AGC PreReg Closing: Not set up yet to attend the Austin Game Conference, the place to be if you want to learn about the MMO Industry from veterans? Still have not registered? Time is running out with the last call for early registration which ends this Friday: Register by September 30 and you'll save $50 off the $195 registration fee. After September 30th you can register for $165 and still save $30 off the "at the door" price. If you haven't registered now is the time. Register at http://www.GameConference.com/register/ Be sure to take care of this now if you plan on attending. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC RoundTable Pics: Missed out on the Dark Age of Camelot Round Table that was held by Mythic in Vegas. Not to fear, Sanya Thomas has updated da Herald with a fast recap: Oh, my good gracious, but we had the BEST time with everyone this past weekend. From the first hour of mingling, to the last raised tankard in the Tilted Kilt after the show was over, we laughed ourselves silly. The primary reason for these gatherings is to greet old friends and make new ones, but even so we reserve one afternoon to sit down together and hear your thoughts and comments face to face. We all came home with notepads full of stuff to work on, and we thank you for your time on Saturday. You all are the just the best community in the genre! It seems like everyone I talk to at one of our events is smart, interesting, funny, and even charming in a slightly twisted way. Special thanks to those willing to risk humiliation and multiple photographs by participating in our contests and events. There is a Blog with proof of what happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas as a photo gallery is also up on her site, with even more coming to the Mythic site. Looks like it was a ton-o-fun. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Escapist Issue 12 Available: The Escapist magazine has released its twelfth issue, "Whatever Happened To..." featuring an exclusive interview with legendary game designer Chris Crawford. "Gaming faces a challenge that music and movies do not: Our past art is continuously harder to access due to unending platform change and technology advancement," said Julianne Greer, Executive Editor of the magazine. "This constant flux makes it all the more important that we not forget our past. In this issue of The Escapist, we take a retrospective look at the great, and not-so-great, developers and games of preceding years." Download and read on the morning train ride. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars World Championship: Over on the Guild Wars website is the official announcement from ArenaNet that they are kicking off their World Championship PvP Tournaments for guilds around the world to participate in: e are pleased to announce that the qualifying season for the first Guild Wars World Championship will begin this week. In preparation, the Guild Wars Ladder will be reset at 12:00 am PDT (7:00 am GMT) on October 1 to start the first ladder season. This inaugural season will last three months and will culminate in regional playoffs among top-ranked guilds in each of America, Europe, and Korea, followed by the global Guild Wars World Championship, a live event to be held early next year. We'll be making a formal announcement on Thursday with further details. Prior to the October 1 ladder reset, we will be updating Guild Wars with a comprehensive set of skill balance changes to refresh the competitive landscape. I knew there was a reason why I've been playing as of late and not doing updates here. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Jenna Jameson On Sin-Jin Smyth? We got word official word that Jenna Jameson is in talks to be in the upcoming movie Sin-Jin Smyth! JENNA JAMESON is in negotiations to join the cast of next year's SIN-JIN SMYTH. The film, which just had its production schedule extended (Rumor has it, to accommodate a sequel) follows two federal marshals on a midnight prisoner transfer over Halloween weekend of a mysterious man with no identity (who may or may not be straight out of Hell). Late additions to the cast which already stars RICHARD TYSON (Black Hawk Down, Kindergarten Cop, Three O'clock High), JONATHAN DAVIS (of KORN) LEWIS SMITH (Southern Comfort, Buckaroo Banzi, Wyatt Earp) LEE VING (Clue, Streets of Fire, lead singer of the punk band FEAR), RODDY PIPER (Of the WWE/WWF, They Live), REGGIE BANNISTER (Phantasm), JACQUELINE MOORE (Of the WWE/WWF), BILLY DUFFY (Of The Cult), CHRIS DOYLE (Darkman, Army of Darkness) and GREG TRAVIS (Tool Box Murders. Showgirls, Starship Troopers) include: KEVIN GAGE (Heat, G.I. Jane, Blow, May) JEFF CONAWAY (Grease, Taxi, Babylon Five) and REB BROWN (Uncommon Valor, Big Wednesday, Captain America) Every action flick needs a hotter-than-hell babe to kill off! Admit it, you only watched Dracual 2000 becuase Jeri Ryan showed her breasts and got killed! Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Second Life Community Convention: Residents of Second Life from LindenLabs announced they are tossing together a Community Convention, and will have a discussion panel. take place at New York Law School October 8th and 9th, immediately following the NYLS's 3rd Annual State of Play conference. Completely conceived of and organized by Second Life Residents, the SLCC brings together over 150 participants from all over the world to New York City for a day and a half of presentations, demos and conversation about the future of Second Life and the Metaverse - the emerging 3-D World Wide Web. 'It's entirely appropriate that Second Life Residents have developed and organized this event," said Philip Rosedale, CEO and Founder of Second Life. 'Everything in Second Life is created by the Residents. Why should the Convention be any different? We're psyched the Residents have taken on such an undertaking and are making it a great success." For more info check out the SL Covention site. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Seed Updates: New updates out the upcoming Seed The Game which focuses on personal, interactive stories and social game play. In other words no questing and combat. Last week they released their new story section which currently holds the backstory of the space colony which is an intergral part of players history. Over in the downloads section they also added the TurnTable video along with some new wallpapers. Check em out. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Offspring @ BlizzCon: Blizzard announces that 'The Offspring' will be appearing at their now sold out BlizzCon fan gathering taking place in California this month: Blizzard's inaugural game festival. BlizzCon will take place on October 28-29, 2005, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA and will include two days of gaming, contests, developer Q&A panels, an official tournament, and other activities centred on Blizzard's 15 years of game development. "BlizzCon will be an epic celebration of gaming culture, so we wanted to book a truly epic band for this event," said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're especially excited that The Offspring will help us make this a memorable occasion for our players, and we look forward to having the band bring BlizzCon to a fitting close." BlizzCon ShowPasses, which include a ticket to the closing-night The Offspring concert, are now sold out, and concert tickets are not being sold separately. Not to worry, as Blizzard will be offering up a limited amount of tickets during October at USD$120.00 if you really must attend, and well you should. Posted September 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Codemastsers Launches Funsta Game Portal Codemasters announces the launch of their gaming portal Funsta.com which offers up downloads and game info: Codemasters has unleashed the ultimate online gaming portal, Funsta.com. Funsta.com delivers gaming excitement around the clock, for all ages, and has a vast collection of over 1000 games. In celebration of this new gaming portal Codemasters is offering a free game for download. By signing up for the Funsta.com newsletter, users can download the action-packed puzzle game Super Pop & Drop. The game is loaded with pressure-filled challenges, where players blast and bounce balls across the screen and can select the Action Mode option for an adrenaline rush, or the Perpetual Mode for a strategic challenge. Funsta.com is the perfect online destination for gamers who need their fun fix 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. The website is loaded with more than 80 free web browser games, over 300 arcade style games, 450 full PC games, sports management games and more. All of these games are available for purchase, trial or subscription. Additionally, Funsta.com has partnered with Metaboli to create the Games On Demand section. For a monthly fee of $12, users receive unlimited access to PC games at no extra cost. So whether it’s high-octane racing in TOCA Race Driver 2 and Colin McRae Rally 2005 or the wartime action strategy of Soldiers: Heroes of World War II, the Games On Demand service immediately connects players to what they want, when they want it. Gamers are encouraged to their grab free copy of Super Pop & Drop and immerse themselves in the greatest collection of games available online,check it. Posted September 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Rita Wishes: Our best wishes are with everyone who is in the way of Hurricane Rita as it claimed it's first 20 victims. To wit, a school bus evacuating senior citizens which was snarled in the 14 hour traffic jam caught fire trapping it's passengers. An Idaho weatherman and a veteran meterologist said on TV that he believes Katrina was not the result of natrual forces, but by a Japanese group using a Cold War-era Russian weather control machine against us in retaliation for bombing Hiroshima. Posted September 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Eve Online Growing: CCP sends out word on their phenomenal growth in Eve Online as they hit 70k in active subscribers: CCP Games, an independent developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online games, announced today that since the immensely successful launch of “EVE Online: Cold War Edition,” the game has surpassed the 15,000 peak concurrent user record and smashed through the 70,000 active subscriber mark. This is a remarkable milestone for EVE Online considering the industry-wide decrease in MMOG subscriber numbers due to the impact of big-name entries into the genre. "Despite the increasingly competitive environment following the launch of big-name titles this year, EVE Online has demonstrated consistent growth," says Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. "We regard this as a real testament of the game's appeal and longevity, and was clearly demonstrated when we released the latest EVE video (http://www.eve-online.com/download/videos/). The video was downloaded more than 100.000 times in 48 hours, and following that we have had a surge of new players, which still continues. Another important factor in our growth is that it is never too late for a new player to join EVE, as there is a place and role for everyone in the EVE universe." Congrats to CCP, and for those who have not checked Eve Online they offer a free trial. Posted September 23 2005 by Div Devlin

