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Suba Games is interested in resurrecting Wizardry Online
Could Wizardry Online make a comeback in North America and Europe after being shut down by SOE last year? It's an outlying possibility, as a fan push and a positive response by publisher Suba Games have indicated interest in such a move. Fans struck up a player petition to revive Wizardry Online in the West, prompting Suba to affirm that it is interested as well. "It's always great to see people passionate enough to pool together and try to have their voices heard," Suba CM Xjmas posted on the studio's forums. "In this case, I want to let you know you all have been heard and Suba is interested in reviving this game. They have actually made contact with the developer but have yet to conclude an outcome with them yet." Such a resurrection is familiar territory to Suba; the publisher recently spearheaded an effort to bring Dream of Mirror Online back to life following that game's sunset. You can watch the Wizardry Online player petition video after the break.
Suba Games is bringing Dream of Mirror Online back
It's always sad when you lose a game that meant a lot to you. Dream of Mirror Online made a pretty big impact on a number of players, and it's been gone for a while. Yet sometimes it turns out that the game is less gone than you had previously thought, which is also the case with Dream of Mirror Online. It's coming roaring back under the aegis of Suba Games. When? Where? How? Who can say? The team behind this unexpected revival certainly can't, as the official post states that there are no more details to be announced at this time. Still, there's a very quick trailer past the break, and if you've been missing the game, you can take some joy in the fact that it is happening after all. So isn't that enough? [Thanks to Evan for the tip!]
Two years of Free Realms: A retrospective
"It's your world." Those three words sum up Free Realms, and it's no coincidence that it's the title song for the game. It's hard to believe that the game is only two years old -- much has changed since launch, and in many ways, this young MMO has been a pioneer in the market. To celebrate Free Realms' second birthday, we're going to take a look back at some highlights. From pet training, to Chatdy's name change, to its Guinness World Record, the game has experienced many milestones. Read on for a retrospective as well as a peek at the future.
Self-balancing Domo-kun WobblyBot looks drunk, won't tip over (video)
He may look like he's had a few too many sake bombs, but this animated Japanese superstar is actually built to teeter about. The Domo-kun WobblyBot comes to us by way of Eastern Geek and uses a relatively simple pendulum, with the pivot situated at the axle, to keep the balancing bot from tipping over. As is the case with punching clowns, the bottom part of the WobblyBot is significantly heavier than the top, serving as a counterweight to maintain balance. It also sports DC Geared Motors and two D cells, and, as its creator points out, you can customize its shell to give your favorite cartoon character the tipsy treatment -- hyphy Hello Kitty anyone? Check out the source link to make a WobblyBot of your own, but only after having a laugh at the video just beneath the break.
Sony Online Entertainment brings Domo to Free Realms
Sony Online Entertainment is bringing a familiar face to Free Realms: Domo. SOE has worked out a deal with Virtual Greats and Big Tent Entertainment to bring Domo pets into the game, and they're sure to be as excruciatingly cute as the marshmallow pets from earlier this summer. SOE didn't stop with pets, however. Just like in the real world, the Domo figure will adorn all sorts of merchandise: hats, backpacks, slippers, and even housing blocks. Domo isn't the only thing that will interest Free Realms fans. The discounted lifetime membership promotion has been extended for a few more days, so if you were on the fence you have until August 16th at noon PDT to get in on it. Check out the Free Realms site for all the details.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dream of Mirror Online
Each week Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free-to-play, indie or unusual game, chosen by me, Beau Hindman. Some of the games will be far out of your gaming comfort zone, and some will pleasantly surprise you. We will meet each Tuesday and Friday night at 9 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. CDT), followed by this column the Sunday after. I welcome any suggestions for games, either in the comments or at beau@massively.com or Twitter me @Beau_Hindman. At some point in his life, every man has to attempt to grow a beard. I am not talking about a finely chisled goatee, or one of those odd looking Robin Hood-type deals. I am talking about a full beard, a substantial mound of hair rooted in our face -- an escape-attempt by the very testosterone that makes us a man in the first place. I knew I had a chance this time when, after suggesting to my wife what I would attempt, she only shrugged. Normally she pulls on any scruff that pops out of my chin and says, "You look homeless. Shave." As you grow this beard, there will be times when you will be very conscious of it. When you first step out of the shower When you are eating and food falls into it When you are playing MMORPGs Some MMOs are better suited to a beard: EVE Online, for example. EverQuest II will feel all right. World of Warcraft? Only while PvPing. If you're like me, though, and spend most of your time within balloon-bright cartoon-fests like Dream of Mirror Online, then you might be surprised at how it feels while playing bearded .
