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Outspark closes, gamigo acquires Fiesta Online
Free-to-play publisher Outspark has officially closed its doors, but its Fiesta Online MMO will live on thanks to an acquisition by gamigo. Outspark CEO Philip Yun says that "a substantial part of the team has joined gamigo, and will work from gamigo's San Francisco office to manage and support the games." A press release on gamigo's website also mentions that the firm will be moving its New York-based North American office to San Francisco.
Fiesta celebrates five years of operation with a cavalcade of events
Five years is a respectably long time for an MMO to be running, and Fiesta is hitting that milestone this month. That's especially notable as the free-to-play title launched in 2007, when the very concept of a free-to-play game was still in its infancy. But like many MMOs, the team behind the game at Outspark isn't just celebrating internally. Instead, players are going to be reaping the benefits of the game's long life through several events, both in-game and out. Players can start off by taking to the streets in the Birthday Grand Prix race and taking part in the new High Roller event, searching for dice across the game's zones for special prizes. Then there's the Anniversary Dance Event running across the servers at the end of the month, a chance to get together with old friends in the game and dance until you stop. You can also enter to wear a pair of JustBeats Monster Headphones by Dr. Dre on the official Facebook page. Whether you're an old veteran or a new player, if you're a fan of the game, be sure to take part in one of the events before the time runs out! [Source: Outspark press release]
Celebrate Luvinia Online's first anniversary with events
If age were determined by expansions, Luvinia Online would be four. In years, the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is celebrating its first birthday. And from now through October 3rd, players can join in special in-game events and earn prizes during the celebration. Events include a scavenger hunt, slicing up a giant pastry, and new PvP guild wars; prizes include mounts, fashions, and gems. All players can also take advantage of a daily XP buff and new players will get a free fast-travel teleportation book for joining the game. To download and play Luvinia Online for free, visit the official site. [Source: Outspark press release]
Rise and Shiny: Darkblood Online
If you are a fan of action-based MMOs like Rusty Hearts and Dungeon Fighter Online, then you might want to check out Outspark's new title Darkblood Online. Not only does it hand out the same bang for the buck, but it does so with a unique and flashy style that I haven't seen before. I spent the last week chopping up monsters, shooting demons, and conquering dungeons. I saw some of the weaknesses of the title as well, but overall it possesses an honesty about its intentions that helps to keep the good times rolling. There is definitely a persistent nature to the game. It's an MMORPG, so don't worry. It's not a MOBA or social game with multiplayer elements even though a player could spend much of her time soloing areas. The whole thing is balanced between an arcade grinder and a living world. But I'll try to not get ahead of myself.
Previously on MV TV: The week of August 11th
Cheer up, grumpy! It's time for another Massively TV recap! Look, if you promise to smile, I'll throw in an extra stream or two... but only this once. Wait, you don't have any idea what I am talking about? This is the first time you have taken a moment to check out this wonderful series? Allow me to explain: Each week I take some of the best and brightest livestreams from our famed livestream channel, package them up after the cut below, and serve them to you hot and fresh. All you have to do is promise to bookmark our Massively TV guide so you won't miss another stream! Got it? OK, so let's check out what I have for you this week. Richie killed a bunch of people in SMITE, Blake killed a bunch of people in Star Wars: The Old Republic PvP, Mike killed himself in EVE Online and World of Tanks, MJ killed a bunch of NPCs in The Secret World, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and EverQuest II, and I blew through a series of dungeons while gathering massive amounts of loot in Darkblood Online. If killing and looting is your business, this week's recap could serve as your newsletter.
Rise and Shiny revisit: Allods Online
Before I get into the details of my week revisiting Allods Online, the "controversial" MMO published by gPotato, I'd like to say that I am fully aware of its less-than-stellar launch. I'd go so far to say that I have heard a lifetime's worth of theories and discussions over the overpriced cash shop and odd death mechanic. I saw the players who worshipped the game during the beta and later screamed about the fact that someone had to pay for the game. I have my own theories, mainly one that says many Western MMO players' first experience with a free-to-play MMO was Allods Online. These players were not used to cash shops and scoffed at for paying something that was previously free in beta. The cash-shop prices were too high. We know this. The developers and publishers both talked about it and continue to do so when asked. The death mechanic was over the top, and players could literally spend thousands of dollars on the game. This is all known; I have heard about it from the publishers' mouths myself. So here we are. The game has been tweaked and patched. The prices were adjusted; the silliest of the death mechanics have been removed. Players can still spend thousands on the game, but those same players can spend thousands in any number of MMOs. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, allow me to tell you what I thought about the gameplay during my revisitation.
