EMPIRE OF SPORTS: MMO Prologue Unveiled
Empire Of Sports Opens Its Doors To Sports Fans Across The Globe
Empire of Sports is excited to announce that the first sports based MMO RPG is entering the next phase of its development: ‘Prologue’. Empire of Sports is an online universe entirely dedicated to sports-based game play, including tennis, football, skiing, bobsleigh, basketball as well as track and field.
Having kept the game playing community to a minimum during the initial private launch phase to generate feedback from the community, Empire of Sports is now ready to welcome a wider audience and thus continue to improve through to its official launch next year.
Thanks to the continued support and feedback of the Empire of Sports community, the developers have successfully evolved and improved gameplay mechanics, community tools, and group dynamics over the last few months. The business model has also been streamlined.
True to life, players must train their avatars in order to grow their skill sets and become the best in this world of sport. Players can also purchase in-game items which will facilitate strength and stamina and improve all-round performance.
The developers are keen to make further improvements in order to perfect the world’s first platform-dedicated sports MMO. The Prologue will mean gamers can now download Empire of Sports online free of charge and join over 150 nationalities already playing online and communicate their in-game experiences to help fine tune the gameplay and the business model during the final stages of development.
Exciting dungeons for everyone’s taste
Runes of Magic offers plenty of PvE challenges
From the starting areas to the high-level regions, Runes of Magic comes with Dungeons and Instances aplenty. Enthralling challenges await PvE and team-players in the dark cavern-systems. With open dungeons, instanced dungeons, randomly generated tile-based dungeons and raid dungeons, Frogster’s fantasy online-roleplay-game offers various types of the abundantly furnished, but hard to master caves.
In Runes of Magic, highlevel players can try their luck in huge persistent but also instanced raid-dungeons that can only be accomplished with groups of up to 36 participants. One exponent of this elite class of dungeons is the huge “Ystra Labyrinth”. It enriches the game world since the start of the open earlier this week. The massive dungeon covers nearly the entire area of the correspondent Ystra Highlands. Multiple hidden entrances lead from the highland into the labyrinth. The cave-system is divided into three instanced levels, each of which has an independent setting, a challenging final boss monster and precious loot to match.
Due to the seamless architecture of Runes of Magic, various open dungeons can be accessed from the regular game world without a loading screen. Groups confident in their tactics may even dare to enter partly instanced areas in which special boss monsters lurk. Other completely instanced dungeons open an individual playing field upon entering. To provide more variety, developer Runewaker is currently working on integrating randomly generated – so-called tile-based – dungeons into Runes of Magic. These fully-instanced cave-systems appear with a new configuration and mob placement each time they are entered. Also the loot in tile-based dungeons can vary, so even repeated visits are worthwhile.
Besides the 16 already implemented dungeons, publisher Frogster and developer Runewaker are planning and developing even more dungeons, some of which are already being finalized on the test servers. Regular free content updates ensure that there will always be new challenges waiting for the players.
Runes of Magic started into the open beta last Monday. All interested players can now download the installation files for free after a short registration on www.runesofmagic.com.
Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free-to-play MMO games. Right from the launch Runes of Magic will convey its absorbing story through more than 1.000 quests embedded in an atmospheric world. Players can choose between six main classes. Combined with a secondary class they dispose of 36 individual combinations of character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts. A particularly attractive feature for guilds and players is the possibility to arrange their own virtual homes with individual furnishing. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, thrilling PVP as well as demanding dungeons and boss-monsters, no wishes remain unsatisfied. The Taiwanese developer Runewaker has developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards within a time frame of three years. The studio will provide new challenges for players every three to four months with free add-ons and updates. MMO fans can find more information, pictures and videos on the official website www.runesofmagic.com.
Runes of Magic features
- Free2play: no monthly fees, free download
- Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
- Versatile spell- and attack-combinations
- Enthralling background story
- More than 1.000 quests and quest series on launch
- No zone boundaries thanks to seamless architecture
- Dungeons: Instanced and tile based as well as persistent
- Individually developable skills and spells
- Armor sets with special bonuses
- Dynamic item system with hundreds of runes for upgrading
- Optional PvP system with arena battles and guild wars
- Ranking system with player-ranking lists
- Multitude of unique mounts
- Epic crafting system with the chance to improve existing items
- Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
- Reputation system
- Customisable user interface with the option to use Add-Ons
- Map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
- Ingame auction houses for trading items
- Teleport-Runes for instant travel
- Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
- Regular updates with new content
- Cross-server fights in three-server-battle in development
- Guild houses in special zones in development
AWOMO, The Revolutionary New Games Download Service, Launches Its Public Beta
GDI successfully concludes private testing phase and launches AWOMOTM publicly for the first time with a series of AAA games to play for free
GDI Game Domain International plc (GDI) launched the Public Beta of its digital distribution platform, AWOMO™, capable of delivering even the largest ‘AAA’ PC games directly from a web browser in minutes rather than hours compared with conventional download services.
