It seems to be a natural thing to do nowadays for some of the bigger online gaming companies to do these few days - holding its own game convention. This time, it will be Taiwanese MMO developer and publisher, Gamania Entertainment. The company is also known for its MMO portal, Beanfun. At this year's show, 4 self-developed titles will be on display: Unreal 3 action game Core Blaze (link); classic remake Langrisser Schwarz (link); musical themed Tiara Concerto (link) and the latest game to be revealed, Dream Drops (link).
I am personally most interested in Core Blaze, being warped into the action combat fever some months back. I do hope there will be new trailers and information available this time round!
From China developer Baiyou which brought us City of Dreams, a TERA-lookalike (link), comes Legend of Wukong, its latest MMORPG title. As you can guess from the name, the storyline will revolve around the storyline of Journey to the West and its protagonist, Sun Wukong or the Monkey King.
According to various foreign articles, the game will feature a fast action combo system during combat found in most platform games. However, the game is apparently not a non-target one.
There are apparently 4 races with 6 classes as shown above. Other features include the 72 Transformations, where players can change into various monsters and bosses to utilize their skills, a 2nd set of skill system which is mixed-and-matched and not bound by race or class.
Don't forget the summoned cloud which Wukong uses as a transport! Players will be able to obtain one as well (though not always in the shape of a cloud) and with this, engage in air combat and PvP. Didn't Jade Dynasty had this?
Everything for Legend of Wukong, including the game's engine, is self-developed by Baiyou and a 500-strong Closed beta is expected to being on 10th September. Some parts of the game does look familiar, and the first 2 screenshots below apparently showcase some ideas they got from elsewhere... A cookie for the one who name the 2 games they resemble!
Back in May, there was a report on Massively (link) about a 17-year gaming industry veteran, Jason Bell, heading for Globex Studios to work on the comapny's new MMORPG, Secret Kingdoms Online. Jason Bell, as mentioned in the article, most recently worked at Turbine Entertainment managing Asheron's Call. The development team also includes Troy Dunniway, who worked with EA and Westwood previously. Based in China, Secret Kingdoms Online, developed using the BigWorld game engine, was revealed a few days back with new details.
In Secret Kingdoms Online, players will be just a tiny controller sitting on their mounts. Yes, the main focus here will be on the battle mounts, rather than the humanoid characters themselves. In fact, I have no idea why the human characters are even perched on the mounts since even the health bar shows the mounts' stats. No matter, each class (Mercenary, Knight, Priest, Alchemist, Hunter) will have different mounts as seen below. The Hunter artwork is missing.
There will be some customizations available for the mounts, including changing and upgrading of equipments just like in any MMORPGs, with new looks and costumes coming from the Cash Shop. There will also be an in-game pet system as well, with them being able to aid players during combat.
That is all for now with the features, which I am underwhelmed by. Secret Kingdoms Online is currently in its first Closed Beta test, with promises made to further improve the game before an official launch. Stay tuned~
So, despite me not getting into Closed Beta 2 for NCsoft's upcoming mega martial arts MMO, Blade & Soul, it hasn't really stopped me from scouring the Korean forums and websites for game footage. I struck gold after going through one of them, PlayForum, with various high definition (HD) footage from both Closed Beta 1 and Closed Beta 2. The footage below demonstrates some of the Assassin class' skills in real time and some random combat.
Basically, the UI changed in-between, there is now a new default third person shooter (TPS) attack function (can be switched back to original controls), easier leveling and more. The TPS combat function allows players to automatically target monsters once moused over without clicking anything to lock-on. Below are some boss footage for you to enjoy~! A few more can be seen over at my YouTube channel (link).
From Warcraft III mod to Valve-developed sequel: Defense Of The Ancients is now standing on its own two feet. This new installment (simply "DOTA 2") made its public debut at Cologne's 2011 Gamescom with a huge tournment -- where historical DOTA teams that have been together for years competed for a $1.6 million prize. During the event, we asked project director Erik Johnson and Valve co-founder Gabe Newell a few questions about the game.
