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Rusty Hearts releases new Leila Vergerius character
If you haven't tried Rusty Hearts yet, this week is as good a time as any since Stairway Games, WindySoft, and Perfect World Entertainment are adding a brand-new playable character to the hack-and-slash free-to-play title. Leila Vergerius is the younger sibling of Roselle Vergerius, and she's been fighting to escape her older sister's protective shadow for some time. Perfect World tells us that Leila doesn't actually need the protection since she's more than capable of unleashing a dark magic-flavored can of whoop-ass on par with those of big sis. Leila is also adept with a sword and an axe, both of which are made even more deadly by her propensity for speed, agility, and leap-and-flip aerial attacks. Check her out in the gallery below, and head to the official Rusty Hearts website for more game info. We've also got an interview with Rusty Hearts producer Mark Hill on today's podcast! [Source: Perfect World press release] %Gallery-129433%
Company of Heroes Online open beta closes on March 31
War never changes, but that doesn't mean it can last forever. THQ has announced its MMO RTS, Company of Heroes Online, will conclude its open beta on March 31, effectively shutting down until THQ can "evaluate the next steps for the Company of Heroes series." The news comes via the game's official forums. As of today, players will find they're unable to purchase in-game currency from the website, though those who've stockpiled war funds can freely use them up until the March 31 end date. The missive also details an incentive for players who registered prior to February 1: a voucher for THQ's online store that lets users pick up Company of Heroes: Gold Edition for $4.99, $25 off its suggested retail price (according to Steam). All eligible users can hit up this link for their coupon code. [Thanks, David]
Perfect World bringing Rusty Hearts MMO to America
The MMORPG assembly line at Perfect World Entertainment is gearing up to churn out yet another title, this time partnering with WindySoft for a game called Rusty Hearts. While details surrounding the F2P title are sketchy at this point, it looks to be an action MMO with anime-inspired visuals if the various gameplay videos available in the wild are any indication. Perfect World and WindySoft will be officially revealing the game to the masses at this year's E3 convention, with the former looking to localize the game for the American market as well as make further in-roads with gamers in the West. "As Rusty Hearts is an action-based MMORPG, which differs from our existing game portfolio in genre, we believe it will help us extend our market penetration while also bringing new and unique online gaming experiences to our players," said PWE CEO Alan Chen. WindySoft, originally formed in 2002, has been involved in the development and/or publishing of titles ranging from GetAmped, to Katamari Damacy Online, to Cosmic Break. You can check out a Rusty Hearts gameplay video after the break.
THQ and WindySoft sending Company of Heroes Online to South Korea
Yesterday, THQ and Shanda announced their intentions to bring upcoming free-to-play Company of Heroes Online to South Korea via publishing partner WindySoft. Like Relic's PC-only classic Company of Heroes, COHO is an RTS game set during the Second World War, but the additions of a persistent world and expanded player customization (read: microtransactions) aim to set the online iteration apart. Currently, no release date is set nor have plans been announced to bring the game to the West. Between Shanda's other free-to-play MMO, King of Fighters World, Namco's Katamari Online, and now this, we're starting to feel like Asia's the rich kid down the block getting all the games we could never afford. Can we come over and play, Asia? Please?
New details on Korean Katamari Damacy Online
Remember Katamari Damacy Online? Yeah, neither do we. A refresher: Katamari Online is a PC iteration of the weird and addicting franchise being published by WindySoft for Korea. First revealed two years ago, 4gamer.net has new details about the game (translated courtesy of andriasang.com). New artwork has been unveiled for the game, featuring two new characters, Mint and Mellow. A new map, Seoul, has been revealed as well. As one might expect, the map features some of Seoul's landmarks.The story revolves around the King of All Cosmos creating a black hole during a picnic. Naturally, it's the player's job to create a katamari big enough to plug the hole. While not exactly the same, the plot sounds an awful lot like the one used in Beautiful Katamari. It might seem like a small matter but, really, what is a Katamari game without an excellent plot to back it up?The game is set to have plenty of new modes and features, including a new House system, which we now know allows players to create their own islands using the items collected on their katamaris. The site also mentions the game's Pet system, though no new details have been revealed just yet.
Katamari Damacy to roll trash balls on the interweb... trippy
If you can't get enough of the lovable (if difficult to understand!) Katamari Damacy franchise, you might just have your prayers answered. According to 4Gamer, a Japanese gaming website, the next game is getting hauled over to the PC thanks to publisher WindySoft. Dubbed Katamari Damacy Online, it's due out by late 2007.The online aspect of the game basically seems to revolve around the versus mode battles from the previous titles and planting them in an online scenario. You've got "pet" and "house" stuff to collect and unlock, you can build your own island (perhaps from the very crap you roll into a ball) and get new clothing along your journey.Now, you may be wondering, where does the PS3 tie into this? Isn't this about the PlayStation losing another game to a different platform? Not entirely. Apparently, this deal was struck so Namco-Bandai could get their feet wet in the Korean market, where this game is being developed. If you've been paying attention, Namco and Sony have formed Cellius, where "Cellius will use Sony's Cell chip, which powers PlayStation 3, to create games for the console and content for mobile phones and personal computers." Hmm, is anyone else connecting the dots? Sure, the dots aren't clearly black against a white background, but if the public of Japan and America demand it, perhaps this "Cellius" will distribute KDO to the rest of the world. Anyone agree, disagree, want to roll up some suburban neighborhood into a giant ball of doom?
