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ArcheAge launching in China in July 2015
If you want to relive the experience of ArcheAge's launch again or just love seeing the game come out in new regions, you'll want to keep your eyes on the game's Chinese version. Tencent Games recently announced that the game will launch in China in July of 2015, complete with some exclusive content to entice players who may have already heard of the game. Players in the Chinese version can look forward to what appear to be panda-styled gliders, special pets, some new costumes, new ship designs, and traditional Chinese house designs. No word has been released on business models, although it's almost a given that the game will be free-to-play as it is almost everywhere else in the world. Let's hope for a smooth launch for Chinese ArcheAge fans free of bugs and game-breaking exploits.
Warlock class welcomed to Blade & Soul with new trailer
The eighth class for Blade & Soul was formally revealed at Tencent Game's annual Carnival (TGC2014). Together with NCsoft, the studio announced that the Warlock is joining the lineup and revealed a trailer to give a hint of the class's abilities. Similar to a Summoner, the Warlock calls various companions to his side in battle and uses a variety of spells to inflict damage and erase buffs on enemies. An interesting Warlock ability manifests itself in PvP: They can steal the abilities of enemy players and use said abilities against them. The Warlock will be available on the Korean server this December and will arrive on the Chinese server at an undisclosed future date. Want a small taste of what's to come? Check out the action in the clip below.
Infinity Blade Saga to take a swipe at Xbox One
An adaptation of Chair Entertainment and Epic Games' Infinity Blade series will arrive on the Xbox One as Infinity Blade Saga, according to Gematsu's translation of a report from A9VG. Saga will include most of the stages found within the three existing Infinity Blade games on iOS, though Gematsu's translation mentions the presence of an increasingly-guided storyline in this compilation. Gematsu notes that while the Kinect will be supported as a play style, controllers are an equally-feasible option. Chinese investment company Tencent, which owns nearly half of Epic Games, is involved with the project, and while the company is open to a PlayStation 4 port, the Xbox One version remains its priority for now. According to Gematsu, Tencent is considering using a free-to-play model for Saga, but given the company's intention to launch Saga before the Lunar New Year (February 19, 2015), we won't have to wait too long to find out what it decides on. [Image: Tencent Games]
NBA 2K Online reaches 19 million registered ballers in China
While Take-Two was busy counting its fat stacks of cash following its healthy fiscal 2014 financial report, it also noted milestones in its collaborative efforts overseas. Namely, CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed during the company's call with investors today that "usage and player engagement with NBA 2K Online continued to gain momentum, and it's now the number one PC online sports game in China with 19 million registered users." NBA 2K Online was announced in June 2009 as one of Take-Two's major pushes into the Asian market. Arriving in October 2012, the game is a free-to-play basketball simulation for PC that features every licensed NBA team. It is the result of a partnership between Take-Two and Tencent, a developer with experience in crafting free-to-play versions of popular properties suited for the Chinese market, including Monster Hunter Online for Capcom and FIFA Online 3 for EA. [Image: Tencent Games]
China gets late Christmas present of new ArcheAge beta
If you wrote to Santa asking for an ArcheAge beta, you might have wanted to specify that you meant in the west. As it is, China is the one getting the beta present the day after Christmas. The announcement of this next beta phase, called the "Divine" test, came at the Tencent Games Carnival 2013, China's largest gaming convention. Along with the beta news, the publisher unveiled the official Chinese ArcheAge trailer, showcased a live-action introduction to the game, and debuted the official theme for this version. The Chinese fans may have to wait until December 26th to get back into the game, but everyone can experience all three videos for themselves now. And that's better than a lump of coal!
Gamescom 2013: SMITE's latest god, new game mode, and Tencent partnership
MOBAs are great for the MMO gamer afflicted by that nasty distraction called life. They offer progression, PvP, and even some theorycrafting you can take to the water-cooler gatherings at work. In some cases, MOBAs even grant the player a variety of ways to play the game. SMITE is one of these gems. During our pre-Gamescom chat with Todd Harris, co-founder and COO of Hi-Rez Studios, we learned a few details about SMITE's coming additions of a new Match-of-the-Day game mode and the Chinese-themed god named Zhong Kui.
