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Perfect World Entertainment surpasses market expectations
Perhaps the belief that free-to-play games are bad and do not make money is unfounded. If you asked anyone with stock in Perfect World Entertainment, he would tell you that F2P is where it's at. The creator of the Perfect World International and Forsaken World has stunned the market as it reported a 15% revenue increase last quarter (January 2011 to March 2011) over last year (January 2010 to March 2010.) However, the biggest surprise is the amount of profit the company generated. The 110% growth over last year greatly surpassed the high-end expectations of the company itself. CEO Michael Chi attributed the stellar growth to the recent release of Forsaken World and Empire of the Immortals. But the profit is due to more than the entry of these two games into the market. "At the same time, we also experienced lower sales and marketing expenses as we did not have as many new launches as we did in the previous quarter. All of these factors contributed to our strong bottom-line growth in the first quarter," Chi explains in a Gamasutra article. Perfect World Entertainment hopes for continued growth as it continues to solidify its place in the F2P market with more games coming soon.
First Impressions: Forsaken World
Perfect World Entertainment's latest title, Forsaken World, is made to sound like the polar opposite of Perfect World, the older flagship title that serves as Forsaken World's foundation. When I first heard about this newer project, I was enthused. After all, I wasn't really fond of Perfect World. I thought it was too stale and linear. Still, I have admired Perfect World Entertainment for a long time, mainly because the company knows its audience and does really good work. Its games are flexible when it comes to system requirements, and its titles fit all sorts of different players and age ranges. Also, the developers claimed that Forsaken World would be a game made for a "Western audience." Of course this means absolutely nothing to me, being that there are easily millions and millions of players for decidedly "Eastern" games like Nexon titles or other large publishers, so I figured that PWE meant to say that it was a game made for those snootier Western players who consider free-to-play games to be nothing but point-and-click junk. Strangely enough, PWE got the WASD movement wrong in Forsaken World. I have no idea how or why this was missed, but the "Western" audience will notice, I promise. Click past the cut and let's talk about everything I loved about the game -- and a few things I did not.
Perfect World Entertainment comments on 2011
Perfect World Entertainment is always busy. No, seriously -- these guys and gals do not sleep. They now publish nearly 10 titles and show no sign of stopping. Their newest and largest title, Forsaken World, just hit open beta at the time of this writing, so we thought it might be a good idea to ask a few questions of the developers. We tracked down PWE's Clifton Chu, product manager for Forsaken World, to give us some info on the new game and the company's MMO presence. If you have been excited to play it or any of the other titles in the Perfect World lineup, 2011 is going to be a very good year for you. Not only can you try out every title on its roster, but you can do it at your own pace. No subscription fee also means that you'll have more money to blow in the cash shop. Hey, everyone needs vanity items! Click past the cut to read the interview! %Gallery-107517%
Perfect World dev diary shows off all changes coming in Genesis
Perfect World International, the largest game in Perfect World Entertainment's free-to-play MMO stable, is set to erupt with enormous world-changing goodness. On March 2nd, the game's largest expansion, Genesis, is nearing launch. We've checked out the expansion in earlier developer diaries, but today we have a video showing off the many changes players can expect, all in one tasty, ready-to-devour package. In this video, the game's Product Manager, Clifton, and Community Manager, Steven, sit down to tell us all about the myriad things that will be coming to the game on March 2nd. The Earthguard race will emerge from the underground; players can pick up Runecrafting to buff their weapons; and even new dances will be added to replace some of the older ones. (Those are apparently so embarassing that Clifton and Steven are loath to put them on camera!) For active Perfect World International players, a huge rollback of Territory Wars to pre-nerf is coming as is a full map reset, which will open up the season for one heck of a power-grab. Finally, we also get a look into the upcoming guild bases, which players have been wanting for quite some time. You'll find the newest dev diary video behind the break, ready for those who want to check out more on Perfect World International's upcoming Genesis expansion.
Guild bases coming to Perfect World
Guild bases are on their way to Perfect World International, and the new functionality is the latest in a long line of updates scheduled to go live with the Genesis expansion on March 2nd. In terms of mechanics, the bases are instanced and feature four wings: an armory, an alchemy lab, the Manor of Justice, and the Heavenly Vault. Each wing offers different buffs, unique quests, and guild-only exclusive content to make your PWI experience all the more memorable. The guild bases also feature a fifth room, the Hall of Loyalty, centrally located between the four wings and home to more quests, trivia activities, and unique rewards. If all that isn't enough for you, guild bases also boast an area dedicated to raising monsters that can be hunted for experience and spirit. Head to the official Perfect World International blog for further details.
