Massively

Massively to co-host STO panel at the Official Star Trek Convention

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage, Community Q&A

Hey MMO Trekkies, are you beaming down to Las Vegas for this year's Official Star Trek Convention? If so, we've got one event that you won't want to miss: a Q&A panel with Star Trek Online's developers co-hosted by Massively and TrekRadio.net!

We'll be on the scene as Cryptic Studios fields a wide variety of questions from ardent fans of the game. If getting that burning question you've had off your chest isn't enough of a reason to attend, the developers will also show a few trailers and sneak peeks of upcoming content.

The panel will take place on Saturday, August 11th, from 2:00 to 3:00 EDT (11:00 a.m. to noon PDT) at the Rio Suites Hotel in Las Vegas.

Massively to co-host STO panel at the Official Star Trek Convention originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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League of Legends IPL swings into Sin City

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends

Las Vegas is welcoming League of Legends players with open arms as the best of the best compete in the next step of the Challenger Circuit: IPL 4. With $5 million on the line for the season, you can bet that League of Legends players are doing anything and everything they can to get a piece of that action.

IPL 4 is taking place from today through Sunday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Sin City. Over the weekend, eight teams will compete for rankings and a $50,000 pot. The challengers are Team Dignitas, EpikGamer, Counter Logic Gaming, Team Solomid, v8 eSports, Against All Authority, Monomatic eSports, and Curse Gaming.

Riot Games says there are still IPL 4 tickets available for those who want to attend in person. For those who can't, there's always the official IPL YouTube channel for long-distance spectating.

League of Legends IPL swings into Sin City originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trickster Online and Pangya United want to send you to Las Vegas

Jef Reahard — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

SG Interactive wants to send you to Las Vegas, and all you have to do to qualify is play one of the company's MMORPGs. A new press release spills the beans, and entering the contest is as easy as completing a couple of in-game events.

Said events are happening in Trickster Online and Pangya United, and one winner from each title will take home a prize pack that includes airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to attend the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.

What's the skinny on the events themselves? First up is The Pirates of Pangya Island contest. The pirate queen Kooh is challenging players to collect gold coins hidden at the 18th hole of each Pangya Island course. All you have to do is collect one coin and you'll automatically be entered into the Las Vegas trip contest. The Pangya event ends on September 21st, and the winner will be announced on the 22nd. Entering the Trickster Online contest is even easier. Rack up 100 hours of game time by September 28th and you'll be eligible to win. The victor will be announced on October 5th.

[Source: SG Interactive press release]

Trickster Online and Pangya United want to send you to Las Vegas originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Incoming messages from the devs... again

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 65131.6...

Hello, computer (and players)! I seem to mention this all the time, but I believe it to be true: The developers working on Star Trek Online are more transparent with their work than the devs of most other games. Whether or not this transparency has been always been a good thing is debatable, though. Still, no matter what one's thoughts on this are, I think we can all agree we like to be "in the know" when it comes to new things in development. This past weekend, a select group of STO players was able to attend another Dine with the Devs event, hosted by yours truly, where transparency was taken to the next level.

As I let you all know last week, the second-ever Dine with the STO Devs event coincided with some STO devs' visit to the Star Trek Las Vegas convention. Over 50 players gathered at a local Vegas restaurant to eat, drink and bombard Cryptic's developers with their most burning questions. Because 99.99% of the game's players were unable to attend, I captured the entire event on audio and would like to present you with a basic transcript of the evening's events. So make some food, grab a drink, and get ready to fire up the Holodeck for another edition of Captain's Log.

Ensign, warp 10! Auxiliary power to the Holodeck matrices and brace for impact...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Incoming messages from the devs... again

Captain's Log: Incoming messages from the devs... again originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Captain's Log: Resistance might actually be futile

Brandon Felczer — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log

Captain's Log, Stardate 65112.3...

Hello, computer (and players)! They're mean, they're green(ish), and they are of a collective mind... they are the Borg, and resistance is futile. As most of you know, the Federation's most feared enemy plays a major part in Star Trek Online, and while the Borg are the current endgame "baddie," players find themselves on a daily basis in situations that force them to avoid assimilation. Be they in Deep Space Encounters (DSEs), Special Task Forces (STFs), or random explore missions, the Borg are out there and planning an invasion into the Alpha Quadrant. Bad news, Captains -- their plans are about to come to realization.