AWOMO’s revolutionary, proprietary technology enables consumers to start playing the game while it is downloading without interruption to the game play. During the course of the Public Beta, visitors to www.awomo.com will be invited to test the technology by playing a series of games – completely free of charge, courtesy of the publishing community.
“Having privately tested within a small community of gamers, it is now time for us to stress test our new technology on a wider scale,” explained Roger Walkden, Chief Executive Officer of GDI. “We have seen speeds that are up to 20x faster than conventional download services, and we’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of our system with gamers, so they can share their experiences with us and give feedback.”
“Digital Distribution is heralded as the future of video games retailing,” continued Walkden, “but this will only happen if the download experience is improved for the end user. AWOMO’s ‘one click from a browser’ simplicity and super-fast speed provides a glimpse into a bright new future for gamers wanting instant gratification and publishers looking for new distribution options. With faster speeds come new revenue models for the games industry and we are looking forward to introducing these as part of the Beta at a later date.”
Apart from clear leadership in terms of speed, the final AWOMO platform will offer consumers many other benefits, including:
- Multiple payment options providing gamers with flexibility and value, including the new ‘Rent to Own’ model – consumers trial games at low risk with access at an hourly rate before ultimately owning them outright
- Free ‘Demo Time’ continuously topped up for actively purchasing customers
- No install limitations – play on any computer provided gamers are connected to the Internet and logged into their AWOMO account
- Community functionality of increasing sophistication as the platform develops, including matchmaking, leagues and tournaments
- A wide variety of games, both back catalogue and new.
Further information for both consumers and editors is available from www.awomo.com.
Shot Online Hosts Holiday Charity Event with all Proceeds going to the SOS Children’s Village Organization
San Jose-based online game publisher, GamesCampus (www.GamesCampus.com, run by OnNet USA), announced today that it is hosting a special in-game holiday charity event through its game Shot Online. In the true spirit of the holidays, GamesCampus will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of two custom in-game Shot Online golf items to children in need through the SOS Children’s Village organization.
SOS Children’s Village is an international non-government, social development organization that has been active in the field of children’s rights and committed to children’s needs and concerns since 1949. In 132 countries and territories worldwide, their activities focus on children without parental care and children of families in difficult circumstances.
“During this rough economy we are glad that Shot Online’s donations will be able to help children in need,” said David Chang, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for GamesCampus.com. “We invite our players to come and join in this season of giving, while also enjoying some special offers and gifts from GamesCampus as a way of wishing everyone a peaceful and happy holiday season.”
From December 22 through December 28, 2008, players will be able to make donations to the SOS Children’s Village by purchasing SOS Children’s Village golf balls and Children Love t-shirts for $1.00 each from the game’s item mall. Both the t-shirts and golf balls are specially marked with the SOS Children’s Village logo and in-game characters can actually wear the t-shirts and play Shot Online with the special golf balls. All of the proceeds from the charity event will be donated to the SOS Children’s Village by Gamescampus.com.
Players who purchase both the SOS Children’s Village game balls and Children Love t-shirts will also qualify for a special drawing for additional prizes. One lucky winner will receive exclusive adaptable clothing set including shirt, pants and a hat. One hundred additional winners will also receive three lucky mystery prize boxes.
In addition to the Shot Online charity event, GamesCampus is hosting several other holiday promotions for players of Shot Online and its MMORPG, Asda Story.
First time Buyers Promotion
Players who have not previously purchased items from the GamesCampus Item Mall will qualify for this unusual promotion. GamesCampus is offering special prizes for players of Shot Online and Asda Story who buy an item for the first time at the Item Mall. All first time Shot Online buyers will receive an Amateur Pack with a value of $48.00. The Amateur Pack includes a full set of clubs, power-ups and balls (http://shotonline.GamesCampus.com/board/view.asp?bid=ev&num=680). All first-time Asda Story buyers will receive a one hour EXP potion. In addition to these prizes; players can also receive valuable in-game items through the GamesCampus Holiday Raffle.