NintendoWare Weekly: LostWinds, Shootanto, Rygar ... Domo
It's an unexpectedly packed week for Nintendo downloaders! On WiiWare, there's a game that should be wonderful and another that should be, uh, interesting. There's an arcade classic on Virtual Console, and DSiWare features the arrival of one of the weirdest game series to be announced at E3: a set of five games based on NHK mascot and generally adorable monster Domo-kun.%Gallery-75855%
DOMO gets new bosses, race-change scrolls and more
Before we get into the contents of the latest Dream of Mirror Online patch, we should point out that this is currently just for the European (Gametribe) version of the game. Players of the European DOMO will be able to pit themselves against a couple of formidable new foes:Two dreadful instance bosses are infesting BigBeam region! If you have the title "Champion of BigBeam" you can challenge boss Bone Fish King and boss Black Magic Tree Fiend. Great rewards are waiting for fierce warriors!As the Aeria Games version of DOMO only just received the BigBeam area within the last week, it will probably be a little while before these bosses make their way over. Other additions for the Gametribe patch include scrolls that can change your character's race for 30 minutes, new boxes to store items, a high quality saddle to increase the speed of Special Riding Pets, and a goodie bag with a Firefighter costume inside for all your extinguishing needs.
The Daily Grind: Short or long quest arcs?
A little while back, Beau from Spouse Aggro wrote a post about the fun of doing long quest arcs with cut-scenes in Dream of Mirror Online. While I can also say I've enjoyed questing in DOMO, sometimes there's something to be said for a quick "get in, get out" setup like, say, some of the one-off, well thought out missions I've seen created in the City of Heroes Mission Architect, or jumping in and doing something quick in Free Realms when you only have a short period of time. While there is a space for both, it almost seems like long quest arcs involving lots of time (and grinding) are becoming something of an endangered species. Games that have long time-requirements to complete them are often sparsely populated (as per Beau's mention of Final Fantasy XI) compared to many other MMOs on the market these days. Thus, we raise the question - are long quest arcs full of "grind for x drop" "must complete with a group" "run all over the place for a while fetching things" slated to go the way of the dodo, with players instead opting for quick bite-sized missions instead? Or do you think longer quests are better, as they require you to get out into the world more and see/do things you wouldn't if you just ran outside the five-feet-away gates and knocked over 10 wolves for their paws then ran back?
Dream of Mirror Online welcomes a brand new city
It's not that often that a brand new region gets added into a game's patch, but Dream of Mirror Online has brought a whole new area to their game. Enter BigBeam City and the greater BigBeam region, where players can engage in a variety of new quests all for the low, low price of free. The region is targeted for players of level 30 and above, with quests starting as early as level 25 and going up to level 60.However, players of the Aeria Games American version of Dream of Mirror Online will not be enjoying these new areas, as they have not yet been implemented. European players playing with GameTribe do have access to the new areas, as well a slew of new items added to the item shop, like the item de-leveling items that lower the level limit on equipment when successful.It's currently unclear as to when Aeria Games will be adding BigBeam to their version, but time will certainly tell. Until then, we can all go invade the European servers.
Aeria Games: "If you don't have fun playing, we'll give you a refund"
There aren't many MMO publishers out there who would actually offer refunds for gamers who don't have fun in their titles, but this is exactly what Aeria Games is doing. We did a double take when hearing about this but it's legit. Superman0X is a USA Gamemaster for Aeria Games, and has declared "April is Fun Month at Aeria... GUARANTEED". That's a bold statement. But what does it mean for players of the various Aeria Games MMOs? Superman0X writes, "We are so sure you will have fun we are going to put our AP [Aeria Points] where our mouth is. If any player does not have fun we will refund all their AP purchases for the entire month up to 5000AP." Players who didn't enjoy themselves in April will have a window of opportunity to request a refund from May 1st to May 10th . You can check out the full details in the announcement but we're guessing Aeria has a lot of faith in their titles if they'd even consider making such an offer.
DOMO embraces same-sex marriage in game
While they're certainly not the first game to offer same-sex marriage, Aeria's Dream of Mirror Online announced today that they're embracing the once controversial topic with their new and improved dynamic in-game marriage system. The same-sex aspect of this marriage system is simply one of the many features, but it hasn't been added as just an afterthought. It's been a popular topic of discussion among DOMO players since the game's launch in Fall of 2007.This marriage system allows couples to embark on a series of challenging quests where they can plan their in-game wedding, complete with dream locale, wedding outfit and even a perfect set of rings. Once married, the couple will be granted unique features which include the ability to summon their significant other to their location, as well as special healing abilities during battle.
Dream of Mirror Online takes it all the way to 64 in their new patch
Most games choose to stop their leveling content at round numbers, like 60, or 70, or 80. Dream of Mirror Online, however, doesn't feel bound by those limitations. They're pushing their content all the way to level 64, and we can't blame them. We've always felt that 64 was a good number that brings back good memories. 64-bit game consoles, Nintendo 64, GoldenEye...We see what they did there. They wanted to bring back our fond memories of GoldenEye as we played their game.Anyway, today's patch adds two new major quests to the game, as well as a few new items for everyone to collect. We're looking forward to grabbing the samurai goodie bags ourselves. If you're interested in getting access to level up to 64, then talk to the Tiger Demon in Eversun suburbs. Once that quest is completed, your character will have access to level up to the brand new cap of 64!