Later this month, the Borg Fleet Intercepts are scheduled to commence, and as the Borg take up their offensive stance, players of all ranks are going to be called to the front lines. Since this is the first "global combat event" the game has ever had (not including one during beta), players are excited to see what is in store and what they're up against. Luckily, being a member of Section 31, I was able to gain access to some secret intelligence that contains the Borg's plans, and Captain's Log is about to let you in on them so you know how to organize your counterattack.

Ensign, warp 10! Let's prepare our readers for the impending invasion...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Resistance might actually be futile

Captain's Log: Resistance might actually be futile originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire survival guide

Karen Bryan — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest II, Events, real-world, Opinion, The Tattered Notebook, Guides

It's hard to believe, but in just a couple of weeks, Fan Faire will once again be upon us. What started as a simple fan celebration eight years ago has become a massive showcase of Sony Online Entertainment games, fan spirit, and of course, amazing costumes.

There's a lot going on, and the weekend really flies by quickly. Whether you're going for the first time or you're a multi-year vet, this week's Tattered Notebook offers up several handy tips to help you make the most of Fan Faire. Read on for all the details!

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire survival guide

The Tattered Notebook: Fan Faire survival guide originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Where would you vacation in an MMO?

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

MMOs are often the place we go to get away from the routine of life, where we can explore exotic worlds and cull all life from them in pursuit of the almighty ding. Even though this virtual exploration is fun, from time to time the locales call to us strongly. "Come!" they say. "Visit us! Ignore the rampaging orcs and rest under the shade of our death trees!"

I sometimes wonder where I'd vacation in an MMO if I was given the chance. I'd probably say either Lord of the Ring Online's Shire -- during any given pie festival -- or on Guild Wars' sandy beaches. Either of those would be supremely relaxing and probably superior to hoofing it around Vegas or Disney World (cue MMO "theme park" joke).

So where would you vacation in an MMO if the laws of reality would bend to suit your travel plans? Would it be somewhere gorgeous, somewhere interesting, or somewhere with locals you'd love to meet?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Where would you vacation in an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Registration opens for SOE's Fan Faire

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Culture, Events, real-world, Free-to-play, Casual, Free Realms, DC Universe Online

Fans of EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, and Free Realms have a big reason to get excited -- the seventh annual SOE Fan Faire opened up registration Tuesday. Just as a reminder to everyone who missed our previous announcement, the event will run on the weekend of August 5-8 at Bally's Las Vegas. Fan Faire will take place right in the center of the Vegas Strip, in the same venue as last year. That means even if you find a spare moment away from the events, there will be plenty of nearby attractions to go see.

The events already announced at Fan Faire include:

Developer panels
Contests
Live gaming tournaments
Tons of prize giveaways
A vendors area for all your memorabilia needs

In addition, SOE is giving away a whole mess of bonus items to people who register for the whole weekend, including free digital copies of the upcoming EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions.

Enough to get you excited? The hopes of breaking news for DC Universe Online is enough to get us hyped up. If you're a big fan of SOE's various titles and have a little vacation time, now might be a good time to start planning!

Registration opens for SOE's Fan Faire originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE announces dates for Fan Faire 2010

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, PlanetSide, Events, real-world, The Agency, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Everquest Online Adventures, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, PoxNora

For fans of Sony Online Entertainment's stable of MMO titles, the time has come once again to start making plans for Fan Faire. It looks like we'll all be heading back to Bally's Hotel in Las Vegas from August 5-8 for a weekend chock-full of all manner of crazy gaming fun with MMO friends.

This year, they're offering everything from day passes at $35 on up to a Platinum badge which -- for $135 -- will net you access to all events, plus an additional in-game item, a special swag bag boasting more than just regular Fan Faire goodies, access to a VIP lounge, and even private VIP events. Add to that the room discounts starting at $65 a night for a swanky hotel right on the main Vegas strip, and this could well be a great vacation that just happens to include the awesome fun of this year's SOE Fan Faire.

For now, there's no details on the schedule of events, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Alan "Brenlo" Crosby wedging people into t-shirts three sizes too small, as well as an appearance by of one of our favorite Dwarves. If previous years are any indication, this is a should-not-miss event for any serious SOE fan.

