Perfect World Entertainment has launched the open beta testing phase of its new MMOFPS, Blacklight Retribution.
Open beta adds new features to the game, including three new maps, starting with the newly released Vortex. Players will also have access to pre-built Heroes already ready for battle, new data nodes that let players socket and craft equipment, and more.
To celebrate, players can participate in leveling contests, video contests, and earn raffle tickets for a chance at prizes and fame.
Perfect World Entertainment also publishes Rusty Hearts and Jade Dynasty.
Blacklight Retribution Open Beta Video:
Source:
More Action Awaits More Players in the Free FPS to Beat
(Foster City, CA) February 28, 2011 — Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), brings gamers one step closer to the future of war. With Blacklight Retribution’s Open Beta, competitive shooter fans can finally experience next-generation visuals, polish and gameplay in a tightly presented free-to-play package.
Play right now by visiting: http://www.PLAYBLACKLIGHT.com
The Blacklight Retribution Open Beta features all-new content:
• New Multiplayer Maps Three new maps will be released throughout the Open Beta period, beginning today with Vortex. Live and die fighting in a sprawling missile silo complex with cover heavy terrain and flooded walkways that create intense firefights around every corner.
• Playable Hero Characters Get a unique look and a defined role by utilizing carefully crafted Heroes pre-built for battle.
• Data Nodes Pump up abilities and go next level with new socketing and crafting systems.
For a quick look at the Blacklight Retribution Open Beta, check out the new Vortex trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/BlacklightGameVideos.
Perfect World Entertainment is also hosting numerous events to celebrate the Blacklight Retribution Open Beta launch, including leveling and video contests, as well as raffle giveaways where gamers can win a variety of cool prizes.
For more information about these events or to play Blacklight Retribution right now, please visit:
S2 Games is celebrating the release of its 100th hero in Heroes of Newerth on Friday, March 2.
The new hero is a telekinetic warrior named Kinesis.
In celebration, S2 Games is holding a daily drawing giveaway, giving away one thousand $10 prize packages of in-game currency each weekday, and one-thousand $50 prize packages this coming weekend. Becoming eligible only requires logging in and winning a game of matchmaking. A grand prize of 100,000 Gold Goblin Coins will be given away to a player who wins at least one match every day throughout the week. Promotional copies of Kinesis will also be given away through Facebook and Twitter.
After Kinesis’ release, a special S2 vs. Community event will be held, letting players go head to head in exhibition matches against the S2 Games staff. Every time the community wins a game, everyone who played a game that day has a chance to win an account symbol, silver coins, and a new Alternate Avatar. Double Silver Coin matchmaking and large sale prices on non-Early Access heroes will also be available for players to enjoy.
Ready to celebrate? Keep an eye on MMOHut for a chance to win a Kinesis redemption code!
Heroes of Newerth Artwork: Kinesis
Source:
Heroes of Newerth (HoN) Kicks Off 100th Hero Celebration
Player Appreciation Event and Giveaway Details Revealed
(Kalamazoo, MI) – February 28, 2012 – S2 Games, creators of award winning PC game franchises – Heroes of Newerth and Savage—announced today that after nearly two years and over 100 updates, its massively popular session-based, multiplayer, Action-RPG Heroes of Newerth (HoN) will usher in its 100th hero this Friday, March 2nd. The hero – a telekinetic warrior dubbed Kinesis, will be commemorated by S2 Games with a week-long $100,000 player appreciation event and celebration.
The event kicked off yesterday with the launch of a daily drawing giveaway for packages of in-game currency (Gold Goblin Coins) valued at over $100,000. One thousand $10 prize packages will be given out each weekday as well as another one thousand $50 prize packages over the course of the coming weekend. Once a player logs in and wins a game of matchmaking, he or she will be entered into that day's drawing. Winners will then be chosen randomly from that pool of eligible participants. The event will conclude with a grand prize giveaway of 100,000 Gold Goblin Coins for one lucky player who logs game-time and wins at least one match each and every day throughout the week.
S2 Games will also be giving away hundreds of promotional copies of their 100th hero through Heroes of Newerth's official social media outlets – Facebook and Twitter. Following the hero's release this Friday, March 2nd, the developer will host a very special S2 vs. The Community event, where North American and European players will have the opportunity to play head to head in exhibition matches with S2 Games staff, including the HoN Hero Design and Balance Team. Every time the community beats the developer at their own game, everyone who played a game that day (12:00am-11:59pm EST) is one step closer to winning an account symbol, silver coins, and a brand new Alternate Avatar.