Outspark launches Fiesta Social beta on Facebook
It's beta time for Fiesta Social, a new Facebook RPG based on Outspark's Fiesta Online MMO. "With Fiesta Social, when you meet someone in-game, you're hanging out with them in real-time, laughing at their jokes and saving them in battle. It's highly addictive, soul-satisfying bonding you just can't get from the current 2-D turn-based social games," says Outspark CEO Philip Yun. We're not sure about the soul-satisfying bit, but the trailer has a certain cute factor that you can see by clicking past the cut below. Outspark says that Fiesta has nearly 10 million registered users and close to 600,000 Facebook fans, so there's always someone to share your personal information with... er, have fun with, day or night. Outspark is also giving away free dance emotes and free mounts. All you have to do is enter the code OTTERGONBEAT.
Previously On MVTV: The week of February 25th
So you missed out on some of Massively's wonderful livestreams, huh? You had to go out and hang out with actual human beings and missed some of the most exciting live game playing you could have imagined? Shame. Shame on you. Don't worry, though; I've taken the time to collect some of the very best moments from the previous week's shows and combine them into one easy, one-stop-shop for your viewing pleasure. Really, it's no trouble. Do be a dear and bookmark our MassivelyTV Guide for future reference! So what do we have this week? Some pretty awesome stuff, actually. Richie jumps back into some Guild Wars, Mike takes an explosive swing at EVE Online once again and then hops into RIFT, Psykopig slowly finds himself falling in love with Wizard101 despite his attempts at resistance, Karen and the team from Allods Online embark on a tour of high-level content and Astral ships, I get invited to a real wedding inside Luvinia Online, and Tboo does her usual best by shooting people in the face in APB: Reloaded.
Rise and Shiny recap: Fiesta Online browser version
Fiesta Online is getting pretty long in the tooth. Heck, it's a game I have played and returned to several times over the years, and I've never quite stuck with it. Don't get me wrong -- the game is quite nice-looking for its style and always seems to have a ton of players on, but there are a lot of titles I would love to be spending time with. Unfortunately, I have to pick and choose, and a game like Fiesta Online will normally land on the list of games that I play very infrequently. I had a great time recently when I toured some high-level content with the developers and was more excited to hear about a browser version of the game coming out soon. Why would a browser version matter? I have predicted (and I am still sticking by this prediction) that most MMO content will be delivered via the browser within five years. The truth is that most MMO players probably play a browser game already, especially when you consider games like RuneScape, Dark Orbit, Battlestar Galactica Online, Club Penguin and scores of others, but I mean to say that the browser will become the accepted way to get your MMO content. Yes, one day we will look back, giggle, and say, "We used to download and install massive files just to play a game!" So how does Fiesta Online's browser version perform, and what is the point of having one in the first place?
Previously on MV TV: Week of January 23rd
Welcome to Previously on MV TV! Our livestreaming schedule has picked up a lot over the past few weeks, and our readers have busy lives, so we know it's impossible to watch every single streaming event live. Fortunately for you, we save all of our streams all for posterity on Massively's Twitch TV channel, so you can view them at your leisure. Even better, we've got a roundup of a few of last week's MV TV highlights from the livestream team. Follow along after the jump for the best of the best, and check out our full library of videos for the other games we've streamed last week as we begin to ramp up our streaming even more in February!
MV Guide: January 23-29, 2012
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!
Massively tours Fiesta's new Expedition to Adealia
Who doesn't love checking out a game's new content? I love it, for sure. So I was more than happy to sit down and ride along with the developers of Fiesta as they showed off their new expansion, Expedition to Adealia. The tour wasn't all rainbows and kittens, that's for sure. I found myself surrounded by towering monsters, crazy children brandishing giant knives, and massive, fire-breathing boss-monsters. It was fun, but I had no idea this cute Anime title could be so hardcore! Luckily for me, my hosts had the ability to heal or resurrect me when needed. I didn't do too shabbily, though, and I shot arrows like bullets, bringing down every mighty beast I came across. It was fun, yes, but a real slaughter. Well, for the monsters at least. And for those of you who'd like to host your own dance party in the game, Outspark was kind enough to provide Massively with plenty of goodie bag codes to give away. To get this free item, head to the redemption page and enter the item code MassivelyFiesta. You have until the 31st of January to redeem it. Journey on to see just what I found during my tour of the Adealia expansion!
Fiesta previews upcoming expansion with a new trailer
Despite what you might be led to believe by the title, life in Fiesta is not a neverending party. Starting in January of next year, the atmosphere will get distinctly less party-filled with the release of the game's newest expansion, Expedition to Adealia. The title suggests the start of the expansion, in which players visit Adealia Village while fending off an attack from the native Doomed Elves, but there's a great deal going on past that point. The trailer for the expansion is embedded just past the cut, showing off some of the enemies and locales that players will be able to explore next month. From a mechanical standpoint, players can expect to face a variety of new enemies, reach a new milestone with an increased level cap, and explore an outdoor dungeon filled to the brim with the requisite shinies. Fiesta players will need to wait until next month to enjoy the additions, but you can get a preview of what's coming just past the break.
