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E3 2012: XL COO on ArcheAge, CBT4, and coming to America
This is one of those good news/bad news ArcheAge articles. The good news is that XLGAMES' sandpark title is absolutely coming to the West. The bad news, though, is that we still don't know exactly when. XL didn't have an official presence at this year's E3, but the firm was kind enough to set up a private interview with COO Suk Woo Choi away from the hustle and bustle of convention ground zero. We talked at length about CBT4, game systems, and the challenges inherent in localizing ArcheAge for Europe and America.
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!]
New ArcheAge video shows improvements to Rainbow Fields
ArcheAge's CBT4 ended a couple months ago, and XLGAMES has been busy putting the information gathered to use. To showcase changes and improvements made during the break between CBT4 and CBT5, the studio has planned a series of videos. The first video in this series highlights the transformation of one starting area, Rainbow Fields; once described as empty and flat, this region is now populated with more buildings, has a more diverse landscape, and sports improved weather effects. Although there is still no official word on ArcheAge being released to the western market, sandbox hopefuls can check out the latest improvements after the break. [Thanks to Sandboxer for the tip!]
New ArcheAge video makes western audiences sad
Tencent Games has released a new ArcheAge trailer that's one of the more enthralling clips we've seen in a while. It runs for just under two minutes and it features a plethora of fly-through landscape shots, boss monsters, a wee bit of combat, and a stirring soundtrack. Why Tencent Games instead of XLGAMES? Because Tencent is publishing the fantasy sandbox in China, and the aforementioned trailer is meant to endear the game to the huge number of MMO players that make up the Chinese market. European and American release plans for ArcheAge are still unknown, so commiserate with us by gazing wistfully at the full clip after the cut.
XLGAMES teases ArcheAge soundtrack download
Well, the bad news is that there's still no sign of ArcheAge coming to the western market anytime soon. The good news is that you can now treat your ears to a portion of the fantasy sandpark's soundtrack. ArcheAge's official Korean website has made nine tracks available for your downloading pleasure, including several of the game's racial themes as well as the music from a few different in-game locales. A helpful chap on the ArcheAge Source forums has posted translations for all the track titles, and while this certainly isn't all of the music available in XLGAMES' sprawling fantasy epic, it may just tide you over for a bit.
ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content
XLGAMES' new fantasy sandbox is a big deal in its native Korea, of course, but it's also looking to turn a few heads in the Chinese market. ArcheAge has a strong presence at this week's Tencent media event, and XL has revealed that its devs are working on a new "main city" that features Chinese culture and architecture inspirations. Additional Chinese-themed content is coming in the "near future," according to MMO Culture, and it will include costumes, dungeons, maps, and events. ArcheAge recently closed the book on its fourth Korean closed beta test; XL's upcoming CBT5 phase will coincide with the first Chinese beta.
ArcheAge evaluates CBT4 and revs up for CBT5
After 95 days of intense testing, ArcheAge has put an end to the game's fourth closed beta and is evaluating the results in preparation for the next round. XLGAME's Jake Song said to the press that over 2,000 pieces of feedback were gathered from the event and most all of them were directly addressed by the team. ArcheAge's fourth closed beta test expanded the game significantly. Three land regions, four sea zones, siege warfare, pirates, an auction house, the Kraken, and the new Hariharan race were added for players to try out. The team also improved the look of the Ferre race and clarity during character creation. During the event, XLGAMES incorporated a Footprint system into the game that would "mark" a trespasser who attempted to steal another player's resources, such as cutting down trees. One new feature was removed, however. The team had a combustible liquor barrel in the game but yanked it when griefers threw it into the middle of a wedding ceremony and killed everyone. As the devs put a wrap on closed beta four, Jake Song says that they're hard at work preparing for the fifth test. Before that happens, however, the team will attempt to fix many of the bugs that popped up during the last test, improve client downloading speeds, and incorporate instant dungeons and housing improvements.
XLGAMES' Jake Song not interested in consoles
ArcheAge guru Jake Song weighed in on the future of console games at Seoul's SoGang University yesterday. The XLGAMES founder and Lineage creator was part of a public discussion called "Get All the Game Maniacs Together," and he responded with an emphatic "no" when asked if he plans to develop for consoles. "[The Korean gaming industry] was able to set up such [a] wonderful environment for online games 15 years ago. So why should we go into the outdated market while so many overseas developers are suffering from learning our online games development experience," he said. Song explained that the console business model relies on selling third-party software, and he also hinted at the fact that mobile software is both cheaper and comparable to its console counterpart in terms of quality.