Rise and Shiny recap: Perfect World
Perfect World International, brought to us by Perfect World Entertainment, is a beautiful game -- I'll give it that. I am not sure whether the newbie area I was playing through (which consisted of a race of mermaid- and mermen-type creatures) is newly made or recently redone, but the scenery, special effects, and characters are downright gorgeous. While near-realism (with a huge touch of pointy fantasy) is definitely not my favorite art style, I can see how much hard work went into the game. Props to everyone on the team! Still, a beautiful game does not guarantee a fun game. PWI is obviously very successful and boasts a massive population, but does that translate to a friendly community? I wonder, also, what the average age of players is. I would put hard-earned money (playing video games, so it's fitting) on the table and say that the numbers would surprise us. In fact, that could sum up a lot of how I felt about PWI while I played it: surprised -- a lot of the time. Click past the cut and I'll tell you more.
PWE reveals Perfect World International Genesis trailer
Perfect World Entertainment has unveiled a sparkling new trailer for Genesis, the latest expansion for its free-to-play Perfect World International MMORPG. The clip features just over a minute and a half of gameplay footage and shows off a ton of new content. First up is a glimpse of the new Earthguard race, followed by a montage of the new Seeker and Mystic classes in action. There's also a look at some of the new summonable pets as well as interior shots of the expansion's new faction bases. The new Genesis content will be hitting the PWI live servers on March 2nd, and in the meantime, you can get a sneak preview of all the juicy details after the cut.
One Shots: Open the floodgates
For some people, one character per game is pretty much their hard limit. That way they can level up, see almost all of the game's content, and only have to worry about gearing up once. For others, a new game just represents a chance to roll even more alts! Some are for crafting, some are for roleplay, some for raiding, and there's almost always that one inevitable bank and auction house mule. Today's One Shots comes from someone who was more the former but has crossed to the alt-tastic dark side recently in Perfect World International. This image comes to us from a player going by SiSSY LaLa, who writes in: "I almost never make alts, but I finally decided to make one and check out the Tideborn in Perfect World International. I was very intrigued by the interesting city decor. I hope my main doesn't get jealous of my time away." When you're running around in your MMO of choice this weekend, why not grab a screenshot and send it along to us? We love to see what you're all up to -- and it's easy to do. Just email your image to us at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll share it with the world and give you the credit. %Gallery-112285%
Perfect World shows off new dance moves plus Forsaken World class video
The devs at Perfect World Entertainment are busy little bees, and today they've brought us a pair of videos to show off what's new in two of the company's flagship free-to-play titles. First up is Forsaken World's second dev diary video, and in it, PWE marketing director Jon Belliss shows off the fantasy epic's eight playable classes as well as the 14 secondary occupations that make up the job system. Not to be outdone is Perfect World International, and its upcoming Genesis expansion will be featuring the usual expansion suspects such as a new race, new classes, new zones, and more. In addition to all the new content, PWE is throwing some fluff into the mix via a slew of new character dance emotes that amp up the style and complexity of the game's existing moves. All of the game's original races will be able to perform the maneuvers, and many of them will be activated via special clothing sets. Check out the Forsaken World dev diary video and a sneak peek at a new Perfect World International dance after the cut.
Forsaken World details protector class
Hot on the stiletto heels of their assassin and vampire spotlights, Perfect World Entertainment brings us a brand new Forsaken World class preview focusing on the protector. According to the game's official blog, protectors are "nine feet tall, carry hammers the size of people, and are regularly seen carrying dwarves on their shoulders." Dwarf-tossing references and subtlety-related snarkiness aside, the protectors serve as Forsaken World's tanking class, complete with the usual amenities such as aggro-building taunts and very large pieces of armor. Protectors also make use of a special ability called fury, which gradually charges up over the course of a fight. Theoretically, protectors grow stronger and more dangerous the longer the fight continues. To learn more about the protector class, head over to the class preview at the official Forsaken World blog.
