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NCsoft KOs Punch Monster in Korea
If you've never heard of NCsoft's Punch Monster, you're not alone. Apparently the few people who have heard of it didn't want to play it, as the Korean gaming giant is closing down the casual MMO as of February 15th. ThisIsGame says that it's been some time since NCsoft pushed a major update onto the game's live servers, and a company spokesperson confirmed as much. "We decided to close it because we have barely sustained the Korean service. We will continue to develop and publish casual games with [the] experience we have gained so far." Punch Monster will remain playable in China and Japan for the moment, albeit under the name Blue Tears.
Arkadium and Microsoft Studios sign multi-year publishing deal
Casual and social game developer Arkadium has inked a deal with Microsoft Studios to develop exclusive titles across multiple, unnamed platforms. The agreement is described as a "multi-year, multi-game partnership" between the two companies, though exactly how many years the deal will span is unclear. Given the pedigree of Arkadium, which has developed numerous casual titles for the web and mobile devices – word games, puzzle games and the like – it seems likely that it will create games for Xbox Live and Windows Phone. Presumably, the company will also continue to provide games for Microsoft's MSN web portal. Of course, given Microsoft's recent inclination to bring apps to iOS, we could be in for more surprises.
Free for All: A surprising evening of roleplay in RuneScape
Roleplay is often treated as the odd cousin of the MMO family. You know the kid I am talking about... your Aunt comes to visit and your mother tells you to hang out with him, and he ends up vomiting in your room. (Did it only happen to me?) The truth is that the odd cousin is often just misunderstood and generally a lot of fun. It might take a small leap of faith and perhaps some time, but roleplay can be a very rewarding experience. RuneScape might not seem like a prime spot for roleplay. I hardly even heard of roleplay in the community, but I knew that the playerbase was made up of individuals from all age ranges. I thought of trying to find a good roleplay clan or trying to attend a roleplay event or two, but I didn't find the time to investigate. It began to look like roleplay was not something that happened in the game. That was until last night. I stumbled upon some sort of spontaneous roleplay session, and it was mostly thrilling. I even interviewed a few players to see how the whole thing worked. Click past the cut and I'll tell you what I found out!
MMO Family: LEGO Universe, autism, and heartbreak
Often when the topic of video games comes up, it's followed by comments about the negatives, such as violence, antisocial behavior, or inappropriate content. But if they do have harmful effects (and it's arguable how many players really are affected in a negative way), they can also be helpful as well, yet you rarely hear a news story about the good. I've written before about how companies like IBM have studied MMO guilds in order to improve team-building and organization within their company. More recently, MMOWGLI focused on global issues, such as the future of piracy, to study what solutions players could cooperatively generate. There are also positive benefits to children as well, and while we've touched on a few in recent columns, this week we'll focus on the impact LEGO Universe has had on autistic children. Sadly, the game will be shutting down in a few weeks, and while many parents are thankful for how much it's helped, they're also concerned about what will happen once the game is gone. Read on for a bittersweet look at how this LEGO-based game is leaving behind a legacy.
Bigpoint's DarkOrbit turns five this month
If you'd never heard of Bigpoint's browser MMO known as DarkOrbit prior to last month's space drone microtransaction brouhaha, you're not alone. According to the company, though, lots of people have heard of the game, which launched in 2006 and is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary. Bigpoint claims a community of over 65 million registered players, and a news release says that DarkOrbit is "the most popular and biggest space game worldwide." DarkOrbit is a 2-D flash game that puts players in control of a spaceship while working for one of three corporations. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Conquer Online now available on iPad
NetDragon Websoft claims that Conquer Online was the world's first free-to-play MMO. Given that it debuted way back in 2003 when MMOs (nevermind F2P) were decidedly uncool, we're a little fuzzy on whether it was in fact the first of its type. What we do know is that Conquer Online is now available in the iTunes Store, and NetDragon says that the game is "the first ever completely free MMORPG arriving on the iPad; [there's] no charge to download and no monthly subscription fee." The game is set in ancient China and features six martial arts-based classes, player housing, and plenty of questing and monster-killing. There's even a player marriage mechanic if you tire of more traditional MMO gameplay. We've got a launch trailer for you behind the break, and you'll find more info at the iTunes Store and the game's official website.