In addition to Gold Coin giveaways and event prizing, players can also take advantage of double Silver Coin matchmaking and mega-sale prices on all non-Early Access heroes. Heroes of Newerth players new and old are invited to take part in this week's 100th hero celebration complete with giveaways, prizes, and so much more. Visit http://heroesofnewerth.com/100_hero.php for full event details and follow along all week via HoN's official social media channels by liking on Facebookat www.facebook.com/heroesofnewerth or following on Twitter @heroesofnewerth.
RuneScape has released a new game for players to test their luck on: the Squeal of Fortune.
The Squeal of Fortune is a game of luck, run by the goblin Yelp. Every day, players can spin to win a chance of prizes, varying from useful resources to legendary weapons. Some prizes fuond on the wheel are exclusive, and cannot be found anywhere else in the game. The Squeal of Fortune is available for one spin per day for free players, and two for members.
RuneScape is published by Jagex, which also publishes 8Realms and Stellar Dawn.
Squeal of Fortune
RuneScape Gameplay Screenshot
Source:
SQUEAL OF FORTUNE LAUNCHES IN RUNESCAPE WITH FREE PRIZES TO WIN FOR ALL
FEELING LUCKY? PLAY RUNESCAPE TO SPIN AND WIN FOR FREE EVERY DAY!
Tuesday 28TH February 2012, Cambridge, UK – Roll up! Roll up! RuneScape developers Jagex Games Studio proudly presents, the Squeal of Fortune. The new game of chance that is guaranteed to add even more excitement to the world's most popular and multi award winning, free-to-play massively multiplayer online game.
Launching today, the Squeal of Fortune is a traditional luck based game with plenty of RuneScape twists. With the assistance of Yelp, the inscrutable Goblin host, players old and new can spin to win every day. With each spin players have the chance to win one of a wide variety of prizes selected by Yelp at random. Prizes range from the most essential and valuable day-to-day resources and wealth to legendary and powerful weapons. So regardless of whether you are a new player or a seasoned veteran, every day brings the chance to win truly epic prizes to assist you on your RuneScape adventure. So if you are eager to win that tailor made Godsword that you have dreamed about, or to stock up on valuable resources or skills to help you complete your latest quest, be sure to log-in or create a free account today.
Commenting on the release, Mark Ogilvie, RuneScape's Lead Designer said: "The Squeal of Fortune adds some light-hearted gameplay for all players to enjoy each day they log-in. With such a diverse range of prizes on offer, including some rare and exclusive items which are only available on Squeal of Fortune, we know that this update will prove popular with our free players and members alike. Every spin is a winner, so what's there to lose? After all, what's not to like about squishing goblins?"
Squeal of Fortune is open to everyone. Free players will be able to play Squeal of Fortune once every day and RuneScape members will receive two spins, doubling their prize haul every day!
For more information and to try your luck on the Squeal of Fortune, head over to www.RuneScape.com today.
Netgame has announced the launch date for Rise of Dragonian Era (RODE): March 9, 2012.
As part of the release celebration, RODE is offering a Dragon Coin Giveaway, and players can join in for a chance to win an Alienware M17 Laptop, a Sony PS Vita, graphics cards, gift cards, and other prizes. Every half hour in game, players will be given a Dragon Coin. Once a player has seven, they can roll the Dragon’s Orb to test their luck for a chance at prizes.
Rise of Dragonian Era Prepares for Official Release
Free MMORPG Will Immerse Players in a Realm of Dragons, Conflict, and Adventure Starting March 9 LOS ANGELES – February 28, 2012 - Rise of Dragonian Era (RODE), a new fantasy F2P MMORPG from Mgame USA, has today set an official release date of March 9, 2012. The game, which has already amassed legions of fans during beta testing, thrusts players into the fantasy world of Piral, a once peaceful and prosperous land that has been overcome by a disastrous dragon war. To celebrate the announcement of RODE's release date, RODE is hosting a Dragon Coin Giveaway and releasing a new batch of screenshots, now available in the RODE press kit! Play RODE for the chance to win a FREE Alienware M17 Laptop, a SONY PS Vita, graphic cards and much more.