The Rising Tide continues to wash over Perfect World International
Will you be prepared when the tide rises and the seas give up their secrets? Well, if you check out this nifty trailer for Rising Tide -- the recently released expansion to Perfect World International -- that we've managed to get our hands on, you'll have a good head-start if you decide to wade in! Featuring a brand new race -- the graceful, aquatic Tideborn, new starting areas for players to enjoy, and a whole pile of new challenges, the expansion offers players a great deal of new content for everyone. Perfect World International players are facing off against a whole new evil to rescue the underwater kingdom through three new explorable zones, 200+ new quests, 100+ new monsters, new gear, and more! For those interested, be sure to check out the trailer behind the break, or pop over to the Perfect World International site for more details -- or to sign up! After all, there's no charge to take a dip in the Rising Tide.
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.
A bird's-eye view of China's MMO market
To a western MMO developer, China's market is alluring in much the same way that winning the lottery is alluring to everyone else. There's a huge market right there, even disregarding the almost stereotypical amount of gold farming associated with the country, but thus far western games have yet to make much of a dent. The only one that's been largely successful is World of Warcraft, and even that has a bit of a tortured history. Scott Jennings has taken the opportunity to expound a bit on what makes China so appealing as an MMO market and why it's been so difficult to get a solid footing in. One of the points he makes is that, by and large, China hasn't attracted a good portion of the western market either -- Perfect World International comes the closest to making a splash, and it's nowhere near the popularity of, say, Runes of Magic. He also discusses several of the difficulties in negotiations between western businesses and the Chinese counterparts, as well as the government's vested interest in ensuring the market stays solidly in China. The full article also offers as comprehensive a breakdown of the entire World of Warcraft controversy as you're likely to find in one place, making it an excellent reference point for anyone interested in the vagaries of the worldwide market.
Kung Foo! events and activities for final week of CBT
The Kung Foo! closed beta test is wrapping up soon (it ends January 20th), and Perfect World International are planning to finish with a series of fun community events to thank those who logged in to help out. Since the servers will be wiped before open beta, why not throw some cash around, right? Players will be receiving Foo Funds upon logging in after the latest maintenance period, so they can hit the mall and gear up for the events. The first event is a fashion party, a chance to be a little silly and show off some of your new costumes from the mall, not to mention meet some of your fellow closed beta testers. Friday will be a bit startling if you're unprepared, because monsters will be appearing ... somewhere. Where and when is a bit of a mystery, so be ready. (Maybe smack them with your teddy bear backpack.) Finally, while it's true that the servers will be wiped after the 20th, closed beta testers will get a few gifts to carry over into open beta. Everyone will receive a Lolligator transformation tonic that lasts 30 days after its first use, and anyone reaching level 40 will get a Sweet Wolf pet. So enjoy the last week of closed beta, and get ready for the crowds coming in open beta!
Kung Foo! creators talk about all things Foo
Kung Foo!, the snarky new offering from Perfect World International, went into closed beta yesterday. At first glance, the free-to-play game is yet another clunky, anime-styled fantasy game full of ancient Chinese cliches, so what makes this one so different? Product Manager Craig Beers and Guest Writer Devin Grayson spent some time discussing this with MMORPG.com, but if you've seen the trailer, you already know the answer: Kung Foo! takes everything you recognize as standard-issue for most MMOs and satirizes it. "You name it, we make fun of it," Grayson says. For longtime MMO players, the game promises to be a fun twist on the same old tank-healer-nuker-fight-the-monster-and-move-on style that we've all grown used to. The interview gives a look at the thought processes behind the creation of Kung Foo!, and a few hints on what you can expect from the game. Take a look at the full interview here.
Perfect World's Belliss discusses free-to-play business model
The concept of microtransactions is still relatively new to many of us in the western MMO world, but many Asian companies are already very familiar with it. That familiarity is opening doors for them to transition over to the western market more easily. Jonathan Belliss is the product manager for one of these companies, Perfect World International, and he spent some time talking about the challenges and advantages of the transition.Belliss and Perfect World seem to stand out among the deluge of Asian based free-to-play games, and Belliss' outlook may well be partly responsible for this. He has quite a bit to say about game quality over quantity (especially given the current market saturation), player preferences in two very different cultures, competition for those microtransaction dollars, and the future of the free-to-play business model overall.Belliss seems to have that all-too-rare ability to look at the pros and potential cons of a situation, to learn from others mistakes, and to see which direction the free-to-play/microtransaction model is likely to take in the future. It's an asset to Perfect World and makes the interview well worth the time spent reading.