Outspark announces Fiesta Online expansion, Expedition to Adealia
Outspark has announced a new expansion for its flagship free-to-play MMO, Fiesta Online. For the uninitiated, Fiesta Online is a fantasy MMORPG that puts players in the shoes of one of seven classes (such as Archer, Cleric, or Trickster) and sends them on a quest to -- what else -- save the world. More or less, anyway. The expansion, known as Expedition to Adealia, will bring players to the eponymous continent of Adealia. There, they will be tasked with battling "the evil that consumes the land." The expansion will also increase the level cap, allowing players to progress their characters' power even further. To find out more about the upcoming expansion, or to join the game yourself, head on over to Fiesta Online's official site. [Source: Outspark press release]
Fiesta Online whips up a creamy browser version
With a current playerbase of over five million users, you'd think that Outspark would be plenty happy with Fiesta Online as it is. However, the publisher has decided that there are more steps it could be taking to widen the accessibility for this free-to-play title, and as such, the devs are preparing a new version of Fiesta Online that you can play in your browser. Coming this winter, the Fiesta Online browser edition will access the full game that current players experience. Players will be able to log onto either the browser or standard client and interact in the same game. Outspark says that this is only the first part of greater changes coming to the game. Outspark CEO Philip Yun says this is all about giving its customers more choice: "With such a large fan following we hear plenty of opinions on what players want. In preparation for more content coming in the future, we wanted to provide old and new players more ways to enjoy and play their favorite MMO." [Source: Outspark press release]
Luvinia Online releasing Age of Enlightenment expansion on November 30th
Outspark's gearing up for Luvinia Online's new expansion, and according to the company's latest press release, there's quite a lot to be excited about. The patch is called Age of Enlightenment, and it includes a level cap increase, two new dungeons, new explorable maps, and a generous helping of new quests and content. Oh, and let's not forget the new second tier subclasses which unlock 12 new roles for level 80 players. Obtaining a new subclass will require a bit of effort, as Outspark says that players will need to "traverse the new Knowledge Pagoda" which is basically a "giant book depository" filled with quests and various items required for advancement. How soon can I get my hands on this new expansion, you say? November 30th, according to Outspark, and the new content will go live during the regular server maintenance period. [Source: Outspark press release]
Massively Exclusive: A look at Luvinia Online's Bishop
Luvinia Online has only been officially launched for a couple of months, but already there's a new expansion on the way. The update, Age of Enlightenment, brings with it the game's second tier of subclasses. One such subclass is the Bishop, an offshoot of the Priest archetype, and Massively has an exclusive blurb on what players can expect from the new healer. So click on past the cut for a short bio on the Bishop, and prepare for the Age of Enlightenment expansion to go live on November 30th.
First Impressions: Luvinia Online
Welcome once again to another thrilling installment of first impressions. Today we venture into the sugary-sweet (and somewhat bizarre) world of Luvinia Online, a new F2P MMO from Outspark. The game launched late last month, and I decided to jump in (with the help of a lovely developer walkthrough, no less) and see what the new title had to offer. As readers of my other reviews will know, I'm very selective when it comes to free-to-play titles -- harsh, even. So does this quirky little MMO rise to the occasion, or does it flounder about at the bottom of the barrel? Follow me past the cut and I'll let you know.
Divine Souls is taking a time out
It's not you; it's them. Specifically, it's the development team behind Divine Souls. The game has been out for only a little while, but the team is apparently unhappy with the reception thus far, not to mention the game's bugs and other instabilities. So without any major notice, the game has been essentially put on hiatus, going offline so that the team can put it back on the drawing board for more refinements and adjustments. While the game has already been taken down, there's no set timeframe for when it will come back online; the closure notice acknowledges that it may be some time before the bug fixes and refinements are complete. Players will receive a partial refund for any in-game currency purchase since the game's launch, with the amount refunded dependent on how close to the closure it was purchased. It's not an ending, just a pause, but it's still sad news for the game. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Luvinia Online leaps into launch
Following a short period in open beta, Outspark's Luvinia Online has ponied up and released to throngs of adoring fans today. If riding giant bunnies and beating up on steroid chickens in a colorful fantasy environment sounds up your alley, today might be a great day for your gaming schedule. Outspark's Philip Yun announced that the level cap has been increased to 78, and he welcomed all of the game's supporters: "We had a great open beta and everything is coming along as expected for this exceptional MMORPG. We thank all of the players that helped out with the closed and open betas and are happy that we can finally bring the full experience of Luvinia Online to our large and eager player base." Unlike many MMO launches, Luvinia's launch won't wipe players' beta characters but will instead roll them onto the live servers instead. With Luvinia's launch comes the opening of the in-game store, which will try to tempt players with costumes, mounts, and XP boosts in order to finance this free-to-play title. [Source: Outspark press release] %Gallery-126599%
