It's trite and cliche, but also true -- the holidays are the optimal time to stop and remember that there are people less fortunate than you in the world. Charity drives step up in frequency and everyone looks for the spirit of the holiday, of giving gifts out of kindness and hope that others can share in your good fortune. That being said, it can help give an incentive for everyone if there's something more to be had than simply the warm fuzzy feeling. Real World Hero, a player-run charity drive, has teamed up with the community team in City of Heroes to provide a little extra incentive for players of the game to step up and do something super.

Running between November 30th and December 24th, players who include their character information when they donate will be eligible for a limited-time special gold title for their character, marking them as a generous soul. The event is not being officially sponsored by the company, but the support is certainly added incentive to take part. With Operation Gratitude, Donate Games, and the ever-popular Child's Play as the designated recipients, it's a good time for City of Heroes players to be a bit more heroic in their day-to-day lives and be known for it in-game to boot.

Everyone during Thanksgiving Day asks you what you're thankful for. It's a logical if somewhat bland question, given the nature of the holiday. But today, we here at Massively would like to celebrate something equally integral to the holiday -- stuffing yourself until you can no longer move under your own power. Today, we want to know what game you're going to be gorging yourself on today and with any further time off you get in the near future -- what you're going to just play until your eyes roll back in your head.

Really, what better way to celebrate a holiday where our biggest tradition is eating in excess? Perhaps you're going to enjoy some Allods Online in the closed beta, being lucky enough to be in the beta and enjoy a game that's getting some good press thus far. Maybe you'd prefer to wander the wastes of Fallen Earth and take in a full helping of niche gameplay and deep systems. Or perhaps you're just taking a spin through an old favorite like EVE Online and taking comfort in the familiar. When you have the time, what game are you devouring?

When I was still young, I was out on a walk with my father in the woods next to my great-aunt's house. The woods were an offshoot of the Devil's Hopyard state park, which meant that they were old and vast. As the family often congregated around the house, there were a number of paths we knew that wove their way through the forest, but I remember where we always stopped, and I remember the day when I asked what was further along.

My dad grinned, and we kept walking. It was about ten minutes from there to a beautiful, moss-covered waterfall that was right on the edge of the state park, with an alcove just large enough that I could squeeze underneath the falls. That sticks with me every time I start up a new game, because that was when I started to really wonder about where paths might lead. Everything leads somewhere. Finding things out is one of the things I love, probably what attracted me to video games in the first place.

The United Kingdom's Department for Transport has launched a free browser MMO, Code of Everand, that teaches traffic safety to children. It does so through a fantasy theme with direct parallels to real world dangers -- streets are Spirit Channels, glowing energy streams populated with many dangerous beasts. The Spirit Channels crisscross the map of Everand and make travel perilous. That's where the players come in as Pathfinders, explorers trained in the techniques that allow for safe passage across the Spirit Channels. Pathfinders learn important safety lessons along the way in their journey to discover the secrets of Everand.

Code of Everand was developed for the UK Department for Transport by NYC-based firm Area/Code over the course of two years, reports Game Set Watch. Area/Code has a long track record of creating cross-media games for advertising and media firms, television networks, and even major consumer brands. According to Area/Code's site, they've taken innovative approaches to games in the past -- "online games that respond to broadcast TV in real time, simulated characters and virtual worlds that occupy real-world geography" and "game events driven by real-world data". Interesting concepts. If you like the idea of games used as an effective educational tool, you can see the animated trailer for Code of Everand after the jump.

How would you like to take a trip into space? No, not the stylized science fiction that Star Trek Online promises, or the fantasy-with-spaceships of Star Wars: the Old Republic. We've heard the announcement about NASA's coming space MMO, Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond, but the game hasn't been making the rounds in the usual gaming circuit. An in-depth article about the game's development and planned release is interesting for any fans of the rigors and challenges of spaceflight, not mention a look at a game that's moving far outside the usual realm of our genre.

