24/7 Player

Some may think it hard to figure out what to get that MMO fan in their life. Would they want cases of energy drinks? Maybe a grill so they can cook while raiding like Vork from The Guild? Well never fear as I’ve compiled a list of gifts that you can get for that MMO fan, and I’m not just talking about World of Warcraft! In this MMORPG Holiday Guide we also have ideas for gamers playing Aion, Lord of the Rings Online, Guildwars, Warhammer Online and Age of Conan. I’ll also go into some peripherals that any MMO gamer would love to have. To start off, I’ll focus on some of the other popular MMOs and gifts that you can snag for your friends or family.

An easy start is to get them something new to play! Aion ($46.99) is the newest MMO to be released and has been getting some rave reviews. Released by NCSoft in September 2009, there has been a steady buzz around the game, and I’ve known several people who have given up other MMOs to play this one. From all I’ve seen and read it’s a pretty solid game, and will appeal to most fans of the genre. And if they’re already playing Aion, why not snag them one of the cool shirts that Jinx just released?

If your friends or family are already playing another game, you can always buy them game time via cards or offer to pay for in game items to help them boost their characters or explore new regions. Blizzard sells pre-paid cards for game time in World of Warcraft ($29.99) and so does Warhammer Online($29.99), Age of Conan ($25.99), and Lord of the Rings Online ($29.99). These will give them 60 days of free time to play in their game of choice!

For the World of Warcraft fan, I found many things that one could buy, but I’ve narrowed it down to just a few products. First off, from the official store I have to recommend either Murky or Lurky ($15 each) plush dolls for either kids or for adults (My Murky sits on the top of my computer). Also along the kids line, if you have a guildmate or friend who just had a new baby or is expecting, I highly recommend the “My Other Stroller is [Epic]“ onesie from Jinx. For the more grown up WoW fan, you can also get a Horde or Alliance appropriate beanie so that they can show their pride throughout the winter! In general the majority of the WoW collection at Jinx is pretty awesome, and it’s all reasonably priced. There are also the new in game pets you can buy from the pet store: the Pandaren Monk and Lil’ KT who is the most adorable lich!

Now if you want to get your friends some new gaming peripherals, I recommend checking out the latest Alienware line which I have previously covered. The TactX mouse and keyboard are a little more pricey, but they’d be a great gift idea, especially if they’re in need of an upgrade. Also in November, Creative will be releasing special WoW themed headsets that look great and will help show your Horde or Alliance Pride! Another great item that you could get is the Xeno by Bigfoot networks. Cherithe recommended this in our gadget gift guide, and it’s definitely worth repeating! The Xeno is a great plug-and-play card that will prioritize gamng by bypassing your OS which enables smoother playing and voice chatting.

Now the other gift idea that you can do is for those fellow players who want to get something nice for an in-game friend or guildmate. You can save up to get them a vanity pet,  money for a new mount, or some new armor. It’s thoughtful, and something that will surprise them to see in their mailbox or a trade window! There are also the new in game pets that Blizzard released which you can buy from the online pet store: the Pandaren Monk who does some impressive kung fu and Lil’ KT who is the most adorable little lich!

I hope that this guide can help you out with some ideas for that MMO fan in your life. Have a great holiday and spread some /cheer!

Posted on November 21st, 2009 at 1:27am by stealthyslyth
Filed Under: Alienware, Angel Life, Games, Jinx, Massively multiplayer online game, Video Games, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Xeno, age-of-conan-hyborian-adventures, aion, blizzard, warhammer-online, world-of-warcraft

Sony Online Entertainment is teaming up with Mass Animation for the DC Universe Online Animation Contest. The contest is using the Mass Animation Facebook application and will give DC Comics fans a chance to animate heroes and villains from DCUO. The contest launches on December 7, 2009.

“The DCUO/Mass Animation contest takes a part of the game out of the development studio and puts it in the hands of fans, an empowering opportunity for our community,” said John Smedley, president of SOE. “Players will have a chance through qualified contest submissions to be involved with the game’s development at a deeper level than ever before by animating actions for in-game heroes and villains.”

All the tools will be available for the contest and animators can upload their contest submission for friends to vote on. Each week, contest winners will be eligible for cash or other prizes.

Here is the Mass Animation Facebook page.

Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 2:57pm by GamingAngel
Filed Under: Massively multiplayer online game, News, dc-comics, dc-universe-online, facebook, john-smedley, sony-online-entertainment

Funcom is trying to entice gamers to come back and play “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures”. Previously active players can come back and play free of charge for two weeks. They will also get a double exp boost during the free period. Allowing the player to level pretty quickly. Another incentive is that players that play past the free period can get guaranteed access to the beta test for The Secret World. They’ll also get a free copy of the expansion and more prizes.

“We are very proud of what we have been able to do with the game since launch,” says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. “The game has grown and improved at a remarkable pace, and we continue to introduce new content, new features and new improvements. We are introducing these fantastic rewards as we know that coming back to an MMO demands effort, and we want to make sure that as many former players as possible are exposed to the new and improved ‘Age of Conan.’”

Here is a list of the rewards for signing up:
* Subscribing for 1 month gives 7 days extra game time for no additional cost
* Subscribing for 3 months also guarantees a spot in open beta for The Secret World
* Subscribing for 6 months also gives a level 40 helmet with a 10% XP modifier
* Subscribing for 12 months also gives a free copy of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion

Posted on November 11th, 2009 at 2:34pm by GamingAngel
Filed Under: Massively multiplayer online game, News, Secret World, age-of-conan-hyborian-adventures, funcom

Blizzard is trying out the world of microtransactions, but like most things they work on, they aren’t doing it small. On the WoW.com forums, Nethaera posted details about the brand new Pet Store for World of Warcraft.

