MMO updates

MMO updates

Bluehole Studio - TERA development not affected

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:24 AM PDT


Hmn, this news came as a late addition to the day (it is evening now in most parts of Asia). Following the online uproar about former TERA development director/ producer Yong-Hyun Park's resignation (link), media from both East and West are all scuffling around for more information.


In this latest report, Bluehole Studio apparently clarified that Yong-Hyun Park no longer participated in TERA's development since April this year. The recent expansion in the Korea server is actually the work of Art Director, Huang Cher Un (below). According to the same report, an anonymous Bluehole staff confirmed these details. So in actual fact, development never stopped and there will be no impact as a result of Park's resignation. The next game content patch is expected to hit later this month.


If you missed it, the Community Manager for TERA North America left his position recently (link), making him the 2nd Community Manager to resign before the game even launch. Is there trouble in paradise or just  minor hiccup? We shall see.

TERA Japan - Observers report gloomy forecast

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 03:55 AM PDT


Following the resignation of TERA's top development staff (link), several foreign media posted their observations of the situations, with most predicting a gloomy forecast in the near future. Ironically, the Open Beta date for TERA Japan was announced within the same period, which will be happening on 8th August 2011 at 8:00am (888, a lucky Chinese number).


In the July anticipation chart, TERA Japan topped other titles including Continent of the Ninth (C9) and Phantasy Star Online 2 which is no easy feat. However, following the internal turmoil back at the Korea HQ, the announced pricing plan for TERA Japan for its commercial phase stunned part of the gamers as well. Do note that the client price is for the Premium Package only.


NHN Japan must have high hopes for TERA Japan to apparently announce this price plan. Also affected is the negotiations for finding a publisher in China. During ChinaJoy 2011, I was genuinely stunned when Shanda Games did not announce TERA for the region. With Blade & Soul bound to gain more momentum in Korea and China over the next few months, there is much to worry about indeed.


But to ease concerns, NHN Japan seems to be going all out in terms of marketing to lure gamers to play TERA (despite the hefty monthly fee). Around 1300 stores in Japan will be having TERA posters pasted on their shop fronts and DVDs on sale.

Infinite Worlds Online - Getting much attention

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 02:27 AM PDT


If you have followed by blog, you would have read about Infinite Worlds Online (link), an upcoming MMORPG from China. Is it a fantasy game? A sci-fi game? A martial arts game? Well, it is in fact all of these genres within one single game client. There are 4 different worlds each with its own class, meaning a clash of dimensions somewhere near the middle of the game. Here are some official information about the game.


As mentioned previously, a number of overseas publishers are already looking at Infinite Worlds Online. One of these reportedly include North American MMO publisher, Aeria Games. Below are 4 artwork displaying each of the 4 dimensions. If you have not read my previous posts (link), can you tell name all of them?


Here are some new environmental screenshots for Infinite Worlds Online. You can also refer to my ChinaJoy post (link) to have a look at the game's latest trailer. 

[gamescom 2011] Preview - Carbine to reveal new MMO

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 12:24 AM PDT


Hmn, I don't think there will be much interesting news from gamescom 2011 which will be held in 2 weeks' time, but I guess I will post anything I can dig up. Carbine Studios, one of NCsoft's subsidiary development studio (similar to ArenaNet), is reported to be revealing its maiden MMO title at the convention.


Nothing is announced so far with regards to this mysterious title, but we should see more of it soon with Carbine Studios attending PAX Prime as well later this month. I wonder what innovation will they bring to the table. Here are some older released artwork displaying 5 different environments which can be found in the game..

Eden Eternal (TW) - Bears and the Child

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 08:16 PM PDT


Also known as Finding Neverland Online in Taiwan, the native server saw a mega patch just a few days ago. Due to the massive ChinaJoy convention this year, I decided to postpone this post till now. Before I get to the Bear, I am surprised there is another new "race" available. The human kids! Well, they are smaller versions of the Human race and start off at the same location as well. Here are some game footage.



Next, the Bear race! Pardon me, but I was thinking this race is not designed properly. Looking at the graphics, you can see the costumes and weapons are just enlarged and not properly tailored to do away with the awkward edges, making the race look like a rushed job. Only the beginning area is different from the rest, as in the 2nd seaside town all other races will meet. You can find the other parts of the footage at my YouTube channel.



Here is a small creation footage showing off the Samurai class. Do note that the requirements for getting this class is stated here (link).


