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Allods Online pops the cork on its second anniversary

Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play, Giveaways, Allods Online, Anniversaries

Allods Online pops the cork on its second anniversary
Considering how long Allods Online was launched-but-not-officially-launched, we think it's slightly inaccurate to acknowledge gPotato's claim that this is the title's second anniversary. Still, any excuse for a party, right? Starting today, Allods Online is featuring plenty of events, giveaways, and store sales to mark the occasion.

Active players have another shot at taming a free grey wolf or earning a "Noble Hero" costume set during the anniversary. There's also a few special NPCs who will be accepting anniversary coins in exchange for an array of special goodies. If you're of a mind to spend some money, all of the item shops wares are available for 20% off through the 13th.

GPotato is also giving veteran players 250 premium crystals and an anniversary gift package for those who have been in the game prior to today. The anniversary event goes from now until June 10th.

LotRO hands out daily 'Hobbit presents'

Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Patches, Free-to-Play, Giveaways

LotRO hands out daily 'Hobbit presents'
Hobbits love getting gifts, and Turbine loves players being in its game, so now everyone will be rewarded with daily and weekly presents for logging into Lord of the Rings Online. The so-called Hobbit Presents will be awarded daily, with VIP players getting a better version once a week. Each present is held only for 24 hours, after which it is gone forever (but don't cry, Argentina; a new day brings a new present).

The Hobbit Presents will drop a variety of goods, including gear, gold, boosts, and food. The weekly presents have a higher chance of dropping rare rewards. Turbine says that the system will factor in a character's class and level when generating the reward and that only one free present per account will be given daily.

A double-XP weekend began today to celebrate the game's sixth anniversary, and Update 11 is scheduled to go on the test server tomorrow.

Celebrate World of Tanks' second anniversary with livestream event, prizes, and discounts

Historical, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game), News Items, War, Giveaways, World of Tanks, Livestream, Anniversaries

Celebrate World of Tanks' second anniversary with livestream event, prizes, and discounts
Today marks the second anniversary of World of Tanks in the US, and Wargaming is inviting players to join the festivities. To celebrate, the studio is hosting a 12-hour livestreaming marathon from 10:00 a.m. EDT through 10:00 p.m. EDT today, April 12th. Throughout the livestream, various prizes will be awarded to viewers, from WoT apparel to GUNNER eye-wear to assorted Logitech, NVIDIA, and Mad Catz gaming paraphernalia. Check out the official stream schedule for a look at what's happening which hour.

The birthday bash also includes an extravaganza of special deals. Throughout the weekend, players will enjoy 50% discounts, five times the XP earned on every first victory of the day in each vehicle, and various credit increases. But those who want to take advantage of these anniversary deals will need to be quick -- they end at 7:00 a.m. EDT on April 15th.

[Source: Wargaming press release]

Defiance hands out compensation package to players

Sci-Fi, Launches, MMOFPS, Giveaways, Defiance

Defiance hands out compensation package to players
Defiance players are in for a little treat for their patience during a tumultuous opening week. Trion Worlds acknowledged the various issues that the game and its community have gone through, and thus the studio has put together a gift package as a way to thank customers for their patronage.

Current players have received several bonuses in their account, including a "Daredevil" exclusive title and one-week boosts to weapons skill, scrip, loot, and XP.

"We hope this shows you that we do appreciate you on this journey of Defiance, trying out something new, trying something different," wrote Executive Producer Nathan Richardsson.

[Thanks to Balance for the tip!]

LotRO rewards dedicated players for the game's sixth anniversary

Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, Promotions, Anniversaries

LotRO awards dedicated players for the game's sicth anniversary
Lord of the Rings Online is celebrating its sixth birthday this month, and to honor the occasion, the game is holding an anniversary festival from April 16th to April 30th. To say thank you to its loyal fans, Turbine is giving away special gifts based on each player's account status. These gifts will range from a set of fireworks for everyone to more exclusive items for VIP players, depending on how long they've maintained VIP status.