ToonTown Celeb Racing: Disney announces that young celebs will be gearing up for ToonTown to do some fancy-dancy racing: Young Hollywood celebs will put the pedal to the metal for some friendly competition at a "goofy" grand prix event featuring custom built karts modeled after those in a dynamic new game play area called Goofy Speedway on Toontown, Disney Online's first massively multiplayer online game (MMO) for kids and families. Kyle Massey, of "That's So Raven"; Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale of "Suite Life of Zack and Cody"; and Luis Garcia of "The George Lopez Show"; along with Toontown fans, industry guests and senior executives and developers from Disney. Racing takes place this Saturday, September 24, 2005 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, Calif. (Legends Plaza, enter X gate). Posted September 23 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, The Board Game: Action Figures, Books, Collectible Card Game, RPG Modules, and now World of Warcraft is getting it's very own boardgame! From FantasyFlight Games: Are you ready to explore the misty eaves of the Silverpine Forest, the hills of the Hinterlands, or the rotten corruption of the Plaguelands? Are you ready to set forth on a great adventure, building your skills and prowess while collecting equipment and artifacts of legend and power? Are you ready to set yourself against the overwhelming will of a great enemy such as Kel’Thuzad or the mighty Nefarian? Above all, are you ready to lead your faction to honor and dominance of Azeroth? ... World of Warcraft: the Board Game is a fantasy adventure board game for 2-6 players, playable in 2-4 hours. Retail prices is suggested at a hefty US$79.99 Check it. (Thanks GameBunny, and Welcome Back!) Posted September 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Call of Jaurez Trailer: Techland introduces us to their new, upcoming FPS game "Call of Juarez" which takes place in the gunslinging days of the old west: Call of Juarez is an epic adventure western themed FPP game. The player alternately assumes the roles of two distinct, antagonistic characters: a sneaking fugitive Billy and his hunter the reverend Ray. Apart from the highly interesting, emotional and psychological aspect of the link between the two characters, the player will experience a variety of gameplay with many differences whilst playing a particular character. The game features fast paced revolver duels using historically accurate firearms, horseback riding, mounted combat and stealth actions in memorable locations set after Western movies. Emergent gameplay based on accurate simulation of not only rigid bodies and rag-dolls but also liquids, gases, fire and smoke makes the gameplay innovative and non-linear. You can check out the trailer from our downloads section. Posted September 22 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Sonic Buff Fix: Cryptic flies to the rescue of players withn City of Heroes who were becoming ill over the "Sonic Powers Buff" (Story) which was introduced into the game with their content upgrade in Issue 5. Speaking with Richard Weil of NCsoft today, we were informed that an incremental patch is going to be implemented "very soon" as it heads onto test for final approval before live, that will correct and replace the disturbing animation. As noted, the new image no longer has the flash animation, but instead will have a spinning effect. Two temproary screenshots were uploaded by Community Admin CuppaJo which can be found here and here. Kudo's to both Crytpic and NCsoft for hearing the plea of the players and saving the day! Posted September 22 2005 by Div Devlin

The Escapist 11 Released: Issue 11 of The Escapist,, with a focus on "StateCraft," on the impact of government on games and vice versa, is now available for reading pleasure. Jason Della Rocca, Executive Director of the IGDA, pens the feature article "Salvation vs. Condemnation: The Two Faces of Government," exploring government's love/hate relationship with gaming. "Government is no longer blind to the power of gaming, for good or ill. And the gaming industry needs to be aware of the power of government," said Julianne Greer, executive editor of the magazine. "This issue of The Escapist is our most serious yet, as we explore issues in law, government, and gaming. The industry needs to make its voice heard." Check it. Posted September 22 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Hits 1 Million: NCsoft announced today that Guild Wars from ArenaNet has hit the 1 million player mark between the US and UK, and will be issuing a "bumber pack" with extreme goods in celebration of this milestone: In addition to an exclusive brand-new exquisite 72-page book filled with never-before-seen artwork, a map of the game world, combined manual and story book, and 30 minutes of new music written exclusively for this release, the Guild Wars Special Edition will also include a key that provides the player with a limited number of skill and item unlocks, which can be applied to an existing account or act as a fast-start package for a beginner. ... Commenting on hitting the one million mark, Robert Garriot, president of NCsoft North America said: "We've reached this lofty goal in an extremely short period of time. With our no-subscription-required model, we believe we've created a quality online product that is hitting a chord with gamers everywhere." "We are extremely pleased the game has been so well received in such a short amount of time," said ArenaNet co-founder Michael O'Brien. "Our commitment to our players is to consistently provide high-level support for the game through frequent gameplay and content updates and we believe that's a big reason why we have so many people playing the game today." Guild Wars has remained in the Top Ten Game Sales charts provided by the NPDGroup since release. Congrat's to ArenaNet and NCsoft! Posted September 22 2005 by Div Devlin

