7 Sins Game: Going off an alternate news which we do not normally cover. Everyone has already heard/read the big news that Jenna Jameson is invading the game market with her Triple-X PC game (Link: NSFW) Virtually Jenna, where you can make your own hard-core pr0n flick with her as the star. She bends, bobs, moans, etc. Recently, I've been doing the whole dating scene with guys from work while laughing and generally mocking them. Seeing IT guys out drinking and hoping to score with the ladies can be highly entertaining (at least in my crowd, not to generalize all IT guys). Coming from Digital Jesters is a game which put's the humor into an adult themed game, titled "7 Sins." It actually looks pretty fun and funny in a SIM's type of style. Think you can roll with the high life? Reckon you're a true player? 7 Sins is your chance to prove it. Money, fame, and power are at your fingertips... but everything has its price. If you want a piece of the action, you're going to have to lie, steal, seduce and cheat your way to the very top of the social elite. Make friends, make enemies, learn their secrets and desires and then use it against them to get ahead. With outrageous mini-games and hilarious social interactions, you'll soon discover that sinning really is the best way of winning! The game will feature a 3D interactive environment where the player can mix with the rich, beautiful and famous while trying seduce them, humour them, bore them or be as nasty as you want while competing with other characters! Choose how you want to advance, by either becoming the King of Slime, or being the next virtual Don Jaun. From the FAQ: Themed challenges based around each of the seven sins - Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed and Sloth. Humour - A heavy dose of 'lads mentality' with visual and audio gags focusing on drinking, voyeurism, pranks and Mixing with the ladies More than 20 different mini games it arrives on May 20th for both the PC and PS2. Check out some of these screens to really understand the humor: First Contact At The Club Meeting her in the office. That Whole Dinner Thang. Getting the heat on. The private club The dance club. Guys don't follow above the neck rule. (Even in games!) Check the official website and scope some of the videos for some high content laughs. Were looking forward to doing a review on this! Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Auto Assault Beta Begins: NetDevil announces that the first wave of drivers with a vengeance have started their engines and loaded their guns within Auto Assault. In addition to the new testers jumping into game, the official website has had a slight makeover in which new art work has become available (including wallpapers) along with a new article to their recon section with a last resort action for players who find themselves out gunned and overmatched. Beta apps are not closed yet. Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Commuunity News: Contests Asherons Call 2 For Life at Warcry. Name The Game on RadioGameRifts. (Heh) Interviews MMORPG chats with Christophe Watkins on Fallen Earth. Movies Eight Guild Wars movies on RPGamer. Previews Vanguard: Saga of Heroines at KillerBetties. Guild Wars at TenTonHammer. Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

DAoC Bannings and Suspensions: Mythic Entertainment broke out the banstick and gave the boot to 107 accounts that were using a radar exploit within game and gave another 167 players a timeout with suspensions last week within Dark Age of Camelot. Based on data gathered from in-game appeals (players reporting cheaters), observation, and our toolset, we know we've acted against the vast majority of cheaters. Some will slip through, unfortunately, but we have no ethical choice but to err on the side of caution. Those we identified, but could not prove were cheating will remain on our watch list, and we will eventually get them. Also, it's with great happiness that we declare this round to be the last of the second chances. At one point, the perception had been expressed on the part of some of our players that one had to have radar to be competitive. As the steady decline in the number of radar users has shown, the reality is that this is no longer an issue. What IS an issue now is the perception that "lots of other people" cheat, although the data simply doesn't support that perception. Therefore, since there shouldn't be anyone left who believes that they just "have to have radar," we now proudly return to the original policy of "one strike, you're out." Good for them! Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Gods and Heroes at E3: Perpetual announces that their upcoming game Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising (that should be a metal song) is heading to E3 and for the first time will showcase Sqaud Combat in their first public appearance. Set in pre-imperial Rome around 300 BC, Gods and Heroes provides epic-scale, quest-driven gameplay across a wide variety of immersive regions and environments. Every player in G&H is descended from the gods, and through ongoing relationships with them, earns and commands tremendous abilities. Using their god-like powers, unique combat, special moves, and the might of squads and groups, players strive to serve the gods and the Republic as they fulfill their destinies. En route, they must do battle against fearsome creatures from mythology such as Cyclopes and Furies, and contend with waves of invading armies including Samnites, Germanic Barbarians and Gauls. "It's exciting to see Rome take shape in the game. In addition to being a terrific looking environment, it's just a very cool space to play in," said Gods and Heroes Lead Designer Stieg Hedlund. "We're also excited to be able to premier squad combat and management in a live demo at this year's E3." "Gods and Heroes will implement the most interactive, dynamic, strategic and engaging combat system of any MMG," continued Hedlund. "The system challenges players before and during battle by enabling them to select and train their NPC Soldiers in a variety of skills and abilities, and form them into squads that meet specific challenges. They must devise strategies and create formations for these squads to execute on command - maximizing the unique skills and abilities of each individual squad." A game to salivate over! Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Guild Wars Live: ArenaNet announces that the servers are now open in North America and Europe for Guild Wars. We are pleased to announce that Guild Wars has opened in North America and Europe. In the five years of development, we have seen the advent of a new company, the forging of a new international bond, and the launch of one of the most popular preorder programs of all time. Tonight, we invite you to come and experience Guild Wars for yourself. The revolution is here. Viva La Revolution! Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Lineage 2 Anniversary: NCSoft announces that Lineage 2 turned two, and in celebration of their anniversary they will be holding a special event taking palce from April 28th to May 1st. Players collect alphabet drops from various monsters throughout Aden. If they collect enough letters in their inventory to spell the words "L I N E A G E 2 ", "N C S O F T" or "C H R O N I C L E", they can exchange them with an NPC for great in-game prizes (to be announced)! What happens if you can not spell? I'd be left out. Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Mulligan Joins Nevrax: Nevrax announces that Jessica Mulligan has alrady found her new home and it's in their game Saga of Ryzom. Nevrax, the premiere developer of the ground breaking massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) The Saga of Ryzom, announced the addition of Jessica Mulligan as Executive Producer of The Saga of Ryzom. A 20-year veteran of the MMORPG industry, Ms. Mulligan most recently worked for Turbine, Inc., developer of such titles as Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2, as Executive Producer and Creative Director for Asheron's Call. Prior to joining Turbine, Ms. Mulligan held a variety of industry positions, including President of the Themis Group, Director of Operations for MM3D, Inc. and as a Director on Ultima Online for Origin Systems. "We are extremely pleased with the addition of Ms. Mulligan to our team," said David Cohen Corval, CEO of Nevrax. "Her experience and ideas will make a rich contribution to the development of The Saga of Ryzom. We look forward to having a long and rewarding relationship, and watching Atys flourish in the process." "I have been following the development of Ryzom for some time now, and I'm happy to become a part of this project," said Jessica Mulligan, Executive Producer of The Saga of Ryzom. "Working together with the players, we intend to make Ryzom the gem it is destined to be." Expect a ton of improvements in the future for Ryzom, Jesssica knows her games! Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Shadowbane Returns: UBI sends word that former Shadowbane players can return for a free 15 day trial and experience the new "Call To Arms" patch which has gone live: 'Tis the dawn of a new era for Shadowbane an age in which the lost art of alchemy shall reign. The Shadowbane: Throne of Oblivion expansion and latest patch have ushered in vast improvements to gameplay, burnishing the world you once knew into obsidian perfection. What will you find thats so different? A stable and immense universe braced by: - Game performance enhancements. - Character stat refinement. - New alchemy system. - Group and guild enhancements. - All the new features from Throne of Oblivion, including a new Vampire race; deeper siege gameplay; Nightstalker and Necromancer classes; and a redesigned strategic world map. - Much, much more! Check out all the improvements. Posted April 28 2005 by Admin

