Filed under: Events, real-world

Welcome to Massively's third year!

by Shawn Schuster Nov 2nd 2009 at 6:30PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, News items, Massively meta, Massively Event Coverage

Massively.com officially turns two years old today, and while that may be quite young for an MMO news site, we'd like to think we've really made a name for ourselves in that time. Starting out as the secret love child of Second Life Insider, WoW Insider (now WoW.com) and the rest of the Joystiq network, we've come a long way in our 730 days.

As we fondly reminisce about the good times we've had, we thought it would be best to not only compile our own favorite content, but also reach out to our readers for their own favorites. After all, without you, we would be nothing. Literally. No, seriously, we love you all. Even Graill and Mr. Angry!

So we reached out to our Twitter followers earlier today to grab a few opinions and combine them with our own. Follow along in the gallery below for our showcase of best content, and feel free to add your favorites in the comments below.

Gallery: Two years of Massively features

ArenaNet grants wish to heart transplant patient

by Rubi Bayer Nov 1st 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2

Emily is a high school junior diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, who is having a pretty good 2009 in spite of that. She received a heart transplant earlier this year, as well as a little pick-me-up from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Emily became a Guild Wars fan last year while waiting for her heart transplant and during her recovery afterward. She spent a lot of time in Tyria while living in the hospital.

Just last week Make-A-Wish arranged for Emily to travel to Seattle and visit the ArenaNet offices, making her the envy of a few million fans. She spent her morning touring the offices, meeting the staff, learning about what they do, and even meeting with the section heads to discuss her likes and dislikes about Guild Wars. After lunch, time to spend a few hours playing Guild Wars 2 with the ArenaNet team. That's right, Emily got an up close and personal look at the game, giving feedback and making suggestions from a fan's point of view. The best part came at the end: "They pulled us aside and asked if she could stay a couple of extra hours. They convened a group of their eight senior designers and Emily, and they asked Emily to help them design an "Event" for the game."

So when we finally get our hands on GW2, there will be a little something from Emily in there. Congratulations from Massively, Emily, and we wish you continued health.

Interplay's in-house lawyer corrects Fallout MMO injunction rumors

by Rubi Bayer Oct 30th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

Interplay and Bethesda are continuing to tussle in court over the proposed Fallout MMO, and you may have heard news earlier this week about Interplay's triumph over Bethesda in regards to a preliminary injunction. Well, don't get too excited just yet, because unfortunately it looks like reports got misinterpreted.

Interplay's in-house lawyer jumped in today to correct the rumors that have been flying around for the past few days at various Fallout fansites. Read what he had to say after the jump.

Gallery: Fallout MMO Concepts

City of Heroes: Going Rogue information revealed at Hero-Con

by Rubi Bayer Oct 29th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Events, real-world, Expansions

City of Heroes teased fans for most of October, promising big information on Going Rogue for those attending HeroCon, and they didn't disappoint. The welcome address last Saturday lived up to expectations in a big way. The community relations team presented nearly an hour of information, screenshots, and video covering the high points of Going Rogue.

They began with the all-important process of transforming your hero to a villain, or vice versa. Rather than pushing a button or purchasing the transformation from the store, players will be able to stay in character and experience the fall from grace or redemption of their character as they work through a series of moral missions.

New powersets (Demon Summoning and Dual Pistols), signature characters and enemy groups were introduced to the crowd, as well as some cool new costume pieces. An extensive look at Praetoria came in the form of a first look at the eye-popping graphics upgrade as well.

All of the exciting new information begs the big question: When? Going Rogue is aiming for a release in Q2 2010, with beta coming in five waves in early 2010. After seeing the information from Hero-Con, we're as excited as you are for this expansion and will be letting you know as soon as more specific information is available. For the time being, check out the City of Heroes forums for an extensive (and impressive) rundown of all the current Going Rogue information.

Extra Life raises over $150,000

by Rubi Bayer Oct 27th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, News items

A little over a week ago, we told you about Beau Turkey (from Spouse Aggro) and his participation in Extra Life, the gaming marathon created by Sarcastic Gamer and the Texas Children's Hospital to raise money for the Texas Children's Cancer Center. He easily achieved his goal of $192 -- raising $270 -- but he was one of many, many people who pitched in their time and money to help out. Thanks to Beau and all the others who helped out, Extra Life hit quite a milestone.