Join the great dragon lords Firean or Azurian as they rage war against Deablo and prevent his malefic plan to dominate the world. Choose from a number of races, classes, and specializations as you embark on a sword-slinging and spell-casting journey that will take players across vast lands and immerse them in a magical world of adventures. Featuring unique gameplay that allows players to not only ride dragons for aerial combat, but raise and evolve their own dragon mount as well, RODE provides dedicated gamers with an action packed and tense experience both on the ground and in the sky.
Stunning graphics, engaging story quests, a pet system centered on hatching your own dragon, extensive crafting and upgrading systems, engaging PvP systems and RvR wars, plus a forthcoming castle siege mode set RODE apart from other F2P online games.
RODE Features:
An all new world - Explore the world of Piral, ruled by two warring dragon nations both trying to stem the tide of destruction brought on by the evil dragon Deablo. Players will find themselves in scorching deserts, deadly swamps, lavishing castles, lush forests, and more!
Craft your own adventure - Choose between two nations, six races, four classes, and eight specializations as you build your character and set out for adventure.
Take the fight to the skies - RODE features mounted combat, whether it's riding a trusty steed or a soaring dragon.
Extensive PVP systems – Fight against the opposite nation as you encounter them on the field, participate in competitive weekly wars, and sneak into the enemy's territory to carry out dangerous missions. RODE offers many different and exhilarating ways for players to enjoy PVP!
A fully featured MMO experience… - With auction houses, guilds (known as Tribes), professions, upgrading, and more, RODE delivers all the features of an MMO in an all-new and expansive 3D world.
…without emptying your wallet - Enjoy this full MMO experience without having to pay a dime. There are no monthly payments and you're not required to pay any fee, but for those who prefer a little game enhancement, we give you the option to buy special items and create your own unique styles in our premium store!
A loyal dragon companion – No matter what challenges get in their way, players will always have their trusty pet dragon, which they hatch from a special dragon egg, to accompany them on their journey!
Secure your castle, protect your lands - Soon after launching, RODE will add a new Castle Siege mode in which players can take over castles and defend them from enemies.
Jump into the adventure on March 9 for your chance to win a range of great prizes during the Dragon Coin Giveaway. Dragon Coins will be handed out to players each half hour and once a player has amassed 7 coins they can roll the Dragon's Orb to see if it is their lucky day. Prizes include an Alienware M17 laptop, Sony PS Vita, graphics card, gift cards, and much more.
From its next-g 2012 conference, gamigo has released two new trailers for its upcoming games Otherland and Grimlands.
The first gameplay trailer for Otherland shows scenes cut entirely in-game. With a vast virtual world, action based combat, and a unique eDNA system, Otherland is gaining speed. Find out more in our exclusive interview.
Otherland: Official Gameplay Trailer
Grimlands’ new trailer also features scenes straight from the alpha version of the game. This shooter will feature a crafting system, guild towns, vehicles, and PvP content.
Aeria Games has announced the expansion of its alpha test for Lime Odyssey.
The alpha test has now been grown to support 10,000 players. New participants were selected from applicants from the game’s main page, where players can also sign up for closed beta.
Lime Odyssey is scheduled to launch later this year.
Aeria Games also publishes Eden Eternal and Grand Fantasia.
Aurora Forest
Lime Odyssey Gameplay Screenshot
Source:
Aeria Games Invites Fans to Further Explore
Lime Odyssey: The Chronicles of Orta
Highly Anticipated Free-to-Play 3D MMORPG Receives Expanded Alpha Play Session to Accommodate More Players
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Feb. 28, 2012 – Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today that more fans of Lime Odyssey: The Chronicles of Orta will be able to experience the game prior to its launch. Lime Odyssey, a highly-anticipated 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is currently in production and will be published in North America by Aeria Games in 2012.
Following the success of its initial Alpha session in November, Lime Odyssey will expand its user base to support over 10,000 Alpha players. The expansion will offer a significant number of new and returning players an early taste of the title's North American version. Alpha participants were selected from submissions on Aeria Games' Lime Odyssey product page: http://limeodyssey.aeriagames.com/. Players interested in future participation are encouraged to sign up now for a chance to join the upcoming Closed Beta.
