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Yep, the new Blade & Soul instance really is called Dark Bloody Shark Harbor
NCsoft just released a significant Blade & Soul update that features a new 24-man raid. The instance is called Dark Bloody Shark Harbor, and Steparu has uploaded several new videos designed to show off both the gameplay and the loot rewards it provides. In addition to the various clips, there's a good bit of textual commentary covering both the gameplay and speculation about the difficulty curve. "I believe that PlayNC Korea is targeting the casual players of the game so that they can gear up very fast for the upcoming content this month," Steparu writes.
Blade & Soul gets legendary with its December update
Blade & Soul continues to grow in leaps and bounds overseas as the Korean title prepares to push out its Legendary Update next month. This update will buff the game with several new outfits, a 1v1 PvP arena, the 8th floor of the Tower of Mushin, and a new tier of gear (hence the "legendary"). The meat of the update will come in the form of a trio of new dungeons. The Dark Bloody Shark Harbor (best name ever) is a tougher iteration on the standard Bloody Shark Harbor. This instance turns into a different one at night called the Ice Storage Warehouse, where noises from a nearby building beg for investigation. Finally, the Spiral Labyrinth is a multi-floor randomized dungeon with plenty of secrets and a six-player requirement.
Age of Wushu devs making 'painstakingly accurate' recreation of ancient China
Age of Wushu may feature wire-fu and mythical monsters, but it also features a pretty realistic recreation of 15th century China. The latest Snail Games dev blog takes us backstage for a look at how the developers are bringing the Ming Dynasty to life. "The details in Age of Wushu are painstakingly accurate, from the largest city to the smallest structure the game is designed to match the real world," Snail says. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, the studio has also included several in-game images with their real-world analogs superimposed on top. See for yourself at the game's official site.
Age of Wushu video pits Beggar vs. Tangman
Already suffering from Age of Wushu withdrawals now that the closed beta has closed? If so, you can get pick-me-up doses of it by watching various videos that show off the game, from a how-to kidnap clip to looks at the different schools. That's not enough, you say? Then how about feasting your eyes on a match-up between Beggars and the Tangmen? Check out the one-on-one duel between members of these two sects in the video past the cut. And if that still isn't enough, check out Massively's recent Age of Wushu livestream with a special dev guest star and keep checking back for all your sandbox kung-fu news.
Age of Wushu's Tangmen school boasts poison, sneaky ninjas
Are you looking to unleash your inner ninja in Snail Games' Age of Wushu martial arts MMO? If so you might want to have a look at a new website reveal that highlights the Tangmen Assassins. The Tangmen school is one of only two neutral sects in the game world, and there's a certain amount of mystery that goes along with the group. The Tangmen favor darts, daggers, and poisons, and Snail says that they "specialize in trickery and sleight-of-hand to catch others off guard." The site update also features information on a few Tangmen skills as well as video footage of said skills in action. We've embedded the Golden Snake Sting after the cut, and you can see the rest at the link below.
Age of Wulin emphasizes guild features
Noting that guilds will play an important role in Age of Wulin, Europe's version of Age of Wushu, gPotato has launched a feature to help their formation for the upcoming fantasy sandbox. Groups can now create private message boards directly on the official Age of Wulin forums, giving players a one-stop shopping experience to find a guild. Why is gPotato encouraging folks to band together? Because a number of gameplay features are accessed only through guilds. Membership in a guild offers special perks, including the ability to take on special jobs and to support one of the in-game schools. Only a guild can own, defend, and develop a castle, or conversely, attack, capture, and even burn down other castles. Castle ownership opens up the ability to offer special services to guild members, including libraries and training areas. Guilds, which can grow up to 400 members strong, can participate in massive guild vs. guild warfare with up to 1,300 players (all members and up to 250 invited allies per guild). And between major PvP battles, members can pass the time by kidnapping servants and robbing the holdings of rivals. Beta testing for Age of Wulin will begin in early 2013; the game will launch later in the year in French, English, and German. [Source: gPotato press release]
Age of Wushu invites you to be a beggar
MMO players are definitely used to being recruited to fill heroic roles, but what about jumping into the shoes of a street bum? That doesn't happen as often. Don't tell that to Age of Wushu, however, as this contrarian sandbox is looking to make an entire class out of martial arts panhandling. That's right: One of the classes in the game is the Beggar. This isn't your average drunk wino (well, not too drunk); the Beggars are tough as nails and can go toe-to-toe with the best of the rich kids. Beggars fight in a similar fashion to the Drunken Master style, using booze to fuel their flexible attacks and witty comebacks. The class relies mostly on hands and feet to do damage, although the occasional quarterstaff is wielded as well. Go slumming with the Beggars in a video after the break!
