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Neo Steam celebrates one year
Free-to-play steampunk MMO Neo Steam has been around for a full year, and the team at Atlus Online is ready to celebrate with a month-long party. June 11th is the anniversary date, but you can find celebratory events every day in June by going through the Neo Steam calendar. Click on events that look interesting to find more information as well as specific locations and times -- some promise more details to come, but there is plenty to do in the meantime. If you haven't tried Neo Steam and are interested in giving it a look, be sure to check out the daily beginner hour that is part of the celebration. The GMs will be appearing at different spots each day to help new players. In-game events aren't the only part of the celebration. Each day you log in during June will earn you a brass gear that serves as a raffle ticket for a Neo Steam-themed iPad. During the month of July, Atlus Online will draw from those raffle gears and ship the iPad to one lucky winner. The event is going on now, so check it out and have fun!
Massively's Neo Steam free item pack giveaway
Are you a Neo Steam player looking for more in-game stuff? Are you just a fan of stuff, but also curious about Neo Steam? We can help you out, either way. To celebrate Valentine's Day and the fact that we love all of you so much, we're giving away a single reusable key code for all Neo Steam players to enjoy a special mount, angel wings costume and Kirin Incense Premium Boost item. In addition to this, Neo Steam is also hosting a number of special in-game events running through the 24th for Valentine's Day and the Winter Olympics. Look for more info on that to come and keep reading past the jump below for the code and instructions on redeeming it.
Neo Steam versus the volcano
One of the many new free-to-play games launched last year, Neo Steam kind of got lost in the shuffle among several other contenders, but that hasn't stopped it from gaining a following. Plus, it's about as close as you're going to get for the time being to a true steampunk MMO, which is something that's going to vary in importance depending on how much players like things that are awesome. We've recently gotten word on a major content update for the game, featuring the last-known source of the eponymous Neo Steam that fuels much of the game's technology: Rope Isle. Covered in jungle and active volcanoes, Rope Isle would be a fairly easy romp toward the precious steam if not for the fact that the island already has inhabitants who aren't pleased with the idea of anyone else coming in. Since they're unlikely to respond to a reasonable discussion about the demands of industrialized economy, Neo Steam players can expect to be pitted against a difficult battle. The update will also increase the level cap to 70 and two new battlefields, to help hone players and improve their skills for the dangerous island.
Neo Steam lets in the soul reapers
It's October, and that means all of the spooky Halloween events are coming out of the woodwork. But how many of them are offering you a pair of steampunk goggles for completing them? Well, only one right now -- Neo Steam.Atlus is throwing open the doors to the Underworld, and all sorts of creepy-crawlies are invading their fantasy steampunk MMO. Defeating these event monsters will get you souls to trade in to special soul reapers to claim pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie for recovery purposes, but the big 250 soul turn in will get you a special pumpkin hat (as seen above) to commemorate the event.However, some monsters will drop event tickets, which enters your account in for a chance to win a pair of handcrafted steampunk goggles. So, what are you waiting for, an invitation? Kill stuff, get loots!
Massively's interview with Atlus Online
Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jeffrey Hong, marketing coordinator for Atlus Online and Neo Steam. It's been awhile since we were able to talk one-on-one with the steampunk MMO developer, so we decided to ask a few questions about the game's current progression, the often-overlooked deep lore and the recent addition of 100 new games to Atlus Online's portal.So if you're a Neo Steam fan, or just curious about the game, keep reading after the jump for our complete interview with Atlus Online.
Neo Steam opens realm vs. realm combat and new dungeons
The two kingdoms of Rogwel and Elerd are finally facing off on the territory of Rope Isle for control of the neo steam! Yes, realm vs. realm combat is finally being enabled on the Neo Steam servers, letting players go at it for control of new stretches of land and the dungeons that dwell beneath. Players will be able to both fight on foot and in siege engines for the glory of their kingdom!However, realm vs. realm combat in Neo Steam works a bit differently than most MMOs. For one, it's actually timed. Currently you can only engage in RvR once every weekend. Once a side wins the battle, the areas are locked until the next week.
So that's how they localize a game...
If you thought localization was just a developer running everything through an auto-translator and shoving the game out the door, you're pretty far off according to Atlus U.S.A. The team over at the company that produces some of the best game localizations in the business have written a very insightful post into why game localization takes so long.Atlus doesn't just take a game and throw it through a quick translation process. There's the weeks of the translators playing the original game to get a feel for it, then the weeks of the actual translation, the weeks of re-programming to make the new text, voice-overs, and graphics line up. Then you have the weeks of testing to remove bugs and finally the packaging and shipping process. On a good game release, you're looking at around three and a half months for the localization. For MMOs, you're looking at something much more intensive thanks to the amount of text involved.Interested in the full process? Check out Atlus's production diary number 12 for the full rundown.