The Daily Grind: How much free-to-play game coverage do you want?
In the last six months or so, Massively has refocused quite a bit since our early days. When we started out, we went really broad, trying to encompass every element of the MMO genre out there. We talked about everything from RuneScape to semi-obscure Korean imports, all the way up to Warhammer, World of Warcraft, and Lord of the Rings Online. In the last six months, though, we've primarily been focused on AAA titles. We primarily did it because we thought it was what you wanted to see, but in the last month or so we've seen signs your interests may be broader.Free-to-play games are constantly improving, formerly maligned Korean imports have seen a lot of development and localization love, and the microtransaction market is a moving target. Games like Atlantica Online, Runes of Magic, Wizard101, DOMO and Shaiya are increasingly showing up on our collective radars. What do you think about these games? Do you want to see more coverage of free-to-play games on Massively? What's your favorite free-to-play game that we really need to pay attention to? And if we do put more coverage of these games on the block, do you want to see things like patch notes or just the highlights/holiday announcements? Let us know!
Xbox 360 gets stylish Domo-kun paint job
It may not be quite as elaborate as some console paint jobs, but if you're looking to add a touch of Japan to your Xbox 360, you may want to follow the lead of deviantART member Ricepuppet, who has managed to create a relatively faithful Domo-kun themed console. As you can see above, that even includes a matching controller, which we presume is still fully functional (and, apparently, twice as likely to slip out of your hands). Just don't go too nuts and decide to pair it with a Hello Kitty-themed Wii, there's no telling how they might get along. [Via Engadget Spanish]
It's the big brown Domo themed Xbox 360
Looky! It's the ever popular Japanese Domo Kun making an appearance on an Xbox 360 Arcade console. It's so brown, so angry, and ... well, so Domo! Sadly, this 360 isn't available for purchase at retail (though, Target stores might be interested), because it's a custom creation that was painted as a gift. That said, maybe Microsoft should borrow this Domo 360 branding idea. It'd probably help their Japanese console sales.[Thanks, Ricepuppet]
Aeria Games gives away five million dollars in points to players
Do you play Last Chaos, Shaiya, Dream of Mirror Online, or any one of the other Aeria Online games? Check your e-mails and spam filters for a nice stocking stuffer of Aeria Points, as the company is sending over five million dollars worth to their player community.Any member of the Aeria Games community is eligible to recieve one of these e-mails, and Aeria will be sending them out from now all the way to Christmas, so keep checking as you might not know when one of these may fly into your inbox. The number of points that each person will get can vary, and so far a limit has not been mentioned on how much you may receive.Good luck for those of you who are members of the Aeria community! We hope you get showered with points! Plus, if you find yourself rich, your favorite news site might like a few points too.[via Allakhazam]
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine beta keys now available
If you've played Persona 3 or Digital Devil Saga, then you're already familiar with Atlus Games's Shin Megami Tensei line. While the laurels of that line lie in the many single player games, the Shin Megami Tensei series is going into the MMO realm with the new game, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine.Imagine is being carried in the US region by Aeria Games, the people behind Shaiya and Dream of Mirror Online, and they've just started their beta test via Filefront. Just simply click on the link and you'll be given a key and a download link to the client. The game will be free to play, and supported by a microtransaction system.Also, as a small side note, Aeria is currently having trouble with the ImagineUpdate.exe file. If you download the client, run the ImagineClient.exe file without running the launcher shortcut. Otherwise, if the launcher is run, you corrupt the installation and have to re-install.Otherwise, happy demon hunting![Thanks Tony!]Update: Aeria Games has gotten the launcher back to normal. Double click it and run it to update properly!
Dream of Mirror Online update changes tax rates
Dream of Mirror Online's version 7.5 update has gone live, and it's accompanied by a new issue of the micro-faux newspaper the Eversun Times. The news: economic hardship has stricken Eversun City, and its leaders are under intense scrutiny. As a result, a new 10% tax rate has gone into effect in the city.Darkdale and Collington saw tax rate changes as well -- to 4% and 1%, respectively. New quests have been added in both of those towns. And that's it. Okay, so it's not the biggest patch in history. We're not even sure that we like a patch that pretty much just changes the tax code, since we don't like taxes to begin with! But there you have it.
Aeria adds Diablo-like Cronous to its library
MMO portal Aeria Games has acquired a new game called Cronous, which was originally developed by Lizard Interactive. Cronous' gameplay is similar to that of Diablo, Mythos, or Dungeon Runners. That makes it somewhat unique in Aeria's library, which is otherwise made up mostly of games of a different character such as Dream of Mirror Online and Shaiya.The game's info page lists most of the usual action-RPG features, plus "nonlinear storytelling" with regards to quests, guild castle building and management, and siege warfare. We don't fully understand the nonlinear storytelling bit, although it's included in the press release as one of the major selling points of the game. It sounds cool up front though.Sign-ups are already underway for a closed beta test, so if you want to give the game a try, that's probably your best bet.[Via Ten Ton Hammer]
