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Square and Ankama gear up for Wakfu closed beta
Lest you think Square-Enix is solely committed to sprawling, spikey-haired, single-player productions or much-maligned MMORPGs, we're here to tell you that the famed development firm is gearing up to unleash Wakfu on an unsuspecting gaming populace. The new tactical MMO will be opening the doors of its closed beta on January 31st, and Square is inviting you to check out the game's 14 classes, turn-based combat, and an evolving eco-system in which killing a monster may mean ridding the game world of it for good. While Square is handling publishing duties for Wakfu, the brains behind the game is a company called Ankama, better known to international MMO fans as the creators of Dofus. Aside from a propensity for wacky titles, Ankama is making a name for itself via the various multimedia projects surrounding the release of Wakfu including comic books, card games, and an animated cartoon.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dofus
Years ago I had to find a job in my new home state of Texas. Luckily for me, my wife hooked me up with a friend who helped me get hired at Starbucks. At first, I hung my head in shame. Later, though, I enjoyed dealing with customers and the free coffee. I had a co-worker, a real chin-scratching, coffee house wanna-be intellectual who would often spend more time dreaming about some game than about getting people on their breaks. He even brought his Macbook to work to sneak in time in the game. I glanced over his shoulder one day and was delighted to see an odd-looking, cartoony, turn-based game on his screen. It turned out that the game was Dofus. I tried it immediately and fell in love with it, but that was years ago. I still found time to revisit the game, but once I started working at Massively, most of my time became dedicated to every other game in the world. Well, it's time to visit it again. During the first part of this week, though, I thought this was going to be a disaster. I stayed strong and battled my way through bot after bot, spam message after spam message, and eventually found the great game I remember. Click past the cut to see exactly what I found!
Free for All: Twenty-five free MMOs for that shiny new laptop
So there you are, reading a column from your favorite Massively writer on your shiny new laptop. You might be stuck with your parents and family because of the snow, or you might simply want to find a new MMORPG to play on the device. Perhaps you broke down and bought that cute pink netbook at Target, and now you need something to do with it besides reading your favorite writer of all time? Don't worry, because I've taken the time to compile and test 25 MMOs that will work wonderfully on your new toy! Yes, there are real MMOs out there that are not dependent on the latest graphics card or six gigs of ram. These are fully realized worlds, complete with chat windows and socializing. I will make a note if the game might have some difficulty on the oldest of hardware -- or the least powerful -- so keep an eye out for that. Otherwise, download away! For the record, this is my new toy. I got it for work, but you know the first thing I had to do was try out gaming on it. Click past the cut to see the list!
Free for All: Four games I'm dying to play in 2011
The year 2010 was a great year in gaming. If anyone tells you any different, look him in the eye -- you've just met a madman. In fact, 2010 did so much for me, personally, that it might be hard to top it for a while. I actually started getting paid to write my blog entries this year, discovered so many wonderful new developers this year, and played more hours than in all of the previous years combined. As luck would have it, there are already several new games being announced that are making 2011 look like an even bigger year for me. Browser-based technology is only growing more robust and rich, indie gaming is finally starting to get a lot of the respect it deserves, and I now have the ability to contact almost any developer I want for use in my columns. All of this adds up to some exciting times ahead, for sure. All thanks to Massively, of course. There are four games in particular that I am very excited about. More will come, I'm positive, but these four have already cast huge spells on me. Click past the cut to see what you should be excited about, too!
