Star Trek Online at full throttle with this latest event: an attempt to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The team at Star Trek Online is pursuing the record for "largest gathering of people dressed as Star Trek characters", and of course, they want your help. Fans in the London area are asked to join dressed as anything Star Trek related. The gathering will take place on London's Millennium Bridge

Join other fans February 14th (bring your significant other -- it's romantic!) at 1.00pm on the bridge and prepare to be checked out by officials from Guinness to be sure everyone is dressed in full Trek regalia. Best dressed fans can win Star Trek Online prizes, including lifetime subscriptions.

Check out all the details on the event here, and if you attend, have a great time.

Warhammer 40k MMO to be fully revealed this summer

by Rubi Bayer Feb 4th 2010 at 10:30AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Warhammer 40k

Have you been looking forward to the Warhammer 40K MMO for what feels like forever? The people at THQ have been offering up small pieces of information since they announced the game a few years ago -- last April we finally got a release year of 2012, and just in December we were given some beautiful concept art.

Now we've been given even better news. THQ plans to "fully unveil" Warhammer 40K this summer at E3. The Electronic Entertainment Expo will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center this year, from June 15th-17th, and if you were thinking of attending, this is a very good reason to hop off the fence.

THQ has kept the game largely under wraps for now, but the developers are pretty excited. Team member Joe Madureira promises large scale combat, tons of customization, and great-looking characters.

June suddenly seems a lot farther away, but we'll keep a close eye out for more news on the game until then!

CCP Games 'PLEX Aid for Haiti' initiative to help Red Cross relief efforts

by James Egan Jan 29th 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry

The devastating January 12 earthquake which struck the Republic of Haiti claimed many lives, and has left even more people homeless. It's a terrible situation, but at the very least there are numerous aid efforts underway, and some companies in the MMO industry are finding ways to help as well. CCP Games now ranks among them, with their PLEX Aid for Haiti initiative. The company is offering a way for the EVE Online playerbase to get involved and help with donations.

Here is the message from Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, in its entirety:

AionSource.com compromised, e-mails possibly leaked to hackers

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 29th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Events, real-world, Exploits, News items

Yesterday we reported that a wide number of e-mail password phishing scams were being sent out to Aion users. Today, AionSource.com has sent out an e-mail announcement to all of their users that this new wave of scams may have been due to a hacking attack on their website.

Knite Shadowbane, administrator of AionSource, has posted that AionSource.com had been under hacker attack five days ago on the 24th of January. The staff has since cleared the attack and has proceeded to beef up their security, but today's e-mail to all AionSource members warns that their database could have been used for these phishing scams. So, if you are a member of AionSource, keep an eye out for any unusual e-mails coming your way.

Even if you aren't a member, always remember to check the source of any e-mails coming to you that request for you to "access your account" or "confirm your password" or require you to log into an unverified source.

Knite has also posted a handy guide to securing your account, such as changing your password and installing anti-virus software.

EVE Online spymaster The Mittani to present at GDC 2010

by James Egan Jan 25th 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Politics

EVE Online developer CCP Games typically has a presence at major industry events like the upcoming Game Developers Conference, but the session that's caught our attention so far isn't a presentation from the devs -- it's actually from a member of the EVE community. That GDC 2010 speaker is Alexander Gianturco -- better known to most EVE Online players as Goonswarm's spymaster, The Mittani. Others may know the infamous player as the "Sins of the Solar Spymaster" EVE columnist at Ten Ton Hammer. Gianturco will give a lecture at GDC 2010 titled "Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online" that will give an insider's perspective on the political machinations possible in the game's sandbox of New Eden.

His talk will hit on topics like the disbanding of the Band of Brothers alliance, how the espionage metagame has changed over time, and of course the myriad aspects of EVE's sandbox that allow players to even engage in such pursuits. The session description for Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online states that Gianturco's presentation should be of general interest to anyone with a love of spies and their stories.

The Daily Grind: Going out to pick up MAG tonight?

by Seraphina Brennan Jan 25th 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Consoles, MMOFPS, MAG

So today's the morning of the 25th, dear Massively readers, and that means tonight is the midnight release of MAG! The PS3 is going to get a little more MMO this evening as thousands of players log in for intense "I don't know where I got shot from" action with 256 players.

So, we'll make this short and sweet for you guys. Are you visiting the midnight release tonight to pick up your copy? If so, how early are you going to be there to take part in the "late night festivities?" Are you going to camp out at 10 PM or are you just going to show up 5 minutes before midnight? Bonus question: If you're getting MAG tonight, are you going to go home and spam it, or are you saving it for Tuesday?

