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Nexon hands out details on next major update
Exciting news, Mabinogi fans! Nexon America contacted us and asked to give you a sneak peak at an exclusive image from their upcoming update "Goddess of Light." Not only will there be a brand new area called Tara, complete with the standard banks, general stores, smithies and clothing shops, but the newest addition will have players scrambling to get there: an auction house that will allow players to sell rare items to each other. Tara is the capital city of the Aliech Kingdom and has such features as jousting grounds and another hub for shadow missions, as well as a small connecting gully called Correave. Not only will players find beautiful scenery like they have never seen inside the gully, but also special trees that will produce honeycomb which can be used to make royal jelly, honey and pollen. Look for the update coming June 9th.
Fallen Earth pushes Patch 1.4 onto the test server
It's an exciting time living in the wastelands of Fallen Earth these days. Not only have clones been graced with a new dueling system and the first stage of a town revamp, there's now the opportunity to have a mangy flea-covered slobbering creature follow you around placidly. (Which isn't all that unusual if you're friends with a CHOTA, but bear with us.) There are still bigger things on the horizon, however, and Patch 1.4 promises to bring even more PvP and other violent goodness. While it isn't live quite yet, it has gone live on the game's public test server. Aside from the PvP matchups of Blood Sport, the update promises new mounts such as the Blight Wolf, new crafting recipes, and expanded war between clans. To help facilitate testing (which is implied to be on deck for "the next couple of weeks"), the official forums are posting both specific systems to be tested and large-scale testing events. While this doesn't mean we'll certainly be seeing Fallen Earth's next major content patch in a couple weeks, it's certainly a strong argument in that direction... and if you can't wait another minute, you can hop on the test server and see it now.
TERA gets a website overhaul and new lore updates
With a unique control scheme and a great deal of industry talent moving behind it -- not to mention impressive and surreal graphics -- TERA has begun capturing people's attention. And when people first got peeks at the lore behind the game, that interest only increased. While the updates have been slow in coming, the official site has recently undergone a major overhaul, and aside from making the site as a whole far less Flash-reliant one of the major updates has been the addition of new lore on the world and each of the individual races. As we'd heard before, the world is the product of two sleeping titans that dreamed the entire world into existence. Each facet of the world came about as part of that dream, including the long-standing wars between dreamed-up gods and then the mortal races beneath them. But the mortal races have banded together in response to the Argons, a race from outside of the dream that has the potential to annihilate the very structure of the world. It's an interesting attempt at world-building, and between that and the addition of new music to listen to on the official site, TERA fans will get a much better sense with this update of how the world will feel.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010
The new year is a busy one for Soul of the Ultimate Nation players, as we'll be looking forward to not only a string of updates, but a brand new class to play with as well. This year is the year of the Shadow, SUN's sorcerer/assassination combination character. Carrying a really cool sword that's reminiscent of Ivy Valentine's weapon from SoulCalibur, the Shadow is made for playing the game solo. So for all those of you out there who have been looking to get away from the groups and set out on your own, the Shadow is the character you've been looking for. Beyond the addition of the Shadow, Webzen is also rolling out mounts and the ability for your characters to transform for the international version. For all of the information on the new additions as they roll out, keep an eye on the Soul of the Ultimate Nation website.
The Daily Grind: What game do you watch the most, but don't currently play?
Sometimes we all take a break from an MMO, even if we're still enjoying parts of it. Other times, we're deciding on a purchase or wondering whether or not to come back, and it requires a lot of observation and research. It can be hard to know if it's time to come back to an old game or give a new one a chance, and often we've all got that upcoming title to obsess over. The biggest chore can be time management, where that wonderful thing known as life makes you choose just one game from a couple potentials. So what game are you watching patiently while hoping for a patch or expansion to fix issues preventing you from being able to subscribe to it? Or for that matter, what upcoming game can't you stop reading up on and obsessing over because it looks like the very thing you've been wanting from your MMOs.