Kotick: Tencent a 'passive investor' in Activision Blizzard buyback
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick stated in an early-morning conference call that Tencent's participation in the buyback from Vivendi is merely a sign of the company's "enthusiasm." Within last night's announcement of Activsion Blizzard's $8 billion buyback from Vivendi, it was noted that a group of investors led by CEO Bobby Kotick will own a 24.9 percent stake in the newly independent company. Tencent, a Chinese company with extreme amounts of cash and fingers in many, many video game pies, was listed in the group. "As far as Tencent, you know, I think their investment just confirms the enthusiasm we have in our partnership for Call of Duty in China. They do not have a board seat. They are a passive investor and I think it was largely as a result for the enthusiasm we're doing together," said Kotick on this morning's call. Kotick also mentioned later that this group he leads and Tencent is a part of (ASAC II LP) doesn't have any rights to nominate board members. Tencent currently owns League of Legends developer Riot Games and nearly half of Epic Games (and its ubiquitous Unreal Engine). As for those pies we mentioned, they come in Electronic Arts FIFA and Take-Two NBA flavors.
Over 20 minutes of ArcheAge gameplay on display in new vids
Looking to change the world? You can in ArcheAge according to a couple of new videos released this week for China's Tencent Games Festival 2012. Both clips are in Chinese, but you can still get a good sense of the diverse gameplay on offer in XLGAMES' fantasy sandbox. The first video is an eight-minute affair that shows off everything from housing to farming to rearing cattle and sieging castles. The second clip was taken from a Tencent demo station and features nearly 15 minutes of random gameplay. See them both in their entirety after the break.
ArcheAge Chinese beta begins May 2013
Yesterday, we brought you the new ArcheAge trailer that XLGAMES originally planned to debut at the Tencent Games Carnival 2012; lucky for us, it released early. Today, we can see the entire live stage presentation the studio put on at the carnival. In addition to the trailer, attendees were treated to costumed actors representing four different classes and at least two different races plus live music and additional gameplay footage. Next, XLGAMES devs took the stage, and using the names of registered fans in China for the countdown, they announced that the Chinese beta will begin in May 2013. Sadly, there are no subtitles for those of us not fluent in Chinese, but feel free to share if you can translate, and check out the full presentation after the break.
ArcheAge trailer offers a look at locales, mounts, and more
While the big Thanksgiving meal may be over (except for the leftovers, of course!), ArcheAge fans get to feast their eyes on a new trailer filled with plenty of eye candy. From locales to mounts to combat, the video, which was created for Chinese publisher Tencent, depicts a variety of gameplay features. There are even clips of a storm on the high seas and what appears to be a wedding! Want to see more of what this world has to offer? Fill up on the new ArcheAge visuals in the trailer after the cut.
New ArcheAge China videos profile Hariharan race
ArcheAge is preparing for a sixth closed beta phase in China, apparently because of challenges inherent in localizing the Korean sandbox for a foreign market. To gear up for the testing, publisher Tencent has put together a "racial week" highlighted by a trio of new gameplay trailers. The first is a very brief intro clip, followed by two longer videos that offer extensive looks at the game's Hariharan (i.e., human) race and its native territory. All three videos are viewable after the cut. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Dungeon Fighter Online counts over 3 million concurrent Chinese users
Concurrency is a big deal for most MMOs. Total numbers of accounts and subscribers might tell you how many people play the game, but concurrency tells you how many people actually play the game on a regular basis. So when Dungeon Fighter Online breaks its previous concurrency record in China, that's good news for the game and the development team. After setting an earlier record with 2.6 million users, the game peaked at just over 3 million concurrent users in June. Neople, the developer of Dungeon Fighter Online and a subsidiary of Nexon, has been working with Tencent Games to help adapt the game for the Chinese audience, as China has a long list of rules about what is and is not acceptable in a game. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can play the game now on your PC or an XBox 360, depending on your preferred platform.
