luvinia-online
Latest
Perfect World buys into Shanda Games for $100 million
Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will enter into a share purchase agreement with rival Chinese MMO company Shanda Games Limited for 30 million shares valued at $100 million. The purchase is expected to finalize in 30 days. Shanda Games publishes over 20 MMOs for the Chinese market, including Aion, Luvinia Online, and Final Fantasy XIV. This proposed agreement, as well as agreements with other top companies, would put the total value of Shanda at around $1.9 billion.
Luvinia Online relaunching as Luvinia World today
If you were a fan of Luvinia Online, news of the game's shutdown probably took you by surprise, largely because there was no real news of it. It just sort of happened without explanation or warning, like your boyfriend breaking up with you by blocking your phone number. But the game is relaunching today as Luvinia World starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT today under the management of Shanda Games and Soa Games, giving players a chance to log back in and play once more. Players looking to retrieve their old characters will be expected to pay a fee of $25, which will both restore the character on the new servers and offer a $30 credit in microtransaction currency. It's not ideal, obviously, but considering the game has changed hands altogether it's somewhat expected. And it's good news for players who lost a game unexpectedly -- you can have it back now, almost as good as new.
Celebrate Luvinia Online's first anniversary with events
If age were determined by expansions, Luvinia Online would be four. In years, the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG is celebrating its first birthday. And from now through October 3rd, players can join in special in-game events and earn prizes during the celebration. Events include a scavenger hunt, slicing up a giant pastry, and new PvP guild wars; prizes include mounts, fashions, and gems. All players can also take advantage of a daily XP buff and new players will get a free fast-travel teleportation book for joining the game. To download and play Luvinia Online for free, visit the official site. [Source: Outspark press release]
Previously on MV TV: The week of March 31st
What a week, huh? We had all sorts of great livestreaming for you to enjoy. If you missed some of the cool things we put on live during the week, no worry! Just check back here every week and you'll be able to recap many of the best moments from our week of live video games. Each week is something new, and this week is no different. We've got quite the variety! This week, we have Mike jamming on some EVE Online and then jumping into RIFT for horrible magical adventures. Richie ventured into the Mists of Pandaria beta for World of Warcraft to show off cute, cuddly, and furry butts while wielding a weapon of destruction! I had to check out some of the good and bad points about Second Life's Linden Homes, free structures that come with any premium account; I also jumped into Luvinia Online to participate in a huge PvP event, and let me just give you two words to entice you to watch: giant chickens. Blake took some time to shoot things in Global Agenda, and finally, we had MJ taking on some Bristlebane quests in EverQuest II, following it up by attacking stuff all over Aion! Check us out!
Previously On MVTV: The week of February 25th
So you missed out on some of Massively's wonderful livestreams, huh? You had to go out and hang out with actual human beings and missed some of the most exciting live game playing you could have imagined? Shame. Shame on you. Don't worry, though; I've taken the time to collect some of the very best moments from the previous week's shows and combine them into one easy, one-stop-shop for your viewing pleasure. Really, it's no trouble. Do be a dear and bookmark our MassivelyTV Guide for future reference! So what do we have this week? Some pretty awesome stuff, actually. Richie jumps back into some Guild Wars, Mike takes an explosive swing at EVE Online once again and then hops into RIFT, Psykopig slowly finds himself falling in love with Wizard101 despite his attempts at resistance, Karen and the team from Allods Online embark on a tour of high-level content and Astral ships, I get invited to a real wedding inside Luvinia Online, and Tboo does her usual best by shooting people in the face in APB: Reloaded.
Previously on MV TV: Week of January 23rd
Welcome to Previously on MV TV! Our livestreaming schedule has picked up a lot over the past few weeks, and our readers have busy lives, so we know it's impossible to watch every single streaming event live. Fortunately for you, we save all of our streams all for posterity on Massively's Twitch TV channel, so you can view them at your leisure. Even better, we've got a roundup of a few of last week's MV TV highlights from the livestream team. Follow along after the jump for the best of the best, and check out our full library of videos for the other games we've streamed last week as we begin to ramp up our streaming even more in February!
MV Guide: January 23-29, 2012
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule!