SOE announces dates for Fan Faire 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE launches 2009 Player of the Year contest

William Dobson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, PlanetSide, Contests, The Matrix Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Everquest Online Adventures

SOE is searching for their two biggest fans, and plans to reward their loyalty with a trip to the SOE Fan Faire in Las Vegas later this year. It would be pretty difficult to work out who the biggest fanboys or girls are without any input from the community, so it's up to the players to nominate suitable candidates -- and yes, you can nominate yourself. What qualities should you be looking for in potential Players of the Year? From SOE:

"Do you know someone who is the poster child for your favorite SOE title? So dedicated to the game, he or she walks around with bloodshot eyes, sleep deprived, wearing his or her favorite wrinkled SOE T-shirt? Does this player stand out as the first person to go beyond the call of duty to help fellow community gamers in and out of the game? If so, you may have the perfect candidate, and we want to know more!"

To submit a nomination, send an email to SOEContests AT soe.sony.com with a 300 word letter or role-playing story explaining the worthiness of the player in question; a link to a screenshot, video or artwork can be included. The contest is already underway and closes at midnight PST on the 10th of May, and the nominee must be a US resident and 21 years of age or older. Full competition details can be found here.

SOE launches 2009 Player of the Year contest originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What happens at Fan Faire, stays at Fan Faire

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, Events, real-world, The Agency, The Matrix Online, News items, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Everquest Online Adventures, Free Realms, DC Universe Online

Vegas, city of lights, nightlife, and SOE's Fan Faire! Sony has announced that they will once again be heading for Vegas to party down in high-rolling style. This year they'll be holding the event from June 25th to 28th at Bally's Hotel. The location they've picked is right in the middle of various Vegas attractions - although we're sure if you're there for the SOE party, you won't need to worry about that too much.

Having attended last year's Fan Faire, we can definitely say that it's a great weekend of fun and interesting panels, nice people - and this year's lineup appears to be just as interesting. So far the scheduled events include:

Special announcements and sneak peeks of upcoming SOE titles at the Third Annual Community Address from SOE President John Smedley
Autograph signings with members of the original EQ development team and other key contributors
Lots of in-game tournaments; and live, game-themed competitions and quests
Developer forums and roundtables
Cool giveaways and other fun items!
Player of the Year

To top it all off, prices for Vegas vacations are quite good, currently. So if you've been thinking about getting away, really dig SOE's games - or upcoming titles, and enjoy partying down with a great bunch of friendly, welcoming people, then definitely make some plans to attend this year's Fan Faire.

What happens at Fan Faire, stays at Fan Faire originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE developers to hold a meet and greet in Las Vegas

James Egan — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Previews

The major player gathering for EVE Online players is Fanfest, which is held in Reykjavik each year. However, the fact is many players can't make the trip to Iceland, and a number of North American players have hoped for an event that's more accessible to them. It looks like this is going to happen, and what's more accessible than Las Vegas? (Bonus: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.")

The 2009 EVE Developers Meet and Greet in Las Vegas was mentioned very briefly during the recent (and excellent) Alliance PvP Tournament, but more info is available now. EVE Vegas is a two-day event that will be held on May 8th and 9th at the Imperial Palace (on the Strip). It kicks off on a Friday with the Meet and Greet, followed up by a conference on Saturday.

Continue reading EVE developers to hold a meet and greet in Las Vegas

EVE developers to hold a meet and greet in Las Vegas originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie MMO Game Developer Conference coming to Vegas in April

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry

Just as this year's gaming conference season is beginning to wind down, we start to receive news of next year's events already. Last Straw Productions has just announced the third annual Independent MMO Game Developers Conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV on April 17th through the 19th, 2009.

This conference will feature more presentations and vendors than the previous years, plus new demo stations where the Indie developers can show off their latest projects. In addition, the imgdc.com website has been completely revamped with a new logo, layout, adviser and speaker blogs. Check out the website for more information on the upcoming event.

Indie MMO Game Developer Conference coming to Vegas in April originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Podcast interviews two Star Trek Online guys, gets lots of new info

Samuel Axon — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Star Trek Online

Star Trek gaming podcast Hailing Frequency interviewed Cryptic Studios Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert in the wake of the big Las Vegas unveiling of Star Trek Online. The two part interview is available in both audio and video, and it's one of the best sources of details beyond the unveiling video itself at this point.

There are a lot of reveals and hints in the interview. Some examples of interview topics: post-launch plans for user-generated content, an economy without a monetary currency, and details about starship combat. Emmert speculates that cross-platform play and non-region-specific servers are possible, but that no final determinations have been made. Listen to the interview for more!

