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Konami publishing Metalocalypse: Dethgame on PSN, XBLA
Confirming our suspicions of a forthcoming game based on Cartoon Network show Metalocalypse, Konami is this week announcing its intentions to publish Metalocalypse: Dethgame for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The show's creator, Brendon Small, confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that he's been working with Konami to produce the upcoming downloadable title from developer Frozen Codebase. Rather than playing as Metalocalypse's lead characters, Small says you'll be controlling a "band of roadies" fighting in honor of the show's fictional band, Dethklok. Konami will allegedly be announcing the game later this week at the San Diego Comic Con.
Massively Exclusive: 5 million accounts, vehicles & more in FusionFall
This past January, Cartoon Network launched their first foray into the MMO space with the wildly successful FusionFall, offering families who like to game together a great deal at $9.95 a month for up to four separate MMO accounts. Since those exciting first days of launch, they've given away all manner of funky swag, racked up over 5 million accounts, and started a whole new generation of explorers down the road of MMO enjoyment. With this summer, however, they're planning on adding even more to their fantastic freemium game with their first major content patch since launch - Dexlabs Upgrade 1: Speed and Style! This super souped-up update, slated to launch later this summer will bring vehicles to the lands of FusionFall. The first one will be a cool new limited-time availability promo vehicle which will be collectible by both paid and free members. After the first vehicle is launched, players will then be required to reach level 10 to start their collection of other vehicles. What types of nifty ways to get around will there be? Well, as you can see above, we have an exclusive first-ever look at FusionFall's Jetbike, Hoverboard, and a very special guest appearance by Kimchi from Chowder! We're not sure, but considering FusionFall still remains the only MMO where players can get around via flying monkeys, we'd bet that whatever they come up with will be cool.
Online gamers are logging more hours, but spending less money
Interactive marketing firm Future Ads revealed a very telling survey from Gamevance today, showing that casual gamers were playing games for longer, yet were spending less money on them overall. Other notable sections of the survey showed a declining gender gap in the gaming population, a melding of the "casual" and "hardcore" gamer markets, and a decline in purchases made for video game consoles.Gamevance's survey revealed that 61% of the 8,000 "casual" gamers who responded said they were playing games for longer periods of time than they were a year ago. However, 80% of those same gamers reported that they were cutting back on console game purchases while 77% of the 8,000 stated that the biggest drawback to console gaming was that it was too expensive.Pair this with the rising Free Realms, Wizard 101, and FusionFall populations, as well as the proliferation of free online gaming sites, and you have a very noticable switch to cheaper gaming alternatives. Will this recession be the rise of the free to play gaming model in America, or will this die off once the economy stabilizes?[Via GigaOm]
Tom and Jerry and Ben 10 coming to the MMO realm
We've written a bit about the Cartoon Network MMO FusionFall of late, which enjoys a great deal of popularity with younger MMO gamers. Now it looks like two other cartoons will be coming to the MMO space: Tom and Jerry and Ben 10. Tom and Jerry is going massively multiplayer (for Asia in 2010) through TurnOut Ventures Limited, a joint venture between Turner Entertainment Holdings Asia Pacific Limited and Outblaze Investments Limited. Hong Kong-based Typhoon Games (who are developing Hello Kitty Online) is developing the Tom and Jerry MMO. A look at the TurnOut Ventures product page also shows they're working on Ben 10 Omniverse. Both massively multiplayer titles are being built on the Unity game engine, for PC and Mac compatibility. There's no announcement at this time for North American or European releases of either title. [Via Kotaku]
Kids exploring the Wastelands of FusionFall in ways devs never intended
Cartoon Network has done fairly well for itself with its IP-centric FusionFall. In fact, the words 'wildly successful' may come to mind when you take into account that FusionFall has already gained over 4 million registered users since its January launch. Having a TV network to promote the game is advantageous, of course, but with that many kids running around in the game's world, it was inevitable that some of them would get up to mischief. This topic came up in an interview conducted by MMORPG.com's Carolyn Koh with FusionFall community director Richard Weil. It's interesting to note that some kids are basically testing the limits of the game world by finding ways into the "Wastelands" -- vast in-game areas where the developers test aspects of FusionFall. These players have managed to find holes in the game code and slip into these off-limits areas that were thought hidden and inaccessible to them in the first place.
