MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Guild Wars 2: Character Customization and PvP at Gamescom

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:13 AM PDT

In an update to the official ArenaNet blog, Guild Wars 2 Community Manager Martin Kerstein outlined ArenaNet's plans for the upcoming European gaming mega-show, gamescom, plans that include the debut of character customization and PvP.

General: Redundancy, Repetition, Grinding

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:05 PM PDT

In this Week's WoW Factor, Joseph Sanicky takes us inside his own personal bout of Warcraft-fatigue... and how he found a way to rectify it.

Mythos: The Official Review - A Missed Opportunity

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 05:32 PM PDT

Originally developed by Flagship Studios, Mythos seemed doomed for the trash heap when the studio went belly up. The game was however revived by Korea's HanbitSoft and completed then published in Europe by Frogster. In our latest review, Adam Tingle takes a look at Mythos as it stands today as an action MMORPG. Read more and then let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

League of Legends: Q&A with Champions: FNaticMSI

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 05:05 PM PDT

We had the chance to sit down with five of the Season One Champion team "FNaticMSI" from League of Legends. Fresh off their victory at the World Championships at Dreamhack, we were curious to see what the players behind the glitz might be thinking about the movement and their sport. In this first part of a two-part interview, Lauri "Cyanide" Happonen and Max "Magic" Dreysse let us know what they feel about their team's successes and the future of the sport.

Rift: Legacy of the Fallen: Rift 1.4!

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 03:28 PM PDT

You want to see what's coming in Rift 1.4? I know you do! The Official Rift Website is now listing the details and what we can expect to see out of the update when Legacy of the Fallen drops on the unsuspecting masses.

City of Heroes: City of Heroes Comic-Con Panel Online!

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 03:21 PM PDT

Did you miss out on Comic-Con but want to know everything that was said at the City of Heroes panel? Gamespot's got your back! They've put up a video of the panel, in its entirety, over at their site. Check it out

Aion: Public Test Server 2.6 Has Gone Live

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 03:16 PM PDT

The Aion PTS has gone live with its 2.6 Update. Updated Official Patch Notes have also been released to coincide with the official unveiling of the new patch. Check out the details.

Prime Battle for Dominus: More Developer Videos Added

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 03:07 PM PDT

Get to know the team at Pitchblack Games behind the scenes of what's shaping up to be one of the most hotly anticipated titles of the season, Prime Battle for Dominus. Videos introducing Level Designer Dan Kershner and 3D Environment Artist Jeff Pinero have been added.

MMO updates

MMO updates


TERA - Development Director resigns

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:20 AM PDT


According to foreign reports, Mr Park, the Development Director for Bluehole Studio's maiden MMORPG, TERA, resigned on 29th July last week. This decision was said to be due to the game not meeting expectations and hitting planned targets. Korea gamers are also very verbal in showing their unhappy towards the state of the game, in addition to sliding popularity and "ghost" servers, contributing to Mr Park's resignation as well.


Mr Park was part of the group which left MMO giant NCsoft to join Bluehole Studio and was apparently the central figure in the lawsuit between the 2 companies, where Bluehole Studio was accused of using ideas for Lineage 3 to work on TERA. Mr Park was also in-charge of Lineage 3's development and hence accused of leaking business secrets. It was written that the lawsuit has also taken a toll on Mr Park's health both physically and mentally.


Bluehole Studio's top executives have claimed that they did everything they could to persuade Mr Park to stay, but to no avail as he was ready at his limit. The board hence respected his decisions and accepted the resignation. However, Mr Park still retains shares in Bluehole Studio as one of the biggest shareholders. The development team will not be shuffled and find a suitable replacement to get TERA back up on its feet.

Diablo III - Surprise addition to auction house

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 01:08 AM PDT


(Source) While technically not a MMO, one of the most anticipated PC games in recent years added an element of MMO to its core features. Introducing the auction house system in Blizzard's Diablo III, where not only can items be traded using in-game gold, but real cash as well.


I am not sure if this is a good thing, since people can earn some money for their trophies while the rich players will, similar to most Asian online games, dominate the game. Not forgetting there will be PvP in Diablo II as well. I hope this is not a wrong step for Blizzard.

AIKA Epic II: Exodus - Major content update

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 10:38 PM PDT


So, AIKA Korea got updated recently and quite a number of new updates and content were patched. For the past few months, much focus was on the PvP Tournaments for the game, hence new content is very much welcomed for the Korean players. So what are some of the new stuff added?