PotBS Video Released: FlyingLab software has released a new teaser video for Pirates of the Burning Sea on their official website. A couple months ago we made a short video of Pirates of the Burning Sea. We did it for private showings to some business partners, not for public release, but now our producer is leaving town and we decided: what the heck! Direct download. It's worth watching and was done just prior to PAX. Posted September 22 2005 by Div Devlin

IGN's MMO Research: IGN has conducted a MMO survery from their community which shows that MMO gamers on average spend 25 hours a week playing MMO games. Highlights of the report's findings include: - A typical MMO gamer is male and between the ages of 13 and 34, with an average age of 27. - Although MMO gamers indicated that they try multiple MMO titles, in general they play only one MMO title at a time. - The most highly anticipated unreleased titles are Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (formerly Middle Earth Online). - New isn't always best; other titles at the top of the most-popular MMO title list include older titles such as World of Warcraft and Asheron's Call 1 & 2. - Above all other features, MMO gamers indicated that character customization is the most important, even higher than character progression. - Gamers find a shortage of new content, lack of balance, and too many bugs to be the most frustrating aspects of MMOs. - As for what keeps a gamer from jumping to a new game once they have reached the end-game of the MMO they are playing, most said that their community connections were their reason for staying. We could of told them that! For industry types who need the data, IGN is offering it for fre. Posted September 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Developer's Grill: Join us tonight on RGR as Ethan Dettenmaier joins us as our guest on the Developers Grill to tell us about his horror movie Sin-Jin Smyth which is currently filming. Listeners can take part in the interview by joining us in IRC with the chance to win prizes for participating in the show. The Developer's Grill airs tonight at 8pm Central on radio.gamerifts.com Posted September 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Eve Online Subterfuge & Sabotage: Scandal rocks Eve Online finally! Over a year in the making, word has it thanks to MMODig (exceeded bandwidth) that competing guilds used the oldest trick in the book to take out their rival. Within Eve Online, guilds are formed into corporations. Rival guild infiltrated their competitor spending a year rising up through the ranks and then when placed into a position of power gutted the treasury, which per IGE pricing for the ingame currency called ISK came out to $16,500US. According to reports CCP is not punishing the opposing guild as this is a legal tactic which was all within the control of the players involved. Don't ya love the Game of Thrones! (Thanks to KAAOS for the info!) Posted September 21 2005 by Div Devlin

Horizons Gives Military Boon: Tulga Games announced that they are doing their part for military personnel that play Horizons by giving their accounts a free game key: Tulga Games recognizes and appreciates the efforts of the men and women who have volunteered to be part of the United States military. We would like to show our support and acknowledge their contribution and sacrifice through a program for military personnel and their families. Starting September 19th, 2005, all Horizons: Empire of Istaria accounts created using the .mil email address used by military personnel and families will have a second CD key added to the account for free. This allows you to play Horizons with another family member together at the same time on one account. We hope that this will allow military families to play Horizons together, giving them a family-friendly environment where they can meet, talk and play together over the Internet. Check it out here. Posted September 21 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Transition Date Closing: The final transition date for The Matrix Online accounts to be transfered to SOE from Monolith is fast approaching, and WBIE wants you to know. Last Chance to Transition Your MxO Service To Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and Qualify For Transition Bonuses Including 30-Days of Bonus Time The Matrix Online (MxO) transition bonus program ends on September 30, 2005 at 11:59PM PDT. Exclusive Transition Bonuses - With Our Thanks! We want you to be excited about joining the SOE Station family, so we're providing some exclusive Transition Bonuses. Additional 30 Days of Game-play When you transfer your existing MxO account to an SOE Station MxO account between August 15 and September 30, 2005, you will receive an additional 30 days of bonus game time added to the end of your first SOE Station MxO billing cycle at no additional charge. This bonus time will be added to the end of the first paid subscription period on the new SOE Station MxO account. Once you re-register with SOE, any existing pre-paid service time will transfer over from WBIE to SOE with your MxO account and you will not be billed until that pre-paid time has been used. Remember that, as always, any pre-paid and unused subscription time will continue to run, regardless of whether you access your account on or after August 15, 2005. The in game items are a pair of glasses and a jacket which will give you a skill boost. For details head to the official transition page. It is part of the All Access Pass from SOE so you don't have anything to lose. Posted September 21 2005 by Div Devlin

AGC Keynote Speakers: THis October the place to be will be in Austion for the Austin Games Conference which announced that they kenote will be presented by John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment and Dr. Richard Bartle, Visiting Professor in Computer Game Design, University of Essex and a leader in the online game industry for over 25 years. Mr. Smedley and Dr. Bartle will be joined by more than 130 speakers from around the world participating in 70 sessions in 8 conference tracks. Preregistration ends on the 30th. For MMO Games, this is the place to be. Posted September 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Community News Round-Up: Editorials In Search of the Next EverQuest on KillerBetties What Would You Change In MMO Games on TenTon Hammer Interviews City of Heroes Novel Author, Ron Weinberg on GameCloud and on Warcry Horizons Online at GamersInfo Previews City of Villains on GameCloud Pirates of the Burning Sea on IGN Posted September 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Eve Online Video: CCP which continues to break thier own records with Eve Online has released a new video from within game to show that "Eve Never Fades Away" as other players within MMO games tend to do. It is available for direct download. Posted September 20 2005 by Div Devlin