Neo Steam fires up the live servers
If you've been waiting for a fun, Free-to-play part-magic, part-steampunk adventure to check out, then you'll be glad to know that Neo Steam has thrown open the gates for everyone as of this weekend. Whether you are more interested in rolling up a magic/steampunk hybrid character from the Elerd Kingdom, or one of the more devoted science-tech steampowered followers of the Republic of Rogwel, there's more than enough to explore, see and do in this new world. Addded to the overall fun of launch, the team over at Atlus Online are also throwing a couple of Neo Steam launch contests for everyone. The first of these is a screenshot contest, where entrants should be aiming for the funniest or "epic-est" screenshots. Considering how utterly freaking adorable some of the denizens of Chrysalis are - and how cool thier weapons are - this shouldn't be too terribly hard. The next competition is for those more of a musical nature; Chrysalis' two nations are looking for national anthems! The winners in each competition will be given nifty Neo Steam (in-game or out-of-game, depending) swag, perfect for showing off your steam-style. In either case, there's only a limited time to enter, so it's best to get started soon! %Gallery-48931%
The Daily Grind: Do you wish test realm characters could be transfered to live realms?
I regularly play on testing realms (it is in my job description after all) but my biggest gripe is that I can never get that enthusiastic about it because I know I will lose my characters. Last week we told you about the open beta for Atlus Online's MMO Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent and the interesting news that characters created could be kept and resurrected on live realms. Now this is pretty revelatory stuff. Any one who has played an MMO on a test realm knows that you can usually copy your toons over in order to rest higher level content but there's no way to re-transfer them home after your done. They just get deleted along with the server.My problem with this is I am less likely to do quests on a test realm because I don't want to slog through them again later. At the same time it's nice to get the chance to use a premade from a different class to see how they play. However I do think that if more companies were to follow Atlus' example (however implausible it might be for the bigger MMOs) that people would be more inclined to hang around after the beta ended. What do you think, constant readers? Would you play (insert upcoming MMO title here) for longer than the beta if you got to keep your carefully crafted toon?
Neo Steam editor Jason Ruper on bringing steampunk to MMOs
One of the upcoming free-to-play titles that Massively had a chance to see this month is Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent from Atlus. Our hands-on gallery feature is a good introduction to the look and feel of the game world, but now that Neo Steam is in open beta, we're expecting more info about the game to be forthcoming. We came across a ZAM interview with Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent lead editor Jason Ruper, conducted by Andrew "Tamat" Beegle. Ruper gives some background on the game's setting and lore, saying, "The game has a lush, fantasy-steampunk setting, and everything -- from the machine wasteyards and polluted rivers to the rickety vehicles and the ancient ruins from before the shattering -- contributes to this setting and reminds you that your nation is in a state of reconstruction as well as in the middle of a cold war."
Neo Steam launches into open beta, promises beta accounts will become permanent characters
Not only has Atlus Online begun their open beta of their first game, Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, but they've also unleashed a second piece of interesting news -- characters created during beta will be available when the game goes live.Yes, that's right, Atlus Online will not be doing the standard database purge once the open beta is over and switched into live mode. All of your hard work leveling up your characters during the open beta will roll over into the live game.Plus, Atlus will be giving one lucky tester a set of handcrafted steampunk goggles created exclusively for Neo Steam. The goggles are shown in the picture above and they don't look too bad, if you ask us. All you have to do to be entered is simply play in the open beta and hit level 20! That's it!You can run on over to the Neo Steam website and grab the open beta until June 8th, or visit our sister site, Big Download, for the client as well..
MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all MMOs, including WoW! Check out this roundup of the latest news from the wider MMO world. First official confirmation that new Blizzard MMO is original IPIn a post on the official World of Warcraft forums, Blizzard community manager Zarhym came out and said the new MMO was in fact an original IP, saying, "We have nothing to advertise for the new MMO because it's a shell of a game thus far. We've already stated it'll be a brand new franchise, which means the lore, art, and game play are being developed entirely from scratch. It's an overwhelming process, but a process through which we excel. Our track record supports this." Runes of Magic reaches 1 million registered usersHere we are, not even two full months after the release of Frogster's Runes of Magic, and they're already announcing that they've hit the one million registered user milestone. Not only has this announcement come so soon after launch, but the EU and NA public hasn't even known about the game for a year yet, according to the Berlin-based publisher. Free Realms destroys the 1 million account speed recordWe've known it was going to be a strong contender since the first time we laid eyes on Free Realms. Once we stepped into the world last month and started playing the game, we knew it was going to be even bigger than we'd previously thought. Sure enough, we were right. News has come out this morning, courtesy of John Smedley on Twitter, that Free Realms crossed the 1 million account mark in just eighteen days since launch. Massively introduces: Betawatch!Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's newest weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.
