1UP is appealing to gamers to take a 5-10 minute break from their games to fill out the 2008 MMO Gaming Study survey. Those who make time for this no fail quiz by December 1st will be entered in a Sweepstakes to win a $300 American Express Cheque.

Attention FileFront Community!
We want to hear about your MMO gaming experience. Help shape how MMO games are built and be entered in an exclusive sweepstakes drawing to* win a $300 American Express Cheque. * Survey only takes about 5 to 10 minutes and your input would be greatly appreciated.

In addition, you can earn additional entries into the sweepstakes. The first 500 completed surveys will earn a double entry into the prize drawing.

*Directions for the survey:*
1. Step#1: _[CLICK HERE TO START SURVEY]
2. Fill out the entire survey to be eligible for the drawing. *Please fill out the entire survey by December 1st in order to be eligible.*
One entry per household only, additional entries will be void. The winner will be notified as soon as a winner is selected.

Thanks again for your continuing support.

Sony Online Entertainment has tricks and treats for everyone as it celebrates Halloween on all its MMOs and the Legends of Norrath: Oathbreaker TCG. EverQuest and EverQuest II will be celebrating their traditional holiday events. The Matrix Online and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes are into the act as well.

The inaugural Galactic Moon Festival runs until November 7 on Star Wars Galaxies. Set a course for Naboo or Tatooine to get in on the thrills and chills. Full details on each event follow the break.
Read the full article »

Manchester University has released the results of a study on the Gold Farming industry that guesstimates its profits at $500,000 a year. According to the study, titled “Current Analysis and Future Research Agenda on ‘Gold Farming’: Real-World Production in Developing Countries for the Virtual Economies of Online Games,” the industry employs 400,000 people world wide who take home an average of $125 a month.

Manchester University’s Richard Heeks told BBC News that although the study is sound, the Gold Farming industry is “a digital underworld populated by scammers and hackers and pornographers” so it’s hard to nail down exact figures.

“It seems unlikely to be less than $200 million per year, and it could well be more than $1 billion per year,” he said.

At those figures, you’ve got to wonder why every time you log into Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft or any number of other MMOs you’re assaulted with offers as soon as you step inside civilization. Of course 80% of Gold Farmers are Chinese and their cost of living and standards of comfort can be quite different than those in the US.

Although the “services” Gold Farmers offer are annoying to most, they couldn’t exist without a demand. Steven Davis, chief of game security firm Secure Play agrees that it’s not likely this plague on MMOs will die out anytime soon.

“When you get people with more money than time and time than money the two will find a way to meet,” he said.

“You could get rid of it,” he said, “but you would get rid of one of the most fundamental parts of player-to-player interaction.”

Sony Online Entertainment is spilling more details on Fan Faire 2008. For the second year running, SOE president John Smedley will kick off the event with the Community Address. There will be a simultaneous streaming video broadcast online as well as a live audio broadcast in EverQuest, EverQuest II and Star Wars Galaxies through Station Voice by Vivox.

WHEN
Friday, August 15th at 6:00pm PST.

WHERE
To view the live webcast, please go to:
http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=50659

To listen to audio broadcast in-game, please go to:
www.station.sony.com/stationvoice

According to the SOE press release, SOE will be featuring all its MMOs including a lineup including the hit titles EverQuest, EverQuest II, EverQuest Online Adventures, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes as well as upcoming titles Free Realms, The Agency and more. SOE’s Fan Faire runs from August 15-17th in Las Vegas. For further details on events check out the official Fan Faire 2008 website. Although online registration is officially closed, on-site registration is now open at the Hilton Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

SOE has released the Attendees List for Fan Faire 2008. The event will take place in Las Vegas August 14th to the 17th. Players can check out which of their friends or rivals will be at Fan Faire using a simple game and server search. Only the name of the avatar is listed so there’s no worry about personal privacy issues.

Check out the growing Attendees List and the emerging details on this year’s Fan Faire at the official SOE Fan Faire registration site.

Sony has announced that SOE’s 37th podcast is up and available for download. This episode features Julie “Ellyra” Burness and Nick “Glip the Gnome” Parkinson from the Vanguard team and promises to give gamers 10 reasons to come to Fan Faire 2008. You’ll finally get to hear the interview with Cat Neri, and learn how to pronounce all those EQII server names correctly.

The motto of this podcast is, “Save the Hamster, Save the Fan Faire!” You can access the podcast here.

via TenTonHammer

John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, is the next big name in the games industry to be interviewed as MMO Week continues over on Games Industry.biz.

Smedley talks in depth about SOE’s strategy in the MMO market. The most important lesson SOE has learned along the way is to listen to its customers. He cites the reaction of the Star Wars Galaxy community over changes to the game a few years back.

I think we were a little too arrogant as a company. We thought we knew what was best as a company, and we should have listened more. That’s really the biggest lesson we’ve learned as a company in the last eight years. Listening to our customers is everything.

The lessons we’ve learned from our community have just been extraordinary. For years now we’ve been running something called the Influencer Summit, where we pull 100 people, and 50 of those people will be our worst critics.

So one of the things we’re trying to do is listen better as a company, and over the past few years I think we’ve done that – I’m really proud of the strides we’ve taken in that direction. Listening is a very important skill.

This interview will give you information on SOE’s portfolio of MMOs including EverQuest and EverQuest2, the troubled Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. The article also covers new titles in development such as The Agency for the PS3 and another title for the Indian market based on the Ramayan 3392 AD comic.

via GamesIndustry.biz

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you are single, in a gaming relationship or just boycotting this overrated Hallmark Holiday, SOE has something that is sure appease you whatever your situation may be. SOE is hosting a barrage of Valentine related events via three of their popular online games EverQuest II,Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Planetside.

EverQuest II will be romancing players throughout the annual week long “Erollisi Day” celebration honoring the goddess of love, Erollisi Marr. Players will be able to present each other with virtual Erollisi roses, enjoy heart shaped cookies and sip love potions. Also during this holiday, players may discover love notes or message candies when they kill mobs throughout the online world of Norrath. While in EverQuest Online Adventures, the adventurers of Norrath will be celebrating Valentine’s Day by seeking out a GM who will provide them with a unique holiday quest available to all.

In Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, the world of Telon has caught the love bug and it is spreading Valentine’s cheer among the citizens with city decorations that give players candies and treats. These aren’t just any treats, eat one of these candies and you will experience temporary Valentines buffs.

Planetside players who log in February 12-14 will receive a special ball-and-chain merit. Also, the dummy NPCs that fill the virtual shooting range now feature names such as “It’s Not You It’s Me” and “Ice Queen” – both phrases which are near and dear to my heart.

Erollisi Day and Valentine’s Day events are scheduled to take place the week of February 12th – 19th. Exact days vary by title. For more information check out the respective game links.

Via: Press Release

Towns and cities in Telon will be celebrating the Festival of Glorian on Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Tales of Atnas Claws and his spirit of giving lift spirits and inspire an abundance of gifts and goodies for players throughout the world. Players can celebrate with rides over the rooftops on Randolph the flying reindeer or decorate your home and guild with ominous looking snaggle-toothed snowmen.

Log on to Vanguard: Saga of Heroes next week to join in the celebration.

via Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

The guide to the Ancient Port Warehouse, Vanguard’s newest raiding zone is up on SOE’s Saga of Heroes web site. The guide is meant to prepare players for the new 18 man raid zone before it goes live.

The guide lists suggestions for preparation of your raid members and equipment. It also lays out some tips on how to handle Leadership roles.
Players might want to bookmark the site and check back frequently as Vanguard promises daily updates to the page.

via Vanguard: Saga of Heroes