Valve -- explains Newell -- got into this project because several staff members were playing the original DOTA and got obsessed with it to the point that people such as Robin Walker (Team Fortress 2 guru), Adrian Finol (software developer), and Johnson actually formed a team and got into a league -- ending up badly stomped, he confesses. At some point, they decided to contact DOTA developer IceFrog under the pretense that they were game developers, but in fact it was just an excuse to send him fan mail.
Bodycount is not a good game, but I'm not sure it's trying to be. I think it?s a prototype that somehow ended up on a retail shelf. The game seems like it's trying to prove that a few key gameplay systems could be used in a complete game down the road. That's really the only explanation for the game's existence that makes any sense to me, because it's missing several elements that we expect to have in a modern shooter. These elements include:
Story: You are an operative of an agency known as "The Network." You enter into an African warzone to make peace for some reason. The most efficient way to make peace is of course to shoot everyone. You soon stumble upon a mysterious base and find that a rival agency known as "Target" is doing stuff. I'm not sure what, but it may be evil so it's OK to shoot those guys too. Regardless, the story is as bare bones as any in recent memory. Shooters traditionally have shallow stories, but even by the standards of the genre this is anemic.
I'm not going to lie: I really liked the first No More Heroes -- and anyway, that would be a pretty dumb thing to lie about. I've always been a cautiously optimistic fan of Suda 51; in fact, it's become a cliche to remark that he makes bizarre games that aren't necessarily the most playable things in the world. Well, clichés become clichés for a reason, and Suda mostly deserves his shaky reputation. Like Silent Hill 2 before it, Suda's Killer 7 struck me as a wholly original and genuinely disturbing experience untouched by corporate overseers. For most, it was more memorable as an experience rather than a game
While each of his titles following 7 have been a bit more approachable, there's still a streak of gleeful absurdity in everything the man touches. So, when the chance came along to play through No More Heroes again -- in a fancy new HD shell, no less -- I couldn't help but be a little jazzed about the chance to dip back into Travis Touchdown's world of sexy lunatics. Little did I know, this sloppy port would make me question my love for the original.
In December, the servers for Star Wars Galaxies will be permanently turned off. With Star Wars: The Old Republic coming in a matter of months (depending upon how things go in the beta), the old MMO will be killed by Sony Online Entertainment, but not before players decide how its story concludes.
SOE promised a "galaxy-ending in-game event" would take place before Galaxies goes offline on December 15. It's now provided some details on what that entails; namely, the Rebel Alliance and the Empire will compete to decide which side will emerge victorious. The Galactic Civil War that's been taking place will continue with new activities, events, and contests. Participating will earn your side Galactic Civil War points and other advantages.
At some point before December 15, each side's points will be totaled on a server-by-server basis. Whichever side has more will "win the game, and the galaxy, for each server, as well as change the way the game will end and what happens in the final moments." There will be celebrations for the winners and the losers will "be going out with a bang."
Tropico 4 is more of a giant expansion pack than a true sequel. It features very few new art assets, the music is ripped from the last game, and the core gameplay is almost exactly the same with a few interface tweaks. That said, I have a hard time faulting the game for it. It's a polished version of an already great game with 80-plus hours of content for $40. That sounds pretty good to me.
If you've never played Tropico, here's the quick rundown (if you played the previous games in the series feel free to skip the following two paragraphs): It's a city simulator that puts you in charge of an island country. You, as El Presidente, have to build up the country's economy and infrastructure from 1950 to the end of the Cold War. You can turn your island into a socialist democratic paradise with universal healthcare, free housing, and social liberty for all. Or you can create your own despotic dictatorship with a populace kept in check by fear of reprisal from the secret police. Certain governments are more stable than others, and they each come with trade-offs. Socialists will be hard pressed to provide for their people early in the game because a robust economy is necessary to pay for social security, food programs, housing, education, and healthcare. Environmentalists will find their economies pinched, and their citizens will chafe at the loss of liberty from anti-litter ordinances. Libertarians can create their objectivist utopia, but may find that they have to rough up underpaid workers to prevent them from striking. This doesn't even begin to address the issues of military size/spending, religious satisfaction, entertainment, or the attitudes of hardline nationalists.
The Ultimate is a fighting game being created for arcades that will be brought to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Japan next summer. The Persona team at Atlus is co-developing it with the developers of BlazBlue at Arc System Works.
