AdventureQuest
Site getting 400,000 daily hits rivaling WoW; Retention rate unheard of 33%
Artix Entertainment, which four weeks ago added a browser-based MMORPG called AdventureQuest Worlds to its three-title lineup, has revealed their site is getting 400,000 unique hits per day (12 million per month), a stunning number which compares favorably with Blizzard’s World of Warcraft’s recently announced 11 million subscribers.
Artix, a small, Florida-based family-owned studio that offers three other RPG titles AdventureQuest, MechQuest, and DragonFable, has enjoyed a high success rate in the past five years with over 60 million accounts created for their games.
“Our small web games have consistently attracted a lot of players,” said Adam Bohn, founder of Artix. “The 12 million unique hits per month is the average. We’ve actually hit an all-time monthly high of 17.6 million unique hits.”
Bohn also revealed a site retention rate which may be one of the highest in the games industry. “Of the unique visitors to our website, about 33% of them have an active account with us in at least one game.”
Why are these numbers so huge?
Bohn cited a mix of three possible reasons. “First is customer loyalty. We’ve worked hard to build a very loyal and sizable player base who followed us into the online world when we released AdventureQuest World,” said Bohn. “Second is the combination of quality games and the fun factor. The third reason, which we think is unique in the world of MMORPGs – including browser-based MMORPGs – is our commitment to updating every one of our games every week., which is the hallmark of all Artix games. We’re proud of our consistent track record of listening to our players and responding quickly to their input.”
AdventureQuest Worlds provides players with exciting adventures battling armies of monsters in real-time combat and enjoying new weekly quests alongside thousands of other real players. Players can customize their characters with armors, capes, helms, and custom-crafted weapons from the Blacksmith’s Shop at any level. Players have the freedom to change among different character classes at any time, and can level-up all of the classes to the max to unlock new skills and specialty shops along the way.
Players can visit www.AQ.com to sign up for an account and play online for free. No downloads required. Other Artix RPG titles include MechQuest at www.mechquest.com, DragonFable at www.dragonfable.com, and AdventureQuest at www.battleon.com.
A Vampyre Story demo released
DEMO RELEASED AS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ADVENTURE GAME ARRIVES IN STORE FOR CHRISTMAS
A Vampyre Story, the long awaited adventure game from ex-LucasArts employee Bill Tiller, is released bringing horror, humour and addictive gameplay to the festive season. To celebrate the release, Ascaron and 93 Games have made a new demo available online, giving horror fans and ‘wannabe’ vampires the chance to experience the incredible adventure.
A Vampyre Story is a point & click adventure for PC that tells the tale of the beautiful, gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by the vampire baron, Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Trapped in Draxsylvania Castle and doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night, Mona decides to run away to fulfil her dream of singing at the Paris Opera.
A number of challenges await the elegant opera singer as she comes to terms with her new vampire nature and learns to harness the supernatural abilities she has acquired. Froderick, a witty and mischievous bat, joins Mona on the quest to realise her dream, helping unravel brain teasing puzzles and adding humour to the proceedings with a consistent flow of wise cracks and sinister jokes.
A Vampyre Story is a beautifully crafted game with great aesthetic value conveyed through a cast of wonderful characters and a creative storyline. The game has been developed by Autumn Moon Entertainment, a company founded by ex-LucasArts employee Bill Tiller, who previously worked on adventure game classics The Curse of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.
A Vampyre Story is released today providing the perfect Christmas present for adventure, horror and vampire fans everywhere.
Download the demo by following the link below: www.vampyrestory-game.com
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / 93 Games
Web: www.Ascaron.com / www.vampyrestory-game.com
Developer: Autumn Moon
Release date: November 21st 2008
PEGI: 7+
Format: PC
Genre: Adventure
Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual Ships to Stores
City Interactive, a North American publisher of PC and console-based video games, announced the release of its latest adventure/mystery title – Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual (formerly “Testament of Sin.”) In Chronicles of Mystery, players’ detective skills will be pushed to their limits as they travel the world in an attempt to unravel an ancient mystery and save a fellow archaeologist before it’s too late.
Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual is a classically-styled adventure title from the team that created the well-received Art of Murder: FBI Confidential. The story follows archaeologist Sylvie Leroux as she travels the Mediterranean in search of her Uncle, a fellow archaeologist who was researching a sinister mystery.
In Chronicles of Sin: The Scorpio Ritual, players will visit exotic and historic locales including the Vatican, Malta and Istanbul in their quest to find Sylvie’s uncle. Players will seek clues and solve puzzles as they travel the game’s lushly rendered 3D locations.
