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CCP Games releases EVE Fanfest 2008 videos

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Humor

Most EVE Online players didn't have the opportunity to attend EVE Fanfest 2008 in Reykjavik earlier this month, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to miss out on what was revealed. CCP Games and EVE TV have made good on their promise to release video footage of Fanfest presentations and panel discussions. While they did make live audio of some of this available in-game over EVE Voice, it was difficult to follow without the visuals to tie it all together.

Now, they've put up a new video page dedicated to EVE Fanfest 2008, with both low res and high res downloads. They culled roughly 30 hours of raw footage down into 12 videos. We've listed them below, accompanied by the CCP descriptions and video links, for both YouTube (when available) and high resolution versions:

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The anatomy of a cut scene

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, Machinima, Humor


When you watch a cut scene (assuming you didn't skip it, when possible), do you ever think about what goes into making that cinematic? Why did they choose this angle, and this part of the storyline? In games like Guild Wars, the cut scenes are game-engine-based, so your characters are standing there engaged in deep, dramatic story-driven dialogue with an important NPC, all the while a Jagged Horror decides he wants to stand directly on top of the camera.

Ravious over at Kill Ten Rats discusses the issue we sometimes can have with the different types of cut scenes out there. For example, in Lord of the Rings Online, there are the ones where you can't do anything, and you're forced to sit and listen to the big bad boss talk about how he could have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids. Then there's the type where you can, as Ravious puts it, "hop over Samwell(wise) Gamgee's hobbit head to your heart's content while Elrond bids the Fellowship farewell."

So what's your favorite kind of cut scene? Do you feel they need to be giant cinematic productions, or do the brief game-engine scenes do well enough?

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World of Warcraft
EVE Online's very own Corpse Bride

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Forums, Humor

Massively multiplayer online games aren't just a passing hobby for many players out there, it's a real passion in their lives. At Massively, we frequently hear about unions of all types in MMOs -- titles which allow players to marry one another, couples who decide to tie the knot in-game, married couple experience bonuses, and now and again an inventive marriage proposal. But this is something new...

EVE Online player Suva Orefinger is ready to settle down with her (real life) boyfriend, and he says he'll marry her... assuming she's willing to prove her commitment to him. In typical EVE fashion, her boyfriend's bargaining posture has led to a rather unique proposition. He's posed a challenge to Suva: fill a Charon-class freighter with corpses and he'll make his vows. This is no easy feat. A character must die for each corpse to be created in EVE, and the Charon is a massive ship, which can hold nearly 100,000 of these victims of New Eden's violence. "Something easily gotten is not highly valued," her boyfriend says. But if Suva can do it, he'll be all hers, 'til death do they part.

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World of Warcraft
Blizzard execs haven't played Wrath as yet

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, Launches, New titles, News items, Humor


Last night was generally a time for merriment and revelry, as many World of Warcraft players talked in lines around the world about just what they were going to do when they first got into game. Would it be the frozen tundra of Northrend, with new races and achievements by the score? Or would they instead be starting a new character and heading for Arthas' floating Necropolis? Surprisingly, among two of the people discussing just what they'd be doing in the strange new lands that Blizzard built were two of Blizzard's very own co-founders; Mike Morhaime, Blizzard's CEO, and Frank Pearce, Blizzard's Executive VP of Product Development. MTV's Multiplayer blog had a launch-night chat with with both Morhaime and Pearce, and discovered neither one of them has really played through the Wrath content as yet.

As if that weren't strange enough, it would appear that both men really haven't thought about rolling a Death Knight - or for that matter, what they'd name theirs if they do. We know people who weren't in beta that have planned talent trees, gear progression and more for their Death Knights, so drawing a blank on a good name seems a bit strange to us. Of course, Pearce's reasoning for not going Death Knight is one many World of Warcraft players can likely relate to; he doesn't want to get left behind on his main by his guild, as he was when Burning Crusade launched. But Morhaime, well, we'll have to cut him slack for being the CEO of a company making oodles of money and in heavy development and marketing cycles between Wrath, StarCraft II and Diablo III. Our suggestion would be to take a few well-deserved days off and enjoy some gaming; we hear there's this really popular new MMO expansion just came out that they might enjoy.