"We're developing the story and dialogue, as well as supervising the graphic and animation work the BlazBlue team is handling," explained Atlus boss Katsura Hashino. "As for the gameplay system, the thing which defines the overall quality of any 2D fighter, we're entrusting the BlazBlue team with that."
As is customary for each Call of Duty release, a more expensive version will be available at launch for Modern Warfare 3. At the very least a Hardened Edition is planned, and its contents may have been leaked today.
The photo above, purportedly showing an advertisement for a European version of MW3's Hardened Edition, was sent to Wired, revealing that buyers will get a free year-long subscription to Call of Duty Elite. Additionally, it includes a special version of the disc with art that's different from the regular version; a special founder status on Elite that grants an exclusive in-game emblem, playercard, and XP boost for clans, plus extra weapon camo and more; a SteelBook case; and a limited edition "field journal" that sounds like it recaps the Modern Warfare series. There is also one of two bonuses depending upon which platform you buy the game for: an animated timeline theme for PlayStation 3 or a special ops juggernaut costume for your Xbox Live Avatar.
The only thing that's been made official about the Hardened Edition, aside from the name, is what the box itself looks like. The picture below was tweeted by Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling last month.
Battlefield 3 falls on the more realistic end of the spectrum when it comes to depicting what it's like to be a in war. Of course, it's not going to be anywhere near an exact simulation of what that experience is like, and one thing that is physically possible in real life but won't be an option in BF3 is the ability to shoot innocent civilians.
Speaking with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, executive producer Patrick Bach said he thinks games are "on the verge" of being able to be political or make a point about the moral aspects of war, comparing it to "where movies were in the 30s or 40s."
At the same time, he's concerned about giving players the freedom to do absolutely anything, as he thinks "if you put the player in front of a choice where they can do good things or bad things, they will do bad things, go dark side -- because people think it's cool to be naughty, they won't be caught...
Onechanbara, the goofy Japanese game series that features scantily-clad ladies showing hordes of monsters what-for with their ample assets, is making a comeback. This week's issue of Famitsu brings the first word on Onechanbara Z Kagura, a brand-new game that so far appears to be exclusive to the Xbox 360.
Like the previous games, you have a choice of heroines in this Onechanbara: Kagura and Saya, both members of a vampiric race. They're traveling from Romania to Japan in order to put down a sudden zombie apocalypse -- as well as killing Aya and Saki, heroes of previous Onechanbara games and the alleged perpetrators of this undead horde.
Gameplay details are still scant, but if you're familiar with D3 Publisher's previous US titles in the series -- Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad and Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers -- you already know what's going on here. Expect lots of blood, zombie body parts, and cutscenes that attempt to tell a story involving warrior girls in midriffs without a whiff of irony.
Keisuke Kikuchi, producer and chief mind behind the Fatal Frame series of Japanese-style horror adventures, is back with a new project. Titled Shinrei Camera, the game -- a co-production involving both Nintendo and Kikuchi's studio at Tecmo -- will use the Nintendo 3DS's augmented-reality abilities to enhance the horror experience.
The 3DS title will come backed with an "AR notebook," a book which seems normal and harmless enough to the naked eye. Point your 3DS's camera at it in-game, though, and it'll reveal all sorts of things lurking in the pages -- hidden messages, clues to your past, even a hungry demon or two.
"I wasn't all that interested in AR to start with," Kikuchi told Famitsu magazine in this week's issue, "but as I explored the possibilities, I really started to get into it. I thought we could really do something with it if we combined our traditional strengths in horror and adventure with the AR technology. It was a big challenge, but we went through with it, and the result is this style of horror that does away with the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural."
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GamesCampus has announced that its WWII game, Tank Ace, will be officially commencing its open beta phase of development at 11:00 a.m. PST. A new update will be deployed that will includes new content along with a new achievement system, better graphics, a Power Bunker and more.
In his latest blog post, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy offers a few thoughts about the recent announcement that Guild Wars 2 players will be able to be members of multiple guilds. If that's not enough to create bodacious amounts of guild drama, nothing is! Read more in the MMORPG.com Staff Blog.
Voyage Century Online players have more to explore with the recent addition of the North Island and Bimini Island. As the name implies, North Island takes sailors to the frozen Arctic. Bimini Island is a tropical paradise.
