Amerist

Gamers are everywhere, and when it comes to MMO games there's ways that they can have a great impact on many, many people from across the globe. Recent events led to the death of Sean Smith, aka "Vile Rat", when the US consulate in Libya was attacked. Vile Rat had such an impact on the game that his presents stirred numerous high profile articles by Something Awful, by CCP Games themselves, fan videos on YouTube, and even acknowledgement of his presence as a gamer by high level politicians.

Death is a human fact and every culture faces the loss of its members. As a result, it highlights how people game in these communities. Friends and competitors alike found the time to memorialize his activity in game.

BENEFIT INFORMATION

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=9332&url=benefitforseansmithsfamily

Link, via MMO Anthropology.

@Jrinswand: Neil Giaman I don't know (I love him, but I had no idea he'd pitch in with City of Heroes); but apparently Mercedes Lackey has written for them.

http://www.mercedeslackey.com/features_cityofheroes.html

So she has a particular affinity for the game.

As we all know by now NCSoft is closing City of Heroes and disbanding Paragon Studios.

This is actually something of a hugely emotional event for many of the fans of the game. People who have played it since launch and even survived the transition to free-to-play (only a year or so ago.) As a result of the announcement, Facebook pages have appeared, petitions have surfaced, even some celebrity authors have gotten behind trying to save it -- Mercedes Lackey and Neil Gaiman both have thrown in their support.

Let me know if you play City of Heroes and tell me what you think about the closure.

The MMO gaming industry functions very similarly to the rest of the video game industry, except that it thrives on the ability to attract and retain customers, as a result it has both the effects of a service and a product. As a result, there are some similar issues with journalism, selling out, and the specter of impropriety. Recently editor-in-chief of MMOHut was fired and taken up by a different MMO review site, MMOBomb, and his story brings to light some of the growing pains that the MMO industry might need to fight through as it forges its way into the gamer audience and limelight.

Link, via MMO Anthropology.

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen, it's often implementation that wins the day. When it comes to writing, copyright is the mechanism that protects the expression of the author. If thou have great concern, I'd suggest simply registering the copyright on the work -- it's the best way to show easily in court that copyright was broken (although in the United States copyright attaches the moment a pen is put to paper, registering enables a swifter recognition of when pen put to paper.)

I have quite a few copyrighted works. If this is in the United States, here's a place to start http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-register.html

Now, copyright cannot protect ideas directly; but having a work with a registered copyright might provide a disincentive for someone else to attempt to duplicate the details of the work.

It is not necessary to copyright a work to receive some protections (as noted above) but when if it were to come to a court battle, having it registered goes a very long way and it's only $35 and postage. ξ

@Skyfire543 said:

/v/ is the Video Games board on 4chan. Don't go there.

This is my most common "ending phrase" anytime I mention 4chan. In fact, it's rather like planting a sign to warn someone away from shark infested waters or even an Internet cliff. ξ

I found myself with some extra time a while back and decided to experience Minecraft from the ground up (literally.) It’s nothing all that impressive compared to what I know many other people have done; but I figured that I could give it a good show.

@Sooty said:

I'm on chapter 8 of The Longest Journey right now. Amazing game.

I love that game to death--even with Dreamfall's odd, out-of-place combat system. I so thoroughly enjoyed both of them and will probably always be nostalgic about the games forever. ξ

The winter holiday is fading away from most MMOs, but City of Heroes has an interesting legacy to live up to with their winter events. In 2005 (effectively for the 2004 winter event) the introduction of the Winter Lords generated an interesting effect in the player community--primarily this is because they were bugged and would unleash spectacular amounts of experience when killed.

The Winter Event for City of Heroes includes both a primarily Christmas-styled event combined with a New Years event. Wrapped gifts appear around Paragon City, the Rogue Isles, and now also Praetoria; and a ski chalet appears outside the intradimensional nightclub Pocket D. Players are asked to rescue the Baby New Year from Snaptooth (a Red Cap) for Father Time; but also recently introduced was Lady Winter--a female archviallian counterpart to the Winter Lord--who appears as of 2010.

The Winter Lords no longer deliver powerlevelling via their violent expulsion of experience, but their memory still lingers with veteran players who ice skated in Paragon City that fateful year.

A full essay is available behind the link explaining the event and some of the ramifications of the Winter Lord bug. Until next year.

Link, via MMO Anthropology.

Well, I'm generally always at a lack for time to play, but I'm still in the game when I can. ξ