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WoW Insider under attack by zombies!

Filed under: Humor

Zombies have taken the WoW Insider headquarters! Head over the @WoWInsider Twitter feed to keep abreast of the details. Here's the latest from the front:
  • The zombies have taken the server room, the zombies have taken the server room! We need healers, stat. 1 minute ago from web.
  • This is @mikeschramm I'm alive but they're getting closer. Broadcasting on Ustream: http://is.gd/6vPX if you can hear, please... send help. 7 minutes ago from web
  • Uh oh, apparently there are some issues with the site. Zombies must be eating the wires! Leaving them in the server room was prolly bad idea 14 minutes ago from web.
Update: Guess they got the server zombies under control! Enjoy the all-new look to WoW Insider!

4,000 copies of Age of Conan stolen in biggest, most pointless MMO heist ever

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, News items, Humor

Thieves in the United Kingdom city of Bradford stole 4,000 retail copies of Age of Conan from the back of a truck late at night on Tuesday the 28th of October. The original source, Telegraph & Argus, claims that it was an Xbox 360 version of the game, but we're going to keep our sanity caps on and presume that was an error.

Police are trying to track down the thieves, but we're thinking it ought to be pretty easy to find them if they actually try to play the game themselves, seeing as how they'll need to register with a credit card number and other personal information to do so. We're guessing the thieves didn't realize that when they stole the boxes, eh? No good can come of this for anyone!

[Via CVG]
Warhammer Online Coverage Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

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BioWare employees satirize SWTOR's ginormous lightsabers

Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, New titles, Humor, Star Wars: The Old Republic


You may have noticed that the lightsabers in Star Wars: The Old Republic are disproportionately large. A vocal minority of fans are crying bloody murder about this, and BioWare is not unaware of that fact. At a company Halloween party, it would appear that they made a self-deprecating joke of it, with at least one employee showing up with an outrageously huge lightsaber, then staging a recreation of the screenshot that raised all those eyebrows.

The image was leaked to gaming blog Kotaku, and here it is. BioWare seems to believe it's good to have a sense of humor about yourself, and we agree!

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BlizzCon and Fan Faire: A comparison of corporate conventions

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


On the surface, one might think that there's no major differences between Blizzard's BlizzCon and SOE's Fan Faire. Both events are there to bring players together in the interest of geeking out on their favorite games from the two respective companies. That said, there are some distinct variations in purpose: Blizzard has stated they'll only do BlizzCon when they have something to show. Meanwhile SOE has been hosting Fan Faire since 2000. For the first three years there were multiple Fan Faires each year.

As we attended both events this year, we thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast some of the good and bad from both weekends. Curious as to how the two events played out? Check out our gallery tour of some of the common experiences from these two conventions and see how they stack up.

Paul Barnett thinks you look like a Dwarf

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Interviews, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Humor


Since Warhammer Online's launch, we haven't heard much out of the normally very vocal Creative Director for Mythic, Paul Barnett. Yet, in a recent interview at Ten Ton Hammer, Barnett speaks out about a few topics that are near and dear to his heart; most notably, the psychology of player races in WAR and how they pertain to appearance.

Barnett is usually full of witty metaphors and clever comparisons, and he certainly doesn't disappoint in this interview. On the topic of Dwarfs, Barnett muses on the people who play them and how "Most of the people I've met who like Dwarfs basically look like Dwarfs". He goes on to discuss the psychology of the Greenskins, Chaos players and finally the Elves. "I don't think people that play as Elves look like Elves either, because then I'd have to hunt them all down and kill them because they're too perfect. And if you did look like a Dark Elf or High Elf, you wouldn't be playing our game, you'd be walking around asking people to look at you because you're so beautiful."
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

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World of Warcraft
One Shots: More loot than they bargained for

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Screenshots, One Shots, Humor


When we saw this particular screenshot come in to the One Shots mailbox, we had to stop and stare for a moment just to figure out what precisely was going on here. This rather ridiculously timed World of Warcraft One Shots came in to us from Stockadin, one of a very silly Paladin pair from the guild Aggro Sapiens on the Hellscream server. Stockadin let us know that "this was actually done on accident with me goofin' off. But once my friend looted the chest and i noticed the position, I told him not to move. Too funny -- and perfect." We're just glad we'd finished our coffee before we opened the mail.