The Pet Store gives players a place to purchase with real money, in-game pets. The store has launched with two pets, Pandaren Monk and Lil K.T. the Littlest Lich.

Microtransactions have typically been used in free-to-play MMOs and are low cost items that assist in gameplay experience. Blizzard has been talking about possible microtransactions for awhile, but at $10 for each pet, that’s hardly micro.

On the plus side, half of the proceeds from every Pandaren Monk pet will go towards Make-A-Wish Foundation. Just be careful to note that money from the other pet does not.

---

Here are the details on the Pets and FAQ on the Pet Store
Enter the Pandaren Monk, ( http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000763 ) a martial-arts expert who’s here to help celebrate the upcoming fifth anniversary of World of Warcraft. He may be cute, but he’s proof that even the softest of critters can overcome the hardest of circumstances. For every Pandaren Monk that finds its way to a player’s side between now and the end of the year (December 31, 2009 at 11:59 PDT), we’ll donate 50 percent of the $10 purchasing price to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in an effort to brew up a little hope, strength, and joy in a child’s life.

Lil’ K.T., the Littlest Lich

Lil’ K.T. is a miniature lich who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary lord of Naxxramas, Kel’Thuzad. But don’t let his diminutive stature fool you: Lil’ K.T. has a diabolical laugh and wields true power at his bony fingertips, randomly wreaking icy havoc on critters who dare to cross his path. You can now buy this new pet for $10 on the Blizzard Store. (http://us.blizzard.com/store/ )

Pet Store FAQ
Why are you introducing this service?

The Pet Store provides a new way for players to obtain unique companion pets outside of the game, which is something that has been requested by many players who enjoy World of Warcraft’s non-combat companions.

Will more companions be available for purchase in the future?

We plan to add more pets to the Pet Store in the near future. Keep an eye on the official World of Warcraft website and the online Blizzard Store for details.

Where can I go to purchase these pets?

You can purchase these in-game companions by visiting this link or heading to the online Blizzard Store, where you’ll find the Pet Store pets under the Collectibles tab.

Will I be able to acquire these Pet Store pets by questing, through holidays, on in-game vendors, or by any other in-game methods?

No. Pets purchasable through the Pet Store will not be obtainable through quests or other in-game means — they’re only available through the online Blizzard Store.

How do I redeem a Pet Store pet once it’s been purchased from the Blizzard Store?

After you purchase the pet, you’ll receive a code that can then be redeemed on any World of Warcraft account via Battle.net Account Management. You don’t need to redeem the code on the same Battle.net account that made the initial purchase – feel free to send the code to a friend as a gift.

Will these pets count toward pet-related achievements?

These Pet Store pets will count toward the total number of pets a character has for achievements like Plethora of Pets or Lil’ Game Hunter.

Will these pets help me in combat?

No, these pets are strictly cosmetic. They have some fun animations and sound effects, but they will not help you in PvP or PvE.

What characters will receive the Pet Store pet that I purchase?

Once you redeem your code on an individual World of Warcraft account, every character on the account will receive the pet in their in-game mailbox (including any characters you create in the future). If you wish to purchase the pet for multiple different World of Warcraft accounts merged with the same Battle.net account, you will need to buy a separate pet for each World of Warcraft account individually.

**Please Note** If a character transfers off of the account where the pet is bound the pet will be lost.**

How long will these Pet Store pets be available?

We do not currently have any plans to remove these pets from the Pet Store. The Blizzard Store purchasing page will provide information on any changes to availability.

In what regions are these pets available?

The Pet Store pets are available only to players on realms located in North America, Europe, and Korea. A Battle.net account is required in order to redeem the pet.

Charity Pet

What charity will I be supporting when I purchase the Pandaren Monk pet?

Donations from every sale of the Pandaren Monk pet through December 31, 2009, will be given to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To find out more about this charity, please visit www.wish.org.

How much of every Pandaren Monk pet sale will go to charity?

For each Pandaren Monk sale, we’ll donate 50% of the $10 purchase price to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information on this charity, visit www.wish.org.

How long will you be making this donation?

We will continue to make a donation for each Pandaren Monk pet purchased until December 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Will the pet still be available for purchase after the donation period is over?

Yes, you will still be able to purchase the pet after December 31, and we do not currently have any plans to remove this pet from the Pet Store. The Blizzard Store purchasing page will provide information on any changes to availability.

Does this mean you’ll be introducing more services like this in the future? Will you be introducing the ability to buy epic weapons/etc. in the future, for example?

As with the pets, mounts, and other items players can obtain through Loot cards from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Pet Store pets are purely cosmetic and just for fun. Like other paid services we offer, such as Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, and Character Re-Customizations, the Pet Store service is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft in a way that isn’t detrimental to the game and that doesn’t detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service.

Posted on November 4th, 2009 at 3:56pm by GamingAngel
Filed Under: Littlest Lich Lil' K.T, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Massively multiplayer online game, News, Pet Store, microtransactions, world-of-warcraft

Muse Games launches Guns of Icarus, the first browser based Steampunk MMO, across PC and Mac platforms today. Defend your airship in either single or multiplayer modes as pirates aim to destroy your aircraft, kill your crew and loot your cargo.

The game was built with the Unity 3D engine, an engine more and more indie developers are using, which also offers brilliant 3D game-play within the player’s browser.

“We strongly feel the potential for high quality browser-based 3D games has barely been scratched, especially in the multiplayer realm,” said Austin Lane, Co-Founder of Muse Games. “Guns of Icarus is our first effort to change that.”

You can download the game and try it for free now, or purchase unlimited access for only $8.

Posted on November 4th, 2009 at 12:59pm by Yukino
Filed Under: Massively multiplayer online game, News, Steampunk, Unity 3D, Video game, browser-based