Age of Wushu provides important life lessons, like how to conduct a proper kidnapping
Video games are especially known for giving players the ability to do things they could never really do in meatspace. Thanks to Age of Wushu, you can now add kidnapping to the list of dragon-slaying, spell-casting, and other things you (hopefully) don't do in real life. A recent news post details the mechanics of kidnapping offline players and selling them for profit. When players go offline in Age of Wushu, their characters become NPCs, and those NPCs are ripe for the kidnapping. Nefarious players can attempt to knock out, kidnap, and even sell offline players. While conducting these slimy activities, players will be clearly marked for the Scumbag Steves that they are, which makes them target for both heroic players and other kidnappers. Check out the link below for full details on the mechanic or skip below the cut for a video.
Age of Wushu closed beta begins today
If you've been looking forward to Snail Games' upcoming martial arts title, Age of Wushu, then you should prepare to get your Wuxia on. The studio has announced that the game's closed beta test begins today and will go on until the 25th of November. While the beta was originally going to be open only to players who pre-ordered the game, Snail Games has decided to provide a limited number of keys to players who haven't yet bought the game. The game is being endorsed by iconic martial artist and actor Jet Li, so if that's not a big enough stamp of approval for you then we're not sure what to tell you. If you want to get your hands on some adrenaline-pumping, House-of-Flying-Daggers-esque martial arts action, you can either pre-purchase the game or request a beta key from Snail Games by e-mailing beta (at) snailgamesusa (dot) com. But be sure to act quickly, because supplies are limited!
NCsoft 3Q report shows GW2 at top of global sales
NCsoft, the publisher responsible for two Guild Wars games, Blade & Soul, and Aion, has seen significant growth over the past fiscal quarter thanks to the successful launch of Guild Wars 2. The company's 3Q 2012 earnings report released earlier today shows a hefty increase in sales, profit, and income compared not only to the previous quarter but to the entire year. The report also offers a breakdown of sales by region as well as sales by games. While overall sales in Korea far outnumber sales in the North America or Europe, the availability of GW2 globally could be what put that game at the top of the sales list ahead of Blade & Soul, which is available only in Korea. You can see a detailed breakdown on the graphs after the break. To get a look at all the numbers, you download the PDF file.
Two new videos preview Blade & Soul's Tower of Mushin dungeon
On Monday, Steparu.com treated us to two videos highlighting Blade & Soul's new Tower of Mushin, which is part of the Second Wave update that just went live today. Now, the site is offering more videos previewing what players can expect when they open the doors of this new solo dungeon. The first video shows off the lobby, which includes a PvP arena in the center as well as practice dummies for players to build their chi or rage. The area also contains various NPCs found in regular towns, giving players access to the auction house, their banks, and such. The second video highlights various boss fights. The fights get progressively more difficult as the player ascends through the seven floors of the tower. The tower also appears to be able to support indefinite additional levels as the level cap increases. Get a glimpse of the Tower after the break.
Age of Wushu China begins selling skills
Age of Wushu China has added a new sort of item to its cash shop: exclusive skills. While the game's PvP is theoretically more about strategy and cunning movement, a couple extra shiny skills couldn't hurt, right? Players can now drop meatspace currency on the in-game skills 18 Dragons Subduing Palms and Wild Ball Fists. Purchasing the skills through the cash shop will unlock the early levels of the skills, while players will have to work in-game to keep improving them. Naturally, these skills come with unique animations to up the flash factor. While this has only been put into effect for Age of Wushu China, it'll be interesting to see whether or not this decision filters over to Snail Games USA's cash shop decisions once the game releases in the US. Skip below the cut to see videos of these bad boys in action.
Going inside Blade & Soul's new solo dungeon
While Western audiences are still sitting on their thumbs waiting for Blade & Soul to cross the Pacific, Eastern gamers are getting ready for a major update to the game titled Second Wave. Second Wave's core addition is the Tower of Mushin solo dungeon, which awards successful adventurers with gear-purchasing tokens. Steparu.com posted a pair of videos showing off a Tower of Mushin run. Not only does it give a good overview of the dungeon, but it also demonstrates the combat system for those who've yet to play the title. Give them a watch after the break and let us know if you think that solo dungeons in Blade & Soul are a good idea!