Along with this patch, the housing system, which I previewed (link), is also added. What are the requirements? Characters must be level 35 and there will be a weekly rent collected. Players will just have to proceed to the main town and talk to the housing NPC. If the rent is not paid on time, players will not be able to enter their houses. If the rent is not paid in 10 weeks, the house will be "deleted", along with all furniture and decorations.


How do players get the furniture? Well, cash shop, from mobs and boss drops, defeating the guild crystal and even the PvP coliseum. All these will raise the overall "beauty" of the house. Once a certain target is reached, players may opt to buy a party plan from the housing NPC and friends over to throw a party! It is not stated what benefits this feature will bring though. The game's English server can be found here (link).
Posted by Shri Krishna

General gaming

General gaming

Five Things That May Make Rage The Best Id Game Ever

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Rage may already be the best Id game ever. After spending three hours exploring, I found that the things that separated this game from previous Id titles (aside from sunlight and a diversity of colors) were the little touches that add personality and a sense of artistry to the game. I've listed my five favorites below.

1) Jackass Vehicle Physics


Driving plays a big role in Rage. You'll be driving around from town from one enemy hideout to another -- just watch out for sudden stops. During my time with the game, I looked away for a brief second to compare my PC build with the Xbox 360 build beside it (they look damn near identical), and turned back just in time to see my ATV hit a rock. My character went flying off the vehicle and met an untimely demise on a canyon wall. It was a nice little touch that had me chuckling. I respawned seconds later right next to the ATV.

Meet Noah, the Eight-Year-Old Kid Who Ignited the EVO Crowds This Past Weekend

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:57 PM PDT


In the video above, you get to see an eight-year-old boy who plays fighting games. At first, it's like, "Oh, look at the cute little kid who plays games." And then, all of a sudden, he starts kicking ass, and you realize he knows exactly what he's doing.

His name is Noah, and he was one of the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 competitors at the EVO fighting game tournament this past weekend. The crowd loved him, and why not? He did quite well for someone competing against many of the world's best players, leading to plenty of cheers when he did well and boos when his opponents managed to get some offense in.

The first of the videos below shows Noah initially falling to Royal Flush. It's unfortunately interrupted by some advertisements, but you can then see the end of the next round, where he promptly wins while taking very little damage. He ends up taking the match thanks to the time limit running out, although that didn't stop him from getting fired up afterward. The last video shows another Noah victory and the subsequent crowd explosion.

Final Fantasy Tactics to Cost 16 Times as Much as Most App Store Games

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:55 PM PDT


After receiving Apple's approval, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions will be out on Thursday, as expected -- and it'll be priced rather highly as far as iPhone/iPod Touch games goes.

A post on Facebook (via MTV Multiplayer) reveals the game will be out on August 4 for $15.99 in the U.S. (1,800 yen in Japan, or 12.99 Euros in Europe).

That's quite the premium for a game on the App Store, where the large majority of games are sold for $0.99. As of this writing, the first ten games in the 'top paid' category are $0.99, and only two games in the top 50 cost $2.99 or more: Plants vs. Zombies ($2.99) and Call of Duty: Zombies ($4.99). It's not until you can get into the 150 range that you can even find apps close in price ($9.99), and neither of those -- MLB.com At Bat 11 (#151) and Pages (#158) -- are games.

Videogame Marathons to Blame in Young Man's Death

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:10 PM PDT

Halo Reach

Chris Staniforth, a 20-year-old from Sheffield, England, may have died as a result of his propensity for playing videogames for very long stretches of time.

Staniforth, who died in May according to the New York Daily News, was the victim of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The Mayo Clinic website describes DVT as a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, oftentimes in the legs, which can then break off and make its way into the lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism. This doesn't always happen, and the clots can go away on their own. They're typically caused by sitting still for long stretches of time, like during long flights or drives. In the case of Staniforth, it may have been the long stretches he played videogames for that caused him to develop DVT.

"Chris lived for his Xbox. When he got into a game he could play it for hours and hours on end, sometimes 12 hours in a stretch," said his father, David Staniforth, in an interview with The Sun. "He got sucked in playing Halo online against people from all over the world."

Valve's Defense of the Ancients 2 to be Seen for the First Time Soon

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 02:21 PM PDT

Dota 2

The Valve-developed sequel to Defense of the Ancients will be seen for the very first time later this month at GamesCom in Cologne, Germany.

