MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Runescape: May Loyalty Rewards

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 07:11 AM PDT

May Loyalty Rewards

The RuneScape team has detailed some nice new loyalty rewards for players who remain members throughout the month of May. Players staying with the game the entire month of May will receive bonus spins for Squeal of Fortune and 5,000 loyalty points at the end of the month.

Vendetta Online: Celebrating Its 10th Anniversary

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 07:04 AM PDT

Celebrating Its 10th Anniversary

The Vendetta Online team is ramping up the celebratory feeling as the game approaches its tenth anniversary. No specific plans have been revealed for the multi-platform twitch-based space combat game.

Squad Wars: World of Space Combat?

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT

World of Space Combat?

We recently featured the news that Squad Wars is beginning its KickStarter campaign to fund the new game from some of the makers of Jumpgate veterans. We had the opportunity to chat with Scott Brown, Founder of END Games to find out more. Keep reading.

Runescape: The New Starter Zone Interview

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 09:39 AM PDT

The New Starter Zone Interview

RuneScape devs have been hard at work refining the first area that new players face when entering the game. We managed to catch up with Lewis Macguire to talk about the big changes in the starter zone. Keep reading!



General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Valve Employee Handbook is Refreshingly Honest

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Valve HandbookHave you ever wondered what everyday life is like for the average worker at Valve? As a privately held company they tend to be a bit overly secretive, and as such we know surprisingly little about what they do all day. Aside from tormenting us with silence over Half-Life 3, it turns out new employees actually get issued a handbook on what to do "when no one's there telling you what to do".

The handbook includes a great run down on the values and principles that we've all come to know and love, but also details an impressively honest admission of the things they aren't so good at (p. 52). Also included is instructions on what to do "if we all screw up" (p.23). 

We didn't see anything pertaining to what to do in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse, so we can only assume this is a working draft. For Valve fans, this is a must read.

AMD Dropping Support For Pre-HD 5000 Series GPUs in July

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 11:22 AM PDT

HD-4000If you're still gaming on a Radeon HD-4000 series graphics card (or older) your GPU isn't about to self-destruct, but it will fall out of mainstream support in the very near future. AMD announced today that Catalyst 12.6 will mark the end of the road for anything prior to the HD-5000 series, or to put it simply, anything that isn't DirectX-11 compliant.

Though this will likely be of little comfort for those with pre-Evergreen, cutting out support for older hardware will help trim down the file size for Catalyst 12.7 and beyond. AMD has yet confirmed, however it is expected they will offer at least some basic level of hardware support for these boards in Windows 8. While their gaming performance hay-day has definitely come and gone, they still have plenty of power for basic Windows tasks, and make for a great hand-me-down for gamers looking to upgrade family off older integrated graphics.

Ever Wonder What Valve’s Head Honcho Gabe Newell Thinks of Origin?

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 10:53 AM PDT

Gabe NewellValve has been attempting to be very outwardly complimentary of EA over the last several months, perhaps in the misguided hope that the publisher will quit it with the Origin exclusives, and start bringing some of its titles back into compliance with Steams terms of service. You'd be hard pressed to find any bad blood between the two companies, at least on the Valve side, but yet the stalemate remains. On the most recent Seven Day Cooldown podcast, Jack Inacker asked Newell what EA was doing right with Origin. His answer? Uhhh (pause), ummm (pause). 

Newell not waiting to keep the world waiting eventually admitted that EA has a lot of work to do, and claims they have a ton of smart people working on the problem. He probably won't win any new fans over at EA with those remarks, but at least he stop short of saying what pretty much everyone else will in the comments below.

Kotaku has an embedded link to the comments about Origin, or you can check out the full interview with Newell at Seven Day Cooldown's site.

(Image Credit = sevendaycooldown.com)

Can’t Register The Domain You Always Wanted? Blame This Guy

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 10:23 AM PDT

Mike MannWith more than 100 million .com domains already registered, finding something that doesn't sound absolutely ridiculous is getting much harder than it used to be. One might simply assume that more people are joining the virtual land rush, and while that's probably true, you can also blame a small handful of domain speculators such as Mike Mann pictured to the right. CNET profiled Mann as part of a larger story on domain hoarders, and considering that he snatched up 14,962 domain names over a 24 hour period, I would say he certainly falls into that category. 

