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Massively Exclusive: Ether Saga Odyssey Future's End preview
As we close in on the launch of Ether Saga Odyssey's upcoming content update, Future's End, Perfect World Entertainment has sent us some lovely new screenshots as well as a bit of new information on what players can expect. First off, there's the titular Future's End, which is a new zone for players level 106 or higher. Future's End is inhabited by a variety of high-level monsters that provide lots of experience and plenty of valuable item drops. Also included in the update are two new types of equipment, known as Dragon Lord and Genesis equipment. What truly makes this new equipment worth fighting for is the new Glyph system, which is used exclusively to enchant Dragon Lord and Genesis equipment, raising the gear to new levels of power. If players inscribe their gear with the right combination of glyphs, they can enable Mantras, which grant attribute bonuses. The update also brings new world bosses, new adventures, and new Signets and skills for Mogui classes. And lastly, for those of you who want to play even when you're out in the treacherous real world, PWE is introducing the Mobile Forge, which allows players to access the Ancestral Forge on the go. For some lovely screenshots to whet your appetites for the upcoming update, click on through the gallery below. %Gallery-65163%
Ether Saga Odyssey's Future's End update coming next week
Ether Saga Odyssey is due for an update later this month, and Perfect World Entertainment has let a few details slip through the PR cracks in anticipation of the August 17th street date. The mortals of ESO's middle kingdom must join together to save one another from the evils of the monstrous Risen Phoenix, and the update promises "even tougher monsters" as well. New world bosses are the order of the day, including the aforementioned phoenix and the fearsome Astral Overlord. That's not all, either. A new glyph system and the new Dragon Lord and Genesis gear are some of ESO's best and most desirable equipment, and of course there's Future's End itself. The titular adventuring area is intended for levels 106 and up and features mobs that are "much stronger than anything that players have ever experienced." You can view the Future's End trailer after the cut, and be sure to log in starting today, as PWE is rolling out the double XP from August 10th through August 17th.
The MMO Report: Lineage shutdown, Lion's Arch, and Sith Inquisitor trailer
Today's MMO Report, sadly, suffers from a distinct lack of Casey Schreiner. But all is well, as G4's Morgan Webb has stepped up to the plate to cover for Casey as he celebrates his 30th birthday. The first order of business is the announcement that NCSoft will be shutting down the North American Lineage servers on June 29th. All inactive accounts for the 13-year-old game have been reactivated, and the game will be free-to-play until the servers go dark. Secondly, we move on to the much-anticipated Guild Wars 2 and the confirmation that Lion's Arch, a social hub featured in the first game, would be making its return in Guild Wars 2. Be sure to check out our coverage of the unveiling of the fly-through video and some analytical commentary from our own Rubi Bayer. Next up is some screen-time for Minecraft. While the game is not strictly an MMO, there's no doubt that the indie title has gained immense popularity in the gaming community. Morgan reports that Minecraft creator Notch is contemplating holding a Las Vegas launch party... err, convention tentatively dated for November 11th. Star Wars: The Old Republic's Sith Inquisitor made its trailer debut earlier this week. Being described by Morgan as "the one player character you really don't want to meet in a dark alley," the class incorporates elements of both spellcasters and stealth classes into one mean, Force-fueled combination. Lastly, we have a fly-through video of the starting zones of Perfect World Entertainment's Ether Saga Odyssey. The free-to-play MMO launched late last month. For the full Casey-and-mailbag-deprived video, scuttle on past the cut.
Ether Saga Odyssey officially launches
Some updates are too big to just write the whole thing off as a patch. Ether Saga Odyssey has just launched today... and if the name looks more than passingly familiar, it's because up until very recently the game was Ether Saga Online. Perfect World Entertainment has re-branded the game with a new title to commemorate the groundswell of content added with this update, including new races, new starting areas, and a brand-new graphics engine for the game. But the launch festivities don't stop with the new title -- there are plenty of other events and rewards to kick off the rebranding. For starters, experience gained will be doubled for the weekend, which should help new players bring characters up to level 30 faster than ever. That's a good thing, as new characters who hit 30 will receive special rewards, as will players who stay logged in for an extended period of time. The promotions end on May 4th, so if you're itching to give the new Ether Saga Odyssey a try, now is the time.