A Vampyre Story
BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, HUGELY ENTERTAINING ADVENTURE GAME ‘A VAMPYRE STORY’ SET FOR OCTOBER RELEASE
A Vampyre Story, the ‘captivating’ new adventure game for PC from Ascaron Entertainment and 93 Games will be released in October for a haunting Halloween. The game has been developed by Autumn Moon Entertainment, a company founded by ex-LucasArts employee Bill Tiller, who previously worked on adventure game classics The Curse of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.
The new Point & Click adventure tells the tale of the beautiful, gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by the vampire baron, Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Trapped in Draxsylvania Castle and doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night, Mona decides to run away to fulfil her dream of singing at the Paris Opera.
A number of challenges await the elegant opera singer as she comes to terms with her new vampire nature and learns to harness the supernatural abilities she has acquired. Froderick, a witty and mischievous bat, joins Mona on the quest to realise her dream, helping unravel brain teasing puzzles and adding humour to the proceedings with a consistent flow of wise cracks and sinister jokes.
A Vampyre Story is a beautifully crafted game with great aesthetic value conveyed through a cast of wonderful characters and a creative storyline. Set for a Halloween 2008 release, the new game is a must see for any adventure game fan.
Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / 93 Games
Web: www.Ascaron.com / www.vampyrestory-game.com
Developer: Autumn Moon
Release date: Halloween 2008
PEGI: 12+
Format: PC
Genre: Adventure
Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals Now Set to be Revealed in North America this September
Got Game Entertainment confirms a September 10, 2008 in-store date for highly anticipated adventure game
Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced a new release date of September 10, 2008 for “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” (PC), an immersive, richly detailed adventure game based on the stories and art of famed graphic novelist and filmmaker Enki Bilal. Developed by White Birds Productions, founded by adventure game legend Benoît Sokal, “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” promises a dramatic and thrilling adventure set in a futuristic Paris where a father returns, a son searches, and Gods rule.
“”Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals’ will definitely wow adventure gamers and certainly surprise ‘point and click’ doubters,” said Got Game Entertainment President Howard Horowitz. “The story, graphics, and gameplay by White Birds, and under the discerning eye of Enki Bilal, make this game truly something to behold.”
About “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals”
It is Paris 2023 and for citizen Nikopol the city is now a maze of mysteries, secrets, and clues that must be explored. He learns his missing father may be alive, a possible pawn in a looming political battle of revenge and death between a power hungry dictator and the Immortals. As Nikopol, you find yourself in a suspenseful adventure to find your father and thwart a dangerous conspiracy. Entangled in political intrigue you are caught between two worlds, one of anarchy and one of Immortality.
Features:
+ A thrilling mental challenge in a rich futuristic universe inspired by famed graphic novelist Enki Bilal;
+ As Nikopol, you must use cunning and logic to protect yourself from the Immortals’ plans and thwart a dark conspiracy;
+ Interaction with 8 characters in 6 different environments, each made with several settings;
+ Visually stunning graphics;
+ Immersive gameplay; and
+ Classic point and click interface.
“Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” will make its retail debut at $29.99 (USD) and is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, visit www.NikopolGame.com.
PopCap Launches Amazing Adventures Around the World Game
New Hidden Object Adventure from the SpinTop Studio Takes Players on a Global Expedition
SpinTop™ Games, a division of leading casual game developer and publisher PopCap Games, today announced the immediate availability of Amazing Adventures Around the World ™, a new “hidden object” puzzle game with an adventure that spans the globe. Amazing Adventures Around the World is the second game in the series, following last year’s hit title Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb™, which has already been downloaded nearly 20 million times since launching late last year. Amazing Adventures Around the World takes players on a globe-trotting “seek and find” journey in search of the world’s most valuable gem, the “World Diamond.” The new game carries a retail price of US$19.95, and a free trial of the PC game is available now for download at www.popcap.com and www.spintop-games.com. The game will also be available on other leading game portals, including RealArcade.com, MSN Games and Yahoo! Games, and will be available worldwide in eight languages, in September.
“There’s no limit to where you can transport players in an adventure game, so we wanted this game to take players to the four corners of the world to view amazing places that few of us ever get to visit in person,” stated Duncan Magee, co-director and co-founder of SpinTop. “Exploring exotic locations like the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef, the African Serengeti, the Amazon and many more has never been easier or more fun.”
In Amazing Adventures Around the World, you play an adventure seeker hired by the Museum to track down pieces of an ancient stone tablet that, when pieced together, unearth the location of the “World Diamond.” Play over 100 levels and travel to 25 exotic locations which provide the hiding places of more than 2,100 cleverly concealed items. Unique puzzle traps and eight different kinds of mini-games add to the adventure and challenge available in three different game modes – Story Mode plus two unlockable “unlimited play” modes.
Key features of Amazing Adventures Around the World include:
• Seek and find over 2,100 cleverly hidden objects.
• Investigate 25 exotic scenes featuring beautifully rendered artwork and themed music and sound effects.
