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Free for All: Why MMOs are still the greatest value in gaming
If you are the type of gamer who has access to a number of ways to game, then you probably do not need me to remind you that the hobby can be an expensive one. Consoles are becoming slicker, and the games they run are sure to go up in price, maybe someday soon close to $100 for a single game. A good gaming PC can still be an expensive thing to build and maintain especially as newer and better graphics cards and processors are introduced at a higher rate than we've ever seen before. Luckily, we have outlets like Steam that offer staggering sales and indie titles that can be bought for close to nothing. There's also the mobile market with its tens of thousands of games that can be played essentially for free. So while the prices at the highest end of technology go up, there are still plenty of places to get a cheap yet fulfilling gaming fix. Even with all of the deals out there, however, there is no better value than a modern MMO.
The Soapbox: The death of AAA
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I think we're all pretty familiar with the tragic story of 38 Studios by now. If not, take some time to familiarize yourself with it. Essentially it is a tale of massive dreams, botched plans, and hundreds of job losses. I'm not yet sure exactly what went wrong, but I have a feeling that the lackluster response to the studio's stand-alone title might be to blame on top of the poor performance in the high-end of the company. Either way, I have seen many comments exclaiming the end of the big-budget title or at least more trepidation from governments that feel the need to get into a game (no pun intended) they were unfamiliar with. If we could take a poll of the several million "AAA" MMO players in North America, it's my bet that most of them simply go from one title to the other. The RIFT players who are now enjoying Star Wars: The Old Republic came from World of Warcraft, and before that (if they played MMOs before WoW) they might have been City of Heroes fans and EverQuest players before that. For a long time, large studios held all of the players. Then, AAA started rolling down the steep hill to where it is now.
Rise and Shiny recap: Cloud Nine
You know, I haven't been as head over heels in love with the graphics of a game in a long time as I am with Cloud Nine. As I get older, I find myself disliking more realistic graphics and tend to enjoy cartoony, or even better, stylized graphics that do not quite push into cartoony territory. It's not like I'm trying to relive my youth; I just take a game more "seriously" when it attempts to look less serious while actually being pretty serious. I'm talking about games like Free Realms or Ryzom or Glitch: games that are cartoony and not ultra-realistic but do boast some serious gameplay or even lore behind the art. I love that. So when I first logged into Cloud Nine, you can imagine how I felt.
Free for All: Checking out Rosh Online
Recently I was asked to take a press tour for Rosh Online, a new "massive war" MMO from Ignited Games. Press tours can be a lot of fun. You get to chat with the developers and ask direct questions about specific things that are happening right then in front of you, and you get to hear detailed explanations about systems that might normally take a while to figure out while you explore deeper parts of the world. The problem with jumping right into a game that you have never played before is that you can't really get an exact sense of what it is like to be a real, brand-new player. It's important to know how that feels so that it can be passed on to potential newbies. Either way, I enjoyed my time with Rosh Online, but I did have quite a few issues with it. I'm sure a lot will change over time, especially since this game is brand-new, but in the meanwhile I'll tell you all about it. Click past the cut!
