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Take a first look at Elsword Online with Massively
There are quite a few side-scrolling action MMOs on the market today. As time goes along, they seem to get more and more over-the-top. Elsword Online is staying very much in step with this tradition, looking more like a violent cartoon than a video game. Still, we were happy to sit down with developer/publisher Kill3rCombo to smash some baddies. While there were a few initial technical difficulties and issues that prevented us from participating in PvP, we were able to run through the tutorial area and a few dungeons. If you are familiar with some of the other popular scrollers like Dragonica and games like Grand Chase (a game that was developed by half of Kill3rCombo) then you will be ready for Elsword. That is, until the combos start. Oh, the combos! %Gallery-120229%
Rise and Shiny recap: Dragonica
I was so glad to get back to normal this week, logging into a new (well, newish) game to enjoy and to write about. Dragonica, from what I remember, had been shut down some time ago. Somehow, magically, the announcement of its return slipped past my eyes, but here it is. It seems gPotato EU is going to be publishing it, considering that that's where I found it. I know, I know -- I work at Massively.com, the worlds' coolest and most reliable source for all things MMO, so how did this news get past me? I have no idea. Still, I was glad to see it sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be played. I never gave it much of a chance before, mainly because side-scroller combat games were normally good for just a weekend jaunt or two. I hate repetition, generally, and sometimes the combat in these kinds of games can be boring at best. I was pretty surprised, though, once I gave the game a chance and learned some of my moves. It grew on me really, really fast. Also, it ran like a dream and was adorable to the point of nosebleed, which always helps. Still, there's more. Click past the cut and find out!
MV Guide: February 21 - 28, 2011
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel. 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 games to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. If you missed a live event last week, don't forget that we have video on demand -- just check the list of "latest videos" on our Livestream page! Rubi and Massively's Guild Wars guild began the Nightfall campaign, Larry treated us to some DCUO endgame, and Jeremy joined our lineup for some Runes of Magic livestreaming! All that and more is available on demand, but for now, follow along to see what's on MV TV this week!
Dragonica: Awakening of the Ice Dragon releases tomorrow
Fire and ice may cancel each other out in the grand wheel of elements, but sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief when frosty dragons come to visit. As of tomorrow, Dragonica will play host to such flights of fancy when Gala Networks Europe releases its next expansion, Awakening of the Ice Dragon. First up on the expansion menu is a completely new continent to explore. The frozen vista of Pagosia is geared to high-level adventurers, with plenty of hero and daily quests to keep the populace busy. Speaking of high levels, the level cap's been bumped up to 75, giving players a loftier goal to attain. Plenty of mid-level options are available for snacking as well. A trio of new dungeons -- the Citadel of Torment, Wolves Den and Underground Graveyard -- will span levels 15-40 and offer up a host of unique challenges with yummy rewards. Awakening of the Ice Dragon will grow the game in a number of other ways, such as allowing players to operate their own market stall, guild vendors selling exclusive consumables, and a permanent discount on warp tower costs. For a free-to-play title, Dragonica's latest expansion sounds like a great value for one's money and fun. %Gallery-64948%
THQ*ICE closes doors, suspends operation of Dragonica Online
Players of Dragonica Online have been left high and dry since August 31st, when publisher THQ*ICE closed its doors. This state of affairs might change soon, as the game is being transferred to another publisher. WarpPortal is taking over the game, and in an effort to make it an easy transition for players, all account information is being transferred to the new publisher. Dragonica, the EU version of the game, is unaffected. If you missed out on this transfer, the new publisher has a Q&A on the forums, and a date for relaunch should come soon. We'll keep an eye out for Dragonica Online's reintroduction!
Paris Strikes Back: Dragonica's biggest patch yet?
"French walkers spotted on the ridge!" Okay, maybe it's not exactly like that other "strikes back" feature, but EU's Dragonica is certainly setting the stage for the biggest patch invasion ever with "Paris Strikes Back." The oddly-named patch has a little something for everyone in Dragonica. Let's start with a whopping eight new classes (AKA "jobs") that will offer 10 additional levels of content: Dragoon, Berserker, Sentinel, Bombardier, Joker, Shadow Walker, Cleric and Chaosmage. These classes were named by the community, and can be selected once a player hits level 60 and completes a quest chain. Dungeon runners will be pleased to know that the Van Cliff and Drakos dungeons are getting a nice tune-up, including the choice of three levels of difficulty: normal, rare and hero. Boss mobs are going to be added to the map, to make navigating the instance easier. Finally, all players stand to benefit from an improved leveling experience with streamlined quests, more XP per kill and a new rest system. Paris Strikes Back is set to stomp into Dragonica sometime during June 2010. Note that this is the European version of the game, not the NA client.
