To Learn More About the Game Check out our Sword Girls Page.
Sword Girls is a 2D browser based anime inspired trading card game MMO published by ChangYou – the same publisher behind Dragon Oath, Zentia, and several other free to play titles. Like Pokemon TCG Online, Eredan iTCG, Urban Rivals, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Online – players in Sword Girls must build their own decks and battle against others online. One of the game’s most notable features is its top notch card art. The game’s art was designed by many world renowned anime and manga artists and is unique to Sword Girls. Players can battle against each other or do some “PvE” against AI opponents in the game’s “dungeon”. Those who enjoy TCG style games should be able to find something to like in Sword Girls. To learn more about Sword Girls check out the official MMOHut Sword Girls page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.
Luna Online has launched its latest update: Draconian Awakening.
The update introduces the new Draconian Temple Dungeon, located in the Ruins of Ancient Elpus. This new area offers new zones, quests, weapons, and armor. Weather makes its first fall in Luna Online, granting players boosted experience, item drops, and money drops, when snow, flowers, and leaves fall from the sky. The game’s Guild Tournament is now set to run more often, while players can also earn housing points by using the Slot Machine every ten minutes.
Luna Online is also hosting a holiday event, where players can find mysterious gifts off monsters, which contain costume parts; or defeat tree monsters to grow their own trees.
Luna Online is published by GPotato, which also publishes Flyff: Fly For Fun and Allods Online.
Luna Online Gameplay Screenshot
Ruins of Ancient Elpus
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Luna Plus: Draconian Awakening Now Live!
Luna Plus Launches a New Dungeon, New Systems, Holiday Events and More
Sunnyvale, Calif. – December 13th, 2011 Brave the chill of a snow fall or the anger of a phantom beast with Draconian Awakening, the latest update to the adorable MMORPG Luna Plus. A new dungeon, new zones, new weapons, new armor, and newly implemented systems await players today!
In the depths of the Draconian Temple Dungeon, located in the Ruins of Ancient Elpus, Drapia's restless spirit stirs with malcontent as he rises from his grave to reap revenge. He isn't the only enrage beast to appear in Luna however, as field monsters everywhere now have the chance to reincarnate as golden fiends, dropping valuable items when defeated. It is up to the most skilled players to tame these monsters before disaster strikes.
Plus! The skies will be filled with buffs with the newly implemented weather feature. Fluffy snow, beautiful flowers, petals, and an abundance of leaves will now rain down from the heavens upon each adventurer, awarding them with increases in experience, item drop rates, and money drop rates.
The rewards don't stop there though with the arrival of brand new systems and items! Guild Tournament will be running more often than ever before, awarding warriors with new and highly coveted armor and weapons. They'll also have their chance at winning big with the new Slot Machine Feature, giving lucky players precious housing points every 10 minutes.
To celebrate, Luna is running even more events and prizes during the holidays! Players can defeat tree monsters to grow their very own trees, the perfect decoration for anyone's home this season. Regular monsters will additionally be dropping mysterious gifts, possibly containing items like the Santa costume, or parts to the more popular reindeer costume, snowman costume, and even the sleigh mount!
Grand Chase is preparing to release a new character into its world: Rufus.
Rufus will arrive on December 20. Driven to become the greatest bounty hunter, Rufus now seeks to solve the mystery behind a blue flame he discovered on his return to the Underworld.
Players will earn a Crystal of Other Worldly Powers every day they log in until December 20, with additional Crystals rewarded for extra time logged in. These crystals can be combined in a set of ten to create a Rufus Mission Voucher. Players can also earn this voucher by clicking on a special alarm clock that appears on December 17 at 3pm Pacific (6pm Eastern). Obtaining these vouchers will also reward the player with the Rufus’ Justice Bounty Hunter Coordi set.
Grand Chase is published by SG Interactive, which also publishes Trickster Online and Project Blackout.
Grand Chase: Rufus Wilde Artwork
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SG Interactive Introduces Rufus – Vicious New Gun-for-hire in Grand Chase: Chaos
Rough Up Baddies for Bounty with the Latest Fighter to Join the Game
Irvine, Calif. – Dec. 14, 2011 – SG Interactive is unveiling a mysterious character in its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Grand Chase: Chaos. Rufus Wilde, a bounty hunter with a checkered past, brings a whole new style of combat for players to master: with the deadly firearm Eyetooth, Rufus excels at delivering close and mid-range attacks and stunning enemies with powerful, summoned weapons. Fans of Grand Chase: Chaos can preview Rufus now, before his debut on Tuesday, Dec. 20, and new users can sign up to check out the latest addition to the game, by registering for a free account at the game's official page.