Everquest II lets you become an in-game author
In terms of in-game originality, EverQuest II should probably win a prize. They're implementing a new feature in GU52 which will let players pen their own stories and distribute the books to other players. Think Lulu but with an EQII twist. Granted we're not talking War and Peace here but for anyone who has dabbled in fantasy fiction or would love nothing more than to pen tales of their character's exploits then this is definitely a feature for you.Rothgar (aka dev Greg Spence) has put up a post explaining how the whole thing works - as well as sharing the first page of his masterpiece, Death of a Dragon. Essentially the process is simple: nip to your local crafter and buy a blank book. Once you start writing, that book becomes tied to you the author. According to Rothgar, there's no limit to pages but there is to words. For example, this screenshot shows 16% of the book has been used up which probably means around four pages of text.
Interview with AoC Live Producer
MMORPG.com sat down with Age of Conan Live Producer, Henning Solberg to chat about various aspects of his job, recent positive reviews the game has been getting, and new things coming down the pipe. In case the second point in the previous sentence is surprising to you, here's some proof!Henning has been with Funcom since 1995 and has worn many different hats during his tenure, including: QA Manager, Designer, Lead Designer, Lead Scripter, Director of Online Services, Associate Producer, and now finally Producer. His current job has him planning, organizing, setting overall priorities, and staffing for the various development teams. "The team makes the game, the producer helps make it happen!"In terms of new things he's working on, Henning mentions the RPG overhaul that will make gear more valuable to players and the new Tarantia Common District, two items that have been in development for a long time. In order to figure out what to update next, Henning lists various sources such as playing the game themselves, reports containing detailed player feedback, and the QA team.For an expansion of these details and much more, head on over and check out the full Henning Solberg interview.
Disembodied skull confirms new Battleground, your grim future
In what can only be called a grim portent, a disembodied skull haunted the official World of Warcraft forums today. A local farmer noted that the skull had visited the area previously, but "only in times of dour weather, or when death was near for m'cows, or when someone was trolling.""We were just complaining about Battlegrounds," said a priest who witnessed the visitation of the gruesome geist, "when all of a sudden it appeared, and we knew right then that it was an omen, and one of us was going to die soon, or possibly that it was going to tell us about an upcoming game feature we hadn't heard about yet."The skull, floating ominously above the gathering crowd, apparated a set of evanescent words, formed likely of the spirit's own ectoplasm, tinged with a blue color known only to come from the world beyond. Unencumbered by gravity or PR sensibilities, it augured that a new Battleground is in the works. The reaction was one of fear and of somber gratitude for the spirit, and its otherworldly masters, for passing along an omen as important as this. When the prophesied Battleground would appear is still unknown, as the spirits who visit the forums are not wont to reveal such information.Before it disapparated as quickly as it had come, the skull also noted that you're going to die.
Runes of Magic: Not just another pretty game
There's been more and more buzz about Runes of Magic as their release date of March 19th draws ever closer. From what we've seen, it looks like a pretty rich world, featuring lots of different things that MMO players love: PvP, lots of quests, player housing, cool-looking mounts, a dual-class system - and let's be blunt, it seems to remind everyone who touches it of Blizzard's 800 pound gorilla, World of Warcraft. Considering there are half a million people who have registered for the open beta of the game, it would seem that players are definitely curious about all that Runes of Magic has to offer. To those who (like us) are curious about how this game is progressing, there's a great interview with Joerg Koonen of Frogster over on IGN. Among the juicy bits served up, we are treated to some interesting insights into how closely Frogster is working with the development company, Runewaker Entertainment, and just what kind of a role the community has been taking throughout the process. Also in the mix, we noted how the items in their cash shop are the same ones available in game for those who don't want to spend money - and how they feel this is the way it should be to keep the playing field level for all players. Also, be sure to check out our recent interview with Daniel Ullrich if you're hungry for more Runes of Magic information!
