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Womp 'rats with a little help from EVEMon...

Ignig.com reports on an EVE Online standalone addon which simplifies character progression.

Dubbed EVEMon, the standalone Windows program not only simplifies character progression tracking, but also helps players plan out training plans and take a look at the “what ifs” in character skill choices and more.

Unfortunately, the addon doesn't automate the months of mining required to make character progression more than a fun minigame. Nevertheless, check out Ignig.com's article on EVEMon, mon.

Stranger movies have been made and the current trend to turn games into movies seems to be moving right along to the very popular World of Warcraft according to "The New York Times".

Most Hollywood attempts at converging games and film have resulted in primarily low-budget movies. On Tuesday, Blizzard Entertainment hopes to reverse that trend as it plans to announce a deal with Legendary Pictures, a major Warner Brothers affiliate, to make a big-budget "Lord of the Rings"-style live-action film based on Blizzard's wildly popular Warcraft series.

Many details are as yet unannounced, such as director, cast, and planned release date but it appears that Blizzard and Legendary want to depart from Hollywood's undistinguished record of turning games into lack luster films.

"We try to make big, epic, immersive games at Blizzard, and we have a track record of making some of the best games in the world," Paul Sams, Blizzard's chief operating officer, said in an interview. "Similarly, our goal is to make one of the best films in the world. With Legendary, they have a creative and management team that is so attuned with us it was like we were separated at birth. We want to make a movie that will not only appeal to our existing fans, but will also bring in people that have never heard of Warcraft before."

The Warcraft world has all the traditional temptations of power and tragic tales. The demon Sargeras himself began as a sort of angel before corrupting himself into an enemy of vitrue. Some other notable characters are the knight Arthas, the mage Illidan and the orc Gul'dan, all of whom were seduced by powers beyond their ken, some find redemption , others do not.

It's one that I am sure will have a huge following, not only due to the success of the online game but fans of the RTS versions as well. I know my 13 yr old son, a huge fan of the RTS Warcraft series, was delighted with the news.

Have you been waiting for a glimpse of Middle Earth? GameTrailers.com has an exclusive look at Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. This trailer has already seen over 8000 downloads and counting.

Check it out here.

In her daily column, Lady Sirse starts the week with a look at how the dust is settling in the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes community. This virtual dust was created when Sigil Games Online announced late Friday afternoon that they will be leaving Micrsoft Games Studio and making a deal with Sony Online Entertainment.

Across the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes community there has been much debate, discussion, flaming and general gnashing of teeth as folks come to terms with the press release that was issued late Friday afternoon. It heralded the coming break of relations with Microsoft Game Studios in favor of a new working relationship with Sony Online Entertainment.

Read the full article here.