Ether Saga Odyssey relaunching on April 27th
Big changes are coming to the world of Ether Saga Online -- so big, in fact, that Perfect World Entertainment is relaunching the title as Ether Saga Odyssey. The free-to-play MMO will re-open its doors on April 27th sporting a new graphics engine, a new UI, additional races and starting locales, and new pets. Ether Saga's pet system is one of the more complex in the massive genre, and the revamp looks to add to the fun with hundreds of tamable creatures that may be combined to create stronger breeds with new abilities. ESO provides "an atmosphere to enjoy free-form wrestle and play; players get to create different looking pets that even transform into the monster that they defeat," says Perfect World's Aaron Potter. Head to the game's official website for more, and be sure to have a look at the new trailer after the cut.
Exclusive: Ether Saga Online's Maven class has been unleashed
Our friends over at Perfect World Entertainment are giving Ether Saga Online a major spring update by adding new content and classes. Last week, they gave us insight into the Hellion class, the Mogui who wield dual-bladed axe and a hot temper. Over time, knowledge of the Mogui has been forgotten, even knowledge of the spell-casting Maven -- this week's reveal! This class is capable of teleporting short distances, keeping its allies alive, and dealing ferocious damage to enemies. As with the Hellion class, the Maven is also breaks into two separate advanced classes at level 75: Seraph and Magus. Massively has gained an exclusive first look at this powerful ranged class. Below, we have added eight new screenshots featuring the Maven class. Check 'em out. %Gallery-65163%
Perfect World Entertainment offers Japanese disaster relief across multiple games
MMO industry efforts to rebuild Japan continue, as free-to-play titan Perfect World Entertainment is lending its considerable weight to the cause. The firm is donating 50% of the proceeds from special cash shop items to the ongoing Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief drive. Players of PWE's games can pick up a little something extra for their characters while simultaneously making a donation to the Red Cross. The promotion runs through April 13th and features a variety of items in games including Battle of the Immortals (bag expansions), Ether Saga Online (ancestral crystals), Forsaken World (star of hope), Jade Dynasty (meditation orbs), and Perfect World International (super inventory stone).
Exclusive: A preview of the Hellion in Ether Saga Online
Ether Saga Online has been quiet for a little while, but this spring, the game is gearing up for a major update which includes a brand-new race, the Mogui. Long locked away from the world, the Mogui have broken free of their confinement in the wake of the battle against the forces of Oxen Ultera. The race has two unique classes, and the team at Perfect World Entertainment has decided to start off by previewing the hot-tempered Hellion class first. Hellions are an aggressive class, wielding twin battleaxes and assaulting enemies through direct attacks and wide-range area abilities. They've also got the ability to improve their damage via sacrificing health. At level 75, a Hellion can upgrade to either a Warlord or Ruiner depending on player choice. We've got several new shots of the Hellion in action (including a distressingly happy dance) in the gallery below, which should keep Ether Saga Online players excited about what's coming with the spring update. %Gallery-65163%
Exclusive interview: Exploring the Forsaken World
Perfect World Entertainment is no slouch when it comes to big games. After all, they have Perfect World, Ether Saga Online, Jade Dynasty, Battle of the Immortals and more under their belt. It seems as though they have decided to one-up themselves, though, with their recent development on Forsaken World -- so named because it is practically the opposite of Perfect World. Forsaken World promises to be more stylistically blended and to be a little darker, as well. Most of the 3500 (yes, that's 35 hundred) Perfect World International developers have been working on the project over the last three years. Previous PWI games took closer to a year to release -- so that might give you some idea of the scale of the game. We've been handing out some nice chunks of information lately, but when I sat down with Jonathan Belliss, Director of Marketing, I found out there was a lot more to come.
