A magazine publisher has decided to make a magazine especially for MMO game players. A print-based magazine for the most online and connected people in the world. Voids are often there for a reason.

Massive Gamer Magazine Unleashes First Issue

New Monthly Periodical Exclusively Covers Massively Multiplayer Online PC Games

ST LOUIS, MO — July 22nd, 2008 – A seismic shock has impacted the world of editorial media covering interactive entertainment. Massive Gamer, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of Massive Gamer magazine, a monthly print publication focusing exclusively on massively multiplayer games for the PC. As the multi-billion massively multiplayer (MMOG) business continues to grow and become a part of mainstream popular entertainment, Massive Gamer aims to reflect the breadth and depth of the MMOG development, business and culture as no other website and print publication has ever done before.

The first issue of Massive Gamer magazine (August 2008) is available at newsstands for the cover price of $6.99, and online for subscription at the low introductory rate of $24.99.

Weighing in at 88 pages, the first issue of Massive Gamer magazine highlights Funcom’s popular Age of Conan MMOG on the cover, and features articles delving into Cryptic Studio’s Champions Online, Turbine Inc’s. Lord of the Rings: Mines of Moria expansion, EA/Mythic’s Warhammer update, and much more.

Regular columns will include letters from the editor, staff editorials, a calendar of upcoming game releases and industry events, as well as MMOG launches, guild features, serialized fiction, news from the business world, and more.

“Massive Gamer addresses a unique void in the print media space, when it comes to editorially covering massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds. MMOG players have their own jargon, their own community, and their own informational needs that a one-size-fits-all publication cannot completely fill nor understand,” says Jodie McIntyre, CEO and Founder of Massive Gamer, Inc. “This publication will also be unique because we will look at more than the largest and most popular MMOGs. The MMOG development community is filled with innovators and entrepreneurs from around the world – and we cannot wait to share many of their stories with our audience.”

Massive Gamer magazine will be accompanied by a website launch, featuring fresh MMOG industry news and community feedback. The website and information about the magazine can be found at http://www.massivegamer.com. A bi-weekly newsletter will offer opt-in subscribers the chance to have the latest happenings in the world of MMOGs and Massive Gamer delivered to their e-mail inboxes.

Inside Massive Gamer magazine Issue #1:

Cover Features

Age of Conan: Hype vs. Hope
By the Massive Gamer team

DC Universe Online: Super-Batty Goodness!
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

Life at Level 80 in Age of Conan
By Ryan “Volt” Sutherland

Fractured Planes
By Christine Rafe

Features

Age of Conan
Conqueror Class Review
By Pike “Ithkrul” Pullen

Guardian Class Review
By Chad “Clams” Mocha

Demonologist Class Review
By Ron “Zeckle” Hunt

Tempest of Set Class Review
By Lynn “Cesara” Kraczek

Cryptic Studios
Champions Online: From PnP to MMOG
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

Cartoon Network
Fusion Fall Update
By Paul Philleo

Turbine
Lord of the Rings: Mines of Moria – The path to Moria is fraught with danger, evil and… mini games?
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

EA / Mythic
Warhammer Update
By Mike “Exe” Doughtery

Sony Online Entertainment
The Agency: FPS or MMO? If we tell you, we’ll have to kill you.
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

Everquest II: Living Legacy Program
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

Blizzard
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Update
By Mike “Exe” Dougherty

G4Box
Metin 2: Jam Packed with Content – and it’s FREE!
By Lynn “Cesara” Kraczek

CCP
Eve Online: The Empyrean Age
By Marcin “DeepNoizer” Nowak

Insider’s Look

Tales from the Trenches: Community Management
By Linda “Brasse” Carlson

Entropia
By John Bates, Entropia Universe

About Massive Gamer, Inc.
Massive Gamer Inc., (http://www.massivegamer.com), is the St. Louis area-based publisher of Massive Gamer magazine, founded by Jodie McIntyre, owner of the respected editorial website MPOGD.com, which covers multiplayer online games.