XL lowers the curtain on ArcheAge CBT4, releases stats
ArcheAge's fourth Korean closed beta test is officially in the books, and XLGAMES has released a few noteworthy numbers from the three-month event. The test began on December 8th (that's a whopping 95 days ago if you're counting at home) and saw the creation of 173 guilds, the building of 3,400 houses, and the planting of 2,200,000 trees. Players also bought (and sold) 130,000 livestock, 750,000 pine trees, and 660,000 strawberries, according to Korean news site ThisIsGame. CBT4 featured over 40 patches that introduced several new systems to the ArcheAge client, among them siege warfare, the family system, the pirate system, and aquaculture. "We deeply appreciate the testers who participated [in] the long test of [an] incomplete game," said XL's Yong-Gon Kim. "Later schedule[s] [will] be announced as soon as we finish reviewing the test." Western fans are hoping these upcoming announcements will include some sort of English-speaking beta but thus far XL has been silent on the matter.
Ask Massively: A week to sleep edition
Last week, if you've forgotten, we had a big multi-person answer. This week, Mass Effect 3 released. Between those two factors, this week's column is aiming less at huge overarching answers to profound questions and more at producing some lower-key answers to some lower-key questions. I'm sure next week we'll have bigger answers and I'll go back to stretching out "maybe" over 200 words. For this week, maybe we can take a nap? What? Animals do it all the time, and they seem pretty happy. Especially the orange killing machines in the picture. Anyhow, this week's Ask Massively is briefer than the last installment, but it still covers some Massively meta-issues as well as the looming prospect of ArcheAge's hopeful release stateside. If you have a question for a future installment of the feature, send it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for brevity and/or clarity.
ArcheAge explores the possibilities of an open world in a new video
Who would have thought that something as mundane as tractors could get us so excited? And yet ArcheAge does exactly that, as a new video from the closed beta shows off the latest model of drivable tractors, useful in both field irrigation and cargo hauling. Players are shown spraying down fields with a forward-facing nozzle, resulting in the quick growth of plants. In addition to the zen and art of tractor pulling, this video briefly highlights several other aspects of this gorgeous game. It illuminates the creation and use of a trebuchet in castle sieges, underwater exploration, housing decorations, and painstakingly animated dragon-lion mounts. While the video may not be in English, it's still a drop of cool water in the mouths of fans thirsty for this upcoming MMO. You can check out all of the lush goodness after the break. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Yarr! ArcheAge CBT4 video shows player piracy
Fancy being a pirate in the fantasy world of ArcheAge? You can, and all it takes is a ship and a crew of your best mates. A new player-made video shows off the game's naval combat potential, and the clip is basically three minutes of jaw-dropping PvP action. There's plenty of carnage courtesy of player-manned ship cannons and destructible hulls, and we can also see combatants crossing swords on the decks of enemy ships (if you look closely you'll catch a glimpse of a player using a hang-glider to travel from one ship to the next). The video also gives us a good look at ArcheAge's functional ship rigging, and you can see players unfurling sails, interacting with various ship controls, and even climbing a mast to the crow's nest. Check it out after the break.
New ArcheAge clip shows underwater environments
XLGAMES continues to roll out the interesting video clips for ArcheAge, and the latest such features a look at the sandpark title's underwater environments. While the game's oceans and waterways are quite beautiful when viewed from the deck of a ship, there's a whole new playfield that awaits gamers under the sea. The video shows off shipwrecks, resource gathering, and underwater fishing, and we're betting there are plenty of nautical monsters to hunt as well. Did we mention the retro dive helmets and scuba gear? See for yourself after the cut.
ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer
We have no idea when the Korean-developed ArcheAge is going to see the light of day on North American soil, but that doesn't mean we can't stare at the pretty trailers and hope that it's soon. Today, the official ArcheAge YouTube page has uploaded a new video that gives fans a look at the title's siege warfare. Now, you might think that you have an idea of what a fortress siege is like. A bunch of players group up, zerg rush the fortress, and the last side standing takes the prize, right? Well, not so much in ArcheAge's case. The video shows plenty of infantry clashing blades, but that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are catapults and siege towers and aerial attacks and more, lending a suitable sense of chaos to the entire ordeal. The objective of the madness seems to be the destruction of a crystal nestled deep within the defending fortress, though we don't speak Korean, so don't quote us on that. At any rate, it's certainly an impressive display of the large-scale PvP offered by ArcheAge, so load your trebuchets and click on past the cut for the full video.