Valve today announced The International, a Dota 2 tournament where the 16 best Dota teams will compete for the first-ever Dota 2 championship, a.k.a. $1 million in prize money. It'll be a group-stage, double-elimination tournament that takes place from August 17 through August 21. The list of teams can be seen at the official Dota 2 website; there aren't any teams representing the United States. Five of the sixteen come from China.

"The International is the first public Dota 2 event and will give the tens of millions of gamers playing Dota around the world their first look at the new game," said Valve President Gabe Newell in today's press release. "I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary."

True Crime: Hong Kong is Back, But With a New Name

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 01:38 PM PDT

True Crime Hong Kong

Besides announcing that the Guitar Hero franchise was being shelved for now, Activision announced back in February that it was canceling open-world action game True Crime: Hong Kong. But in what seemed like an inevitable move for a game that had so many years poured into it, it has been picked up by another publisher -- Square Enix -- and will carry a different name.

The cancellation was surprising at the time; Hong Kong had been getting a new PR push just prior to the announcement. Activision claimed it was due to the game's quality -- or lack thereof. It said both the Hong Kong and Guitar Hero moves were due to "the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world's best interactive entertainment experiences." This was reiterated in a recent interview with CEO Bobby Kotick, who said the company's focus on fewer titles is about a "commitment to excellence."

He also described the goal with Hong Kong as being the creation of a less violent Grand Theft Auto game. "And we recognized that after giving it a good college try for three years we didn't have the skills at the company to do that type of game, so we canceled it," he explained. "And I think that it was a demonstration to the organization that focus is going to get rewarded, and that if you can't after a sustained period of time get to that level of excellence, then we're going to have to make a change."

Grandia Director Takeshi Miyaji Passes Away at 45

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:48 PM PDT

Grandia

Takeshi Miyaji, best known as one of the directors on the original Grandia, recently died at the age of 45.

This is according to a statement sent out by G-Mode, as reported on by Andriasang. He was a co-founder and the CEO of G-Mode, a mobile games developer in Japan. Early in his career, he was involved with games like Silpheed and Lunar: The Silver Star. Following that, he had worked at Game Arts along with his brother, Yoichi Miyaji, who continues to serve as the company's president CEO.

While there, Takeshi was one of the key players in the development of the first two games in the Grandia RPG series (first as a director, and then as a producer). The first was originally released for Sega Saturn, but only made it to the United States as a PlayStation 1 game in 1999. (It has since been re-released as a PS1 Classic on the PlayStation Network.) It was very well received by critics at the time and is still highly regarded today. In 1999, it was faced with big competition as Final Fantasy VIII, the sequel to one of the most popular RPGs of all time, FFVII, had been released earlier in the year.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Review

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Do you like Metroid? If so, you'll probably like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (ITSP.) Like 2009's Shadow Complex, ITSP is a Summer of Arcade title that borrows liberally from the Metroid formula. Unlike Shadow Complex or even the Castlevania series, ITSP iterates on a gameplay concept found only once in the Metroid series.

At one point in Super Metroid, Samus comes across three cute animals wall jumping. The key to progressing is realizing that Samus already has the ability to wall jump -- she just has to emulate the animals. Much of ITSP revolves around similar puzzles. While the game maintains a steady IV drip of new abilities, the way to move forward is rarely as simple as directly applying new powers to destroy roadblocks. Moving ahead becomes more a matter of creative application of abilities that I already have. While most Metroid style games have the players obtaining new equipment for very explicit purposes -- red missiles opening red doors for example -- ITSP's puzzles are just a bit more organic, and require a fair amount of lateral thinking.

Don't Worry: SSFIV Arcade Edition Ver. 2012 is Free

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:45 AM PDT

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Ver 2012

It'd be hard to blame cynical fighting fans for believing that Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Ver. 2012 is the name of yet another updated version of Street Fighter IV that they'll be asked to buy. SFIV came out in North America in February 2009 and has already seen two updated versions; Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was released this past February and will already be outdated by the time November rolls around. Ver. 2012, teased at the EVO 2011 fighting game tournament over the weekend, is actually an update in development that will be released for free.

Yes, you won't be asked to pay a dime for this latest round of rebalancing, which is set to come out either this fall or winter, according to what Capcom's Seth Killian said on Twitter. Of course, at this point, we don't actually know the specifics on what changes it will implement, but knowing it won't cost any money -- unlike Super Street Fighter IV and the subsequent Arcade Edition releases -- is one of the more important details. We should know more in the next two months, as Famitsu reports that certain gamers in Japan will get a chance to try out the changes by summer's end.