Asda Story Offers and Events
Asda Story players can purchase rare items including a special Christmas sled and costumes. In addition, Asda Story will host spirited Holiday events including the Double Drop Rate, XP event and Christmas Crafting event where players can receive special gifts. For more information, please visit www.asdastory.gamescampus.com.
2009 Game Developers Choice Awards Now Open for Nominations
Ninth Annual Awards Ceremony to Take Place at The Game Developers Conference(R) March 25, 2009
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2009 Game Developers Choice Awards, the most prestigious honors in videogame development. The ten awards will be given out at a ceremony produced by the Game Developers Conference(R) (GDC) and presented by Gamasutra.com and Game Developer Magazine on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at GDC. The celebration, held in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival (IGF), will be hosted in the Esplanade Room in the South Hall of San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. The nomination ballot and further details about the Choice Awards are now available online at http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/.
“Over the last eight years, the Game Developers Choice Awards have recognized excellence in videogame development with a peer-based voting methodology. The awards are for developers, by developers,” said Meggan Scavio, event director of the Game Developers Conference. “We’re honored to be keeping the tradition alive by hosting the awards at GDC where all the creative talent will be celebrated for yet another innovative year of games.”
The Game Developers Choice Awards recognizes excellence in the art of game creation in any genre or platform. The 2009 award categories open for nominations are:
- Best Audio
- Best Debut Game
- Best Downloadable Game
- Best Handheld Game
- Best Game Design
- Best Technology
- Best Visual Arts
- Best Writing
- Innovation Award
- Game of the Year
To submit a nomination ballot for the Game Developers Choice Awards, visit http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/.
For further information and to register for GDC, please visit http://www.gdconf.com/.
SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT Holiday plans
Online titles welcome players to a virtual winter wonderland surrounded by new adventures, gifts, mounts and holiday festivities.
WHAT:
Sony Online Entertainment LLC decks the virtual halls again this holiday season with in-game activities and festive themed events in many of its online video games. This December, EverQuest® and EverQuest® II players will enjoy the annual Frostfell celebration, including a special event in the Legends of Norrath™ virtual trading card game. Not to be outshone by its Norrathian counterpart, Vanguard Saga of Heroes™ is celebrating the holiday season in the online world of Telon, and in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars Galaxies™ players will enjoy the spectacular experience of Wookiee Life Day.
In-game events are as follows:
EverQuest® II: Frostfell, the celebration of kinship and giving, has once again arrived in Norrath spanning from Dec. 11, 2008, to Jan. 5, 2009. Players are invited to enjoy the Frostfell Wonderland Village through the Magic Closets in Qeynos Harbor, West Freeport, Haven, Kelethin, Neriak and Gorowyn. Players can also gather presents to craft wondrous new Frostfell goodies to add to their collections. The festivities also include a daily present from everyone’s favorite Frostfell Gigglegibber, Santa Glug!
For detailed information, please visit www.eq2players.com.
EverQuest®: In the Plane of Knowledge, the impending Frostfell celebrations have been ruined by a spate of thievery, and it is up to the players to save the celebration. Many families have been awakened by ruffians and monsters breaking into their homes and carrying off with presents intended for the children of the Realm. Although the celebrants of Frostfell have certainly put up with greater adversity than this, the denial of even a small measure of lightness and joy to these weary Norrathians is too much to bear. Players are needed to help track down the monsters who committed these crimes and return the missing presents.
Not only must the stolen gifts be retrieved, but also it’s clear that the thievery is part of a larger conspiracy to destroy the institution of Frostfell, a joyous and uplifting occasion. An ice goblin named Freezkorr, whose evil Frostclaw clan has captured Santug Claugg and his Gigglegibber assistants, must be defeated, or Norrathians everywhere may have seen their last Frostfell celebration!
For detailed information, please visit www.eqplayers.com.
Star Wars Galaxies™: Wookiee Life Day returns this year with new events, items and activities that are sure to lift your holiday spirits to galactic proportions! Wookiee Life Day festivities began Dec. 16, 2008, and conclude on Jan. 13, 2009, in the cities of Dearic, Doaba Goerfel and Wayfar and will include new quests, pets and items inspired directly by the Star Wars®Holiday Special, such as a new wroshyr tree house decoration and a painting of Chewbacca’s family. New quests include a search for missing candy from TK-555, the fat stormtrooper from Empire Day, who will reward you with a brand-new speeder that is making its first appearance in SWG.