DOFUS brings the holidays to players, then blows them up
The colorful world of DOFUS seems well-suited to a holiday celebration, especially with the amount of character embedded in the game's graphics. And one is taking place on Kwismas Island, beyond a shadow of a doubt. But there's still something else for players to look for, something that's far less merry than the dungeons of the island (whose merriness is already a rather dubious quality). It's the newest class of the game, the Rogue, a class focused on guns, explosives, and the use of both in tandem. Capable of summoning a variety of elemental bombs as well as making elementally charged pistol attacks, Rogues are the 13th class in the game, available as a premium feature now. All DOFUS players can enjoy Kwismas Island, however, previewed in our gallery just below. Take a look at the Rogue teaser video past the cut, and consider the possible combination of holiday dungeons and heavy explosives. (It beats fruitcake and caroling.) %Gallery-111466%
Chill out in Frigost with a DOFUS beta key from Massively
Ankama Games has just updated their DOFUS servers, and are introducing an all new area, Frigost, for players to check out. This chilly area is for those adventurers who have attained level 100 or higher, and offers lots of new challenges in the form of frozen lake dungeons and icy fields of enemies to battle through. There's also shiny new equipment, all new quests, and a new ice DOFUS (or dragon egg for those not familiar) for players to be found among the riches of this new land. For those readers who have been playing DOFUS for some time, or are just looking for a fun new free-to-play game to check out, we've managed to snag 200 beta keys to get you into the frosty lands of Frigost early. All you have to do to snag one is to head over to our beta code giveaway page, grab a key, then follow the directions there to get signed up!
Massively's tour of Dofus 2.0
Dofus is a game that's been around for a while now, first in its 1.0 form, and now as Dofus 2.0. It's a tactics-based game (many players have pointed out that it has a Final Fantasy feel about it), and while it's not as flashy as many of the graphics-heavy games on the market today, it's got a fair amount of substance to it. Dofus 2.0 offers a nice variety of combat areas, diverse and specialized classes, even crafting if that's your thing. Recently we were lucky enough to take a tour of Dofus 2.0 with Ankama's own Elissa Dukes. Follow along after the jump to see what we found.
Dofus opens their new version, Dofus 2.0, to simultaneous praise and worry
If you're a gamer looking for a tactical approach to MMOs, then you're pretty much going to want to play Dofus. Dofus is the MMO that takes a real-time strategy approach to combat, letting characters move in cells and conduct attacks in turns, very similar to the classic combat system of Final Fantasy Tactics. Recently, the Dofus team has ripped open the packaging on Dofus 2.0, a huge update that gives the game improved graphics, new areas, gameplay, and much more. However, the update hasn't been released without a fair share of criticism. Ankama Games had made the decision to launch Dofus 2.0 while simultaneously keeping Dofus 1.26, the prior version, online on separate servers.
The MMO launch subscriber bubble
It feels like a new MMO is being released every month these days and the market for persistent online games is certainly expanding. At the head of this market is a set of games commonly referred to "triple A" titles. These are popular games from big name studios or games using popular intellectual properties. New games that are considered "triple A" have a unique ability to build unparalleled levels of anticipation and hype around themselves prior to release. In order to draw in as many players as possible, an obscene amount of cash is often spent on advertising to hype these games up for release. But is this appropriate and cost-effective or does it show a fundamental misunderstanding of of the MMO market?In this article, we look at what can go wrong with over-hyped MMO launches and what happens when the subscriber bubble bursts.
Move over BlizzCon, here comes AnkamaCon
If you thought Blizzard had the only MMO convention in town, think again. Ankama Games, the creators of Dofus and Wakfu, have announced their 4th annual convention -- AnkamaCon!This year AnkamaCon will be in Paris and the theme is Gobbowl, a crazy sport introduced in Wakfu the animated series. Convention goers can expect to enjoy rooms that will be screening the Wakfu series, playable demonstrations of Ankama's games, a first look at Dofus-pocket for mobile phones, a chance to play the Wakfu trading card game before it releases, and much much more.AnkamaCon will be June 27th and 28th, with weekend passes going for 29 euros in advance or 35 euros at the door. Families also have the option of family passes, which are 37 euros in advance or 45 at the door.
