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Flameseeker Chronicles: Thoughts about Guild Wars 2's living story

Elisabeth Cardy — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Dungeons

With Guild Wars 2's first multi-month living story arc drawing to a close, I thought this might be a good time to do a little bit of reflection on how the living story is treating Guild Wars 2 so far. Sure, what we've seen so far isn't necessarily indicative of the way things are always going to be, but it's a good starting point. (In fact, it's our only starting point. Unless, of course, you like rampant and foundless speculation as a starting point. This is, after all, the internet.)

To expand the conversation a bit, I think we're including holiday updates as part of the living story. It's seasonal, but it also fits into the grander scheme of providing changing content to keep the world moving and to keep players engaged. That means that what we've seen to date includes all of Flame and Frost, Wintersday, Halloween, and the Lost Shores event. Also, I guess the Super Adventure Box? I mean, it's returning and it had a lore tie-in and stuff. Maybe? I'm not sold.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Thoughts about Guild Wars 2's living story

Flameseeker Chronicles: Thoughts about Guild Wars 2's living story originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: A visit from Toymaker Tixx

Elisabeth Cardy — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

'Twas late in the night, and throughout Rata Sum
not a creature was stirring -- no, not even one.
The garlands were laid out, the decorations prepared,
for, on the morrow, Wintersday would be there.

The progeny slumbered, snug in their beds,
while schematics of golems danced in their heads.
I'd bid goodnight to my krewe and turned off my station
and made myself ready for light hibernation

when from outside my lab there arose such a clatter
I sent my VAL-A to see what was the matter.
It rose at my bidding and trundled outside
and called out, "ALERT. DISTURBANCE UN-I-DEN-TI-FIED."

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: A visit from Toymaker Tixx

Flameseeker Chronicles: A visit from Toymaker Tixx originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: The Guild Wars 2 end-of-the-year awards

Elisabeth Cardy — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

The end of the year seems to be a good time for awards -- all the cool kids are doing it, and Massively is nothing if not cool. Guild Wars 2 has been around long enough for me to have made some favorites. I've talked about features and things I loathe and love before, but now it's time to call out specific NPCs and instances, rather than general features. Before we get any further with this: These awards are purely my own opinion. Disagree with me? Great; write your own end-of-the-year awards. The more, the merrier.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The Guild Wars 2 end-of-the-year awards

Flameseeker Chronicles: The Guild Wars 2 end-of-the-year awards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unwrapping the mystery of GW2's Wintersday boxes

MJ Guthrie — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events (In-Game), Previews, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-Play

You've heard plenty about it, from the history behind the holiday to the schedule of festivities. And now it is upon us! Yes folks, Wintersday in Guild Wars 2 is finally here with its assortment of seasonal activities and holiday-themed goodies. And among those goodies are special mystery gift boxes available in the gem store. What exactly comes in a mystery box? That's what Massively's Richie Procopio, aka Bog Otter, aimed to find out in his latest video.

Richie understands that folks may be wary of spending their gems on the unknown. The boxes are said to contain up to five personalized Wintersday gifts plus an additional themed item as well as a chance to contain new minipets and rare, themed weapon skin tickets. But is it worth the risk? To give you a better idea of what random loot awaits fans in the mystery boxes, Richie -- rechristening himself Bog Guinea Pig -- took the risk upon himself and unwrapped a number of boxes for you in his video. Check out what gifts he received after the break.

Continue reading Unwrapping the mystery of GW2's Wintersday boxes

Unwrapping the mystery of GW2's Wintersday boxes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2's Wintersday content primer

Elisabeth Cardy — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Lore, Patches, Previews, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Guides

Wintersday begins tomorrow, bringing joy and presents for all good Tyrians! A sneak peek video posted a few days ago did a great deal to get fans excited about the upcoming holiday, but now it's time to get a better idea of precisely what awaits us in this celebration of toys. Read on to learn all about Wintersday in Guild Wars 2!

Gallery: Guild Wars 2: Wintersday 2012

Continue reading Guild Wars 2's Wintersday content primer

Guild Wars 2's Wintersday content primer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2's Wintersday event schedule announced

Matt Daniel — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), News Items, Guild Wars 2

The most wonderful time of the year is heading to Tyria this Friday, which is when ArenaNet will be kicking off Guild Wars 2's Wintersday celebrations. It all begins on Friday, December 14th, in Lion's Arch, where Zommoros the djinn will transform his home, the Mystic Forge, into a giant snow globe. There, players can take part in a new jumping puzzle (which happens to be a giant snowman), have snowball fights with other players, and be part of a chorus of holiday bells.

