Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The week in Massively features]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/21/the-week-in-massively-features/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/21/the-week-in-massively-features/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/21/the-week-in-massively-features/#commentsFiled under: ,

Massively's picks for the best of 2008
Massively doesn't hand out awards. We're not the Oscars, we're not the Emmys. What we are, though, is a bunch of opinionated MMO bloggers. Like it or hate it, 2008 was an enormous year for our favorite genre of games. We took a poll among the staff of the site, taking stock of an entire year in gaming. What follows are our picks for the best, the most surprising, the games that we just can't wait to play.
Massively's Super-cheap MMO Gift Guide
Massively aims to help with your holiday woes, and so today we have on offer a series of gift ideas that won't break the piggy bank. Ranging from the low, low cost of free to the cost of a few DVDs, this year more than ever it's incredibly easy to get into the online space. Just follow us into our gallery guide and forget worrying about what's under the Christmas tree.
Know Your LotRO Lore: Concerning Hobbits
If you're curious about the origins and lore of the Hobbits both in the books and the game, follow along on our journey through the link below. We'll cover their migration to the Shire, their peculiar lifestyle, their interpretation in LotRO and even if Hobbits are real.
TurpsterVision - Weapon of Choice
Moria not only granted us two new classes, which I'll be exploring one at a time over the next two weeks, but it also granted players the ability to gain Legendary weapons of old which they can level up alongside their character. But enough reading about it, this is TurpsterVision! Watch on after the break...

Continue reading The week in Massively features

MassivelyThe week in Massively features originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredhobbitsholidashjoystiqfeatureslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroweek-in-mv-featuresSun, 21 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Super-cheap MMO Gift Guide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/massivelys-super-cheap-mmo-gift-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/massivelys-super-cheap-mmo-gift-guide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/15/massivelys-super-cheap-mmo-gift-guide/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In a year when everyone is looking to their bank balance, it's just common sense to seek out ways to maximize the fun of Christmas giving while minimizing the economic impact. Online gaming in particular is a great way to offer an 'in' to fun without a lot of expensive electronics or batteries required. Most folks probably already have everything they need to participate (a PC and an internet connection), and unlike other gifts that claim to 'keep on giving' online gaming really does. Introducing someone to a new MMO can - literally - change their lives. New friends, new adventures ... MMOs have a lot to offer as gifts.

Massively aims to help with your holiday woes, and so today we have on offer a series of gift ideas that won't break the piggy bank. Ranging from the low, low cost of free to the cost of a few DVDs, this year more than ever it's incredibly easy to get into the online space. Just follow us into our gallery guide and forget worrying about what's under the Christmas tree.

Gallery: Massively's Super-cheap MMO Gift Guide

Buy Them An Older BoxPass On A Friend CodeFree-to-Play Introduction Game Time / Game Cash CardsNothing Says Love Like Platinum

MassivelyMassively's Super-cheap MMO Gift Guide originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgift-guideholidashholidaysjoystiqfeaturesmmo-gift-guideMon, 15 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Galaxies Christmas Special, numerous class updates coming soon]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/the-star-wars-galaxies-christmas-special-numerous-class-updates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/the-star-wars-galaxies-christmas-special-numerous-class-updates/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/06/the-star-wars-galaxies-christmas-special-numerous-class-updates/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


A brand-new Producer's Letter from Chris Fields brightened this week for Star Wars Galaxies players. Coming sometime in the middle of the month is the newly revamped Life Day event. This year they've taken heavy cues from the Star Wars Christmas Special, that horrifying cultural relic from the 80s. You may wonder about the wisdom of doing so, but keep in mind that the special (despite its many flaws) is 100% canon content. The event will see players smashing presents, decorating trees, and getting awesome presents like a pocket aquarium, a holographic table, a proton chair, an in-home wroshyr tree ... and perhaps even a Kowakian monkey-lizard!

The letter also contains a lot of previews for upcoming patches, great-sounding content for players of all stripes. Game Update 6 will see the addition of an appearance tab, expanding the roleplaying-friendly game feature seen in other games like EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online. Make sure to thank AdeptStain if you like it! Update 7 will see the long awaited updates for Spies, and Update 8 will see major changes to Player Associations and Cities. There are a ton more holidays and goodies coming down the pipe ... check out the full letter for the details.