Massively Hands-on: Neo Steam
Yesterday, Massively was invited to the first official developer tour and hands-on for Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent. This tour took us through some of the game's gorgeous landscapes, travel mechanics, pet system, mounts, PvP and even a light-hearted race around the fountain in the middle of town square. You may remember our coverage and first look at Neo Steam at GDC earlier this year. Since then, the game has come a long way, and this hands-on tour will show the latest and most current state of the game as we enter the beta stages. Follow along by clicking on the first image in the gallery below for a closer look at our time with Neo Steam.%Gallery-63388%
Neo Steam kicks off Golden Ticket beta promotion
Atlus Online has just announced their newest promotion, giving its community the chance to get an early look at their steampunk MMO entitled Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent. You may remember our coverage of Neo Steam from GDC earlier this year which revealed quite a bit of information on Atlus Online's first MMO. This Golden Ticket beta promotion offers prizes and exclusive in-game items (such as the goggles shown above) for all community members who register between now and May 12th. Golden Tickets will be randomly distributed each day as the deadline approaches. Since this is only the first round of beta access, additional opportunities will be announced throughout May. Be sure to check out Neo Steam's website to sign up for beta access, and continue right after the jump for the newest official Neo Steam trailer.
European NeoSteam reveals closed beta
We've spoken about Neo Steam a few times now as the upcoming steampunk MMO being re-engineered for English speaking audiences by Atlus Online, the new division of Atlus Games. What we haven't mentioned, however, is that there will be two versions of Neo Steam for English audiences -- the Atlus American version and Gamigo's European version.Gamigo has recently thrown open the doors on their open beta test for Neo Steam, letting all interested parties enter the battle between Rogwel and Elerd. For the sake of not confusing the two games, Gamigo has subtitled their version "Steam Wars Begin" while Atlus has dubbed their version, "Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent," as we have reported on before.So if you're itching to see what exactly Atlus is working on, you can jump over to Gamigo to sign up for a free account and check out the game. We're excited to see what exactly Atlus is adding to Neo Steam, as they've said before that their localization is going beyond just a short translation and name changes
Atlus Games launches online gaming and anime portal
Fans of RPGs like the Persona series and those already playing Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online should be familiar with Atlus Games. The company is branching out into online interaction via a new web portal that's a home for their upcoming (summer release) MMO title Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent as well as having a heavy focus on anime. In fact, users can draw live on the site and collaborate with others in this fashion. We've known that a web portal for MMOs and anime was something on horizon but it became official with yesterday's press release and the launch of the Atlus Online portal. Along with the rest of the wired (and wireless) world, Atlus Online is also on Twitter.
GDC09: Tinkering around with Neo Steam and Atlus Online
The World of Gatheryn isn't the only steampunk MMO on the block this year at GDC09. While Gatheryn certainly appeals to the Victorian steampunk crowd, Atlus Online's upcoming MMO Neo Steam will be bringing in those who like more fantasy mixed in with their brass and gear-driven inventions.Atlus may be a newcomer to the world of MMOs, but they're proving that they're no newbies with their initial offering. Our look into Neo Steam was quite informative and surprising, especially considering that this will be the second time Neo Steam will be releasing in North America. Atlus is putting a large amount of effort into making Neo Steam resonate with North American audiences, and not just putting out a rehash of the same game you've already seen.
Atlus Online to launch online games portal with new localization of Neo Steam
Atlus is planning to launch their online games portal with a bang, announcing the hybrid steampunk-fantasy MMO Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent as their first game.If Neo Steam sounds familar, it should. GameNetworks has already had an English version of the game running for a few months. However, with HanbitSoft changing the rights over to Atlus, GameNetworks has discontinued service for their version of Neo Steam.Neo Steam will be undergoing an extensive localization process, common to most Atlus Games, to make sure all of the dialogue is written properly and game features are tweaked to support the English language. The game will also be undergoing other updates, including graphical and content updates. Simply put, this will not be the exact same version of the game that has already been released to English speaking audiences.Interested users and previous Neo Steam players will be very interested to hear that signing up for early access to the Atlus Online portal will also let users sign up for the beta of the newly localized Neo Steam. Signing up also allows instant access to their forums, so you can talk and mingle with your fellow neo steamers to your heart's content!
