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Wizard101 celebrates another anniversary of taking over the world

Beau Hindman — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-play, Casual, Kids, Wizard101, Family

Ah, Wizard101. My, how you have grown. So much has happened over the last three years that we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the milestones that happened during that time. Instead of going all the way back to the beginning, we'll be covering the major happenings over the last year. If we wrote up all of the patches and major updates to the game from the beginning, we would be here all night.

Feel free to retell some of your favorite memories in the comments section, and join us in wishing a happy birthday to KingsIsle and its baby, Wizard101! Click past the cut!

Continue reading Wizard101 celebrates another anniversary of taking over the world

Wizard101 celebrates another anniversary of taking over the world originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Interviews, MMO industry, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist

Don't miss the first part of this interview with the makers of Shadowbane, which we posted last week! And now for the thrilling conclusion...

The Game Archaeologist: What was the reason behind the free-to-play switch in 2006? Did this help the game's population any?

Josef Hall: Todd and I left Wolfpack shortly after it was acquired by Ubisoft, so we don't really have insight into the decision-making process behind the switch.

Todd Coleman: From what I have heard, it had a very positive impact on the size of the player population -- but yeah, I have no idea what it meant to the game monetarily.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2

The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: Talking with Josef Hall and Todd Coleman, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bright Shadow Online announced

Jef Reahard — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items

MMO collectible card games aren't quite as prevalent as their traditional RPG brethren, but titles like CardMon Hero, Urban Rivals, and even BattleForge have been making their online presence felt in recent years. Today Gamania Digital Entertainment Europe is adding another title to that mix with the announcement of its Bright Shadow Online MMOCCG.

Bright Shadow's beta begins this Friday, July 8th on Gamania's beanfun! platform. Interested players can grab a beta key by playing the Bright Shadow Memory Game at the title's website. The minigame involves matching six pairs of monster cards, at which point you'll unlock your key. Careful, though, you've only got four lives to spend.

Bright Shadow Online features 20 classes, 60 randomly generated dungeons, over 600 collectible monster cards, and extensive character customization according to Gamania's official website.

Bright Shadow Online announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Fizzles aren't fair edition

Beau Hindman — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Casual, Humor, Kids, Wizard101, Choose My Adventure, Family

The votes have all been tallied, and my fellow Wizard101 players have spoken! When I asked which secondary school I should go for, you all told me, "Life!" Some thought this was a silly idea -- a Death wizard with a life secondary school? -- but I like it. After all, what better way to rub my enemy's face in it than by stealing his life, adding it to mine, and healing myself every time he hits me? I think I'll learn an evil laugh just for moments like that. It was also decided that I ought to keep my current zombie pet at my side. This was great news, since I've already grown pretty attached to the little rotten guy.

What does all of this mean? Well, I will save the explanations for secondary schools and pets for next week's installment. In the meanwhile, I need to tell you all about the busy week I just had in game. It was pretty epic, filled with steam golems, awesome new weapons, and discovering the secrets of deck building. (Well, some of the secrets.) If you want, you can give me all sorts of advice in the comments section.

Follow me past the cut to read up on my adventures!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Fizzles aren't fair edition

Choose My Adventure: Fizzles aren't fair edition originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Wings rule, horses drool edition

Beau Hindman — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Screenshots, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Trading card games, Casual, Wizard101, Choose My Adventure, Family

For those who might not know, it was decided last week that my Wizard101 character was to be a boy from the school of Death. On top of that, he was ordered to get around town by using a pair of beautiful white wings. I heard a few comments in different places about how the wings would not look cool with a Death student or about how a horse mount or broom was better. I held fast and nabbed a pair of the white, fluttering back pieces. I had to obey orders!

Once I made my character and put the wings on, though, I looked completely metal. For those younger players who might not understand what that means, Google "Dio" and watch a few videos. Avoid Slayer -- your parents would not like that. (Note: If you come across a band called Queensryche, that's not metal.) Anyway, my white wings only accentuated my dark intentions. It was a fantastic choice.

But what else did I do over this last week besides wait for the vote to end? Well, click past the cut and I'll let you know.

Gallery: CMA: Wizard 101 first edition

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Wings rule, horses drool edition

Choose My Adventure: Wings rule, horses drool edition originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's clobberin' time: Whomp other Super Hero Squad players at PAX

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, real-world, PvP, Trading card games, Family, Super Hero Squad Online

We've got two quick questions for you: Are you a Marvel fan, and are you going to PAX this weekend? If you leaped up from your chair screaming, "YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!" then cut back on your caffeine intake and get thee to Gazillion's booth (#3433) in the exhibition hall for a special treat. Not only will the company be showing off Super Hero Squad Online, but it'll be hosting a special PvP tournament for awesome prizes.