MassivelyGalaxies Christmas Special, numerous class updates coming soon originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>christmasholidashholidayslife-daysoesony-online-entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesswgswg-game-update-6swg-game-update-7swg-game-update-8Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day twelve]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-twelve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-twelve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/28/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-twelve/#commentsFiled under: ,


Our holiday giveaways are rapidly coming to a close -- we're on our final day of giveaways! But you still have a couple more chances to win! First off, check out our holiday postcard contest, where we're asking for your holiday images in postcard format. Show us how you celebrate your virtual holidays -- and soon! The contest wraps up tomorrow! (For the best images, we've got some nice hardware for you: headsets, G15 keyboards, and laser mice.) For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we've got one last random giveaway to offer you. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Saturday, December 29th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day twelve originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredholidashholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyFri, 28 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day eleven]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eleven/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eleven/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eleven/#commentsFiled under: ,


Our holiday giveaways are rapidly coming to a close -- we're already up to day eleven out of twelve! But you still have a couple more chances to win! First off, check out our holiday postcard contest, where we're asking for your holiday images in postcard format. Show us how you celebrate your virtual holidays -- and soon! The contest wraps up tomorrow! (For the best images, we've got some nice hardware for you: headsets, G15 keyboards, and laser mice.) For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're also doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Friday, December 28th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day eleven originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredholidashholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyThu, 27 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day ten]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-ten/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-ten/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/26/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-ten/#commentsFiled under: ,


Our holiday giveaways are rapidly coming to a close -- we're already up to day ten out of twelve! But there are still chances to win! First off, check out our holiday postcard contest, where we're asking for your holiday images in postcard format. Show us how you celebrate your virtual holidays! (For the best images, we've got some nice hardware for you: headsets, G15 keyboards, and laser mice.) For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Thursday, December 27th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day ten originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredholidashholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyWed, 26 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Holiday Gallery - CoX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-gallery-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-gallery-cox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-gallery-cox/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As we've previously mentioned, many MMOs are currently running their winter events, and we here at Massively have started to compile a gallery of screen shots from various titles: Saint Nicholas may not be sharing today, but -- as you can see from the snowball fight above -- we're going to share everything from the missions to the mischief. We hope you enjoy the images.

For our first offering, here's the CoX winter event. As Eli noted, it went live on 17 December; and, while we've told you about the badges you could win on the slopes, as well as the new salvage and old missions, we thought you might enjoy actually seeing what winter in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles looks like. After all, a picture is worth 1,000 words, right? From snow beasts to Baby New Year, we've tried to capture it all in the Holiday Gallery.

Gallery: Massive Holidays 2007

MassivelyMassively's Holiday Gallery - CoX originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXGalleryholidashjoystiqfeaturesScreenshotsWinter-EventTue, 25 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day nine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-nine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-nine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/25/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-nine/#commentsFiled under: ,


For those of you celebrating today, merry Christmas from Massively! But for those who aren't celebrating, you can still enjoy the season with a chance to win some great prizes! If you haven't yet seen our holiday postcard contest, there's no time like the present to check it out! We're asking for your holiday themed images and screenshots in postcard format -- so what are you waiting for? Get in game and get some screenshots for us! (For the best images, we've got some great hardware for you: headsets, G15 keyboards, and laser mice.) But for those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you reallyneed to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Wednesday, December 26th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day nine originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredholidashholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyTue, 25 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Guild Wars Wintersday 2007 Gallery]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/guild-wars-wintersday-2007-gallery/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/guild-wars-wintersday-2007-gallery/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/guild-wars-wintersday-2007-gallery/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


It's Christmas Eve, and if you've got nothing better to do there are two warring factions in the world of Guild Wars that would probably like your help with the Festival of Wintersday! Of course, there's all those family obligations to see to on days like this, and you can hardly be blamed for being busy. As such, why not sit back and check out our own gallery of Wintersday imagery? Or go browsing on Flickr for the innumerable beautiful pictures of Arena.net's holiday finery in Kamadan, Lion's Arch, Ascalon City and beyond?

We've previous featured Arena.net's Wintersday finery in our One Shots series; why not submit a Wintersday shot from this year? There's still plenty of time before the end of the event to get a shot in the door! Whether you're a follower of the crotchety Grentch or beautiful Dwayna, make sure to have a Happy Wintersday ... at least until January 1st. Then the gloves come off and it's time for a battle royale!

Gallery: Guild Wars Wintersday 2007

MassivelyGuild Wars Wintersday 2007 Gallery originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arena.netfeaturedgalleryguild-warsgwholidashholidaysholidazescreenshotswintersdayMon, 24 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day eight]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eight/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/24/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-eight/#commentsFiled under: ,

You must have seen our holiday postcard contest by now, yes? If you have, what are you doing still reading this? Get in-game to grab holiday screenshots to share with us! (For a chance to win some great hardware to complete your gaming arsenal: headsets, G15 keyboards, and laser mice.) And if you haven't, go check it out! But either way, that's not the only thing we're doing to celebrate the holidays on Massively! For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Tuesday, December 25th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day eight originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestcontestsfeaturedholidashholidayholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyMon, 24 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day seven]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-seven/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-seven/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-seven/#commentsFiled under: ,


