Colony add-on for Bounty Bay Online has been launched
Frogster has launched the Colony Add-on as the second large expansion to Bounty Bay Online.
With the free add-on, players can now establish colonies in 33 coastal regions of the historical explorer world. After completing a special quest series and with the necessary resources, they are able to capture the area and build up their own town and port. Colony founders can then determine the trade policy and development of their new realm. This way, ambitious guilds can acquire their own retreat and a lucrative trading base. In the German version launched last week, all colonies have been taken over within a few days. Now it’s up to the players to create their first colonies.
Besides the colony features, the Colony Add-on integrates new quests into Bounty Bay Online, which are partly a continuation of quest series from the first expansion Storm Island. In addition to some new land bosses with improved tactics, new powerful pirate ships are now terrorizing the seven seas. Conquerors of these corsairs can expect huge amounts of gold, but they are protected by new dinghies. The small boats are only lightly armored, but dispose of considerable firepower. However, the developers have created a worldwide network of informants, so that news about the sighting of a pirate boat and his whereabouts spread like wildfire within the community. Another new feature of the Colony Add-on concerns ship convoys. As a last resort before sinking, the leading ship of a convoy can now launch small speedboats, trying to save its treasures before the impending demise.
Moreover, with the Colony Add-on players receive the possibility to salvage treasures from the sea. Previously, these could only be found on land. A practical innovation has also been implemented to the complex trading system of the sailor MMORPG. Players can now systematically search all sales stalls of an area for specific items and compare goods and prices to find the best offer.
The free colony add-on is available for both the subscription and free-2-play server and has a size of roughly 500 MB. It is being installed automatically with the next start of Bounty Bay Online. Players can use their existing accounts and characters without any restrictions. A new trailer has been published last week that is available here:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/44123.html.
Bounty Bay Online is available for free. Ordinary seamen can register for an account and download the game on www.bountybayonline.com.
Bounty Bay Online
With Bounty Bay Online players enter the Age of Discoveries from the 15th to the 17th century. MMO fans are able to choose an online career as a merchant, sailor, fisherman, pirate or adventurer and make their fortune at land and on the seven seas. Alone or with a guild of players, many adventures and gripping quests lie on their way. Thousands of ancient discoveries on all continents like the pyramids of Gizah or the Chinese Wall are waiting to be explored. Bounty Bay Online features a unique trade system based on supply and demand. After exciting PvP combat at land and on the seas, strong guilds can take control of colonies and cities and decide upon their destiny. In April 2008 Frogster has started a free-to-play server with an integrated item shop as an alternative to the subscription model, so that new sailors can now roam the Seven Seas without any fixed costs. More information is available on www.bountybayonline.com.
Features
- Hundreds of authentic ship models
- Land and sea combat
- More than 60 realistic towns and harbours.
- Guilds can conquer towns and decide upon their taxes and tariffs
- Free add-on „Storm Island“ with new items, new features and new regions included
- Free Colony Add-on released in January 2009
Hunters World go wild
Monumental Games today announced that they are developing ‘Hunter’s World’ – a new MMO based on game hunting.
Players take the role of hunters visiting a massive and varied wild hunting reserve, where they can compete and collaborate with real players in a persistent world. Hunters will be able to roam freely, interact with each other, and hunt everything from varmints to big game.
“Hunter’s World will be the first ever Massively Multiplayer Online Hunting game,” said Rob Watson, Lead Designer on the new title. “The IP for the game is Monumental’s own, and we’re already some way down the development path. We’re really excited about the experience we’re creating: it’s much richer and more compelling than anything that has come before in this genre – something that’s largely down to its MMO foundation.”
Hunter’s World will accurately simulate the hunting experience, and create an environment where people who share a passion for hunting can exchange their experiences and recreate their favourite hunts. The community website also goes live this week at www.huntersworldonline.com.
The title will bring a number of innovations to the hunting genre:
- Competition against real people and a wide variety of AI-controlled animals
- Collaboration with real people
- Multiple hunting lodges, each with their own unique characteristics
- A truly social game – players can communicate, hunt and socialise together
- Players can roam freely in a virtual hunting world where they can interact with thousands of others
- Players can purchase items (e.g. cars, weapons, clothing and so on) and customize their character
- Free-to-play
Hunter’s World is Monumental’s own intellectual property, developed with investment from EM Media. Monumental anticipate launching an open beta version of the game in 2009 and welcome enquiries from companies that may wish to partner on this project or advertise.