Lime Odyssey delivers an engaging and immersive player experience. Its high-quality graphics provide a realistic open-world setting brimming with unique races and creatures. The game's dual-class system and three playable races, each with a unique, robust starting zone, offer players a truly customizable adventure as they scour the breathtaking continents of Orta for fragments of Lime – a sacred substance with the power to restore order to a troubled world.
Lime Odyssey: The Chronicles of Orta will be free to download and free to play. Interested players can learn more about Lime Odyssey and sign up to participate in its upcoming closed beta test at http://limeodyssey.aeriagames.com. Players who "Like" Aeria's Lime Odyssey Facebook page can stay informed of the latest news, updates, and contests as the game nears its official launch.
A new partnership between game company Kabam, Download.com, and SweetLabs, is making Kabam titles available as downloadable desktop apps.
Four titles – The Godfather: Five Families, Edgeworld, Thirst of Night, and Dragons of Atlantis – are now available through Download.com. These titles may be downloaded as Pokki desktop applications, complete with a new full-screen mode, to improve access to the game and reach a wider audience of gamers.
Godfather: Five Families Gameplay Screenshot
Source:
CNET and Kabam Bring Full-Screen Social Gaming to Download.com with Pokki Desktop Apps
Popular Download Site to Distribute "The Godfather: Five Families" and Three Other Kabam Games with One-Click Full-Screen Access Provided by Pokki
San Francisco, CA and San Diego, CA—February 28, 2012—Download.com, hardcore social gaming company Kabam, and SweetLabs, makers of Pokki, are teaming up to let Windows users download and play popular games like "The Godfather™: Five Families™" in full-screen glory on the desktop without a browser or social network. Pokki desktop apps, with newly released full-screen mode, are now available for download at www.download.com for four titles from Kabam: "The Godfather: Five Families," "Edgeworld™," "Thirst of Night™" and "Dragons of Atlantis™."
“We want to give our users access to the full spectrum of software available, and in doing so we want to work with developers who are on the cutting edge” said Sean Murphy, Vice President and General Manager, Download.com. “Kabam has taken a unique position in social gaming and their partnership with Pokki has bridged a gap between the social web interface to an app that lives on your desktop. This opens up Kabam to a whole new universe of users and players and lets us expose our community to very cool, immersive games and a progressive developer.”
The partnership between the three companies represents a number of firsts in the social gaming space. With the addition of the Kabam games to their site, Download.com is the first download portal to offer social games for download. Kabam is the first social game company to bring their titles to the desktop, combining deep, immersive gameplay found in massively multiplayer online strategy and RPG games with the connectivity and interaction benefits of social networks. Pokki enables this partnership by providing developers like Kabam a platform to easily create and distribute desktop apps, while helping consumers seamlessly discover and access their favorite apps.
"Kabam is excited to open a new chapter in social game distribution by introducing potentially millions of users to full-screen, desktop versions of our popular games on Download.com," said Chris Carvalho, COO of Kabam. "The partnership with Download.com and Pokki allows us not only to reach large numbers of new players but to enhance our games by enabling even higher retention and "stickiness" because of the Pokki app's unique qualities."
"We created Pokki to enable apps like Kabam's games to shine on the desktop, one click away from running in full-screen, bridging the gap between web and desktop," said Chester Ng, co-founder and CMO, SweetLabs. "Download.com represents a huge distribution channel that will let us reach millions of Windows users just waiting to breathe new life into their PC."
Visit www.download.com to check out the Kabam Pokki apps today.
Seven Souls Online is a 3D MMORPG published by Neowiz Games the same company publishing S4 League and Alliance of Valiant Arms. Seven Souls Online is actually known as “Martial Empires” in some places and is developed by the same company behind Martial Heroes, CR-Space. The games features only a handful of classes but there are 4 skill trees, so players have quite a bit of options on how to develop their character. Where the game really shines though is its stylized animations and interface. The combat itself is actually fun too, as it’s fast paced. To learn more about Seven Souls Online check out the official MMOHut Seven Souls Online page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.
SG Interactive has revealed their latest free character for Grand Chase, Rin, with a new trailer.
Rin is a reincarnated deity, who uses a Fan as her main weapon. She comes complete with new skills and a new playstyle for players of Grand Chase, and will arrive on March 5.