PotBS Beta Applications Open: With International Talk Like a Pirate Day yesterday, Flying Labs announced that they have opened the beta registration sign-up page for Pirates of the Burning Sea so would be sailors and scally-wags can help test the game and prepare for retail launch. Snippet: Flying Lab Software has announced that they are opening registration for gamers who want to participate in the upcoming beta test program for Pirates of the Burning Sea, a new massively multiplayer online computer game. Approved beta test applicants will join Flying Lab online to exhaustively play test the game and get it ready for launch this winter. Set in the Caribbean in 1720, Pirates of the Burning Sea is a game of naval combat and conquest. Pirates, navy officers, and adventurers explore a world of danger, glory, and intrigue, fighting it out in real-time tactical naval battles. Every player is the captain of a ship right from the start, facing the challenges of a region in conflict. Britain, France, Spain, and the pirates go to war over the ports of their rivals in a strategic server-wide competition while individual players pursue their own destinies. Come Sail Away! Posted September 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane Lore Server Live: Ubi/Wolfpack has officially launched their new "Lore" server for Shadowbane, named "Vindication" which adheres to the vision of how Shadowbane should of been released and offers up strict rules for more enjoyable game-play. If you are interested in learning more about Vindication, read the Loreplay Rules. You may want to hold off a day or two before logging in as population levels are reported to be hitting pre-release numbers. Posted September 20 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Players Becoming Ill: Players within City of Heroes from Cryptic Studios are reporting an alarming growth in photo-sensitve seizures after a recent patch into the game updated one of the "Sonic Powers Buff" to characters enhancing the visual effects associated with the power. Over-three-threads on the official message boards averaging six pages on the issue explain the symptoms players are experiencing and the cause which include: think the flicker rate, level of color (or lack of) and the direction of its spin - PLUS - monitor and graphics card issues.... They all add up to a very disturbing graphic. I already spoke to someone in here about their epilepsy problems being spiked because of that particular graphic, in the Test server before it even went live. The moment I saw it, I started to get a severe headache - so bad that I wondered if I wasn't growing a tumor or having a huge migrane. The nausea begins if you keep looking at the darn thing. Especially if there are more than one on screen at the same time, that's so ... queasy... Instead of a hot patch to correct the issue, NCSoft was informed by Cryptic that a patch would go in with the next update to correct this, after it's been through test. Now, we are talking possibly months before this fix will be put in place. If players are reporting illness due to a change, should not the change be reverted, especially when this issue was reported during the original test phase prior to being implemented onto the live servers? The real kicker is that less-than-mature players are using this beneficial tactic within game to grief other players. Posted September 16 2005 by Div Devlin

RF Online Website Live: Codemasters has launched the official website for their upcoming import game, RF Online (Or Rising Force). On the site which includes information on the game is a new video showcasing game-play along with new(er?) screenshots. RF Online, coming to PC in Q1 2006, has already engaged over 1 million players in the Far East since its launch last year. Now, as the game prepares for its US and UK arrival, the English-language website will be a key destination for the inside-track on the game world. The website reveals RF Online's setting, Planet Novus, and its three factions. To enter the site, use your gut judgement and make your first declaration of allegiance: will you join the mighty Accretia Empire, the futuristic and destructive robotic faction, the Holy Alliance Cora, the mystical original inhabitants of Novus, or the incredible Bellato Union with their Mech battle units? Dependant on the faction chosen, the website is skinned to reflect your selection. Check it. Posted September 16 2005 by Div Devlin

ROSE Online Update: Gravity Interactive announced that Rose Online will inlcude and allow players to wage inter-planetary battles and rule the galaxy, making them a unique space themed MMO game: Unlike other MMOGs, ROSE Online will immerse players into a universe with access not only to distant lands, but also distant worlds. The imaginative universe of ROSE Online consists of seven unique planets. Each planet has its own set of particular environments and characteristics. ... Players will have the option to join factions or guilds. Every faction has a level of control on the economy, politics, public orders, magic, arts and religion. Within each faction, separatist alliances can be formed by players. Rather than a small-scale war, guilds unite to fight for the fate of an entire planet. Rose Online entered beta testing at the start of this month and is expected to be available for retail this Novemeber. Posted September 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Warhammer Online Update: Mark Jacobs from Mythic Entertainment released his August Developers update a couple weeks back that we just heard about for Warhammer Online, which tells about the status of the first pass at the game to Games Worskshop, that Realm versus Realm combat will be included, which races will be invloved with the factions, and that it is not the goal to recreate Dark Age of Camelot or mimic World of Warcraft. Excerpts: 4) The game will be RvR-centric, focused on the ongoing battles between three separate groups (more information on these groups down the road). 5) The playable races that will be represented in the game are Humans (Empire), High Elves, Dwarves, Dark Elves, Chaos (more to come on this, sorry for being vague), Orcs and Goblins. While we want to do almost all the other races (except Halflings, who are a race best served over a net at about 100MPH), we don’t want to overreach right from the beginning. We plan on, of course, expansion packs that will bring the other races into the mix down the road. Not having Skaven, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, etc. in right from the beginning was not an easy decision but the important thing is to bring in enough races to make it fun but to do so in a way that allows us to more easily balance the game and create specific content for the races that is both fun and true to WH. The temptation to add more races is quite strong but our goal with this game is not to try to impress the player with how much stuff we can throw at you but rather we want to impress you with what we do throw at you (we only choose the best rotten and decaying food substances to toss at you!). In other words, quality not quantity. ... 8) The RvR and combat systems in this game will not be DAoC2. While I don’t want to go into details now (for competitive reasons), what we are creating for this game is tailored to this game, to the IP and to make this a next-generation game. Read the write. Posted September 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Ultima Online New Package: EA annopunces that they are already doing a new compilation for Ultima Online which just saw the release of the Mondain's Legacy expansion which brought Elve's into UO. "The Eighth Age" will include all six expansion packs, one of eight gifts, a Blue SoulStone to store skill points, an extra character slot, and a 45 day free trial. It was only a year ago that they did this with their Seven Year Anniversary Package which I've yet to open. Posted September 16 2005 by Div Devlin

AO Free Play Extended: FunCom announces that they have extended their free-to-play campaign for classic Anrachy Online until 2007. A promotional campaign started last year after integrating advertising within game. Funcom announces that the free Anarchy Online offer has been a tremendous success and will be extended throughout all of 2006 and into 2007*. It’s the long-term goal for Funcom to make sure that the removal of subscription fees, client costs and the need to have a credit card when registering for Anarchy Online remains a permanent offering. Now, and for the year to come, anyone curious about the heralded qualities of the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG can play without any financial commitments. "The free initiative has been a great success," says Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. "More than 400.000 new players have signed up during the last ten months, and extremely few MMO titles can show a similar increase in registrations in the same timeframe. Seeing the great feedback from the free offer we are thus going to extend it into 2007 and beyond." This totally free approach allows everyone tired of elves, fairies and gnomes to enter a futuristic RPG world full of fun action totally free of cost, and makes it possible for all sci-fi fans to explore a world hailed as the best sci-fi MMO available today. Worth checking out, since it is free. Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC Expansion & Patch News: Kicking off news for Dark Age of Camelot from Mythic is the latest patch news which introduces new EPIC ARMOR Quests! Players will be able to obtain these new Epic Quests at regular intervals, beginning at level five, as they are called upon to regain long lost treasures and defend their Realms from dire threat. Initially these are individual, class-specific quests but they become more cooperative in nature at higher levels with all players within a Realm sharing a common final quest. The patch introduces new dungeons created specifically for these Epic Quests and makes extensive use of Mythic’s instancing technology to allow players to complete higher level quests without having to wait for monster spawns. The quests encourage players to work together to accomplish their common goals and offers them an opportunity to learn more about the history and lore of their Realm. Be sure to check out the official website which has gone live for the upcoming expansion Darkness Rising. Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