Time running out on Dragonica Online promotion
Last month, we announced that Dragonica Online was so confident that they had a quality free-to-play product that they decided to put the myth to the test. It takes a certain amount of guts to say that not only is your game the best, but that you'll give customers cash towards their game of choice if they don't think so. Fortunately for players of free-to-play side-scrolling MMOs, publisher THQ*ICE did just that. Since February 23rd, the promotion has resulted in thousands of eager new players taking up the challenge. Over 95% of the players involved in the challenge have named Dragonica Online the winner in the showdown, giving THQ*ICE more than a little bragging rights. Still, all good things must come to an end, and the chance to earn a share of the $50,000 prize runs out on March 31st. All you need to do to get in on the action is to head over to the official Dragonica site, register a new account, and tear up some mobs with some friends. Once you've hit level 19 and banked a few friend points, if you think that whatever side-scrolling MMO you played before Dragonica was more fun, THQ*ICE will hook you up with a $5 Ultimate Game Card that you can use for numerous free-to-play titles. If you liked what you saw during your time playing Dragonica, they will give you $5 towards Dragonica's online store plus a free in-game gift pack. If you've never had the chance to experience Dragonica Online but were always interested, now is the time to check it out. With only 6 days left, time is running out fast to get in on the deal. %Gallery-63222%
Dragonica Online puts their money where their MMO is in a Side-Scroller Showdown
You've got to hand it to the folks at THQ*ICE -- it's pretty obvious they believe they have an excellent free-to-play side-scrolling MMO on their hands with Dragonica Online. Why? Because they're offering up $50,000 in prizes in their newest promotion, the "Side-Scroller Showdown" to see if players pick their MMO as the best side-scrolling free-to-play game! Essentially, the idea is this: THQ*ICE want you to check out Dragonica Online. Log in, run around, have some fun, battle some monsters; then decide which side-scroller shall reign supreme. For participating, each player will receive $5 in-game credit in their favorite f2p side-scrolling MMO -- even if it's the competition! Of course, if you do pick Dragonica Online as your favorite side-scroller, not only will you get $5 worth of in-game credit, you'll also get a special "Side-Scroller Showdown" gift pack.
Dragonica Online kicks off 2,500 dollar gift card contest
We know what you're thinking. You're thinking that Dragonica Online is offering you a 2,500 dollar gift card to their own game. Well, that's what we thought too, but we were wrong. 100% wrong! The Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card Sweepstakes (hereafter referred to as "the contest" because that's one huge name) is offering new players and old players a chance at a very sweet 2,500 dollar gift card to Best Buy, allowing you to stock up on all of your electronic needs! All you need to do to enter is simple -- simply sign up for a THQ*ICE passport, download Dragonica Online, and then log into the game before January 31st. Really, it's that simple. If you're already a Dragonica Online user, simply logging in will enter you into the contest. Five first place winners will be grabbing a $25 limited edition Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card while 10 second place winners will find themselves the proud owner of a $10 limited edition Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card. We don't know what's so "limited edition" about them, but who wants to turn down game credit for logging in? Remember, the contest only runs until January 31st, so make sure to log in to participate! Also, THQ*ICE runs the North American version of Dragonica, so sorry in advance to our friends overseas -- this one's not for you guys.
Massively's 2009 Winter Holiday Event Guide
It's that time of year again -- whatever holiday you are celebrating, the denizens of your favorite MMO are sure to be celebrating it too. Whether it's Festivult in Dungeons and Dragons Online, Wintersday in Guild Wars, or the Starlight Celebration in Final Fantasy XI, the theme is the same. There are presents, some sort of sugary treats, and tons of fun. Follow along with us as we check out who's partying in your favorite MMO and what you need to do to get in on the fun.
