MMO Site Stealing Content: So there is a new MMO site on the net reporting news, previews and reviews for MMO Games, aptly named MMOSite. They claim to be the number one site on the net for all things MMO Gaming, and are succeeding by taking the unique content for previews and reviews which belong to other sites. Copyright Infringement. Yes, MMOSite is ganking content from this site, Gamespot, Gameinatrix, IGN, MMORPG, Warcry and a host of others and reprinting it as their own. They even say they are partnered with game companies as Flying Labs, Mythic, NCsoft, NPCube, OnNet, Planetwide, TQ Digital, and Turbine. Great way to make a move into the market. Use everyone elses content and get advertising dollars from the companies you are catering too. Edit: Our content has since been removed after sending an email to their "cooperation@mmosite.com" address. Posted October 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Chronicles of Spellborn Beta Test: Spellborn International announces that they are accepting beta applications Chronicles of Spellborn thier upcoming MMO Game: We will be moving into the Beta testing with a limited number of applicants, and growing our testing base gradually over time. In Q1 2006 we plan to hold a large-scale open beta/stress test period in which the majority of applicants will be able to take part in testing. The company is also creating a series of stories that will introduce the public to the world of Spellborn. I've pasted below the introduction that accompanies the beta test. Sign Up Now. Posted October 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Mythic Ranked Top 90: Mythic (Dark Age of Camelot) was ranked 90 in the "Fastest Growing Technology Company in North America on the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500" lists. Mythic Entertainment, developer and publisher of the massively-multiplayer online role-playing game “Dark Age of Camelot,” today announced that it ranked Number 90 on the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over five years, from 2000-2004. This is the 4th consecutive year in which Mythic has been named to the Technology Fast 50. Mythic Entertainment’s CEO, Mark Jacobs, credits the continued worldwide success of “Dark Age of Camelot” and a company-wide commitment to customer service with the 2,690 percent revenue growth over the past five years. He said, "At Mythic Entertainment, we constantly strive to improve our customers’ experience with ‘Dark Age of Camelot,’ and it results in dedicated fans. As an organization, we truly care about the product and the players, and we remain dedicated to the growth and prosperity of our flagship title.” "Making the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 is commendable in today’s highly competitive technology industry," said Tony Kern, deputy national managing principal of Deloitte’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications industry practice. "We congratulate Mythic Entertainment on being one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America." Mythic Entertainment previously ranked 106 on the 2004 Deloitte Technology Fast 500. In addition to ranking on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Mythic Entertainment ranked six on the Virginia Technology Fast 50, which is a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology firms Virginia. Congrats! Posted October 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Gods & Heroes Delayed: Perpetual announced this week that heir roman-themed MMO game, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising has been dealyed. From the announcment: The main questions I want to address today are the dates. Many of you have noticed the incorrect dates in our FAQ, which have admittedly come and gone in most cases. We are currently working with our publisher (TBA) on determining the appropriate timing for launching Gods and Heroes. Because these discussions are still ongoing we will not be shipping this calendar year, which allows us to make the game bigger and better. Also, over the next few months we will be making an official announcement regarding our new publisher, launching the new website, giving you new screenshots, new movies, and other exciting information on the game. Since this was going to be their first MMO game, and most likely their test board for Star Trek Online, expect STO to also be delayed. All MMO's get delayed. Too much vision, not enough project management. Posted October 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Weekend Box Office: Without a doubt the movie to see this weekend is DOOM. Yes, it's probably going to suck, but it will take and probably hold the number one spot for the next two weeks. DOOM - Action/Adventure - Rated R - Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Ben Daniels, Razaaq Adoti Something has gone wrong at a remote scientific research station on Mars. All research has ceased. Communication has failed. And the messages that do get through are less than comforting. It's a level 5 quarantine, and the only souls allowed in or out are the Rapid Response Tactical Squad - hardened Marines armed to the teeth with enough firepower to neutralize any enemy...or so they think. The research being done at Olduvai station has unwittingly opened a door, and all hell has broken loose. A legion of nightmarish creatures of unknown origin lurks behind every wall and stalks the countless rooms and tunnels of the facility, killing what few people remain. Sealing off the portal to Earth, Sarge, Reaper and their team must use every weapon at their disposal - and some they find along the way - to carry out their orders: nothing gets out alive. It's The Rock in it, and on a game. Then there is Dreamer, North Country and Stay (Sci-Fi), so not much for it to contened with after all. Posted October 21 2005 by Div Devlin

14 Companies Recruting At AGC: So... I was to become an IBM'er, but alas my entire group which is being outsourced to IBM, including myself have been given our termination dates, so it comes as a good thing that next week at the Austin Game Conference 14 companies will be recruiting if you wanted a job in the game industry: The video game industry is on fire as companies continue to hire at a rapid pace. A record 14 game companies are recruiting at this year's Austin Game Conference next week on October 27-28, 2005 in Austin, Texas. For individuals interested in advancing their career in the game industry, this is the place to go to talk to companies such as: Microsoft Game Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, Electronic Arts (EA), Midway, Ubisoft, THQ, Radical Entertainment, Activision, High Voltage Software, BioWare, Perpetual Entertainment, Multimedia Games, Flagship Studios, Emergent Game Technologies and others. If you are into MMO Games, AGC is the place to be. Posted October 20 2005 by Div Devlin