DETHGAME trademark surfaces for game based on Metalocalypse
The world's most famous band, Dethklok, is set to invade the games market, as a recent trademark filing by Cartoon Network suggests. This downloadable title will be called METALOCALYPSE: DETHGAME, and could be as jarring and invasive as something spelled with all capital letters suggests. Oh, and we're sure there will be blood. Lots of blood and guts, because that's metal. The trademark suggests describes DETHGAME as "downloadable video games distributed via the internet," though no other specific information was mentioned. So, we're not sure if this potential game is planned for PC only, or if it will arrive on home consoles. With the creators of the show forming their own game company, we wonder if they'll have a hand in this. [Via superannuation]
Wizard101 hits 2 million unique user mark
The picture for massively multiplayer games aimed at a younger demographic is decidedly bright. Titles like Cartoon Network's FusionFall and Wizard101 from KingsIsle Entertainment have already attracted millions of players, though in the case of FusionFall, having your own TV network to promote it can't hurt those registered member numbers. Not to be outdone, the last word we had on the number of Wizard101 subscribers placed it at over 1 million accounts, but today's press announcement confirms the figure at double that initial estimate -- Wizard101 has now hit the 2 million unique user mark. That number is likely to grow with KingsIsle Entertainment's other announcement -- beginning today, Wizard101 prepaid gift cards can be found in 7-Eleven stores throughout the U.S., in $10 denominations.
FusionFall gets new VP and some Webby love
Things have been exciting at the Cartoon Network offices. FusionFall, their first-ever outing in the MMO space, got a warm welcome from players and critics alike when it launched in January. Their game hit 4,000,000 accounts earlier this month, showing the power of the Cartoon Network stars combined with really fun gameplay. Now, Chris Waldron, the Executive Producer for FusionFall has been awarded with his own special new (non-bubblehead) hat; he has been named Vice President of Gaming Operations for Cartoon Network! According to Paul Condolora, Senior Vice President for Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids media group; "Chris continues to be one of the great leaders of our digital team, overseeing the successful launch of our largest and most ambitious game to date - FusionFall. His commitment to quality gaming, relationships with game developers and expertise in the industry make him ideally suited to oversee our gaming efforts."Added to this is the news that not only will FusionFall continue to grow with Chris at the helm as both Exec. Producer and VP of gaming - but they've also been nominated under the games category for a Webby alongside games like Club Penguin, Kongregate, and Facebook's new crack, Mafia Wars. Considering how short a period of time FusionFall has been out before the Webby nominations, that's a pretty tremendous achievement in itself. Congrats to the Cartoon Network games team on their success thus far, and we'll be waiting to see what new surprises they have in store for the fusion-permeated future.
FusionFall offers spring chicken hunting fun
While many of the spring festivities in various MMOs have sprung, Cartoon Network has saved their particular brand of spring silliness in FusionFall for this next week! That's right - from tomorrow (4/22) to next Wednesday (4/29) Coco's helpers, who are dressed as Spring Chickens will be hiding in the Alternate Earths of FusionFall, and are just waiting for you to find them. When you do manage to locate them, they'll transport you to a secret Egg Hunt Zone, just filled with some special Spring holiday eggs - which means lots of goodies for you!As you zoom through the special Egg zones, the different eggs you'll collect will not only yield little surprises "to keep things interesting" according to the Cartoon Network devs, but there are two special bubbleheads available to those who are lucky enough to find them. Keep in mind that other players can warp in and out of the Egg Zones, so you'll need to be quick on your toes to pick up the special holiday eggs - and the related bubbleheads! Free-to-play players in Future World will be able to pick up one of the two, and Unlimited access players - at either $5.95 for one account or $9.95 for up to four accounts - will be able to find the Future World helmet and another bonus bubblehead. If you still can't find out where to look for Coco's helpers, check in on the FusionFall forums for some special riddles that have clues on where to go, or check with the other players in FusionFall and see if you can get a hand. After all, gaming is much more fun if you make some friends along the way!
FusionFall hits the 4 million mark (with bonus Bubblehead, free!)
We got some great news today from our friends over at Cartoon Network. It appears that their freemium family browser-based MMO, FusionFall, has crossed the 4-million registered member mark since their official launch in January! That's a tremendous chunk of growth, and we're glad to see FusionFall getting the love. (Any game that incorporates flying monkeys as a method of traveling around in-game rates an "awesome" in our book.)To celebrate this excellent milestone, the crew over at FusionFall headquarters decided to whip up a special in-game item, the Zak Saturday Bubblehead Helmet, as a way of saying thanks to everyone for playing. All you have to do to get your hands on this limited-edition special celebratory goodie is to head over to the FusionFall site, grab the code, and add it to your account. Of course while you're logged in, you'll want to check out all the new missions and crazy items that the FusionFall team have been hard at work adding in.