Atlantica Online Honored as One of the Year’s Best MMORPGs
New Offering from NDOORS Gains Momentum in 2008
NDOORS Interactive, creators of the strategic turn-based MMORPG, Atlantica Online, is proud to announce that Atlantica has been recognized as one of the best MMORPGs of 2008. Atlantica Online is a game that sends players on a journey around the globe, and this year the title made significant progress in attracting a large and diverse user base in North America while receiving critical acclaim for its quality, accessibility, and entertainment value.
The list of honors for Atlantica recently expanded to include the title of “Best Game” at the Korea Game Awards, hosted by the Game Industries Association on Dec. 16. Kim Tae Gon, the game’s head producer, received commendation as an “Excellent Developer” at the KGA for his work on Atlantica. These awards follow the Golden Plume trophy that Atlantica took home for “Best Foreign Online Game” at the ChinaJoy Conference in November 2008.
Despite launching in the fourth quarter of 2008, Atlantica Online quickly made up for lost time by being nominated as one of the “Best New Games of 2008” by the editors at the genre leading website MMORPG.com, visited by over 1 million MMO-playing readers every month.
Atlantica Online’s free-to-play business model was one of the reasons that popular MMO site Ten Ton Hammer bestowed the game with the title of “Best Free-to-Play Game of 2008.” Ten Ton Hammer also cited the fact that Atlantica was “smoother and more fun than anything I had played in a long time,” in their decision to give the game a nearly perfect review score of “4.5/5 Hammers.” With such praise as “easily the best [free-to-play] game I have played and … more fun than many subscription games I have tried” from Ten Ton Hammer, it is no wonder that the game has found success among a surprisingly diverse crowd of players.
One of the winners of Atlantica’s recent “No Atlantian Left Behind” contest was 73-year-old Mary Martinez, a grandmother from Quitman, Texas. After her grandson, an avid player himself, introduced Mary to the game, she became hooked on the social connectivity that Atlantica Online offers her. “I don’t get out and around like I used to, so playing games where you interact with others is a way for me to have a more social life,” said Martinez. Mary’s dedication to the game was rewarded when she became one of the winners of the contest, taking home a new Nintendo Wii.
In 2009 Atlantica Online will continue to expand the variety of locations that the game’s players can explore while maintaining the same level of detail and quality that has proven successful so far. “With the saturation of new titles coming online in the MMO market each year, it is truly an accomplishment for Atlantica to have gained steam so quickly,” said Peter Kang, NDOORS Interactive, CEO. “The fans and critics have spoken loudly and approvingly of Atlantica and that provides us with extra motivation to increase and improve the quality and entertainment value of the product we offer this year.”
For more information on Atlantica Online, please visit: http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/center/default.asp
Major League Gaming Research Reveals Competitive Video Gaming Audience as Lifestyle Leaders in Social Activity, Sponsor Empathy, and Media Consumption
First in-depth research effort shows Major League Gaming Nation to be highly dynamic, active people with diverse interests and significant advertising receptiveness
Major League Gaming, the professional video game league, today released research results that provide new insight into the aspiration, appeal, and broad range of activities and interests of the Major League Gaming community. Conducted by Sponsorship Research International (SRi), the research is another key proof point that definitively shatters old fashioned stereotypes of video gamers.
The extensive survey looked at key categories of interest with regard to their focus on competitive gaming, their awareness and receptiveness to advertising, media consumption, and their leisure interests. Key results of the study revealed the Major League Gaming audience to be made up of individuals who are very physically active, early and obsessive product or service adopters, leaders in their social groups, and focused on the world beyond gaming.
IT’S A WIDE, WIDE WORLD
- 66% of respondents reported belonging to some sort of social club, group, or sports team
- 78% reported following the presidential election, 70% of those old enough to vote planned to do so.
- 85% report seeing movies in the first 2 weeks of release (compared to 73% in 2008 Teen Mark MRI Study)
- 82% say “I find it easy to make friends” (compared to 72% in 2008 Teen Mark MRI Study)
ALL GAMING, ALL THE TIME
- 46% of respondents spent 4 hours the day prior playing video games, compared to 9% watching TV or 25% online in the same time period
- 79% agreed with the statement “If forced to make a decision, I would choose to give up TV before video games”
- 55% of respondents said they played video games “several times a day” (compared to 13% in 2008 Pew Internet & American Life Project: Teens, Video Games, and Civics)
I’LL TAKE ADVERTISING FOR $200, ALEX
- 85% of respondents agreed with the statement “sponsorship of Major League Gaming is a good way of promoting products” (sponsorship norm: 70%)
- Unaided awareness of Dr Pepper’s association with Major League Gaming was 84% (compared to 45-50% sponsorship norm)
- Unaided awareness of Stride’s association with Major League Gaming was 64% (compared to 45-50% sponsorship norm)
- 86% of respondents agree with the statement “when I try something new, I tend to share my opinion about it with my friends” (compared to 74% in 2008 Teen Mark MRI study)
Although rarely reflected in common perceptions of video gamers, those that play games competitively share essential characteristics with members of any competitive community from academics to business to sports. These are young people who are tech savvy, focused on betterment and achievement, like to learn, and want to share their opinions. In essence these are highly dynamic, active people with diverse interests: exactly the type of leaders that communities, families, and businesses want to associate with.