Fishing System - So yeah, a new fishing life skill. The more a player fish, the more chance he or she will get rarer species by training the skill up. These fish can be used to cook various soups which will give players temporary buffs once used.

Treasure chests can also be fished, with it giving random stuff like the various upgrade powders and a certain "Legendary Fishing Rod" as well among many others. One of the rarest items from the Treasure Chest will be one translated as "Magic Crystal". Fishing spots can be found at various locations seen below.


Improvisations - In the new update, players can use teleport scrolls to get to Leopold (the icy island) instead of using the transport ship. There are 6 new repeatable hunting quests added on the island and "Ice Crystals Shards" dropped from monsters can now be formed into Ice Crystals. There can be used to trade for various accessories and crystal balls. The PvE battleground has also changed, players must now collect 3 frozen holy items found in the towers below and bring it to the center while battling hordes of monsters.


Pran: adult stage - Yes, the adult stage for Pran is here. Players will get a quest when Prans hit level 50 to initiate the evolution. All adult Prans will get their own pair of wings and a fancy headgear, together with stronger skills and spells as well. They will be flapping their wings and floating beside players now! Adult Prans may also hold special wands to further boost players' stats.


Improvements for Relic Wars - So, now that most players are high levels and wearing leet gears, the Relics will now be harder to obtain since they are given a major boost, including the guards as well. Level 3 Relics were added in the content patch along with a major tweak. I am not sure what this mean even though I played AIKA for a few months, the night Devirs' durability will dependable on how many Relics are there in them. If a Devir has more Relics, it means the durability is lower, hence easier to be captured. I supposed it means night time?


There are more! Improved party search function, new UI, medals, titles, and more... There are still many updates under development, so stay tuned!

General gaming

General gaming


Diablo 3 Will Let You Auction Your Loot For Real Money

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:01 AM PDT

In detailing the list of improvements and changes that Diablo 3 brings to Battle.net (persistent friends list, cross-game chat, PVP matchmaking, etc.), the ability to auction off items for real-world money stands out the most. Essentially, Blizzard has taken the seedy world of third-party gold and items or characters for money trading, and institutionalized the practice.

Executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo describes the currency-based auction house as a solution to a multitude of economy-related problems from previous Diablo installments. People used to have to drop items on the floor and click with blind faith that they were getting what they expected. Websites that were basically nothing but fronts for scammers would prop up to capitalize on the exploitable (through duplication and manipulation of client-side characters) economy. Even trying to make the transaction was annoying, as you'd have to put up with players constantly spamming the chat channels with item listings.

Diablo 3 Will Require Players to be Online When Playing

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:01 AM PDT

Remember when you first heard stuff like how either Steam or StarCraft 2 require you to be online for authentication purposes? That the process to play or utilize either service offline can be a bit circuitous, but at least it's still possible to be offline. But, Diablo 3 differs in that you must be online to play at all -- not just for authentication.

Executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo notes that the wealth of improvements and features Diablo 3 brings to Battle.net necessitate the always-online requirement. Specific additions that he refers to include:

Diablo 3 1UP Community FAQ: We Answer Your Questions

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:01 AM PDT

Let me get this out of the way first: there is no news about the Diablo 3 beta. Sure, I've played most of the beta's content (basically, the first half of Act One, up until the player defeats the Skeleton King who, for lorehounds, is the resurrected King Leoric from Diablo), so I know it exists in some form. But beyond letting us play it, and talking about some other announcements, Blizzard personnel wouldn't discuss the timeframe for the playable beta.

Still, the developers provided a very detailed presentation for each of the playable character classes, in addition to the auction house and our own beta playthrough. Before leaving, I took note of a bunch of questions from the 1UP Community Q&A Thread, and can now answer them through either directly asking Blizzard on some, and from my own experience. If there are any major lingering concerns, you can either ask in the comments or a new blog I posted here. Also, I mostly play as a Demon Hunter, since ranged classes are my thing; but I also dig the Witch Doctor, if only because he can fill a screen with frogs.

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


[Exclusive] Dragona English Version Interview

Posted:

Since the game has just launched recently, I figured doing a question & answer interview would be an awesome way for us to learn more about the game and to share that info with MMOsite readers.

BAG Entertainment Joined Hands with Bungalo Interactive to Enter Global SNG Market

Posted:

BAG Entertainment Co., Ltd. announced that they recently concluded the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bungalo Interactive Inc. at COEX in Samsung-dong, southern Seoul. The two companies have merged and are now sharing strategies to enter the global market in developing and publishing SNG games for Facebook.