A look at the MMO coming attractions in 2009
Now that we're comfortably settling in to our new digs at casa de 2009, it seems like the best time to reflect on what we have to look forward to in the coming year. Eurogamer has done the dirty work for us, as they've compiled a handy article detailing the coming attractions.All Points Bulletin tops their list as the star attraction, citing enthusiasm for the GTA-style action and depth of customization. SOE's The Agency and Free Realms, along with Cryptic's Champions Online and NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution round out the remaining top spots on this list, for varying reasons. Some honorable mentions include Aion, Darkfall, EVE's Walking in Stations expansion, Earthrise, Global Agenda and many more expected to see the light of day this year or next. Will all of these games actually make it to a 2009 release, or will 2010 truly be the year of epic MMO launches?
Massively's Massive Giveaways: Tabula Rasa winners!
For those of you who were with us from the very first day, you'll undoubtedly remember the huge, nay Massive giveaway we did for the launch of both Massively, and Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa! After a full 24 hours of giveaways, requiring some tag-team lead work to ensure all day and night coverage, many pots of coffee, and many (no, really -- many) emails later, we wanted to make sure we listed all the people who won something on that very first day. (If we missed anyone in the listing, we sincerely apologize, but there was quite literally a small army of you!) Congrats to all of you!Winners: DJTyrant, Mike, Scott, Moragaine, Burgdorn, Phillip, Efigyuge, Kyle, Aaron, rshum, Jaime T., BooLeiU, Rex, JackFrostt, Rudy, lavagoat, TwistedBishop, Chris, Finalpro, Jerry, Ryan O, Hammerfel, Squatch, Ghen, Sam, Xavier R., Arlendor, Bigfoot, Darrel H., sevendegrees, Pidge, Tom, mrbitter, Phillip, tecnocrat, Hardtarget, juicehandy, Steve, Nuleren, David, fattycop, davee, Chok, Bryce, VerticyX, Alex, Reise, Sam (another Sam), Psyclerk, UnknownGamer, mrbitter, Sil, sevendegrees, Finalpro, Robert H., Demolina, JD, nothingshocking, and finally, our lucky iPod winner, Shawn! We'd like to thank everyone who has helped our first few months here at Massively be as massive as they've been! It's only going to get better from here. We just closed up another round of applications yesterday, we've got some insanely cool things coming this next week, (we bet some of you can guess what's going on!) and we're working on things that you all told us we needed to work on in the last round of "How are we doing" questions. Good things in store as we build Massively up -- more coverage, more interviews, more unique content and most of all -- more fun. Stay tuned!
Lila Dreams: a different kind of MMO
Most of the big MMOs that are coming up fit in the basic Tolkien-derived fantasy mold: Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, and so on. There's nothing wrong with that per se; I'm with the many who believe WoW is the best MMO yet, and I recently started playing the Mythos beta and having a lot of fun with it. However, every once in a while, something comes along that breaks the pattern and stands out, like a refreshing breeze. EVE Online, as I'm told, is one such game.Here's another: Lila Dreams, by Creatrix Games, "a small game development studio located all around the world." It's set to launch this year on Flash gaming site Kongregate; the game's back end will be in Java, and the interface will be Flash. Here are some things I could glean from the blog: No magic (though there might be "psychic powers") No level grind No fantasy setting or races 2D platforming combat with "RPG-like mechanics" Gardening -- but "in a surrealistic game world where plants are not just plants" Players will apparently be inhabiting the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Lila Mood-based world-altering as a result of player cooperation It sounds interesting, anyway. For more, check out the concept art or the blog on the game's site. This is one game I would love to play in beta.[via Boing Boing]
Friday Video: Gamespotting
This video from Nintendo's recent briefing shows not only games, but comes complete with a game of its own: gamespotting! That's right, folks, it's time for you to play Name That Game. Helpfully, the video is not exactly the highest quality, so things are more difficult. No fair clicking through (where there's a list) until you've watched it once. See how many Japanese games you can name for the DS and Wii!Or just, y'know, watch it. We're not fussed.
