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Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Interviews, MMO industry, Humor, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous

Massively Speaking Episode 176 is on its third new microphone in as many weeks, but we're rolling with the punches and rounding up the biggest MMO news stories from this past week even so. Whether it be a lengthy chat with Massively's own Larry about his thoughts on the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta, our tribute to World of Warcraft on its 7th anniversary, or keen insights into the shopping mentality of Black Friday, we aim to cover all the bases!

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday

Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Friday deal for EVE players: 50% off EON Magazine and ISK Guide

Brendan Drain — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, News items, Promotions, Guides, Sandbox

Black Friday is upon us, bringing us countless offers on everything from online games to toasters. MMM Publishing announced an enticing offer today of 50% off issues of EON Magazine, the official magazine of EVE Online. The offer also extends to MMM's other EVE publications: The ISK guide, EVE Strategic Maps and a poster pack. These are all paper-based products that will have to be sent via post, and unfortunately the price reduction doesn't extend to postage. For details on how to get in on this deal, head over to the official EON blog.

EON is published quarterly and has recently reaching its 25th issue. The magazine has a professional quality to it, and interestingly the only advertisements you'll see in it are for in-game EVE Online corporations and services. The Industrial Sized Knowledgebase is a professionally laid out print copy of the most comprehensive guide to EVE ever released. A basic version is available for free as a PDF, and the purchased product is an extended reproduction delivered as a colossal ring-bound reference manual. EVE Strategic Maps is an accurate map of New Eden ready to be filled with post-it notes on big finds, wars and travel routes.

Black Friday deal for EVE players: 50% off EON Magazine and ISK Guide originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition

Jef Reahard — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Promotions, Miscellaneous

So apparently there's this thing called Black Friday. This is news to me because shopping isn't really my thing, see, especially if it involves looking for parking spaces, Christmas music, or entering a retail establishment of any sort (regardless of season). OK, I do occasionally make allowances for the grocery store.

Anyway, when it comes to holiday consumerism, fortunately there's this place called the intarwebs, where savvy merchants have taken to selling all manner of whatever and delivering it directly to your front door with the bare minimum of fuss. I hear there are even a few deals and steals for the budget-conscious MMO fiend in this land of digital plenty, and you should head past the break for links to a few of the more noteworthy sales.

Continue reading Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition

Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fury, RF Online, The Matrix Online, Hellgate: London, Tabula Rasa, All Points Bulletin, Humor, Promotions, Perfect Ten

With the holiday shopping season upon us, gamers are hot for great deals and cheap entertainment. As my wife's logic goes, if something is 80% off, you buy it, even if you didn't really want it in the first place. It's the principle of the thing, an automatic 80% dose of smug satisfaction at being a savvy shopper!

Not every deal should be pursued, however. Although most video games are playable for years and decades after release, not so with MMOs that have had their service shuttered. It's recently come to my attention that even though these games are completely unplayable -- rendered nothing more than a few cents' worth of a DVD and cardboard packaging -- online retailers haven't kept up with the times and keep these products on the virtual shelves long past their expiration dates.

That's not to say you should avoid these products at all cost, because studies show that a large percentage of Massively readers have a sick and twisted sense of humor. What would make a better gift this Christmas than a multi-million-dollar-budget MMO that died a horrible death years before?

So don't be the typical gifter who settles for a Blu-ray player or an iPod -- give a package of misery, disillusionment and broken dreams! Hit the jump for 10 items that absolutely belong in your shopping cart if you wish to be feared!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The Perfect Ten: The sadistic shopper's list for Black Friday and Cyber Monday originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Updated] Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Promotions, Miscellaneous

Can you feel the love? The food comas? The day of sitting around napping while the kids sneak into the kitchen for another piece of pie? ~~As you can see from the holiday e-card we've gotten~~, the gorging has already started in certain MMOs. However, for the rest of us who aren't virtual-demented-clown versions of Mr. Creosote, the promise of great deals looms once the turkey and pie are dispensed with. As we here at Massively are always on the lookout for a good deal, we've rounded up some MMO and hardware deals worth putting on your wish list.