Yesterday they announced that they had raised over $150,000 -- an amount well over last year's total which will see 100% going to the Cancer center (Check out the header for a running total). Extra Life has designated this Saturday as "make up day," when participants can finish up their full 24 hours, if they couldn't make it before. Of course, the site will remain open for donations until then as well.

We applaud Beau, Sarcastic Gamer, and all of you who participated. Thank you!

Spread the word on Heroes of Bestia to play

by Eliot Lefebvre Oct 23rd 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, Forums, Launches, New titles, Free-to-play

IGG Inc., source of several free-to-play games, is gearing up for the alpha test of its upcoming browser-based RTS/RPG game Heroes of Bestia, and it's giving fans a chance to take part in the alpha. Certainly sounds exciting... but that reaction might cool a bit when it becomes clear that in order to get in on said alpha test, they want you to spam forums. The alpha test officially begins on October 26th, and in order to receive a pass into the game, "all you have to do is simply post a thread in another forum (except the IGG forums)." Make three posts, and you get your access.

To be fair, the offer specifically states that any posts violating the rules of the forum in question will be grounds for immediate disqualification, but this is still something of a dodgy advertising tactic. It's not exactly without precedent, however, and judging the entire game on those merits would be rather unfair, wouldn't it? Take a look at the official forums, and if it looks interesting, you still have some time to be eligible for your slot in the upcoming alpha test.

Hello Kitty officially middle-aged, celebrates in Hello Kitty Online

by James Egan Oct 23rd 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Free-to-play, Hello Kitty Online, Kids

She may have thrown out her back last week raking up hearts and stars in her back yard, but that's not going to stop Hello Kitty from celebrating her 35th birthday in Hello Kitty Online. Masters of all things cute and cuddly Sanrio Digital announced details of the virtual birthday party commemorating Hello Kitty's middle age milestone. Although Hello Kitty was born on the first of November, the festivities are already underway in Hello Kitty Online and will continue through the cultural icon's actual birthday.

HKO players can earn tokens by completing birthday quests and playing mini-games. Those tokens can be exchanged for limited edition birthday items in-game. Any players who unlock at least four of the limited edition items gain access to a November 1st birthday bash held in (HKO virtual) London. Those festivities aren't just for the players who rack up the most virtual swag, as birthday celebrations will also be held in game locales like Florapolis and Paris.

GameX coverage begins tomorrow!

by Seraphina Brennan Oct 22nd 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Massively Event Coverage

GameX, the Northeastern video game industry summit and expo, is starting tomorrow! As we said earlier this week, we'll be there, getting face time with guests, visiting Mythic Entertainment and Hi-Rez Studios, and getting you information on some of your favorite titles.

In addition to our coverage here on the site, we'll be updating our Twitter account with things we see at the expo and pictures! Now instead of running to us every five minutes for your Massively fix, you can get updates, pictures, and more from us in the form of tweets! If you're not currently following @massively, or if you're not on Twitter, now is the time to both sign up and add us to your follow list!

Hero-Con full schedule announced

by Rubi Bayer Oct 22nd 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Culture, Events, real-world

Hero-Con begins in just a few days, and it's time to start planning what you're going to do while you're there. The full event schedule, as well as a list of panels and workshops was released on the official site yesterday.

Fans can kick off the event Friday with Board Games and Bevs With the Devs, then enjoy the rest of the weekend as well: participate in the live mission event as well as the costume and trivia contests, get a sneak peek at Going Rogue, and do some shopping.

The panel and workshop schedule is guaranteed to force some tough choices. Everything is covered, from breaking into the industry to art design to game mechanics. On the lighter side, there are panels on player-run activities, a look at some Going Rogue characters, and several more that promise fun. Whatever your interest, Hero-Con seems to offer a panel for it.

If you've not purchased tickets yet, they are still available -- check the official site for more details.

Champions Online devchat Thursday: Blood Moon

by Rubi Bayer Oct 20th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, real-world, News items, Champions Online

There is a lot of excitement about the upcoming Blood Moon event in Champions Online, and we've seen enough information this month to make us very anxious for the 27th. We're about to get more, and this time it's all about what you want to know. This Thursday's Champions Online devchat will be all about Blood Moon: zombies and brains, werewolves and hunters.

The majority of the questions will be pulled from the devchat question thread in the forums, so if you've got one, that's the place to ask it. (As one forum poster pointed out, it wouldn't be the worst idea to check out the Blood Moon wiki first and see what's already been answered.) If your forum question doesn't get answered during the chat, you'll have a second chance when they open it up to questions from the audience at the end.