At the tournament, players will get their hands on the collectible card battle system, where they can build their own customized decks and strike out at lesser heroes who stand in their way. In SHSO, these cards can be earned through quests and mini-games, or purchased via microtransactions. Gazillion has three Alienware prize packages for the winners of the tournament, including keyboards, headsets and a monitor.

This unique PvP system could be an effort to recall the joy of collecting toys and cards. Visitors to Gazillion's booth will also be able to play other aspects of the Marvel MMO, sign up for the beta, and shake hands with the developers.

It's clobberin' time: Whomp other Super Hero Squad players at PAX originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Star Wars online game revealed: Clone Wars Adventures [Update]

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Previews

While we've heard the rumors of a third Star Wars online title coming our way, today it's confirmed: Clone Wars Adventures will launch this fall! Unlike Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic, Clone Wars Adventures is aimed at a younger demographic (but may appeal to the older as well), in the vein of what SOE did with Free Realms. Sony is shying away from calling this an "MMO," preferring the term "virtual world" instead as there won't be leveling or quests.

Capitalizing on the Clone Wars TV series' popularity, CWA offers a pick of three playable classes (Jedi, Padawan and Clone Trooper) and will be more minigame focused. Players will socialize in hubs, meet iconic Star Wars characters, and head off together or solo for a variety of activities, including spaceship battles, tower defense, card games, droid programming and speeder bike racing. Destructoid is reporting that about 20 minigames will be present at launch. Fun amenities, such as pets and player housing, will be offered as well.

Clone Wars Adventures will be free to play with an optional membership, so everyone will be able to sample the goods without worry. The official website is chock-full of info and screenshots, although a lot of the smaller details are obviously forthcoming. We'll be able to get a closer look at this title when we travel to E3 later this month, so stay tuned!

[Update: We've gotten our hands on a trailer for the game! Follow along after the break to check it out!]

Continue reading New Star Wars online game revealed: Clone Wars Adventures [Update]

New Star Wars online game revealed: Clone Wars Adventures [Update] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PoxNora Maljaran Frontier expansion goes live

Jef Reahard — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Trading card games, Casual, MMORTS

Sony Online Entertainment has announced the thirteenth expansion for PoxNora, their browser-based CCG/RTS hybrid. The turn-based fantasy game, which can also be played via Facebook, now offers adventurers the chance to delve into a campaign set on the mystical island of Maljara.

The expansion looks to ramp up the war between factions via new runes and abilities. The Maljaran Frontier also adds a new map and soundtrack to the game, and furthers the story to include the death of a PoxNora hero.

The Maljaran Frontier includes 78 new runes, a new single player campaign featuring eight missions, new races (Leoss and Kanen), new player avatars, and server disconnect protection. Players will be able to freely access three of the eight new missions, with the remaining five available in the game's marketplace.

Check out the expansion announcement over at the official site.

PoxNora Maljaran Frontier expansion goes live originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camon Hero closed beta is in the cards

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Trailers, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Camon Hero

If you're one of the multitudes who grew up playing a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh or other card battling games, then we've got news about an upcoming MMO that may well interest you. Camon Hero, also known as Orka in other parts of the world, is coming to the West with fast-paced free-to-play card game MMO fun -- and a closed beta that starts tomorrow.

In Camon Hero, players explore the world, attempting to rid the lands of evil, and picking up different cards along the way. The game offers a classless system based entirely on the cards you have selected at the time. In the mood to be a battle mage? Load those cards up and get to playing. Prefer to go full-on melee or pure caster? You can do that too. From there, it's all about who has the better cards as you pit your deck (and thereby character) building skills against players in PvP, or against the world in PvE. Only unlike playing a traditional TCG, the cards spring to life and fight for your side!

For now, we've embedded the trailer for Camon Hero behind the break, which shows off some tantalizing hints of game play. Hopefully we'll hear some more news about this interesting MMO (or maybe score some beta keys) in the days to come.

Continue reading Camon Hero closed beta is in the cards

Camon Hero closed beta is in the cards originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PoxNora's big revamp tentatively scheduled for this week

Kyle Horner — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Patches, News items, PoxNora

The big revamp is almost here! RadarX -- you know, that friendly community guy -- recently made a post on the official forums announcing that the big revamp/update will be tentatively landing this Wednesday, Feb. 24th. Assuming nothing explodes, in just two more days PoxNora will have a newly streamlined stat system and shiny new user interface as well. There is a downside to this news, however, and that's an extended downtime on patch day. Expect the servers to be unavailable for about eight hours.

If you're wondering what all this talk of PoxNora and its big revamp is all about, check out our recent interview with Tony "RadarX" Jones about all the changes and improvements coming for current players and newcomers alike.