Guild Wars PreOrders Available: ArenaNet's upcoming game Guild Wars, due for retail release is now available for pick-up for those who did preorders at EBGames and GameStop. Can't wait till this weekend! Posted April 26 2005 by Div Devlin

Anarchy Online Expansion 3: Funcom announces that at the E3Expo in just a few short weeks they will be showing in addition to their upcoming games a new expansion for Anrachy Online. "Anarchy Online: Lost Eden" (working title), is the third major expansion to the multi-award winning Anarchy Online. Since launch, the game has attracted more than one million registered users and is today considered to be the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG. "Lost Eden" will further unfold the epic and exciting storyline of Anarchy Online while bringing many exciting new features to the sci-fi online game of choice. More info to be revealed at the show. Posted April 26 2005 by Div Devlin

Jack Sparrow's MMO: Disney announces they are jumping into the whole, "let's take our popular titles and make it into an MMO like everyone else," with the announcement of "Pirates of the Caribbean Online." North Hollywood, Calif. - April 26, 2005 - Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, is developing a new massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the popular theme park attraction and franchise "Pirates of the Caribbean." The game is slated to debut in summer 2006, coinciding with the theatrical premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." "We've learned through our experience with Toontown that the market for massively multiplayer online role-playing games can indeed reach beyond traditional gamers," stated Ken Goldstein, EVP and managing director, Disney Online. "Pirates of the Caribbean is the perfect franchise for our second commercial effort in this arena. Fans of the movies and theme park attraction will be able to live their own unfolding pirate adventure through the game, including searching for lost treasures and battling numerous enemies on land and at sea." Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, added, "This is a great way for game enthusiasts to experience the fun and excitement of playing the role of a pirate while competing against a wide variety of opponents in a great adventure. This game captures the same swashbuckling sense of humor, spirit and action that moviegoers loved in the first 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film, and which will continue with the next installment of the highly anticipated sequel in summer 2006. Disney Online has created a really entertaining and challenging game that will appeal to the adventurer in all of us." The game is being designed by the Walt Disney Internet Group's acclaimed VR Studio as a world of high seas action and adventure where players will personalize their own pirate character and organize with other players to form a pirate crew. Players will then embark on swashbuckling missions to battle both each other and the evil, undead pirates of the high seas in an effort to become the Caribbean's most legendary pirate. Access to the game will be available directly online and players will pay a subscription fee for the service. An information site for the game has been launched at www.pirateslegend.com offering a registration service to sign-up to receive future game updates and launch information. No word yet if subscribers will get discounts for the ride while others suspect voiceovers will include Johnny Depp. Posted April 26 2005 by Div Devlin

AC XPack Flops, Mulligan Departs: The Asherson's Call expansion flopped with testers. Jessica Mulligan departed the company for other reasons. Turbine invades Chine with a strategic partnship between Shanda. Brain overload. Too much to list. Read "Full Story" below. Full Story Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Classes: NetDevil has an Auto Assault update posted in which they reveal two more class profiles that will be available to players in game. Now you can check out both the Human Lieutenant and Mutant Champion class. A Snip from each, starting with the Human Lieutenant: The Human Lieutenant receives some of the best training and support available to the race. Lieutenants are able to quickly create and execute plans of attack, helping coordinate allies and making them more effective on the battlefield. Their enhanced psychic abilities allow the Lieutenants to mentally stimulate allies and harm enemies using the power of the mind alone. Mutant Champion: Mutant Champions are adept at the use of various chassis and weapons, including heavy assault vehicles. However, Champions can also augment their skills with their inherent ability to manipulate the Contamination to their uses - to protect their own vehicles from contaminants, enhance munitions, and repair damage using the Contamination itself. Also available are new wallpapers worth scoping. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Fallout Online? Rumor is circulating that Tulga Games (nee Artifact Entertainment) the makers of Horizons have been funded by a private company(ies) and have aquired the liscense to create a Fallout Online game based on the calssic post-apoc CRPG for the days of old. While no official word has been released, speculation is that a major announcement will be released at the E3Expo or just prior. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Launch Celebration: AranNet is set to launch Guild Wars this weekend in both North America and Europe at the same time, and have released a new game video with game footage to celebrat the upcoming launch this week. "All of our hard work and effort that has gone into this simultaneous release finally feels justified," says Max Brown, Sales and Operations Director, NCsoft Europe. "Guild Wars, with its unique server technology, will allow people from all over the globe to play together. In light of that, we felt it was important to have both sides of the ocean starting at the same time, and we're pleased to say we have made that possible." NCsoft has confirmed that Guild Wars has topped the pre-order charts across Europe and, according to EB GamesTM, Guild Wars is one of the best-selling preorder PC games year-to-date in North America. More than 500,000 players have participated in public preview events in the US and Europe. In Korea, Guild Wars was named the number one most anticipated game of 2005 by The Electronic Times. Grab the movie from their site. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