The latest edition of the Final Fantasy XIV Producer's Letter has hit the official site. The letter contains the usual (and impressive) list of changes being implemented in the patch as well as the interesting news that both chocobo mounts and airships will be making their debut as "fast travel" options.
According to a new update on the Firefall web site, beta invites will start being sent out by the end of this week if all goes according to plan. According to Community Manager Matthew DeWald, the first wave of invites will be "small". As a point of clarification: Those signing up via the web site have the same opportunity to be chosen for the beta as those who signed up during the summer's conventions.
Heatwave Interactive has announced that a new free trial period for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising has been implemented. Players opting for a subscription after the free trial will not lose characters or progress.
Many MMOs "require" the Holy Trinity in order to complete end-game content. It's been a hot topic of discussion among players for a long time, most players calling for its banishment. In today's Devil's Advocate, MMORPG.com Community Manager Mike Bitton begs to differ and says that there's nothing wrong with the Holy Trinity and that those in opposition to it are all wet. Check it out and then leave your thoughts in the comments.
In today's Coyote's Howling, venerable Coyote takes on the notion that all MMOs today are WoW clones and that innovation is rather lacking. Check out Coyote's thoughts about reading quests, deadly zones and something called "corpse zones". Leave us a couple of comments after you're finished reading.
During PAX 2011, MMORPG.com's Carolyn Koh and Bill Murphy each had a chance for a hands on look at the just-revealed WildStar. Each has their own impressions to offer about Carbine's inaugural title. Read on and then let us know what you think.
During PAX 2011, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy had the opportunity for a hands on experience with Guild Wars 2 which later became the MMORPG.com Best in Show. Bill played the cute but deadly Asura Guardian and has a full report on his experience that you won't want to miss. Keep reading!
gPotato and MMORPG are teaming up to bring you the Convenience Pack & Mount Giveaway! This handy bundle will give you everything you need to help you earn a little independence in the world of Prius. Summon your own personal Auctioneer, or store and repair items on the fly - it's all in there!
Immortal King will begin its closed beta test from September 7, 2011. To offer players a free and awesome game experience, a limited number of beta keys will be given out from Sept 1- Sept 6, 2011. Get your key while you can!
During a question and answer session between investors and Perfect World Entertainment's CEO Michael Chi and CFO Kelvin Lau it was revealed that a free to play version of Star Trek Online will be launched before the end of 2011.
In the latest Monthly Development Update, the Age of Conan: Unchained team talks about the deployment of the Savage Coast of Turan, a new adventure pack coming in early 2012 and upcoming changes to the tradeskills system. It's a terrific look at what the team has been up to since the release of the free to play "Unchained" version of the game.
Cryptic Studios and the Champions Online team are asking players to get ready for a party royale as the second anniversary of the game nears. The party begins on Thursday, September 1st and runs thorough Monday, September 5th. The team has party favors, costume unlocks and other perks planned for players.
Gamigo has announced that PvP will see some major improvements and an expansion of the feature with Black Prophecy: Episode 2: Species War. Species War is scheduled to go live in early September and bring warzones into the game. Groups of players will battle one another for control of the opposing team's outpost.
In a new interview, EA's Frank Gibeau has said that the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic is "definitely tied to the beta test feedback that's ongoing and so far, so good." As the pool of players continues to expand, more feedback will be gathered and it's possible the release date could slip.
Gamania and the Lucent Heart dev team have announced that the Scaena expansion has been released. Among the many features included, players will be able to choreograph their own dances, participate in GvG action, explore new zones and complete a bunch of new quests.
EVE Online players who know the game inside and out may want to head over to the new and improved beta version of the EVE Online Wiki. Devs have implemented several structural changes as well as removed the moderation queue and more.
Uncharted Waters developers have announced that a new shipbuilding system has been deployed that will give players more options in customization and in the upgrading options for their ships. Players can choose the materials for the hull, sails and gunport to build their own unique ships.
Frogster and the Mythos team have announced that a new zone has been added to the game. Called the Fog Island of Horror, the area is filled with zombies and includes new dungeons and cliffs that players can fall off to their deaths.