Take your opinion, load it in your keyboard, and then fire it directly into the comment box below. We're waiting, maggots!

STO team to be at Star Trek Convention this weekend

by Rubi Bayer Jan 22nd 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

The 2010 San Francisco Star Trek Convention is going on this weekend, and tickets are still available at the door, so grab whatever version of the souvenir communicator badge you happen to have and head to the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The convention will have Patrick Stewart and William Shatner, sure, but that's not the really big news.

The Star Trek Online team will be in attendance, so keep an eye out for them on the show floor. Should you miss them there, just go to the Swig Bar near Union Square Saturday, where the team will be holding a meet and greet from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. For those two hours, they'll be hanging out with fans, talking about Star Trek Online and buying a drink for anyone in a Star Trek Uniform.

If you're in the area and a fan of STO, it'll be a fun way to spend a few hours Saturday evening -- have a great time!

Icarus Studios hosting Triangle Global Game Jam

by Rubi Bayer Jan 18th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Events, real-world, News items

Aspiring game developers in the Triangle have an exciting opportunity coming up. January 29-31 is the annual Global Game Jam, an event for participants to "band together to design one or more video games from scratch-from concept art to scripting to animating". At the end of the event, they will have designed one or more games from start to finish. (We know, they are probably not the most polished games ever to be created, but will serve as a great learning experience.)

While Global Game Jam is a worldwide event, Icarus Studios and Fallen Earth will be the hosts for the event in this particular region. The event begins at 4 p.m. January 29 and continues for 48 hours straight. Participants are invited to stay at the studios for the full 48 hours. The first Triangle Global Game Jam had over 20 developers and students participating, who created four games in the 48-hour period, so expect to be busy if you attend.

Hello Kitty Online's Food for Friends 2 event provides Haiti disaster relief

by James Egan Jan 18th 2010 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, Hello Kitty Online, Kids

One of the things that's different about Hello Kitty Online, beyond the pink hearts and stars motif, is that the game ties in with some great charitable causes. Now Sanrio Digital has announced the "Food for Friends 2" guild competition, an event that lets guilds compete for Loyalty Point prizes for use in the Hello Kitty Online item mall while helping people in the real world. Players from select regions (North America, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia) who participate in Food for Friends 2 will generate real money donations (from event sponsors) through their gameplay that will help disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

Food for Friends 2 runs from January 21-30 and getting involved is very simple. Players can log in and head on over to Hello Kitty Online's version of London to speak with an NPC named Cinnamaroll. He's collecting crafted consumable items for the needy. The more people from your guild who donate these items, the higher your guild's point standings increase.

Square-Enix announces VanaFest 2010

by Eliot Lefebvre Jan 16th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, real-world, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

With Final Fantasy XI entering its eighth year of operation and Final Fantasy XIV just around the corner, fans of Square-Enix have plenty to be excited about. But there's even more good news -- the company has just announced VanaFest 2010, the official fan gathering for the game, on February 28th in Tokyo.

The official announcement, mirrored on Pet Food Alpha, makes a strong point that there will be a great deal of information about upcoming job changes and game updates coming for Final Fantasy XI. It seems that even with its big brother on the horizon, Square is still committed to its older game, a welcome sight for many fans. There's also an undisclosed "special announcement" rumored to be coming at the convention.

Pet Food Alpha also has a few additional pieces of information. The tickets for the event will be free of charge, but will only be available to players with an active Japanese POL ID since December 2008. Attendees will be lucky enough to receive the pictured chocobo cap, while those unable to attend will have to be content with the new information coming out of the convention. With any luck, a similar event will be held for American and European players, but even just knowing that new facts are incoming for the game should be enough to get fans worked up.

Digital arts workshop to feature Guild Wars artists

by Rubi Bayer Jan 12th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Events, real-world, News items

Guild Wars fans and aspiring game art designers will be descending on Bellevue, WA at the end of the month to attend FUTUREPOLY's sold-out digital arts workshop.

FUTUREPOLY focuses specifically on video game development and offers a series of regular classes ranging in length from one to six months, but this is their first one-time workshop, and was obviously a big hit. The workshop will be five hours long, and feature demonstrations from the regular instructors, some of the top names in the field:

Daniel Dociu, Chief Art Director at NCsoft North America (currently focusing on Guild Wars 2.)
Jaime Jones, digital artist for titles such as Halo, Guild Wars, Wizards of the Coast and many more.
Kekai Kotaki, lead concept artist for Guild Wars 2.
Richard Anderson, ArenaNet artist for the past seven years, currently creating cinematic illustrations for Guild Wars 2
Matthew Barrett, creature and environment concept artist
Horia Dociu, cinematic director for Guild Wars 2.