Perfect World Entertainment introduces new dungeons
Perfect World Entertainment has rolled out previews of new dungeons in two of their games, and fans should be pleased with what they find. Jade Dynasty introduces the Dread Labyrinth, a 5-6 man dungeon for players in the 120-150 level range. Navigate the Flower Cave, Stone Fall Cave and the Demon Village to face the fiery wrath of the creature in the Kirin Cave and earn Taichi Pills and Sky Coins. (What is a Sky Coin? Sky Coins can be used as currency to purchase Unique Pets, Sky Serenity Charms and in the future, awesome Espers.) Ether Saga Online players can take a sneak peek at The Obscurity, the upcoming 4-6 man dungeon, featuring five boss fights including fallen deities and mighty dragons. Both dungeons are coming soon, but for now you can make the wait a little easier with plenty of information and screenshots from both the Dread Labyrinth and The Obscurity.
In a Perfect World podcast begins operation
In a day and age where we all seem to have mobile devices kicking around, podcasts are great for keeping up with news and opinions on your favorite topics while still being on the go. Needless to say, we're a bit fond of podcasts around here, so we're happy to announce the first full episode of Perfect World Entertainment's official podcast, In a Perfect World, is available for download. Covering the full range of Perfect World Entertainment's products, the first show includes discussion on Battle of the Immortals, Perfect World International, Ether Saga Online, and Jade Dynasty. Unsurprisingly, the centerpiece of the Battle of the Immortals segment is an explanation of the game's delay until mid-April. There are also previews of the next few Perfect World International events, discussion of the recently-added player-made mount in Ether Saga Online, and in-game events in Jade Dynasty. Various download and aggregator links for the podcast are available on the official blog entry, along with a small contest to win a Barbarian Tiger statue. If you're a fan of the multitude of free-to-play games the company offers, it should be worth the time spent listening.
Meet Ether Saga Online's "My Little Pony from Hell"
Letting fans design mounts is always an interesting idea, but here's a mount that really leaves a burning mark on the land -- Ether Saga Online's new "Dark Noturno" mount. Dark Noturno, originally named Nocturne, is the fan-made creation of ESO player Monaka. She submitted her designs for Nocturne during their "create a mount" contest and her designs made it to the official ESO artists in China. After a few tweaks here and there to her designs, Dark Noturno finally came to life and Monaka was the first player to recieve the devilish new mount. Perfect World recently caught up with Monaka to ask her about the experience, so check out their interview with her over at their official company blog. Nice mount, Monaka!
Ether Saga Online delivers major content update
Perfect World has given a holiday gift to Ether Saga Online players in the form of a significant amount of new content that's bound to keep fans busy and happy for quite a while. The first item on the list is the addition of eight new classes - a huge addition considering that it brings the total to twelve. Players who have hit level 90 have a new zone to enjoy, and if you are level 50 or below, you'll find a revamped set of beginner quests. If you love crafting but have crafted all the armor and weapons you possibly can, head back in to check out the enhanced crafting system, because it goes way beyond those two items now. The pet system has improved as well, as has the transformation system. Product Manager Craig Beers says "We are always looking for ways to improve the gaming experience Ether Saga Online has to offer and this update delivers on that promise. We're delivering expansion quality features and content in this update that gamers can get right now." The full patch notes can be viewed here.
Ether Saga Online and Wizard 101 take home parenting awards
Many congratulations go out today to both Wizard 101 and Ether Saga Online, as the two online games have both claimed themselves a National Parenting Publication Award (NAPPA) from Parenthood.com.What does this mean exactly? Well it means that parents can rest easy knowing that these two games are fun, informative, and free of questionable content. If your kid plays either of these two games, you don't have to look over their shoulder to police what they're doing. The game takes steps to keep your kids safe and to make sure they'll have a good time too!Other recipients that weren't from the online MMO category included EA's Spore, and Guitar Hero On Tour, so it certainly speaks to the quality of these two titles for kids when they're put in that sort of company.
Ether Saga Online launches, increases level cap
Ether Saga Online is now officially live, and as we found out last month at E3 from the game's developers Perfect World, this event has gone hand in hand with a large update. We already knew about the introduction of an "Easy" setting for instances, a new world boss, and the reduction of "kill X number of monsters" quests, but there was also an increase to the level cap. In this patch the maximum level has gone from 90 to 105, and getting through these levels will grant the player lots of brand new class skills.The launched ESO is a free-to-play title, and the client can be found here. Check after the break for the full launch patch information.