You must have seen our holiday postcard contest by now, yes? If you have, what are you doing still reading this? Get in-game to grab holiday screenshots to share with us! (For a chance to win fabulous prizes, of course!) And if you haven't, go check it out! But either way, that's not the only thing we're doing to celebrate the holidays! For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Monday, December 24th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day seven originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestcontestsholidashholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelySun, 23 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Holiday bonus XP weekends in EQ and EQII]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/holiday-bonus-xp-weekends-in-eq-and-eqii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/holiday-bonus-xp-weekends-in-eq-and-eqii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/22/holiday-bonus-xp-weekends-in-eq-and-eqii/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

SOE's customer support team may be off for a bit of holiday time, but the dev teams have given Norrathian players a nice big gift to tide us over. Both of the big fantasy titles in Sony Online Entertainment's lineup are offering bonus XP weekends for the holidays!

EverQuest II players will see a 20% bump in XP this weekend, through 10:00 AM PST on Monday, December 24th. The second bonus experience weekend will begin Friday, December 28th at approximately 3:00 PM PST and last until approximately 10:00 AM PST on Monday, December 31st. EverQuest players have even more to celebrate, as their Frostfell bonus of 25% xp lasts from now all the way through to 1:59 pm PST, Tuesday, January 1, 2008.

And remember: if you haven't picked up Vanguard in a while your account has been re-opened all the way through to January 20th! Go have a happy holiday on SOE, then.

MassivelyHoliday bonus XP weekends in EQ and EQII originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonus-xpeqeq2everquesteverquest-iifrostfellholidashholidaysholidazesoesony-online-entertainmentvanguardSat, 22 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day five]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-five/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-five/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-five/#commentsFiled under: ,


You've seen our holiday postcard contest , haven't you? If you have, what are you doing still reading this? Get in-game to grab holiday screenshots to share with us! And if you haven't, go check it out! But either way, that's not the only thing we're doing to celebrate the holidays! For those of you who feel you have limited artistic talent (but how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Saturday, December 22nd). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day five originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestfeaturesholidashholidayholiday-postcardsholidaysjoystiqfeaturesFri, 21 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WoW holiday eats and treats]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/wow-holiday-eats-and-treats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/wow-holiday-eats-and-treats/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/wow-holiday-eats-and-treats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

'Tis the season to be hungry, friends. Looking for WoW-themed treats for a gamer Decemberween? WoW Insider will keep you well fed this holiday season. Hit up the WoW gift guide and treat your loved ones too, won't you?



MassivelyWoW holiday eats and treats originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cookingfeaturedfoodgamer-foodholidashholidazejoystiqfeaturesmurloc-fin-soupnight-dragons-breath-diprecipewowwow-gift-guideFri, 21 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day four]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-four/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-four/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-four/#commentsFiled under: ,


We've moved into day four of our holiday giveaway! So if you're interested in free stuff, keep reading! If you want a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Friday, December 21st). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

And for those of you with graphical talent, you can also enter our holiday postcard contest, where we're asking for holiday images from your favorite games! Send us your holiday screenshots and artwork for your chance to win more holiday swag!

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day four originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestholidashholidayholiday-postcardsholidaysThu, 20 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cinemassively: How to make a gift box]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/cinemassively-how-to-make-a-gift-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/cinemassively-how-to-make-a-gift-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/cinemassively-how-to-make-a-gift-box/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you're as prim-challenged as me, but want to give your SL friends something for Christmas, then this is the tutorial for you. Torley Linden has made an extremely informative video on how to make gift boxes in Second Life, add contents, send them, and how to receive them. If you have some time, I'd strongly suggest checking out her other tutorials, involving how to set permissions, fill out your profile, get texture info, and much, much more!

If you're interested in making instructional movies yourself, the tool that Torley used is called Camtasia Studio 5. You can identify the style by their zoom ring, which focuses in automatically where the action is going on in the video.

MassivelyCinemassively: How to make a gift box originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buildingcamtasia-studio-5gift-boxesholidashhow-tolinden-labsecond-lifesltechsmithtorley-lindentutorialsThu, 20 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Building a better MMOusetrap: Burnout for the holidays]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/building-a-better-mmousetrap-burnout-for-the-holidays/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/building-a-better-mmousetrap-burnout-for-the-holidays/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/building-a-better-mmousetrap-burnout-for-the-holidays/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Burnout is a topic almost every MMO player is familiar with, you or a friend reach that point where the game has lost it's wonder, and you just can't be bothered to login anymore. Sometimes the feeling goes away and you get back on the horse and carry on, or it stays and you leave the game for good, perhaps for another game, or you just leave the whole genre behind.