After being abandoned and driven by his resentment towards his estranged father, Rufus Wilde set out to surpass his father's abilities and become one of the world's greatest bounty hunters. He spent many years as a lone wolf honing his skills and perfecting his deadly trade, and after the end of a lengthy pursuit in the Mundane World, Rufus prepared to return to the Underworld until he suddenly discovered an enigmatic blue flame. Now, players can help the gun-for-hire uncover the mystery behind the source of the blue flame.
To prepare for the new character, SG Interactive is hosting in-game events to unlock a special mission for Rufus. The events include:
Log In and Play: Until Dec. 20, players will receive a Crystal of Other Worldly Powers for each day they log in. By staying logged in, players will receive additional crystals. Any player who collects 10 crystals can combine them to create the Rufus Mission Voucher.
Just In Time: Players who are in-game on Dec. 17 will see a red alarm clock go off at precisely 3 p.m. PST / 6 p.m. EST. Any player who clicks on the alarm clock will receive the Rufus Mission Voucher.
Any player who receives the Rufus Mission Voucher from either event will also get the Rufus' Justice Bounty Hunter Coordi set, which includes the special Justice Bounty Hunter skin and Eyetooth weapon.
NCSoft has announced that in Europe, it is teaming up with free-to-play publisher Gameforge to offer Aion free to play.
The change is being done to encourage new players to join Aion Europe. Free players will be able to level up to 55, and will have full access to game content, with restrictions on chat and trade. Players can continue to purchase a gold subscription to unlock those features, plus add additional bonuses like experience and instance cooldowns.
NCsoft also publishes Lineage II and City of Heroes. Gameforge also publishes Metin 2 and 4Story.
Aion Gameplay Screenshot
Source:
New publisher for Aion – in association with Gameforge, MMO will be free to play from Spring 2012.
There’s good news: from February 2012, Aion will be switching to a free-to-play model – the monthly subscriptions will then be history!
For the switch-over, NCsoft has teamed up with the German publisher Gameforge. The Gameforge Aion-Team consists of 38 employees and they will soon be responsible for the running of the game across the whole of Europe. Together with NCsoft they will continuously further develop and create new content for Aion in order to offer you a unique gaming experience – and all for free.
Why are we switching to free-to-play? Switching to free-to-play opens the lands of Atreia up to new adventurers. As more Daevas take to the skies, the increase in population will make for a more diverse and expansive community for newcomers and existing fans to enjoy.
What will the change mean for you? What will happen to your existing account? All the answers to such questions can be found in our extensive FAQ. If there is something in particular that you are not sure about and that isn’t covered by the FAQ, then you are very welcome to send us your question via email to support@aionfreetoplay.com. We will get back to you with an answer as fast as we can.
As soon as there is more information on Aion and the switch to free-to-play, you will find it here. We will keep you up to date and we look forward to all and any feedback you have to give us!
Kind regards, The Gameforge Aion-Team
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Nexon Europe is preparing for the biggest Vindictus update of the year. The Cohlen in Flames content package brings fire and brimstone to the online action title in the form of Resenlian's Labyrinth, which Nexon describes as "a deeply intense myriad of twisted, dark corridors and skull-lined murderous dungeons."
New skills are coming too, foremost among them the transformation ability that features both a temporary boost in ability and a permanent (i.e., irreversible) decision to walk the path of the Paladin or that of the Dark Knight.
There's also a new town in the update, and Rocheste features many new characters and side quests as well as the chance to create personal weapons via the new expertise system. Finally, Nexon is raising the level cap to 70, and you can get a glimpse of the update in the Cohlen in Flames and Transformation videos after the break.
Is the frigid winter closing in, encasing your life in ice and gaming frustration? Or, for those of you who live in Florida, do you have to suffer the indignities of wearing a windbreaker when you go outdoors? Jagex is here to help by offering a sunshiny deal on a six-month subscription to RuneScape.
Until January 4th, 2012, RuneScape players can sign up for six months of membership for the price of four, which basically gives two free months of premium service. As if that wasn't enough, Jagex is also handing out spiffy reversible ice masks -- with angry and happy sides -- to those who snag this deal.