E3 2009: Massively's day 3 roundup
We've completely zerg rushed E3 2009, attending press events, demonstrations and sure, hitting some parties as well. But we've also gone out and interviewed the people behind the games that will be arriving on the MMO scene in the next year and we've got a lot to tell you in the coming days. As the constant hustle of E3 2009 came to a close yesterday and the swarm of game journos scatters, now is when we really shift into high gear; Massively's content over the next few days will feature loads of info and interviews fresh from E3. We'd say to keep your eyes open for it, but honestly you won't be able to miss it. For now though, here's a quick roundup of yesterday's coverage: Star Wars: The Old Republic demonstration Paul Barnett and the Suicide Girls present All Points Bulletin Ether Saga Online set to go live this month with world bosses Massively looks at Perfect World International: Age of Spirits Jade Dynasty at a glance Dungeon Fighter Online impressions Still hungry? We've also put together galleries for these MMOs after the jump:
E3 2009: Ether Saga Online to release major content patch this month, move from beta to live
We had the chance to catch up with Perfect World today at E3, the developers of Ether Saga Online, and we picked up a very interesting piece of news about the game. They've just finished up with a brand new content patch for their game and are getting it set to go live later this month. They also let us check out their new launch trailer, which we've included for your viewing pleasure after the break.The patch will not only knock Ether Saga out of beta and into the live release, but it will also drastically alter the questing done between the levels of 1 and 45. The amount of "kill X" quests have been reduced, with new gathering and exploration quests taking their place, and all "kill X" quests will never exceed 20 monsters required. The kill 30, kill 40, kill 50, and kill 60 goals have been removed due to player feedback and an attempt to localize the game for North American audiences.
Runic Games partners with MMO portal Perfect World for their upcoming game
Perfect World Entertainment, the MMO portal of the self-titled Perfect World International and Ether Saga Online, has announced a partnership between themselves and the phoenix game studio Runic Games for the publishing rights of the upcoming MMO, Torchlight.This is a large step forward for Runic Games, the previous Mythos game team of the now defunct Flagship Studios. Their agreement with Perfect World is for global publishing rights, meaning Torchlight could be seeing an international release.Little is currently known about Torchlight, other than the game will be focusing on a single city and centered around the acquisition of a magical ore that imbues equipment with power, but also has a downside to it as well. The game has a bit of a cartoony, playful character to it, as seen in some early concept art shown on the main Runic Games website.
The spellcasters of Ether Saga Online
In a recent dev journal at MMORPG.com, the magic classes of the Free-2-Play Ether Saga Online are explained in greater detail for those players who may want more from their casters. Although there are six classes available to the three races in the game, this dev blog focuses on the Conjurer, the Mystic and the Shaman.According to this journal, the Mystic is the healing class of the three, depending more on defensive magic for beneficial buffs or debuffs. The Conjurer is the damage-dealing magic-user, using offensive and manipulation magic to cause the most damage to their enemies. The Shaman is considered the hybrid class of Ether Saga Online, functioning both as a spellcaster and a tank. If you'd be interested in learning more about these classes, check out the dev journal for a complete description of each.
Ether Saga Online enters open beta
If you need a game that's sugary and saccharin-y cute to the point of inducing cavities via the internet, then look no further than Ether Saga Online, the latest game from the people who brought you Perfect World International.Ether Saga has just entered their open public beta, meaning you can mosey on over to the website and sign up to try the game. Like Perfect World, Ether Saga will be a free to play game, supported by the usual cash transactions from an item shop.The game does have some interesting features, including the ability to level up your character's affinity to the various elements in the game, adding a new dimension to each class beyond how the class normally functions. Past that, skills can be learned on the fly in the field without the need to visit a trainer, and characters get skills relating to their "birthday," the day of the week that they were born.For all the information about Ether Saga Online, check out their website at http://eso.perfectworld.com.