PoxNora's big revamp tentatively scheduled for this week originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft miniatures game launches

James Egan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO industry, Trading card games

One of the biggest names in the trading card industry is Upper Deck Entertainment. Given the success of their World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, they've released a follow-up game this week: The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game.

The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game went on sale worldwide as of Tuesday, November 11th. There are 70 different miniatures, including Warchief Thrall, Varimathras, and yes... even Leeroy Jenkins. There's a bonus for your actual WoW characters as well -- miniatures booster packs come with sample packs from the WoW Trading Card Game which might include Loot cards. Essentially, they're unlocks for "cosmetic in-game upgrades for their online World of Warcraft characters". Check out the Upper Deck launch announcement for their World of Warcraft Miniatures Game for the full details.

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!

World of Warcraft miniatures game launches originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What do you think of table-top games?

Samuel Axon — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Culture, Warhammer Online, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Trading card games

There exists a very close relationship between MMOs and table-top games.

Yesterday saw the launch of Ethernauts, the fifth expansion to EverQuest-related collectible trading card game Legends of Norrath. LoN is digital, but gameplay-wise, it's totally a table-top game. World of Warcraft has an entirely material trading card game. Warhammer Online is of course based on the Warhammer miniatures game, and WoW is getting a miniatures game of its own. And of course, the RPG genre originated on the table-top with Dungeons & Dragons.

We're wondering: how much crossover is there between digital and table-top games? How many of our readers play them? Tell us! What do you think of table-top games?

The Daily Grind: What do you think of table-top games? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legends of Norrath launches fifth expansion: Ethernauts

Samuel Axon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, News items, Trading card games

Today marks the release of the fifth expansion to the Legends of Norrath digital trading card game -- Ethernauts. More than 280 cards join the existing arsenal, including four avatar cards, two new unit races, and 20 loot cards. They all play into a story that sets the stage for EverQuest II's upcoming The Shadow Odyssey expansion. In fact, there are even some scenarios based on never-before-seen TSO content.

In an attempt to give would-be newbies an incentive to buy in, SOE has also introduced the Legendary Starter Pack at the price of $19.99. If you're a vet, though, you can pick up Ethernauts booster packs for $2.99 each. Current EverQuest or EQ2 subscribers will get a free starter deck, 'cause, y'know -- you're not hooked on Norrath enough already, right?

Oh, and there are a bunch of special events all weekend celebrating the launch.

Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!

Gallery: Legends of Norrath

Legends of Norrath launches fifth expansion: Ethernauts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft miniatures game hits shelves November 11th

Samuel Axon — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, News items

A World of Warcraft miniatures game will be released on November 11th. It has been designed and will be published by Upper Deck, the company behind the WoW TCG. For those curious how the game works, there are a number of gameplay previews at the News section of the game's website.

According to the FAQ, you can play with between one and five characters (each represented by a 40mm miniature) on each side of a battle (there are three sides -- Alliance, Horde, and Monster). Each character has an "action bar" which can be customized with abilities from WoW. Starter sets (priced at $24.99) will include basics like dice, rules, etc. as well as two Alliance and two Horde miniatures. Booster packs ($14.99) will include three random miniatures from one faction. The company plans to release expansions based on famous WoW raids in the future.

This is perhaps most interesting in that Warcraft has taken the opposite approach of its initial inspiration, Warhammer, by starting with video games and later moving on to miniature-based board games!

[Via MMORPG]

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!

World of Warcraft miniatures game hits shelves November 11th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Penny Arcade's WoW CCG contest ends, hilariously

Michael Zenke — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Contests, Culture, Trading card games

Early this month we discussed a contest, announced by the creators of Penny Arcade and aimed squarely at the hearts of card-and-mmo-players everywhere. It seemed so simple: craft a ten-word story about World of Warcraft and win yourself a huge pile of trading card game loot. The devil is, as is so often the case, in the details. With many hundreds of entrants the competition was quite fierce, and today's unveiling of the top five entries proves out just how fierce.

Like you, a lot of bloggers from the site submitted stories, but we know when we're beaten. How can you top "Overlord Saurfang is only afraid of one thing... Mrs. Saurfang?" Or "Naked they run, level 1 banks: Clark Kents of Azeroth?" I espcially like winner #3's tale: "The gunshot echoed like a ghost with nobody to haunt." Many of the honorable mentions are great too, like "'Small trogg problem in Orgrimmar's basement.' What an understatement, Thrall", or "Tipping his sombrero in salute, he dismounted his mechanical chicken."

We're curious, though: did you enter? If you'd be willing, why don't you share your submission(s) with us in the comments? This blogger volunteers to go first: "The murlocs, their scales glinting, advanced with hungry mouths wide."