CoV Goes Gold: NCsoft announces that City of Villains, the standalone addition to City of Heroes has gone gold! NCsoft(R) North America announces that City of Villains(TM) has reached gold master status and will appear on retailers' shelves in North America at the end of the month. NCsoft also confirmed that customers who purchased and registered their City of Villains pre-order boxes will receive a two-day head start for game play. City of Villains, a stand-alone sequel to last year's hit, City of Heroes(R), is expected to be released on Oct. 31, with a subscription price of $14.99 per month. The two-day head start will begin after 12 a.m. EST on Oct. 29. Purchasers of the City of Villains pre-order box, which is currently available at retailers across North America, have been invited into the City of Villains beta test and may participate in the head-start. Existing City of Heroes' customers can purchase City of Villains and subscribe to both games for the single subscription price of $14.99. Both games were developed by Cryptic Studios(TM). "City of Heroes was a big hit for NCsoft last year and our retail partners anticipate City of Villains to be one of the top PC games of the holiday season," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "I also know that our customers are happy about our single subscription rate for both games, which makes it a tremendous value as well." In City of Villains, players will be able to take on villainous personas, customizing villain costumes and building bases for their super-powered groups. Additionally, the game has a variety of graphical and technological improvements and provides players a huge set of criminal missions and events within the Rogue Isles(TM). City of Villains will also include the ability to fight against player controlled heroes and villains within special designated zones. City of Villains will hit retail shelves with an anticipated price of $49.99 for its standard edition and $79.99 for the feature-packed collector's DVD edition. Get your dead on! Heroes and Villains collide in this super-powered PvP matchup! Ignore the grind. Posted October 20 2005 by Div Devlin

PotBS Heads To Russia: Flying Lab Software announced that their priate themed naval game, Pirates of the Burning Sea, is sailing to Russia under a publishing agreement with Akella under the title "Corsairs Online." Under the terms of the agreement, Akella obtained the exclusive publishing rights for the Russian Federation and CIS territories. Akella will release Flying Lab’s game Pirates of the Burning Sea under the title Corsairs Online in 2006, tying it to Akella’s Corsairs brand, well known throughout Russia. The agreement covers the complete Russian localization, the launch of localized game servers and further support by Akella for the territory. "We have worked with Akella from the start of the project," noted Flying Lab Executive Producer Russell Williams. "Their artists have modeled all of our gorgeous ships, drawing on their extensive nautical experience with titles like Pirates of the Caribbean and Sea Dogs. We're very pleased to be working with them now as our Russian publisher." Since 1993, Akella has led the Russian entertainment software industry as both developer and publisher with a particular emphasis on sailing games. Their forthcoming titles include Captain Blood, Age of Pirates, PT Boats: Knights of the Sea, and Swashbucklers: Blue & Grey. "The massive multiplayer games market in Russia is on the verge of explosive growth," said Andrey Batanoff, leader of Akella Online, Akella's online gaming branch, "and we’re constantly looking for the best MMORPG’s to deliver to Russian gamers. Pirates of the Burning Sea is a perfect example." Being an indie is hard, this will pump more cash into development of Pirates of the Burning Sea, which means an even better game! Posted October 20 2005 by Div Devlin

RF Online Wallpaper: Codemasters announces that they have released their second wallpaper pack for their upcoming import RF Online themed toward the Bellato Faction, with a promise of more to come next week prior to their trip to the London Expo. You can grab that wall paper here. Posted October 20 2005 by Div Devlin

UO: The 8th Age Ships! EA announces the launch of Ultima Online: The Eighth Age which is now hitting store shelves. Experience the ground-breaking game that launched the massively multiplayer RPG genre and continues to thrive with thousands of devoted followers around the world. In Ultima Online™: The 8th Age, join a gigantic online community and enter a world teeming with adventure. Discover distant locales, battle fierce creatures, and befriend fellow travelers. You can even design, build, and decorate your very own house within the living world of the game. With the original Ultima Online, the first six expansion packs at your fingertips, and a wealth of bonuses including an advanced character and a 45-day free trial, Ultima Online: The 8th Age is the best way to discover-or re-discover the world of Ultima Online. Check out the contents if interested in Ultima Online. Posted October 20 2005 by Div Devlin