EQ&EQ2 Expansions Available: SOE announces that both of their expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest 2 have hit retail shelves. Head on out and purchase your copy of Depths of Darkhollow for EQ and/or Desert of Flames for EQ2. Info on Depth of Darkhollow: "As the tenth expansion for EverQuest, Depths of Darkhollow is impressive in so many ways," said Chris Sturr, senior brand manager, Sony Online Entertainment. "The passion and dedication of the development team is clear as they continuously deliver triple-A expansion packs filled with innovative gameplay features and tons of new game content year after year. Continuing strong after six-and-a-half years, EverQuest is second to none with unparalleled success." Desert of Flames includes the combat revamp which you can check out from the Live Notes. Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

Frag DollsUK Fragalicious: The UK version of the Frag Dolls has gone live with blogs and pictures of these gamer gals from across the pond. And they are some hotties. Be sure to give them a shout-out. To bad they don't play PC Games, would really love to see them sqaure off against Les Soule or girlz 0f destruction. Go drool over these cheap-marketing-gimmick UK Hotties. Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane LorePlay News: The folks for Shadowbane announced news about their upcoming Lore server currently in testing going live next week: The Shadowbane Team is proud to announce that on Monday, September 19th, 2005, the first Shadowbane Loreplay Server will be launched! Shadowbane, a massively multiplayer online game known for its intense player-vs.-player conflict and real-time strategy elements, is one of the few massively multiplayer online games that let players actually change the world. Vindication, the name of the first server to use the loreplay ruleset, will be the first server to regulate players' strategic options, limiting the types of characters that can join the various Faction-based Guilds, who may cast beneficial and peaceful powers on each other, and who may even group together. These may seem like harsh restrictions, but these game elements have been requested by a large segment of Shadowbane’s community for some time. For the first time, individual guilds will face limits in their power and abilities, and be forced to make strategic decisions to maximize their effectiveness on the battlefield. Shadowbane has long been acclaimed for its rich backstory and in-game history, and the Loreplay Ruleset will create a rich play environment that better mirrors the factionalized fiction. Many players will finally experience Shadowbane as they originally imagined the game would be. Combined with the Realm and kingship system introduced in Shadowbane’s last expansion, Throne of Oblivion, players can now for the first time ever wage war to see which of which of Shadowbane’s myriad factions is truly the greatest! Who will be able to forge an empire and crush their enemies: the Temple of Cleansing Flame? The High Court of the Elves? The Centaur Cohort? Or will the conquerors be one of more than a dozen other factions? Only time, and the players, can tell! Sorry for those of you who tuned into RGR looking for the Developer's Grill with Sean "Ashen Temper" Dahlberg to tell us about the server and answer questions as the show was cancelled. To learn more about the Shadowbane Loreplay Server, click here. Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

SWG Trials of Obi-Wan News: Lucas Arts and SOE have news regarding their upcoming expansion Trials of Obi-Wan for Star Wars Galaxies: LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment today announced pricing and other details for Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan, their digital download only expansion due out on November 1. Set on the Episode III planet of Mustafar and including missions delivered by the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Trials of Obi-Wan will be available for pre-order beginning September 26th for $29.99. All who pre-order will get access to Trials of Obi-Wan on October 25 (a full week before its official release!), as well as an exclusive Transport skiff never before seen in Star Wars Galaxies - the first eight-person vehicle ever featured in the game! May the force... Posted September 15 2005 by Div Devlin

Community News: Editorials Girl-on-Girl Gaming KillerBetties (Not as Hot as it sounds, pervs) Interviews JCal at GameCloud talks with Scott Hartsman on the next EQ2 expansion. Movies Probot Productions, makers of numerous Fan Films and creators of Hasbro's Official Star Wars Action Figure Theater, have a new Alien parody called ALIEN 5² (read as "ALIEN 5 SQUARED"). Reviews Guild Wars on KillerBetties Screenshots City of Villians on RPGUnion EQ2: Desert of Flames on EQGuru Posted September 12 2005 by Div Devlin

(mini) Rant On: I don't get why Developer's and Publisher's are keeping their enemies so close. They deal with the sites that sell gold, items or leveling or are owned by companies which violate EULA's in their games, more than they do interacting with legit sites which are against that sort of game play. It's like, if you are going to disrupt their players expereince, they would rather have a direct relationship with you inside and look the other way at said services, due to the damned if you do, damned if you don't clause. Posted September 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Eve Online Breaks Own Record: CCP announced yesterday that they broke their own record, again for most concurrent users online within Eve Online. This evening at 19:40 GMT, EVE players raised their own Peak Concurrent User record to 15.209. Congratulations everyone! This was an truly amazing moment, thanks to all EVE players for making this possible. This record is the latest in a series of PCU records following EVE's latest expansion - EVE Online: Cold War Edition. On a similar note, the EVE universe continues to grow and is now just 1.500 short of 70.000 subscribers, all playing together in the same universe. EVE is here to stay and this is just the beginning. To our knowledge this represents a world record for the largest number of users sharing a persistent virtual world, where no sharding or instancing is used. Congrats, yet again! Posted September 12 2005 by Div Devlin

MMO Games For Dummies: Scott "Lum the Mad" Jennings from Mythic Entertainment has become a published author with his first book, Massively Multiplayer Games For Dummies coming this December and available now for preorder. Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., the folks behind the Dummies Guides the guide comes in at 360 pages, with some MMO Games included for trial for the price of $24.99US. Order it today. Posted September 12 2005 by Div Devlin

SciFi Covering Games: SciFi is branching out to do games. Competeing with G4TV and GTTV, Sci Fi is going to present a beautiful, bite-sized show you can watch between reels without spoiling your appetite. Presented by the delectable Liv Brent, SCI GAMER explores the latest movers and shakers in the world of computer and video gaming. Just recently, for example, she popped down to GME to get all the hot news and gossip. Not only will she tell you everything you need to know about the games you're dying to play, but more often than not she'll give you a chance to win a fantastic prize too. They need Lums guide! Posted September 12 2005 by Div Devlin