Red5 CEO: Firefall Launching in December in North America

Posted:

Firefall is one of the most anticipated games at ChinaJoy 2011. The game didn't let Chinese players down, and they gave players of the world some surprises, too.

chaose5's In-depth Analysis on Prefix Effect I: Weapon

Posted:

A new prefix system for armors and weapons was introduced since the lvl50 cap opens. This article will present an in-depth analysis on the prefix effect of armor and weapon.

World-Famous MMORPG Ragnarok Online Comes to Your iPhone

Posted:

Gravity Interactive, Inc. is very proud to announce the release of their most popular and famous MMORPG Ragnarok Online as a single-player iPhone/iPad application which can be found on the Apple's App Store on August 5, 2011. ;

Dragon Nest 5th Profession Academic Gameplay Video Debuted

Posted:

Dragon Nest developer Eyedentity has officially announced the 5th profession Academic at its official site.

Weekly Shot: The Alpaca That Loves Me So Much

Posted:

We set up a new gallery in MMOsite called "Weekly Shot" which present the best images posted by all of you every week.

Guild Wars 2 Heads Over to Gamescom with Brand New Demo!

Posted:

It has been a while since we last heard the news of Guild Wars 2. With the upcoming gamescom, Europe's largest game expo, which held from August 17-21 in Cologne, Germany, ArenaNet is having a big surprise in the pipeline for all the Guild Wars 2 fans. They will bring a brand new demo that features a slew of new content they haven't showed off before.

An Anime based MMO that Has Normal Sized Heads? Nowai!

Posted:

Beat 'em ups and Slash 'em ups always appealed to me. Probably because they remind me of my innocent childhood where I played Battle Toads & Double Dragon on my older brother's SNES with or without his permission. - A peek into the Rusty Hearts CBT.

Special Force Celebrates Singapore's Birthday!

Posted:

Special Force will celebrate its first anniversary in Singapore on August 9th, 2011 with some of the best game updates on the first birthday!

Are You Proud of Being Called Casual Player / Hardcore Grinder?

Posted:

To me, I kinda like they call me casual player instead of hardcore. Sometimes, it will make me feel like they're calling me 'nerd' or something.

Rusty Hearts Review

Posted:

In my opinion, this is their fist game that is not based on the original system designed and reskinned from Perfect World. So far, the game only has 3 characters, but the sihlouette for a 4th is already there.

Riot Games Has Released a Fresh Movie for League of Legends

Posted:

This week, three champions of the League disappeared in the woods near Summoners Rift amid whispers of a powerful artifact had been spotted. These intrepid treasure hunters struck off into the jungle, disregarding rumors of strange happenings, abnormal behavior among the wildlife, and a mysterious presence so terrifying that even the most courageous dare not speak its name.

Vindictus Announced European Version with a New Teaser Site

Posted:

NEXON Europe launched a brand new teaser website(http://vindictus.nexoneu.com/) for the much anticipated free-to-play Action MMORPG Vindictus Europe, which will be released in Europe this autumn.


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Foxconn Adding 1 Million Robots Over The Next Three Years To Replace Chinese Workers

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 02:05 PM PDT

Robot AssemblyManual labor is dead. You know how we know? Foxconn announced today that it would start phasing out its rampant hiring, and add over 1 million robots to its manufacturing process over the next three years. A spokesmen for the company claims the robots will help cut rising labor costs, improve efficiency, and help keep Foxconn competitive. 

When a company can save money by installing robots to replace workers who are making less than $300 per month, it's safe to say it's time to brush up on your robot maintenance skills. We're all going to need them. 

The robots are intended to replace workers doing mostly simple tasks such as spraying, welding, and basic assembly currently done by mostly Chinese laborers. Foxconn currently uses about 10,000 robots, a number which will jump to 300,000 next year, and 1 million in three. 

Foxconn is the world's largest manufacturer of computer components, assembling products for Apple, Sony and Nokia from its headquarters in China. 

Intel Details The Ultrabook Three Year Roadmap

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 10:07 AM PDT

UltrabookThe x86 market isn't in jeopardy by any stretch of the imagination, but Intel has seen the future, and mobile is where the moneys at. As tablets based on the arm architecture slowly evolve into convertible PC's, Intel knows it will need to make laptops that are even more compelling if it's going to survive the long haul. We know the Ultrabook is one of Intel's most important strategies going forward, however in a blog post on Thursday they finally detailed the three year roadmap for what they believe is a completely new product segment, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.