Rappelz expansion coming in November
Gala Networks Europe wants you to know that a new Rappelz expansion is launching in November. The firm also mentions that you'll be in good company if you check it out, since Rappelz has been enjoyed by over 5 million players worldwide. In terms of new content, Epic VII Part 3: The Trial brings the long-awaited master class quest for players at level 148 and up, and the challenging encounter features battles with Lucian and an evil witch in addition to a foray into the Espoir dungeon. The expansion also boasts the game's first solo dungeon, and the Vulcanus instance is designed for players at level 30 and above. Finally, there's a new Rappelz creature coming with the content update. The Cube is a golem "formed of pure mana crystals that have been brought to life with magic and ancient mysterious technology," according to Gala's press release. You can learn more about the expansion at the official Rappelz website. [Source: Gala Networks Europe press release]
New Rappelz expansion coming in November
Rappelz is five years old this month, and there's no better way to celebrate that milestone than by announcing a new expansion. Gala-Net has done just that, and the company's latest press release says that Epic VII: Ascension will debut in mid-November. The patch will bring about the conclusion of the Epic VII storyline and introduce a new baddie named Vulcanus -- not to mention his "harrowing dungeon of fire." Happily, the new instance is available for players of any level (and at any time), and the level-scaling mechanics will present appropriate challenges and rewards regardless of your character build. We'll have more info on the new expansion as the devs make it available, and in the meantime you can take part in the ongoing anniversary celebration. From now through October 18th, players will enjoy 55% hit- and mana-point boosts to "rip through mob after mob without stopping." [Source: Gala-Net press release]
Celebrate five years of Rappelz starting today
For better or worse, free-to-play games are often seen as having a rather disposable lifespan, with the expectation that they'll be here today and gone tomorrow. And that's certainly true in some cases, but in the case of Rappelz, it's entirely wrong. Not only is the game still running strong, but it's been running for five years, quite a milestone for any game. Fans of the game are likely unsurprised that the game is celebrating in a big way, and that celebration starts today with a video contest and a 55% boost to experience. The experience boost will last until October 5th and is just the tip of the iceberg for a series of events that lead up to the game's true anniversary of November 2nd. Players can also take part in a video contest to show off their in-game pets, with the winners receiving gaming headsets and one grand prize winner getting a free bundle of cash in the game's shop. Rappelz players are going to have a couple of months to enjoy all of the celebrations, so if you've been itching to log back in of late, now is the time. %Gallery-134581%
Free for All: The best-looking games in free-to-play
Of all of the wacky arguments I have heard over the last few years, the "are video games art?" one has got to take the prize for most ridiculous. Sure, you can argue either side of anything, but to ask whether or not games are art just seems to be an attempt to assuage some boredom. We can also ask whether this life is really real, just in case we hadn't already been put to sleep. Art is what the artist says it is, period. Art is also in the eye of the beholder. Our games are spread across a wide spectrum of styles, and many of us have very strong feelings about what we like and will not tolerate. I have seen people turn down great games simply because of the way a screenshot looked. Heck, I've done it myself. With as many games as I look at every week, occasionally it is smart (and fun) to organize them into lists. This week I am taking stock of my game list and figuring out the games that I feel look the best. Of course, you might not think so. I decided to leave off games that are in testing or not available for the public yet. Click past the cut and see if you agree with me!
gPotato players pitch in to help Japan relief effort
While March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan is no longer in the headlines, relief and recovery efforts go on -- and will continue for some time to come. Gamers have been generous in answering the call to help by their favorite MMOs, and today we've received word that gPotato players have donated €22,151 to help with the Red Cross' relief efforts. This hefty sum was raised through the sale of special in-game items created in response to the disaster. These items appeared in Rappelz, Flyff, Castle of Heroes and Terra Militaris. Players who purchased one of these items between March 25th and April 30th saw their money go entirely to the Red Cross. This was a part of a global effort by Gala Networks that ultimately raised over €50,000. Gala Networks Europe CEO Hyun Hur has a few words for those who participated: "We're hugely proud of the amount our players have raised for the Irish Red Cross and that our community is so kind-hearted."
Free for All: Which came first, the grind or the grinding?
Grinding is an interesting thing. I've thought about it a lot lately in an effort to come to grips with the fact that I just don't play MMOs like my friends do. Oh, don't get me wrong; I can log in and blow away five hours of my life on a title, just like I did last night with the newly relaunched APB: Reloaded. Holy moly, I can play that game forever, especially if I have a friend with me. I can also spend countless hours in other games, exploring and generally acting like some kind of virtual hippie, never touching a sword or destroying a foe. A lot of the time, combat just feels repetitive. Exploring for hours and driving a car into mailboxes over and over really shouldn't count as grinding though, should it? Grinding is, in my opinion, defined by the repetition of the exact same action (or close to it) for a long time, usually in the pursuit of a single goal. The thing is, the grind has been around since the dawn of graphical MMOs. Hasn't it? But what started the grind? Was the desire for grind already there? Is the playerbase just better-suited for grinding? Click past the cut and let's chat about it. Grab some tea.
