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Entropia Universe raises a glass to its 10th anniversary
Entropia Universe, the "massively multiplayer online real cash economy," typically has been best known for its ludicrously expensive sales of virtual property and structure. Now it has another reason to be in the spotlight: The MMO(sigh)RCE has made it to its 10th anniversary. The title launched on February 1st, 2003, and has generated loads of money through the creation, sale, and purchase of its online worlds. According to MindArk, Entropia Universe is a favorite of the Guinness Book of World Records when it comes to the most valuable virtual items ever sold. MindArk recently released a mobile app for Entropia Universe and outlined a 2013 roadmap through the anniversary and beyond. [Source: MindArk press release]
Entropia lays out a roadmap for development in 2013
Did you know that Entropia Universe will be 10 years old next year? Possibly not, but if you did, you probably also know how much the team at MindArk has done to improve the game over the past year. That team is looking to make 2013 even better, and to that end they've put out a roadmap for 2013's development. Aside from the obvious anniversary celebration, the developers are hard at work fixing up areas for veteran players, trying to improve the return on several activities and making the game easier to get started with. There are also plans for new server infrastructure and an entirely new taming system, both of which should make existing players happier with the game as a whole. Beyond even that, the team has plans for shoring up the game's financial transactions in several ways. New functionality with PayPal and improved starter packs are in the works. Players can also expect to see a full rollout of the Calypso Land Deed system and accompanying political mechanics within the next year. So here's to a decade of development, and let's hope the team can manage another one. [Source: MindArk press release]
New Darkfall development blog touches on key points
Development on the next incarnation of Darkfall continues, promising big changes to the game's core mechanics. The latest update on the official blog addresses a variety of systems that hadn't previously been covered, starting with the game's large-scale UI improvements. The biggest revelation and item of interest, however, is the promise of the upcoming point system, which allows players to receive rewards for accomplishments that in turn fuel new play options. Although the terminology used in the blog is a bit vague due to the fact that specifics on the system are under wraps, it's made very clear that the point system is not simply an achievement system (which will also be added). Rather, using points in-game will fuel certain abilities or grant access to new abilities, allowing players to open new paths as a reward for their accomplishments. There's also a few updates on the future of crafting, all of which should give Darkfall players something to look forward to when version 2.0 finally goes live.