CoV NDA Removed: That pesky non-disclosure agreement for City of Villains from Cryptic Studio's has been removed, now bad guys everywhere can discuss how they are going to overthrow the City of Heroes. We have met internal milestones and are pleased to announce today that the City of Villains Non-Disclosure Agreement has officially been lifted. This means that you are free to talk about the game with others (in person, in chats, on message boards, etc) and also to share screenshots. These activities are now allowed. Keep in mind that our EULA and rules of conduct still apply. PLEASE NOTE: While the NDA has been lifted, it is important to remember that even though you can now talk about the game anywhere, as a beta tester, it should still be your first priority to play the game and provide feedback on the Beta Message Board. Ok, so maybe it won't turn out that way, but the game can now be discussed. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC 10 Day Return: Mythic announced that in celebration of their "Darkness Rising" expansion for Dark Age of Camelot they are allowing past subscribers a 10 Day Return Trial to check out all the improvements made to the game: Heed the call of your king and return to your Realm! A new evil is rising and your skills are in need. Your character awaits and we've made it easy for you to get back into the battle. Just log into the game before October 24th using your original user name and password, reactivate your account and visit the Account Info > Expansion Status screen to see what new content you're missing. My daughter and I returned and we were completely lost, it was fun. Check it out if you have not been in recently. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Blitz: The League Debuts! A controversial new video football game called "Blitz: The League" debuts today. It lets players attack and maim opponents, take drugs to keep playing while injured and send virtual hookers to their opponents' hotels to tire them out. It is not approved by the NFL. This is an entirely fictional league where the players behave better, making it true that video games just keep getting more and more realistic. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Irth Online Pre-Launch Offer: MagicHat Software has announced a pre-launch offer effective October 15 through October 31, 2005 for thier upcoming game Irth Online which launches on November 1, 2005. The Pre-Launch Special Offer allows gamers to purchase Irth Online for $19.95, a 33% discount off the at-launch price of $29.95. The pre-order subscription fee will be $9.95 per month for the first six months, representing a 30% savings over the at-launch fee of $13.95 per month. Pre-Launch Special Offer orders may be placed online only at www.irthonline.com which explains the ordering procedure and payment options. Pre-orders must be placed online after 12:01 AM (EDT) on Saturday, October 15, and before 11:59 PM (EST) on October 31, 2005, the day before the launch. The Pre-Launch Special Offer allows customers to access the full game at 3:00 PM (EDT) on Sunday, October 30, 2005, two days before the official launch. All pre-launch offers cease as of November 1, 2005, and the title will be available only at the $29.95 price, and the monthly subscription fee will be $13.95. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Box Office Smash! Over the weekend I did go check out Domino and it was a shameful movie. Mickey Rourke rocked, and Christopher Walken was awesome. Kiera Knightley's lap dance was no where as good as Jessica Alba's grind in Sin City. I'm also told Kiera had a butt double. Blah. Top movies were: 1. "The Fog," $12.2 million. 2. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," $11.7 million. 3. "Elizabethtown," $11 million. 4. "Flightplan," $6.5 million. 5. "In Her Shoes," $6.1 million. 6. "Domino," $4.7 million. 7. "Two for the Money," $4.6 million. 8. "A History of Violence," $3.6 million. 9. "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," $3.5 million. 10. "The Gospel," $3.2 million. Friday, the James Bond movie producers confirmed that blond actor Daniel Craig will be the new 007. A leaked memo from the producers revealed that he was picked because Ewan McGregor was "too short," Eric Bana "not handsome enough," Colin Farrell "too sleazy" and Hugh Jackman "too fey." Any one of them could play a Bond villain, though. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

RF Online Website Live: Codemasters has released the live website for their import game RF Online with a new web address which will be easier to remember, www.rf-onlinegame.com. The snazzy new site has news, game play info, history, screenshots and all the relevant information for those interested in learning more about this sci-fi MECH style MMO. They are also holding a competition to win a pair of tickets to the London MCM Expo for theOctober 29th or 30th October 2005. All you need to do to win these tickets is submit a piece of fan artwork designed by yourself. Theme it in the style of RF Online and then email it to the competition email address below. Check it. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW @ USD29.99: If you have yet to play World of Warcraft you may want to begin making your way to local stores and pick up a copy before the first expansion hits and begin the quick grind to level 50 as prices have dropped to $29.99US. With an expansion on the way and BlizzCon in just two weeks, expect many game changes and balance issues, and what-ever else could occur to go wrong. Murphy's Law and all. I was at a local Best Buy on Saturday and people were pulling Game Card boxes two at a time. Posted October 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Retail Game Reaction Statement: The IEMA has released a reaction statment regarding the announcement from Gov. Arnie earlier this week signing the Game Bill. "We were disappointed that Governor Schwarzenegger signed A.B. 1179 into law. Given his tireless speeches about taking the politics out of lawmaking and prohibiting government waste of valuable taxpayer dollars, this decision seems counter to that message. It is clear that this course will lead only to this law, like all previous efforts to alter the First Amendment regarding violent video games, being overturned - yielding no significant change and squandering much-needed resources. IEMA retailers are already voluntarily committed to inhibiting the sale of Mature-rated games, not unlike the successful self-regulatory efforts of the motion picture business. We would have hoped that legislators would work proactively with the industry to help educate parents about the ratings system, and are disheartened to learn that this politicization of the issue is instead becoming an opportunistic trend. We remain supportive of the ESRB and stand ready to aid the ESA in their lawsuits, as we have done in the past." -Hal Halpin, president, IEMASo it goes. Posted October 14 2005 by Div Devlin

Mythic Ranked Sixth: Mythic Entertainment, makers of Dark Age of Camelot were ranked Number Six on Deloitte’s prestigious 2005 Technology Fast 50 for Virginia, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the area by Deloitte & Touche LLP, one of the nation’s leading professional services organizations. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over five years from 2000-2004. This is the 4th consecutive year in which Mythic has been named to the Technology Fast 50. Mythic Entertainment’s CEO, Mark Jacobs, credits the continued world wide success of Dark Age of Camelot and company’s focus on developing new content to continually expand its virtual world with the 2,690 percent revenue growth from 2000–2004. He said, “At Mythic Entertainment, we remain dedicated to the growth and prosperity of our flagship title. We take pride in being a world wide leader in online gaming and strive to provide our fantastic fan base with new and challenging experiences within Dark Age of Camelot.” Mythic Entertainment previously ranked sixth on Deloitte’s 2004 Technology Fast 50 for the area. The average increase in revenues among companies who made the 2005 Technology Fast 50 for Virginia was 1,527.95 percent. For more information on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 or Technology Fast 500 programs, visit www.fast500.com. Posted October 14 2005 by Div Devlin