To celebrate, players can find Rin’s silhoutte in dungeons and PvP modes to gain a 10% experience boost, or purchase the “Karma Fusion Package” on sale until Rin makes her debut.
SG Interactive also publishes Trickster Online and Pangya.
Grand Chase: Rin-Sanity
Source:
Forget the Knicks' point guard and get ready for "Rin-sanity," with the trailer for Grand Chase: Chaos' newest character, Rin. As the latest roster addition to SG Interactive's popular action MMOPRG, Rin is the reincarnation of a deity who has sealed away the ancient evil enemies to protect the world. To celebrate her upcoming launch, SGI has some Rin-teresting events for Grand Chase: Chaos players, including:
· Increased experience: Players who collect Rin's silhouette emblem in dungeons and PvP modes will receive a 10 percent EXP boost
· Sale items: The "Karma Fusion Package" will be on sale for a week until March 5 when Rin makes her official debut
You are subscribed to email updates from MMO Hut To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.
Holocrons serve as storage devices for Jedi and Sith lore. These objects store not only information from their creators but also their essence. Every once in a while, I highlight a specific aspect of Star Wars lore and apply it directly to Star Wars: The Old Republic. I want to impart my knowledge of that part of the Star Wars universe as well as what I have learned from roleplaying in games like Star Wars Galaxies and other venues.
Since the first appearance of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, fans have been curious about the Sith with the horns on his head. Some fans also noticed the Jedi council member with horns on his head and wondered if he was related to the previously mentioned Sith. Both are, in fact, Zabraks, a humanoid species originating on the planet Iridonia.
A freighter full of lore has been written about this species, from a fan-fic language to canon medical analysis. There is no way I can dissect it all in this article, but let's talk about the specifics of how you can apply Zabrak lore to your Zabrak character.
Guild Wars 2 folks: What a week it's been, am I right? After the flood of impressions and videos after the select press embargo lifted, ArenaNet decided to whip fans into a veritable frenzy by accepting beta signups from Wednesday to Friday. Fan response was insane -- over 1,000,000 signups in under 50 hours. While a few cool kids on the internet have tried to scoff at that number, I really can't -- it's just staggering to me.
If you were on vacation, sick, or hiding under your pet rock between Wednesday and Friday, I'm sorry -- there was a lot going on. You might consider checking out ArenaNet's blog post to catch up, as there's now a link roundup for your convenience. It's like the team wants you to be able to find out stuff about this game it eventually wants you to buy. Next the devs will be making themselves available for question-pelting on Reddit in an effort to promote clear and rapid comm-- oh wait.
It's been a long run heading up work on spaceships and vampires, but after 19 years at the helm, North American CCP President Mike Tinney is saying goodbye. Tinney announced that he is departing the studio on February 29th to work at an unnamed company that will combine health and fitness with games.
Tinney has no regrets with his prior role, but is excited about the future: "CCP has gone through a fast-paced growth cycle. It's been a fun run and a lot of good experiences and memories. But I would like to move to a younger, earlier stage company, and plan to start one myself."
CCP's management expressed gratitude toward Tinney's service: "We are grateful for Mike's energetic and effective leadership and for all his valuable contributions to CCP. We will miss him. We wish him well with his next endeavors. And we're eager to see what he comes up with next."
Tinney's 19 years of service includes being CEO of White Wolf, which was snatched up by CCP in 2006. He will continue to assist CCP in an "advisory capacity" for several months to help the transition.
Turbine snubbed box collectors with its last two Lord of the Rings Online expansions, but the company hasn't abandoned retail altogether.
The new Mithril edition is exclusive to GameStop stores, and while it may not be as valuable as Frodo's life-saving waistcoat, it does provide $50 worth of content for a paltry $29.99. Exclusive bonus items include a Steed of the Horse-lords mount, Path of the Fellowship quests, and 2,000 Turbine points to spend in the game's cash shop. It's worth noting that the Mithril edition is basically a starter kit for the full game, as it does not include the Siege of Mirkwood expansion or the Rise of Isengard expansion. Further details are available at the official LotRO website.
Ready for World of Warplanes' third tech tree reveal (and a load of in-Soviet-Russia jokes)? It's here, and Soviet aircraft take center stage in today's update. Twenty classic warbirds have been added to the action combat game, including the La-5 fighter and the renowned Il-2 Sturmovik.