Play Dragonica Online "with a little help from your friends"
THQ*ICE is launching a new event to help spread the word about Dragonica Online. Current players can invite their friends to join Dragonica Online and receive rewards for it during the "With a Little Help From Your Friends" event. Here's how it works: log in to your THQ*ICE passport to find an invitation URL unique to your account. Use that URL to invite friends. You can win three Essence of Friendship items and a Magic Academy Uniform Package when one of three goals is achieved: five friends join and reach level five, three friends join and reach level ten, or one friend joins and reaches level twenty. New players aren't left out in the cold either. Invited friends will receive five Essence of Friendship items and eight Party Warp Cards once they join and reach level eight. If you're a Dragonica Online fan, it's a great time to invite your friends along for the ride! The event is going on now and will continue until January 11th.
Dragonica Online raises the Veil of Darkness
Not content to sit on their laurels with the recent launch of their fun free-to-play game, Dragonica Online, THQ*ICE has now added and expanded their world with their recent free expansion, the Veil of Darkness. This veil has now cut off the lands of Drakos from the population of loyal Dragonicans, and forebodes a new evil. Dragonica Online's newest update has been hotly anticipated by players for some time but was held back to ensure that the content was fixed up as best they could before they released it into the world -- always a plan we can get behind!Among the myriad details of all the goodness jam packed into patch 1.1.4, the Veil of Darkness, players' max level is now 65, better equipping them to take on the 40+ new quests -- including new epic monster quests and dungeons. The pet system has now been incorporated, allowing players to complete quests to pick up friendly pets at level 20, 30, and 40. There are some really excellent additions to the shop too with new vanity items, items to expand bag space for the MMO pack-rats, and a recall card that allows players to save their location on the field map -- definitely a welcome option. Along with all of this the game has had a complete overhaul in terms of rebalancing to bring more fun to the table for players. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, be sure to pop over to the Dragonica Online site and read the full patch notes for all the specifics.
Massively's Thanksgiving 2009 MMO wrapup
It's that time of year again -- Thanksgiving is tomorrow and all things turkey related have invaded the MMO world: hunting turkeys, eating turkeys, exchanging turkey parts for rewards, wielding turkey weapons, and even wearing turkeys on your head. Sending yourself into a tryptophan coma isn't the only thing to do, though. You'll find some non-turkey related PvP here and there, opportunities to spread Thanksgiving blessings, and even some new content. And of course, Thanksgiving bonuses, treats, and souvenirs are everywhere. Follow along after the jump for a look at what's going on for Thanksgiving.
Dragonica Online goes live in style
Dragonica Online, the free-to-play MMO from THQ*ICE is finished with open beta and ready to party. They celebrate their grand opening today with contests, extra loot and XP, special items for sale, and...an expansion? Yep, that's right. The Tales of the Damned expansion releases at the same time, so it's safe to say that a lack of new content is not going to be a problem.The Dragonica Online team clearly had a great time planning the grand opening, and their sense of fun is communicated throughout the game. The open market has temporarily become the Dragonica Online Black Market, offering up extra special items for a limited time. Logging in daily gets you a chance at a Dragonica Online game card, and they are getting their forums in on the act, opening a contest that requires posting screenshots. Throughout the fun are hints of an upcoming Halloween event as well. Best of all, Dragonica Online promises no character resets, so those of you who have already checked it out can head straight for the new level 50+ content.If you haven't checked it out, it looks like THQ*ICE has put in more than enough time and effort on this to make it worth a look.
Dragonica announces details of new expansion
Fans of the free-to-play MMO Dragonica are anticipating Tales of the Damned, the expansion due to be released later this month. Dragonica offered up a sneak peek yesterday in the form of screenshots and plenty of information on the expansion.Tales of the Damned offers a new area, the Van Cliff dungeon, to bring new challenges to level 60+ players. It builds on familiar content, continuing a story told in the August update, and features three elite bosses that lead up to an even more formidable end boss, the giant Bone Dragon. Dragonica isn't stopping at one new area with this expansion either. They'll also add a new tournament system for guilds, a level cap increase, new mission scoring, and an eagerly awaited pet system. More new content will be released a few weeks after Tales of the Damned, in the form of Drakos' Tower. This new area will also build on a familiar story, one from the game's introduction. Drakos' Tower brings mazes and puzzles for players to solve, as well as three new bosses and new armor sets.As with the original game, the new content is free, and will be introduced via a patch this month.