MEO Changes Name: According to this months PCGamer, Turbine is changing the name of Middle-Earth Online which has been in development and delayed to the new name of "Lords of the Rings Online." LotRo? The first thing you'll notice is the new name of it's spotlight title. Turbine bought the LOTR license from former publisher Vivendi and renamed Middle-Earth Online to reflect a whole new approach. "Vivendi wanted a game where you live and breathe in Middle-earth," says lead content designer Matthew Imregi. "We decided that would be too dull, so our new slogan is 'Forging a Legacy.'" LOTR Online focuses heavily on the idea of family history, which you'll determine when you create your character, playing a big part in the game. This got a stir out of the community, in which Turbine reps replied with: The new website for The Lord of the Rings Online will be up and running as soon as we can make it happen. This news came a bit ahead of schedule, so we're not able to launch the new site simultaneously, which was the plan. Please bear with us during the delay. Sounds like they are going to redeign the entire game again. Twenty + pages and counting. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Interviews KillerBetties chats with Christine McGavran, Director of Development for Perpetual Entertainment - who is currently making Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising and Star Trek Online. MMORPG chats with Todd Keister from NetDevil on Auto Assault. Reviews The Matrix Online at Game Over. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Dark and Light Updates Lore: NPCube has release a lore update for Dark and Light. Our scribes have finished translating the next chapter of our friend Anir Al Kadesh's travel diary. Come and discover more of our history as we unfold this explorer and artist's tales of the villages of the Northern Marshes in the second chapter of The Cage. Check it. If you have not signed up for the beta test, applications are still open. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

E3Expo, A 1000 Launches: The days are counting down until the world descends upon LA for the E3Expo. Announced today, companies which attend will be launching 1000 new products during the show. More than 1,000 computer and video games and related products will make their debut at the 11th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo 2005 (E3Expo) May 18 - 20, according to exhibitor survey data released today by the show's owner, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The show, which is completely sold out, will host more than 400 of the world's leading interactive entertainment companies in more than 540,000 net square feet of exhibit space at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). Be sure to check out our continuing coverage of E3, and our MMO line-up on RGR. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Mark Jacobs Hammers SOE: Mark Jacobs went on the offensive blasting SOE's new virtual market sales to much applause as he shares why the practice has a negative impact on the industry as a whole: "By creating this service, SOE may be painting themselves into a creative corner. What will happen when SOE finds it has to change or delete items, servers, etc? Will users who have bought items through SOE take kindly to the fact that their $800 swords have been deleted? Will SOE have to consider now and forever the ramifications of every major change they make to the game based on the possibility that users will not only be dissatisfied on an 'entertainment level' but now will be angry from a 'financial level' as well?" ponders Jacobs. Going on the defense after the community got riled up last week, John Smedley revealed the backstory behind the why of it. Mythic 1, SOE 0. Not to be outdone, Brad McQuaid also jumps in with this thoughts. Brad has valid points, especially with the fan sites for his game being purchased enmasse. Finally, SOE decides to see if there may be a market for lightsabers in SWG. (Thanks N3RFED.) Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

ESPN Covers UBO: You know you have hit the major leagues in baseball when ESPN is going to cover you. Netamin has a homerun with Ultimate Bseball Online, still in beta, with ESPN as they announce coverage of the game and for their subscribers a first round pick to play. During ESPN360's All Access Week, fans will enjoy a sneak peek into Ultimate Baseball Online, the new online 9-on-9 multiplayer baseball game. ESPN Spring Training, a preview of Ultimate Baseball Online, will allow users to hone their batting, pitching and fielding skills - and get ready for the full launch of Ultimate Baseball Online on May 12. The full version of Ultimate Baseball Online is a first-of-its-kind "massively multi-player" sports game that allows fans to play interactive baseball over their computer's broadband connection. With stunning graphics and surround-sound audio reactions from the crowd, participants control customized virtual characters for each position and compete together against other UBO gamers. Through their avatar-players bat, pitch, field, run, steal and control a virtual player that plays a specific field position (e.g. short stop, pitcher, left field,). Participants can practice, play pick-up games, join or found their own teams, compete against rival teams, play in unique tournament settings, and win a league championship during the post-season play. Gamers build their skill level (player stats) through successful play on the online field against other real human participants. So many games, such a hot summer this year is going to be. Posted April 25 2005 by Div Devlin

Conan Online Announced: The rumors end as Funcom announces their next online game as they officialy declare Age of Conan online and launch the official website which includes some great looking screenshots: Funcom announces 'Age of Conan – Hyborian Adventures', an Online Action RPG scheduled for Windows in the first half of 2006. A mix of a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer end-game brings forth the ultimate representation of the Age of Conan. Now you can enter the brutal domain of the world’s greatest fantasy hero. In 'Conan' the players will encounter a dark, lush, violent and sinful universe, presented in fantastic graphics and stunning 7.1 surround audio. In a world filled with cruel gods, mythical creatures, lost civilizations and a struggling human race, the mighty barbarian has finally seized the throne as king of Aquilonia. But Conan’s rule is on the brink of chaos, spiraling towards the doom of ancient evils. In this twisted fantasy world, dark magic and brutal combat lurks around every corner, and each man and woman must carve their own unique destiny under Conan’s reign. In the true vision of Robert E. Howard’s dark universe it’s now time for you to become a messenger of death. In addition to incredible graphics and sound, the game will be filled with unique features like the "Real Combat" engine; a revolutionary new multi-point melee system which allows the players to swing their weapons where they direct it, in real-time! This easy to learn and fun melee system lets the players truly feel they are on the battlefield, and goes head-on against the formulaic nature of online RPG combat. In 'Conan' you can also, for the first time in an online RPG, create player-made battle formations where you can command NPC’s and other players in combat, making for epic multiplayer battles. The multiplayer game also allow the players to form guilds and lay siege to enemy castles, letting their catapults sing their merry song of death as the enemy is crushed to a pulp. "I have always been a huge fan of Conan and his Hyborian universe, and to direct this game is a dream come true" said Game Director Gaute Godager, one of Funcom’s founders and Game Director of ‘Anarchy Online’ and the heralded masterpiece ‘Anarchy Online – Shadowlands’. "We are truly trying to make this the ultimate representation of Conan’s world, and we are filling it with features never before seen in an online game. Have you not felt the urge when a great single-player RPG ends to have your character live on and interact with other fellow travelers? To enter an even greater world? This is that opportunity, to have a detailed RPG all about you, your choices and your character, and if you win – to share that victory at an even greater stage." 'Age of Conan' will have a plethora of additional features, as is expected from a Funcom online game. A presentation of the game, including more information about its features, will be held at E3 in May. Did you expect this? Posted April 20 2005 by Div Devlin