Much like America's Army, the goal of the game is to try and give players a taste of what it's like to actually work in the field being simulated. While the game is focusing on creating enjoyable gameplay first, players can expect to see landscapes and tasks grounded in solid scientific principles and based upon actual astronaut missions, complete with the real and tangible challenges of exploring inhospitable worlds. The article also discusses the MoonBase module, which is set to be launched as a free standalone component on Steam in January to serve as both a preview and a testbed for the game. Take a look at the full article for a closer examination of what the game could mean, and what it might be like to play a space game where you were less concerned about arming weapons and more concerned with understanding the world around you.

(Or, if you have to, start imagining an expansion set in the 1980s adding the Soviet space program as a new faction. Which is only slightly less realistic.)

Welcome to MMOrigins, a new weekly series here at Massively where we take a look at what makes us who we are as MMO gamers. Much in the style of our Redefining MMOs series, several members of the Massively team will have their chance to take a look back at their influences, favorite classic games and what got them to where they are today. Then, as we've done before, we'll ask you to compile your own blog posts on the same topic and we'll showcase it for the finale.

So I thought I would kick this new series off with my own influences and origins in gaming and what molded my current enjoyment of MMOs. As anyone who grew up in the 1980s might know, the dawn of personal computer video gaming was an exciting time. With inexpensive hardware such as the Atari 2600 and the Commodore 64 and 128, you didn't have to always get your mom to drive you to the arcade to play some good games.

As we are just now recovering from BlizzCon and GamesCom last week, we realize we're not even close to being through the summer convention season yet. DragonCon in Atlanta, GA and PAX in Seattle, WA both start next week, and you can bet there are more than a few of us at Massively who will be attending these major conferences.

At DragonCon specifically, the Massively staff will be in full force as four of us plan to attend in one form or another. Some of us will be speaking at panels, some of us will be doing interviews and one of us is even on the MMO Track planning staff. And then there are the parties! Want to party with us? Follow along after the jump to learn where we'll be and how you can get your hands on some Massively swag.

At Massively we must often report on declining subscription numbers and subsequent layoffs in the MMO industry, just as we do when the games we love are healthy and growing. When you look beyond the numbers though, such industry statistics are ultimately about people whose lives have been negatively impacted. They face uncertainty in their career and likely have tough times ahead.

Case in point: We've written about the Mythic Entertainment layoffs from the view of an outside observer of the MMO industry, but of course there's a side to this that only someone who's worked there can really convey. Some have a story they'd like to tell, like Jeremy Monken, former games reviewer for a D.C. newspaper turned Warhammer Online GM at Mythic Entertainment.

Have you ever stopped to consider the large percentage of gamers who are disabled? Do you think game developers consider this as well? In a recent article at MSNBC, the topic has been discussed as it pertains to the public's awareness of disabled gamers. "It doesn't take a whole lot," says Nissa Ludwig, a disabled gamer who was interviewed for the article. "I think if you save one life by changing an interface, you should get on that."

Mythic's Warhammer Online actually won an award last year for the AbleGamers.com 2008 Accessible Game of the Year for adding color-blind features, flexibility for those with mobile impairments and more. Mythic's Paul Barnett is sympathetic to the cause as he himself is color-blind, dyslexic and hearing-impaired. "Some people are, through no fault of their own, living a restricted physical life - on our world, you can fly, ride, get married, run, jump and swim," Barnett points out.

SOE has Fan Faire and WoW has BlizzCon, but could a convention centered around Lord of the Rings Online (or all Turbine games, for that matter) evoke enough interest? Many fans seem to think it's about time they had their own company- or game-specific con as a place to meet others who enjoy the work Turbine has done with LotRO, DDO and Asheron's Call. Perhaps the biggest advocate is a blogger by the name of the LotRO Follower, yet the original idea came from Moormur at the LotROCast podcast. Other members of the LotRO Blogging Collective have thrown in their own two cents, like The Middle-Earth Adventurer who makes the point that it doesn't have to start off large, as in time it will grow.

