EverQuest II's toughest, meanest warriors better get ready because on Saturday all hell will break loose in the 2008 Legends of Norrath monthly qualifying tournament. Registration is free of charge, and the top 16 at the end of day one will duke it out in a playoff-style tourney the next day. Find out what's at stake in the detailed version.

Plenty of good stuff came out from Gen Con 2007, and this Tabula Rasa video is among the most noteworthy. NCSoft's Community Manager April Burba takes everyone by hand through what the game has to offer. Most features tackled weren't exactly new to anyone keeping tabs on the upcoming MMORPG, but seeing it in action is something else.

Burba discussed a lot of the game's mechanics, such as the ever convenient cloning. Experience multipliers, earned by killing monsters consecutively, made for fast paced combat. Active cameras allow players to get a grasp of the entire battlefield. The video also showcases auto-looting, nifty map controls, and everything under Tabula Rasa sun.

Find the video embedded below:

 

The official Tabula Rasa website has reminded interested gamers that the Player Meet and Greet event at Gen Con will be happening this weekend.

The Meet and Greet has been set for August 18 from 6:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time. It'll take place at the Alcatraz Brewing Company, which is within walking distance from the Convention Center. In case you don't know the venue for this year's Gen Con, it's at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 South Capitol Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana.

If you plan to drop by for the Meet and Greet event, don't forget to bring a photo ID or an email confirmation. You'll need either of those in order to enter the event.

Here's a convention-goer advisory: If you're headed to Comic Con in San Diego (July 25-29), to Gen Con in Indianapolis (August 16-19) or to PAX in Seattle (August 24-26), then you're definitely in for a treat: you may just be able to see NCsoft make a formidable appearance right in the thick of things with a prime selection of their online product lineup for everyone to try out! Catch the Tabula Rasa fever that'll make the summer burn ever hotter!

And that's not all NCsoft has in store for the common convention-goer! There's also giveaways and a few unannounced surprises in the pipeline for those blessed enough to see NCsoft in their favorite conventions - so watch out!

 

Just a gentle reminder for the guys who have been keeping tabs on Gen Con Indy, set to take off this August 16-19. Badge (entry ticket) pre-registration for this hallowed gaming convention started last February 11, and will continue until Monday, July 9, 2007. Just make sure to have your cash ready: a pre-ordered four-day badge will go for US$ 65, with a pre-ordered one-day badge going for US$ 35.

It pays to pre-register: if you wait to buy either badge at the front door, then you'll have to pay 10 bucks more for either badge.

Gen Con is one of the larger gaming conventions known in North America, and is a favorite gathering ground for RPG fans of all shapes and sizes, be it a table-top classic like Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps something as computerized World of Warcraft.

Then there's the comic (*ahem*, graphic novel) fans, the otaku, the trading card aficionados, the cosplayers... well, you get the idea. Now, if you're one of the 25,000 yearly visitors to this major event, check out the read link to see the full details on what will be going down this August. Just make sure to sign up early - with Gen Con So Cal gone, expect a significantly higher turnout for "The Best Four Days in Gaming" happening over at the ICC in Indianapolis.

You might have read our earlier post on the shutdown of Gen Con So Cal. Yep, after four successful conventions that drew gamers, fans, and people of all shapes and sizes to congregate and have fun for four great days of pure gaming bliss, Gen Con So Cal is no more.

In order to give fans an explanation of their decision, Gen Con's CEO Peter Adkison has posted an open letter on the official Gen Con website, simply entitled "The End of Gen Con So Cal". Read on for an excerpt that deals with one of their main reasons for the decision.

The "problem" is the Gen Con format is a very expensive format for a convention. Most conventions are only an exhibit hall, a vast area where companies set up booths and sell (consumer shows) or promote (trade shows) or both. But at Gen Con we like to be more than just a big exhibit hall. We dedicate tons of space to games and fun events that are of interest to gamers, overlapping with gaming culture, but do nothing to generate revenue.

There's still hope, though, as according to Adkison, "Gen Con Indy is very profitable and is in no danger of going away." He also says that they currently have plans of "taking Gen Con Indy and Star Wars Celebration and making them even better, without compromising anything that’s there now. Funds that were being invested in Gen Con So Cal will be diverted to these shows."

Click on the "read" link below to read the full open letter.

For any geek eager to socialize, this may be big (perhaps sad, depending on your preferences) news. Gen Con LLC has recently announced that it is cancelling its Anaheim show, Gen Con So Cal. According to them, the cancellation was decided upon after "extensive deliberation, thought and time."

If in case you have no idea what Gen Con So Cal is, here's a little background: Gen Con So Cal started in 2003 and is usually held at the Anaheim Convention Center. The goal of the event is to provide gamers with the "best four days" in gaming.

Yeah, gathering of card-game collectors, comic book lovers, dice addicts, pen and paper aficionados, MMORPG dependants, and Klingons. Lots of Klingons. If you don't consider yourself a member of those already listed, just be aware that events of this nature matters to us folk who are into video games because most RPGs and MMOs are featured at during such events.

For example, during So Cal '06, at the eGame Arena exhibit, their traditional Halo 2 and Super Smash Brothers tournaments were big hits, there were booths for Guitar Hero  rockers, and MMO fans got to show off their skills in a WoW tournament.

Peter Adkison, CEO of Gen Con, and founder of Wizards of the Coast, had this to say:

Putting an end to our Gen Con So Cal show was in no way an easy decision to make...

...But at the end of the day, it became apparent to us that the show was not likely to grow and expand without immense effort and expense. With our other shows doing so well, it made sense to focus our energy and talent on making those the best shows they can be.

The Gen Con announcement cites several factors that contributed to the cancellation of the show. The factors include: the increase in competing shows in the southern California region, lack of increase in attendance numbers (don't worry it remained at a steady number), and the fact that a few key exhibitors reduced their level of support for the show.

As sad as this may be to some, the bright side of this is that at the least, there are always other Cons to visit. That, and the assurance that those Cons will have more resources allocated to them.