• Play 8 unique mini-games including Spot-The-Differences, Word Search, Tile Rotation, Jigsaw and more!
• Locate gems and tablet pieces on each mission of the Story Mode to unlock new modes of play.
• Unlock interesting facts in your journal as you travel the globe.
• Play against the clock or in Relaxed Mode with no time limits.
Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches
Legends, myths, and magic spill into reality as an ancient battle for revenge envelopes a remote Welsh farmstead in this horror-adventure for the PC
Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced a North American publishing deal for “Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches” (PC). Created by Arberth Studios of West Wales, “Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches” promises an authentic first-person, point-and-click adventure brimming with Celtic atmosphere. This spine-tingling story of the haunting of a lonely, teenage girl blends magic with technology, fact with myth, and horror with compassion. The game, scheduled for release October 2008 with a suggested retail of $29.99 (USD), is a feast for lovers of ghost stories, mysteries, legends, and puzzles. “Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches” is not yet rated by the ESRB.
“Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches”, based on the classic Welsh “Four Branches” legends, is set in a mystical place on the Celtic fringes of Britain, a place where myth and magic spill into reality, threatening the sanity of a teenage girl and bringing an ancient battle for revenge to a remote Welsh farmstead. Are reports of unexplained noises and strange visions by fifteen year old Rhiannon Sullivan merely the figments of an overactive imagination? Or does the history of her family’s new home, Ty Pryderi, hold a terrible connection to a timeless struggle between man and magic? Her parents take Rhiannon away, leaving Ty Pryderi to your watch and exploration, but their absence can only postpone an ancient inevitability of revenge and death.
Unless you can stop it!
“Thanks to committed publishers such as Got Game Entertainment, the adventure genre is back and better than ever,” said Arberth Studio’s Noel Bruton. “We created ‘Rhiannon’ for every adventure fan who loves a haunting story, mystical atmosphere, and brain-teasing puzzles.”
The game’s official website will launch this summer. For more information now, visit http://Rhiannon.GotGameEntertainment.com.
Puma signs exclusive commercial deal with Football Superstars
World renowned sportswear brand PUMA today announced its partnership with Football Superstars – the first MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) to recreate the game of football and its accompanying luxury lifestyle. The game features thousands of human players online in a virtual world competing with and against each other and has been created by UK based CyberSports.
The deal with the free to download game will see PUMA products and branding incorporated interactively in the game play courtesy of IGA Worldwide, the leading provider of in-game advertising. Players will not only have the ability to experience the awesome speed of the PUMA v1.08 Speed Boot but also visit a virtual facsimile of London’s Carnaby Street concept store in-game, to kit their avatar out with the latest PUMA lifestyle apparel.
As if this wasn’t exciting enough, PUMA will assist you in improving your ability as a player in the game via state of the art training academies where you can learn tricks and skills from the pros.
In Football Superstars – developed by Nottingham based Monumental Games – players re-create themselves online as a footballer and then have free reign in a state of the art interactive virtual world. Players can play their way from 3-a-side up to full 11-a-side matches, gaining new attributes and skills in order to specialise in their chosen playing position. Away from the pitch players can socialise in restaurants, bars and clubs and visit virtual stores where they can buy the latest equipment and designer clothes. Players can train in gyms and on training pitches to enhance their skills or flirt with the paparazzi in a bid to boost their fame and status and gain access to the most exclusive clubs and venues.
In the game’s PUMA Training Academy, the player can train to increase their skills in order to move up through the leagues and acquire more money to spend on the products and services found in the game’s two huge towns. The Academy’s trainer will be wearing PUMA training kit, as will the player themselves. The Academy will also feature PUMA footballs, PUMA pitch side advertising hoardings, a PUMA pitch logo and a video wall. PUMA branded Dynamic Hoarding Placements enabled by IGA Worldwide’s proprietary Radial ad serving network will also be in situ around the perimeter of the 3, 5 and 7-a-side pitches available for playing matches on.
Andy Law, Head of Business Development at CyberSports, said: “We are delighted to be working with a globally recognised football brand such as PUMA. They are leading the way by providing footballers with everything they need to succeed on the pitch and now they will be doing the same on the virtual pitches of Football Superstars. With a brand like PUMA interactively involved we further blur the divide between reality and our virtual world. Association with PUMA will ensure that Football Superstars will be at the top of the league.”
Richard Callaway, Head of Sport PUMA UK comments; “We are very excited about our new partnership with Football Superstars as it provides us with a unique opportunity to communicate the brand and it’s benefits to a wider audience.”
Giuseppe Bellanca, VP Ad Sales Europe at IGA Worldwide added: “We are proud to facilitate the execution of this campaign, which aligns a leading sports brand with one of the most innovative community-based football games. With the engaging opportunities available within Football Superstars, we believe this is the first of many. This strong integration between both parties will set the standard for other brands looking to get in the game.”