RuneScape's membership starts at $5.95 a month, and upgrades the free-to-play title with additional quests, landscape, minigames, player housing, and no advertisements.
Korean online gaming giant Nexon has raised $1.17 billion from its initial public stock offering. The filing stated that Nexon has 1.2 billion registered players, 77 million of which were active as recently as September 2011. CFO Owen Mahoney says the company's expertise made it an attractive proposition for new shareholders. "We can really bring a lot to the table. We know how to tune a game so that people will play it for months on end," he explained.
Nexon's IPO was the largest on the Tokyo Stock Exchange this year, and as a result the company is now valued somewhere between $7.69 billion and $8.97 billion according to GamesIndustry.biz.
Even so, Nexon's stock price slipped by 3.9 percent on its first day of trading.
On the second day of giveaways, BioWare gave to me... two warring factions! On the first day of giveaways, Turbine gave to me... a lifetime VIP!
Welcome to day two! BioWare is joining the lineup today with... well, double-bladed sabers and dancing Twi'leks. It may not invoke the hilarity of the holiday machinima, but the Star Wars: The Old Republic crew is going to make one Massively reader very happy with a digital copy of SWTOR! Our winner will receive a retail code for the standard digital edition of the game, so if you're ready to jump into SWTOR for free, read on to see how to enter!
Check out our contest rules below to make sure you're eligible, then leave a comment here telling us about your first TOR character. What kind of character will you make right away on launch day? The entry deadline is tomorrow, December 15th, at 10:00 a.m. EST. We'll choose and contact a winner as soon as the deadline arrives. Best of luck!
Is the world of Albion coming to an MMO near you? That's up for speculation thanks to a job advertisement on Microsoft'scareer board. The software giant, which owns Fable developer Lionhead Studios, is seeking a programmer "who enjoys playing MMO games and has significant experience with the workings of a massive online multiplayer environment."
Further requirements include "a minimum of one shipped MMO as a network programmer."
Lionhead shipped Fable III in October of 2010, and the company is rumored to be developing a "controller-based" Fable IV in 2013, according to Eurogamer.
When contacted by Eurogamer, Lionhead had this to say in an official statement: "Thanks for checking in with us! We're happy to tell you all about what we're working on. Just apply, get hired, and we promise to spill our guts!"
If you're part of the crowd that grouses at unoriginality in the MMO genre and are craving a fresh breath of minty innovation, then you might have been intrigued at the ideas put forth by Namaste Entertainment'sStorybricks toolset earlier this year. But when would this become reality? Turns out the answer is sooner than you'd think.
Namaste announced that Storybricks' beta is scheduled for February next year, and if you want to check it out, all you need to do is sign up for the newsletter and you'll be on the list. The beta will be a "skeletal version" of the toolkit without the associated game, but it should allow players to fiddle around with creating their own MMO scenarios and worlds. During the beta process, the devs will be actively creating Storybricks content and releasing it for testing as well.
To cement the good news, Lead Designer Stephane Bura and MMO Architect Brian "Psychochild" Green have put forth their first developer diary talking about the lead-up to beta and what is planned for early next year. Feast your eyeballs and eardrums on the excitement after the jump!
Broken embargoes and leaked videos aside, longtime fans of Guild Wars 2 are expressing a complete lack of surprise at today's Mesmer reveal. ArenaNet finally unveiled the long-awaited eighth class this morning: the iconic Mesmer, the class that's been nearly synonymous with the Guild Wars name since 2005.
OK, maybe that's a little on the dramatic side, but after fans waited through seven other classes, two books, and quite literally years of development news, it's Kind of a Big Deal. Now it's finally here, so what's it like? Let's take a closer look at the Guild Wars 2 Mesmer class.
Square-Enix has sounded the klaxons and let out the guard dogs in response to an "unauthorized access" on one of its Square Enix Members servers. The web service was taken offline in North America and Japan while the company investigates the situation and determines how serious the problem is.
Fortunately, it doesn't appear as if credit card information is at stake, although some users' personal information may be:
We are assessing the full extent of this potential breach to determine what data, if any, was compromised and will provide more details as soon as possible. While some personal information may have been accessed, we can confirm that there is no possibility of any credit card information leak from this incident, since the server in question stores no credit card information. We estimate that the suspension will continue for a few days until we complete our investigation and counter-measures. We will update you as we learn more.