As with the American and German tech trees, Wargaming.net says it will add additional aircraft to the Soviet tree as the game nears launch. World of Warplanes is currently undergoing global alpha testing, and you can sign up to be a part of it at the game's official website. Before you go, though, have a look at the new Soviet tech tree and a new video clip after the cut as well as new screenshots in our WoWP gallery.
We find that player ingenuity is always quick to take up the slack left by MMO studios. In the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the initial lack of Oceanic and Asian servers prompted players in those regions to come up with a unique solution: to create a server of their own, using BioWare's own system to their advantage.
Many MMOs have unofficial servers for regions and rulesets, but pulling them together can take an incredible amount of work and still end up halfway done. However, Oceanic and Asian players wanted to make sure that they all rolled on the same server right on launch day, so guilds began to get in contact with each other and use BioWare's own guild registration system to link Republic and Empire groups together in an Oceanic "daisy chain." Because the system was designed to put as many allied and adversary guilds together on a server, the entire daisy chain was planted on a NA west coast server, Swiftsure. In one smart move, the Oceanic and Asian population had their own place to call home.
The story of Swiftsure as a temporary refugee camp for these players is coming to a close, as SWTOR is officially launching overseas on March 1st -- and the population will be offered a free transfer to the new servers. Still, it goes to show you just how inventive players can get.
All of that conspired to drive me back into the world of Tyria for the first time in six years, and after I patched the original Guild Wars client, I spent a few hours poking around the pre-Searing bits of the Prophecies campaign.
What about you, Massively crew? Assuming you're not in the Guild Wars 2 beta, are you getting ready by playing (or replaying) the original game?
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!
This week Diablo III's Bashiok caused a stir over a cheeky forum post asking a fan to lower his expectations of the upcoming title. He continues posting rampantly to the forum this week to defend recent game design decisions. Dota 2 delivered its first test build using its new deployment system, and Gaming With Gizmoh raised over $1,000 US for Child's Play with a 24-hour marathon of the beta. League of Legends took a look at its Filipino playerbase, while Heroes of Newerth was struck by a massive exploit that saw the European servers taken offline for days.
Web show Extra Credits teamed up with Red 5 Studios to offer its support for the studio's ambitious development plans for Firefall. The month-long Blacklight: Retribution open beta started today, with the introduction of three beta events with prizes and a new video tutorial for the Heavy Metal map. Rise of Immortals celebrated its first anniversary of unveiling the game to the public this week and offered a sneak peek of its creepy new Immortal Azcadelia. Finally, Torchlight II developer Patrick Blank talks about polishing content and delivers an update on where the team is in development.
Like previous columns about The 2800, this is an overview and will contain spoilers. If you have not yet played this mission or do not want to know about what happens, stop right here!
Episode three of Star Trek Online's featured episode series, The 2800, was released over the weekend, and developers at Cryptic Studios were able to give the players who enjoy flying small vessels their first new mission since The Vault in the Cloaked Intentions series.
So jump into your shuttle (or fighter or captain's yacht) and join me as we head toward the Gamma Quadrant.
We announced just last week that popular post-apocalyptic sandbox title Fallen Earth had been released on Steam. Well, opening that can of worms seems to have taken its toll on many of the game's more populated areas, causing performance issues and crashes for some players. Needless to say, GamersFirst is not about to let that fly.
In fact, GamersFirst's Napalm stopped by the game's official forums earlier today in order to notify players of some small tweaks that are being made to the game in order to solve these performance issues. For starters, Embry Crossroads and all starter towns are being moved onto "much, much beefier hardware," which "will have an immediate impact, and should decrease the amount of lag that players are seeing in those areas." Improvements are also being made to server memory management, and the studio is even upgrading to a "more capable branch of the xScape engine" that should hopefully allow the game to handle a higher number of players in any given area. For the full details on the improvements, just click on over to the official announcement below.
Vindictus has long given players a variety of ways to smash enemy creatures into the ground, and it's had plenty of players. But remarkably, the game has been missing ways to smash those players into the ground, an oversight that the game's new PvP patch is addressing through obvious means. Having just hit the live servers, the new patch allows for a variety of skirmishes between players as well as offers the obligatory rewards for settling disputes like violent, heavily armed men with poor impulse control.