But that's only the beginning. Each day after that, Toymaker Tixx will be making his way to each of the capital cities of Tyria, with each stop featuring new and exciting holiday activities. He'll begin in the Sylvari Grove on the 15th and end his journey in Lion's Arch. But of course, Tixx's being an Asura means that his toys probably aren't the most stable of constructions, and the holiday event will go out with a bang as the toys in Tixx's workshop go haywire, bringing about Toypocalypse! It's up to players to "defend Tixx's present-delivering dolyaks and the gigantic toy-making machine from waves of maniacal toys." So get on out there, Tyrians; spread some holiday cheer and save Wintersday.

Guild Wars 2's Wintersday event schedule announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Have a holly, jolly Wintersday

Elisabeth Cardy — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events (In-Game), Lore, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Wintersday is steadily creeping up on Tyria -- on both Tyrias, as it were: Guild Wars is getting its annual holiday decorations starting the 13th, and Guild Wars 2 will join in the festivities on the 14th. The holiday event lasts through January 2nd for Guild Wars and 3rd for Guild Wars 2, so maybe don't fret so much on when you're going to get in to enjoy the goings-on. That's a nice change from the somewhat abbreviated schedule of the October and November content updates.

But be warned, hero: There's a war on Wintersday. Don't believe me? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Have a holly, jolly Wintersday

Flameseeker Chronicles: Have a holly, jolly Wintersday originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet starts teasing details for the Guild Wars 2 Wintersday patch

Elisabeth Cardy — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Culture, Events (In-Game), Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is just days away from the start of Wintersday festivities, which means it's time to start getting excited! Toymaker Tixx and his technomagical workshop will be touring Tyria to spread joy and good cheer. Skip below the cut to view the teaser video for the Wintersday patch.

Wintersday isn't just bringing goodies for PvE lovers, however: a recent forum post talked about some of the changes that are coming to WvW. Players will get more advanced notification of new builds. Hitting Alt+F4 or some other quick escape while in a sticky WvW situation will result in instant character death and loot and XP for the attacking party. Walls and gates won't be instanty repaired anymore but will instead need to be built up a bit before they start providing defense. Finally, "Breakout events" will be added to the game to help teams that have no defensive structures. A much larger WvW update will be delivered in February.

Continue reading ArenaNet starts teasing details for the Guild Wars 2 Wintersday patch

ArenaNet starts teasing details for the Guild Wars 2 Wintersday patch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars

Elisabeth Cardy — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events (In-Game), News Items

Just because Guild Wars 2 is getting a big, exciting Wintersday patch doesn't mean that the original Guild Wars will be barren. Starting at 3:00 p.m. EST on December 13th, the game will have holiday decorations up in a few major cities. You'll be able to pick up Wintersday quests in Lion's Arch, Kamadan, and the Eye of the North.

Snowball fights and tournaments will be making a comeback, as will the repeatable quests in the Secret Lair of the Snowmen. These activities will all be available until 3:00 p.m. EST on January 2nd. The finale event will run in Lion's Arch and Kamadan every three hours from 3:01 a.m. EST on January 1st until 3:01 a.m. EST on January 2nd.

According to the official website, two brand-new costumes, representing Lyssa and Kormir, will be available. We're betting that's a clerical error, since you can go to the game's store and buy Lyssa and Kormir costumes right now.

Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 welcomes Wintersday next month

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Previews, Guild Wars 2

While hardcore Guild Wars players probably knew to expect it, the news that Wintersday is coming to Guild Wars 2 is welcome nevertheless! ArenaNet has just announced that the game's second holiday will be arriving on December 14th and will continue until January 3rd.

Modern Wintersday is a Tyrian holiday that binds several different celebrations together with the mutual love of toys. An Asuran Santa Claus, Toymaker Tixx, will be traveling to all of the major cities to hand out toys to the good little boys and girls. And yes, that means you, even though you've been flirting with the "naughty list" this year.

The official Wintersday page is sparse as of yet, but keen-eyed visitors can spot some cool pieces of concept art, including one of Tixx's awesome airship.

Guild Wars 2 welcomes Wintersday next month originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Why must they starve then drown us?