Square Enix Members is a loyalty program that dishes out rewards in exchange for players who register Square-Enix games with the service. The website does store users' names, addresses, usernames, and passwords.
People who know me know I'm a planner when it comes to video games. I'm always planning what type of character I'm going to roll, how I'm going to level, what my goals will be, and so on. It's fun to plan, which sometimes carries with it the benefit of removing stress from making impromptu decisions that can affect your long-term gaming career.
That said, I've certainly not been immune to making last-minute changes. Maybe I'm totally dedicated to rolling a certain class, but once that character creation screen is up there, I trust my gut and go with something different. Or I'll spend months saying that I have absolutely no urge to play an upcoming MMO, but at the 11th hour I break down and buy it.
Has this ever happened to you with MMOs? Have you ever had a last-minute change of heart when it came to a major (or even minor) decision? How did it turn out?
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
"In the last few months the lands in Atreia have become more and more deserted. We want to reinvigorate the world of Aion and attract new adventurers to the towns to take to the skies as Daevas."
So says the Aion team in a surprising announcement overnight. NCsoft has teamed up with Gameforge to bring free-to-play Aion to the European servers (yet). The change is scheduled to take place in February of 2012, and will not affect the NA servers. The new Aion free-to-play site is set up to answer all of players' immediate questions and concerns, featuring an extensive FAQ and an outline of the three account types that will be available.
Check out the free-to-play trailer beclow, and you can find all of the details on the new Aion F2P site.
Star Trek Online'sStephen D'Angelo is one of the game's biggest cheerleaders, and it shows in his latest developer diary. "December has been an amazing month," he begins, citing the release of Season 5, new starships, and the Duty Officer system.
He highlights the game's first holiday, Q's Winter Wonderland, and the minigames and activities in which the players can participate to get the most out of this whimsical event. Of course, it's not all fun and games when serious prizes, like a holographic bridge officer or a Jem'Hadar Attack Ship, are on the line.
D'Angelo also says that a Duty Officer mini-event is on the docket for the month, as will "one more fun surprise." He concludes his letter by sharing the news that the team is now focusing on February's Dominion Episodes and ground skills/UI improvements.
Amidst the news of server merges, Warhammer Online fans could probably use something to celebrate, something to lift the spirits a bit. So it's fortunate that the annual Keg End celebration is just around the corner, giving everyone a chance to get drunk and rowdy even by the already aggressive status of the world's inhabitants. Running from December 14th until January 4th, Keg End is a chance to celebrate in style in the Dwarven tradition.
The rewards for the event haven't changed much this year, with the usual assortment of Party Kegs, Keg Taps, and Battlebrew Backpacks. There are giants roaming the field looking for their own ale and a handful of sporting battles, and there are plenty of special drinks to be sampled just for the event. So get yourself ready to log in tomorrow and take a nice roll through fields filled with blood, beer, and battle. Especially beer.
All in-game holiday festivals were not born equal, but they do seem to share a family resemblance when it comes to being merry and bright. RIFT'sFae Yule is but one of many, many Christmastime MMO holidays that we're witnessing this month, but the team at Trion Worlds is looking to make it stand out from the rest of the crowd with its depth and sense of fun.
So why do the inhabitants of Telara celebrate Fae Yule and take time out of their busy schedule of slaughter and soul-absorbing to decorate the town and scarf down bucketfuls of eggnog? What do they sing about when gathered around a crackling fire? What kind of present is appropriate for the fellow who already has the gift of immortality?
It's time to sit on Trion's lap and ask for your greatest wish in game while jolly St. Hartsman tells you all about the lore and in-game goodies behind RIFT's festivities. Ho-ho-hit that jump and let's get started!
A colony founded through a magical nexus, Meridian 59 had it all going on -- until, that is, the portal to the colony collapsed and it was left to fend for itself. Monsters swarmed over the land, politics split the community into factions, and adventurers were called to rise up and become the heroes that were desperately needed. And all it took was $10.95 a month and an internet connection.
Welcome to 1996 and one of the very first -- if not the first (more on that later) -- graphical MMOs to hit the scene. Meridian 59 may not have been one of the biggest games in the genre, but it was arguably one of the most important, the John Adams to World of Warcraft's Abraham Lincoln. If you were wondering, Darkfall was Chester A. Arthur.