Microsoft partners with Ankama Games to bring Wakfu to Xbox Live Arcade
If you have heard of Dofus or Wakfu, then you've heard of Ankama Games, the people Microsoft has just turned to for a new Xbox MMO-esque game. In their partnership announced today, Ankama will be bringing a new title, Islands of Wakfu, to Xbox Live Arcade late next year. Islands of Wakfu will keep the current cartoon style of Dofus and Wakfu, but utilize a more adventure/beat-'em-up style instead of the top down tactical style. Also, it's going to be more of a team play game, where two players work cooperatively together, rather than a full on MMO. The game promises to be set in the same universe as Ankama's other games and reveal new information about the world itself.So it's not a full on MMO, but the offer certainly does open the doors of hope. Having a known MMO developer working on Xbox Live Arcade titles with their unique IP may herald other game developers to do the same. Who knows, we might end up with a Wakfu MMO on the arcade anyway![via TenTonHammer]
News from the Wider MMO World: September 30th, 2008
The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.Ankama Games launches new Dofus Heroic Server; includes permadeathAs of September 23rd, there's a new server dedicated to Ankama Games' Dofus. Called the Heroic Server, its most notable feature is permanent death for all characters. Once dead, the player's opponent is allowed to take the character's items, and the deceased becomes interred in the Cemetery of Heroes, a worldwide ranking that can be consulted via a dedicated website. To offset the permadeath penalty, all skill and professions leveling will be much easier, allowing players to rise in rank much more quickly. To the brave and the bold: the Heroic Server calls!Atlantica Online begins open beta; offers prizesFor their open beta launch, Atlantica Online's NDOORS is offering players of its Free Leagues -- the PvP system -- a variety of prizes, including a Nintendo Wii, an iPod Nano, or $10,000 in cash. Interestingly, these prizes become available only once the player population hits certain landmarks: 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; and 30,000. "NDOORS created something unique in the MMO world when we designed the deep turn-based, strategic world of Atlantica Online. So we decided we needed something just as original for our open beta," said Peter Kang, CEO, NDOORS Interactive. "This is going to be unlike anything anyone has seen before."
Player Consequences: Why We Subscribe
There are many different choices when it comes to picking out a MMO nowadays. The genre is no longer limited to only a handful of games based on old Dungeons and Dragons manuals. Players have the options to pilot spaceships, become a superhero, command a pirate fleet, or even fight aliens as a super soldier. While the classic swords and sorcery setting still defines the MMO genre, it is no longer a requirement for being successful in the market. Yet despite having, dozens of different worlds to choose from players still seem to be limited to only one payment method. It's not that gamers are overly fond of the subscription model. Indeed a lot of console and FPS gamers specifically avoid MMOs because of monthly fees. This hasn't stopped game developers from continually using the subscription model though. Despite all the different payment models being explored by industry, the subscription model continues to be the most popular for AAA titles. There seems to be an underlying notion in the west that subscribing to a MMO is still the most beneficial payment method for the consumer. If you look at the history of early MMOs it's not hard to see how this notion was formed.
News from the Wider MMO World: August 19, 2008
The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.Battleground Europe launches new websitePlaynet Inc.'s Amy-Lynn Engelbrecht informs us that the destination site for Cornered Rat Software's World War 2 MMO, Battleground Europe, has gotten a significant makeover. With a focus on providing information that's more helpful to members of its strong and active community, the new updated site also features an RSS feed for news, or the option to receive regular updates by Feedburner email. Join up and fight with a 14-day free trial!Ankama Games announces new Wakfu featuresThe spiritual and temporal successor to Ankama's previous title Dofus, Wakfu is an up-and-coming 2D MMO with a currently unreleased launch date. However, bits and pieces of news trickle out from time to time, such as the following: There will be an Enchantment profession, in which items are dismantled for their runes, then grafted onto new items for special powers. Taking a page from World of Warcraft?Secondly, Wakfu will have no NPCs to offer quests. Instead, the game will have "Dynamic Challenges" -- quests that arise when environmental conditions are right, such as time, area, etc. The types of Challenges include Kill, Ecosystem, Social, and Discovery. Each will be available in both solo and team play.
