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NCsoft releases teaser trailer for Blade and Soul
When we say "NCsoft" it usually brings to mind their big, highly-promoted titles like City of Heroes, Aion, and Guild Wars. However, NCsoft enjoys quite a bit of popularity in their home country of Korea, and a lot of people are looking forward to another upcoming title. Blade and Soul hasn't enjoyed the worldwide hype that some other NCsoft titles have, but it's still got an excited fan base looking forward to it. News for eager fans has been on the skimpy side, with the biggest announcement lately being a recent mention from the NCsoft CEO Jaeho Lee: "I believe there will be certain public events in the year 2010... at least a closed beta test for those titles. Commercialisation will be expected, at this point, probably some time in the year 2011." Yesterday NCsoft delivered a little surprise via Twitter for those anticipating Blade and Soul: a teaser trailer is coming soon, and a 30-second teaser is available now. Take a look at the teaser after the jump, and we'll keep an eye out for the full length version for you!
NCSoft sells over 300,000 Aion pre-orders
There's an interesting interview with Véronique Lallier -- NCSoft's managing director of publishing -- over at GamesIndustry.biz that reveals Aion has sold over 300,000 pre-orders so far. Not too shabby if you ask us. The interview also covers a lot of what's been going on over the past year with NC West, NCSoft's 'umbrella' for their western subsidiaries.The main goal of NC West is to give the company a stronger foothold in European and North American markets. Now based out of Seattle, employees can be closer to their players and be more responsive to their needs. Stepping back from their original strategy of making casual games, the Seattle studio is also focused on making more triple-A MMOs for the West. What's on the horizon for NCSoft? Apparently, we can expect to hear more about Guild Wars 2 next year and their Korean studio is working on Blade & Soul, which they claim has even better graphics than Aion. There are a number of unannounced titles as well.We should have the results of our own Aion interview with NCSoft out shortly, so make sure to stay tuned for that.
Massively multiplayer online... boobs?
Did you know that MMOs and breasts have a long history with one another? It's true, you know. From the time MMOs came onto the scene, so too did scantily clad women with huge hooters. Also, yes, this is indeed one of "those" articles. The article where we talk about breasts seriously, I mean.Sanya Weathers, no stranger to the MMO industry (or breasts, for that matter) just recently took a pretty funny tour of how breasts work into advertising, whether we like it or not. From box art to marketing departments, she looks at some of the good, the bad, and the downright horrible when it comes to putting hot women on boxes to sell games.If you're up for a laugh, go check out her article over at MMORPG.com. It's funny, it's insightful, it's historical, and it's full of what men want most -- awesome games. (Get your head out of the gutter if you thought that last line was going to be another boob joke.)
NCSoft summons its chi for martial arts MMO
Forgoing super heroes and knights in shining armor, NCSoft is turning to martial arts and Korean mythology for its latest MMO entry, Blade and Soul. The game is being built on Unreal Engine 3, and while it's currently planned for release only in Korea, its visual style and unique gameplay could help it get a foothold in the States. From the looks of the first video, the game appears to draw heavy influences from Capcom's online hack-'n-slasher, Monster Hunter, working in character designs which seem like they could have been created for the PS2 action title Bujingai. Interactive environments are also part of the mix. In other words, it's definitely not the MMO equivalent of Jade Empire, but maybe BioWare will get to that after its so-not-a-secret KOTOR MMO?[Via Massively]
NCsoft announces martial arts MMO Blade and Soul
Given the news of titles in jeopardy, MMO cancellations, and title delays, it's always great to hear about another new game in the works. This past week NCsoft let slip information about an upcoming title aimed at the Asian marketplace. Called Blade and Soul, it looks to be a unique combination of fantasy MMO and fighting game. It's being developed by Team Bloodlust in the Unreal 3 engine, giving it the visual aesthetic of a high-quality console fighter and the persistence of any of NCsoft's numerous MMO titles.Traditional swords and sorcery Western fantasy seems to be out the window as an Asian aesthetic permeates the game. Martial Arts are the focus, with the themes of justice and chivalry apparently very important to the games' practitioners. The world itself is based on the Korean myth known as 'Song of Genesis', with other mythologies from that country playing a part in the game's backstory. The title will allow players the opportunity to manipulate their environment, while the the environment around them also changes gameplay possibilities. To really get a sense of what the game is like, check out the lengthy trailer below the cut for all your martial MMO needs. It's probably the only bit of the game we in the US will see for a long, long time. Thanks to Yin for the heads up!