For detailed information, please visit http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com.
Legends of Norrath™: From Dec. 15, 2008, to Jan. 9, 2009, all Legends of Norrath players will have a chance to experience a new and exciting event called Saving Frostfell, with prizes and goodies for everyone who completes the scenario.
For detailed information, please visit http://www.legendsofnorrath.com.
Star Wars Galaxies™ Trading Card Game: Celebrate Wookie Life Day in the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game! From Dec. 24, 2008, to Jan. 4 2009, all Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game players will have access to a new scenario, with special reward cards for the winners.
For detailed information, please visit http://www.starwarsgalaxies.com/tradingcardgame.
Vanguard Saga of Heroes™: The Festival of Gloriann returns to the world of Telon this holiday season! Once a year during the wintery months, towering trees adorned with lights can be seen glittering within the cities of Telon. Players can take a tour over the rooftops of Telon while riding on Randolph, the flying reindeer mount.
For detailed information, please visit www.vgplayers.com.
The Matrix Online: It is time for the fourth-annual Winter Holiday Celebration in The Matrix Online! During this period, snow will be falling in the Mega City and Snowman, and Holiday Helper Vendors will be around to help you get into the holiday spirit.
This Winter Holiday, operatives can enjoy the gift of sharp new clothing items: “Formal Shoes” and “Winter Coats” for men, and “Formal Skirts” and “Winter Shirts” for women, all available in black and white versions. Those operatives skilled at defeating the giant Snow Simulacra may find an additional holiday-themed clothing item.
For detailed information, please visit http://thematrixonline.station.sony.com/players/.
WHEN/WHERE: Winter Holiday-themed events are scheduled to take place in the virtual worlds of your favorite SOE games. Exact dates vary by title. Please log on to www.station.com for more information.
Joymax Celebrates the Holiday Season in Silkroad Online with the Legend III Plus Update
New Features Include the Bandit Fortress, Devil’s Spirits, Jewel Boxes, and More
Joymax, an independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for the global market, today announced the launch of Legend III Plus, a new update for historical fantasy MMORPG Silkroad Online.
To celebrate the holidays, the update is launching with a limited-time Jewel Box Event. During the celebration, monsters will randomly drop Jewel Boxes that can be traded in for special reward items, including the new B-grade Devil’s Spirits. When equipped, Devil’s Spirits give players the ability to transform into a demon, temporarily increasing HP, MP, damage, and movement speed. While B-grade Devil’s Spirits provide a 5 percent boost, higher-grade Spirits, purchasable in the Item Mall, can boost abilities by up to 25 percent.
The Legend III Plus update also adds a brand-new area to conquer. Just south of Jangan lies the Bandit Fortress. This area is occupied in the same fashion as the Jangan Fortress and it features both a Specialty Shop and Ferry landing that fall under the control of those who occupy the stronghold. There is sure to be a lot of competition with this latest update, so make careful preparations if you have any hopes of becoming the next ruler of the Bandit Fortress!
To find out more about Legend III Plus, visit http://www.joymax.com/silkroad/.
Silkroad Online
Silkroad Online is a massively multiplayer online RPG that puts the player deep into historical fantasy, joining the Chinese and European civilizations along the Silk Road trade route. Traveling across Jangan, from China to Constantinople, players can make their fortunes as merchants, prey on the rich as thieves, or be protection-for-hire as hunters.
The most recent expansion, Legend III Roc Mountain, added new territory, quests, weapons, and an increased level cap for adventurers. With over 18 million registered users and 170,000 concurrent players worldwide, the triangular conflict of Silkroad Online has never been more exciting. More information about Silkroad Online is available at http://www.joymax.com/silkroad/.
Mythic Entertainment Gives Warhammer Online Fans Tales of Death and Glory with a Pair of Original WAR Stories
New Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning lore sheds light on the game’s new careers: the Empire’s noble Knight of the Blazing Sun and the vicious Dark Elf Black Guard.
With the help of noted Warhammer novelists Nathan Long and Mike Lee, Mythic gives players around the world the chance to delve deeper into the history of these two new combatants, with a duo of original works of fiction. Both tales are now available at http://www.warhammeronline.com/warstories/.