RGR Interviews Andrew Tepper: Join RadioGameRifts tonight for the "Developer's Grill" in which Andrew Tepper from eGenesis, the man and company behind "A Tale in the Desert" joins as a guest to talk about the latest direction of the game, development of their new title with Orson Scott Card and if he would trade his developer role for a job as a male stripper. Show kicks off at 6pm Central and supports all major media players. Posted April 20 2005 by Div Devlin

E3Expo MMO Line-Up: E3Expo officially kicks off in under amonth and the list of MMO Games that are going to be strutting their stuff on the electronic runway is growing. We take a look at the growing number of titles that are going to make an appearance. Check the list out here. Posted April 20 2005 by Div Devlin

MMO Games Are Treadmills: I was told I need to share the following e-mail which proves that even those who do not play MMO games, agree that MMO games are but treadmills and we, as players are but mere hamsters running a wheel. Dear Site Owner, My name is Nina Campbell and I am the webmistress of TreadmillWorks.com. We are in the process of creating link partnerships with high quality Treadmill-related sites and I feel like your site would be a great resource for my visitors. I have already placed a link to your site along with a description at... http://www.treadmillworks.com/reviewtreadmill This page currently has a large number of links, but will be greatly reduced in size within the next 7 days as sites that don't link back will be removed. If you decide to trade links with us we'll put a second link to your site on our New Preferred Partners page for free. Time for a new hobby? Posted April 20 2005 by Div Devlin

EQ Selling Game Items: SOE has announced that they have jumped into the virtual item market with their EverQuest game's as players can enhance themselves within game for real world cash. The program has the name, "Station Exchange" with the Smed writing: Starting in late June, SOE will begin offering a new service called Station Exchange. This secure service will allow EverQuest II players on specific servers to buy and sell the right to use items, coin and characters. To be clear, all we are doing is facilitating these transactions. We are NOT in the business of selling virtual goods ourselves. I'm sure this is going to come as a shock to many of you, since for the past six years, we have held the line in not allowing these sorts of things to occur. I'd like to explain the primary drivers for this change from our perspective: First: It's obvious that a large percentage of our players either don't mind this activity or actively participate in it. We've done a fair amount of homework on this subject, and we believe this is a $200 million dollar market worldwide, and there are a huge number of our players taking part in the buying and selling of virtual goods. We have conducted polls, and the vast majority of players either doesn’t care about it or would like to participate in it. We believe that by allowing this to happen on select servers, we can have a solution for both the many players who want to participate in this and for those who don’t. Second: Dealing with fraudulent transactions of one type or another takes up roughly 40% of our customer service people's time. We have players calling us up or requesting in-game service for activities related to these sorts of transactions constantly, even though they are specifically disallowed by our EULA. You may ask why the percentage is that high when it's not allowed in the first place? The answer is simple. Many times, people in these situations aren't up front with us about what actually happened. "My sword disappeared from my inventory" comes to mind, when what actually happened is the player has sold the item to someone else. Our CS people have to take the time to investigate this claim because if something legitimately happened, we of course want to take care of the player's needs. We believe that by taking this course, we will free up a great number of resources to deal with other things for our players. Third: We see this as a potentially interesting model for future games. If we came up with a game specifically designed around these sorts of transactions, it might be pretty cool. Online gaming is always evolving, and we’re going to see how a sanctioned exchange service shakes out in EQII. From our perspective, it's always wise to keep pushing the envelope. Silently IGE weeps over the loss of sales, but shows celebrates that game companies recognize virtual items have real world value. They win, yet lose. Posted April 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Ye' Olde Rumor Mill: Uncle Grimwell breaks the news with the rumor that NCSoft just "stole" a number of team members which were working at Blizzard on a World of Warcraft expansion (which Blizzard has denied to be working on) over in California. As Grimwell's source writes: Seems NCSoft just opened up a new studio in Irvine, CA, not far from Blizzard's offices, specifically to grab part of the WoW expansion pack team (but also to consolidate their Glendale office there). Those people have apparently made the move now, gutting the WoW expack team for the short term, at least. I've confirmed they opened the office, but not that part of the WoW expack team moved over. Check out the full article and the possible ramifications. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

DAoC Downloads via Xfire: Dark Age of Camelot is now being offered with a 14-day free trial through Xfire downloads: Xfire, Inc., the fastest growing online gaming platform and community, announced it is distributing the new 14-day trial version of "Dark Age of Camelot," to those of its 1.25 million users who have opted in to automatically receive game files. Xfire's download system allows users to download patches, mods, demos, trailers, and other files to users via a closed peer-to-peer distribution system. X-Fire is fast becoming the number one utility for MMO Gamers. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

FFXI Web DOS Attacked: Word from PlayOnline last week was that their websites for Final Fantasy XI were unavailable due to being the target of a DOS Attack: It has come to our attention that recent technical difficulties with our PlayOnline server are due to a DDoS from anonymous third parties. We have determined that this activity was undertaken with malicious intent and specifically targeted our network. Our technicians are taking every measure possible to prevent further attacks. However, attack methods have varied, which has caused a more time-consuming review of our network protection. Currently we are unable to determine the precise source of attack. However, with the cooperation of ISP companies, our investigation continues to make progress. Law enforcement authorities in Japan, the United States, and Europe have been contacted for support. We chose not to make an announcement of this nature earlier due to the unwanted effect it could have on our investigation, on the investigations of authorities abroad, and for stopping information that could be used to undertake additional network attacks. The most recent server difficulties and PlayOnline service interruption, however, have persuaded us to disclose more information on this matter to our users. The full announcment can be found here. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

GameStop Buys EBGames: Big news out Chicago (my town) is that GameStop is going to quire through purchase EBGames. GameStop Corp. on Monday said it would buy rival Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. for $1.44 billion in cash and stock, likely creating the leading video game retailer in the United States. Electronics Boutique stock jumped 29 percent, while GameStop shares fell 1.6 percent in early trading. The combined entity would have more than 3,200 stores in the U.S. and 600 stores internationally, with annual revenues of nearly $4 billion and a dominant position in the growing market for used game sales. Considering GameStop is one of the worst stores for preordering PC games in the Chicagoland area, this is a bad thing. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