It's a topic that has been discussed before by a number of different people, by players, developers and journalists alike, and there never really has been a concrete reason behind it. Some people burn out before end game, some after months and months of end game content, and others last years, just to finally snap. I know I'm not going to be breaking any ground discussing it again, but it's something I've been thinking about covering for a while, and lately the topic has been hitting close to home. Every year around this time, no matter what game I'm playing, you see more and more burn out, and people drift away from the game. Some chalk it up to the holidays (the period between Yanksgiving (or American Thanksgiving for our US audience), and Decemberween (Christmas)) as the contributing factor, as people spend more time with their families, and their wallets. Others say it's seasonal depression, and once the skies turn to slate and the snow begins to fly, people just don't want to be sitting in front of the computer anymore.

Personally, I think it's a mix of both, as well as the fact that this is the time of the year we look back and take into consideration everything we have done throughout the year. I've always noticed people look at their time in MMOs in three distinct ways at this time of year.

Continue reading Building a better MMOusetrap: Burnout for the holidays

MassivelyBuilding a better MMOusetrap: Burnout for the holidays originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>burnoutfeaturedholidashholidazejoystiqfeaturesWed, 19 Dec 2007 23:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day three]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-three/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-three/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-three/#commentsFiled under: ,


Day two of our holiday giveaway is finished and over -- but never fear, because we have more prizes for day three! So if you're interested in free stuff, it's time to enter today's contest, right here! Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Thursday, December 20th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

And for those of you with some graphical talent (and to take game screenshots, you don't need that much!), you can also enter our holiday postcard contest, where we're asking for holiday images from your favorite games! It runs until the 28th, so now's the time to find that perfect screenshot to send in!

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day three originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestcontestsholidashholidayholiday-postcardsholidaysmassivelyWed, 19 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways, day two]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/massivelys-holiday-giveaways-day-two/#commentsFiled under: ,


Yesterday's holiday giveaway is now closed -- and be warned that all comments that are made after 5:00 PM EST aren't eligible to win. But if you're interested in free stuff, it's time to enter today's contest, right here! Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Wednesday, December 19th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

And for those of you with some graphical talent (and to take game screenshots, you don't need that much!), you can also enter our holiday postcard contest. It started yesterday and runs until the 28th, so send your holiday images our way!

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways, day two originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestfeaturedgiveawayholidashholiday-postcardsholidazeTue, 18 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gift guides for MMO gamers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/gift-guides-for-mmo-gamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/gift-guides-for-mmo-gamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/gift-guides-for-mmo-gamers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

What do you get the gamer who has everything? Our vote is for a Legolas navel ring. But don't just take our advice (please!) -- have a gander at the gamer gift guides we've prepared for you and your MMO-besotted loved ones. And of course, don't forget we're also celebrating this holiday season by giving you lots of presents -- enter each day's sweepstakes for some easy "just-leave-a-comment" free stuff, or try your hand at our holiday postcard contest and engage your creativity for a chance to win a Plantronics DSP-400 headset, a Logitech G15 gaming keyboard, a Logitech G9 laser mouse, or, if you're our grand prize winner, all of the above. Merry Festivuhannuveilmas from all of us at Massively!

Holiday gift guides

MassivelyGift guides for MMO gamers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gift-guidesholidashroundupsTue, 18 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Winter has arrived in CoX]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/winter-has-arrived/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/winter-has-arrived/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/18/winter-has-arrived/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The CoX Winter Event went live yesterday. After getting some quality hands on time with the newly revamped festival of snow and lights... color me impressed! Along with all the same stuff from years gone by, the newly added ability to obtain medals for the fastest time down the ski slopes is absolutely addicting. Aside from earning bragging rights (complete with your name listed on the leader board - until you get dethroned at least), you also get badges based on your times down the slope. Last night I managed to obtain the Speed Demon (gold), Accelerated (silver) and Qualified (bronze) badges - all of which can be found under the Accomplishment badge tab.

Finding and opening the Gamesters presents has always been fun, and a bit tedious when trying to obtain the associated badges. So it needed a little somethin' somethin'. Candy Canes are a new type of salvage that you can get from successfully opening up presents. Sometimes you'll get a temporary power, a Candy Cane, or both. Unsuccessful openings get you some frosty snowmen to battle. While the goodies aren't shabby, they're things that have been available in past events. For instance, 10 CC's will get you a Jingle Jet temporary power. Twenty stripped canes will buy you Renewal of Light, a temporary resurrection power. In total there are 6 goodies to pick up.

All in all it appears this year's Winter Event will be the best one yet. Besides the constant plethora of free updates to the game, NCsoft always comes through with in-game events for their players. Just one more reason to live in the City of Heroes (and Villains)!

