The latest Wizard101 update is now live and it introduces Celestial housing to the game. The Island Getaway can be purchased in the Crown Shop, while the Celestial Observatory must be crafted.
In addition the the new housing options, the patch contains gardening changes and more member benefits, such as faster recharges for Energy, faster crafting times, larger Friends lists and larger backpacks. For more details, check out the patch notes.
Wizard101 Producer Leah “Professor Falmea” Ruben has written her February Producer's Letter, and this one focuses on the update that is currently on the test realm. Here are the highlights:
Ruben also answered some questions from players that focus on what it's like to be a producer for Wizard101. The short Q&A gives a behind-the-scenes look at KingsIsle Entertainment and Ruben's job.
KingsIsle Entertainment announced earlier this month that Wizard101 will be making an appearance at PAX East this year! To coincide, Wizard101 is teaming up with Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine for the Biggest Wizard101 Fan Contest!
What ultimate fan wouldn't want to win original artwork of their character? The winner will also receive a full-access Wizard101 membership that will last for the entire life of the game!
Fans can enter one of three ways. Either show up at PAX East and plead your case directly to the Wizard101 team (they're looking for costumes, songs, etc), make a one minute video and share it at youtube.com/kingsisle, or go to massiveonlinegamer.com/w101fan and upload a picture and up to 250 words on why you are the biggest fan.
Entries must be received by Monday, March 14, 2011. Good luck!
KingsIsle Entertainment just posted its latest Wizard101 commercial on YouTube. The 30-second video gives players a glimpse at the game's gardening system, which launched in December 2010.
If you've never played this kid-friendly MMO, the commercial shows off what you can expect to see in Wizard101. Check it out after the jump.
The latest edition of the monthly Wizard101 Ravenwood Bulletin is out and brings details about the upcoming Friendship Festival! Valentine Heartsong will be in the Spiral selling special items and pets from February 1-15. You can find her at the fountain in the Wizard City Shopping District. Players can also download, print and give out their very own Wizard101 Friendship Invitations. Just put your Invite-a-Friend code on these special Valentine invitations and give them out to all your friends.
The bulletin also announces that Wizard101 will be making an appearance at PAX East this year. They're planning a Biggest Wizard101 Fan contest as well as a chance to win the new Moonlight Pony mount by signing up for a Beckett subscription at the event.
The team at Wizard101 also addresses the recent chat issues they have been experiencing. Recently the chat system was changed with little communication, leaving many in the community frustrated or even angry. Wizard101 Director J. Todd Coleman apologizes to the community as well as sheds some light on how and why the issue occurred.
Head on over to the official Wizard101 site for more details on all the recent events.
KingsIsle is offering a limited-time subscription deal for Wizard101. From now through February 7 you can get a one year subscription to Wizard101 for only $59.95! Current subscribers can save by purchasing the $59.95 one year subscription now. When your current subscription ends, it will automatically be renewed for an entire year at the discounted price.
So head on over to lock in your savings ahead of time or to start playing for a great price!
KingsIsle Entertainment's Wizard 101 has achieved record performance in 2010 across multiple key indicators. In December, unique visitors to the site increased more than 300% year-over-year. The total number of registered players increased to over 15 million from U.S. operations alone. The game also received recognition by the industry in 2010, earning multiple awards including Best MMO of 2010 from Beckett Media’s Massive Online Gamer Magazine.
Moving into 2011, the company has set some ambitious goals. KingsIsle will continue to add new content and systems to Wizard101 with multiple enhancements anticipated throughout the year. The company is also planning to ramp up hiring, eventually increasing staffing levels by approximately 25 percent. More information on job openings can be found at KingsIsle.com.
Congratulations Wizard101 on an amazing year!
The image on the left is a photo that NASA released last week of a mysterious green blob taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The image on the right is a photo of a frog released today by researchers in Wizard101. Mystery solved!
According to a press release from the world of Wizard101, the Spiral Geographic Society used advanced astronomical devices recently discovered in the ancient undersea world of Celestia to take an image of the same region in space. What is the significance of the frog? Thurston Plunkett, leader of the Spiral Geographic Society's expedition to Celestia, isn't entirely sure:
"The new image clearly reveals a new monstrous variation of the well-known Humongofrog creature. Could this creature be one of Morganthe’s powerful minions? Might this simply be an elaborate hoax by a mischievous denizen of Wizard City? We just don’t know right now."
It's unclear if more details on the Humongofrog will ever be revealed. We'll just have to wait and see if NASA or the Spiral Geographic Society can answer these lingering questions.
If you've been toying with the idea of purchasing your first Wizard101 subscription, now's the perfect time. Players who subscribe for the first time with a valid credit card by Jan. 12 at 11:59 p.m. CST will get their first month for 50% off! That means your first month will cost $4.95 instead of $9.95.
After the first month, your subscription will automatically renew at the regular price. This promotion can be used with family accounts, which cost $6.95 per month for two or more accounts. The game is free-to-play, but you can purchase a subscription to access all game features.
Leah "Professor Falmea" Ruben has published her first Wizard101 producer's letter of the new year and it focuses on recent updates, as well as the future of the game. She talks about the new Gardening system that was recently implemented and looks back on the launch of Celestia. She also mentions that KingsIsle Entertainment was able to donate a sizeable amount of money to the Austin Children’s Shelter and the Children’s Medical Center of Plano thanks to players purchasing Giving Tree seeds.
As far as 2011 is concerned, Ruben says the team has some exciting updates planned for this year. She also says that they'll be listening closely to player feedback to improve Wizard101, so be sure to let your voice be heard!