Check out 145 Age of Wushu screenshots in one sitting
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which means the following Age of Wushu gallery is worth 145,000 of them. The upcoming PvP game is heavy on gorgeous visuals, so your time won't be wasted by checking out these screenshots while you wait for the sandbox's February 2013 release. We also wouldn't be doing our jobs right if we didn't encourage you to read up on our Age of Wushu interview from GDC Online earlier this month! [Source: Snail Games press release]%Gallery-169419%
Age of Wushu Elite Edition presale extended, includes beta access
If you're still on the fence about Age of Wushu's Elite Edition pre-order package, Snail Games has given you more time to think about it. The offer's now good through November 14th, and you'll still get access to both of the 2012 closed beta tests as well as early access in 2013 and a handful of in-game exclusives including vanity items, a mount, and tradable potions. Snail says its extension decision is due to an "overwhelmingly enthusiastic" reception for AoW at both GDC Online and the New York Comic Con. The game features eight unique martial arts schools as well as a sandbox open world set in a mythical ancient China. Age of Wushu is slated to release in America on February 1, 2013. The Elite Edition will set you back $9.99, and you can learn more about it via the official AoW website link below. [Source: Snail Games press release]
GDC Online 2012: Age of Wushu gets a new trailer
Age of Wushu's sporting a new trailer at this week's GDC Online convention, and the clip features nearly three minutes' worth of wall-scaling, roof-running, kung-fu-fighting fun. If you can take your eyes off the aerial hijinks for a moment or two, you'll also get a glimpse of AoW's gorgeous environments, which run the gamut from snowy mountainscapes to sunlit gorges and idyllic ancient Chinese villages. Age of Wushu is a free-to-play sandbox title currently scheduled for a North American release in May of 2013. See the trailer in its entirety after the cut.
GDC Online 2012: Age of Wushu's wide-open world
There are two thoughts that most people have when coming across Age of Wushu. The first is, boy that looks pretty. The second is, but is it just another forgettable Asian grindfest with a glossy coat of paint? Snail Games Associate Producer Colin Miller agrees with the first but not the second. At GDC Online, Miller sat down with us to pitch why Age of Wushu deserves your full, undivided attention -- and eventual patronage. Age of Wushu is a martial arts sandbox MMO that takes place in gorgeous ancient China. If you've ever seen a period piece from that country, you already know how graceful these stylized fights can be; now you'll see them in an online game. Developed in China, Age of Wushu is ready to stun Western audiences with the help of Snail Games and its crack dev team.
Age of Wushu beta and launch announced
Folks who were anticipating the global release of the English version of Age of Wushu in October will have to wait a bit longer; Snail Games has announced that the free-to-play martial arts MMORPG will release on May 3, 2013. However, fans eager to get in and experience the upcoming sandbox game can look forward to two closed beta sessions, one in November and one in December. Players can gain access to the November closed beta by purchasing the limited-time Elite pre-sale package for $9.99 USD. The package includes a full version of the game as well as exclusive in-game items. After the November beta closes on the 25th, players can purchase one of three Age of Wushu gift sets -- filled with in-game and real world items -- to get access to the next beta starting December 20th. The gift sets have the additional perk of allowing players into an exclusive access period starting February 1st, giving them 90 days of play before the official launch. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Blade & Soul introduces the Lyn Blade Master
The wait is still on for Blade & Soul to make it across the Pacific, but at least we can drink in news and updates from those already enjoying the title. Steparu.com has a big preview of the Lyn Blade Master class as well as the game's October update. As one might infer from the title, Lyn Blade Masters are quite skilled in slicing and dicing. Players using the class can employ stuns, flying swords, and AoE attacks. The Lyn Blade Master has use as a tank too, with strong grabbing skills to keep the enemy rooted and focused on him or her. October's update to Blade & Soul has a slew of changes and tweaks. NCsoft is revamping the Summoner class, creating a new endgame dungeon from an old one, adding a solo dungeon called the Tower of Mushin, implementing a cross-server party matching system, throwing in a tournament system, and more. Check out the Lyn Blade Master reveal video after the jump and let us know if you'll be playing one!
The Daily Grind: Do you pre-judge Korean MMOs?
Blade & Soul is currently one of the most popular games in Korea, and a subset of Western gamers have been looking forward to it for several years. Given the lukewarm reception for TERA and Aion, though, it's not hard to imagine B&S facing an uphill battle in terms of public perception. I'm not sure why that is, exactly, but there's a definite anti-Korean bias among western MMO players regardless of the actual quality of an imported game. TERA has a terrific combat system and cutting-edge visuals, for example, while Aion is as feature-rich as any MMO that has been released since 2004 (it's also dialed its level grind down to World of Warcraft-style easy mode). So, how about it morning folks? Do you pre-judge Korean MMOs? And if so, how come? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