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Classes, Events (In-Game), Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Today's Flameseeker Chronicles title comes to you courtesy of one of Massively's livestream team members, echoing the wails of many news-starved fans of all things Tyrian. In a classic case of 'be careful what you wish for," we got the Guild Wars 2 Mesmer, two enormous Q&A sessions with the devs, a bit of closed beta news, and Wintersday and new costumes in Guild Wars 1, all in just a few short days.

I need to lie down.

While I do that, follow along after the jump for a rundown of all the excitement of last week.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Why must they starve then drown us?

Flameseeker Chronicles: Why must they starve then drown us? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars' Wintersday 2011 brings new costumes, holiday cheer

Matt Daniel — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), News Items

It's the most wonderful time of the year in Tyria because Wintersday 2011 has begun. And there's certainly no shortage of events for Guild Wars players looking to get into the Wintersday spirit. Lion's Arch, Kamadan, Ascalon City, and the Eye of the North will all provide players with holiday quests, while more pugnacious revelers can get into the spirit of the season with 8v8 snowball tournaments.

As usual, players can take part in the annual Grenth vs. Dwayna holiday event in order to receive a spiffy Wintersday mask, and two new costumes are also available for purchase in the NCsoft store. The new costume sets, known as Augur of Kormir and Vision of Lyssa, are available for $6.99 US each. Players can also buy them as a bundle for the discounted price of $9.99 US, or they can shell out $29.99 US for the Limited Edition Pantheon Pack, which includes six deity-themed costumes. But act quickly! The limited edition pack is available only until January 16th. For the full details, head on over to Guild Wars' official Wintersday site.

[Thanks to Tanek for the correction!]

Guild Wars' Wintersday 2011 brings new costumes, holiday cheer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Come one, come all. Except you.

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Flameseeker Chronicles

Today's Flameseeker Chronicles is all about the current Guild Wars community: Elements I love, elements I dislike, and some I'm just unsure about.

As with any older game community, you've got a wide variety of personalities and playstyles, and seeing how they mesh with the community at large is always interesting. It would be great if everyone moved through their social circles and the general population while never conflicting or disagreeing, but ... well, we all know how often that happens on the internet.

So without further ado, follow me past the cut and let's take a look at some of the current standout groups in the Guild Wars community!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Come one, come all. Except you.

Flameseeker Chronicles: Come one, come all. Except you. originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's your favorite in-game winter holiday?

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Events (In-Game), Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

There's nothing better to cement the mood of the holidays than a cup of hot liquidy beverage, a roaring fireplace (or, lacking a fireplace, a carefully controlled indoor fireworks display), and an internet-capable computer that allows you access to your favorite MMOs. Of course, this is the time of year when most MMOs pull out their annual winter-themed holiday events, which are packaged in such a way to offend no one while calling on the spirit of the season.

So granted that you're fond of these holidays, we want to know which MMO winter event is your fave? It's not as if you lack choices at this point: Frostfell, Yule Festival, Wookiee Life Day, Winter Veil, Wintersday, First Night, Frostburgh, Solorius, Attack of the Misfit Toys, Festivult, Snowflake Festival, Starlight Celebration, Midwinter Festival, Festival of the White Hart, Snowdays, Junkadoo, Festival of Gloriann... the list just goes on and on.

For a bonus question, what are your winter event goals this year? Do you have your eye on a special prize, decoration or outfit?

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: What's your favorite in-game winter holiday? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Wintersday approaches

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Flameseeker Chronicles

December is here, and for Guild Wars fans, that means Wintersday is near. The festivities have already started out of game with the Wintersday art contest, will continue in game with the Wintersday events, and may even include a few surprises (pure hopeful speculation on my part!).

We may not know for sure about surprises, but we know that there will be some significant changes. John Stumme told us in a recent interview that Keiran's Wintersday quests will be much different: "Keiran's introduction and quest content are being split off from Wintersday and tweaked (for both story and requirements) so that they will function as normal quests now. Looking at it from the standpoint of a new or returning player to Guild Wars, they may have missed out on Wintersday Cheer previously, which makes it a bit confusing when this Keiran Thackeray character is suddenly part of the greater story."

Speaking of new players, there are a lot of those this year! This is fantastic for the community as a whole, but things could be pretty overwhelming for those newbies. Veteran players go on about looking for reindeer, Grenth vs. Dwayna, and MPB farming while new players sort of stand around wondering what the heck is going on.