EA-BioWare acquires KlickNation, rebrands it BioWare Social
All the cool kids are into social gaming these days, so it should come as no surprise when some of the bigger gaming firms start testing the waters. BioWare looks to be next on that list according to a report at GamesIndustry.biz that details Electronic Arts' acquisition of KlickNation. KlickNation operates social games including SuperHero City and Six Gun Galaxy, and while the company's monthly active user base has declined from 1.3 million to 400,000, EA and BioWare see it as a growth opportunity. KlickNation's expertise in building innovative and compelling RPGs for social platforms makes them a seamless tuck-in with the BioWare team at EA," says Ray Muzyka. The new unit has been renamed BioWare Social, and thus far the company has not announced any concrete plans relating to new or existing titles.
Former Myspace CEO Owen Van Natta now former Zynga executive
Owen Van Natta has resigned from his position as an Executive Vice President of Business Operations at casual/social gaming megalith Zynga, according to a regulatory filing released Thursday. While Natta maintains his position on the company's board of directors, his involvement in the developer's daily operations has ceased. Natta served as Facebook's Chief Revenue Officer until joining Myspace in 2009, where his tenure as CEO lasted until being scooped up by Zynga in August of 2010. Natta takes 2.1 million shares of Zynga stock with him, leaving behind 4.6 million of his original 6.8 million shares which had not fully vested to maturity. Despite delaying its IPO earlier this year, Zynga is still expected to go public before long, and depending on how that goes Natta's shares could either extend his resignation indefinitely, or amount to a whole lot of his last name.
Report: 'Casual' interest in portable gaming systems down 29 percent
Got your grain of salt ready? Good! Survey and statistical analysis firm Cowen and Company has published the results of a survey that suggests "casual" gamer interest in dedicated handheld gaming systems has declined by 29 percent over the last 5 years. 37 percent of people polled play games on a dedicated device, while 52 percent primarily use their phones. The study goes on to say that companies like EA, who have invested heavily in iOS and Android gaming, are better positioned for the future of the market as compared to other companies such as Nintendo. Now, these are "self-identified" casual gamers, mind you, and knowing what that means in practical terms or how it affects the results of this survey is an impossibility. It's also no big shocker that the Great Smartphone Boom of the early 21st century has had an impact on dedicated devices of all kinds, from gaming systems to navigation units to carrier pigeons. Seriously, our carrier pigeon side-business is really, really tanking. This may not have been the smartest investment we could have made.
We want to play Peter Molydeux's 'CasCore' prototype
One of our favorite Twitter accounts, @petermolydeux, is a constant source of entertainment, but now he's taken it to the next level. Rather than leave it up to us to imagine his insane gaming ideas, he's gone ahead and created a video proposal for CasCore, a game that marries the casual gameplay of Wii Sports' bowling with the hardcore survival-horror genre. Give your imagination a break already and check out the prototype video above. How else will you see a child's dreams crammed into a bowling ball?
