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Latest Bless gameplay video treats viewers to HD visuals
Over the last couple of weeks, we've brought you various teasers and gameplay clips from the upcoming Korean MMO Bless. Now, Neowiz offers a longer look at the game in a new high-def gameplay video. With almost 24 minutes of footage, viewers can watch as the protagonist helps defend a beleaguered town from attack, completes quests, travels between locations by dragonback, and fights a horde of undead. The HD format of this video really shows off the world; although the dragonback transport route is predetermined, the trip takes viewers through some of the beautiful vistas and locals in Bless. Be sure to check it out after the break.
War of Angels launches Bloody Arena update
Following the successful relaunch of War of Angels last month, Neowiz Games is showcasing a brand new Bloody Arena update for the high fantasy F2P MMO. As you might expect, this update allows players to battle it out in a PvP arena for honor and Blood Money, which can be used to buy special in-game armor and weapons only available through PvP. But if you're imagining your run-of-the-mill PvP arena with the same old stale rules, you might be in for a surprise. The combat is team-based in the Bloody Arena, where groups of three, four, or five players level 40 or above will fight to the death. Perhaps our favorite part of this feature is what happens to fallen teammates. When a player is eliminated during a match, he is held in a sideline cell where he can reach out and strike his team's opponent with melee attacks to help turn the tide of battle. Two all-new armor and weapon sets act as rewards for the victor, with each class showing off its own specific style. Check out more in our gallery below. [Source: Neowiz Games press release]%Gallery-168611%
Mega Man MMO might be canned
With dozens of games and collections, Mega Man has had quite the prolific run as a console game, and NeoWiz has been working on turning Mega Man into a MMORPG called Rockman Online (after the Japanese name for Mega Man). However, although there is no official word it appears that the project may have been shelved after internal restructuring in the company. Environments artist Kang Dong Hwa blogged that his current project was dropped and he is looking for other work. He also posted various concept art pieces that he'd been working on for Rockman Online over the years, usually a no-no for games currently under development.
ArcheAge market expands to Japan, hopes rise for more globalization
Although the publishing agreement with GameOn for the service of ArcheAge in Japan was actually signed in 2009 (according to February 25th's press release about Simplygon), details of the company's plans for the game just recently became clear: GameOn's parent company, NeoWiz, aims to distribute and support ArcheAge using a revived social gaming platform called Pmang combined with GameOn. It's not exactly the announcement Western ArcheAge fans want to hear most, but the news that the game will be published in Japan is definitely a step in the right direction; adding yet another country gives hope that the market will continue to expand, perhaps finally to North America and Europe. Also fanning the flames of hope is talk that NeoWiz may take the platform worldwide. We have our fingers crossed! [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Seven Souls' 1.1 patch raises level cap, adds new dungeons and gear
If you've grown bored in Seven Souls Online, the 1.1 patch is reason to celebrate. Neowiz is raising the level cap to 50 and adding plenty of new items and gear to match. The sci-fantasy adventure also boasts new dungeons that include the Hall of Resurrection (levels 39 to 43) and Purgatorium (levels 45 and up). Both of these gauntlets will dole out "fantastic rewards" upon completion. Finally, gamers can look forward to the new Western Mikan Plains zone as well a huge number of new quests and items to loot and trade. If you're still looking for something to do after you've conquered all the new content, Neowiz is hosting a Lineage of the Sky guild PvP tournament. Further details on Seven Souls' 1.1 patch and the PvP event are available at the game's official web destination. [Source: Neowiz press release]
NEOWIZ launches Seven Souls Online
We brought you an exclusive preview of Seven Souls Online at last month's GDC event in San Francisco. This month, NEOWIZ has officially opened its doors to everyone via the title's official launch. Seven Souls takes place in the world of Akkadia, and it combines ancient eastern and western culture with sci-fi elements and a free-to-play business model. In terms of gameplay, the title features three classes, combo-based combat, and a cube system that provides for rare combines, crafting items, and item deconstruction. Traditional MMO staples like questing and open-world PvP are present and accounted for, and NEOWIZ is also running a few launch-specific bonus events including a max combo contest, a boss monster video contest, and an Easter egg hunt. Further details on the contests, as well as the free client download, are available on the official Seven Souls website. [Source: NEOWIZ press release]
Seven Souls Online open beta brings open PvP, new zones
Free-to-play betas are something of a running joke around these parts, and it's not uncommon to see such games undergoing prolonged testing periods for months (or even years). Seven Souls Online might be breaking that mold, though, as the title is heading into open beta tomorrow after the conclusion of its closed beta that began earlier this year. The NEOWIZ title is heavy on martial arts action, and the new beta will raise the level cap to 40 as well as introduce the new Dragonscale Valley zone, the Inferno dungeon, and open-world PvP combat. Said PvP becomes available at level 31, and you can learn more about Seven Souls -- as well as sign up for beta -- on the game's official website. [Source: NEOWIZ Games press release]
GDC 2012: A look at Seven Souls Online with the NEOWIZ team
Just a few short weeks ago, Seven Souls Online was in closed beta and Massively readers were scooping up beta keys to test it out. Now, with closed beta, well, closed and open beta just around the corner, the team at NEOWIZ GAMES sat down to show off the state of the game and its plans for launch. The devs showed some beginner gameplay and then revealed some of the content that's ready and waiting for the higher levels. From jackpots to cubes to rage mode, Lead Community Manager Cesar Gatica and Marketing Manager Joon Yoon explained it all. What the heck are jackpots, cubes, and rage mode? Read on!