The official Japanese Street Fighter website (via Andriasang) is home to the image above and says more information will be coming at a later time. Hopefully that's sometime soon, as avid fighting game fans will what to know what sort of adjustments they'll need to make to remain competitive once Ver. 2012 is out.

Words With Friends Can Soon Be Played on Facebook

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Words With Friends Facebook

Zynga, the king of Facebook games, is bringing one of its most popular mobile games to the social network. Words With Friends, the multiplayer-only Scrabble-style word game is "coming soon" with all the features of the mobile version and more.

The announcement today notes this is the first mobile game Zynga has brought to Facebook. For those who already play on iOS or Android, you'll be able to move games back and forth between Facebook and whichever device you already play the game on, which should make it easier to complete games. You'll still be able to play up to 20 games at a time, so that should be enough to keep you occupied should you be worried that one Internet-based game of Scrabble will have too much downtime in between moves.

It's already possible to connect Words With Friends with Facebook as a means of getting a list of friends to play with. The new version will add support for some obligatory Facebook game features like notifications for when it's your turn and the ability to post messages on a friend's wall to brag (and, more importantly to Zynga, to advertise the game).

Posted by Shri Krishna

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

PC Console Game Diablo 3 Will Be Online Only!

Posted:

Blizzard announced that Diablo 3 will be online only. You must connect to a server at all times even when you are playing the single-player game. And then, how is a console game separate from the online game?

World of Warcarft: Trading Card Game Art Gallery Update

Posted:

Blizzard have updated Trading Card Game art gallery to feature ten new pieces. Each image is taken directly from the official World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Be sure to give a shout-out to your favorite pieces in the comments.

Exclusive Firefall Interview at ChinaJoy 2011

Posted:

At this year's ChinaJoy, 81813.com and MMOsite were so glad to have the honor of doing a joint interview with Firefall's Community Manager A (Phobos). Below are details about the interview!

Kart Rider's Mobile Version Downloaded 3 Millions Times

Posted:

Nexon's mobile title Kart Rider has increased its popularity among the mobile online games category. The title has been downloaded more than 3 millions of times, and this was recently announced by Nexon.

Want to See Some New MMOs? GamesCom has a lot of them!!

Posted:

But those games that you are very familiar with aren't what we are going to talk about - the new MMOs which will make their debut in the west is today's topic.

Regnum Online Highlighting PvP + RvR is Available in Brazil

Posted:

The Free to Play MMORPG Regnum Online(Official Site: http://www.regnum.com.br) featuring intense Player vs. Player and Realm vs. Realm action is now available for the Brazilian market with fully localized in Portuguese.

A Trial Report of Tencent's New Game Asura in CJ 2011

Posted:

ChinaJoy 2011 has just come to an end. Asura, a fighting MMORPG which is themed by the oriental mythology and has been self-developed by Tencent Games for 2 years, aroused visitors' attention. Tencent unveiled a featurette for the game's fourth class Yu Hu (fox) on the spot and specially demonstrated this class's most important highlight – the real shooting mode. Such a mode will definitely make a breakthrough in terms of RPGs' game modes and give players more fun and freedom during gameplay.

Musical MMO Tiara Concerto Announced

Posted:

Tiara Concerto is inspired by Italian Music concert. In Tiara Concerto, players assume the savor living the floating island where they must play specific melodies on musical instruments in order to unlock levels that lead to alternate dimensions and gain more resources to survive.

What is the Most Annoying Thing in Your Gaming Experience?

Posted:

As the title says, what is the most annoying thing during your gaming experience?

Rift Update 1.4: Legacy of the Fallen Preview

Posted:

With Rift's update 1.4 has been running in the public test shards for more than two weeks, Trion Worlds has decided to detail what player would expect to see in the upcoming update 1.4 named Legacy of the Fallen.

APB – The 'Shaw'… There is No Cake in This Gun…

Posted:

Hey guys, today in APB I was giving the Shaw Light Machine Gun another try, last time I used this weapon was long ago, probably months ago lol!

Diablo 3 Beta Gameplay Video, Looks Amazing

Posted:

Eight minute long video reveals current state of Diablo 3 gameplay. A huge weekend is behind us and as it seems, more and more Diablo III news are popping out all over the internet. Latest things that came out on surface is a 7:40 minute long video revealing a beta build of the upcoming Blizzard Entertainment's Hack & Slash blockbuster title.

