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Entropia Universe adds Arabian planet
According to scientists, Entropia Universe continues to expand, not contract. The MMO had added a new planet to its galaxy, Toulan. Planet Toulan draws from Arabian mythology and culture for its makeup, boasting deserts, swamps, mountains, and a post-apocalyptic setting. Players can land on Toulan (which means "extremely mystical and captivating" in Arabic) to colonize and rebuild the ravage landscape. Toulan was designed by Jordan's Beladcom in cooperation with Entropia Unvierse AB. Beldacom's General Manager Talal Asfoura lauded the virtual planet's launch: "Created by a Jordanian team, Planet Toulan marks a milestone of achievement in the emerging Arabic gaming industry. We've taken the mythology we grew up, mixed in new ideas from science fiction, and can now share it with the world." [Source: Entropia Universe AB press release]
Player loots over $30K from a single kill on Planet Calypso
Most players are pretty excited to get an epic weapon or piece of armor when fighting a massive world boss in other games, so just imagine the reaction if the loot chest overflowed with cold, hard cash. That's what happened to one player in Planet Calypso who walked away with $33,000 in cash for downing one of the toughest monsters in that game. Player Alan Akram of Norway, better known as Alan Krom in game, was on a quest to take down something big when he came across a Mulmun Looter Elite; with support healing from Karine Rikane, he was able to best the boss. Of his good fortune, Akram said, "I am stunned as I never expected a jackpot this massive and will definitely be playing this game for a long time." Want a jackpot of your own? Jump in and give it a go -- the windfalls of others do not impact players' chances of winning. [Source: Entropia Universe press release]
Explore the Cyclops Depths on Planet Calypso
At times it might seem that Planet Calypso is all about massive cash transactions, but that's not the case. There's also a planet to explore, a planet that's gotten a little bigger with the introduction of the new Cyclops Depths. Located beneath the eponymous Cyclops Volcano, the Depths are home to a variety of creatures including the species that originally inhabited the planet... a species that's not entirely happy to find out that an entirely new species has decided to colonize its home. The Mind Reavers had locked themselves away to wait out ecological disaster, but now they're coming back up. So high-level groups of players will need to go down there and negotiate, which means fighting through a large number of mutants and Mind Reavers. New players are welcome to enter as well, but the area is primarily meant for veterans well-equipped for the process of clearing out the depths. [Source: Entropia Universe press release]
SEE buys Planet Calypso for $6 million, talks with Massively for an encore
For $6 million you could buy a heck of a lot of tacos -- or one virtual planet. Wisely, SEE Virtual Worlds went the latter route, snapping up Planet Calypso from MindArk and saving itself massive heartburn. The sci-fi-themed Planet Calypso operates under the umbrella of Entropia Universe and boasts 950,000 registered accounts since coming online in 2003. As part of the deal, SEE Virtual Worlds also acquired all of the assets of First Planet Company, a former subsidiary of MindArk, which has been transformed into SEE Digital Studios. Under this reorganization, SEE Digital Studios is now responsible for developing and operating Planet Calypso, Planet Michael and Universal Monsters. The company is expected to hire on additional team members for these projects. Fresh from the champagne celebration, SEE Virtual Worlds President Corey Redmond sat down with us to discuss this deal and the future of these three titles. Hit the jump to boogie with Michael Jackson, scream in terror at the Wolfman, and navigate the economy of virtual worlds.
Rise and Shiny recap: Planet Calypso
Planet Calypso is another one of those titles that has a perplexing reputation. Granted, in the past I have actually slammed the game -- and I mean slammed it -- but for different reasons. Normally -- and I have seen this over the last week as I told people about the game -- people bring up that they have "heard" that the game is nothing but a gambler's paradise, filled with thieves, liars, and the addicted. Back then, I had an issue with the revamping of the game. I tried it on the day after release, bugs and all, and it was so unplayable that I couldn't move. Taking my own advice of looking back on games that we might have tossed aside, I can now say not only that the game has proved to be one of the most beautiful games I have played, but that the stereotype of the Planet Calypso player seems completely baseless. I looked, trust me, but all I found were nice people. Of course, I did only play it over six days or so.
The robots are rising on Planet Calypso
It's not one of the largest games out there, so most people might not know what you're talking about if you mention Planet Calypso. Those who do might well only think of the highly publicized auctions and trades, in which players have spent large amounts of real-world money to purchase land and facilities (which bring in plenty of real-world money themselves, for the record). But beyond that there is an actual game world, complete with an ongoing storyline. As spotlighted in the newest game newsletter, that storyline is being turned up by a new event -- an ominous approach by robots. The last major assault by the robots left the previous capital city a smoking ruin, and not coincidentally coincided with the game's graphical update to CryEngine 2. This time, the colonists have begun decoding messages sent by the robots, and defenses are gathering to ensure that a repeat of the last event doesn't take place -- even as the robots field a new technology known as "Hydra." Several helpful links for information may be found within the newsletter, which promises plenty of enjoyment for the players in Planet Calypso.