Be sure to log in to the game during the festival to claim your prize, and check out the official FAQ to learn more about each gift.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Arctic Combat giving away gamer gear to celebrate latest update

Sci-Fi, Video, War, MMOFPS, Giveaways, Miscellaneous

Arctic Combat giving away gamer gear to celebrate latest update
In its first major content upgrade since the game's December 2012 launch, Webzen is announcing a new multiplayer mode for its World War III MOFPS Arctic Combat.

Arriving April 18th, the new 4-player co-op mode is said to bring together hardcore and more casual FPS gamers with new maps, weapons, and an upgraded AI system. Plus, Webzen will host a series of giveaways in the near future. Be sure to check out the trailer right after the jump, and watch the game's Facebook page and the official website for more info soon.

[Source: Webzen press release]

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SOE meet and greet at PAX East open to everyone

EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, EverQuest Next, PlanetSide 2, Dragon's Prophet

SOE meet and greet at PAX East open to everyone
Want a chance to rub elbows with some of the movers and shakers in the SOE world? Then head to the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel on March 22nd for a meet and greet during PAX East. Don't worry if you don't have tickets for the convention itself; the event on Friday night from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. EDT is open to the public.

Representatives from a number of SOE's titles will be there to chat, share stories, and even answer questions about the various games. You could discuss PlanetSide 2 strategies with Community Rep Maggie Krohn, discuss EverQuest's latest expansion with Sr. Community Manger Eric Cleaver, or even corner EQ franchise director Dave Georgeson and see what news about EQ Next he might let slip! Dragon's Prophet Senior Producer Todd Carson will also be on hand to answer your questions about, well, dragons. And rumor has it that the drinks are on Brasse!

What's a con event without swag? Dragon's Prophet priority access beta keys as well as T-shirts will be given out on a first come, first served basis. EQ goodies might be had as well. Folks planning to drop by can RSVP on the official Facebook event page and follow updates on the various games' respective twitter accounts.

TESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour

Fantasy, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Giveaways, The Elder Scrolls Online

TESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour
If The Elder Scrolls Online were to serve snacks to players, what would be on the menu? Now you can find out! On March 10th, the TESO food truck will start a cross-country jaunt across the US to bring tasty treats and swag giveaways to fans.

Starting at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, the truck will make 11 stops over the year at various conventions -- including PAX and PAX East, E3, and Comic-Con -- as well as a number of universities. Joining the kick-off festivities in Austin will be composer and singer Malukah. For more details on other tour dates, check out the official announcement.

Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway

Fantasy, Contests, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, Anniversaries

Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway
It's Vanguard's sixth birthday today, and if you haven't read our recent dev tour of the game's progress since free-to-play, we're going to have a strong word with your mother. As for SOE's part, the studio is giving away five 'schwag bags' full of awesome Vanguard goodies -- but you'll have to sign up quick to get your chance at winning something.

The prize package contains a signed copy of Vanguard's collector's edition, a backpack, a $15 Station Cash gift card, a mug, a mobile stylus, and a phone case. It's open to everyone 18 and older, but all entries must be in by tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EST. You can head over to the official contest page for more details and your chance to win.

Jukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free

Anarchy Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, Ryzom, RuneScape, Global Agenda, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Atlantica Online, Giveaways, Miscellaneous, Jukebox Heroes, Music

Jukebox Heroes Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free
Collecting MMO soundtracks is a scattered, scavenger-like experience. Releasing video game soundtracks isn't exactly high up on studio and publisher to-do lists (although we're seeing more love from digital stores), so whether or not a title will get a music release is really a crapshoot. What does get released is never in the same place twice: Some game soundtracks are released as special editions only, some only as CDs, some as full MP3 album releases, some directly from the composer, some are buried on websites, and so on.

So I'm constantly looking everywhere trying to beef up my MMO soundtrack library, and as a result I've uncovered several scores that the studios are giving away for free. I'm all over free (legal) music, especially when it's in my area of interest!

If you've been looking to start an MMO soundtrack collection or are looking to add to what you have, I've put together a list of 11 MMO scores that you can get today free of charge. Sound good? It does to me!