“The results from this research prove what we’ve known for several years anecdotally, that this community is active and aspirational any way that you look at it,” said Harlan Stone, president of MLG Properties. “We think we’ve built the next great sports movement and we’re thrilled to showcase Major League Gaming Nation to the world.”
“MLG has made a significant commitment to understand how their audience consumes competitive gaming, what their passions and interests are, and how brands can connect with their gamers in a relevant and meaningful way,” said Jeff Eccleston, VP of Sponsorship Research International. “Findings from this research make a very compelling case that if you are trying to connect with the young male demographic, competitive gaming is a good place to be.”
METHODOLOGY
MLGPro.com visitors were invited to participate in an online survey about their gaming habits and lifestyle interests. In total, 1,000 (+/- 3%) interviews were conducted by Sponsorship Research International between October 17, 2008 and October 26, 2008. Fielding dates and start times were scheduled throughout the week to ensure of representative mix of visitors were surveyed.
SRi Research
SRi is one of the world’s leading sponsorship and experiential marketing research consultancies. With over 20 years experience, SRi is an industry pioneer having helped some of the world’s leading brands, properties and agencies make sponsorship and experiential marketing accountable through custom designed research programs. SRi’s research is designed to assist clients in evaluating all facets of the sponsorship process – from initial property analysis to activation plan testing to post program evaluation.
Major League Gaming
Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. MLG partners include Dr Pepper, GameStop, HP, Old Spice, Ballpark, Panasonic, Stride, Ubisoft, Bungie and Xbox 360. For more information: www.mlgpro.com.
Duels – Elemental Age Expansion launched for Facebook-integrated MMORPG
Challenge Games Grows the Duels Universe with User-Driven Content
Challenge Online Games, Inc. (Challenge Games) has developed the fourth themed expansion for their successful game Duels (www.duels.com). The Elemental Age Expansion set adds two new playable races and over three-hundred new items for the players of Duels. This expansion also enables Duelists to own elemental-themed pets. There is also the addition of new multi-week serial quests and PvP events.
“The Elemental Age expands the Duels world with content driven by the massive player versus player event held last summer,” says Chris Primozich, Lead Developer of Duels. “Our Duelists helped determine where our story would take us next. There is so much more to explore with new items, new playable races and new quests which will culminate in our next massive PvP event.”
Duels can be played for free, but players can use micro-transactions purchase in-game currency that can be used to upgrade their characters. Duels, was the first massively multi-player role-playing game (MMORPG) to be integrated directly with Facebook. It currently has over a quarter of a million players worldwide. Challenge Games’ second title, Baseball Boss, is an official licensee of MLB Advanced Media and the MLBA, and it is the first game to combine baseball simulation games with collectable card games. Warstorm is Challenge Games’ most-recent release, and it takes collectable card games (CCG) into the massively multiplayer online (MMO) world.
To play Duels, visit www.duels.com or http://apps.facebook.com/duelsfb.
To play Baseball Boss, visit www.baseballboss.com.
To play Warstorm, visit www.warstorm.com.
For more information on Challenge Games, visit www.challengegames.com.
Angels Online: Wave Harbor Preview
The Angels Online team (http://ao.igg.com/main.php) is giving a brief introduction to Wave Harbor, a new scene for the “Lost Atlantis” expansion.
Wave Harbor is located to the south of Palm Base. Passing through the tropical coco trees and along the endless golden beaches, players will arrive in this mysterious sea area. Because Wave Harbor is a shallow sea along the coast which connects with the mainland, many players choose this place to train their diving skill.
As a small sea connecting the ocean and the mainland, and affected by the warm current from the east, the water temperature here is very comfortable all year round. What’s more, huge creatures such as sharks are unable to come here because of the reefs. So all creatures, whether big or small can enjoy a comfortable life here.
The comfortable weather not only fosters great schools of fish but also a flourishing underwater oasis of marine plant life. Production players may find themselves busy for days if they come and collect materials here. For example, Bloody Alga is a common herb which is necessary to manufacture potions or items with attributes. Many Production players work hard in Eden to try and get some rare Wanderer Den. However, Wanderer Den can be found everywhere in Wave Harbor.