MGE Extreme PC Makeover" MGE announced they are going to give gamers an "Extreme PC Makeover" with thier Free XG Extreme Mod Kit Promotion: MGE Company, an innovator of high-quality computer accessories, power supplies, and cases for high-end PC systems, announced it is helping gamers give their PCs an "extreme makeover" with a new promotion offering its XG Extreme Mod kit for free -- a $39.95 retail value -- with the purchase of any MGE PC case or external power supply. From now until December 31, 2005, gamers can take advantage of this free mod kit promotion that will be offered online and in stores through retailers including CompUSA, Fry's, and Microcenter. The Extreme Mod Kit includes the following: * UV 12-inch Neon Cold Cathode Light * LED Lighted 80mm Silent Performance Fan * UV Laser Beam * UV Laser LED Light * Fan Grill * SATA Cable To redeem their free mod kit, gamers must download a form from the XG web site at www.xgbox.com, attach their online or store receipt, include original UPC barcode and send it to MGE Company. For more information on the XG Extreme Mod Kit promotion, please visit www.xgbox.com. Posted October 14 2005 by Div Devlin

Weekend Box Office: Without a doubt the movie to see this weekend is Domino, where Kiera Knightley blows stuff up. From director Tony Scott and inspired by a real-life story, Keira Knightley stars as Domino Harvey, who rejected her privileged Beverly Hills lifestyle as the daughter of a famous actor (Lawrence Harvey) and a Ford agency model to become a bounty hunter in pursuit of society's nastiest criminals. The film features a diverse supporting cast including Lucy Liu, Christopher Walken, Mena Suvari, Mickey Rourke, Jacqueline Bisset and Delroy Lindo. Then go sneak into The Fog. Posted October 14 2005 by Div Devlin

VSoH Screenshots: The folks with the big hammer at TenTon Hammer let us know they have two ex-ex-exclusive screenshots which they have posted up from/for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes posted on their Vanguard site. The screenshots feature solo and party combat. Posted October 14 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Screens: NetDevil released to us three new exclusive screens for thier upcoming game Auto Assault. The screens are a continuing part in a series of vehicle shots we first showcased in our preview of the game. The latest three cover the Biomek Constructor, Human Commando, and Mutant Avenger rides with level requirements to access them within game for each race. Check them in our gallery. Posted October 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Ballerium Invites More: Majorem announced that Ballerium is looking to expand their beta adding 1000 new players into game. Ballerium is a massively multiplayer RTS game, developed by Majorem and released as Free Beta due to stopage in normal operations, following the cancellation of the Interplay publishing deal. To jump into beta, fill out this handy-dandy application. Posted October 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Mythic Entertains: Mythic Entertainment is celebrating 10 years of being a game developer, and celebrating the four year anniversary of the release of Dark Age of Camelot with their newest release of Darkness Rising, the sixth expansion pack for the game available both as a stand alone product via Mythic’s new integrated digital distribution system and as part of the new “Dark Age of Camelot: Epic Edition” which went retail yesterday as the expansion went live. Throughout October, Mythic will be celebrating with in-game events and a prize drawing for the “10-4-10” celebration, 10 days of drawings featuring Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer (R) prizes. "We’ve come a long way in the 10 years since we founded the company," said Mark Jacobs, president and CEO of Mythic Entertainment. "As one of the earliest pioneers in online gaming we have been part of and important to the birth and amazing growth of this industry. It has been a very difficult and long road but we’ve succeeded when others failed and that success comes from having a great partnership between Rob and myself, a talented and dedicated team, great partners and a willingness to risk everything in order to succeed." For a brief history of the company including product logos, photographs of the team over the years and screen shots of the early works of Mythic Entertainment visit thier official history page. Jump into the contests by checking out their 10-4-10 page also. Posted October 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Geeks Unite For D&D Day: Geeks everywhere have cause to celebrate worldwide this Novemeber 5th for Dungeons and Dragons Game Day! Geek is chic -- and what could be more chic than a global party celebrating the popularity of counter-culture icon DUNGEONS & DRAGONS? On Saturday, November 5, 2005, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), will sponsor WORLDWIDE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GAME DAY in hundreds of select hobby and toy stores around the globe. Experienced players and newcomers will gather during this 24-hour period to flex their imaginations and have fun playing the classic roleplaying game DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Last year more than 25,000 gamers came out to play D&D® on Game Day, and this year Wizards of the Coast anticipates an even greater turnout. "We experienced an overwhelming turnout for Worldwide D&D Game Day in 2004, thanks to the loyalty of our fans and their dedication to the game," said Charles Ryan, Brand Manager for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS at Wizards of the Coast. "The ranks of D&D players continue to swell, and we’re expecting this year’s Game Day to be the biggest and most exciting event in the game’s 31-year history." Participating game stores around the world listed at www.dndgameday.com will present adventures packed with fiendish monsters to slay, diabolical traps to overcome, and heroic stories to be boasted. Players can bring a band of friends to adventure with or plan to meet some new gaming buddies. Players can also earn points when they sign up for D&D Rewards™ and the Roleplaying Game Association (RPGA). Additionally, while supplies last, each player will receive a free Worldwide D&D Game Day souvenir to add to their treasure trove. Souvenirs include D&D® Miniatures and a special D&D Campaign Card. Players will need to bring a pen or pencil, paper and a set of dice that includes 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20-sided dice. In mid-October, Wizards of the Coast will post a list of participating retail locations online at www.dndgameday.com. Please contact the event organizer at specific locations for start times, directions, or other participation requirements. No word from Camp Turbine on how they will particiapte with Dungeons and Dragons Online. Posted October 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Required Reading: The latest and greatest by Jordon went on sale ysterday, grab yourself book 11 in the Wheel of Time series with "Knife of Dreams" Only 12 books in the series as he claimed, and we feel like we've been waiting every three years for the newest one to release, so grab it, as you know you will not put it down. Also, check out the latest issue of Escapist Magazine as the take a long look at the history of EA (Electronic Arts): Founded in 1982 as an independent publisher devoted to the interests of "electronic artists," EA has transformed itself into a $3 billion behemoth, and the game industry has transformed with it. Issue 14 of The Escapist (www.escapistmagazine.com) is devoted to this most powerful of all gaming publishers, exploring everything from its idealistic roots to its greatest hits to its darkest decisions. In "The Conquest of Origin," columnist Allen Varney, with the help of Richard Garriott, Warren Spector, and others, shows how EA's acquisition of Origin led to the destruction of one of gaming's most beloved studios. In "Setting the Stage," Jason Smith looks back to a time when computer games were sold in plastic bags, and Trip Hawkins was a young entrepreneur with a vision of treating game developers like rock stars. In "Unrisky Business," Mark Wallace argues that EA has the power to make gaming a cultural phenomenon, if its quest for blockbuster hits doesn't destroy it first. Two great reads in one day! Posted October 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Columbus and Thanksgiving Day: Shoutouts to everyone celebrating a holiday today! On this day in history, Christoper Columbus asked this historic question, "Eh, Where in the hell our we?" And for all the turkey's north of the border in Canada, Happy Thanksgiving! Tune into RGR for more news as we celebrate Columbus Day with your chance to win one of 25 beta accounts for Auto Assault! Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