The devchat will be this Thursday (the 22nd) in their IRC chatroom at 4:30 PM PDT. Enjoy!

Massively.com jams at GameX in Philadelphia this weekend

by Seraphina Brennan Oct 19th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage

This weekend is GameX in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Massively.com is going to be on hand to grab some interviews with the members of the MMO community and perhaps a few more interviews from some notable non-MMO individuals as well.

Over the weekend, we'll be catching up with the two MMO companies in attendance -- Hi-Rez Studios and Mythic Entertainment. Hi-Rez will be showing off Global Agenda, continuing their convention tour around the US, and we'll be there to get our excited hands on the game for another round of futuristic shooting.

Mythic Entertainment will be bringing the WAR and the WAAGGGGH, showing off Warhammer Online to the unwashed masses. We'll be there as well, taking a look at all of the new changes that have come in Patch 1.3.2 and getting some talk time with the team.

So stay tuned for this weekend's coverage of the expo, including interviews, game coverage, photos, and more!

Hero-Con contests revealed

by Rubi Bayer Oct 18th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Contests, Culture, Events, real-world

With Hero-Con less than a week away, Paragon Studios and NCSoft look to be living up to their promise of a bigger and better Hero-Con this year. They've promised closed beta keys for the upcoming City of Heroes expansion Going Rogue to all attendees, and even created a mission arc in-game that ties into the convention. They've also been hinting at some great activities at the convention, and yesterday they gave us all the information we've been waiting for.

It's a fan convention near Halloween, so nobody should be surprised to hear there's a costume contest Saturday night after the banquet dinner. Five winners will be chosen, and they just ask that you leave any realistic (i.e. dangerous) weapons at home, and skip the costumes that are trademarked outside the CoH universe. There will also be trivia challenges running throughout the day on Saturday -- 30-minute qualifiers leading up to an on stage trivia competition between the six highest scoring qualifiers.

The big fun, however, looks to be the live mission. Teams of eight will compete in a series of missions to be the first to find the 10 keys of the M.A.G.I. vault. You and your team (make your own PUG joke here) can sign up at the registration area on Friday.

Good luck, have fun!

Blogger to play 24 hours of MMOs for charity

by Rubi Bayer Oct 17th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Video, Culture, Events, real-world, News items

Beau Turkey, the guy-half of the Spouse Aggro blog and podcast -- and a regular guest on our own Massively Speaking podcast -- is participating in a very special charity event all day today. The charity is called Extra Life, and it is a 24-hour gaming marathon with the slogan "Play games, heal kids", created to raise money for the Texas Children's Cancer Center.

Beau has chosen his games -- twelve games for two hours each -- and posted his list here. He's included in-game names and servers for each game to make it easier for those who'd like to join him. If you're more of a voyeur, Beau has been kind enough to set up live streaming video of the event as well. We're predicting that it's going to be pretty fun to watch, especially around hour eighteen or so, when he starts to lose feeling in his right hand.

Of course, it's good if you want to watch; better if you log in and play with Beau, and best if you donate. Beau's goal is a pretty reasonable $192.00, and you can help him reach it here. Good luck Beau, we think you're doing a great thing. Hope you have plenty of coffee on-hand!

EVE soundtrack performed by 16 string symphony orchestra

by James Egan Oct 13th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world

The "HTFU" video by CCP Games employees Permaband got all the attention around EVE Fanfest 2009, but there was something else a bit different that attendees of the annual player gathering were treated to -- a live performance of EVE Online's in-game music. The performance was given by DJ Margeir and his Symphony Orchestra; unlike the game soundtrack, some songs have accompanying vocals. It's a very different take on the familiar sounds many of us have been flying with for years in EVE.

CCP Games made the Fanfest performance available on YouTube, and we've got the video of this embedded for you after the jump.

Save the convention, save the world

by Seraphina Brennan Oct 9th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Culture, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, News items

Ok, so perhaps our title isn't as catchy as Heroes season one, but beyond that, there's still a convention (and a time stream) that needs your help!

City of Heroes has put up their Hero-Con mission arc, "How To Save A Convention," and they need well armed heroes to go and put a stop to a villain that threatens time itself! While this mission line will probably be a lot of fun for all City of Heroes players, it will have a particularly strong meaning for anyone attending Hero-Con this year. The mission line supposedly ties into the live mission that will be going on at the convention (and it also hints at a big announcement being made at Hero-Con this year), so pay close attention to all of the details presented!

If you're looking for the mission, you can find it stored with the many other missions at Architect Entertainment.