Seven Souls Online gets competitive with its closed beta
Last week, we gave you folks the opportunity to grab a beta key for NEOWIZ GAMES' upcoming F2P title Seven Souls Online. Well, the time has come to put those keys to good use. The game's developers announced in a press release today that Seven Souls Online has entered closed beta testing, but this isn't an ordinary beta test. No, this is a beta contest. You see, NEOWIZ GAMES wants to make sure that players report all the bugs they come across, so the studio is offering some extra incentives. Throughout the course of the beta test, players can take part in The Great Bug Hunt, in which players are asked to submit bugs with screenshots and directions for replication. The seven players who submit the most useful bug reports will be rewarded with an iPad 2. If you're not up for all that bug-reporting work, though, don't worry. The studio is also asking beta testers to submit their most iconic screenshots that they think "represents Seven Souls Online." Players will vote on the forums for the best entry, and the top five contestants will receive an "ultra-rare" mount known as the Burning Ghost Mount, which sounds pretty awesome if a bit surreal. To get in on the beta testing action, just click on over to the game's official site. [Source: NEOWIZ GAMES press release]
Massively Exclusive: NEOWIZ GAMES gets bloody with Seven Souls Online debut trailer [Updated]
"Let the bloodshed begin," announces the debut trailer of NEOWIZ GAMES' upcoming free-to-play martial arts title, Seven Souls Online, and wow, it is not kidding around. The announcement trailer is essentially a montage of a number of player-characters running around and beating the crap out of everything until it explodes into a fine, crimson mist. And you know what? We're totally OK with that. Sure, we don't actually know much of anything about the gameplay or the story or... well, anything else, but when I can hit something so hard that I knock it straight out of existence, none of that really matters anymore. For the full trailer, click on past the cut, and be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for more information from Seven Souls Online. [Source: NEOWIZ GAMES] [Update: We've added the official press release behind the break too! It includes a mention of the game's closed beta test, which you can now apply for.]
War of Angels open beta begins
Just in time for the holidays, Neowiz Games has started its early gift-giving by announcing the open beta period for War of Angels. The free-to-play title featuring four classes and ongoing PvP conflict is now available for public consumption, and has a few Thanksgiving surprises in store for beta participants. If you're able to push away from the dinner table long enough to retrieve stolen turkeys for an NPC named Catherine, she'll reward you with a gigantic bird mount called a Pajareu. In addition to the holiday content, War of Angels now boasts new gear and weapons for players of all levels, new quests, and website leaderboards to assist you in your post-holiday bragging. Closed beta veterans may also be gifted with a Halo of the Pioneer item which will temporarily boost their leveling speed. Check out all the details, and sign up for beta, at the official website.
Neowiz Exec VP on F2P market saturation and working with EA
When it comes to the Western market, the name EA will jump out at many gamers far faster than the name Neowiz will. However, Neowiz was involved not only in successful redesigns/ports like EA's FIFA Online, but is also localizing other Western games like Age of Conan. In a recent article with Gamasutra, Neowiz Exective Vice President, Sang-Won Chung had a lot of very interesting things to say about the current state of Korea's free to play market and the business of recycling ideas in the current MMO space. Among the many topics of discussion, one of the biggest quotes that jumped out at us was the statement that free to play gaming was "like having too many channels on your digital cable, and now you have like 300 channels and you don't know what to watch anymore." With the flood of Eastern f2p games entering the market seemingly daily, we can definitely relate to that feeling. Along with this, Chung also talks about taking MMO ideas from console games, and the difficulty of turning non-f2p titles into f2p games more in keeping with the Eastern revenue model. On top of that, there's also a pretty amusing anecdote about EA's first venture into Korea; well worth the read if just for that story alone.