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Wizard101, Pirate101 celebrate season with 12 days of specials

Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Wizard101, Giveaways, Family, Pirate101

Wizard101, Pirate101 celebrate season with 12 days of specials
It's that time of year -- the time when the festivities lurk around every corner and good cheer permeates the air. And KingsIsle Entertianment joins in the celebration with the 12 Days of the Spiral! Starting today and going through December 19th, the studio is offering a special daily surprise for Wizard101 and Pirate101 players. Each day could reveal a special offer, a free giveaway, or a new item for one or both of the games.

The first deal really gets to the heart of the spirit of giving: Every purchase of today's special, the Fa-La-La-La Llama mount, will directly benefit two children's charity organizations. This limited-edition mount is available for both games, but must be purchased separately for each.

LotRO lotteries return with better odds

Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-Play, Giveaways

LotRO lotteries returning with better odds
Everyone likes free stuff, which is why the Lord of the Rings Online lottery system has an ardent following. While the system's been offline for a while now, Turbine just announced that it is bringing the lottos back starting tomorrow.

It won't just be the same lotteries your dad used to scratch, either. The team's made a few upgrades to the system, mostly in response to the expansion and increase of the level cap. There are two new regular lotteries as well as smaller brackets, which means that the odds of winning a prize will go up across the board for all players.

Players can enter the lottery through the website. Turbine's also updated the official lottery FAQ with all of the new information.

Chaos Theory: Stuff The Secret World needs

Fantasy, Horror, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Secret World, Giveaways, Housing, Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory 26
Well, I think The Secret World has been out long enough for me to start listing some things the game needs. No, I haven't cleared Transylvania yet. In fact, I'm still happily lost in the latter portion of the game's Egyptian area, so this isn't a column full of complaints about endgame or the lack thereof.

Good MMOs are virtual worlds, though, and Funcom's got plenty of options for expanding immersiveness and gameplay potential going forward. Oh, and fair warning: If you're one of those lulz-we-don't-need-no-stickin'-fluff types, this week's column isn't for you.

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Guild Wars 2 launch events coming September 1st

Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Launches, Guild Wars 2, Giveaways

Guild Wars 2 launch events coming September 1st
Looking for a way to celebrate the release of a certain fantasy title with other like-minded fans? Launch events for Guild Wars 2 are coming a few days after the game's release, but don't go blaming the launch parties for being lazy. They've got to revive several overworked and passed-out ArenaNet employees, after all.

ArenaNet has just posted a list of launch events across the US for Guild Wars 2. The events will take place on Saturday, September 1st, in Seattle, Austin, Orlando, New York, and Los Angeles. Devs will be on hand to sign Guild Wars paraphernalia, stage quiz contests, hold raffles, and give away T-shirts, posters, Guild Wars 2 collector's editions, and exclusive in-game items to the first takers.

ArenaNet hasn't forgotten its fans in Europe; the studio will be partnering with agencies in the region to hand out similar goodies.

Gamescom 2012: Guild Wars 2 giveaway for Gamescom attendees

Fantasy, Real-Life, Events (Real-World), News Items, Guild Wars 2, Giveaways

Guild Wars 2
It's that special time of year again. There are thousands of people packing bags, boarding trains, and piling into Cologne, Germany. Soon the halls that host Gamescom will be filled with people, the din of dozens of competing booths, and the scent of unwashed masses. What does that mean for you if you're a Guild Wars 2 fan in attendance? It means that along with a weekend with tens of thousands of your best buddies, you get a chance for super-special in-game items.

Every day, ArenaNet staff members in the team's booth will be giving away an in-game goodie to anyone who can tell them the day's password. The passwords for each day will be announced via Twitter, so be sure to keep one eye on the Guild Wars 2 Twitter feed and another on an ArenaNet employee who'll accept said password.

Aside from setting themselves up to be trampled by a seething horde of item-hungry fans, the ArenaNet team members will be chilling in Hall 8, chatting with folks, and generally keeping low-key. They might be saving their energy for something; I hear there's a game of theirs coming out soon.

Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively's on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from the MMOs at the show!

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