It seems fitting to end 2011 by touching upon this significant title that, against all odds, continues to operate today. Meridian 59 weathered studio shutdowns, newbie developers in every sense of the word, and a world that wasn't quite sure what to make of these fancy-schmancy massively interactive roleplaying games. MIRGs! Oh, that would've been such a better acronym, but I digress. Let's set the wayback machine to 1978 to see how one amateur game led to another that led to the birth of an industry.
You may think that now that Star Wars: The Old Republic's early start underway and moving nicely, the developers over at BioWare are sitting back and enjoying a celebratory glass of champagne (or bottle of whiskey). You would be wrong, however, because a new post on the official site shows that BioWare is already looking toward the future. But what can players expect from the future of The Old Republic?
Guild functionality is high on the priority list, and players can expect everything from guild banks to guild capital ships in the future. UI customization is also "a very big priority" to BioWare. The studio also has "an entire team dedicated to adding content and features to [PvP]." The space system, the legacy system, and the galaxy as a whole are also on board for future updates. For the full details, just head on over to the official SWTOR site.
[Update: The team has also just posted an address to those who are not yet part of the early access pre-launch. We've included the contents of the message behind the break. Thanks to Onyx for the tip!]
A long time ago, in a game industry far, far away, there was an MMORPG called Star Wars Galaxies. It made a lot of people happy (and sad), hung around for eight plus years, and is now being forced into an early retirement by the next big thing.
Before it rides off into the twin sunset, SWG is holding a series of farewell events. According to the patch notes for today's update, the Galactic Civil War score will be frozen on Wednesday, December 14th at midnight EST, at which time Jabba's event kicks off near the Sarlacc Pit in the deeps of the Tatooine desert
Three more events will begin at server restart on Thursday, December 15th, sometime around 7:00 a.m. EST: one near the Research Outpost on Endor, one in the Nub Shanda zone of Coronet, Corellia, and one in the city of Theed on the planet Naboo.
Massively's Karen Bryan and the rest of the SWG-fans among the Massively staff will be livestreaming the final countdown on the Starsider server on Thursday, starting at 11 p.m. EST. Join us as we reminisce about and salute this groundbreaking sandbox.
If you pre-ordered the game early enough, then you should be in Star Wars: The Old Republic's early access by the time you are reading this. I hope you're having a good time. Look me up on the Lord Adraas server. My name there is Shaddoe. Don't be scared -- I may roleplay my character.
Even if you didn't pre-order in time, you'll want your SWTOR fix, and I have the solution for you right here: the Hyperspace Beacon. Each week for the last year and a half, I have written a guide to the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic, covering everything from lore and game mechanics to speculation and community. Ultimately, I hope to better prepare you for the launch of this highly anticipated MMO. However, 67 articles can be tough to sift through, so I've narrowed down the list to the best of the best.
Prepare for a shock, City of Heroes players. One of the game's most symbolic characters, Statesman, is going to die. In true comic-book fashion, Paragon Studios has announced the impending death of the leader of the Freedom Phalanx. But players will, of course, have their parts to play as well. They will be tasked with "unraveling the scheme that leads to the demise of our intrepid hero."
And players will be able to do just that when Signature Story Arc #5 goes live in January. The update will be available free next month to VIP players. Premium players can purchase it from the cash shop if they please. So brace yourselves, City of Heroes players, for the fall of an icon. Villains are free to celebrate now if they wish.
[Source: NCSoft and Paragon Studios press release]
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.
You're no doubt aware of a certain sci-fi MMORPG that's launching this week. As is the case each time a new major title releases, I'm curious to see how (or if) the developers will deal with the inevitable real-money trade.
BioWare has been fairly quiet about gold-farming and the steps it may take to combat it, which isn't too surprising given the unglamorous and often controversial subject matter. Few game devs mention their anti-RMT plans prior to launch, but plenty of dev teams complain about RMT after their game has been released. And yet, the usual solutions to black market currency trading are continuously ineffective at stopping it.
Massively Speaking Episode 178 returns this week with hosts Justin and Rubi discussing the week's MMO news, including Warhammer Online's continued server merges, World of Tanks and their shiny new Guinness World Record, Final Fantasy XIV finally charging for their game, EverQuest II's expansion launch, and some things about a Star Wars game that's supposed to launch sometime soon, I forget when.
Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page:
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's 
