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The Daily Grind: Did you go to a game convention last year?

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

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

It is, in many ways, the ultimate gamer's pilgrimage -- to make the long trek to attend a gaming convention. Whether it be PAX, Dragon*Con, Fan Faire, BlizzCon, Leipzig or GamesCom, it's surprising the amount of money, time, effort and willingness to stand in line with sweaty people that we put up with just to see the latest games and talk to our favorite developers.

It's hard to explain the allure of these conventions to outsiders, but there's something thrilling in seeing crowds of people who share your same hobby and get excited over all the same stuff you do. Plus, there's the swag. OH, the swag!

Did you make your pilgrimage in 2010? Did you manage to get away to a fabulous retreat (from reality) and attend a game convention? And was it everything you'd hoped, or did it let you down?

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: Did you go to a game convention last year? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leipzig Games Convention cancelled for 2009

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST

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

Since 2002, the Leipzig Games Convention has been the predominant European expo for gamers, recently rivaling the Tokyo Game Show as the largest games event in the world. In a move contradicting that success, organizers have just announced that this year's Games Convention will not be held in its traditional form at the Leipziger Messe Fairgrounds. In its place will be Gamescom, which has been backed by Nintendo, Sega and Microsoft. Who could compete with that?

You may remember the importance of this Games Convention in recent years to such MMOs as Warhammer Online and Age of Conan. In fact, when AoC's servers merged recently, the EU servers fared a bit better than the North American ones. Not to fret though, as the organizers have announced an online version of the convention called Games Convention Online. "We will be combining the real fair, that is, the offline event, with an online event," says Wolfgang Marzin, Leipzig Trade Fair CEO. "This means that millions of gamers are linked in on the internet and can take part in the Games Convention Online in Leipzig live. The Games Convention Online will host tens of thousands of visitors in Leipzig, and several million in the whole world."

Leipzig Games Convention cancelled for 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stargate Worlds level cap to increase every three months

Samuel Axon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Stargate Worlds, News items

Stargate Worlds France conducted a very substantial interview with Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment/Firesky Studio Head Dan Elggren at the Games Convention in Leipzig. We say it's substantial because it includes a few new revelations about the game.

The most notable of those revelations: CME/Firesky will be raising the game's level cap (50 at launch) by two levels every three months to coincide with new content updates and episodes. The second most interesting tidbit is about teams. Teams are a social unit smaller than commands (guilds); think of them as persistently existing and organized groups/parties. Anyway, the big news about teams is that players will be able to name their regular groups. Cool!

Other topics included various Stargate inside jokes, Elggren plugging the gas-guzzling Hummer promotion, and some stuff about the Asgard, Archaeologist, Jaffa, and Go'auld classes that has already been floating around for a while. Watch the video for all that. Note that most of the video is in French with English subtitles, while the interview itself is in English with French subtitles.

Stargate Worlds level cap to increase every three months originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stargate Worlds beta invites coming in "early September/October"

Samuel Axon — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, New titles, Stargate Worlds, News items

In addition to a previously reported train station appearance, and in defiance of all common sense in the midst of a global gas crisis and panic about carbon emissions, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment/FireSky promoted Stargate Worlds at the Games Convention in Leipzig by meeting the press in a constantly-moving caravan of pimped-out, gas-guzzling Hummers.

In one of those Hummers, Ten Ton Hammer's John Hoskin recorded a video interview with Stargate Worlds studio head Dan Elggren. Hoskin asked Elggren about CME/FireSky's beta plans. Elggren said that the friends and family beta test has been going on for a while (it was when we visited the studio back in July, even) but that invites for "gameplay testing" will be going out to the public in "early September/October." Not quite the summer date we were promised, but we're still impressed at how quickly it's coming up.

Hopefully that will cheer up Stargate fans who are depressed over the recent news of Stargate Atlantis' imminent cancellation. Yet another spin-off -- called Stargate Universe -- will premiere in 2009, though.

Stargate Worlds beta invites coming in "early September/October" originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games video interview on the Council of Stellar Management

James Egan — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Economy, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMO industry, News items

MMORPG.com's video scoop from the Leipzig Games Convention wasn't limited to info on EVE Online's upcoming expansions. They also got some face time with Lead Economist Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson of CCP Games, who discusses some of CCP's projects and initiatives, namely the Council of Stellar Management (CSM).

Dr. Eyjólfur shares his point of view on the process of having players interact with the developers on affecting the development pipeline. He also addresses the poor voter turnout in the CSM election, which was not surprising given the general apathy many people have about real-life elections, he comments. The interview largely focuses on Dr. Eyjólfur's experiences with the CSM, but given his role in the company, he also mentioned the economic impact of factional warfare on the market in EVE. More information on this aspect of EVE should be covered in one of his forthcoming Quarterly Economic Newsletters, he says. Be sure to see the video at MMORPG.com if you're interested in seeing more about the Council of Stellar Management and the economics of EVE Online.