We can't have that -- the more people participating, the better, so follow along after the jump and let's do an overview of Wintersday for those of you who have been playing Guild Wars for less than a year!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Wintersday approaches

Flameseeker Chronicles: Wintersday approaches originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2010 Wintersday art contest underway

Jef Reahard — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Culture, News Items

Feeling creative this holiday season? ArenaNet has a Guild Wars-themed contest that should pique your interest. Entering is as easy as coming up with an original image featuring a Wintersday theme with a Guild Wars garnish; 2-D and 3-D art is acceptable, as are screenshots, renders, concept art, icons, or photographs.

Submit your entry (in .jpeg image format) to contests@arena.net with Guild Wars Wintersday Art Contest 2010 as the subject line. You can also enter via snail mail, and the address as well as the complete contest rules are available on the official Guild Wars website.

So what do you get for your trouble? The top three entries will receive a Razer Carcharias gaming headset. Seven second place contestants will take home a Razer Abyssus gaming mouse, and 10 honorable mentions will get an in-game item (the Everlasting Reindeer Tonic). The entry deadline is 12:00 p.m. PST on December 31st, so what are you waiting for?

Guild Wars 2010 Wintersday art contest underway originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Tis the season to party in Guild Wars

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), Flameseeker Chronicles

Yarrr! Yesterday was Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day, and as always ArenaNet stepped up to the plate with a fun event. The Talk Like a Pirate event arrived last Friday, along with a mysterious poem that may or may not mean anything. At any rate, it's keeping a lot of fans busy trying to figure it out.

This event heralds the start of what I call the Guild Wars party season. The pirate event is followed shortly thereafter by the Halloween event, then the Thanksgiving event, then Wintersday. In between are various community events as players and guilds throw parties to celebrate various holidays and milestones, and it's generally a few straight months of reveling.

Each type of event -- both community-created and developer-created -- has its own ups, downs, and quirks. Follow along as I take a look at what they are.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Tis the season to party in Guild Wars

Flameseeker Chronicles: Tis the season to party in Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How consistency softens the grind

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion

"Grind" is on the verge of becoming what "nerf" already is -- a word thrown around so frequently and with such broad possible meaning that it's essentially meaningless. After all, the word now gets used for any part of a game the player finds boring and repetitive, rather than the process of repeating something over and over. It's the latter meaning that Kill Ten Rats discusses with an intersting thesis -- we don't mind a grind so much as we mind one we can't advance without breaks.

Using the Guild Wars Wintersday redux as an example, the point is made that the holiday events are a straight-up grind -- but they're a constant one that you can pick up and start with no downtime, then stop whenever you want. Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft have both taken the same approach with Skirmishes and the Dungeon Finder, taking the slow march to being ready for an instance out of the equation.

It's an interesting idea, that what we really dislike aren't the grinds but being stuck unable to make much progress in them. If you tend to think that grinds are the worst thing in MMOs today, it might be an opportunity to re-examine that stance.

How consistency softens the grind originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New information on Guild Wars Wintersday redux and next skill update

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Patches, PvP, News Items

The Guild Wars Wintersday festival had a few issues this year, but ArenaNet kindly offered up a Wintersday redux. Anyone who missed out on their hats or didn't get to participate as much as they wanted thanks to lag now gets a second chance. If you were lucky enough to have smooth sailing on the first round, just enjoy the bonus! We've been waiting on a date for the festivities, and yesterday community manager Regina Buenaobra announced that it will begin January 29 and run until the finale on February 7. (It doesn't look like the event will overlap Canthan New Year, of course.)

Regina's announcement also included new information on the large skill update that the team originally planned to roll out in full this month: "The next skill updates will be rolled out in stages. First, GvG skills will be updated, and this will come next week, before the Monthly Tournament. We will release preliminary patch notes with details of those GvG changes later this week, so that those participating in the Monthly Tournament will have some notice of the changes".

We'll keep a close eye out for those patch notes for you, and happy Wintersday! (Again)

New information on Guild Wars Wintersday redux and next skill update originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ArenaNet promises Guild Wars Wintersday redux

Rubi Bayer — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Bugs, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play

"OMG lag!" "Ugh, I got dc'ed." "Hey, why didn't I get the hat?"