Massive Gamer magazine embodies the ideals of editorial integrity while covering the broad spectrum of massively multiplayer online entertainment on the PC platform. The Massive Gamer magazine staff is diverse, like the industry itself, including talented writers, experienced business veterans, and hardcore gamers.

NEXT MONTH: Slightly different features about all of the same games.

This artwork has remained hidden for over a decade! It was created by the pupils of a school, in about 1993, and was the result of the kids being allowed to create a mural based around “issues” they deemed “important” at the time.

FROM A TEACHER, AN IT CONSULTANT, OR A CLEANER: “I found a startling mural whilst wandering through my place of work.”

“Dated 1992-1993 it depicts the burning issues of the day as perceived by a group of ‘Year 8’ (whatever that means) schoolchildren, as well as selected highpoints from human culture and the natural world through the ages. Amongst other wonders, you will see dinosaurs and sea creatures battling in the lower half, and the Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal and an Egyptian sarcophagus in the upper.”

“But most interesting is that the piece is centred upon a vignette of Sonic versus Mario – or rather Sonic V’s Mario. (Stupid children, marks deducted, there is no apostrophe in ‘vs’!) Mario looks like he’s gearing up to sledge Sonic in the kisser, while Sonic looks out at the viewer with the casual air of one who knows that superior speed will always win out. Between them a red road stretches off to infinity, signifying something quite important no doubt.”

“I hope you enjoy these images from an earlier, more innocent age, when children learnt what was of real value rather than having their heads filled with nonsense like recycling, ‘the respect agenda’ and how to handle oneself in a knife fight.”

“I wonder what became of the class of ’93? Yours sincerely, Simon.”

“PS: The foliage has overgrown from some potted plants nearby – a sad indictment of neglect.”

Would it be inappropriate for us to request some photos of… yes. Yes it would. Never mind. Forget about it.

We are under no contractual obligation to do this, just in case you were wondering.

This thing about how terribly rubbish Google Knol appears.

This thing about some videos, in a list, because that’s easier for all concerned.

This thing about Jeff Minter’s descent into (further, deeper) madness.

This thing about what happens on the internet around the world 10000 times a second.

This thing about a “Robot Doctor” that’s clearly rubbish and is made out of Meccano and a broken old Dell.

This thing about the some women holding a telephone and what they have to do to get it for free, because you can’t not use pictures like this when they come along:

Only 4/10, as that photograph makes us sad about the state of our teeth, hair, chest and four-year-old “handset.”

Hopefully that fabric gradually rides up as her adventure progresses.

She may also be wearing sexy red shoes, having just come from an ambassadorial meeting!

Here are some photos a man took inside a SEGA arcade, inside a shopping mall, in Beijing. In China. We’re really not that desperate to see a photograph of a deactivated Daytona USA 2 cabinet, but they do have some pretty decent Sonic art on the walls.

“More Chinese SEGA love…”

“These were taken today in the very heart of Beijing at one of its top shopping malls.”

“Actually the fire extinguisher shot was taken in Xidan.”

“Sorry about the picture quality – resolution and style.”

“I can head back there with my proper camera if you want better ones? – Oppihippo.”

No, these ones are just fine.

You can’t movie for celebrity tie-ins at the moment. This one’s not so good as Ubisoft is involved, but at least we can have a wank in the bathroom while brushing the bitter taste out of our mouths.

Get a load of the shoes on Willoughby. She’s come straight to the shoot from her discreet Marylebone apartment, where she offers numerous services from £1000 an hour. Poor Fearne had to borrow her shoes from the photographer.

Reach over and pop that next button open, Holly.

UBISOFT SIGNS MAJOR TV STARS HOLLY WILLOUGHBY AND FEARNE COTTON TO PROMOTE NEW RANGE OF VIDEO GAMES

London, UK – 21 July 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced a partnership with two of television’s most popular celebrities, Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton, to promote Imagine(tm), a new range of video games available on Nintendo DS(tm).

The new range of games for girls aged 6-12 years will roll out over the next year and launches next month with Imagine(tm) Girl Band, followed by titles including Imagine(tm) Dream Weddings, Imagine(tm) Movie Star and Imagine(tm) Teacher.