Not everything in Wave Harbor is calm, peaceful and relaxing. Because of the special frame of Atlantis and the rocks that dot this shallow sea, it is not as peaceful as it seems. Many ships have been known to knock into the reefs and leave their scattered remains just below the crashing waves.
There is an explorer called Eye Eric in the top right corner of the map. He has lived here for a long time, but now finds himself trapped by a group of Mermaids. Eric may ask Level 75+ players for help, and players can obtain abundant rewards by defeating the Mermaids and rescuing him. If players would like to enhance their rank, it is a good idea for them to accept the quest repeatedly.
Apart from the Mermaids, there is a group of evil, fierce Scale Fish covered in thick scales. These scales give them high defensive abilities. Be careful! The deadly spell attacks from the “gentle” Bal Jellyfish may hurt players as well!
For more information about this event visit http://ao.igg.com/act/atlantis/detail.php?acid=109.
Runes of Magic – 300,000 players now online
Highly anticipated MMORPG secures new awards and fans
Frogster Interactive today announced that the population of its highly anticipated free-to-play MMORPG Runes of Magic, passed 300,000 players in early January 2009. The steady growth of the population of Taborea will enable Frogster to continuously update and polish the game in the run up to its commercialization in the end of the first quarter of 2009.
“Frogster would like to thank our dedicated community for their constructive feedback since the beginning of the open beta”, said Daniel Ullrich, Director of Product Management at Frogster Interactive, “With the development of new content being almost complete, we are eager to see whether the community will be as enthusiastic about the new content and features as we are.”
During the festive break, Runes of Magic convinced more critics and won several prestigious awards with the specialized press. After declaring Runes of Magic as the best free-to-play game of Show at the Games Convention 2008 in August, TenTonHammer.com awarded Runes of Magic the “Surprise Hit 2008”. The editors of Mmorpg-planet.com selected Runes of Magic as the “Best Free MMORPG of 2008” and was the only free-to-play title to be nominated for MMORPG.com’s upcoming “Most anticipated Game of 2009” Readers Choice award.
Runes of Magic began its open beta in December with an English and German version. All interested players can now set up an account and download the client for free at 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
- Free-to-play: no monthly fees, free download
- Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
- Versatile spell and attack combinations
- Engaging background story
- More than 1,000 quests and quest series at launch
- No zone boundaries thanks to a seamless architecture
- A mix of instanced, tile based, and persistent dungeons to explore
- Individually developable skills and spells
- Armor sets with special bonuses
- Dynamic item system with hundreds of upgradeable runes
- Optional PvP system with arena battles and guild wars
- Ranking system with player-ranking lists
- Unique mounts including horses, tigers, striders and more
- Epic crafting system with the ability to improve existing items
- Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
- Reputation system
- Customizable user interface with the ability to use Add-Ons
- Map and radar system to easily find item dealers, resources and quests
- In-game auction houses for trading items
- Teleport-Runes for instant travel
- Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
- Regular updates with new content
- Cross-server fights through three-server-battles (in development)
- Guild houses in special zones (in development)
EVE Online: Apocrypha Uncovers a New Version of the Universe Itself
CCP’s massive free expansion slated for March Release
CCP, one of the world’s leading independent game developers, today announced the launch of the tenth free expansion for EVE Online, its popular science fiction massively multi-player online game (MMOG). EVE Online: Apocrypha is the most ambitious EVE expansion in the game’s over five year history and it coincides with the March 10th, 2009 release of EVE Online as a boxed product through a partnership with Atari.
The fabric of space itself will be transformed as vast, unpredictable wormholes open to connect previously unexplored regions of the universe to the stars of New Eden. The seeds of advanced new technology await inside of these cosmic anomalies for those brave enough to explore them. This infusion of technology will enable production of the most dynamic vessels ever – Tech 3 modular ships with an astounding amount of customizability that can fill any role from skirmish muscle to industrial support.
Furthermore, NPC agents in EVE Online: Apocrypha will be authorized to assign Epic Mission Arcs to the pilots of New Eden. These branching, far-reaching mission strings are full of meaningful stories and more intelligent and deadly adversaries.
