chinese-beta
Latest
Guild Wars 2 developers share APIs, hopes for the future
This morning, ArenaNet dropped the price point of Guild Wars 2 by $10 across all available editions. In a follow-up chat about some of the decisions behind that move, Game Director Colin Johanson talked a bit about community support, the game's regular update cadence, and the company's hopes for bringing Guild Wars 2 into new markets. While a $10 price drop is not an extreme move, Johanson is confident that the change will bring Guild Wars 2 to new people. The company seems to be currently focused on building up community support. Just yesterday, some APIs were made available to the public for the first time. We've already seen them put to use in real-time WvW tracking and event monitors. Johanson also talked about recent efforts to shore up the support for sPvP and how the additions of custom arenas and spectator mode has led to viewers for sPvP streams "more than doubling" in the last few weeks. The game appears to be moving towards a twice-monthly update schedule. Johanson said that while ArenaNet has "not ruled out" the idea of future expansions, the company is committed to the idea of the living story. Johanson mentioned that Guild Wars 2 is sitting solidly at "well over 3,000,000 copies sold" without tapping into the Chinese market. He added that the game just had its first closed beta test in China and that the team is optimistic. ArenaNet hopes to make the Chinese version of the game as similar as possible to the existing one. [Source: ArenaNet conference call]
Blade & Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class
NCsoft is loath to talk about its Blade & Soul martial arts MMORPG here in the West, so we have to rely on third-party fansites and Chinese/Korean translations for most of our info. The latest such comes courtesy of MMO Culture, and it features an interview from a recent Tencent Games media event with a couple of newsworthy notables. First up is the fact that upcoming Korean and Chinese Blade & Soul beta phases will feature the new Summoner class. Not much is known in terms of class specifics yet, but the site says that it boasts an "easier" and "more relaxed" playstyle than other classes. The interview also touches on Blade & Soul's business model and its impending release. Despite the fact that NCsoft titles like Aion and Lineage II have recently committed to free-to-play in North America, the firm isn't talking about any particular Blade & Soul payment model just yet. Finally, MMO Culture reports that Blade & Soul "is currently near the end of the development phase for commercial release," and given the lack of info on a Western client, we expect said release to be exclusive to the Chinese and Korean markets for now.
More Age of Wulin closed beta videos revealed
Another day, another set of videos from the Age of Wulin Chinese beta. MMO Culture has the game covered, and today's installment features a bit of commentary on the title's PvP-centric design as well as a brief look at weapon enhancement functionality. Age of Wulin eschews the traditional +1 system of gear upgrading and instead opts for an interesting mechanic that basically boils down to meeting whatever requirements are described when you mouse over a weapon. The stated example involves reaching level 10 in a particular life skill as well as possessing certain inventory items. While we're a bit dubious about the fact that your cooking prowess may relate to your ability to wield a sword, we're also cognizant of the fact that it's an early Chinese beta build, so we're looking forward to seeing the system develop. Head past the cut for a combat video and some clips of Wudang.
Age of Wulin videos show life skills, combat
More Age of Wulin beta news is on tap courtesy of MMO Culture, and more video footage is available as well. The free-to-play fantasy sandbox just opened its initial closed beta phase to the Chinese market, and as a result we're getting a first look at some of the game's unique features and skills. While most MMOs focus completely on combat, Age of Wulin features some very intriguing non-combat aspects, many of which are found in the life skills tree. In addition to traditional gathering and crafting disciplines, there are also sewing, musician, artist, chess, fortune teller, and beggar skills, just to name a few. Combat isn't forgotten, course, and you can view a basic combat tutorial video and some life skill clips after the break.