iHollywood Job Opening: iHollywood based in Los Angeles, announced they have a job opening for an Editorial Director to cover a business, tech journalist or analyst. The Editorial director will draft agendas for our conferences; develop topics for sessions; interview and recommend speakers; moderate at conferences; and write a weekly email newsletter. The job involves Internet and phone research; interviewing industry leaders; developing session topics for business conferences; writing research briefs on industry trends for newsletters; and commenting on breaking news on our blog site. The ideal candidate has knowledge of some of these areas in regard to business issues facing the entertainment and technology industry: consumer electronics; new media; digital entertainment; entertainment business; IPTV and Triple Play Services; Cable and television business; Broadband and Internet business; venture capital; digital music; digital media; mobile and wireless; Telecom; Voice over IP, entertainment marketing. They prefer that the person works in the Los Angeles office, but will consider a qualified person who telecommutes from another city. Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Novel Released: The first City of Heroes novel has been released titled "Web of Arachnos." Set in the 1930, Web of Arachnos, explores the details of Statesman and his origin, the beginning of Freedom Phalanx, and how Paragon City suffered from the Great Depression. Web of Arachnos has cover artwork by George Perez and was written by Robert Weinberg. It retails for $6.99 US/9.99 CAN and can be found at most bookstores Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Cali. Gov. Signs Game Bill: Arnold Schwarzenegger former Hollywood star, currently playing in the star role as California Governor on Friday joined a growing movement of parents and legislators across the nation by signing into law a bill restricting the sale and rental of ultra-violent video games to minors. California AB 1179, which was authored by Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/Daly City) and supported by Common Sense Media, will go into effect on January 1, 2006. "We applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for signing this landmark legislation," said James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media. "Even though he's a major figure in the entertainment industry, he's a father first. In that role, the Governor understands that ultra-violent and sexually violent media content is harmful to kids' development." In signing the bill, Schwarzenegger joined governors Rod Blagojevich of Illinois and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, who recently signed similar legislation in their states, in addressing the serious public health threat posed by minors' use of violent video games. Studies have consistently found that minors who play such games are likely to become desensitized to violence, less empathetic toward others, and more aggressive. Common Sense Media worked closely with leading constitutional scholars on the drafting of AB 1179, and is currently working with legislators from across the country to support bills like the one passed in California. Lawmakers in seven other states and the District of Columbia are considering similar bills that would keep violent games away from children. "Graphic and sexually-charged media violence needs to be seen for what it is -- a threat as dangerous to our kids as tobacco use or underage drinking," Steyer said. "At Common Sense, we believe in sanity, not censorship. And it is eminently sane to change the way violent games are marketed and sold to kids. It's only common sense to keep our kids safe from the proven effects of video violence." So, do you think parents will actually take an active interest in the games they are allowing their children to play, since in most cases they pay for them? Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Horizons Military Issues: Military type folks are pretty pissed at Tulga Games which was offering a "Military Appreciation Program" within Horizons in which those in the Armed Services were being issued an additional game key so they could communicate and interact with those they are away from, however the program ran into snags: The promotion program provided an extra CD key which allows an extra concurrent login, but did not provide an extra 5 character slots. Plans are in place to have fixed on Tuesday after maintenance. Don't piss off the Armed Forces! Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Irth Online Release Date: Magic Hat Software has announced their release date for Irth Online as November first (of this year!), along with their pricing strategy: "Our November 1st release date is firm," says Alan Chipura, Lead Game Designer. "The many suggestions provided by our avid and loyal Beta testers were so valuable that we absolutely had to incorporate them, even though it caused a slight delay in the launch date to November 1st." At launch, Irth Online will be priced at $29.95 and the monthly subscription fee will be $13.95. Discounted pricing will be available in a Pre-Launch Special Offer to be announced in a few days. Irth Online will only be available for purchase online. "Two years ago, in the early stages of development, we made the decision to distribute exclusively online and haven't pursued any publishing deals," says Mr. Chipura. "It made more economic sense for us to self-publish." Speculation about the release date has been a hot topic around the web with rumors of recent departures from MHS. Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Box Office Smash: Today being a holiday, go see Serenity! You won't be let down, even Orson Scott Card enjoyed it! (Thanks Lorri) 01. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," $16.1 million. 02. "Flightplan," $10.8 million. 03. "In Her Shoes," $10 million. 04. "Two for the Money," $8.4 million. 05. "The Gospel," $8 million. 06. "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," $6.5 million. 07. "Waiting," $5.7 million. 08. "A History of Violence," $5.1 million. 09. "Serenity," $4.9 million. 10. "Into the Blue," $4.8 million. Even if you have never seen the Firefly series, it's really a good watch and you can get right into the story. You can get more entertainment news by tuning into, yes. You guessed it. RGR. Along with music. Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Tabula Rasa Updated: The website for Tabula Rasa has been updated with new information on the game. The latest feature is focused on "Basic Training," providing information on combat ranks and classes. All new arrivals begin as Recruits. The early choices recruits make, as they progress toward various career paths, will define the skills, abilities, weapons, tools, and armor that will be accessible during their term of service. The Recruit is the basic enlistment classification and is considered to be non-specific and generalist in function, with a variety of introductory skills and abilities that span all the different combat roles. As players gain significant experience as a Recruit, they will gain familiarity with world interaction, accept and undergo missions, and better understand their preferred combat/support role when selecting their future military occupational specialty—the path of Soldier or Specialist. Check it. Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