In addition, we are offering an entirely reworked New Player Experience for those joining (or rejoining) the game – giving them better insight into how to thrive in a truly limitless universe. We’ve already launched EVElopedia—a great repository for information on all things EVE where our players are also building their own living history of the previous five years of Alliance warfare, political intrigue and nostalgic recollection
“Just this past week we broke our concurrent user record with 45,186 people flying unbound in the same game world at the same time—a huge percentage of our quarter of a million current subscribers and a true testament to EVE in our sixth year of operation,” said EVE Online Senior Producer Torfi Frans Olafsson. “Today is an unprecedented time to start playing, as you can get ahead of the curve before Apocrypha releases in stores and our hard work hits the server cluster. It’ll be easier than ever to get ‘lost in the wormhole’ that is EVE with what we have planned for the future of our expanding universe.”
Leading up to the release of EVE Online: Apocrypha and the boxed version of EVE Online in stores, we’ll be revealing more features on www.eveonline.com.
Availability:
EVE Online: Apocrypha will be available at retail stores across the galaxy in March this year and as a free download at www.eveonline.com/download/ for existing subscribers. A new Premium graphics client for Mac will also be included in the retail box.
Visit the EVE website now to sign up for a free 14-day trial account or reactivate your account to get ahead of the curve.
EVE Online
Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger and glory. With nearly a quarter of a million subscribers worldwide inhabiting the same virtual universe, EVE features a vast player-run economy where your greatest asset is the starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills and ambitions. EVE offers professions ranging from commodities trader to mercenary, industrial entrepreneur to pirate, mining engineer to battle fleet commander or any combination of these and much more. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. Learn more and sign up for a free trial at www.eveonline.com.
Definition of Subscribers
EVE Online subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active electronic time code (ETC) to play EVE Online, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions and expired ETCs.
CCP
CCP is widely recognized as an industry-leading pioneer of the single-server persistent universe architecture as the developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically-acclaimed, science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). Utilizing a cross-discipline approach combining cutting-edge technology and artistic excellence, CCP is dedicated to providing vibrant, compelling products that transcend the boundaries of conventional MMOGs and facilitate social networking through virtual worlds. Privately held and founded in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1997, CCP’s international reach now spans the globe with offices in Atlanta and Shanghai as well as a base of operations in London. More information about CCP is available at the company’s website
Tales of Pirates: New Year Event: Harvest Ceremony
Tales of Pirates (http://top.igg.com) will be holding an interesting Harvest Ceremony event for players to enjoy the fruits of their labor in the New Year. Thanks to their tireless work during the past year, they’ve reaped a bumper crop and the GMs have decided to give something back to the most diligent worker’s in the game. If you can collect the item the GM requires, you will obtain Sand Bags and gold rewards!
Event Duration: 09:00pm -10:30pm EST (GMT-5) January 12th
Event Location: Shaitan City
Content
During the event players need to collect 10 required props in a limited time, then go to find the GM to redeem them for production props and gold helpful for the players’ training. Each player can only redeem 10 props. It is an event that can greatly increase a players’ leveling speed, so this is especially good for newbies!
The joy of harvest is bringing fun and bonuses to pirates in 2009, so pay attention for more of these fantastic events in the coming months!
For more Tales of Pirates game strategies, visit the official website: http://top.igg.com
Major League Gaming Secures Additional Funding
$7.5 million investment from Oak Investment Partners cements MLG’s dominance in competitive video gaming
Major League Gaming, the professional video game league, announced it has received a $7.5 million follow-on investment from Oak Investment Partners. MLG’s explosive growth in online and live audience, as well as its continued success in attracting major sponsors, has made it the premier competitive video gaming property in the world.
“MLG has become a cultural phenomenon, and the management team has made competitive gaming really matter for pros, fans, and marketers,” said Ed Glassmeyer, managing partner, Oak Investment Partners. “We have great confidence that the company will continue this path to success and that the challenging economic environment will provide new opportunities for investment and growth.”
“We set out to build the first digital sport the world had ever seen. From the beginning, Oak has been there to provide the capital and expertise to enable us to create a global, cross-platform business to support that vision,” said Matthew Bromberg, president and CEO of Major League Gaming.
2008 was a breakout year for Major League Gaming as its sports media business saw triple- and-quadruple digit growth:
- 1337% year-over-year growth in its online broadcast audience, with 503,000 unique men under 30 watching the Dallas Playoffs in early October
- 4.4 million online matches played in 2008, up 625% over 2007
- 7.0 million unique users each month according to Google Analytics, up 109% over 2007
- An average of 15,000 attendees at each of the live competitions in 2008, up 500% over 2007.
Major League Gaming
Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. MLG sponsorship partners include Dr Pepper, GameStop, HP, Old Spice, Ballpark, Panasonic, Stride, Ubisoft, Bungie and Xbox 360. For more information: www.mlgpro.com.