The article points out the sometimes seedy in-workings of the domain registry business, and how some crafty individuals have found ways to buy priority access with registrars, and even employ the use of  scripts to snatch up domains in nano seconds any time of the day or night. Mann specifically admitted to making use of tools that sift through Google-friendly keywords, analyses the traffic potential, filters out possible trademark violations, then just starts buying en-mass. 

"We have a filter, but I'm the world's most efficient human filter for this sort of thing," said Mann, true to form. "I don't think anyone can read huge lists of domain names as quickly as I can and understand what they're reading. I'm a pattern reader. It's a huge pain in the ass, but it's what I do for a living."

Then the machines take over. "The robot just goes to the registrars -- buy, buy, buy," he said.

Interesting Fact about Mann: He doesn't smoke, I guess he just think it makes him look hip.

New Study Says Exercise Won’t Save Us From The Long Term Effects of Sitting

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 09:43 AM PDT

StudyTechnology enthusiasts come from all different walks of life, but we have one thing in common aside from a mutual love of gadgets. From a health standpoint, even the best of us aren't getting enough exercise. A new study that looked at the habits of 222,497 Australian adults found that those who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 40 percent higher risk of dying over three years as opposed to those who sat less than four hours a day. Exercise naturally helped improve the odds, however the risk of death still increased the longer active people sat. 

The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and covered a range of adults aged 45 and older. Factors such as age, weight, physical activity, and general health were all accounted for, leaving little in common among the sample group other than sedentary tendencies.

The study suggests anyone who falls into this demographic focus on "reducing sitting time in addition to increasing physical activity levels".  Depending on the type of job you have, this can be a bit of a challenge. If the goal is to sit less than 11 hours per day, and assuming you sleep 8 hours per night, this means you would need to be fully vertical more than 5 hours per day. To reach the ideal target pointed out in the study you would need to be on your feet a whopping 12 hours a day once you factor out sleep. 

So I'm pretty much screwed, anyone else?

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


3DS Circle Pad Pro Bundled with Resident Evil: Revelations

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 07:11 AM PDT

Circle Pad Pro

Nintendo has announced the Circle Pad Pro — the name we suspected would be used in the west for the 3DS add-on — will be made available in Europe alongside Resident Evil: Revelations early next year.

Revelations will be sold both on its own and in what’s described as a special, limited edition bundle that includes the Circle Pad Pro beginning on January 27.

The device consists of a plastic dock the 3DS can be placed in and adds a circle pad onto the right side of the system. Its existence was first rumored in August, and despite initially being dismissed as ridiculous by many, it was confirmed shortly thereafter. It’ll be particularly useful to Japanese gamers picking up the 3DS port of Monster Hunter Tri-G, but also to those playing Revelations or any number of other supported games.

Revelations, even on its own, will cost a premium due to it shipping on a 4GB cartridge. When it’s released on February 7 in the United States it’ll cost $49.99 — and that’s without the Circle Pad Pro, which has still yet to be confirmed for release here but will undoubtedly be out before long.

In Japan the Circle Pad Pro costs almost $20. No matter where you live, it requires a single AAA battery to operate.

Check out hands-on impressions from September for a better idea of what to expect from the device.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/3ds-circle-pad-pro-bundled-resident-evil-revelations

Codename K (CN)

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:20 AM PDT



As mentioned in my previous post (link), China MMO developer and publisher ChangYou revealed a number of titles which are in development, including “World of Shadowbane”. While the China gamers are all awaiting Tencent’s Blade Soul China server, rivals such as NetEase announced Dragon Blade (link), which will take on the mammoth. While ChangYou did not publicly issue the challenge, “Codename K” certainly looks like a viable competitor for now.



Developed using CryEngine 3, the same machine used for ArcheAge (link) and Warface (link), “Codename K” is based on a popular internet fantasy novel in China, hence expect heavy eastern oriental designs to the game. CryEngine 3 will allow much better visuals and more life-like interactions with objects, such as destroying trees and armor getting burnt when hit by fire spells. Environmental changes such as weather and seasons are implemented as well. Aerial combat is also mentioned, though there is no in-depth details at this point of time.



