Over 40,000 players tied the virtual knot in just twenty-four hours, earning their MMO of choice an official Guinness record.
Rift, Trion Worlds’ nearly year-old fantasy MMO, held a massive Valentine’s Day wedding event on (you guessed it) February 14th in celebration of Carnival of the Ascended, the game’s 7th major update. Now, Guinness World Records is granting the game official recognition as having the “most in-game marriages with a 24-hour period.”
Between 9 A.M. PST on the 14th, and 9:00 A.M. PST on the 15th, a total of 21,879 marriages took place in the world of Rift. All participating players received a special in-game title reading “The Avowed” for participating.
“Establishing this record was a monumental achievement for our development team and community of passionate players, and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer. “Ascended Weddings were a great way to lift the veil on Rift’s new ‘Gatherings’ feature, social experiences that bring players together in new and interesting ways. We look forward to expanding this great new gameplay element in the always-evolving world of Telara.”
Guinness World Records is reportedly pleased with the devleoper’s evidence of the achievement, and is considering the record for publication in the 2013 Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition book.
I just hope that Trion Worlds didn’t accidentally manage to somehow influence any of the young lovebirds playing Rift to rush into things just to help earn a world record. Certainly not all 40,000 players were truly ready for such a giant step in their assorted relationships? Virtual marriage is a sacred bond, and if not handled with the absolute gravity it deserves, a socially disastrous number of divorces may soon befall Telara! I just hope it was worth it, Trion Worlds.