ArcheAge CBT4 extended to March 11th, 'if not later'
Those of you having fun in ArcheAge's fourth closed beta test will be happy to know that the party isn't stopping just yet. XLGAMES has announced a two-week extension for CBT4, ostensibly to subject the recently introduced siege system to more player-driven tests. Fan site ArcheAge Online says that "the beta will continue on until at least March 11th, if not later." ArcheAge is a fantasy title that seeks to meld the best parts of both sandbox and themepark design conventions. The game is the brainchild of Lineage creator Jake Song, and you can check out Massively's impressions of the beta via our CBT3 recap.
ArcheAge fan site features lots of CBT4 info
There's still no word on an English-language version of ArcheAge, but that isn't stopping fan sites like ArcheAge Source from digging up lots of interesting stuff on the Korean sandpark title. The site has a wealth of information covering several aspects of ArcheAge's fourth closed beta phase, including multiple skill guides, lore, and various videos. If that's not enough for you, there's also the latest beta patch notes that are available via Google translate. Check them out to learn more about siege ladders, the game's family system, and importing your own graphics for cloaks and ship sails. [Thanks to Andrew for the tip!]
Ask Massively: On mourning a netbook edition
Well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. My stalwart little netbook, River, finally developed a serious problem: Her screen developed a pair of nasty cracks. I've had her for only a couple of years, but she's been a great portable machine and a real help at getting work done. Now if only it weren't such an enormous pain finding someplace where I could get her repaired, as I'd really prefer not to replace her. But it might come to that. Even with an injured performer, however, the show must go on, and the show in question is Ask Massively. This week, we're fielding questions about ArcheAge and working in the gaming field, something that I'm sure is of interest to many of our readers. If you've got a question you'd like to see in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited for brevity and/or clarity.
Taking a look at the world bosses of ArcheAge
The upcoming sandbox game ArcheAge has turned quite a few heads with its design principles, graphics, and game mechanics. But mechanics alone don't make a game fun to play -- you need to have some content to make use of them, after all. Content like, say, a large number of bosses wandering the world for players to take up arms against. The folks over at Steparu have gone out and shown off precisely those bosses with a new series of videos, showing the latest beta build in action by demonstrating pitched fights against these enemies. As the preview indicates, defeating bosses rewards you with enchantments, equipment, and reputation, with the last being quite useful to gain access to new prizes through the game. The first of several videos is embedded past the cut, but if you want to see the full spectrum of enemies you can fight like a boss, you'll need to check out the full array of videos yourself and possibly join the legions of hopeful fans wondering when the game will get a stateside release. [Thanks to ArcheAge Fan for the tip!]
Videos document player battle with ArcheAge's Kraken
If you haven't gotten enough of ArcheAge's ridiculously gorgeous graphics and sailing mechanics, then prepare to wet your whistle on not one, not two, but three new videos showing off ocean exploration and monster encounters. Sailing and ship combat is one of the lesser-utilized mechanics in the MMO field, so if ArcheAge can pull it off, then it might make waves. Figuratively speaking. These three videos document an encounter with the fearsome Kraken -- giant squid with an anger management problem -- and what happens to a fragile wooden boat that sails into its waiting tentacles. According to the video, the Kraken has nearly a million hit points and can smash entire armadas with impunity. The videos show a fleet trying to take on the fearsome underwater world boss, but the players are only able to make a dent for all their efforts. Conquer your fears of the unknown by hitting the jump and checking out this impressive beta footage!
ArcheAge team releases holiday greetings video
'Tis the season for holiday-themed giveaways, events, and videos, and the team at XLGAMES is getting into the act despite the fact that ArcheAge won't be coming to Western shores in time for Christmas 2011. Grinch impressions aside, the new holiday video shows off some of the game's weather effects as well as a veritable winter wonderland complete with snow and player-placed Christmas tree decorations -- not to mention dancing and fireworks. You can see all the festive sights after the cut, and we'll take this opportunity to say that all we want for Christmas is an English-language client!