MassivelyWinter has arrived in CoX originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Christmascity-of-heroescity-of-villainscohcovcoxholidashHolidayin-game-eventncsoftwinter-eventTue, 18 Dec 2007 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday giveaways!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massivelys-holiday-giveaways/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massivelys-holiday-giveaways/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massivelys-holiday-giveaways/#commentsFiled under: ,

Though you may have seen our holiday postcard contest start up this morning, that's not the only thing we're doing to celebrate the holidays! For those of you with limited artistic talent (though, really, how much talent do you need to take a screenshot?), we're doing daily giveaways for the duration of the contest. Entering is simple -- just leave a comment on this post between now and 5:00 PM EST tomorrow (that's Tuesday, December 18th). To be eligible you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States: please read our official rules for full details. You can enter once in each of our contests -- so if you don't win this one, check back tomorrow at 5:00 PM for another chance to win!

We'll pick two winners: first place will receive their choice of game-related goodies (your options are: 60 days of WoW, 60 days of any NCsoft game, 30 days of EverQuest/EverQuest II/Planetside, 50 days of EVE Online, 60 days of Lord of the Rings Online, or 7500 Lindens) and second place will receive a caffeine candy sampler (for those late-night gaming sessions!) from ThinkGeek.

MassivelyMassively's holiday giveaways! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestgiveawayholidashholiday-postcardsholidazemassively-holiday-giveawayMon, 17 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's holiday postcard contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massively-holiday-postcards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massively-holiday-postcards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/massively-holiday-postcards/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Here at Massively, we want to wish you a happy holiday by giving stuff away! Keep reading for your chance to win a Plantronics DSP-400 headset, a Logitech G15 gaming keyboard, a Logitech G9 laser mouse, or, if you're our grand prize winner, all of the above! For your chance to win, we're asking you to send us holiday postcards from your favorite game! Your postcards can be unmodified screenshots (with or without the standard postcard text), edited images like the one above (by WoW Insider's Chris Jahosky), or original artwork. (All trademarks and copyrights are owned by the respected owner.) Show us how they celebrate the holiday season in your favorite game!

So hurry up and get your images ready, because the contest starts right now! To enter, just send a copy of your image to contests@massively.com. It should be in JPG format, no larger than 900 pixels wide, and no larger than 1MB in size. We'll be accepting entries until December 28th at 11:59 PM EST, at which point the Massively staff will judge all entries based on artistic merit and expression of the holiday theme. To be eligible to win, you must be age 18 or older and a resident of the United States or Canada -- please read our official rules for full details.

MassivelyMassively's holiday postcard contest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artfeaturedholidashholiday-postcardsholidazepostcardscreenshotscreenshotsMon, 17 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Style wants you to play (Secret) Santa]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/second-style-wants-you-to-play-secret-santa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/second-style-wants-you-to-play-secret-santa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/second-style-wants-you-to-play-secret-santa/#commentsFiled under:

Several days ago, Celebrity Trollop announced that Second Style would be taking signups for their Secret Santa game. You can pick up her lovingly hand-scripted Secret Santa kiosk vendor at the Second Style HQ. Please note that signups close on December 19th at 12pm PST, so hurry!

On the 19th, you'll be randomly assigned to another participant. You will have until December 25th to buy them a gift of at least 100L in value, but not more than 500L. If you would like to give multiple presents, they must not total more than the 500L value. To find out how to send anonymously, please read the full rules.

[Thanks, Celebrity!]

MassivelySecond Style wants you to play (Secret) Santa originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>celebrity-trollopchristmasholidashle-zoosecond-stylesecond-style-fashionistasecond-style-hqsecret-santashoppingSun, 16 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[It's starting to feel like Christmas in Turbine games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/its-starting-to-feel-like-christmas-in-turbine-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/its-starting-to-feel-like-christmas-in-turbine-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/14/its-starting-to-feel-like-christmas-in-turbine-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Turbine is spreading the holiday cheer with winter seasonal events in three of its games. Lord of the Rings Online is introducing its first Yuletide event. From December 14 until January 3, players can embark on a quest that will reward them with a snow-covered tree for their yard. While not on the scale of other seasonal events introduced in the game, the reward will be sure to please the many new homeowners who are looking for status symbols to display in their online neighborhoods.

Next, in Asheron's Call, Santa Sclavus will be traveling the lands handing out presents to the good little boys and girls. But the naughty ones will only be getting coal. Be sure to be on the lookout for the jolly gift giver and see what he has for you.

FInally, in Dungeons and Dragons Online, The Festival of the Twelfth Moon has arrived in Stormreach and brings with it the Festivult Jester. Players can collect Festivult Coins from chests and turn them in for special holiday prizes.