If you were logged into Guild Wars for more than five minutes on Friday, you most likely either saw people saying one (or all three) of those things, or said them yourself. As the Wintersday finale approached and district numbers soared in Lion's Arch and Kamadan, lag -- a typical festival issue -- became the most used word in the game, with Error 007 messages popping up all over the place.

Most players are used to that around festival times and understand that the server load in some areas is much higher than usual. However, another little glitch showed up Friday that players weren't quite so forgiving of: a huge number of players weren't getting their Wintersday hats, and Guild Wars players do not love it when they don't get their hats.

The outcry hit the forums pretty quickly, and community manager Regina Buenaobra logged an extra long workday communicating with the community and the ArenaNet team, trying to fix the bug. Eventually the bug was fixed, with a very welcome announcement from Regina: they will be re-running Wintersday. Dates are still to be announced, but it's welcome news for all players.

Good luck on round two, and thanks to ArenaNet!

ArenaNet promises Guild Wars Wintersday redux originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday 2009 art contest announced

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, News Items, Free-to-Play

Wintersday is approaching in Guild Wars, and with it comes grentches, snowmen, candy canes, and the frenzied hunt for the elusive Mini Polar Bear.

We'll explore the festivities more later this month, but in the meantime ArenaNet has officially begun the Wintersday Art Contest. Put your creative energies to use while you wait for Wintersday to arrive and create some holiday art with a Guild Wars twist.

Three top winners will receive "The Art of Guild Wars 2" signed by the development team, a signed art print from PAX 2008, and a brand new everlasting reindeer tonic. Seven more winners will receive the PAX art print and reindeer tonic, and ten honorable mentions will receive the reindeer tonic.

(It should probably go without saying, but it's a good idea not to plagarize anything for this contest. It won't end well.)

Full entry details can be found here, so good luck to all of you!

Guild Wars Wintersday 2009 art contest announced originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 Art Contest winners announced

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Fan art, Events (Real-World)

The Guild Wars Wintersday Art Contest for 2008 has concluded, the work has been judged and the votes have been tallied. This year's winners vary from screen renders to paintings to musical compositions, and they're all amazing.

The grand prize winner of this year's competition is Casondra Logan with her depiction of a Monk holding a snowglobe, guided by the avatar of Dwayna. It may just be the aftereffects of the eggnog talking, but it seems these entries are getting better and better each year. Check out the official announcement over at the Guild Wars main site, and don't forget about the Canthan New Year festivities starting next weekend!

Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 Art Contest winners announced originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Wintersday in Ascalon

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

It's been a while since we heard from this contributor, but we're glad to welcome back Shawn W, who has sent in lovely Guild Wars screenshots and a panorama before. Today we're featuring one of the smaller Wintersday images he's recently sent in to us - but we'll be bringing more of his incredibly lovely holiday panoramas to you in the days to come! With Wintersday at its height today until midnight in Guild Wars, this is a great time to pop back in and check out the events if you haven't been able to make it thus far. While it doesn't officially end until the 5th, today is the peak of the festivities, so don't miss out.

Have you tried your hand at compiling a 360-view panorama from your favorite game? If not, why not give it a go and send in your results to us! Panoramas are always an interesting new way to look at a game world. If you'd like to give it a shot, send it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and the game it's from. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Wintersday in Ascalon originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: 'Tis the season

Elizabeth Harper — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (In-Game), Opinion, The Daily Grind

It's that time of year again -- when every MMO on the market decides to break out in some form of winter-y celebration. Festivities abound! AoC is handing out gifts, EVE offers snowball fights, Nexon holds festivals, Warhammer celebrates Keg End, Lineage II lets you save Santa, the World of Warcraft celebrates Winter Veil, Guild Wars players celebrate Wintersday, City of Heroes and Villains hold their uncreatively named Winter Event, LotRO hosts the Yule Festival, EverQuest II celebrates Frostfell, Final Fantasy XI hosts the Starfall Celebration, and probably a number of other events in a number of other games that have slipped our immediate notice.

Whew! If you haven't been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of holiday cheer provided by that simple list of events, then here's the question(s) from Massively HQ to you. Are you celebrating this holiday season MMO style? Seeking out every seasonal quest and seeing how many MMOs have virtual eggnog to indulge in? Would you prefer not to have real world holidays barging into your virtual reality? Or does celebrating in real life provide you with more than enough holiday cheer for one lifetime?

