EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer

Steam has marked down MMORPGs from 20-75% off. Not only that, but they still come with a free month of play, meaning trying out games like Age of Conan and Everquest II will only cost about $10.

EverQuest 2 players who were eagerly looking forward to the game's next major update were left disappointed today, as developers announced Game Update #51 has been delayed. GU #51, also known as Elements of Corruption, is set to revitalise an old part of the EQ2 world. Lavastorm is a zone that shipped with the original retail version of EQ2 over four years ago, and is well known by all players of the game. There's also a whole host of changes to spells, guildhalls, UI, quests and achievements, as well as a new dungeon and new solo content for high and mid level players.

Sony Online Entertainment has donated over $20,000 USD to the Child's Play 2009 Winter Charity Drive, with help from players of the popular MMOs EverQuest and EverQuest II. Each time a player of EQ or EQII bought a certain Child's Play virtual item on the Marketplace with Station Cash, SOE's recently introduced in-game currency, SOE donated $10 USD to the charity.

Worldwide, nearly 45 million people play massive multiplayer online role-playing games like EverQuest II, and the amount of real-world money associated with virtual worlds would make it the seventh largest country in the world according to gross domestic product. This is not a trivial issue, Contractor said. Now that we have the computing power to study these networks, we can explore different theories about social processes on a scale that was never possible before.

The couch potato image of computer gamers is unfounded, with many in better than average shape, claim US researchers. More after the jump.

Most MMO players know the story of IGE and Affinity Media by now, (the owners of WoWhead, Allakhazam, Thottbot and WoWinterface), and their relationship. A really interesting article popped up on Radar Online today which highlights some of the dodgy characters that are involved in the Affinity Media business which had claimed to have no involvement with IGE. Brock Pierce who is an advisor and a board member of Affinity Media, is highlighted in the above article and I have to say there's some pretty unsavoury stuff here pointing at child abuse. This has been brought up before regarding Brock Pierce who has apparently denied charges but there are filed legal cases which he has tried to settle. In related news, there has been paperwork filed this week where IGE admits that it is Affinity Media (see additional link). Not that anyone doubted it. Next time you hit up an Affinity Media site, just think about who you are supporting and who's pockets your traffic is lining with cash.

Sony Pictures is teaming with former Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad to bring Sony's role-playing fantasy game EverQuest to the big screen. Reliable sources have confirmed that the studio views the project as a tentpole release for either 2009 or 2010 and that Michael Gordon (300) has been tapped to pen the screenplay.

Intent upon making sure you're forever tethered to your keyboard, Massively Multiplayer Online megapublisher Sony Online has announced two new additions to its role-playing EverQuest franchise. That sound you just heard was the sun, begging you to come outside, its voice already cracking because it knows you won't. Both the original EverQuest and EverQuest II have switched from releasing an expansion every six months to releasing one per year (with more free updates along the way) - but it