Hailing Frequency also spoke with STO's new community manager, JR Sutich, who is better known to folks in the MMO community as Razor. He was a regular writer at WarCry before he started with Cryptic. That interview, also available in both audio and video, deals exclusively with the game's community and forums.

Podcast interviews two Star Trek Online guys, gets lots of new info originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STO August 10th webcast information revealed

Kyle Horner — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

So you can't make it to the Sunday, August 10th Las Vegas Star Trek convention to see Leonard Nimoy reveal Star Trek Online to a huge crowd of Trekkies? (Or Trekkers, we don't really know) We understand that you probably feel left out, especially considering that Cryptic is going to be showing live gameplay footage at the convention. Well worry not, for Cryptic has released the webcast information that allows all interested parties to watch as well. Commence rejoicing drive!

You can follow this usefully highlighted link at 1:30pm PDT this Sunday, August 10th to watch all the commotion. Who knows? You could possibly get so excited over seeing Star Trek Online actually being played that you knock over your soda/water/coffee (depending on your timezone) but still don't care, because of how excited you are! Even if beverage knock-age doesn't occur, we're pretty certain most of you will be excited regardless.

STO August 10th webcast information revealed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE 2008 Fan Faire schedule released

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Events, real-world, MMO industry

If you plan to attend the SOE Fan Faire in Las Vegas this year, you may be happy to hear that the schedule of events has been released. Spanning from Thursday, August 14th through Sunday, August 17th, this schedule highlights some of the largest events of the convention with more details for each. At this time, not all of the slots have detailed descriptions or exact times, but as the big day approaches, you can regularly check back for more info.

Some of the announced events at this time include a silent auction for SOE merchandise, the annual community address from John Smedley, behind-the-scenes discussion panels with SOE devs, live entertainment and more. Don't forget to bring a photo ID for registration, and walk-ins are welcome!

SOE 2008 Fan Faire schedule released originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE Fan Faire 2008 registration now open

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, Browser

Last month we announced that this year's SOE Fan Faire will be returning to Las Vegas, NV in August, but now we're excited to announce that registration is open! Day passes start at $39 USD, but they give you plenty of motivation for upgrading to the All-Access pass for $89 USD. With this pass, you will:

Receive an invitation to participate in the upcoming Free Realms Beta test!
Receive an invitation to participate in the upcoming EverQuest II Expansion Beta test!
Attend the 2nd Annual Community Address from SOE President John Smedley.
Attend lots of social activities, including a Kickoff Reception, a Grand Banquet, a Costume Contest and an offsite VIP Party with lots of fun, games and live entertainment!
Encourage Guild mates to pre-register online! Guilds who pre-register groups of 10 or more attendees for the All-Access pass online will receive 50% off the All-Access admission fee. (Offer does not apply to walk-in or day-pass registrants.)
Play live demos of SOE's upcoming titles.
Receive gifts and in-game items.

SOE Fan Faire 2008 registration now open originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 May 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates creator criticizes Disney's hesitance to jump into games

Chris Chester — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Opinion

At the DICE summit in Las Vegas Wednesday night, Pirates of the Caribbean creator Gore Verbinski gave a chat to game creators about movies, gaming, and his perspective of the industry in general. Beyond his generally complementary comments towards gaming, one particularly interesting aside that perked our interest was the displeasure he expressed towards Disney for not adapting the Pirates universe for an MMO more quickly than they did. According to Verbinski, they didn't even think of starting the project until a few years after the release of the original movie, and did so without his input. Of course, as we all know, they did eventually release Pirates of the Caribbean Online this past year, but Verbinski's comments certainly make us wonder if the game is all that it could have been.

As we reported earlier today, Disney has ramped up its efforts in the MMO space considerably, putting a significant capital investment into what they see as an extension of the brand immersion seen in their theme parks. This conflicts somewhat with Verbinski's perception that the studios see MMOs in the same way that they see plush toys. One has to imagine that Pirates of the Caribbean Online would have been met with considerably more fanfare if it had the Pirates of the Burning Sea gameplay under the hood, but at what point does this sort of discussion degenerate into armchair quarterbacking? In this case, while I don't doubt Verbinski's sincerity on this issue, it sure seems like was hamming it up for the crowd.

Pirates creator criticizes Disney's hesitance to jump into games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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