Free for All: Would I play RIFT for free?
Today I got the email informing me that my RIFT subscription had expired. I bought it when it came out and enjoyed the beta, but suddenly the hard decision was upon me. Was I going to subscribe to the game? Was I going to pay 15 dollars a month for basic access to the wonderful world that Trion has created? There is a lot that goes into a decision like subscribing to a game, even when that decision feels easy. A subscription is really a vote of confidence, especially considering that we have no idea what the game might become or where it might go in the future. That automatic payment says so much about our trust in a company and its product, even though lately it seems more and more people are not trusting it like they once did. Click past the cut and let's discuss, and I'll tell you whether or not I subscribed.
Microtransaction items for Japanese aid in gPotato's stores
The earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th may no longer be at the forefront of gamers' minds, but the country is still reeling from the impact. NCsoft and CCP Games have both announced efforts to help aid the Japanese people with charitable donations, and it looks like gPotato has decided to encourage players to donate as well. The company has added new merchandise into the microtransaction stores for several games that, items that will grant players a unique look as well as donating all profits to the Red Cross. Rappelz, Flyff, and Luna Plus are all offering capes for players, while Tales Runner offers a shirt and Iris Online offers a kitten hat. (Sadly, the cat in question is not Maru.) One hundred percent of profits will be donated to the Red Cross to aid in relief efforts, and the items cannot be purchased with "free" currency. The items will be available until March 31st, so if you play the games and haven't yet donated, now would be the time.
Rappelz offers player prizes for logging in
There aren't as many new MMOs coming out this year, but there are still plenty of games to compete for your attention over the summer months. The team at Rappelz wants their game to be your choice for the summer, and they've devised a straightforward way to encourage it: an event you enter via logging in. No random prizes, no ornate entries, nothing but the simple procedure of logging into the game's servers for prizes. And it makes sense that it would be called "Login to Win" as a result. Running from July 7th to August 14th, the event will automatically award prizes to each character after you log in for at least an hour a week. If you log in for at least an hour for a certain number of days, you also get additional prizes, and characters who log in for a grand total of 35 hours during the promotion are eligible for a drawing from several nifty presents. It's a great way for Rappelz players to get a little added incentive -- after all, if you were planning on logging in anyway, logging in to win seems straightforward.
Newest Rappelz expansion launches February 24th
gPotato's free-to-play MMO Rappelz is getting a new expansion. Resurrection launches February 24th, bringing with it an old familiar face, new pets, and more. Players will be familiar with the character at the center of this newest storyline. The Witch is the central villain in the main storyline of Rappelz, and Resurrection explores her beginnings as a young girl with mysterious powers. Players will journey to discover the truth behind the Witch, but they won't be doing it alone. This expansion also introduces three new pets to tame: the Unicorn, Nightmare, and Ifrit. Each pet provides specific benefits to its owner: the Unicorn offers a variety of buffs, the Nightmare is a heavily armored creature that can often absorb damage targeted at its master, and the Ifrit is a magical creature that heals its owner as well as dealing damage to enemies. These aren't the only updates that Resurrection will bring to Rappelz. Check out the new Resurrection page at the Rappelz site for changes coming to character creation, PvP, quests, and more.
Rappelz to upgrade to Epic VI, "Solus Aurum"
Rappelz players will rejoice to know that their game will be receiving a brand new update in the tradition of their "epic" patches known as Epic VI: Solus Aurum. Solus will be adding a brand new dungeon based on Egyptian mythology, an area created specifically for selling goods to other players (finally), the ability to create larger bags, and three new pets to have fight at your side.The shining jewel of the update, the dungeon known as "The Sanctuary," is home to a tribe of people with glittering golden eyes. This tribe, formerly persecuted and hunted for their eyes, fled to a corner of the world to hide. To defend their way of life, they built the Sanctuary and its great guardian, Aurumis. Overtime, however, the people forgot about the outside world, choosing to believe all outside their walls were enemies. Now they attack on sight, offering no remorse for any who walk into their sacred halls.For all of the information on Rappelz's new addition, check out their update specific website.