Phase 1: The first generation of "Ultrabooks" will be based on Sandy Bridge, and using the new Ultra-Low Voltage processors similar to those found in the Macbook Air. Asus, Dell, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard have already announced their intention to build products based on these parts, and will be arriving en-mass this fall.

Phase 2: The second generation of Ultrabook will feature Intel's Ivy Bridge CPU's, and will feature more advanced I/O's such as USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt. Expect to start seeing these ship by Summer 2012. 

Phase 3: The third generation of Ultrabooks will be based on an upcoming micro-architecture currently code named Haswell. So far we don't know much about Haswells capabilities, but expect it to up performance and battery life. Haswell is currently on the roadmap for a 2013 release.  

20-Year-Old Man Dies After Marathon Gaming Session

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:21 AM PDT

Take a BreakHave you ever wondered why the first 2-3 pages of a Nintendo manual have more health warnings than a box of cigarettes? It's not because gaming is a particularly dangerous hobby, but like everything in life some people just don't understand the old adage "all things in moderation". According to the UK's Sun newspaper, one such example is 20-year-old Chris Staniforth, a truly dedicated gamer who passed away last week during one of his 12+ hour marathon Halo sessions as a result so much inactivity.

The Autopsy confirmed that Staniforth's died from a blood clot which resulted from deep vein thrombosis, an ailment brought on by large stretches of little to no movement. The doctors consulted in the matter reminded reporters that while inactivity was the cause, it was still a very unlucky co-incidence that happens more often to long haul flight passengers, where getting up and moving around can be difficult.

Chris Staniforth's father says he doesn't blame Microsoft and that his son lived for his Xbox. Not surprisingly when asked for comment Microsoft would say only that, "we recommend gamers take breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."

Sound advice. 

Can Your Browser Choice Really Betray Your True IQ?

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 08:33 AM PDT

GumpIf you've tried everything you can think of to convert your friends and family over to your browser of choice, we've come up with a pair of new weapons for your arsenal. The tools we're offering you here are not only persuasive, but involve an entertaining mix of both science and shame. According to AptiQuant Psychometric Consulting, a person's IQ has at least a slight influence on which browser they are likely to use, and unfortunately for Microsoft the headlines haven't been kind.

Are Internet Explorer Users Dumb? – CNN

Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQs – The Independent

Just How Stupid Are IE Users? - CNET 

As you may have already guessed, the AptiQuant survey of over 100,000 random web users concluded that Internet Explorer users are the least intelligent on average. But don't let that shiny new auto-updated version of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari delude you into thinking you're the cream of the crop. Users of Camino, Opera, and IE with Chrome Frame scored much higher than any of the mainstream choices.  

Whether or not you choose to believe the science behind the full report is up to you, but for what it's worth the company's CEO Leonard Howard claims that his inbox is overwhelmed with hate mail from loyal IE users. In a follow up interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Howard clarified his company's interpretation of the results, just in case you were starting to feel offended. "I just want to make it clear that the report released by my company did not suggest that if you use IE that means you have a low IQ, but what it really says is that if you have a low IQ then there are high chances that you use Internet Explorer."

There you have it folks, you're not dumb if your using IE, but if you're using IE you might be dumb. Everyone got it straight now? Glad we cleared that up!

MMO News

MMO News


MMOHut Weekly Recap #45 July 31 – Heroes of Newerth, Dragon Nest, & More

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 12:54 PM PDT

MMO Weekly News #45 – Heroes of Newerth, Dragon Nest, & More

Weekly MMO News summary for the week ended July 31 (July 25 – July 31). A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Heroes of Newerth, Cross Fire, Uncharted Waters online, Realm of the Titans, Asda 2, Silkroad Online, Legend of Edda, Rusty Hearts, Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragon Nest. You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

Realm of the Titans Gameplay – Dual Commentary HD

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 12:56 PM PDT

To Learn More About the Game Check out our Realm of the Titans Page.

Realm of the Titans is a 3D Moba style MMO published by Aeria Games – the same company behind Eden Eternal, Grand Fantasia, Shaiya, Last Chaos, Lime Odyssey Online, Metal Assault and numerous other titles. As a Moba style game, Realm of the Titans plays a lot like League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, and Rise of Immortals. The game doesn’t have nearly as many playable heroes as League of Legends, but does have several unique features which some fans of the genre may really like. To learn more about Realm of the Titans check out the official MMOHut Realm of the Titans page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

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