The showpiece of the collaboration will be the creation of PUMA’s flagship store within the game, based on their Carnaby Street concept store in London. The store is being created to scale and will boast an unrivalled level of realism experienced in any virtual world to date it will include a number of PUMA branded items that will offer some level of player enhancement/buff, increasing skills such as strength, stamina, power and speed to aid the player in their quest to be the ultimate Football Superstar.
About CyberSports
Formed in 2006, CyberSports are focused on their goal of dominating the online sports game market by developing and publishing a new generation of MMOG’s; persistent 3D virtual multi-player sports worlds appealing to the widest possible global audience.
CyberSports will launch Football Superstars (www.footballsuperstars.com) a revolutionary MMOG which will bring together the most realistic football simulation ever and a football-based aspirational persistent world.
Football Superstars will become the destination of choice for those who love playing and watching football.
Belief & Betrayal Conspiracy Adventure Game Gone Gold
Leading Publishers Lighthouse Interactive and dtp Entertainment AG announced that their highly anticipated and enthralling conspiracy Adventure game Belief & Betrayal has gone gold. Players are thrust into a secretive and mysterious world of power and intrigue as they investigate a remarkable cold case murder. Belief & Betrayal will begin shipping to retailers across Canada and the United States on June 10, 2008 and is scheduled to hit store shelves in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia on June 20, 2008. This point-and-click Adventure game on PC DVD-ROM for Europe and PC CD-ROM for North America is Windows® VistaTM compatible.
“After an extensive period of testing, the English version of Belief & Betrayal has been optimized to satisfy the expectations of Adventure gamers,” said Erik Schreuder, CEO of Lighthouse Interactive. “Belief & Betrayal was released in France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland experiencing much success. Now it is time for gamers in English speaking territories to enjoy this intriguing Adventure game.”
To find out more about Belief & Betrayal and to keep up with the latest news on the game, visit www.lighthouse-interactive.com and www.beliefandbetrayal-game.com.
GAME SUMMARY
As journalist Jonathan Danter, you discover that a ten year old murder is somehow part of a greater mystery that could destroy humanity itself. Filled with baffling plot twists and conspiracy theories, you must uncover the mystery that reaches back through history from 1194 A.D. to the time Judas received 30 pieces of silver to betray Christ.
Travel to exotic locations throughout Europe including: London, Venice, Rome and the Vatican, to uncover skeletons hidden deep within the closets of some of the most powerful leaders around the World.
FEATURES
• Play as 3 different characters throughout the game to solve the mystery
• Find lost ancient manuscripts and decipher mind-boggling codes and symbols
• Explore stunning environments and incredibly re-created historic locations
• Strong action/adventure storyline creates a compelling gameplay experience
• Use the memories and thoughts of the intriguing cast of characters to solve puzzles and expose dark mysteries
• Game based on historical events though the story is pure fiction
• Easy to navigate 3rd person point & click interface using the Virtools® engine
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS: Windows® 2000 / XP / Vista™
CPU: 1,2 GHz Intel® Pentium® processor or AMD® Athlon™ processor
RAM: 256 MB (1 GB recommended for Windows® Vista™)
Video: 64 MB DirectX® 9.0c compatible or better video card
PC DVD-ROM: 4x
Sound: DirectX® 9.0c compatible sound card
Available Hard Disk Space: 2,5 GB
DirectX®: 9.0c
Other: Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers
Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
The stories and art of famed graphic novelist and filmmaker Enki Bilal adapted for an immersive, richly detailed adventure game for the PC
Got Game Entertainment today announced a North American publishing deal for “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” (PC), adapted from the famed “Nikopol Trilogy” graphic novel series, and major film release “Immortal”, by Enki Bilal. “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” is a visually striking, richly detailed point and click adventure game developed by Benoît Sokal’s White Birds Productions. The game immerses players in a futuristic Paris and the tale of a son’s search for his father and ultimate journey into the perilous world of political intrigue. As Nikopol, players must use cunning and puzzle-solving logic to thwart a dark conspiracy. “Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” is scheduled for release in August 2008 and will retail for $29.99 (USD).
“Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals” opens in the Paris of 2023, now ruled by a power-hungry dictator, a place where the fascist rich and the abandoned poor are separated by both a literal and figurative wall. As we join our hero Nikopol, the son of an astronaut frozen in space decades ago, we find that a floating pyramid inhabited by Egyptian Gods hovers above the city. As one of their leaders plots to take control of Paris and its people, word reaches Nikopol that his father may be alive and hidden in the city’s underground, a possible pawn in a looming battle. In the search for his father, Nikopol’s journey finds him entangled in political intrigue, caught between two worlds, one of anarchy and one of immortality.
The game’s official website will launch later this spring.