WW2BGE Golden: World War II: Battle Ground Europe from Cornered Rat Software has gone gold with a release date scheduled for October 21st in Europe. "After months of testing and years of development, Battleground Europe is now ready for retail." quoted Eugene Perry, COO for GMX Media. "The finished product is a game of epic scale that will continue to evolve and improve as other MMOs come and go. Battleground Europe is testament to what a dedicated development team and supportive community can create when their shared goal is a rewarding and fun experience for all." It's been years in the making! Posted October 10 2005 by Div Devlin

Top Ten PC Games: NPDGroup has released their latest numbers for the weekly pc slaes charts. Falling down the ladder is Guild Wars which previouly had topped the third spot. 01. The Sims 2 Nightlife 02. World Of Warcraft 03. Battlefield 2 04. Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Winter Assault 05. The Sims 2 06. Fable: The Lost Chapters 07. Guild Wars 08. Nancy Drew: Secret Of The Old Clock 09. The Sims Deluxe 10. Dungeon Siege 2 Time for Guild Wars to toss out an expansion, or for CoV to release for NCsoft? Posted October 6 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH & CoV Pricing: NCsoft announces the pricing model for City of Villains which allows subscribers to play both City of Villains and City of Heroes for one flat rate. Existing City of Heroes subscribers will therefore just need to purchase City of Villains to get complete access to both games' worlds. For those who aren't already playing, City of Villains or City of Heroes can be purchased and played alone - but as soon as one game is subscribed to, access to the other is for the same monthly fee, after the initial purchase. The price for subscribing to both games should be $14.99 per month, but plan for asligt increase to 15.99 just in case. For those who want to get technical across the pond they will be paying, £8.99 (€12.99) per month. Posted October 6 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Preview: Auto Assault is the upcoming post-apoc, vehicle versus vehicle MMO game in development from NetDevil, the makers of the first sci-fi space game, JumpGate and published by NCsoft, reknown for supporting great games. Mark "Torch" Maslow was able to survive the desert wastelands and provide us a glimpse inside the Earth of the future where Humans, Mutants and Bio-Meks vie for survival with his Hands-On preview from within the beta test. [Read More] Posted October 5 2005 by Div Devlin

Top Ten MMO News Sites: As defined by Google Page Ranking and Alexa search engines. These sites are listed as exclusively covering MMO Games, and items of interest to the gaming communities witht the lowest averaging 50,000 unique visitors a month in readers. 01. MMORPG is ranked a 6/10 in Google and 10,274 in Alexa 02. Stratics is ranked a 6/10 in Google and 11,887 in Alexa 03. GamerGod is ranked a 5/10 in Google and 12,395 in Alexa 04. ColdFront is ranked a 5/10 in Google and 32,638 in Alexa 05. GameRifts is ranked a 5/10 in Google and 568,070 in Alexa 06. MMORPGDOT is ranked a 5/10 in Google and 638,506 in Alexa 07. GameBunny is ranked a 5/10 in Google and 1,182,293 in Alexa 08. GameAmp is ranked a 4/10 in Google and 17,375 in Alexa 09. TenTon Hammer is ranked a 4/10 in Google and 55,644 in Alexa 10. MPOGD is ranked a 4/10 in Google and 33,462 in Alexa IGE subsidiary OGaming ranked higher than all the above sites listed. Posted October 5 2005 by Div Devlin

BlizzCon Tickets Back On Sale: Blizzard has announced that tickets are back on sale for BlizzCon, minus the concert for those who wanted to head down for the World of Warcraft exclusive pet Murloc! Missed out on the full $120 Show Pass that includes the concert but still interested in checking out the exhibit halls? You're in luck! We're now offering Exhibit-Only tickets for BlizzCon at a price of USD $85! An Exhibit-Only ticket entitles you to all the same privileges and access as a regular BlizzCon ticket except for the closing-night concert. You'll still get your goody bag and access to the exhibit halls, seminars, stores, tournaments, and developers at BlizzCon. Limited time only. Posted October 5 2005 by Div Devlin