OGaming Buys Guild Wizard: Even more cash news from last week as OGaming announced they aquired through purchase GuildWizard the community resource and hosting site for MMO Player Guilds. From the press release: OGaming.com, the leading source of news, information and community services for fans of massive multiplayer online games (MMOG), announced today that it has acquired Guildwizard.com, the premiere provider of guild management services to gamers. In celebration of the new acquisition, Guildwizard.com will waive the $54 annual fee for guild management services for the remainder of 2005. Any guild that has already purchased services during the announced promotional period will receive a dollar for dollar credit for like services in the future. Somewhere, someone had linked that OGaming is owned by IGE, the hated gold resource and virtual item sellers. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Saga of Ryzom Files Chapter 11: Over in the Saga of Ryzom the saga continues as a new letter to the community was released by David Cohen Corval announcing that as part of their reorg they have filed for Chapter 11: Some of you already have observed that Nevrax has filed for a legal procedure under the French courts comparable to the Chapter 11 in the US. This is part of our plan. I personally signed the documents to open this very procedure on March the 31st, the procedure was accepted and opened by the Court of Paris on April 5th, and we received the conclusions of the Court last Friday the 8th. I prepared this communication last week, but for legal reasons had to wait until now to publish it. I apologize for this delay. Nevrax is now legally in observation for 4 months (the French legal system calls that "Redressement Judiciaire en régime général"). This legal procedure is a framework that not only ensures that Nevrax properly performs its reorganization according to the French laws, but also helps us financially. As most of you understood very well, this procedure does not mean that Nevrax is going into liquidation; on the contrary, it is a necessary step on the way to a continuation plan. As part of this reorganization, it is probable that we will have to undertake an internal team restructuring. Needless to say, should that happen, it won't be an easy decision to make. Everyone in the Nevrax team has played an important role in the development, release and maintenance of the Saga of Ryzom, and we are also friends, sharing a common passion for the MMORPG genre. Moving forward, we will do our best to make all these sacrifices worth it. Read the full letter. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Tabula Rasa Makeover: Richard Garriot (NCSoft/Destination Games) has a new letter up on the Tabula Rasa website as it goes under an extreme makeover, MMO Edition. For those of you who've been following the development of Tabula Rasa, you may be aware that the game underwent a major transformation over the last year. We've hesitated to share more information about these changes as we wanted to be absolutely confident with this new direction. At present, we are pleased to report that this project is shaping up to be a truly outstanding massively multiplayer online game. The reasons we have undergone this transformation are many and complex. Simply put, our team felt that the first incarnation of Tabula Rasa was not the game we felt it should be. We felt this way from our own reactions playing the game as well as others external to the team playing it. We believe that the change for the positive will be obvious to all. Over the next few weeks you will see changes to the Tabula Rasa website. The site will be receiving a major overhaul in advance of this year's E3 event. You can look forward to new creatures, new features, and new information. Everyone here at Destination Games and NCsoft is excited about the new look and feel of this highly anticipated game. We hope you'll be excited too. Richard Garriott and the Destination Games Development Team All previous info on the game has been removed, we are looking forward to the transformations which will be announced indepth next month prior to the E3Expo. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Ashen Empires Expansion: Iron Will Games announces they are working on thier first expansion pack to Ashen Empires which was originally titled Dransik. The expansion named, "Talazar's Revenge," will feature striking new areas to discover, powerful new monsters, new quests, new towns, a wide array of new items and weapons, new crafting recipes and many other gameplay enhancements and should be available soon (Spring 2005). Thanks GameBunny. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Iritor Online Gone: Websites for Wootsoft developers for the game Iritor Online have vanished from the net being replaced by advertising pages suggesting that the compay has gone belly-up, or forgot to pay their domain registration fee's for the websites. Iritor Online was a sci-fi themed game. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

City of Heroes Updates: City of Heroes celebrated it's first birthday last week and announced that their next expansion due this May for players will be offered as a free download. The highlight of Issue #4, however, will be the new player vs player Arenas. Scattered throughout the city, these gigantic training grounds will allow consenting players and Supergroups to face off in a variety of match types. Weight class divisions will ensure that players of all levels have the opportunity to take part, and a PvP ranking system will grant prestigious badges to the skilful. The only element needed for testing prior to City of Villians the awaited expansion. Time to resub and start building your PvP Hero for epic conflicts. Be sure to drop by the new NCSoft Store which opened where you can purchase items such as t-shirts and posters for your favorite NCsoft games, including City of Heroes, City of Villains and Lineage II. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

EverQuest Happenings: Old news, but SOE banned over 700 accounts from EverQuest for exploiting as server merges continue. Also a letter from the new producer was released from Craig "Zorillius" Knapp in which he introduces himself: We all know that EverQuest is not just a game. The game and its community are both a large part of all our lives. Our team takes great pride in this fact, but at the same time we are humbled by the responsibilities that come along with it. As developers, our primary responsibilities are to make an entertaining game and to support the thriving EverQuest community. Only by working closely with you, can we keep EverQuest successful for years to come. Be sure to party down wih those you know at the first SOE Fan Fair which was announced last week to take place in Vegas during June. The fan fair is for all SOE Games, but they have been doing this for a few years now. Do they mean the first 2005 Fan Faire? Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

PE Raises 135k: MindArk announced that they have raised $135,000 in sales to players for virtual apartments within Project Entropia. Project Entropia, a rapidly growing virtual world utilizing a real cash economy, today announces the enormous success of the 7.2 version update and the "Home for Everyone" campaign as thousands flock to buy virtual property. On March 23, 2005, the launch of the 7.2 upgrade took effect including the auction of some 3,000 apartments in the Project Entropia universe, and within a few hours a third of the property was sold to interested buyers. Currently, the total revenue from the virtual property sales topples over $135,000 and growing. Project Entropia created the campaign as the demand for apartments and other housing complexes have drastically gone up since the sale of the virtual "Treasure Island" for $26,500 last December 2004. Project Entropia has also decided to keep the prices of the apartments low and at a fixed rate ($25.00-$45.00) in order to accommodate more members. The strategy of cheaper housing options will ensure a healthy secondary market for apartments within Project Entropia with possible large profit margins for early apartment investors. Several members have already utilized their entrepreneurial skills and become estate brokers, seeking out attractive apartments, with nice views and well-respected neighbors, and brokered these to other participants. The new apartment plan also allows players to delve into a whole new virtual experience as they begin to furnish their new homes, and entertain guests in a virtual location. Unlike other MMO Games, MindArk supports virtual econimies and real world cash transactions. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