New Wakfu trailer spotlights cross-media push
For those of us not fortunate enough to be part of the Wakfu closed beta, the game has remained something of a mystery. A beautiful, sexily-rendered 2D turn-based mystery, but a mystery nonetheless. We've seen a few screenshots, we know its release is going to be accompanied by an animated series, and we know the game is going to be in the same general vein as sister series Dofus, but beyond that it's still a little vague.The marketing team over at French developer Ankama Games has passed a trailer our way that really highlights the synergy between the animated series and the game proper. It also puts the game engine into motion, giving us a better idea of what the gameplay might be like, including some glimpses of player-to-player interaction, albeit in French. Check out the video after the jump if this sounds like it might possibly be your cup of tea.
Better, faster, prettier: Dofus 2.0
Have you played or do you currently play Dofus? If so, Ankama games has something they'd like you to see. They've been in the process of completely upgrading the entire game with the Dofus 2.0 update, as you know. However, now they can finally show you what they've been working on with a video and information page! The game code is being rewritten for improved performance all around and the visuals are -- as you can see -- getting a very nice overhaul as well. Our only complaint is that characters in-game are still incredibly small, which is something of a bother for players who love to customize and stare at their avatars for hours on end.Ankama is promising more information soon, but they did make it clear that no characters will be reset and no servers will be shut down. This is only a visual and internal upgrade, it's like an MMO version of a face-lift only not as painful and probably more effective overall. If you're really jonesing for more information you can check out the Dofus 2.0 devblog.
First North American Dofus server opens Tuesday
Ankama Games' Dofus is something of a cult hit. Since its release in 2005, it has spawned two spin-offs. It's done things a bit differently than other MMOs, with turn-based combat and even hardcore permadeath servers. But the French company behind it is about to journey into a new frontier.No, we're not talking about Wakfu. It turns out that the first North American Dofus server will be opening Tuesday the 24th of June. It'll be called "SOLAR," and new players on the server will get all sorts of bonus perks for the first week, including daily events, double experience points, and a few in-game gifts. The top ranked players at the end of the week will get even more gifts.The new server is open only to subscribers, so if you're only playing in a free-to-play capacity, you're out of luck. Oh well. There's so little free content in Dofus now, we've come to think of it as pay-to-play anyway.
Wakfu in closed beta, sports new screenshots
We've said it before, and we're saying it again: Wakfu looks fantastic. The art style, while maintaining the look of its progenitor, Dofus, ramps up to new levels with Wakfu. To prove this, simply check out the screenshots page on their site, newly updated with pictures of new areas and characters to gawk at.In other news, as of the 6th, Wakfu is now in closed beta! Those of you lucky enough to have received your beta keys in e-mail will already know if this title lives up to its hype; the rest of us will just have to wait. Until it opens up, peruse the screens, read the Dev Blogs, and dream of Xelor time powers.[Via GamersHell]
Wakfu enters closed beta
We've been anticipating the release of Wakfu, the 2D MMO from the makers of Dofus. Good news for those of you waiting with us: Wakfu is now in closed beta! Even better, we have an official release window of Q4. And what's more, new details regarding gameplay have emerged.Apparently there will be no NPCs in Wakfu. Instead, the management of the world will rely upon player-appointed (and presumably player-run) governors to handle the chores of running the world. Ecology will also play an important part in keeping Wakfu's environments alive and well, though it's unclear what the players will have to do to keep things going smoothly. More news as it's revealed![Thanks, Sergio!]
Prepare for Dofus 2.0!
Ankama Games has announced the development of Dofus 2.0, an upgrade to their popular 2D MMO. Far from letting their first game go to seed in favor of the upcoming Wakfu, Ankama has rewritten the Flash-based game in Action Script 3, promising faster, better responsiveness to player commands.Additionally, over 2,000 animations and 10,000 maps are being entirely redrawn, leading to what will feel like a revitalization of the same-old, same-old haunts you've known for so long. We can't wait to see what it will all look like once the dust has settled, with a beta planned for September.[Thanks, Sergio!]