Stupid Questions Mailed to Us: CHEYENNE WHISTINE Writes: Category/Game: toontown Title: toontown on line news: how do i cancel my free trial before i start getting billed for it . Our Answer: I dunno, maybe read the FAQ and follow the instructions to, cancel an account? http://play.toontown.com/faq/account_cancel_trial.php Why would you mail us asking this? RIFF Where are you? And some people complain about my writing skills Posted October 4 2005 by Div Devlin

DDO Web Overhauled: Turbine revamps the official website for Dungeons and Dragons Online offering up news and screenshots. No news on the release date which has been delayed. My bad, I was thinking of MEO, also by Turbine. DDO is still in, alpha. Posted October 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan Preorder SOE and LA announce that preorder for the next Star Wars Galaxies expansion is now available. Trials of Obi-Wan will be making it's way through digital download at the price of 29.99USD. All who pre-order will get access to Trials of Obi-Wan on October 25th (a full week before its official November 1st release!), as well as an exclusive eight-player Transport Skiff never before seen in Star Wars Galaxies - the first eight-person and fastest multi-person transport ever featured in the game! May the force be with you! Posted October 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Escapist Issue 13 Available: The thirteenth issue of The Escapist electronic magazine was released today. It looks at obvious (and not-so-obvious) game concepts and asks “Why Haven’t They Made This?” Allen Varney’s feature “The Buzz is Gone” explains, in a hypothetical retrospective, why Buzz Aldrin’s’ Race Into Space was the last of its kind. “Someday, I’ll Hack the Gibson,” by contributing editor Joe Blancato, discusses the possibility of a massively multiplayer Uplink. In “Pigtails, Pioneers, and Polygons”, contributor Kris Naudus discuss the opportunity for a game based on the American Girls franchise. And “Contrarian” columnist John Tynes returns with a discussion of feature creep and an alternative to sequels. Download now. Posted October 4 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC: Darkeness Rising Golden Mythic announces that their latest (and greatest) expansion for Dark Age of Camelot has gone gold. >Darkness Falls the sixth expansion will be available on October 11th. The expansion will be available as a stand alone product via Mythic’s new integrated digital distribution system and as part of the upcoming Dark Age of Camelot: Epic Edition. “The launch of Darkness Rising showcases our ongoing commitment to our flagship title with thrilling, new content that evolves the world of Dark Age of Camelot beyond its current boundaries,” said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer for Dark Age of Camelot. “With our new digital distribution system, this new content will be immediately available to players upon release.” Preorder now. Posted October 4 2005 by Div Devlin

GameRifts Closed: We will be shutting down GameRifts for a much needed cleanup as we convert all these basic html pages, and should be back with basic functionality this weekend. During the interim, we will continue coveraging game news on RadioGameRifts until our return. Upon closing, we will put a placeholder up for the main page that will redirect. Thanks for the motivation with comments and mails. Posted October 3 2005 by Div Devlin

A New Look for Rubi-Ka: The latest game content upgrade to Anarchy Online is now live! Upgrade 16.0 brings with it a great free graphical upgdate that has made life a lot more colorful and traveling around Rubi-Ka a great deal smoother. These first stages of updates to the games graphics engine are now in place and citizens of Rubi-Ka can now enjoy improved performance and great new ground textures that bring the planet to new life!  Check out all the updates if you've been away awhile. Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Caeron3000 Make-Over: Magique Productions goes for the extreme make-over that would make any reality tele show green with envy as they move from a MMORPG game with their title Caeron 3000 to a science fiction multiplayer online real-time combat game. A discussion on the changes currently is taking place on their message boards asking, Why? Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Download MMO Games: NCsoft leads a new market trend making their games available for the first time with an outside vendor as they offer City of Heroes and Lineage II, available for purchase on Direct2Drive from IGN. "We are thrilled that NCsoft chose Direct2Drive as the only outside digital delivery outlet to carry their games," Jamie Berger, vice president and general manager of IGN Entertainment's consumer products division, said. "Direct2Drive is dedicated to gamers who appreciate the best quality games, and our partnership with NCsoft further accelerates Direct2Drive's momentum as a leader in the digital distribution market." "City of Heroes and Lineage II are massively successful games; we wanted to broaden our reach," said Dorothy Ferguson, vice president of sales and marketing for NCsoft's North American business. "Direct2Drive is a leader in digital distribution, offering AAA hardcore games from the best developers and publishers in the industry, and we're excited to be a part of the digital revolution." In addition to NCsoft titles hitting D2D, Mythic Entertainment also announced they are now offering up their Dark Age of Camelot game and expansions through their own internal download system which can also be access from within game: "For four years we have continually improved Dark Age of Camelot with both free and paid content to ensure that the game remains one of the industry leaders. We are excited to offer this new service to our subscribers providing them with almost immediate access to the latest major expansions for the ever-expanding world of Dark Age of Camelot," says Mark Jacobs, President and CEO of Mythic Entertainment. "As always, we will continue to support our community with a mix of free and paid updates available both online and at retail." Hopefully this will finally take off with reduced costs overall so we don't have to go to brick and mortar stores ever! Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Eve Online IBM Partnership: IBM has a promotional bit regarding their blade servers which are in use by CCP for Eve Online which reads: CCP have implemented a stable, high-availability solution based on IBM eServer xSeries and IBM eServer BladeCenter that provides a scalable environment to meet its expanding requirements; offering the ability to enhance revenues, reduce costs, optimize the architecture for the future, and improve service for game players. Ahh... IBM. For those that are in the know, I will be an IBMer (as they are want to say) this time next month. Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Frontier 1859 Radio: Joining the web radio community is Froniter 1859 Radio (playing country music?) dedicated and supported by the folks behind Frontier 1859 game in development. The station runs through RadioBlog and is currently featuring the works of the "Blue Canyon Boys" and "Damba" with plans in the future to include mixed radio broadcasts. Check it. Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