IGN Grabs InGame Ads: Jumping onto the bandwagon for in game advertising is IGN who announced that they will now offer services for game companies: IGN Entertainment, the leading gaming information network and the leading provider of in-game technology solutions, is extending its technology platform to serve dynamic content and advertising in video games. IGN's new software and services will enable developers and publishers to manage their online game content throughout the game lifecycle, as well as execute in-game advertising campaigns. Advertisers will be able to develop cross media programs that include in-game and online ads and promotions as part of IGN Entertainment's overall media offering. "Our In-Game technology is already proven in over 300 games, and includes online matchmaking, chat, CD key verification, unified registration, and statistics and tracking," said Mark Stieglitz, general manager, publisher services, IGN Entertainment. "We are extending our current platform and solution set to enable game publishers to manage the space within their games dynamically, for In-Game marketing, advertising or for other purposes based on their unique needs." The new In-Game Marketing Technology and Service will extend IGN's media and technology platforms, allowing publishers to enhance the gameplay experience by continually updating their games with new levels, patches, alternative player skins, weapons, buildings, maps, and even soundtracks. These same tools can be used to advertise the next version of a game by dropping in trailers and assets as they become available, as well as offering special in-game promotions. In addition, IGN's technology will enable publishers to add incremental revenue to their games by selling in-game advertising themselves, or by having IGN leverage its advertising infrastructure and experience to manage and sell in-game advertising programs on their behalf. The technology also will track impressions, time spent viewing items and type of each interaction, so that advertisers can watch the return on their investment, make smarter buys and design more effective campaigns. IGN Entertainment provides many of the Internet's leading destinations for video gaming, entertainment and community targeted at teens and 18-34 year-old males. The company's properties include IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena, Direct2Drive, TeamXbox , 3D Gamers, more than 70 community sites and a vast array of online forums. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Event Schedule: Event's are the action to particpate within games, and The Matrix Online knows how to throw an event in game with their live event's team. Missed out or always hated that by the time you heard an event was taking place, it was over by the time you arrived? Well WBIE has released their entire schedule for when events will take place within game to further progress the continuing storyline. Check it. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

MEO Dev Diary: Turbine has released a new developer diry for Middle-Earth Online from Concept Artist Jeff Murchie as he introuces himself with his first entry on the site and shows off a never-before-seen creature from the game: It has been an unbelievable opportunity to work on such a huge project. I look forward to each character I design and all the new tidbits of Tolkien lore that I learn along the way. I’m a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and have read the books numerous times (along with the Hobbit). Working on concepts has really given me a chance to dive in and learn more about Middle-earth in detail. You don't want to miss out. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Webzen, Inc. Expands: Webzen, Inc. announced the formation of nine development studios to create new intellectual property for the online games market worldwide. The studios have secured 450 developers total, 350 of them internally employed by Webzen. Earlier in the year, Webzen announced part of its product portfolio that will be unveiled at the video game industry's largest trade show, the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, May 18-20, 2005. The line up includes the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), SUN; massively multiplayer online first person shooter (MMOFPS), Huxley; and All Points Bulletin (APB), the first online game developed by David Jones, the creator of the multi-million unit selling video game franchise, Grand Theft Auto, and his UK-based game development company, Real Time Worlds (RTW). Developed internally at Webzen, SUN is the first title to incorporate console-style game mechanics into a classic MMORPG. With action-packed intensity, stunning graphics, unique battle systems, and a captivating cast of characters, SUN is an epic medieval tale set in a rich world of emperors, armies, magicians and monsters. Available in fourth quarter, the game will be Webzen's first title for release in the U.S. market. Also being developed internally is massively multiplayer online first-person shooting game (MMO/FPS), Huxley, which is scheduled to release in fourth quarter 2006. Huxley takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where human beings have mutated and are divided into two opposing races, Sapiens and Alternative. Forced to struggle for survival due to limited resources, the Sapiens and Alternatives are willing to do what it takes in order to wipe out the conflicting race and gain control of the world and its resources. Webzen's All Points Bulletin (APB) is a massively multiplayer online freeform combat and driving-based game, designed by the creator of Grand Theft Auto (GTA), David Jones. Developed by Real Time Worlds Ltd., APB brings players into a living, breathing city where cash is king and territory equals respect. In a fight to dominate the expansive world of APB, players must decide which side of the law to abide by, choosing to form Squads, who seek to uphold the law, or Gangs, whose aim is to break it. APB will provide players with the ultimate customization options from their weapons, vehicles and clothes to their attitude, music, and environment. APB will be available in 2007. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Yu-Gi-Oh! Online Launches: All across the world, adults everywhere shuddered as Yu-Gi-Oh! Online launched in Japan, the US and Europe simultaneously from Konami. Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE features all the cards and rules of the popular trading card game, and allows players to compete and trade cards via a simple point'n'click interface. To facilitate online play, Konami has introduced a novel charge-based 'DUELPASS' system, which will be sold in stores worldwide. By incorporating Yu-Gi-Oh! ONLINE as an addition to the present video game and card games in the series and by transferring the duel space to the Internet, Konami has made it possible to play and interact with players around the world with minimum effort. To learn more about this online card battle game, check out the official website. Posted April 18 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Beta Soon: News from NetDevil on Auto Assault as they kick it into high gear and prepare for the E3Expo next month. For April though, this month is the spring-loaded-action month in which the NetDevil team will be introducing a new wallpaper design featuring one of the awesome weapons you can acquire from within game, as they tease with the announcment beta will be soon. Live beta testers while at E3? This week, they showcase the Maverick Tricannon. Alos released due to popular demand by the fans they have made faction logos available for download. If you have questions and want answers about the game head over the brand new, updated FAQ. And last but not least, the Recon Section has a new updated which includes an overview of two classes, the Human Engineer and the Biomek MasterMind. Posted April 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Round-Up: Contests City of Heroes on GamingSource. Editorial In Search of Content on Warcry. Interviews IGN chats with Jack Emmert on City of Villians. KillerBetties chats with Sheri Pocilujko from High Voltage Software. MMOHell chats with David Makowski on Sigonyth: Desert Eternity. MMORPG chats with Luke Carruthers on Tactica Online. TechGage chats with NetDevil reps on Auto Assault. Previews AutoAssault on Game Daily and GameSpot. Dark Age of Camelot on RPGVault. Risk Your Life at GameSpot. Reviews Matrix Online on GameSpot and Next Level Gaming. Risk Your Life at GamerFeed. Posted April 8 2005 by Div Devlin

