Rift MMO launches Android app with in-game items

Massively multiplayer game Rift has just launched its first companion app for Android. Not only does it have the usual stuff like chat with in-game friends and event notifications, they've also included mini-games through which you can win proper in-game items. Here's the full feature list.

• Chat with friends and guildmates - Check if your comrades are online, and communicate instantly from anywhere! Send messages from your phone to in-game, or plan your adventures mobile-to-mobile! Push Notifications help your friends call you back to Telara.
• Full guild support - Guild and Officer chat run smoothly on your mobile device, so you never miss a big decision.
• Guild MOTD and Guild Wall - View your Guild Wall and Message of the Day at anytime, anywhere.
• Zone Event notification - Hear the call when Zone Events erupt on your shard, and pick your battles with flexible alert settings.
• Earn in-game loot! - Win real loot through the mobile app with Lootables. Artifacts, crafting items, and planar treasure shoot straight to your character’s mailbox!

While World of Warcraft still claims the throne of high fantasy online roleplaying games, I've seen a lot of WoW veterans switch guys and get involved with Rift. Although I haven't played it myself, it seems like Rift offers a lot more in terms of class customizability, and the art style seems to err more on the side of realism rather than cartoony chariactures. Otherwise, it's very much the same sort of stuff - world-spanning player-versus-player combat, cooperative raids, friend-packed guilds, and seasonal events. 

World of Warcraft also has mobile app, but they're kind of jerks for tacking on an extra $3 to your subscription fee if you want to make use of them. It's good to see Rift isn't making such a shameless moneygrab, and are more interested in winning the goodwill of their players before pouncing on their credit card. 

If you're interested in giving Rift a shot, you can download the free week-long trial over here. After that, you'll need to shell out $15/month to keep playing. Hopefully the guys at Rift will be able to add some item database and character look-up features in the future, but in the meantime, you can download Rift Mobile for Android below in the Market.