So as the general MMO-playing public, we'd be curious to hear what you have to say on this subject. Have the success of the other topic-specific cons shown that it can be done with others, or should Turbine fans just get together at other major cons like Dragon Con, PAX or GenCon?

What better people to sponsor a robotics competition than those making a futuristic sci-fi game? Hi-Rez Studios is exploring that opportunity at the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition national championships held at the Georgia Dome on April 17th and 18th. This competition is designed to help high-school-aged kids discover the fun of engineering and research. Hi-Rez Studios' sponsored team, called Team 1771: The Global Agenda Gamers of suburban Atlanta's North Gwinnett High School, are featuring a robot named The Black Widow which has taken highest honors at the South Carolina "Palmetto" Regional Event at Clemson University.

"Game development requires the same combination of creativity and engineering that is being demonstrated by these students", says Todd Harris, executive producer of Global Agenda, "It seemed particularly fitting to support Team 1771 in this highly competitive sport that, like our game Global Agenda, puts a strong emphasis on team work and use of advanced technology" The team's faculty advisor, Mike Reilly, expanded upon this point, "I feel that a partnership with Hi-Rez is inspirational to our students, and is a great example of return on investment to both the school and local industry."

Tokyo startup Genkii has released a new text communication app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, called Sparkle IM that allows messaging with Second Life (and opensim style) virtual environments. Essentially the application appears to be a lightweight viewer application not unlike SLeek (currently on hold, development-wise), AjaxLife, and similar, in that it essentially logs your avatar in, and gives you a non-graphical interface to communicate with others.

Genkii are also working on a lightweight graphical 3D environment for the iPhone, also part of the Sparkle umbrella brand, called (rather simply) Sparkle 3D, that may in future be integrated with other virtual environments.

Sparkle IM is priced variously, depending on where you are, but at about 4-5 dollars (for the special, introductory price) might be a little expensive compared to many of your existing apps.

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	Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.

Realtime Worlds, the folks behind GTA-inspired All Points Bulletin, have announced their intention to add 40 people to their team at this year's GDC in San Francisco. The Dundee, Scotland, based company is offering unique, year-long contracts to anyone they hire, so it's not technically a permanent gig, but in this economy, what is?

The contract package isn't all that shabby, either. According to a press release, new employees receive: "a competitive package, 12 month contract, Visa costs paid, return flights paid, free quality accommodation, free healthcare, paid overtime, and paid holiday."

Realtime sees this as a good time to scoop up talent on the outs. "Many companies have laid off large numbers of talented staff in recent months," said John Duthie, head of Realtime's HR department, "and we see GDC as a great chance to tap into that talent pool. With the economy the way it is, many people don't want to think about committing to a permanent move, so what we're offering is a number of contract positions for folk to come to Scotland, help us to a successful launch of APB, and then reassess their options when the economy is hopefully in better shape."

Talk of NASA's upcoming MMOG has been circulating since last year, but it wasn't until March 20 that the agency formally announced its plans for Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond. They're going to partner with developers Information Place, Virtual Heroes and Project Whitecard to create the virtual world, which NASA hopes will build interest in space exploration among students.

Financially, the game won't demand much taxpayer dollars; most money is coming from individual investors and sponsors, although NASA will be lending its experts to the game's development.

Virtual Worlds News has dissected the announcement further. No word from beloved space explorer Buzz Lightyear just yet, but we'll keep an eye out.

Sanya Weathers, a.k.a. Tweety, recently published a guide to breaking the news to your loved ones about your MMOG habit. She keeps her advice lighthearted throughout, but her tips are good ones.

For instance, here's how she disarms those who outright scoff at the hobby: "If the person you're talking to gets dismissive, keep your cool. Ask how much television they watch. Ask if television is active or passive. Ask how many people a television viewer is interacting with, or working with towards common goals."

Weathers has made her rounds in the MMOG industry before. She originally got her start at Mythic Entertainment after a blogging stint on the famed Lum the Mad MMOG rant site her rant site, as well as venerable rant site Corpnews.com. While she does freelance work, her current home is Eating Bees, where she blogs about community management issues.