“The Sword is Forged,” by Blackhearts series author Nathan Long, follows the adventures of newly-knighted Regina Seibolt after her initiation into the Order of the Blazing Sun. Regina’s rigorous training and faith in Myrmidia will both be tested as she is thrown head-first into a dangerous mission with nothing but a ragtag bunch of warriors at her side.
“Cruel as Ice, Cold as Steel,” by Malus Darkblade series co-author Mike Lee, is a darker look at a deadly warrior. Highborn Druchii Rathann Darkmoon is a fresh recruit into the Witch King’s elite Black Guard, evil and merciless fighters that bring truth to the phrase: “through hate all things are possible.” His is a story of fear and death, wrought by the blade of his black halberd and the hatred in his even blacker heart.
Look for future releases in the ongoing WAR Stories series featuring top-tier original fiction set against the backdrop of the Age of Reckoning.
Based on the popular tabletop war game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm conflict that will provide players with an engaging battleground for years to come. Available now for PC, WAR is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.
Jingle all the way with MapleStory Europe
Get set for snow and stockings galore as Nexon’s hugely popular and free to play
Christmas is all around, and MapleStory Europe has yet again prepared a special celebratory event for a delightful Christmas that’s full of festive fun, excitement and generous presents.
The Christmas cheer, which starts on December 16th and runs until January 15th, invites players to explore an amazing, special Christmas town full of sparkling Yuletide trimmings and festive spirit.
However, with the town short of one very important holiday staple ?snow! – players will need to hunt down special Christmas items first if they want the snow to start falling and MapleStory Europe to have a traditional white Christmas.
And what’d Christmas be without gift giving? Players can present each other with items from the Cash Shop, and all players who send a gift item to a fellow player will receive a special Christmas present during the event period. Players also have the opportunity to participate at further events including Cash Shop Sale, 2X EXP and Drop Event, and many more.
MapleStory originally launched in South Korea in April 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the most successful online games of all time, with over 92million registered accounts across the world. MapleStory Europe, which launched in May 2007, is the latest iteration of the completely free to play franchise, and offers gamers in Europe the chance to play MapleStory in five different languages ?English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.
For further information on MapleStory Europe and to sign-up to the game and take part in the Christmas event, please visit www.mapleeurope.com.
Naked War celebrates 100k turns by switching to Free Play Mode
Indie publisher Zee-3 witnessed the 100,000th turn in their highly acclaimed two-player strategy game Naked War today and to celebrate switched the game into free play mode!
As of today new players of the PC-based game, developed by veteran video game designers The Pickford Brothers, will be able to continue their free trial of the full game indefinitely, with no strings attached – previously they could only send a single Challenge (allowing one complete game) before they had to buy a subscription.
In addition, existing subscribers will now have infinite Challenge Credits, allowing them to play as many games as they like for no extra charge. Previously Naked War operated on a ‘pay to play’ model, where subscribers purchase a limited number of Challenge Credits which were consumed by each game played.
“We wanted to mark this landmark event in Naked War’s history by doing something to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the subscribers, players, and members of the Naked War community that have been supporting indie development, and enjoying Naked War, for the last couple of years,” said co-designer Ste Pickford.
“We also wanted to underline our continued commitment to this, our first ever indie release. When we launched, some people were nervous about joining in a game based around a subscription and server model – they didn’t know if the game would be around for long, or if the servers would stay running. Well, we’ve been running for nearly three years now, with no sign of stopping, and we’re still making changes and improvements to the game!”
Zee-3 wanted to make the game more welcoming for new players, as well as continually appealing for the games well-established fanbase.
“We have made it easier for existing players to invite their friends to play Naked War. We have removed email attachments which were falling foul of some spam filters and we have improved the website and overall experience for new players joining the Naked War community and playing the game for the first time,” added Ste.
Naked War is a fun, strategic battle game for two players, available for Windows PCs. The game is played in short chunks, called turns, which are passed between players via the Zee-3 website. Each turn represents about five minutes of gameplay, and the game doesn’t require both players to be online at the same time, making it the ideal coffee break activity, or game to play against friends you don’t see that often.
The game is distributed exclusively online by Zee-3, and the full version of the game is completely free to download and play. Extra features and benefits are available to subscribers who pay only $19.99 for infinite Challenge Credits and extensive website stats and tracking features.