The Daily Grind: 'Tis the season originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 event goes live December 19th

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Culture, Events (In-Game), Quests

ArenaNet has announced today that its fourth annual Wintersday Event will officially launch on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at noon Pacific Time (-8 GMT). It will continue until noon Pacific Time on January 5th, 2009 and feature a finale event every three hours on Wintersday itself, which is January 1st.

Here's a basic run-down of the Wintersday 2008 features:

The Eye of the North expansion area will be decorated for the first time ever.
The festivities will take place in the Ebon Vanguard's Tower, Lion's Arch, Kamadan, Droknar's Forge and Ascalon City.
Several PvE and PvP snowball fights including arenas, tournaments and an all-new 8v8 ATS-style Snowball Tournament.
Brand new chain of quests in Eye of the North, in addition to the quests from previous Wintersdays.
Choose to kindly give away presents to children for Dwayna or destroy them in the name of Grenth.
In addition to the usual party favors, candy canes, tonics and other buff-enhancing items, this year presents some all-new tonics and summoning stones for all to enjoy.
The return of the Candysmiths and the Polar Bear mini-pet.
New special holiday-themed headgear will make a traditional appearance, as well as a special surprise awaiting those who complete all four Eye of the North quests.

So mark your calendars for December 19th and get ready to choose your side. Will you fight for Dwayna or Grenth?

Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 event goes live December 19th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 Art Contest

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game)

Following in the tradition of past holidays, ArenaNet has announced this year's Wintersday 2008 Art Contest for Guild Wars where you can win a special edition Razor Death Adder Mouse, a Radeon graphics card or a variety of signed art prints.

The rules are simple enough: craft a piece of seasonal art with a holiday tone and a Guild Wars theme. Any medium is accepted, and you can even incorporate screenshots, renders, concept art or other Guild Wars assets to create your entry. The entries must be received by Monday, January 5, 2009 and the winners will be announced on January 23, 2009. Check out the complete contest details, and be sure to check out previous winners to help spawn ideas for your own creations. Good luck!

Guild Wars Wintersday 2008 Art Contest originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday in July event

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game)

If you've ever experienced the joy of Wintersday in Guild Wars throughout the years, you may be excited by the news that ArenaNet is bringing Wintersday back for a brief time this coming weekend. It's part of their Wintersday in July event beginning at noon PDT on Friday, July 18th and running until 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, July 20th.

This event will not be the full Wintersday festivities, but there will still be access the the Snowball Arena in Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Ascalon City, Kamadan and the Great Temple of Balthazar. There will also be Wintersday-themed drops from all monsters throughout Tyria. You could probably consider this Wintersday-lite, since there will be no battle between Grenth and Dwayna, and no special headgear given away.

Guild Wars Wintersday in July event originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Wintersday tree

Elizabeth Harper — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

Steve sends in this festive Guild Wars Wintersday shot taken in Lion's Arch. What this holiday tree lacks in foliege, it certainly makes up for with the beautifully wrapped gifts below. (Could anyone in-game check if there's a package addressed to us? We're just sure that NCsoft must care enough to give us something!)

Do you have any good shots of holiday celebrations in your favorite game? Send 'em our way (or dress them up a bit and submit them to our holiday postcard contest!), so we can feature your screenshot and story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Wintersday tree originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Celebrating Wintersday

Elizabeth Harper — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, Events (In-Game), One Shots

Reader Brinstar offers us another holiday-themed screenshot form the Guild Wars Wintersday event, complete with explanation of the holiday:

Wintersday is the first day of the year in Tyria. The god of death and cold, Grenth, and the goddess of life and light, Dwayna, are at odds with each other on how Wintersday should be celebrated. Dwayna believes the day should be celebrated in the spirit of giving during the coldest months of the year, and Grenth prefers that the day serve as a solemn reminder of death's hold over us all. Each year on Wintersday (January 1), Grenth and Dwayna vie for the support of players in all Districts through a series of games. Depending on which god wins the support of the District, they will either receive lots of presents from Dwayna, or receive presents and get killed and resurrected over and over again by Grenth's minions. Each player is also awarded a special hat, depending on which god wins.

Death and hats! Now you know where we'll be on January 1st!

Do you have any good shots of holiday celebrations in your favorite game? Send 'em our way (or dress them up a bit and submit them to our holiday postcard contest!), so we can feature your screenshot and story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Celebrating Wintersday originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday 2007 Gallery

Michael Zenke — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Guild Wars, Contests, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play

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

Guild 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.