DS Daily: The blowout list
Last week, we were blown away when Nintendo released a (partial) list of upcoming games for the Wii and the DS. Haters be damned -- there is an avalanche of goodness threatening to bury us over the next few months. What are some of the titles that most excite you? Feel free to toss Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations in there, since Capcom games were mysteriously absent. We know you want it.
DS Daily: Coming up next
DS owners always have a lot to look forward to, of course, but no matter where you live, there are at least a few games upcoming that are likely to pique your interest. Since DS Fanboy readers have such diverse tastes, we want to know what upcoming games everyone's excited about. While we're at it, tell us what you may be a little late to the party on -- what games came out in the last few months that you haven't picked up yet, but plan to?
Macworld 2007 party roundup for Wednesday, January 10th
Macworld certainly isn't all work and no play, so I thought it would be handy to round up any parties and gatherings that are happening *off* the Macworld Expo grounds. For simplicity, I checked Upcoming's Macworld tag, though we have heard of at least one other non-listed event (and I would bet there are plenty more). If you have a gathering going on this week, let us know at tuaw.com/tips (use relevant subjects like: "Party at Macworld Wednesday!" and "Party at Macworld Thursday!" etc.) and we'll include them in our daily roundups, updating as we receive new tips through the day. For now, here is a list of Wednesday's gatherings: Spymac.com Annual Reader Meetup, 5:30-6:30 pm Macworld Expo Web Developers BoF 6-7:30 pm Mac small business dinner 6:30-8:30 pm DialyTechTalk's open Macworld party at 9 pm MyDreamApp/MacHeist party at 7-11 pm
Lionsgate announces upcoming Blu-ray titles
We've seen various slates of HD DVD / Blu-ray titles come out today, and heading up the rear of the release lists is none other than Lionsgate. While a Lionsgate film (The Descent) has caused quite a bit of fuss lately, the studio is hoping to create some positive PR noise by announcing that 40 BD titles should be hitting shelves with its name on it during this year, starting with Crank. It also highlighted the Golden Globe-winning TV series Weeds would be making its way to Blu-ray disc, as well as Ultimate Avengers I and II on the animation side. If you're anxious to get a few more Lionsgate productions in your collection, Employee of the Month is landing on January 16th, while the sure-to-be-successful Saw III hits on the 23rd. Overall, Lionsgate's 2007 list is far from spectacular, but it's got a bit of everything mixed in, including one of our personal favorites: Reservoir Dogs on February 6th. Click on through to see the first 21 titles to be released from Lionsgate on Blu-ray disc this year.
OSx86 Project announces forum reorganization and upcoming name change, hints at new features
I just received an email from the OSx86 Project announcing a few recent and upcoming changes they have and will be making to the site. Last week they reorganized the forums to make the browsing and searching process easier, but in the upcoming weeks (by the end of the month, they promise), a host of new features will debut on the site, including blogging, a picture sharing gallery and a marketplace, along with a new name: Insanely Mac. It should be interesting to see (what I believe is) the first major upgrade to the already 39K+ member forum.
-eNCHANT arM- coming to America
From Software's RPG title [eM] -eNCHANT arM-, currently released in Japan, will be making its American and European debut this summer under the title Enchanted Arms. It's the first Japanese RPG to appear on the Xbox 360, and by the time it's released, Oblivion fans may well be looking for a new RPG to play.IGN has previewed the game, describing it as an "eccentric, epic title rich with character, story, and an evolving combat system". While its review scores in Japan have been reasonably low, the quirky nature of Enchanted Arms may increase its worldwide appeal, paving the way for more Japanese titles to travel abroad.
First BiA: Hell's Highway screen
Xbox 360 France has the first screenshot from Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway. Or the second. How many World War II games can they make before we get to World War III?[Thanks Sadat]