New MMO Studio Founded: There is a new studio in town that will be creating MMO Games comprised of former Blizzard members that were involved with "World of Warcraft." The studio, Red 5 Studios currently plans something a little different from most MMOs. The blurb: Welcome to Red 5. We are quietly at work, building the world’s best MMO team here in Southern California. Red 5’s founders share a history of making hit games for companies such as Blizzard Entertainment. After our most recent project, World of Warcraft, we decided that we wanted to take things in a new direction and push the limits of our creativity. We’re working on something a little different from most MMOs out there, and we are excited about where our passion for games will lead us. Right now we are at a great place: the beginning. We’re building the team and the creative environment that will fuel great games. If you are interested in joining a dynamic new company founded by top talent in MMO games, please drop us a note at info@red5studios.com We are hiring driven, imaginative and smart talent for all development positions. You know who you are. Wonder if they mean the Turbine West folks? Posted September 9 2005 by Div Devlin

CoV Collector's Edition: NCSoft announced what will be packaged within the City of Villain's Collector's Edition package which is available for pre-order, and this makes it even more enticing to grab it now: Highlighting the City of Villains Collector's Edition package is a set of seven limited-edition HeroClix figures from WizKids, composed of three hero figures and four villain figures, including an exclusive Lord Recluse HeroClix. The City of Villains Collector's Edition will also contain a DVD version of the game, giving players access to an exclusive in-game cape and chest emblem from Arachnos, the game’s top villain group. Also included in the package is a map of The Rogue Isles, the chain of islands that makes up City of Villains. The Collector's Edition also includes a book featuring art from City of Villains and City of Heroes, a preview deck of the City of Heroes collectible card game designed by the Alderac Entertainment Group as well as a single limited edition City of Heroes foil collector's card. Have you placed your order yet? Posted September 9 2005 by Div Devlin

Dave Arneson @ DAoC FanFest: The Las Vegas Fan Gathering for Dark Age of Camelot just got a huge Guest of Honor for those of you older, more eccentric gamers with the announcement that Dave Arneson, co-designer of the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS role-playing game, will give the opening keynote address at the upcoming Dark Age of Camelot Roundtable Fan Gathering. "Dave Arneson is truly an originator in the area of role-playing games, and his work laid the foundation for RPG’s – including Dark Age of Camelot - as we know them today," said Eugene Evans, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Mythic Entertainment. "We’re thrilled to give the Roundtable Fan Gathering attendees a chance to meet Dave and hear his perspective on the history of role-playing games, and insight into what the future holds." Wish you were there, I do! Posted September 9 2005 by Div Devlin

Box Office Smash: What to see. What to see? Two big flicks this weekend, Transporter 2 can't go wrong, but then there is the Exorcism of Emily Rose, based on a true story. Heading out to the 1:15pm show and going to try and see both. What's your pick? Posted September 9 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW Movie Contest: Speaking of movies, Blizzard announced they are holding a movie contest for World of Warcraft in which winners will be awarded an NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra video card, two tickets the BlizzConFanFest and more by making movies with footage from within the game. Check the contest rules page. Posted September 9 2005 by Div Devlin

Top Ten PC Games: The NPDGroup has released their weekly sales charts for the Top Ten Best Selling PCGames ending with the week of Aug. 27 with some notable changes: 1. World of Warcraft - VU Games 2. Dungeon Siege 2 - Microsoft 3. Battlefield 2 - Electronic Arts 4. Guild Wars - NCsoft 5. Madden NFL 6. Electronic Arts 6. The Sims Deluxe - Electronic Arts 7. The Sims 2 - Electronic Arts 8. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 - Atari 9. Warcraft III Battle Chest - VU Games 10. Doom 3 - Activision WoW back as the top dawg over BF2 with Guild Wars falling to fourth. Posted September 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Dofus Live: Cartoon style MMO game Dofus from the French Dev's Ankama Studio has gone live with their international launch in North America and EU. After 2 months of Beta-test and about 80.000 players, the DOFUS Team is glad to tell you that DOFUS has been officially released on September, the 1st. This unique online game, midway between heroic fantasy and cartoon, lead the players to take part to a fabulous adventure in the colorful, 2D designed Universe of Amakna. DOFUS is a Tactical MMORPG which means that players progress in a real time universe, but when they fight against monsters or against other players, action is turn-based (with specific number of actions each turn). Thus, fights are breathtaking and each move is strategic. The game looks "cute" and deadly for the PvP crowd. Posted September 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Sin-Jin Smith Signs Duffy: Ok, this movie is really taking form now as Billy Duffy of the Cult has signed on to Sin-Jin Smyth: BILLY DUFFY of THE CULT agreed to terms with SNAP KICK PRODUCTIONS INC. and saddles up with the rebel alliance behind the production of SIN-JIN SMYTH (www.sin-jinsmyth.com)! The film (Written and Directed by Ethan Dettenmaier)---which follows two federal marshals who man an isolated Federal Outpost in the American Midwest as they receive an emergency message one night (over Halloween weekend) to blitz across the border into the Kansas Badlands (moments after a tornado warning) for the midnight prisoner transfer of man with no identity (and set against a Kansas legend about a Midnight appearance of the Devil every Halloween in a quiet, local cemetery)---is currently in production and set to hit theatres towards the end of next summer. In a very inventive move, Duffy will contribute original guitar work to the Score, (Collaborating with the orchestral work of MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE), serve as Music Supervisor and lock and load for a part in the film as a rogue government agent who specializes in interrogation and torture! And from a Music Supervisor stand point he will be backed up by the library of the SANCTUARY RECORDS GROUP which in addition to THE CULT includes MOTORHEAD, IRON MAIDEN, ROBERT PLANT, FLEETWOOD MAC, THE WU-TANG CLAN, ANTHRAX, NEIL YOUNG, BILLY IDOL and MORRISSEY just to name a few). So get ready because they plan to get loud! Rocking! Posted September 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane Lore Introduction: Wolfpack Studio's - A Division of Ubisoft, has released an introduction to the lore behind Shadowbane to help bring folks uptodate on their upcoming Loreplay Server currently in testing. Interested in learning the lore behind Aerynth and the legendary blade known as Shadowbane but don't have the time to comb through the hundreds of pages and thousands of years or lore in the various Race, Class, Discipline descriptions and other documents? Look no further! We are proud to announce a new addition to the Lexicon called Introduction to the Lore that is in not only html format but also in portable document format (PDF)! You can also find a wealth of knowledge by reading the Legend of Shadowbane (also available in a PDF file), an overview of the Aerynthian PantheonLibrary of Aerynthian Historical documents. Awesome fiction to check out. Posted September 8 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, A Battle Plan: Blizzard has released a huge "Battle Plan" update for what's coming soon within World of Warcraft from the Lead Producer, Shane Dabiri. Items they touch upon include, World Events, PvP, Talent Improvements, Web Site Changes, Character-Transfer Service Updates. Since the last World of Warcraft Battle Plan, much has happened in the Warcraft universe. We’ve launched Blackwing Lair, the highest level dungeon in the game, we launched World of Warcraft in China and Singapore with great success, and work continues on adding even more content for our players. BlizzCon is quickly approaching, and we're preparing the lineup of programs, dev chats, and the concert to be held at our inaugural event. I’m very happy to announce that we'll have the first public showing of the expansion for World of Warcraft at BlizzCon. Attendees will be able to view the work that is going into the project and hear some of the eagerly awaited details. To those of you who won’t be able to make it to the show, please keep an eye out for the game magazines that will be hitting newsstands right around BlizzCon, because some of them will feature in-depth articles on the expansion with plenty of information about how World of Warcraft will be evolving. For this Battle Plan, we want to take the opportunity to look ahead to what our players can expect in the coming months leading up to BlizzCon and the expansion announcement. Give it a read. Posted September 8 2005 by Div Devlin