Have you had an... interesting bit of graphical silliness happen to you in game? Screenshots like this deserve to be shared; not wasting away alone and unlaughed-at in your screenshot folder. Grab your best (or would that be worst?) and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com, along with your name, server, and a quick description. We'll share them with the rest of our readers and give you the credit for bringing the funny.

Gallery: One Shots


World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft meets Guitar Hero

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Events, in-game, News items, Humor


Our sister site WoW Insider has video footage of a new World of Warcraft drop that's an 'axe' in every sense of the word -- the Arcanite Ripper is a guitar as well as a weapon. In fact, WoW Insider's dubbed it "The WoW Guitar Hero."

The drop comes from the boss Tenris Mirkblood in Karazhan. Once equipped, the Arcanite Ripper can transform you into a skeletal rockstar. Check out the video of the Arcanite Ripper in action below the cut, as WoW-player Telanis rocks out with it in Ironforge.
One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

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World of Warcraft
Guild Wars Halloween event returns

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Culture, Events, in-game, Humor


Celebrating what is now the fourth annual Guild Wars Halloween event, ArenaNet has just announced the return of the Mad King and his cheesy sense of humor. Guild Wars players can rejoice in the fact that this event will bring with it the best features of the previous years, including the popular Costume Brawl which was first introduced during last year's event.

While decorations for the event will begin on October 23rd in Lion's Arch and Kamadan, the event officially begins on October 24th and runs through November 2nd. There will be tricks and treats available as rewards for each event, and the Mad King himself will make his appearance every three hours on October 31st to tell jokes, play some Mad King Says and literally slay the audience. Check out the announcement on the Guild Wars main site for more information.

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TurpsterVision: WAR, What is it good for?

Filed under: Video, Reviews, Warhammer Online, Vendetta Online, Hands-on, Humor, TurpsterVision

Turpster shows off his WAR skills
I wont bore you all with words and phrases strung together to create some form of coherence, instead I will jump right back in! I am extremely proud to invite you once more to join in with the fun right here at Massively that is TurpsterVision! "Oi Git face! Wot'z dis? Da same game twice? Dis is an outrage! WAAGHH"

It is true folks, we are having a look at Warhammer Online once again here at TurpsterVision, but this time we are looking at the game as a whole and trying to answer that age old question of; is it actually fun to play?

Well if I told you here that would ruin all the fun, 'ow about you join me afta da break an' we'll see wot I make of a life at WAR...sorry, been playing Greenskins just a little bit too much recently.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

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Is the honeymoon over for Warhammer Online?

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Humor


We here at Massively have pointed to our fair share of positive opinion pieces for Warhammer Online, but we realize that not all people see the game as fluffy bunnies and rainbow unicorns. One such example of this is the ever-endearing Daedren over at r1ft.com, whom we all love for his insightful pessimism towards our favorite MMOs.

Despite the fact that Daedren spends much of his article reaming Warhammer Online, he ends by admitting that it may just be a general disdain for the fantasy genre as a whole, while WAR may just basically be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He writes, "Whatever happened to making a player feel like they are a hero?" "The reason that D&D and Warhammer tabletop games were popular is because the story revolved around the players; they could noticeably affect and change the world based on their decisions. This main aspect and magic of the game is lost in a sea of inane, repetitive and fun killing "Quests"."
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

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World of Warcraft
The Escapist explores hilarious family happenings when giving gold as a gift

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Business models, Humor


This week the online magazine The Escapist is once again delving into online interactions. They've previously talked about everything from failure cascades in guilds to the 'curse' of WoW addiction. Today they've got up a humorous piece about a family misunderstanding around the always contentious act of buying gold. In this case, the gold in question is Guild Wars gold, purchased for a young man enjoying a birthday.

Once the gold is purchased, miscommunications within the family lead to some tense moments and inter-generational conflict. Check out the piece and find out how the story ends, in Brendan Sears' piece "Careful What You Wish For".

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