Eudemons Online Chief Designer Talks about Vampire Class

Posted:

Today we have invited the Chief Designer to do an interview to tell us a little more about this new expansion and new class.

RIFT PTS Patch 1.4 In-Progress Notes No.4 - New Features Details

Posted:

A new Sliver location has been reported to be intersecting with present-day Telara in the region of Lord's Hall in Scarwood Reach.

Final Combat Cosplay Show at ChinaJoy 2011 (Team Fortress 2 Rip-off)

Posted:

By now some of you would have heard of Final Combat, China company Xunlei's new online shooter. The past few videos have drawn various criticism with regards to glaring similarities with a fan favorite shooter, Team Fortress 2, but the voices from the people apparently was of no concern. In fact, Nvidia is teaming up with Xunlei to market and promote Final Combat. Check out the real life cosplay video at ChinaJoy 2011.

F2P Bounty Hounds Online Closed Beta Test Interview

Posted:

Bounty Hounds Online has a style that is well blended for East and West. It brings a number of aspects that are popular in the West, as well as the popular Eastern themes that Westerners like. It is a very unique setting and presentation.

Heroes of Newerth Switches to Free-to-Play

Posted:

It seems free-to-play mode is the wave of the future game market as another online game has switched to the popular business mode. S2 Games today announces that Heroes of Newerth, its session-based, multiplayer, action-RPG, is going into free to play. The game mechanics and style of play will remain intact; however, existing player accounts and new accounts will be separated to create a smooth transition as novice players enter the game.

RIFT 1.4 PvP Armor Set Update Details

Posted:

We took these points to heart and with 1.4 will be introducing a solution we think you can all enjoy by giving you the most bang for your buck and getting the most out of your hard-fought Prestige Ranks.

Dragon Nest (NA) Review by MMOsite Player

Posted:

It isn't new where an MMO displays a spectacular amount of videos and screenshots detailing the beauty of all the flashy skills and background, but is this combo-going rpg enough to sate your gaming needs?
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews

Diablo III has started its beta

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 10:16 AM PDT

Blizzard Entertaintment has announced the upcoming Diablo III beta test, that will introduce exciting new features, including a new Auction House that will provide a powerful new way for your characters to acquire the implements of war. After 10 years of anticipation following Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo II (2000) and its expansion, Diablo II: Lord of [...]

Exclusive Bounty Hounds Online North America Closed Beta Giveaway

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 07:04 AM PDT

Suba Games with Bounty Hounds Online through FREE MMORPG and MMO Reviews offers an Closed Beta Giveaway for North America players (USA-CA-MX). To activate your beta key you only have to visit Suba Games’ Bounty Hounds homepage to register for a Suba Games account. Then enter your beta key code on the activation website Here. [...]

Hellgate reveals user percentages by country

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 06:37 AM PDT

Hellgate Global, has been received with great popularity since they released its Open Beta on June 30th. Only a month after its release, the servers have already been saturated, and every day there are hundreds of players from all over the world waiting in line for a chance to play. Right now, 28% of Hellgate's [...]

Nexon Europe has launched the teaser website of Vindictus Europe

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 05:16 AM PDT

NEXON Europe has launched a new teaser website for the free-to-play Action MMORPG Vindictus Europe, which will be released in Europe this autumn. The website introduces a gameplay trailer that gives you a deeper insight on the upcoming online sensation. Vindictus Europe is a physics-based action online role-playing game that combines stunning visuals with high-speed [...]

Troy Online its going to begin its Open Beta

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 04:53 AM PDT

After two successful closed beta tests, ALT1 Games is going to start the third and final state of testing of Troy Online with open beta test. In the open beta test, ALT1 Games intends to roll out the vast majority of features of the game including all quests and quest arcs, the maximum level cap, [...]

City of Heroes Issue 21: Convergence Trailer

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:06 AM PDT

Issue 21: Convergence is the inaugural game content issue for City of Heroes Freedom. Issue 21: Convergence gives you the fantastic game content that you expect from City of Heroes, and includes a new zone, giant monsters, an Incarnate Trial, a power set, costume sets, and a new starting experience.

Dungeon Fighter Online introduces Act XI: Wrath of Kazan

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 01:58 AM PDT

Dungeon Fighter Online presents Act XI: Wrath of Kazan, and with the new Thief class now playable, the other character classes must match wits and introduces 11 new skills distributed among four primary classes in the game. The Berserker, a subclass of the Slayer, will receive a significant power boost through the wrath of the [...]
Posted by Shri Krishna
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