Overall, Asheron's Call looks like the most fun of the three events. A GM controlled NPC can have great fun interacting with the players if he is not mobbed by 80 at once. But we're also curious how the LotRO devs have incorporated Christmas into Tolkien lore. They have a tricky balance to maintain to meet the expectations of their customers, but not violate the spirit of Middle-earth's well-detailed culture.

MassivelyIt's starting to feel like Christmas in Turbine games originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acchrimstas-eventsddoeberronfestival-of-the-twelfth-moonfestivult-jesterfetivult-coinsholidashlotrolotro-loresanta-sclavusstormreachtolkienturbinewinter-seasonal-eventsyuletideFri, 14 Dec 2007 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[CoX Winter Event timing announced]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/cox-winter-event-timing-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/cox-winter-event-timing-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/12/cox-winter-event-timing-announced/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As previously noted, NCsoft is bringing the Winter Event back to Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. While it's been running -- off and on -- on the Test server for a while, the official start and end times are now known. According to Community Relations Manager Lighthouse, the Winter Event will start on December 17th and end the first week in January. More details will be forthcoming in the official forums, but it's time to start gearing up for next Monday. Good luck on the slopes, y'all, and don't forget to help out Father Time ... I hear he likes that.

MassivelyCoX Winter Event timing announced originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>City-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCoVCoXholidashNCsoftWinter-EventWed, 12 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gifts for the City dwellers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/gifts-for-the-city-dwellers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/gifts-for-the-city-dwellers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/gifts-for-the-city-dwellers/#commentsFiled under: ,

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

MassivelyGifts 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArtworkCard-SleevesCCGCity-of-HeroesCity-of-VillainsCoHCollectible-Card-GameCoVCoXDavid-NakayamaFeaturedGame-CardHolidashHoliday-CheerHolidazeLord-ReclusePlayNCPosterShopNCStatuetteT-ShirtTue, 11 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Unusual holiday gifts for LotRO players]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/unusual-holiday-gifts-for-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/unusual-holiday-gifts-for-lotro-players/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/09/unusual-holiday-gifts-for-lotro-players/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We'll bet good money that the Lord of the Rings Online player in your life already has the Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Boxed DVD set ($65) and the 50th Anniversary Edition Leather Bound trilogy book set ($54). So we delved into the depths of the Internet to find some unusual gifts that will surprise and delight.

Let's start with the funny. Cartoon Stock allows you to order any of their many licensed drawings on mouse pads ($25), t-shirts ($30), even sun-screens for the car ($28 for a pair). Check out all their humorous LotR images. Personally, we're waiting for the customized laptop iron on.

Since LotR movie posters are a common gift, you may want to consider a wall scroll instead. For the same price as a standard poster, you can get a "Return of the King" Aragon poster art print ($20) or "Return of the King" montage poster art print ($15) on a 31" x 42" tapestry. It's printed on a "soft silk-like material." We don't know what that means exactly, but if it's more tapestry and less velvet Elvis, it will look very cool on the wall.

Continue reading Unusual holiday gifts for LotRO players

MassivelyUnusual holiday gifts for LotRO players originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balrog-poseable-action-figurecartoon-stockfeaturedgift-guidegollum-tongue-ringholidashholiday-gift-guidejoystiqfeatureslegolas-navel-ringlotr-body-artlotr-song-booklotromovie-posternew-linepewter-gobletspipe-of-gnadlafreturn-of-the-kingstamp-collectionsword-of-arwenthe-one-ringtolkien-townturbinewall-tapestrySun, 09 Dec 2007 15:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life holiday shopping guide - December 8th edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/08/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-8th-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/08/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-8th-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/08/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-8th-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I probably had something witty to say when I started this list, but that was 7 solid hours ago, and I'm not even sure I want to look at another Second Life ad listing again! However, I've found more amazing listings from 89 incredible designers for your shopping enjoyment. If you followed along with last week's guide, you'll notice that the list more than doubled! Keep in mind that some of the deals from the December 1st edition are still going on.

With that said, I structured this week's guide differently because of the sheer size of it. The categories are: Freebies, Cheapies, Free to group members, Sales, Regular-priced, For men, and Home and Garden. Once again, they are listed with the shop name linking to a store SLURL and what they're selling, with a link to their blog or forum post about the item. If you release something in the coming week, let me know, or leave a comment here, and I'll include it in next week's guide. Happy shopping!

Freebies:
 Read on for cheapies, group members only, sales, regular-priced items, menswear, and home and garden items ...