Monster Galaxy Facebook game coming to the big screen
The list of films based on video games is long, if not particularly distinguished. The list is about to get a bit lengthier thanks to an upcoming collaboration between Gaia Interactive and Radar Pictures. The two firms have just released a new press blurb trumpeting the fact that they've formed an alliance to bring Monster Galaxy to the big screen. What the heck is Monster Galaxy, you say? Well, it's a Facebook title that "has reigned as a top 10 game on the platform for six consecutive months," according to the release. The film version of Monster Galaxy will feature its unique "Moga" characters as well as "rich story and charming artwork." Gaia Interactive was founded in 2003 and claims to be one of the world's most active social gaming communities. Radar Pictures is owned by Ted Field, an entertainment executive with producer credits on films including Pitch Black, The Last Samurai, and Jumanji. [Source: Gaia press release]
GhostX Ultimate offers classless gameplay with nanobots
If you've never heard of GameKiss, you're not alone. The company hopes to change that, though, and the first step toward raising its profile is a new MMO called GhostX Ultimate. GameKiss says that the title "delivers a stand-out gameplay experience for gamers with an appetite for a completely different kind of adventure," and that it's unique in "a sea of repetitively-themed MMORPG games." Bold claims, to be sure, but how exactly does GhostX come by its uniqueness? For one thing, there are no classes or jobs. Instead, players develop their own catalogue of nanobot weapons that can instantly change an avatar's combat abilities from melee to short- or long-range styles. GameKiss's latest press release also says that GhostX has a "real storyline," and you can learn more about that, and download the free-to-play title, at the official website.
GDC Online 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert takes a wrecking ball to the casual vs. hardcore model
"I'm trying to finish a product, Star Wars: The Old Republic, which I am not going to talk about today." Thus began BioWare's Damion Schubert's seminar, Double Coding: Making Online Games for Both the Casual and the Hardcore, at this year's GDC Online. "This is more of a weary man, sort of stream-of-consciousness design theory talk." Schubert wanted to call the talk "Moving Beyond Double Coding," which is a term that comes from cartoons, of all places. Double coding is content that reaches two different groups of people at the same time. Looney Tunes, for example, would entertain both adults and kids because the writers and animators designed it so. With MMOs, Schubert says that devs are often trying to double code the games for both casual and hardcore players. This is where the well-known slogan "easy to play, hard to master" originates. He held up Blizzard as a primary example of this model. Blizzard's "donut," as Schubert calls it, has a casual outer ring and a hardcore center for both types of players. By double coding, Blizzard ensures that casual players can invite their hardcore friends to experience the game and vice-versa. However, this model is faltering, and Schubert pinpoints why after the jump!
Behind the Mask: The separation of newbie and expert
Last week on Behind the Mask, we got into a little discussion about why Champions Online's Elite difficulty needs to be buffed (and possibly also the very hard difficulty as well). This led to a discussion of whom Elite would be tailored for. I'm sure this is a big issue over at Cryptic right now. If Elite is increased in difficulty, whom should it be designed to suit? I was asked this burning question a few times, and I've made my opinion clear: that Elite should be for the top tier, the tip of the iceberg of player ability. Don't take that to mean Gold players only. There is a sharp divide between an expert Silver player and a poor Gold player. In fact, the poor Gold player is likely to be worse than a bad Silver player. How good is good enough? This week, we'll find out.
Bigpoint buys out sports game development firm
The Bigpoint browser monster has gobbled up another game development firm, and it's still hungry, according to a news blurb at Reuters. 49Games is Bigpoint's latest acquisition, and the former is best-known for its winter sports games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 consoles. 49Games is based in Germany (as is its new parent) and boasts around 40 developers. Bigpoint now features over 700 devs and says that it is the "world's largest browser-based online game provider" thanks to more than 200 million registered users. Bigpoint is best known for its Battlestar Galactica MMO as well as its controversial stance on selling in-game advantages.
EVE Evolved: A new nullsec for everyone
Several weeks ago, EVE Online developer CCP Greyscale published possibly the single most important devblog of the past two years. Titled Nullsec development: Design goals, the blog laid the ground rules for high-level discussion on EVE's upcoming nullsec revamp. For those who live in nullsec, territorial warfare and nullsec life represent the true endgame of EVE. It's in these massive lawless regions of space that players forge alliances, build their own empires, and lead massive fleets of ships into enemy territory to kick over some space sandcastles. Over the past two weeks, I've been delving into the discussion surrounding the upcoming nullsec revamp and speculating on what changes we might see. I started with a look back at the early days of nullsec industry and went on to give some ideas aimed at reclaiming those glory days. I followed that up with last week's summary of EVE Online's empire-building history, the problems faced by today's territorial warfare mechanics, and further speculation on how the system could be radically changed for the better. In this week's EVE Evolved, I conclude this series of articles on the upcoming nullsec revamp with an examination of the discussion surrounding PvE, the local channel, and the potentially revolutionary smallholding system that could give even casual and solo players a taste of nullsec.
