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New Guild Wars 2 demo build brings changes to UI, character creation, and more
ArenaNet has had an exciting week -- the developer is in attendance at G-Star in Korea to show off the demo of Guild Wars 2. As with any game in development, GW2 is in a constant state of change as the team continues testing and improving. G-Star attendees were treated to the very latest build, and some of the ArenaNet developers put together some information about that build for those unable to attend the convention. Eric Flannum, joined by Character Artist Team Lead Aaron Coberly and UI Artist Vicki Ebberts, ran down the changes in the newest ArenaNet blog entry. Character customization and creation got some improvements, and Aaron provides a detailed video to show them off. Vicki talked over the new "big beefy UI" as a response to feedback the team has received, and Eric wrapped up with some exciting details about changes to skill acquisition. Weapon skills will continue to be unlocked by using the weapon, but healing, utility, and elite skills will now be unlocked with skill points. "Skill points can be acquired by undertaking what we call a skill challenge. There are 200 skill challenges in the game, and they range from defeating tough opponents, to answering riddles, to drinking a particularly potent drink." There are many more details -- and the promise of more to come tomorrow -- at the ArenaNet blog, so head there for the full blog entry!
Guild Wars 2 is at G-Star with new items but no beta
With Guild Wars 2 appearing this weekend at the G-Star convention, there's been a lot of speculation about two potential pieces of news -- a date for the beta or the eighth profession reveal. Unfortunately for the speculators, the latest updates from Eric Flannum have put those rumors to rest. Flannum confirms that while there will be news coming out on the 11th, it will not include either of those updates, which are still on track for a later date. That being said, there's still some news to be found, including the preview of some high-level armor sets that are exclusive for the Korean demo. Flannum stated that there will be other elements unique to this demo, although he declined to elaborate beyond the armor. Guild Wars 2 fans will have to keep their eyes peeled for what comes out of the convention... and wait just a wee bit longer to find out when the beta will begin, or what the last profession will be.
ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events
Things over in ArcheAge's neck of the woods may seem quiet these days, but rest assured that the XL Games crew is hard at work on making the game the best it can be while spreading the word about it. Over on the ArcheAge blog, news about the continuing beta process and upcoming conventions has been laid out in one convenient place. First up, XL Games is preparing a fourth closed beta test for sometime before the end of the year. Expectations are that this will happen in November, although no official announcement has been made. ArcheAge will be making an appearance at two upcoming events as well. At G-Star, XL Games is forgoing a public booth for a private one in an effort to court business support for the game. ArcheAge's Chinese publisher will be showing off a demo of the game's character creation, questing system, and PvP at the Tencent Game Carnival in November.
Invictus dominates Flyff World Championship
The dust has settled, the battles won, and United States team Invictus has emerged victorious from the $100,000 Flyff World Championship. Teams from around the world fought to progress through an elimination ladder to become the champions, but in the end it was two teams from North America -- Invictus and SOD -- that faced off for the grand prize. Invictus dominated the fights, winning five out of six on October 15th. As the new champion, Invictus was awarded $50,000, unique in-game armor, and a trip to Korea to meet the makers of Flyff and attend G-Star 2011. The runner-up team, SOD, walked away with a respectable $20,000 and the special armor for its members. All Flyff players can enjoy the residue of the championship by logging in and leveling up for a chance to win prizes. The game is also planning its next content patch, which will go into open beta on October 28th. Stay tuned to Massively as we will be talking to Invictus later this week! [Source: gPotato press release]
G-Star 2010: From the show floor
With the booming popularity of Korean games in western culture, the G-Star convention in Busan, South Korea is quickly turning into an international event. We had an opportunity to attend the four-day convention to see the latest and greatest from Korean online gaming. Follow along after the jump as I describe my experiences on the first day of the convention, as well as take a look at what else you can expect as we go into days two, three and four.
G-Star 2010: Bluehole devs talk TERA payment model, launch date
If you're a TERA fan, chances are you're anxiously awaiting the smorgasbord of news sure to come out of this week's G-Star convention in Korea. Bluehole Studio has a large presence there of course, and thanks to the TERAfans website, we have an interesting translation of an interview with Bluehole CEO Kang-Suk Kim and developer Hyung-Kyu Park. The duo discusses everything from TERA's pending stress test (happening soon after G-Star) and upcoming open beta, to the decision to steer clear of the free-to-play payment model. "We can't say that TERA was made specifically for a subscription-based model, but we thought a lot about what the game was worth to players. We came to the conclusion that a monthly subscription would allow players to enjoy the game most easily. We are not interested in cash shops or partially making the game a pay model like some MMORPGs out there," Kim said. The interview also sheds a tiny bit of light on the game's political system, a feature that has been hinted at over the past several months but has, so far, lacked any definitive explanation. "The political system will be added in the [open beta test]. The political system is actually end game content so it won't really be active until the game's launch," Park said. Check out the full interview at TERAfans, and also bear in mind that this is a fan-made translation.