First Look: Gods & Heroes A few months back we got to check out the upcoming MMO game from Perpetual Entertainment titled "Rome Rising: Gods and Heroes behind closed doors. We've compiled our audio notes from those sessions, and have for your reading enjoyment our first look at the game with information we were allowed to present. Check out our first look at Gods and Heroes. Posted September 7 2005 by Div Devlin

Escapist #9 Available: Issue number nine of The Escapist is now online and available to download for your rreading pleasure. The latest issue covers the second part of Greg Costikyan’s two-part manifesto, “Death to the Games Industry: Long Live Games!” In addition to Mr. Costikyan, columnist Allen Varney discusses the presence of former pen-and-paper designers at all levels of the electronic entertainment industry in “Our Games are Built on Paper,” while resident contrarian John Tynes shows how tabletop designers impact the design of present and future PC and console games in “The Contrarian: Roll the Dice.” Costikyan, Varney, and Tynes have all contributed extensively to both tabletop and electronic gaming. Check it. Posted September 7 2005 by Div Devlin

Frag Dolls UK Live: The are an international phenomenom now, with no escape from the madness, making them even larger than the Spice Girls, they are the Frag Dolls UK the sisters to the Frag Dolls we all know and love. Frag Dolls UK is a girl gamer group launched to prove that boys aren't the only ones capable of holding a controller. They'll carry the torch for "girls that game" - discussing experiences via their blogs and forums, participating in online gaming sessions and appearing at live events. Originally launched in 2004 by Ubisoft San Francisco, the US Frag Dolls have become well known names in the gaming world, providing a focal point for females in a male dominated pastime, and attracting more people into gaming. After receiving over 200 applications from girl gamers wanting to join Frag Dolls UK, five girls were selected from across the UK to form the final group. It's scary. Posted September 7 2005 by Div Devlin

GW: Sorrow's Furnace Live! ArenaNet has launched their latest free expansion to Guild Wars with "Sorrow's Furnace," bringing into the game new mondster, new quests, new weapons, new collector's items, new collectors, New Boss Monsters - Named by players, New Vendors and New Story Quests. By logging in and patching tonight you will automatically download the new assests within the game, reason to come check it out. Posted September 7 2005 by Div Devlin

UO: Mondain's Legacy Live! Sneaking in over the weekend, Firday saw the launch of the newest expansion for Ultima Online with Mondain's Legacy. The world of Sosaria has been changed forever by one of the most feature-rich expansion packs in Ultima Online history. Upgrade now to get all the new features, experience the new dungeons, see what being an Elf is like, enjoy 20 percent more storage space and much, much more. Also, you can upgrade quickly and conveniently by buying an upgrade code at www.uogamecodes.com. You’ll be exploring Heartwood or fighting through a new dungeon within mere minutes. Elves! Posted September 7 2005 by Div Devlin

The Week That Was: Last week was just a tragic week for North America. What a way to go into a Labor Day weekend. A shoutout to everyone who has been displaced, and for those who have loveds ones still missing and unaccounted for. It's times like these when we as gamers really come together and show our support for one another, and as a nation, even with a government that is out-of-touch with the common man, that we shine through in aiding one another. To everyone affected by Katrina, our thoughts and prayers. For those who would like to help, grab one of your local charities and volunteer time to help or donate a few bucks to any of the FEMA listed sites as everything helps. A number of folks are also giving away items to bidders which will in turn see all proceeds donated to disaster relief funds from: Dwarven Forge Penny Arcade True Adventures, Ltd. (makers of True Dungeon and True Heroes) Shout out to my bro Salty, along with others who have been activated and are now departing with thier units to help out. Edit: So the holidays all seem to run together as of late for me. Thanks Vash for correcting me. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Ballerium Update: Majorem announces good news for those who have been following the rollercoaster developement ride for Ballerium: Following the encouraging feedback we received from the community for the renewed Ballerium Beta, and following the supportive donations that Ballerium received from players all over the world wanting to see this MMO-RTS come to life. It was decided by [an] that is interested in Ballerium and in Majorem's technology to resume the beta sponsorship for at least another beta round with the improved V26 that is being tested and installed as this announcement publishes. Should the community continue to be supportive of this MMO-RTS innovation, it is very possible that development team would be re-established, and work on Ballerium will continue. Check em. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