FusionFall Executive Producer explains the importance of accessibility
By this time, you've probably heard about Cartoon Network's FusionFall MMO. We've given our extensive first impressions here, and it's managed to create its own little buzz already. How much of a buzz? How about 2.5 million accounts created during beta?So what makes a game like this so popular? According to a recent interview with Worlds in Motion, Executive Producer Chris Waldron says it's all about accessibility. "From our experience with the Sneak Peek weekends, we realize that FusionFall is going to be the first MMO for a lot of players. We based a lot of our design decisions on that, and so far it's working out pretty well." Check out the entire interview for more from FusionFall's Chris Waldron.
Get factual with FusionFall guide for parents and gamers alike
We're definitely fans of FusionFall here at Massively. It's really easy to love an MMO that takes cartoons from your childhood and creates a wonderfully fun free-to-play experience around them. So when we saw this guide over at What They Play, we just had to share it with you, our readers.It's a fairly thorough guide detailing just about every key aspect a concerned parent -- or really anyone in general -- would want to know about what the game is, how you play it, how you sign up for it, how much it costs and much more. They even cover what the community is like and how safe the game is for younger players in general. It's a very impressive look at the title from a parent's perspective. So check it out or send it to any curious parental figures you know who may be scratching their heads about FusionFall.
FusionFall: Cartoon Network's browser-based MMO launches
Turner and Cartoon Network today launched FusionFall, the network's first foray into the MMO world. The game, which features re-imagined characters from CN shows including Ben 10, Dexter's Laboratory, Powepuff Girls, Samurai Jack and others, is browser-based and developed by Korean studio Grigon Entertainment.FusionFall offers a free-to-play area for users to get a taste of the action before deciding if the monthly subscription (which starts at $5.95) is worth it or not. In our admittedly brief time with the game's beta last year, we found the combination of Phantasy Star Online style combat and platform game elements surprisingly appealing. (Especially considering that the game is primarily aimed at kids and those in their early teens, i.e. not us.)For a deeper glimpse into FusionFall, our friendly neighborhood MMO gurus at Massively have put together a really swell guided tour of the game, which you can toon into by clicking here.
First Impressions: Cartoon Network's Fusion Fall
In First Impressions, Krystalle takes on a MMOG and reports back at what you can expect from the game. Is it painful? Awesome? Find out as she takes an unscientific (and highly opinionated) view of a game you may not have seen. Also remember, this is not a review; simply a First Impression - as such, we always recommend you give games that seem interesting a shot and decide for yourself. Cartoon Network's MMO, FusionFall, is definitely a strong first entry into the market. With the Cartoon Network stars as the basis for their IP, and many industry names involved in the project, the hopes have been high. The story is set in a future version of Cartoon Network's own variant of Earth, where the characters are now teenagers - and a bit more anime-styled than their counterparts we know from TV. The premise is that Planet Fusion, a big nasty greenish planet-devouring ball of space-muck run by a terribad guy named Fuse, has come to snack on our beloved home. The only thing standing between Fuse, his sludge minions and the total annihilation of Future Earth is you - and the people playing in the world with you. Along the way Fuse is also spawning evil green versions of all the Cartoon Network characters to aid him in his sinister plan.Now that you've got the general back-story, I've included the FusionFall opening cinematic behind the cut to set the mood before we move on. So far as opening cinematics for web-based games go, this one is definitely worth watching. From there, be sure to jump into the gallery for the full First Impressions on FusionFall. Welcome to the future >> %Gallery-39282%
FusionFall presses the big shiny red button -- launches
(Open in new tab for dramatic effect) What's that sound? Do you hear it? It's the sound of something being unleashed onto an innocent world -- the sound of a big red button being pressed!Thankfully, it's not DeeDee -- it's FusionFall. It's officially launched as of today, and if you've in any way got a thing for Cartoon Network shows of today or the past -- such as Ben 10 Alien Force, Dexter's Laboratory, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd' n Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls, Kids Next Door and Samurai Jack -- we highly recommend heading over to the website right now and giving this browser-based MMO a go.Actually, even if you're just looking for just a fun browser-based MMO to enjoy you should give it a look. FusionFall is primarily subscription-based, however it does offer a free play area called Future Zone. A subscription is $5.95 per month, but there's a family plan with four connected accounts at $9.95 per month as well. So while you can check it out for free, it's also possible to put a little money into the game and experience more.