DDO Alpha Sign-Ups: Turbine is skipping out on beta and allowing community members to apply for ALPHA testing for Dungeons and Dragons Online per their main page. The kicker, to become a member of the community, you just need to register on the message boards. If you do not become a community member, you will be DQ'ed from ALPHA testing. Who actually want's to do Alpha testing? Posted April 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Finale: With next weekend marking the final beta weekend event for Guild Wars today at 10am PDT ArenaNet will be releasing a new trailer from the game with unique footage which should provide new players a look and feel for the game. After it has been released, you can expect it available for download from our Downloads" section as well. Posted April 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Wow Is A Feeling: Thanks to everyone who turned me onto Pure Pwnage yesterday with their World of Warcraft episode. It all makes more sense if you watch the Girls episode first. These guys are rock and have uber-micro! The 80's love song was just so damn fitting. Posted April 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Removed Article Earlier today an article appeared on this site which should not of been released. Being the eager-beavers we are in our efforts to bring you the latest and best coverage of the MMO industry and the games, we as players are looking to play not only today, but in the future, we jumped the gun so-to-speak. Our sincere apologies to all parties and indivduals involved. All of us who write for GameRifts, myself included, know how the industry works, and always strive to maintain our integrity covering the games we play in a fair and impartial manner, while being truthful, before crossing that invisible line in the sand. Thanks for reading us, and a huge thanks especially to all the fine folks at Mythic Entertainment and Konkhe Communications, who make everyones past times all the more enjoyable in the player community. Chris Musial GameRifts Posted April 6 2005 by Div Devlin

Game Business News: Advertising In Games Advertising in Games Forum taking place April 14, 2005 in New York City will address the emergence of games as the next wave in marketing media and discuss technologies in development to make rich dynamic in-game marketing a reality. Advertisers will hear how to get feedback and data from in-game advertising to ensure that they achieve maximum ROI. A keynote from Mitch Davis, CEO, Massive Inc. will address how in-game marketing is impacting game publishing models and showcase new research to demonstrate the powerful brand lift that video games offer advertisers. Advertising in Games Forum is the first conference where advertisers, publishers and game makers will come together to outline the opportunities and challenges of ads in games, and explore together the most effective way to take advantage of games as a platform while benefiting the consumer. AGC Call For Speakers Opens Austin Game Conference taking place October 27-28, 2005 is issuing this call for handy, able-minded speakers who can share their insights. AGC is dedicated to meeting the needs of professionals focused on networked game development including MMOGs, online and Internet multiplayer games for PCs, consoles and mobile games. This call for speakers is for MMO presentations only. 1,400 people attended AGC last year and we're expecting to have close to 2,000 attend this year's conference. Submit a proposal. I'd like to see, "Maintaining Large Guilds Within MMO's while interacting with Developers Direct" by a panel of good, evil and neutered neutral guild leaders. Benchmark Investing in Codemasters Could we see the return of Dragon Empires as Benchmark announces they have aquired forty percent of Codemasters in an investment deal? Benchmark's substantial investment will be used to accelerate Codemasters' programme of new game development. This will see the company make a major commitment to develop proprietary game content, with online elements as a key part of the gaming experience across next-generation consoles and PC. Codemasters will also target new distribution formats, such as mobile applications, Internet and massively multiplayer online [MMO] products. The investment will also be used to strengthen the company's sales and marketing activities and for acquiring third party licenses and game titles. Additionally, Codemasters will continue its expansion into new territories for its international publishing operations. Thanks to Frans who pointed this out to BluesNews who got it from Investor's Business Daily Mythic Promotions Mythic Entertainment, developer and publisher of the massively-multiplayer online game "Dark Age of Camelot," announced that Jeff Hickman has been named executive producer of "Dark Age of Camelot." In this new role, Hickman will report to Matt Firor, vice president of development, and will manage the overall direction of "Dark Age of Camelot" by being responsible for design decisions and ongoing expansions to the game. Hickman has been with Mythic since 2001. Congrats to Jeff! Turbine Hirings Turbine announced it has appointed two new executives to the senior management team; Mark Cullinane as vice president of business development and Tom Nichols as vice president of marketing. Both of the new executives will have an active roll in defining departmental initiatives and strategies to increase long-term productivity and success at Turbine. A welcome to Mark and Tom! Ubisoft Announces In-Game Advertising Speaking of In-Game Advertising (see above) Ubisoft, announced its in-game advertising partners for the highly anticipated videogame Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, available now for Xbox, the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube and PC. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Axe and Nokia are among the companies that have worked closely with Ubisoft's development teams to seamlessly integrate advertisements into the latest installment of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for Xbox and PC. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is one of the most successful and established franchises in the videogame industry with approximately 10 million units sold worldwide. Posted April 6 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Updates: Gamers Unite! This should of actually went into it's own category just due to how cool this is. Kwip from NeenerNeener has rallied Gamers and Game Developers to Fight MS. NeenerNeener.Net announced that they have received support from game developers and gamers across the world for the MS Walk 2005. Team NeenerNeener.net participates in the annual fundraising event benefiting research for Multiple Sclerosis, and with generous support from the interactive entertainment industry, has raised more that $30,000 since 2001. Shawn "Kwip" Williams, the founder of NeenerNeener.net was moved to action when his wife, Becky "Kwipette" Williams, was diagnosed with MS. Since 2001, their fundraising efforts in the gaming community have grown, and this year, Team NeenerNeener.net will be accompanied on the Walk by representatives from Mythic Entertainment and Turbine, Inc. The MS Walk 2005 is scheduled for April 17, 2005, and donations to Team NeenerNeener.net can be made at their site. Sanya Thomas, Internet Relations Manager for Mythic Entertainment is traveling from the Washington, DC area to join Team NeenerNeener.Net, and Jesse Kurlancheek, Nikolaus Davidson and Heather Sinclair, developers from Turbine, Inc., are traveling from Boston, MA. Interviews CGM chats with Christopher Klaus on Hip-Hop Legends. CGM also chats with the team for Irth Online. KillerBetties chats with Evelyn Richardson, recently appointed president of the Game Developer's Association of Australia. MMORPG chats with Dallas Dickenson on SWG: Rage of the Wookies. Strut Your Stuff, Win A Prize FreeGameCam is giving away a Radeon X850 XT video card to the winner of our game broadcast contest. This hot card that is valued at over $500 is the top prize to the most popular broadcaster. To enter into this contest is real easy. First you need to like to play video games. Second you need to broadcast the games you are playing live to our site for others to watch. For every person that watches you play you get points. So the more people you encourage to check you out the better your score will be. Previews Dark Age of Camelot on both MMORGP and WarCry. Guild Wars on FragLand. Posted April 6 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Website Make Over: The official website for Guild Wars from ArenaNet has had a fashionable redesign, and they have gone global with their upcoming launch: You may now read your Guild Wars news in English, French, German, Italian, Korean and Spanish. Use the language selection bar above to explore our localized sites, and enjoy! Check them out in your language (if your reading this, you are an English reader already). Posted April 6 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Legacy Events: Today marks the dawn of a new day within The Matrix Online as WBIE kicks off the first live even entitled "Legacy"" which continues the storylines from the movies. Peace is never certain, though death is. Or is it? Missing and presumed dead, the One nevertheless remains a symbol of peace for those who would believe. Led by Morpheus, these true believers are ridiculed for their fervent search for the Neo's remains. While the Merovingian mocks Morpheus' search, his lieutenants seem strangely intent on shadowing his every move; and despite the common belief that the Machine's retain the One's body, automated trace programs devote unusual attention to every iteration of Neo's name. Rumors spread of inexplicable emanations within the Matrix: granting vast power to those who can find and control them. Within the Matrix, where there is power, there is strife. Only one Organization will rise triumphant: Will it be the Machines with their surgical precision and dogmatic commitment to the preservation of balance? The Zionites with their devout duty to protect Zion at all costs? Or the Exiles with their calculated cunning and masterful manipulations? Join Morpheus, Niobe, the Merovingian, Flood, Agent Skinner, Agent Gray and thousands of redpills from across the globe to determine humanity's fate. Will you risk annihilation to unlock the truth? Jack in as the race begins. Posted April 6 2005 by Div Devlin