The game offers two options for PvP. Capture the Relic is... well, replace "relic" with "flag" and you probably have a good idea. Monster Brawl, meanwhile, pits two teams against one another with each team fighting alongside a boss monster -- keep your monster alive while killing the other team's beast and you win. Players can also unlock powerful rewards in the form of buff items, a nice incentive for those not already motivated by the simple joy of smashing another player's face in.
You are my expansion, My favorite expansion, You'll make me happy With a house and more. You have to know, dear, How much I want you! Please hurry the expansion to my door!
Just when I thought I was getting a handle on waiting for Aion's sorta-soon-to-be-released 3.0 patch, NCsoft went and announced a slightly less nebulous launch date of "this spring." Our patch-to-be even has the auspicious privilege of having a name: Ascension. And you know a name means extra special! WOOO! I, of course, started a requisite wing-flapping celebratory dance, but my tune soon changed: As exciting as this news was, I quickly realized that the more concrete the knowledge, the more I wanted it to release already. GAH -- this wait is truly taxing my patience! There is just so much to look forward to.
Last week I regaled you with a stirring, soulful rendition of anticipation for 3.0. Together we explored just a few of the goodies in store for patient and -- luckily for me -- not-so-patient Daevas alike. This week the recital continues, and as promised, Wings Over Atreia takes another peek at more of the features coming our way and highlights some of the more tantalizing additions and changes, including new fortresses with their own unique siege system, XP changes, mounts, and more.
It's no secret that Sony Online Entertainment has been in more than a little hot water in the wake of the recently announced region locks that were to be put in place following the studio's deal with ProSiebenSat.1, but there may still be a silver lining on the horizon. SOE president John Smedley tweeted earlier today that the studio has "come up with a plan to allow ALL players to play on any servers they want." While details are still to come, this should be incredibly welcome news for players of SOE titles who weren't looking forward to playing without their international friends.
Smedley promises us that there are "more details to follow," so stay tuned and hopefully we'll have some idea of what's in the works before too long.
Fans of Tad Williams' cyberpunk series Otherland, rejoice. The MMO adaptation of the series, which is being published by gamigo AG, has received a brand-new trailer showcasing many of the varied worlds you can visit on Otherland's Net. The trailer takes players on a tour of many of the game's interesting environments, which range from a medieval fortress to a Blade-Runner-esque metropolis. Fans also get a small taste of the game's combat set to some appropriately cyberpunk, wubwubwub-filled dubstep.
To watch the trailer for yourself, just click on past the cut and log in to the Net. We'll see you on the other side.
The fast-approaching Mass Effect 3 hype bomb doesn't have much to do with MMOs, except maybe it does. Gamespot cornered BioWare doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka and asked the duo point-blank about a Mass Effect MMO, and the answer might surprise you.
"It's daunting, but the neat thing is it would lend itself to a different type of gameplay. It's fun to think about," Zeschuk told the website. Does that mean that the so-called fourth pillar of MMO story won't factor as heavily into the theoretical title as it does in Star Wars: The Old Republic?
It's anyone guess at this point, but Muzyka offers a further fanboy nugget that hints at the possibility of a new direction for BioWare MMOs. "When you deliver a game, and you deliver it for a player, you have to capture what they think is the possibility space," he explains. "You need to let them do everything they think they should do, and you can't block them from doing anything they think they should be able to do. You have to nail all the features and content that should be in that possibility space."
The world of Black Prophecy hasn't always been like it is today. In the past, the Second Species Wars raged between the cybernetically augmented Tyi and the genetically modified Genides who fought for control of an area known as the Nexus, where universes collide. In a press release today, gamigo AG announced that its new title, Nexus Conflict, will allow players to take a trip back in time to participate in these wars not behind the controls of a fighter ship but on the command bridge of a colossal battle cruiser.
Nexus Conflict is being billed as a "tactical real-time strategy game," and players will be able to run it right in their browsers thanks to the Unity engine. The title will offer both PvE and PvP missions, meaning that there will be something for the co-operative and competitive crowds alike. And of course, players will be able to customize their ships with a variety of upgrades in order to turn them into the biggest, baddest, planet-blowing-up-est starships in the Nexus.
If this sounds like your idea of a good time, then just head on over to the Nexus Conflict official site (linked below) to sign up for the game's beta test, which is scheduled to begin in March.
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 