Blade & Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class
NCsoft is loath to talk about its Blade & Soul martial arts MMORPG here in the West, so we have to rely on third-party fansites and Chinese/Korean translations for most of our info. The latest such comes courtesy of MMO Culture, and it features an interview from a recent Tencent Games media event with a couple of newsworthy notables. First up is the fact that upcoming Korean and Chinese Blade & Soul beta phases will feature the new Summoner class. Not much is known in terms of class specifics yet, but the site says that it boasts an "easier" and "more relaxed" playstyle than other classes. The interview also touches on Blade & Soul's business model and its impending release. Despite the fact that NCsoft titles like Aion and Lineage II have recently committed to free-to-play in North America, the firm isn't talking about any particular Blade & Soul payment model just yet. Finally, MMO Culture reports that Blade & Soul "is currently near the end of the development phase for commercial release," and given the lack of info on a Western client, we expect said release to be exclusive to the Chinese and Korean markets for now.
Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online
If you haven't heard of SURA Online yet, well, consider yourself enlightened. The online action title is renowned for its fast-attack combat system inspired by martial arts cinema, and ThisIsGame reports that SURA has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Chinese mega-publisher Tencent. SURA boasts three races and six classes, and TIG compares its fighting mechanics to the Tekken series (you can see an official gameplay trailer after the cut, below). Tencent is a major player in the global MMO market; much of its revenue stems from the sale of virtual goods via its Q Coin currency. Interestingly enough, the company also acquired the ZAM Network in February.
New ArcheAge videos show off PvP, dancing gameplay
A couple of ArcheAge tidbits surfaced during the recent Tencent Games Carnival. XLGAMES' sandpark MMO was on display since it is gearing up for both its fourth Korean beta phase and a 2012 beta in Tencent's native China. Two noteworthy videos came out of the conference, and their radically different nature points to the breadth of gameplay on display in ArcheAge. First up is an over-the-shoulder clip featuring some five vs. five PvP gameplay. The action takes place on an instanced map known as the Siege Warfare Training Camp, and MMO Culture points out a couple of lingering bugs relating to character movement (as well as some interesting weapon combinations). The second video comes directly from XLGAMES, and it shifts gears in favor of ArcheAge's social features. While many MMOs feature dance animations, thus far the only title to take a serious stab at dance gameplay has been Star Wars Galaxies. ArcheAge looks to continue that tradition by allowing players to choreograph dances and coordinate with other dancers, though we are scratching our heads a little bit due to the jarring mixture of high fantasy and pop music. You'll find both videos viewable after the cut.
New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]
If you're as starved for news about ArcheAge as we are, the new video accompanying XL Games' announcement of ArcheAge China is akin to a desert oasis. The clip features a good amount of new in-game footage as well a bit of narration from lead designer Jake Song. What's the occasion? It seems that XL has partnered with Tencent Games to bring the sprawling fantasy sandbox MMO to the Chinese market, and the new trailer was created to show the game at Tencent's recent annual press conference. If you're an English-speaker, Song's comments (which appear in the video from approximately 1:30 to 2:20) have been translated at MMO Culture, and they illustrate how ArcheAge is being positioned as a third-generation MMORPG that refines the best of all that has come before. "The third generation online games use the previous two generations as the basics, further improving content and visuals. More importantly, players themselves can now create content and playing styles themselves, permanently reshaping the in-game world. When players log into the same place after some time, the place might look totally different," Song says. Click past the cut to watch the video and also note that the video repeats itself around the 7-minute mark. We'll post a higher quality embed as soon as one becomes available. [Update: We've embedded a subtitled 720p version of the video behind the cut. Thanks to ArcheAge-Online.com for sharing the upload!]