Holly and Fearne will participate in a major year long marketing campaign to promote the Imagine range, appearing across all UK media channels in a groundbreaking marketing initiative by a video game publisher.

Holly Willoughby is well known for presenting hit television shows such as Dancing On Ice on ITV1. She will also be taking over from Fearne in presenting this year’s Xtra Factor, the behind the scenes show following auditionees for The X Factor. Fearne Cotton co-hosts the weekend chart show on Radio 1 and has presented a number of popular television programmes and events such as Top of the Pops and Live8. Most recently Fearne co-presented Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday party concert in Hyde Park.

“We are delighted that best friends Fearne and Holly will be joining Ubisoft to promote our new Imagine range of games. Our research shows that our target market loves watching them on TV and aspires to be like them,” said Jon Rosenblatt, UK marketing director at Ubisoft. “There’s a perfect synergy between what our games stand for in terms of being fun, friendly and inspirational, to how our audience feels about Fearne and Holly.”

Holly and Fearne said of the partnership, “The Imagine range is great for young girls who want to express themselves, have fun and let their imagination run wild.There are lots of games being launched this year so there will be something for everyone. The games are brilliant fun and we’re delighted to be involved in such a big, exciting campaign. We’re also loving being able to play all the games together!”

Fringe games company uses large-chested celebrity in attempt to lure in teen/male demographic, shock.

Such a disappointing photo. We have numerous better ones in the UKR personal archive. If you need to send out a press release regarding Gemma Atkinson, ask us first. We can help with all your Gemma needs, even if you want clumps of hair and used sanitary towels stolen out of her bin (they just cost more).

Celebrity gamer to cut ribbon on UK’s largest electronic games event

Southampton, 21st July 2008: Multiplay, organiser of M Festival – the UK’s largest electronic games event, are pleased to announce that TV celebrity Gemma Atkinson is to officially open the event on Friday 8th August 2008 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Gemma’s first acting role playing Lisa Hunter on Hollyoaks placed her in the public eye and she has been firmly there ever since. She was a popular character in Hollyoaks, playing Lisa for five years and proving her credentials as an actress covering topics of self-harm and bereavement. Due to her characters popularity Gemma continued with late night Hollyoaks show, Hollyoaks: in the City.

After leaving Hollyoaks behind Gemma showed fans a different side to her by appearing in ITV1’s primetime show Soapstar Superstar and proving that she can sing as well as act. More recently Gemma became even more of a household name by taking part in ITV1’s massively successful I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here broadening her fanbase. Gemma also has a part in Brit-Flick ‘Boogie Woogie’ out in August, her 2009 calendar is out in September and she’ll be playing ‘Peter Pan’ at the Royal Manchester Opera House in December.

Gemma is also an avid gamer in her spare time and is thrilled to be opening such an important milestone for the European gaming scene.

For more information about M Festival go to www.mfestival.com

So this is what’s gone wrong with Sony. They’re all on very strong drugs.

At least the flower isn’t saying “HOLY SHIT!” and shooting other grey flowers in a grey space corridor. This sort of thing could turn us.

A selection of other poorly-researched pieces we’ve actually been paid to create.

This thing in which we bravely resisted making references to wanking over Natasha Henstridge in Species, even though we’ve all done it. Often twice in 90 minutes, then a third time from memory in bed.

This thing about whirring noises.

This thing which was part of a compulsory series of updates in which we pretended to be excited about “E3.”

This thing in which we did not pretend to be anything other than bored to eye-gouging by Gears of War 2.

This thing about a TARDIS wardrobe, because even though Dr Who has been dumbed down to such a level that household pets have to leave the room in disgust when it comes on, having your clothes stored in a TARDIS seems like a cool thing to do. Even if you’ll be 35 in two weeks time.

This thing about a cheese grater with a face, because you can’t not use pictures like this when they come along:

You will like it or you will be GRATED. 10/10.

It’s from Ubisoft, unsurprisingly, which has just revealed a game called “Petz Sports” – no doubt hoping that combining several existing things people like will equal success.

A cute puppy, or a signal that the games industry as we know it has been replaced by machines that can turn the results of surveys into finished games in 48 hours?