Luvinia Online releasing Age of Enlightenment expansion on November 30th
Outspark's gearing up for Luvinia Online's new expansion, and according to the company's latest press release, there's quite a lot to be excited about. The patch is called Age of Enlightenment, and it includes a level cap increase, two new dungeons, new explorable maps, and a generous helping of new quests and content. Oh, and let's not forget the new second tier subclasses which unlock 12 new roles for level 80 players. Obtaining a new subclass will require a bit of effort, as Outspark says that players will need to "traverse the new Knowledge Pagoda" which is basically a "giant book depository" filled with quests and various items required for advancement. How soon can I get my hands on this new expansion, you say? November 30th, according to Outspark, and the new content will go live during the regular server maintenance period. [Source: Outspark press release]
Massively Exclusive: A look at Luvinia Online's Bishop
Luvinia Online has only been officially launched for a couple of months, but already there's a new expansion on the way. The update, Age of Enlightenment, brings with it the game's second tier of subclasses. One such subclass is the Bishop, an offshoot of the Priest archetype, and Massively has an exclusive blurb on what players can expect from the new healer. So click on past the cut for a short bio on the Bishop, and prepare for the Age of Enlightenment expansion to go live on November 30th.
First Impressions: Luvinia Online
Welcome once again to another thrilling installment of first impressions. Today we venture into the sugary-sweet (and somewhat bizarre) world of Luvinia Online, a new F2P MMO from Outspark. The game launched late last month, and I decided to jump in (with the help of a lovely developer walkthrough, no less) and see what the new title had to offer. As readers of my other reviews will know, I'm very selective when it comes to free-to-play titles -- harsh, even. So does this quirky little MMO rise to the occasion, or does it flounder about at the bottom of the barrel? Follow me past the cut and I'll let you know.
Luvinia Online leaps into launch
Following a short period in open beta, Outspark's Luvinia Online has ponied up and released to throngs of adoring fans today. If riding giant bunnies and beating up on steroid chickens in a colorful fantasy environment sounds up your alley, today might be a great day for your gaming schedule. Outspark's Philip Yun announced that the level cap has been increased to 78, and he welcomed all of the game's supporters: "We had a great open beta and everything is coming along as expected for this exceptional MMORPG. We thank all of the players that helped out with the closed and open betas and are happy that we can finally bring the full experience of Luvinia Online to our large and eager player base." Unlike many MMO launches, Luvinia's launch won't wipe players' beta characters but will instead roll them onto the live servers instead. With Luvinia's launch comes the opening of the in-game store, which will try to tempt players with costumes, mounts, and XP boosts in order to finance this free-to-play title. [Source: Outspark press release] %Gallery-126599%
Luvinia Online celebrates open beta with an exclusive giveaway on Massively!
Luvinia Online began open beta this week, effectively putting the welcome mat out for all and sundry. Even better, Outspark has arranged for a little welcome gift for Massively readers who wish to take a look at the game. We've got codes for a free 14-day mount in Luvinia Online, but you get to choose the color! Pictured above is the light brown Harriet bunny mount. If you'd like something a little more brightly colored, there's also a pink version that is exclusive to Massively. We've got two separate giveaway pages, so you can choose your color. To get your Harriet mount, visit the page of your choice, either the brown Harriet or the pink Fannie. Get your code, then enter it at Outspark's redemption page. When you log into Luvinia Online, you'll find your mount in your in-game gift box. Enjoy!
Luvinia Online announces open beta date
Outspark announced in a press release today that the open beta test for its upcoming MMORPG Luvinia Online will begin on September 7th. Alongside this announcement, the company also released a short community Q&A to provide prospective players with some information about the game. Players are given the choice of one of three starting classes: Rogue, Warrior, or Magician. From there, each class branches off into one of two advanced classes, and then branches a second time into the final advanced class, giving players plenty of opportunities to refine their style of play. The game also features an auto-questing system, which provides players with automatic navigation to their quest objectives. The company is also running a number of events to celebrate the launch of the game's open beta, such as the Raffle of LUV contest, which enters each player who reaches level 40 during the open beta into a raffle for prizes such as an iPad 2, a Nintendo 3DS, and copious amounts of SparkCash. To get in on the open beta, and to get your chance at these faaaabulous prizes, just sign up at the game's official site.
Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online enchants, crafts, enhances and reshapes
On the last exciting episode of Luvinia Online Exposé, Outspark shared with us some of the design plans and interesting mechanics behind its gear system for this upcoming title. Today, it's all about enchanting -- the interesting art of taking something and pimping the heck out of it -- and other cool ways to customize the items in your inventory. So what does Luvinia's system for gear upgrades look like, and how can players best utilize these features to fine-tune their characters' potential? We'll let the devs at Outspark answer this for themselves: You gotta have options Last time we talked a little bit about some ways to make what you've got even better with energy stones. While the energy stones are temporary and add quite a bit of personalized bang for the buck, there are also a few ways to permanently update your gear to better suit your role. The two big ones we'll cover are enchanting and card placement, but there are a few other tricks in game to help you too.
Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education
Gear in MMOs isn't just about making a fashion statement; it's often the difference between life and death, success and failure, envy and pity. So it is with Luvinia Online, as gear will be a primary focus of any adventurer who doesn't want his lifespan to be measured in minutes. Outspark has been gracious enough to treat us to a comprehensive introduction to how gear works in Luvinia. On top of the expected stats and rarity values, Luvinia has a few interesting ideas about how to modify gear and trade it between characters. Luvinia Online finished closed beta last month, but is heading for open beta fairly soon. Hit the jump to start your edumacation in the fine art of equipment, courtesy of the development team at Outspark.
Check out the Luvinia Online closed beta with our key giveaway!
Luvinia Online entered closed beta last Friday and things are progressing nicely. Outspark is offering all sorts of incentives and events for testers, so if you're interested in joining the fun, we've got you covered! Outspark has shared 1,000 beta keys with us, so head to our giveaway page to claim one for yourself. Then Log in to your Outspark account, or click on the "Sign Up" button on the right side of the top toolbar to create a new account. Enter your beta key, download the Luvinia client, and you're on your way to monster-killing and bug-hunting! Enjoy the game, and thanks to the Outspark team for providing the keys! [Luvinia Online is now launched and open to all players]
Luvinia closed beta begins
Luvinia Online's closed beta is officially open, and Outspark has confirmed via press release that testers will be able to experience game content up to level 69. Three class archetypes (as well as six subclasses) are open for testing, and a number of in-game events are in the works. Players who reach level 40 will receive a panda rabbit mount after the conclusion of the beta period, and everyone can join in the fun to be had in the Luvster Race, weekly Bingo Society loot competitions, and an end-of-beta Graduation Celebration. The events tie in with the larger Festival of Sparks event series taking place across multiple Outspark titles, and participating players can earn summer sparks which are used to purchase in-game rewards. You can learn more about the Festival at the Outspark website, and don't forget to hop over and check out the Luvinia information while you're at it.
A look at Luvinia Online's Berserker and Watchman
As Luvinia Online's heading toward closed beta testing here in the states, Outspark is trying to pump up interest in the title by highlighting the game's classes. Two of the revealed classes are the Berserker and Watchman, subsets of the Fighter and Scout roles. The Berserker is your typical barbarian-who-unleashes-his-inner-Hulk character, utilizing rage to increase his damage, hit multiple targets, and pump up critical strikes. As Outspark says, "The heavens hath no fury like a Berserker scorned!" On the flip side of rage is the Watchman's cool, collected poise. She uses ranged skills, traps and tricks to frustrate and kill enemies from afar, preferring the use of a bow over melee weapons. An interesting mechanic to the class is that the farther the Watchman is from her target, the more damage she does. You can take a peek at the many classes of Luvinia Online, including the class grid, in the gallery below! %Gallery-126599%
Luvinia Online begins closed beta signups, releases teaser trailer
Outspark announced today that beta sign-ups for its upcoming free-to-play fantasy MMO Luvinia Online have begun. The game is already live and "highly successful" in China, and Outspark hopes to duplicate that success in the west. Philip Yun, Outspark's COO, claims the game is "a big labor of love," and touts it as an "action-packed 3D MMORPG [that] is brimming with all the monsters, allies, and challenges that you expect from an Outspark title." The game itself seems to be more or less standard fantasy fare; "The world of Luvinia beckons players into a realm where humans, orcs, gnomes and dwarves once co-existed in peace; however, destiny never stands still," claims the press release. Information on the game's mechanics is sparse, but we do know that there are three class archetypes -- Warrior, Rogue, and Mage -- with "12 subclasses for specialization." Presumably, this means four subclasses for each archetype -- but you never know! Some archetypes get all the love. The game also boasts both underwater and interstellar travel, with "over 50 cities to visit and 130+ maps to explore." If your interest is piqued, you can head past the cut for a short teaser trailer, then sign up for the closed beta at the official site.