Join us behind the break for some of the best 100% frosting-covered-clown-free bargains we've found. Also, if you spot anything particularly tasty in terms of sale prices, be sure to let us all know in comments!

[Updated] Switched the image out due to unintended offense, and adding more deals in as we find them!

Continue reading [Updated] Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup

[Updated] Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Heroes has your Cyber Monday deals

Jef Reahard — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, real-world, MMO industry

You're no doubt familiar with the upcoming mall stampede known as Black Friday. If you haven't heard of Cyber Monday, we'll forgive you just this once (and no, it's not that kind of Cyber Monday, Mr. Perv). Cyber Monday is basically the online equivalent of Black Friday, and NCsoft is teaming up with BestBuy.com to bring you a steal of a deal on the City of Heroes Going Rogue Complete Collection to mark the occasion.

For one day only (Monday, November 29th) you can pick up the compilation pack for a paltry $9.99. You can also hit up the NCsoft store afterwards and grab CoH booster packs for up to 50% off. The Cyborg, Magic, Science, Good vs. Evil, Wedding, and Mac packs are included in the deal, so mark your calendars and warm up those credit cards for the MMORPG deal of the season.

City of Heroes has your Cyber Monday deals originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New developer Q&A looks at the next stage of WAR

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Warhammer Online

Some things in life are so regular as to be dependable: the eruption of Old Faithful at Yellowstone, the frenzy of Black Friday shopping, and a Mythic developer Q&A Ventrilo session when a new patch goes up on the test server. Following a similar Q&A session from a week ago, Mythic devs returned to chew the fat with Warhammer Online players about anything and everything under the virtual sun.

Mythic's Carrie Gouskos, Nate Levy and Mike Wyatt fielded a large range of questions, from class balancing to destructive environments. A lot of focus was given to the upcoming 1.4.X patch, the next major step for the game. Mythic was coy about topics like player housing and improved crafting, offering up a "no comment" when the devs were asked about them.

One player wondered if fortress sieges would ever return, to which Mike replied: "Hopefully, at some point. There's a lot of problems with how we would like to implement it, usually with population density and the server not being able to handle the load. So we're looking at ways to bring them back in some fashion, at some point."

The full transcript is available at Gaarawarr Gabs.

New developer Q&A looks at the next stage of WAR originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Did you take advantage of Black Friday sales?

Seraphina Brennan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world, Opinion, The Daily Grind

So, it's Tired Saturday -- the day when you spent the previous night with your friends, out enjoying the beginning of the long weekend after stuffing your face on Thanksgiving. Of course, you might have been doing something else that was very important yesterday -- shopping.

Whether it was online or in the stores, the Black Friday sales were everywhere! We even made a guide about some of the deals so you, the MMO fiend, would know where to shop and what to keep your eye on. With so many deals, we couldn't help ourselves to picking up a few titles.

So did you guys take advantage of what was being offered? If so, tell us all about your Black Friday spoils, or perhaps any other sales you're looking forward to! We're eager to hear what you claimed in the madness for yourself!

The Daily Grind: Did you take advantage of Black Friday sales? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Catch great MMO Black Friday deals at Amazon.com

Michael Zenke — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Economy, MMO industry

If you're like the bloggers at Massively, you're wisely staying away from the doorbuster crowds at the major US retailers. That said, even MMO players have to buy Christmas gifts, right? Do what we're doing, then, and shop from home. Joystiq's fantastic Black Friday guides cover the length and breadth of gaming deals today, but you know where we're interested. That's right, the online stuff. Amazon.com not only allows us that great 'avoiding the crowds' feeling, they're also the only retailer to offer bigtime MMO deals! Check them out:

Guild Wars - $9.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Guild Wars: Eye Of The North - Expansion Pack - $9.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Warhammer Online 60 Day Prepaid Game Time Card - $19.95 (Reg. $29.99)
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning - $19.95 (Reg. $49.99)
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack - $25.95 (Reg. $39.99)

If you have to go deal with the humans, we suggest you brush up on the full Joystiq Black Friday guide before you do. There are deals to be had at most of the big box stores, perfect for making your games-buying a little more tolerable this holiday.