Continue reading Second Life holiday shopping guide - December 8th edition

MassivelySecond Life holiday shopping guide - December 8th edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessoriescheapieschristmaschristmas-shoppingclothingfashionfeaturedfor-menfreebiesgift-guidegift-guidesgifts-for-gamersgroup-onlyholidashhome-and-gardenlinden-labregular-pricedsalesale-itemssecond-lifeshoppingslslurlSat, 08 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Christmas gifts for your Second Life resident]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/christmas-gifts-for-your-second-life-resident/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/christmas-gifts-for-your-second-life-resident/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/07/christmas-gifts-for-your-second-life-resident/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Oh Gods of Yummy Things ... it's that time of year again, isn't it? Love it or loathe it, it's Christmas trotting toward you, antlered head held high and the glint of consumer-related malice in its eye. Regardless of your personal belief system, chances are you'll have to buy at least one gift for someone simply because it's traditional. Well, if that someone also happens to be a Second Life resident, then let this post help you in deciding what to get someone who has everything -- virtually.

The Casual/Work Acquaintance
Maybe you have a supervisor or boss that spends time in SL, but you don't know their tastes well enough to know what they'd like as a gift (and consequently feel warm and fuzzy toward you enough to give you a raise). I suggest one of the fine guides to Second Life to be had on Amazon.com. In fact, one of them was co-authored by Our Aimee Weber! And if you can't trust a Massively blogger, who can you trust?

Continue reading Christmas gifts for your Second Life resident

MassivelyChristmas gifts for your Second Life resident originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aimee-weberamazon.comchristmasfabjectoryfeaturedgiftsguidesholidashholidazeKC-and-the-sunshine-bandmassivelypeanut-butter-jelly-time-dancepresentssecond-lifestatuettetaurenworld-of-warcraftFri, 07 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Holideals: Tabula Rasa stocking stuffers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/holideals-tabula-rasa-stocking-stuffers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/holideals-tabula-rasa-stocking-stuffers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/06/holideals-tabula-rasa-stocking-stuffers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When it comes to established games like World of Warcraft or City of Heroes, finding holiday goodies for dedicated gamers is a simple matter of hitting Google and seeing what manner of strange and extravagant goods rise to the surface. For a game like Tabula Rasa, which has only just now starting to sink into the hearts and minds of MMO nuts, simply getting people to consider playing the game is a difficult prospect in and of itself. With this in mind, we scoured the internet to find the best deals on Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa and came away pleasantly surprised.

The pickings are a little sparse, but definitely worthy of your holiday dollar:
  • Gamestop is running a promotion where you can get a free Tabula Rasa keyset with the purchase of a Zboard, a $20 value. The Zboard is a keyboard specifically designed to give you easy and quick keyboard access to chat features, emotes, and menu commands. The deal runs through the end of the year, so now is the time to jump on it if you were planning on springing for a Zboard anyway.
  • Amazon has both the regular and collector's editions of Tabula Rasa on sale for $25 and $30, respectively. This puts them well under the impulse purchase threshold. Heck, at that price, you could afford to buy the CE for yourself and a good buddy and set aside some holiday time to blast some Bane over a glass of eggnog.
Being a Tabula Rasa player myself, I can tell you that this it is the perfect "gateway game" for getting traditionally casual or console gamers into the MMO genre. There's something about shooting aliens with a rocket launcher that seems to transcend the normal social boundaries. For the new, reduced price of entry, you cant argue.

MassivelyHolideals: Tabula Rasa stocking stuffers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdealsgiftholidashholidaysholidazencsoftrgtrtabula-rasazboardThu, 06 Dec 2007 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's gift guide for the Star Wars Galaxies player]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/massivelys-gift-guide-for-the-star-wars-galaxies-player/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/massivelys-gift-guide-for-the-star-wars-galaxies-player/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/massivelys-gift-guide-for-the-star-wars-galaxies-player/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

They say pet owners look like their pets. There are enough people who put stock in their horoscope to see it put in the daily newspaper. Heck, even which Hogwarts House you identify with probably says something about you. So why not your Massively Multiplayer game of choice? Over the next few weeks we at Massively are going to do our level best to help you make holiday gift giving easy. We'll run down some of the player archetypes you might have among your friends, based on the games they play. We'll give you gift ideas perfect for that type of player and (if it seems right) even some in-game presents that might fit well with their play style.

Today I've got a pile of gift ideas for that rare breed: the Star Wars Galaxies player. Playing a much-maligned game can be hard, but the folks still participating in the story of the galaxy far, far away have their reasons. Maybe it's the crafting, maybe it's the twitch combat ... maybe it's the awesome player housing. For that player - be they Jedi or Bounty Hunter, Sith or Savior - we have an idea that'll keep them happily humming John Williams music on December 25th.

Read on for our gift ideas, and (please) toss out your own in the comments!

Continue reading Massively's gift guide for the Star Wars Galaxies player

MassivelyMassively's gift guide for the Star Wars Galaxies player originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beastmasterbounty-hunterfeaturedgift-guideholidashjediknights-of-the-old-republickotorlucasartsngesoesony-online-entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesswgWed, 05 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life holiday shopping guide - December 1st edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-1st-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-1st-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/second-life-holiday-shopping-guide-december-1st-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's Christmas season already, which means Limited Editions, holiday outfits, and freebies! Sifting through all the blogs, ads, and forum posts can be quite tedious. I'm going to be taking care of the work for you every Saturday!