Div Biz Whiz Dot Com? Box Office Smash Sin City was the blockbuster taking the top spot over the weekend and grabbing $21 Million. Jessica Alba alas is taken according to news reports issued today. Larian Licenses Meqon Engine Larian Studios has chosen Meqon to provide its future next-generation games with realistic dynamics and physics. Thanks to Meqon, projects at Larian Studios can look forward to ragdolls, liquid surfaces, rigid bodies, lifelike explosions, and overall enhancements in animation. Posted April 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Round-Up: Editorial Geldonyetich Doomcasts World of Warcraft on Grimwell Online. Reviews Endless Ages on OnRPG EverQuest II on Future Looks Screenshots Three new Auto Assault screenshots on our message boards showcasing explosions. Seven new DDO Screenshots on the official site for message board members. Posted April 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Mourning Beta Invites: After much laughter for the fiasco over at Limitless Horizons, and what has been a disaster to the Mourning community the message boards have been updated announcing beta invites have finally been sent! Today 1st April 2005, Mourning's preorders beta invites are sent right I am writing this announcement. Joke or not, you'll have to be the ones figuring it out Dan Antonescu Mourning's Lead Designer and Community Liaison Manager Eight pages of people are very happy right now. Posted April 4 2005 by Div Devlin

Saga of Ryzom Friday: Nevrax announces they will be holding a special game event this Friday night for Saga of Ryzom players: On the evening of Friday 8th April, be prepared to help the Guild of Try and the Tryker elders with a very special task. It will be up to you; the Homins of Arispotle, Aniro and Leanon to save the day and win the gratitude of the Tryker leadership! Although this may look simple at first sight, it is rumoured that the recent sightings of the evil Desann and her nefarious twin servants may well complicate the situation. So gather one and all, Kami and Karavan, at Loria's rise in Fairhaven for a special evening of lore, history, revelations and surprises! Your aid is needed as never before in the constant struggle against the evil forces that threaten the fragile balance of Atys. The fun starts at 8pm server time, and additionally at 8pm EST on Arispotle. (8 pm MESZ on Leanon and Aniro, 8 pm BST and 8 pm EST on Arispotle) Scope it with a free trial/ Posted April 4 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Patch Update: The Matrix Online has had it's first retail patch introducing tons of changes for the game from Warner Brothers. Included: The latest patch version introduces several new features and improvements to the game like special beta tester clothing and an in-game media player. The largest new addition to The Matrix Online is the in-game media player that allows users to play any file type supported by Windows Media Player, such as media streams, playlists, and local files. Another large addition to this update will be the introduction of special beta tester clothing. This unique beta tester gear will be automatically deposited into the inventories of every former beta tester in the game. The clothing was specially designed by The Matrix Online Art Team, and is exclusive to former beta testers. Other changes included in this update are an increase in player inventory capacities, and the introduction of Organization vs. Organization PvP combat. For a full list of improvements, check the official update page. If you need a music alternative to listen to when in the Matrix, be sure to add RadioGameRifts to your /fave! Posted April 4 2005 by Div Devlin

ATitD In Game Advertising: eGenesis announces that they will now offer in-game adverts within A Tale in the Desert. We've always watched what other companies are up to, and feel that Funcom's latest approach with Anarchy Online is right on the mark," says eGenesis president Andrew Tepper, "The marketing potential is enormous, never before has this branding been possible. Advertisers are always looking for ways to reach new audiences and market their goods. We have been approached by several organic supplement suppliers who feel that advertising with us will be a good mesh with their extensive e-mail campaigns." Rumor has it that IGE has also purchased the first round of ads to offer thier services on the great temple of Giza and the Sphinx. eGenesis shows a first look at adverts here. It is April 1st after all. Posted April 1 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Update: On the official Auto Assault site, the Recon Section has been updated to give a glimpse of "Legerdemain," a location whose discovery "is mystifying and, quite frankly, horrifying to the three races of Auto Assault." Check em out. Posted April 1 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Round-Up: Editorial Roleplay in MMORPG's on KillerBetties. Reviews The Matrix Online at MyGamer. World of Warcraft at GamersTemple. Posted April 1 2005 by Div Devlin

Movies, Movies, Movies: This weekend looks like the box office smash to check out is Sin City if just to see Jessical Alba gyrate on the big screen. Also, tonight ends the first season for Battlestar Galactica which started filming in Canada yesterday their next twenty episodes for season two which kicks off in July. Head over to the Guild Wars website to scope out the latest two-minute gameplay video, in multiple formats. Posted April 1 2005 by Div Devlin

Second Life Goes Global: Linden Labs announces that Second Life has gone global with their latest version 1.6, providing more access, more tools and more entertainment opportunities for the player community. Highlights include: International Keyboard Support, including Asian character sets, enables Second Life’s international audience to communicate in their own language. - New in-world tools streamline and simplify the 3D design process. - In-world video streaming offers the potential for the first Second Life Independent Film Festival, letting residents screen their original movies to an ever-expanding audience We are told all these innovations arrive in time for the start of Second Life’s 2nd Annual Game Developer’s Competition – hosted by greats from the gaming world – making it easier for Second Life’s entire user base to participate and develop inventive new games. Posted April 1 2005 by Div Devlin