Catch great MMO Black Friday deals at Amazon.com originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would a Black Friday deal get you to try an MMO?

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, Opinion

With all the great bargains going on state-side (and to a certain extent, hooray online deals today!) folks are out in force, scavenging the sales. (Heck, our sister site Joystiq even put together a Black Friday game sales guide.) This morning, we thought we'd ask you - if you saw a ridiculously great price on an MMO that hadn't previously interested you, would you pick it up and give it a try? Perhaps even if only to say you'd played it? Or do you just stick to free trials, and only when it's a game that interests you?

The Daily Grind: Would a Black Friday deal get you to try an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MapleStory celebrates Black Friday with big sale

Samuel Axon — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, Events, in-game, News items, Casual

It's Black Friday, and that means every one (in the United States, at least) is busy shopping for the holidays! And with MapleStory, shopping and online gaming go hand in hand. Nexon, the company behind MapleStory, announced that there will be a huge Black Friday sale for MapleStory users this weekend.

So, if you're into MapleStory, that's good news for you; items in the Cash Shop will be sold at a big discount and there will be special sales of very valuable items for very low prices at certain times. If you're not, well, you still have all the "real-life" deals we pointed out earlier today to salivate over.

MapleStory celebrates Black Friday with big sale originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinemassively: Teh n00b Song

Moo Money — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Real life, Video, Cinemassively, Machinima

It's the day after Thanksgiving, commonly known as Black Friday. Today is not unlike your typical day in World of Warcraft. Americans scour the sale ads online and in print, and strategize how they're going to get their loot.

Olibith's Machinima interpretation of "Teh n00b Song", by Pure Pwnage, is the perfect theme for the day. A poor n00b thinks he can just kill wolves in peace, but teh_pwnerer has other plans for him. As little Fyapowa is taunted mercilessly, he tries to fight back, but to no avail.

As you're kicking and punching your way to better deals, think of Fyapowa and teh_pwnerer. Were you the n00b or the pwner today? As a fair warning, the pwner gets his just deserts in the end!

Cinemassively: Teh n00b Song originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Matt Warner — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events, real-world

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

Black 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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WRUP: Avoiding the relatives edition

Mike Schramm — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Events, real-world, Grouping

Yes, it's Friday again, and even though we missed it last week, that means its time for our weekly WRUP feature, in which we ask you, dear readers, what you're playing lately. I have to say that this weekend I'm pretty out of the loop in terms of MMO playing-- I've got the Macbook here at home in St. Louis (while all of my other gaming rigs are up in Chicago), so gaming time will be few and far between, I'm sure. WoW might get a little time, and I may jump on the EVE client (though I have to install it first, and before I left I made sure to set Astrogeology V to training, so I won't need to jump on there for a long time).

But I'm sure we're not all stuck at home with just a laptop to carry us through-- what are you all playing? Anyone take advantage of Black Friday spending to grab a new MMO (like Lord of the Rings Online or Guild Wars-- both only $10 at Best Buy today), or taking the three day weekend to get some good grinding done in the virtual world of your choice?

WRUP: Avoiding the relatives edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Friday: where's the love?

Chris Chester — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:13:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, real-world

In case you haven't noticed lately, we're already over a week into November. And you know what that means -- Black Friday is just around the corner. Whether you're one of the deal-lovers who camps out in front of the store a day beforehand with a stocked tent and provisions, or whether you're merely a casual spectator, drawn in by the chaos and the promise of excellent people watching, it pays to know what kind of situation you're getting into beforehand. We've stumbled upon a list of leaked Black Friday ads, and pulled out all the MMO deals for your convenience. We're just nice like that.

Sadly, the pickings are slim, as they say. The only retailer that's really being sporting to the MMO enthusiast is Best Buy, offering Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, and Lord of the Rings Online for a paltry $10 a piece. That's a savings of $30, $10, and $20 respectively. It's probably also worth mentioning that because these are "leaked" advertisements, it's entirely possible that they were either faked or will be changed before arriving on your doorstep, so tread carefully.

Can't say I'm not a little disappointed that there aren't any more knock-out deals for us this holiday season. Where's the love, retailers?

Black Friday: where's the love? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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