CCP Games video interview on the Council of Stellar Management originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WAR wins the Best Online Game award at Leipzig

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online

The record-setting Games Convention in Leipzig just ended and over 200,000 people are beginning the recovery process as we speak. Not only was this convention a roaring success, it has already been announced for a return to Leipzig next year as well. In addition to this, the awards have been given out for the best games of the show, and Warhammer Online nabbed the Best Online Game award.

According to their press release: "The creators of the online RPG legend Dark Age of Camelot, still so successful today, are back with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. GOA squares up to the alpha male World of Warcraft with spectacular visuals, innovative play modi, neat control and an enormous, appealing fantasy world." Our congratulations goes out to the folks at EA Mythic as we (im)patiently wait for September 18th to arrive!

WAR wins the Best Online Game award at Leipzig originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard interview focuses on Wrath and the changing player experience

James Egan — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Classes, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, PvE

As the Wrath of the Lich King expansion gets closer to release, World of Warcraft players have a number of questions about how the game experience is going to change for them as the title moves forward. Co-lead designer Tom Chilton and producer J. Allen Brack spoke with Oli Welsh from Eurogamer at the Games Convention in Leipzig, about where the Blizzard title is now, and where it's heading.

The interview touched on how Blizzard will handle instances in the Death Knight starting zone in Wrath of the Lich King, with Brack stating that instances won't actually be used. Rather, a player's environment will shift between different world states dependent upon quest progression. Other highlights of their talk include the design aspects of the hero class, faster leveling, and whether new players can really have the same experience that drew so many gamers to World of Warcraft years ago. Be sure to check out the Eurogamer interview for the full story on Wrath of the Lich King, particularly the Achievement system and how Blizzard feels about its growing competition.

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

Blizzard interview focuses on Wrath and the changing player experience originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Age of Conan video showcases coming content

Adrian Bott — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Age of Conan, Previews

Courtesy of German gaming site onlinewelten.com, we're able to bring you a presentation of upcoming Age of Conan content by Erling Ellingson, straight from the Games Convention in Leipzig. The presentation takes us on a tour of the Tarantia Commons, a slum area in which your character takes a side in a war between street gangs, and stops to take in some of the new exotic armor sets that have been included in response to player demand. Quests are set to become more interesting and branching, allowing characters to make moral choices rather than simply go off on errands to kill ten of something.

The tour then checks out Black Castle, the mantis-infested stronghold in the south of Khopshef Province, which is 'completely revamped' in the new version, the main focus being on Indiana Jones style traps that require ingenuity and co-operation to tackle. Ellingson explains that Age of Conan is deliberately borrowing from World of Warcraft in its reworking of boss fights, to produce encounters that require specific tactics to beat; we're glad to hear it, as bosses right now are a bit too much of the bag-of-hit-points kind. Next stop is Ymir's Pass, a Cimmerian zone under bandit onslaught, featuring one of the hugest bosses we've seen. We also hear about upcoming level 80 dungeons and the PvP consequence system.

One thing you'll hear Ellingson say repeatedly is 'we listened to our players'. That seems to be the message Funcom is most keen to send out right now. Check out the video after the cut.

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

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New Age of Conan video showcases coming content originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumpgate Evolution trailer depicts grand struggle

James Egan — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Jumpgate Evolution

Fans of the sci-fi MMO genre have been looking for a game that fills a niche in the industry, somewhere between the complexity of EVE Online and the dynamic 'hands-on' starship piloting of many PC and console games. NetDevil might just be creating the title these gamers have been waiting for -- Jumpgate Evolution.

Jumpgate Evolution's Games Convention 2008 cinematic trailer is narrated to a series of fleet engagements and dogfights in space. The footage sets the tone for the game's backstory with its conflicts between civilizations, and the struggle for survival against ancient and powerful beings who would 'extinguish their light forever.' You can check out the video after the cut.

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Jumpgate Evolution trailer depicts grand struggle originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Before and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support

Samuel Axon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Age of Conan

Let's say you play Age of Conan, your computer runs on Windows Vista, and you have a fairly new video card (GeForce 8-series and better or the ATI equivalent). Honestly, we're not sure there are really that many of you that touch all those bases, but for those who are: congratulations! You can play games in DirectX 10 mode! Too bad there aren't really that many games that support DirectX 10!

Thankfully, Age of Conan will soon be one of the elite few. It looks like the difference in visual quality will be significant. We make that observation based on a handful of before-and-after screenshots hosted at Ten Ton Hammer. Give them a look to find out what you're in for if you're one of the folks who have the hardware and software to experience it, or what you're missing out on if you're not.