Digital Chocolate buys Sandlot Games
Mobile game developer Digital Chocolate, one of the biggest developers on the App Store, has acquired Sandlot Games, makers of Cake Mania and a few other popular App Store titles. Sandlot has offices in Seattle and Eastern Europe, and Digital Chocolate says it plans to use the developer to expand operations in both places. Unfortunately, there's no word on how much the deal is worth. Both companies have seen plenty of app downloads, and have big titles on multiple platforms, including Apple's devices and the PC, so this is likely a substantial acquisition for both sides. As Digital Chocolate's Trip Hawkins says, "We expect to be the leading game company in at least 5 of the 7 cities where we now have development studios." That said, I don't think this is the last we'll hear of either company. This space is extremely volatile at the moment, and it's just as likely that we'll see Digital Chocolate pick up more developers as it is that we'll see a larger company buy out the whole company if so inclined. [via Touch Arcade]
Massively Exclusive: Referee Ruby shows off Free Realms' housing
All right, Free Realms fanatics, it's time for another visit from the fabulous Referee Ruby. Today she's focused on Free Realms' housing options. After giving viewers a small sampling of the housing lots available to players (as well as a... toilet theme park?), she shows us how a player can take their creative masterpiece -- such as, Ruby suggests, a theme park dedicated to a certain referee -- and share it with the rest of the world. To watch the full video, and maybe get some ideas for your own Free Realms lot, jump on past the cut!
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Bejeweled 3
Fancy an addictive, fun, casual game for your Mac? Look no further than the classic Bejeweled, now back in its third iteration on the Mac. Played either in full screen or windowed, the standard game hasn't changed, you still match three or more gems in a row to clear them from the board. There are four different play modes to choose from: classic, which you just match the gems until you can't make any more moves, levelling up as you go; Zen, where the board is shaken up if you can't move; Lightning, where you have to match against the clock; and Quest, where you have to complete a set task or puzzle to progress. Four secret modes are also available to unlock like Poker, a cross between gem matching and the classic card game, which are unlocked by playing the four regular game types. Bejeweled 3 has all sorts of fancy gems, which explode, zap and annihilate the gems, while the explosions and sound effects are joined by an announcer who blasts out "Excellent" and "Awesome" when you get on a roll. The game even has a fairly decent midi sound track to it. If you're a fan, the whole experience really draws you in so be prepared to waste a good hour or two before you know it. As with most modern games Bejeweled 3 also comes with achievements in the form of 20 badges to collect, including five "Elite" badges, while you can level up with experience points gained from playing each of the games. Bejeweled 3 is available from the Mac App Store for the rather dear US$19.99, but if you've played the free online version and want the ads gone and a native experience, Bejeweled 3 for Mac delivers in droves and there's even a free trial to test it out.
Lichborne: Grab some new patch 4.2 pre-raid gear for your death knight
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. With patch 4.2 live, raiders have the Firelands raid to get through, but casual players and non-raiders need not despair. You have your own little patch of Firelands to tackle, with a robust set of dailies that have the potential to unlock new gear upgrades. This week, we're going to take a look at those gear upgrades, as well as some other stuff you can do to get your gear upgraded without killing a single boss in the new Firelands raid. Most of the stuff we'll be discussing is ilevel 365, which means it's only barely an upgrade (or possibly even a sidegrade) from ilevel 359 stuff -- but if you're still wearing ilevel 333 or 346 stuff, this should mean a pretty big leap in power for you.