gPotato to unveil new project at GamesCom
The gPotato games portal, hosted by Gala Networks Europe in Dublin, Ireland, will be on hand in force for the upcoming GamesCom convention in Cologne where they will announce and unveil a new MMO project for the portal.The new project, which will be demoed at the convention, comes with a tentative release date of early 2010. The genre or nature of the new project has not been released either, so it's anybody's guess as to what the new title will be.gPotato currently hosts some of the more popular free-to-play MMOs, including Dragonica, Rappelz, Flyff, and Allods Online. Those four games will be on hand at the convention as well for demonstration, so it's sure to be a game filled good time over at the gPotato booth!
Arabic Rappelz to hold International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking event
Every year on the 26th of June, the world recognizes the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a campaign begun by the United Nations and first held in 1988. The publishers of the Arabic version of Rappelz, Game Power 7, have issued a press release signifying their involvement in this year's campaign; there will be a one-week "education and awareness" event held in-game that mirrors the UN's sentiments for the day itself.As displayed in the picture above, the international campaign slogans "Do drugs control your life?" and "Your life. Your community. No place for drugs" will be featured in Rappelz for the event. Virtual gifts will also be given away, presumably educational in some form. Game Power 7 stated that using their virtual world to promote good values in the community is part of the company's strategy, so future events of this kind might find their way into the game. To find out more about the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the best place to start is the UN's official page, which also features links to some nation-specific pages.
The birth of the Middle Eastern MMO scene
Much of our coverage of the MMO industry at Massively is clearly focused on North America and Europe, with the occasional article about what's happening in Asia, but we rarely have the opportunity to point out what's happening in MMOs in the Middle East. Truth be told, we weren't aware that MMOs are operating in this region of the world until an article we came across today. Sanya Weathers recently got in touch with Fadi Mujahid, general manager of a Dubai-based company called Game Power 7 which has localized the free-to-play MMO Rappelz for the Middle East/North African (MENA) market. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, Game Power 7 is the first company to focus on the MMO industry in the Middle East and North Africa to date.Mujahid explains to Weathers how Game Power 7 made these first inroads to the MENA market, from market research to localization efforts (adding 'Middle Eastern touches' to the characters and other changes to make the game less offensive to the market's cultures), to getting the word out about the Arabic version of Rappelz.
Rappelz to get major content update next month
When we last talked about Rappelz, the game's developers were working on an enormous localization overhaul for the Arabic market. This new version was successfully launched last month, and with that milestone under their belts, it seems that the development team has had time to work on some new content. Gala Networks Europe has issued a press release heralding a "major content update" for the French and German versions of Rappelz to be available in May.The update is called Navis Lamia, and will feature a new dungeon of the same name. Expect Scooby-Doo-esque antics as you explore a cursed missionary ship and contend with its zombie crew. One of the other major updates in the patch will be a revamping of the existing Trainee Island -- updating newbie areas is an ever-popular idea among MMO developers, and usually yields positive results. At this point, we're not sure whether the Navis Lamia patch will be exclusive to the French and German Rappelz for a period of time. The English website has made no mention of it as yet, so we might just have to sit tight for further information.
MMO Rappelz changes imagery, themes to meet Middle-Eastern customs
The issue of localization is a thorny one when it comes to MMOs, because often content, looks, and story are so intertwined. While some developers swear by the concept of creating content aimed directly at the local culture, others make only minor (or no) changes to their games when moving into new areas. The South Korean free-to-play MMO Rappelz is making plans to move to the Middle-Eastern market, and developer Gala is working with the company Game Power 7 to make unprecidented localization modifications.According to TechRadar, nearly every element of Rappelz is going to see changes. Background music, costumes worn by the avatars (especially the female avatars), and even the noises that the monsters make will all see changes. The company will also make an effort to remove non-Muslim holy symbols, such as crosses. The resulting game is slated for release in some 19 countries, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egpyt. [Via Gamepolitics]