Penny Arcade's WoW CCG contest ends, hilariously originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SAGA's undead faction coming with expansion

Chris Chester — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Fan art, Expansions, Previews, Races, Saga, MMORTS

Silverlode Interactive has announced that a new Undead faction will be shambling along with its first "Expansion Set" for SAGA, their relatively new MMORTS/CCG hybrid, when it comes out some time later this year. SAGA works much the same way that tradition collectible card games work, with new units and abilities coming with the purchase of boosters. It's not exactly clear at this point how this Expansion Set concept is going to work; whether players will have to invest a small amount in a new deck or whether Undead units will simply be part of the boosters, but we imagine we'll start hearing more details as the expansion moves further into development.

What is clear is that the concept art for the new faction is pretty freakin' cool, by our estimation. It looks like they're trying to take their Undead in a direction we're not accustomed to seeing in MMOs. The Necromancer concept drawing gives off a tribal, maybe even Egyptian vibe, where the Reaper seems to be going for a sort of medieval zombie look. It's pretty neat stuff, we're looking forward to seeing more.

SAGA's undead faction coming with expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Penny Arcade WoW CCG contest

Kyle Horner — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Contests, Trading card games

The Penny Arcade guys do a lot of amazing stuff beyond their incredibly popular three-days-a-week webcomic. The one thing they haven't done -- at least in recent memory -- is a contest that anyone can enter to win a mountain of super cool swag, at least until today. This particular contest consists of three huge mountains of World of Warcraft CCG swag, each of which contains the rare X-51 Nether-Rocket card that also happens to be redeemable in-game for a sweet rocket mount that your WoW character can scoot around on. We're pretty sure that thousands of WoW players are going to be entering this contest solely for said rocket card.

The actual contest itself is most awesome, asking participants only to supply Gabe and Tycho with a ten word story. We've been having fun at Massively by simply coming up with ten word stories for the hell of it -- although we're beginning to think it might be a good idea to enter some of these things. If you'd like to do that same, simply email Gabe with the subject line of "Ten Words" and as many quality ten word stories as you can come up with.

Penny Arcade WoW CCG contest originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SAGA now available for free, minus some features

Chris Chester — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Saga, MMORTS

More than ever, it appears as though MMO developers are struggling to keep afloat using the traditional models for monetization. SAGA is a game that's had an interesting subscription model from the getgo, shirking the typical subscription fee model for a CCG-esque booster system. Once you've bought the client, the game is free to play. The only caveat is that you can only get additional troops for your army by purchasing "boosters" for an additional fee. It's really a pretty brilliant system, combining two types of games (CCGs and MMOs) that are independently addictive, and fusing them together into what one would have assumed was a license to print money.

We haven't really heard how the game has been doing since it's since it finally emerged from beta last week, but already Wahoo Studios is shaking things up in an effort to draw in players. Like a drug dealer looking to give clients a first taste to get them hooked, they're now offering a free version of the client to give would-be players a better idea of what's on offer. The free client is missing a few features, but a free something is always better than nothing. Unlike a trial though, there is no time limit on how long you can use the free client. Seems they're confident in their product. It's probably worth a shot if an MMORTS/CCG sounds up your alley!

[Via Warcry]

SAGA now available for free, minus some features originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gifts for the City dwellers

Jonathan Northwood — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, December seems to be when the majority of gifts are exchanged among friends and family. Everyone has their own idea of what is and isn't appropriate in a gift-giving manner, and it's difficult to decide what's best to give, and what we most want to receive. Well, that's where we come in.

We have the good fortune of having two of the fae here -- one from the Rogue Isles, and one from Paragon City -- to share with us their views of appropriate gifts for those of you who are playing in NCsoft's realms this holiday season. Their selections range from cost-free, in-game offerings up to something you can tuck under the tree ... or the computer desk, as the case may be.

Continue reading Gifts for the City dwellers

Gifts for the City dwellers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Extra Legends of Norrath drops, new cards this weekend

Samuel Axon — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events, in-game, News items, Trading card games

SOE is promoting its new-ish Legends of Norrath online card game with the not-cleverly-named "Legends of Norrath Promo Weekend." The event begins at 2:00 PM PST this Friday (November 30th) and ends at 11:59 PM PST on Sunday (December 2nd).

Players of the game both new and old will "enjoy an increased rate of card pack drops." Additionally, two nice new cards called "Laricel the Gatekeeper" and "Skyshield Maiden" will be obtainable only this weekend. So if you're a hardcore collector in the game, you'd better get to playin'!

If you're not already familiar with Legends of Norrath, it's a trading card game playable inside EverQuest and EverQuest II as well as on its own through the Station portal. Players can receive special drops in both games that add cool new cards to their decks. Think of the card game in Final Fantasy VIII, only, y'know ... less lame.

Extra Legends of Norrath drops, new cards this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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