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One Shots: Wintersday chaos!

Elizabeth Harper — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

Reader Steven shows us what Wintersday in Guild Wars is really like with this shot from Wintersday 2006. Though you really have to see the larger version of this shot to fully appreciate it (just click on the image for a full-size version), even at this scale you can see that the ground is littered with presents, presents everywhere!

Do you have any good shots of holiday celebrations in your favorite game? Send 'em our way (or dress them up a bit and submit them to our holiday postcard contest!), so we can feature your screenshot and story for tomorrow's One Shots! It's easy to participate -- just send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Wintersday chaos! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday contest winners announced

Jonathan Northwood — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guild Wars, Contests, Events (In-Game)

Wintersday approaches, can you all see the signs?
The grentches and snowmen will all soon align.
For a battle in the end is what we all face;
To decide the wintry fate of the whole human race.

So began NCsoft's notice of the Guild Wars Wintersday 2007 event. The event itself begins on Friday, 21 December, and runs for 12 days. Holiday NPCs will be all around Kamadan, Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge and Ascalon City, spreading holiday joy. Some holiday joy came early for Nian, however, as the creator of the winning entry in the Wintersday 2007 contest with Desmina's Ice Crown. The rules of the contest were that players submit an original new hat design with both a Grenth and a Wintersday theme, and the best of the best would be chosen, with the winning design being the reward for the showdown between Grenth, Lord of Death and Ice, and Dwayna, Goddess of Air and Life. Congratulations, Nian, and here's hoping to see all of you in-game on January 1st.

Guild Wars Wintersday contest winners announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Wintersday prep, FAQ and patch updates

Michael Zenke — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guild Wars, Contests, Culture, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game)

The developers at Arena.net are hard at work in the code mines, keeping Guild Wars up to date. Patches since the lowering of level-based access to Eye of the North have mostly focused on getting the annual Wintersday event up and running. The official Guild Wars site has a complete run-down on this year's event, from start to finale. The decorations and such will go up next Friday, the 21st. You'll be able to once again choose sides in the war between the grentches and snowmen, as well as partake in the daily city quests. Folks who take part in the event finales on the 1st and 2nd of January will (of course) be getting stylish hats.

In the tradition of the season, you will also receive special holiday-themed headgear if you attend the Wintersday finale. And this year, the hat you receive will depend on which deity wins the day, so choose wisely. We look forward to seeing you this Wintersday. Come join the fun, and don't get left out in the cold!

The site is also offering up patch notes for the Dec. 7 and Dec. 11 updates, and a FAQ on the newly offered skill pack unlocks.

Guild Wars Wintersday prep, FAQ and patch updates originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Wintersday in Guild Wars

Elizabeth Harper — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

It's that time of year again -- the holiday season in all of your favorite MMOs! While they all have different names, all of them provide an invigorating break from the daily gaming grind. Reader Jeff sends us this shot of the Tomb of Primeval Kings, decorated for Guild Wars' Wintersday celebration back in 2005. All we've got to say is that the Guild Wars decorating crew knows how to dress a zone for the occasion -- even our grandmother would approve of that fine holiday tree!

Do you have any impressive holiday screenshots you'd like to share with the rest of us? We to see them for our next edition of One Shots! We can only post what you send us -- so send your screenshots and stories to oneshots@massively.com. You may see it featured here tomorrow, same time, same place!

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Wintersday in Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Design a hat for Guild Wars

Louis McLaughlin — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Events (In-Game)

Like many of you, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a hatter. The careful crafting of the brim. The fine finishing on the interior.

Alas! Like many childhood fantasies, very few of us got to be the hatters we always dreamed of becoming. But someone at ArenaNet is giving you a second chance this Wintersday.

Wintersday in Guild Wars is a twisted cross between Christmas, PvP, lots & lots of snow, hats, and a PvP arena in which you slay your opponents with snowballs. No, really.

The GW art team are going to use a fan-created concept for their design of the Grenth Wintersday helm, and they want your designs. There's assorted hardware & in-game prizes for the winners, in addition to whoever gets to be immortalized as a GW hatter of legend.

The deadline for entry is Monday 19th of November, and the GW team have a history of doing this kind of thing so your hat will be in good hands. Now then, how to tie a Clockwork Orange bowler hat into a Grenth & Wintersday theme?

Design a hat for Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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