THQ*ICE's Dragonica Online to enter open beta on August 18th
THQ*ICE's version of Dragonica Online is all set to transition into its open beta phase of testing next week, on the 18th of August. There's always been a bit of confusion regarding the different versions of this game and their various states of readiness, so we'll be very careful about explaining which one this is: THQ*ICE is responsible for the North American iteration of Dragonica Online. The three English versions have each been attempting to lock down users that try to connect to the wrong service by way of IP blocks. An easy way to see which one you should be registering for is to check the game's Wikipedia entry, which lists all of its publishers worldwide. Also, the NA version is the only one with "Online" in the name.Phew! With that red tape out of the way we can return to your scheduled programming. Those interested in joining the open beta should head to the Open Beta Countdown page and sign up. The test officially kicks off at 2PM Pacific on Tuesday -- if you're too filled with Dragonica excitement to wait that long, then consider entering the "Craft a Dragonica Online T-Shirt" contest. The winning shirt will be made official, and the contest page promises a surprise for the creator: "The winning entrant will be immortalized in Dragonica Online history. Although we can't mention more on this at the moment, it's safe to say you won't soon forget winning!"
E3 2009: A complete roundup of Massively's coverage
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 proved to be a significant event for the gaming industry once again, with a fair amount of news and announcements related to MMOs. Massively was there on the ground for E3 this year and we've been putting up breaking announcements, interviews, and hands-on previews throughout. Given how much info came out of E3 on Massively, here's a roundup of our coverage, day-by-day. Be sure to check out the rest after the jump as there's plenty more content, plus you'll find E3 galleries for these games as you click through. To cap it all off, we've also put together an E3 2009 wrapup video for you at the end of this post. Read on to see where the MMO industry is headed in the next year and beyond! Day One Star Wars: The Old Republic world's first fully-voiced MMO Final Fantasy XIV announced Jumpgate Evolution releases E3 trailer EA to publish All Points Bulletin in 2010 PlayStation Home hits 6.5 million accounts Trion World Network unveils Heroes of Telara Massively's day 1 video from the E3 floor
E3 2009: Massively's day 4 roundup
Wait a minute, day 4 of E3 2009? Remedial math skills? E3 was only a three-day event, but our own coverage of Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 is going to last a bit longer. We've still got a number of interviews and previews lined up for you in the coming days, today included, so we hope you'll keep reading this weekend. In the meantime, here are a few highlights of Massively's coverage of E3 2009 from yesterday: Champions Online interview with Bill Roper on character customization Torchlight, from creators of Mythos, to morph from single player to MMO Rohan: Blood Feud to get crafting system in June Massively's Dragonica Online Impressions If you'd like to see more, we've got some eye candy after the jump, with galleries for Champions Online, Torchlight, Rohan: Blood Feud, and Dragonica Online.
E3 2009: Dragonica Online impressions
Continuing the somewhat recurring theme at E3 2009 of "what was old is new again," Dragonica Online has taken the traditional 2D side-scroller format and transitioned it to 3D. The resulting environment will be friendly to any of the Night Elves you see endlessly bouncing around World of Warcraft and fans of nostalgic action RPGs like Secret of Mana.The game sports fast and furious real-time combat, crafting, guilds, dungeon raids, PvP, and a light-hearted atmosphere. It didn't take us long to realize that Dragonica doesn't take itself too seriously. For example, in the demo, we saw an archer battling shark pirates who were wielding swordfish. We're obviously not in Middle Earth here.
Massively's Dragonica Online beta key giveaway
If you've been following Dragonica Online (and its European cousin, sans the 'Online' surname), you may be interested to know that their beta testing begins later today, and we're here to help you get prepared. The official Public Beta Test starts at 6pm EST today, but starting now throughout the rest of the day, we're giving out beta keys to everyone who comments on this post. Simply add a comment here, stating your desire for a key, and we'll send you one right away. Ok, it might not be RIGHT away, but it will be throughout the day, into tomorrow. This giveaway offers beta keys to every person who leaves a comment from now until Saturday, May 30th at 9am EST, when eligibility will close. That's right, it's a first-come, first-serve giveaway with a maximum of 240 keys to hand out. Tell your friends, but remember, only one entry per person. Good luck!