In order for you to get the most out of your Second Life shopping experience, I've broken the items down by pricing. They are categorized as freebies, cheapies, group only, sales, and regular priced items. They are listed with the shop name linking to a store SLURL and what they're selling, with a link to their blog or forum post about the item. If you release something in the coming week, let me know and I'll include it in next week's guide. Happy shopping!

Freebies:
Cheapies:
Read on for group only, sales, and regular priced items ...

Continue reading Second Life holiday shopping guide - December 1st edition

MassivelySecond Life holiday shopping guide - December 1st edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessoriesargyle-boutiqueboudoircallie-clinecarolines-jewelrychai-sinscheapieschristmaschristmas-shoppingclothingcotton-candydark-edendawnshopdepozephemeral-creationsessentiafashionfeaturedfreebiesgift-guidegift-guidesgifts-for-gamersgroup-onlyholidashholidayinspiredivaldejaded-visionsjewelrykick-the-canlast-calllavish-stylelinden-lablvs-and-comantramf-designsmiriel-enfieldnicky-reenico-creationsparallax-viewpassionate-neko-dreamspixeldollsregular-pricedsale-itemssecond-lifesecond-miragesf-designshes-so-unusualshoppingsin-skinsslslurlstellar-designsstyle-your-destinysubtle-submissiontalisman-designstete-a-piedthe-body-politiktrue-northvitamin-ciwinterwrongyou-know-for-kidsziggys-quirksSat, 01 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[USB Optiwind Mouse: A mouse that really blows]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/usb-optiwind-mouse-a-mouse-that-really-blows/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/usb-optiwind-mouse-a-mouse-that-really-blows/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/usb-optiwind-mouse-a-mouse-that-really-blows/#commentsFiled under:

The holidays are coming, and what more lovable folks exist on your gift list than the hardcore PvP players in your life? You know the people I'm talking about, everybody has one. (In my case, I have about fifteen of them in my guild.) They're the ones who blow three, four, six, eight or more hours sitting in PvP arenas and battlegrounds. They're the ones who overdose on Red Bull and sit in their dimly lit computer rooms screaming into their headsets, and white-knuckling their mice.

So what do you buy as a stocking stuffer for your favourite PvP enthusiast. They do, as a whole, tend to go through input devices (mice and keyboards) particularly fast. There are lots of good gamer keyboards out there, but what about mice?

PvP purists will tell you that wireless is not an option. Anything that requires batteries for power is a weakness that cannot be allowed, so wired is preferred by most. For $22 USD, Brando is offering just such a unit with an innovative twist that is clearly aimed at the hardcore gamer segment. The 800 dpi USB Optiwind mouse has a cooling fan built into it that will keep your hand cool and prevent it from getting sweaty, thus interfering with your "PvP productivity."

Bring some tidings of comfort and joy into the world of the PvP gamer in your life.

MassivelyUSB Optiwind Mouse: A mouse that really blows originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cooling-fangamer-mousehardwareholidashusbusb-mouseTue, 27 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Friday: Last minute loot-n-scoot roundup for slackers that prefer online buys]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/23/black-friday-last-minute-loot-n-scoot-roundup-for-slackers-who/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/23/black-friday-last-minute-loot-n-scoot-roundup-for-slackers-who/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/23/black-friday-last-minute-loot-n-scoot-roundup-for-slackers-who/#commentsFiled under: ,


I am lazy. I like being lazy. When Black Friday was niche and relatively unknown compared to today the experience was fun for bargain hunting... Now, everyone and their grandmother get in on the wheeling and dealing. It's crowded, too crowded. I do not want to spend my Thanksgiving encroached by of slack-jawed mouth breathers in a line that lasts for an eternity. Ditching friends and football for a 50 dollar hard drive deal just isn't worth the hassle, oh, and I guess spending time with the family during commercials is important too.

That doesn't mean those that don't participate in this consumer activism are left to fend for the scraps after the animals are done pillaging the brick and mortar stores. Some big chains are offering online Black Friday deals before "Cyber Monday" launches, another gimmick to rob poor blokes such as myself blind. I went ahead and compiled a list primarily of online deals that are suited towards MMOG players, and the necessary trappings and innards that connect our gaming contraptions to these fantasy worlds to make all that fanciful magic happen.

Continue reading Black Friday: Last minute loot-n-scoot roundup for slackers that prefer online buys

MassivelyBlack Friday: Last minute loot-n-scoot roundup for slackers that prefer online buys originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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