The artists will present a start-to-finish demonstration of the creation process and discuss their technique. More information about the event as well as FUTUREPOLY's regular course schedules can be found here.

CES 2010: LEGO Universe unveils trailer full of zombie pirate awesome

by Krystalle Voecks Jan 9th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Screenshots, Trailers, Events, real-world, New titles, News items, LEGO Universe

As if the idea behind the LEGO Universe MMO wasn't already pretty awesome in our books, this shiny new trailer straight from the CES floor has cranked up the previous levels of awesome to 11. In the new launch trailer we're treated to zombie pirates, ninjas, characters building race cars in bullet-time, rockets, and all manner of other cool-looking LEGO craziness.

Along with the shiny new trailer, we've also managed to get our hands on a good number of screenshots that not only show off some of the environs that Netdevil have created, but shed some more light on how things will work inside LEGO Universe. According to what we've gleaned from the CES reports, the "LEGO brick lies at the center of the experience" so players will be able to use them for everything from completing simple building challenges to "sophisticated brick-by-brick building." Netdevil has also tapped a group of LEGOmaniacs called LUPs (LEGO Universe partners) to help them build imaginative content for the game.

We've got the trailer for you behind the break, and gathered up the screenshots into the gallery below. Either way you go, it looks like we're in for some seriously fun LEGO Universe adventures!

Gallery: CES 2010: Lego Universe screenshots

LEGO Universe to hold first public showing at CES

by Rubi Bayer Jan 6th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Events, real-world, New titles, Previews, LEGO Universe

When you think Vegas, what do you think of? Why, LEGO of course! Wait, you don't? What do you think of when you think of...you know what? Never mind.

At any rate, CES 2010 begins in Las Vegas this Thursday, and LEGO Universe will be on hand to show fans how the game is progressing. Fans awaiting this fun MMO will find plenty at CES that is being offered for the first time: hands-on demos, the debut game trailer, and of course the always coveted beta sign ups.

The game is planned for launch in the second half of 2010, so this is probably the first of many previews we'll see in the next few months. If you're in the area and a LEGO fan, you'll definitely want to head to the Las Vegas Convention Center and take a firsthand look at what LEGO Universe has been up to. CES 2010 is scheduled to run from January 7th-10th.

Avatar: Why does this movie look so familiar?

by Rubi Bayer Jan 4th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events, real-world

If you're one of the few people who has not heard the buzz about Avatar yet, we'll catch you up by saying that the film's beauty is all anyone can talk about. MMO players discussing the movie will follow that observation up almost immediately with "...and did you notice how much it looks like [insert game of choice here]?"

Quite a few comparisons have been drawn, with World of Warcraft and Guild Wars being the two most frequently mentioned. Film and music review site In Review Online was quick to point out that James Cameron is a big fan of WoW, and Guild Wars fans noticed the similarities as soon as trailers showed up way back in August.

So James Cameron is stealing all of his ideas from MMOs, right? Of course not. Magically floating rocks, mountains in the distance, and lush, green landscaping have been a part of the fantasy genre for some time now, and anyone involved in a creative process is bound to be influenced by the things encountered in daily life.

While (we hope) nobody seriously thinks that Cameron looked at a game load screen and said "Yeah, I'll use that," there is certainly a strong influence there. Whether he was influenced by games or everyone has the same general underlying theme of a fantasy world is anyone's guess. In the end, we'll just enjoy the movie and its strange sense of familiarity.

Win an Alienware laptop in the Cities XL photography competition

by James Egan Dec 31st 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Contests, Events, real-world, Cities XL

Photography enthusiasts who'd like to get their hands on an Alienware M15x laptop will want to take note of the latest Cities XL contest -- "Aim, Shoot... Win!". Cities XL developer Monte Cristo writes: "Since the city is at the very heart of CitiesXL, this competition will allow you to immortalize yours by submitting photos to our jury in one of the following categories:

Most beautiful photo
Best Christmas photo"

Those competition submissions should be photos of actual cities, not screenshots captured in Cities XL. If you've got a nice shot that would fit into either of those categories, check out the contest rules and head on over to the "Aim, Shoot... Win!" announcement and submission form for your shot at winning the laptop, plus other prizes Monte Cristo has on offer. (Those prizes include Kodak cameras, Nvidia GTX 260 video cards, Novotel gift vouchers, and copies of Cities XL Limited Edition.)

The submission deadline is 23:59 (Paris time) on January 17, 2010.