Before and after images of Age of Conan's DirectX 10 support originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GC 2008: EVE economist says players set the game's course

Samuel Axon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics

Speaking at the Games Convention in Leipzig, EVE Online economist Dr. Eyjolfur Gudmundsson suggested that the game's 245,000 players drive its development and innovation even more than the team at CCP does. That could be construed as populist pandering, for sure, but Gudmundsson -- who was addressing a room full of game developers -- dedicated most of his talk to the notion of "unleashing the power of players."

He pointed to the Council of Stellar Management -- a democratically-elected group that represents the player-base in meetings with CCP -- and the player-driven open market that manages itself in accordance with real-world principles of economics as examples of the communal direction in action.

This is a notably different mentality than that found in World of Warcraft and similar games which dispense carefully constructed experiences to the players from the developers at the top. EVE stirs an open ended pot of players to cook up gameplay experiences. Godmundsson is talking up the open approach, but both methods arguably have their own special strengths and pitfalls.

GC 2008: EVE economist says players set the game's course originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stargate Worlds will be on display at Leipzig train station

Samuel Axon — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, New titles, Stargate Worlds, News items

European Stargate fans take note: Stargate Worlds will be making an appearance at the Leipzig Games Convention in -- you guessed it -- Leipzig, Germany. As was the case earlier in the summer at Comic Con, Firesky/Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment have some special stuff planned.

The team will be "taking over" the Leipzig Train Station, where they'll be showing "the latest" gameplay trailer (we don't know if it'll be new or not, but presumably, right?) and giving away various stuff, including t-shirts and dog tags. Apparently the prizes will be given out by "Stargate commandos." People in uniform, perhaps? Also, Studio Head Dan Elggren and marketing guy Kevin Balentine will be on site to promote the game and talk to the press.

The Stargate franchise has always been popular in Europe -- especially in Germany, so we know there are a few of you out there who'll want in on this. And with that subsidized airfare, getting there might be almost affordable, right?

Stargate Worlds will be on display at Leipzig train station originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WotLK cinematic rumored to debut at Leipzig's Games Convention

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Events, real-world, Expansions, MMO industry, Rumors

As reported by WoW Insider, the Wrath of the Lich King cinematic that was originally predicted for BlizzCon may surface during the Leipzig Games Convention instead. According to WI, multiple sources are reporting that this first look at the cinematic will be shown on August 21st at 1pm.

If you're planning to attend, this is certainly an added bonus as one of the millions anticipating more on the World of Warcraft expansion. If you didn't already have tickets for the Games Convention though, this might be the motivation you've needed. Keep your eyes glued here and over at WoW Insider for more information on Leipzig as it develops.

One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!

WotLK cinematic rumored to debut at Leipzig's Games Convention originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom announces Leipzig Games Convention details

James Egan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Events, real-world, Previews

This year's Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany should be a big event for Funcom, who will be showcasing new Age of Conan content. Funcom's latest press release states they will be showing attendees new locations, content, and features that will make it into Age of Conan in the coming months.

The event will also showcase demos of Blue Orb Inc.'s software which enables gamepad play as well as a look at Matrox's TripleHead2Go, for widescreen gameplay across three screens. Funcom adds that they will reveal the title's forthcoming DirectX 10 features to the press at the Games Convention, so expect more details about the long-awaited features to be announced later this month.

Funcom announces Leipzig Games Convention details originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quest for Games Convention: NCsoft EU's own video series

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Roleplaying, Humor

The Leipzig Games Convention is a major event for gamers, not only in Europe, but globally. It's often called one of the largest and most prestigious gaming conventions in the world. So it should be no surprise that the NCsoft Europe team is gearing up for this event in true NCsoft style.

Their new mini "web-isode" video series entitled Quest for GC follows the NCsoft Europe staff as they prepare for this gigantic event. Each episode is highly entertaining and stars some of your favorites from the community team, such as Tia "Avatea" Paraurahi and Stephen "Rockjaw" Reid. Be sure to start from the beginning and watch all four current episodes, plus stay tuned to their iTunes RSS feed to catch upcoming videos.

Quest for Games Convention: NCsoft EU's own video series originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft is throwing a free party in Leipzig, and you're invited!

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Real life, Sci-fi, Super-hero, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Casual

At the Leipzig Games Convention this year, NCsoft plans on doing more than just showing up and being awesome. They have quite a party planned for any fans of their products, and the best part is it's all free! There will be music with your chance to be a DJ playing the tunes of your choice for 20 minutes, and there will also be karaoke at the first ever NCsoft Fansites Karaoke Battle.

The party will be held at Leipzig's Nachtcafe on the 22nd of August at 22:00 local time. In order to get in free, you will need to bring along the party flyer, grab one from the show floor or wear a t-shirt from any NCsoft game. Be sure to read the official announcement for more information.

NCsoft is throwing a free party in Leipzig, and you're invited! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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