The Daily Grind: More game for your buck
One of the news pieces we found out about last week was the pricing finally announced for Cartoon Network's upcoming MMO, FusionFall. According to our little mice within their network, it will start out at $5.95 for one account, and then jump to a Family Subscription rate of $9.95 for up to four accounts. Sony Online Entertainment has been offering a Station Access Pass on all their games for a long time now. One of their MMOs is $14.99, but to subscribe to more, you can get a pass that costs $30 per month, giving you access to all the SOE games you own - up to 8 different games in all. Lord of the Rings Online has run subscriptions at $9.99 per month - or $299 lifetime - for a truly gorgeous world.It seems that MMO companies are slowly starting to catch on that a cheaper price point will draw more interest; especially in the current economy when people are re-evaluating their MMO subscriptions. Our question today is this: what price point would get you to consider either trying a new MMO, or resubscribing to one you liked but just can't justify any longer? Perhaps $10 per month like LotRO's special pricing? $5? Would allowing you to group subscriptions up on the cheap like FusionFall's model get you to bring back another account?
FusionFall announces subscription model with free-to-play areas
Cartoon Network's eagerly anticipated first entry into the MMO genre, FusionFall, is set to launch next Wednesday. For those who have checked out the Preview currently going on, and may have been wondering just what kind of pricing Cartoon Network would be implementing, you need wonder no longer. Today we got word that the powers that be at Cartoon Network have decided to run it as a subscription based model, but with a very solid free-to-play portion. Free-to-play members will have access to all areas in the Future Zone, which includes quite a few of the Cartoon Network favorites, such as The Kids Next Door, The Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack to name a few. The paid membership offers not only the Future Zone, but the rest of the game's many areas. In addition, traveling to these areas will unlock additional cool things for your character, such as different gear, new nanos (pets), and more. Paid subscription accounts will cost a very reasonable $5.95 per month, offering full access for one account. For those who have lots of kids who don't want to share an account - or want to check out this game for themselves - Cartoon Network also offers a family plan: at $9.95 per month, you can have four paid accounts to enjoy all the content that FusionFall has to offer.
FusionFall sneak preview starting this weekend
Yes, that's right, it's Blossom and Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls. Very few MMOs could support something as extreme as grown-up Powerpuffs or Dexter as a invasion resistance leader, but Cartoon Network's FusionFall seems to be bringing them and more to the table. But if you're still unsure about the whole prospect of having all of Cartoon Network's heroes in one interconnected universe, then why not take the chance to try the game yourself?This weekend will mark a special "preview" of FusionFall for everyone out there who takes the time to sign up on the main FusionFall website. So for those of you who have been drooling at the idea of taking missions from Ben Tennyson or Numbah Five, wait no longer.And if you're still on the fence about the game -- Samurai Jack. We think that should be enough to push you violently off that fence.
Cartoon Network announces browser-based MMO
Today at Comic-Con, Cartoon Network has announced the release of the first-ever MMO for kids which will be entirely browser-based. Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall is a futuristic adventure set during an alien invasion of the Cartoon Network universe. This means that players will not only be able to team up together to defend the universe from this alien invasion, but the game will incorporate all of Cartoon Network's most popular characters including stars of Ben 10: Alien Force, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls and more!This game will consist of 60 play areas and utilize the Unity Technologies game engine. This engine has been the cutting-edge choice for several gaming projects such as Freeverse, Shockwave.com, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Flashbang Studios and more. Look for FusionFall to release later this fall.
Sharp eyes spot downloadable TV shows in PS3 ad
Click for high resolution image. This might be hard to spot. Click on the image above to see a still frame from a recently released PS3 ad. It goes over all the features of the PS3, such as being able to shop on the PLAYSTATION Store. But look very carefully in the back. This picture of the Store features icons from various TV networks, such as NBC, Cartoon Network, HBO and the CW.Sony has said time and time again that they're interested in delivering video content on the Store. Could this be an indication of what's to come? (Xbox Live Video Marketplace currently offers videos from all of these content providers.) Or, is this an overenthusiastic mock-up?Check out the original trailer, after the cut.[Thanks, Anthony S.!]