What to Watch: Manga Entertainment announces that they will reveal the truth about the legendary Street Fighter character Akuma in a new movie due to be released on DvD this month in "STREET FIGHTER ALPHA: GENERATIONS." Alongside a host of new Street Fighter action figures, trading cards, and games which will be released by different companies turning October into Street Fighter month, anime distributor Manga Entertainment will release an all new anime co-production Street Fighter Alpha: Generations. ‘Generations’ reveals the untold story of Street Fighter characters Akuma and Ryu and will be available nationwide on October 25th. In this thrilling prequel to Street Fighter Alpha, Ryu returns to pay homage to his deceased mentor, but is tormented by disturbing memories of his master’s killer. In a quest to become a true martial arts master, Ryu sets out to hone his street fighting skills and to deliver himself from the haunting legacy of the Dark Hadou. But the ultimate test of his new power can only be accomplished through one last fateful confrontation with his arch-nemesis, Gouki. "Generations was created to give an insight to some of the answers to why the most intriguing and arcane character, Akuma (Gouki), became who he is. It also explores the history behind some of the Street Fighter characters and how the main character Ryu, is inadvertently linked to his arch nemesis Akuma (Gouki)" states co-producer, Kaoru Mfaume (Dead Leaves, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). For more information check out www.streetfighteralpha.com. The first trailer has been released for the upcoming game "The Chronicles of Spellborn" which highlights this MMORPG's distinctive art style that is powered by the Unreal 2.5 engine from Spellborn International which is due out the first half of 2006. Was anyone else going through withdrawal Friday night with no BSG? Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Planetwide Games Does MotoCross Online: Planetwide Games, dev/publishers(?) for the N.American flop Risk Your Life Online which was holding the now defucnt and cancelled $1 Million USD tourney for the best PvP'ers in their game due to hacking and cheats, have announced their partnership with DIRT MotorSports to bring an Online Sports Dirt Bike Racing game into the MMO market: The World of Outlaws Sprint Series Video Game featuring the drivers of the Mean 15(TM) for 2006 is scheduled as the first release. This game will immerse the player into the excitement and drama of dirt track racing through the world of interactive entertainment. This interactive racing world will be complimented by the Multiplayer Online Game action and allow gamers the chance to simultaneously experience life in the driver's seat of the true dirt track racing culture of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series. These new games will advance the World of Outlaws past the levels previously achieved with the 2002 Playstation video game. "We are extremely excited about the power of the World of Outlaws brand and their loyal fan base," said Kevin Donovan -- President of Planetwide Games. "The Outlaws are a natural fit to showcase Planetwide Games' next generation video game reality engine. This engine will give the gamer the unique opportunity to experience game play that is truly the World of Outlaw Racing. Our reality engine will also allow the gamer to customize their sprint cars, view the race from the racers perspective and experience dirt track racing from the starting line all the way to checkered flag directly from the driver's perspective. Through these motorsports games, new opportunities abound with our global strategic partnerships, new channel partners and the potential for new in-game advertising in the World of Outlaws." Online players will be able to test their skills as they create a customized sprint car designed to outperform and outlast the competition from local racers across the country and worldwide. Even drivers who smoke the track one weekend will still have to spend long hours in the garage to stay on top of their game. With 28 years of hard-fought history behind it, this grass-roots "outlaw spirit" is what the success of the real-life touring series is based upon today. Vroom, Sputter, Sputter, Vroom! Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Saga Ryzom Episode 2: Nevrax the developer and publisher for The Saga of Ryzom announced the launching of Episode 2 for the games epic storyline along with the coming introduction of PayByCash, for non-credit card payment options for Ryzom the players. Episode 2 is a series of dynamic events that are part of the overall storyline, supported by new gameplay features. Ryzom’s players will have the opportunity to really dive into the storyline and impact the game by helping to determine the outcome of the episode. Nevrax starts patching the first content of Episode 2 on September 29 and will continue to add content with a patch on October 6th. On October 3rd, Nevrax will change the Free Trial and the acquisition of the game. The Free Trial period will be reduced from 14 to 7 days, but the cost of converting to a paid subscription, which includes the software, will be lowered from $29.99 to $14.95, which includes the first month’s paid subscription fee. On October 10th, Nevrax will begin offering a new payment solution with PayByCash, a system that lets the player get a Ryzom subscription without having to make recurring debits from a bank card. "The Saga of Ryzom is getting more and more attractive and accessible to players," said David Cohen Corval, Nevrax’s founder and CEO. "With the addition of the PayByCash billing options and the new free trial offer and price, we have further removed barriers to trying this unique online game." Check it. Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin

Seed Story Update: Seed The Game in development from has been updated with a comprehensive description of life in the colony, where the game takes place. Read about the challenges in dealing with a malfunctioning AI, how the colony copes with crime without having any law enforcement, and how the colonists keep up hope despite their critical situation in their story section update. Posted October 2 2005 by Div Devlin