And yes, “Codename K” will feature non-target action combat, with an emphasis on chain combo attacks. Unlike games such as Mabinogi Heroes with an instanced world, “Codename K” will feature a vast open world like World of Warcraft’s. More information is expected to be released at ChinaJoy 2012, happening at end July.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/codename-k-cn-changyous-answer-to-blade.html

Cyphers (KR)

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:19 AM PDT



Remember how Miyuko’s cosplay for League of Legends (link) crashed a website due to overload traffic? The member of cosplay group Spiral Cat’s is now back to dressing up as a MMO character again, this time from Nexon’s popular 3D arena game, Cyphers. Miyuko (blue) is cosplaying as Trixie, while her group mate Tasha appears as Hotaru. Let’s looks at the characters’ game trailers first.

And below are the cosplay pictures. More photos can be found at my Facebook page. While Spiral Cat’s hail from Korea rather than the cosplay nation of Japan, they are really doing an awesome job portraying various anime and game characters over the past few months.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/cyphers-kr-cosplay-cats-are-back.html

Former NCsoft staff jailed for Lineage III leak

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:19 AM PDT



[More info] After months of legal battle between NCsoft and Bluehole Studio, the developer of TERA, the Korean court officially charged a group of ex-NCsoft staff working on Lineage III with leaking confidential information with regards to the project. In the statement, the Korea court recognize that NCsoft poured much funds and manpower into the development of Lineage III. NCsoft also took measures to make sure only the important project members get hold of all information, hence the group which leaked the information out us no doubt guilty of the said offense.

The court also reprimanded the group for “stealing” software codes of Lineage III from NCsoft, going to a rival company and storing the information in the computers there. In 2009, legal charges against part of the group were dismissed by the attorneys and they escaped jail terms. However, after an appeal, the higher courts mentioned that the appropriate punishments were laid out.



A former NCsoft staff, presumably the mysterious “ringleader” and product director who left first and asked the rest to join him, is sentenced to 18 months of jail time, with 2 years of suspended sentence. 1 of his former staff, the development team’s manager, is sentenced to 8 months of jail time, with 2 years of suspended sentence. 2 more staff are each fined 10,000,000 and 7,000,000 Korean Won.

There will be another high court case coming up soon, which is the one between NCsoft and Bluehole Studio. Note that the court case mentioned here is against the former employees, not the company which they joined. NCsoft is suing Bluehole Studio a massive 6,500,000,000 Korean Won for economic losses. Bluehole Studio has been ordered by the court to pay NCsoft 2,000,000,000 Korean Won so far, which was later debunked. For more information about this case, please click here.

Update: A timeline of what happened over the past few years with regards to the case.

2006 September: Leak first occurred when the NCsoft executive told a Japanese gaming company about the details of NCsoft’s business plans, including Lineage III. The Japanese company did nt invest in the game, but a separate wealthy individual investor did.

2007 February: NCsoft first alerted the Korean police about the business leak

2008 August: NCsoft filed a civil suit in Korea.

2008 December: NCsoft formerly filed a claim against the executive involved

2009 June: 5 people were found guilty of leaking NCsoft secrets in the first criminal court, with 1 found innocent.

2009 December: After another criminal court session, the final accused was found to be guilty instead.

2010 January: Civil court ordered 4 of the accused and Bluehole Studio to pay NCsoft 2,000,000,000 Korean Won for losses.

2011 January: Civil court dismissed previous ruling, stating Bluehole Studio will not need to pay for the damages.

2012 April: Criminal court found all accused guilty, with a final verdict due from the civil court.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/former-ncsoft-staff-jailed-for-lineage.html

Aeria Games announces Waren Story

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:15 AM PDT



[Beta signup] Looks like Aeria Games is stocking up on PvP-focused online games these few weeks. Previously, it was announced in Korea that the publisher will be hosting DK Online for the English market (link), and today Waren Story is confirmed. If you remembered, the developer of Waren Story, Alt1 Games, apparently tried to self-publish the game in North America back last year, which was eventually shut down in November despite the cash shop being operational.

Back then when I personally played, it was laggy, buggy and with no visible management at all. Under Aeria Games, hopefully Waren Story is fixed internally of the errors and undergo a better management process. We shall see once a Closed Beta date is confirmed! The official press release is attached below.


SANTA CLARA, Calif.  – Apr. 17, 2012
– Dust off your old vendettas and inject some blood back into your
feuds. If you have a friend you've been wanting to go medieval on, the
time is now.

Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today that closed beta registration has begun for Waren Story,
a new 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG). Featuring an epic adventure and intense PvP warfare, the
game's striking scenery and imaginative detail will sweep players away
to an exotic medieval world.

The continent of Waren is divided,
and a dark force is stirring in its polluted western lands. Players must
choose the path of Warrior, Gunner, Archer, or Brawler and then explore
the unique array of devastating skills each class has to offer. These
heroes will engage in deadly battles, slay nightmarish beasts, and
recruit powerful allies in their quest to restore order to this troubled
land.

"Waren Story brings a unique combat and skill system to an immersive fantasy adventure that will appeal to core gamers" says Producer Lucas Gunn. "With
riveting animations and massive PvP battles, this MMORPG will challenge
players to overcome obstacles at every step of their journey."

Players
prepare for battle through character customization options with a
unique array of weapons and armor at their disposal. As these heroes
traverse an endless series of monster-infested plains, they will face a
menagerie of dangerous and fascinating creatures. However, the combat
here is only the tip of a very long sword; the game's robust PvP system
takes full advantage of its riveting animation, offering a variety of
thrilling combat modes. In Waren Story, there's no such thing as
the daily grind—each minute in each battle is an entirely new
experience, as players battle equally skilled—and equally deadly—fellow
players.

Waren Story will require a client download and
with all Aeria Games titles, it will be free-to-play. Interested players
can lean more and sign up to participate in the upcoming closed beta
test at: http://warenstory.aeriagames.com.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/aeria-games-announces-waren-story.html

Aeria Games secures investment from major company

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:15 AM PDT

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/aeria-games-secures-investment-from.html

Blade & Soul (KR)

Posted: 22 Apr 2012 04:13 AM PDT



[Source] The 2nd fan event, Soul Party 2 (1 took place last year), for NCsoft’s Blade Soul took place yesterday. As expected, there were many activities and even Korean girl group Secret was onsite to reveal the music video collaboration video (link). Which is really full of awesome by the way. An exhibition 20 Vs 20 PvP match was also held, with the players divided into the Team Black and Team White. ThisIsGame was on hand to record a couple of videos of the intense match. I read that Team White won 2-0.

Before I forget, Blade Soul’s development team also sent a few of its representatives into the match. And NCsoft’s founder and CEO, Mr Kim Taek Jin, is once again spotted mingling in the crowd. For as far as I know, he has always chose to blend in at various events, even at G*Star events as well.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/blade-soul-kr-soul-party-pvp-footage.html

Halo 4: The Community Preview Debate, Part Two

Posted: 21 Apr 2012 07:10 PM PDT

What’s so terrible about DmC? People sure were angry when Capcom revealed this Devil May Cry prequel/reboot last year. Not having particularly followed the series myself, I found the outcry a little baffling. Sure, it was being outsourced rather than being developed internally by Capcom, but the studio responsible for it is Ninja Theory, who have yet to make a poor game; on the contrary, their work — particularly the recent sleeper Enslaved: Journey to the West — have been quite nicely received by critics. In the end, the complaints mainly seem to boil down to the fact that protagonist Dante suddenly has dark hair and a coif that look an awful lot like that of Ninja Theory’s boss, Tameem Antoniades.

OK, so maybe it’s a little self-gratifying. But still, I have to ask: What’s so terrible about DmC? Now that I’ve had the opportunity to play DmC for myself, I have a hard time imagining that any fan of Devil May Cry fan wouldn’t enjoy Ninja Theory’s take on the franchise. Yeah, Dante has become something of a self-insertion character, and he’s a cocky twerp; but his brashness is offset by a delirious combination of over-the-top silliness and over-the-top action game excess. One moment, Dante is answering the door of his trailer home in the nude; the next, a massive demon is attacking and the hero dresses himself in slow-motion by free-falling through the air into his clothes. (Conveniently placed hovering free-fall objects such as slices of pizza manage to preserve his modesty to the viewer through an increasingly improbable sequence of events.) There’s a real sense of tongue-in-cheek absurdity to it all; were these events to simply flash past in a moment, they’d seem frivolous. Instead, they drag on just a little too long and become just a little too ridiculous, and that clearly deliberate excess amounts to a knowing wink at the audience. It works.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187011

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