As The Market Grows: Funcom announced that they have secured a €5 million equity investment from Nordic Venture Partners (NVP). The investment is a further testament to Funcom being a world-class developer and publisher of online games, and will further aid the company in developing and publishing online games. Currently in release they syupport venerable Anarchy Online and the upcoming Age of Conan – Hyborian Adventures. Gravity Corp has also announced that they have budgeted a total of approximately $30 million - $50 million USD to be spent during the next three years as they expand their publishing business. The Company plans to introduce and support newly licensed game titles across its global game publishing network, which currently includes over 20 countries worldwide. Currently they have Ragnorak Online as their running titles with a sequel in the works along with a new MMO game titled Requiem. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Expansion Released: NCSoft and Cryptic Studio's have released their fifth free expansion for City of Heroes which can be downloaded through the games client. Issue 5 features the addition of Paragon City's(TM) 21st zone, new malevolent villains and several sets of new super powers including archery skills and sonic powers. The new expansion is available free via automatic download to all current City of Heroes subscribers. Issue 5's new zone, Croatoa is a resort community north of Paragon City where several new villain groups are clashing, requiring the intervention of super-powered heroes to stop the carnage. Villain groups running rampant in Croatoa include the Cabal, a coven of witches, and the Red Caps, an evil gang of goblins who are in a bitter struggle with the Cabal for control of the zone. Also stalking Croatoa are the monstrous Tuatha de Dannan and the Fir Bolg, which are easily identified by their fiery pumpkin heads. The Croatoa zone is meant to challenge players from levels 24 to 35. Issue 5 also introduces highly-anticipated new power sets: archery and sonic. These consist of ranged archery powers for defenders and blasters; trick arrows for defenders and controllers, sonic blast powers for blasters and defenders, and sonic debuffs for defenders and controllers. "Archery and sonic powers are classic comic book powers and I am excited that we are able to give our players more ways to subdue criminals," said Jack Emmert, lead designer of City of Heroes and creative director of Cryptic Studios. "The new Croatoa zone will also provide exciting adventures and storylines that will challenge any hero venturing into the area. But that is our goal, to continually provide new, interesting content free to our players so they can find action and challenge around every corner." Additionally, Issue 5 brings new zone events to Paragon City, including the Hellion Arson event, in which Hellion gangs torch buildings in Paragon City. It is the job of heroes to douse the flames and bring the arsonists to justice. Also, at the Troll Rave event, Troll mobs hopped up on an overdose of Superadine transform into "super trolls" then run amok, endangering the surrounding populace. The new expansion also includes a change in the debt systems incurred when a player is defeated. Players who haven't yet reached level 10 will no longer receive debt when defeated, and players, regardless of level, will only incur half debt if they are defeated while in a mission. Hope you dusted off your account during the memorial weekend and checked out the free-return trial. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Community News Round-Up: Editorials Warcry on Farming MMORPG on Instancing Interviews Age of Conan on MMORPG Chronicles of Spellborn on MMORPG Gods and Heroes on GameZone Shadowbane on MI-80 Shadowbane on The Corp Valhyre: The Aftermath on GamersInfo Warhammer Online on 1UP Previews Auto Assault on Game-Vixens and on KillerBetties Pirates of the Burning Sea on GameCloud Tabula Rasa on the Armchair Empire Vanguard: Saga of Heroes on GameCloud Reviews Lineage II on Game-Vixen Another negative review for those keeping track covering RYL: Path of the Emperor on Gaming Age SWG: Complete on GameChronicle Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC Housing Rent Halted: Some often wonder why I'm so positive towards Mythic Entertainment. Well, they are just a game company that takes care of their community, especially within Dark Age of Camelot as evidenced by their support to those in the wake of Katrina trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, and towards those being called out to help down south: We’ve all got friends and family down south, and there’s a big player community down there as well. Like many of you, we’re struggling to find some small way that we can help besides the basic and obvious “donate to the Red Cross” stuff. We went through the game systems, looking for stuff that people could lose if they are unable to log in for awhile, and paying rent on the in-game houses is fortunately the only thing. We can’t suspend in-game house rent by billing address, so we’re just suspending house rent across the board for the whole game. We have to take the servers down to do it, though. Right now we’re planning to reinstate in-game rent when we put up the Darkness Rising patch, currently scheduled for early October. We’ll see how things are when the time comes and let you know if that plan changes. Thanks in advance for your patience. This is why they rock. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Update: ArenaNet announces their free content upgrade coming this week for Guild Wars, due to release on the 7th with "Sorrows Furnace." Sorrow's Furnace offers two large, explorable regions: Grenth's Footprint and Sorrow's Furnace. These regions will provide exciting new high-level content to Guild Wars players and will offer new quests, new monsters, new items and more. For characters who have completed their ascension in Guild Wars, these areas will provide new opportunities for exploration and reward. Check out the full list of new features and balance changes. If you are looking for a job in the game industy, ArenaNet has a couple of openings listed on their employment page. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Alter Ego Exhibition: Writer Tracy Spaight and photographer Robbie Cooper will be interviewing and photographing MMO players for the Alter Ego Exhibition and book in the coming weeks. Alter Ego takes viewers on a journey into the frontiers of cyberspace to explore community, identity, love, and loss within virtual worlds. Alter Ego will: - Document the growing culture of video games and online worlds in an intelligent, witty, and accessible way - Explore how gamers use technology to create novel forms of community and identity in cyberspace - Provide a visually arresting and entertaining journalistic record of life on the cyber frontier Alter Ego juxtaposes photographs of real people with their avatars and documents life on the screen with player stories, interviews, and screen grabs. The exhibition opens in Amsterdam this November and will visit other cities across Europe, the U.S., and the Far East beginning next year. The book will be published sometime next summer. You can read about the original exhibit in this BBC article Robbie and Tracy are looking for players who: - Look like their avatars - Play a different gender than their real world gender - Met their significant other online - Have a colorful, off-the-wall, or unusual story about their online experiences The authors have not finalized their itinerary, but plan to begin their trip in South Carolina on September 10th and work their way up the East coast. From there they'll travel to selected cities in the Mid-West before heading out to California. If you'd like to be a part of the project, please send an email to Tracy at tspaight@gmail.com. Tell where you live, how to contact you, and why you would make a good interview subject for the book/exhibit. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane Loreplay Movies Wanted: The Chronicle website for Shadowbane announces they are looking for players to submit faction based video's from their Loreplay server currently in testing: The Shadowbane Community Team needs your help! We are looking to create a short video that will promote the upcoming Loreplay Server called Vindication. How can you help us with this? The answer is simple; send us your Shadowbane Recording of Faction-based occurrences. What we are looking for are factions that are visually distinct. The Deathless Empire with Minotaur slaves fighting against the Temple of the Cleansing Flame, a cohort of Centaurs bearing down on the minions of Chaos, or the Amazons slaying a group of Undead that has intruded on their territory are all good examples of what we need. Don't ya just hate how some MMO News Sites get the news all wrong? Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, 4 Million Players: Tons of updates out Blizzard for World of Warcraft which hit one million players in North America and four million worldwide, after announcing that they banned 1500 EU accounts for exploits and cheats. This Thursday (the 8th) will kick off a new contest for player submitted movies using footage from within game combined with any music from previous Blizzard titles in which five winners will be awarded an NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800 Ultra, two tickets to BlizzCon, and much more. On the subject of BlizzCon, they are now offering an exclusive in game, pet Murloc as part of their swag bag to those attending at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, this October 28th and 29th. Posted September 4 2005 by Div Devlin