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Age of Wushu opens next closed beta to all
Is it possible to have an open closed beta? Yup, and Snail Games is doing just that for Age of Wushu's next round of beta testing. Due to the overwhelming response of folks wanting to participate, the game is adding a special trial version for the upcoming CBT. How it will work is that any and everyone who wants to get a taste of the game will have 10 hours of unrestricted access when the next CBT starts on December 20th. After exhausting those 10 trial hours, players who have not purchased the deluxe edition will be capped at one hour of play per day throughout the rest of the beta test, which closes in early 2013. Folks who own the deluxe edition will get more perks besides just unlimited playtime throughout the entire closed beta period. All customization, progression, and skills of all characters will be saved when this beta closes and will be available when the next play period opens. Players who already own Elite, E3, or New York Comic Con editions of the game will have the same unrestricted access as the deluxe owners.
Age of Wushu fans can find balance in the Wudang School
You've seen the ninjas, the show-offs, and even the panhandlers, but nothing really fit with your ideals of inner harmony. If that's the case, then Age of Wushu's fourth school, the Wudang, may be more your style when the martial arts sandbox opens its doors! Known universally as Shaolin Monks, this school focuses on balance of the mind and body and redirects energy used against them to throw enemies off balance. The Wudang favor swords, using them as an extension of themselves in battle. If you want to see the breeze sword, the yin yang sword, and the taiji sword skill sets in action, check out the three videos after the break.
Age of Wushu highlights a third school: Wanderer's Valley
Just as players would expect of a sandbox, Age of Wushu is offering a variety of classes for folks to play the game how they want. Previous spotlights introduced fans to the Beggars and the Tangmen. Now Snail Games is showing off the evil side of life in ancient China; Wanderer's Valley is a darker school that welcomes notoriety for its nefarious actions. Created by a man embittered by his own short life-span and led by fallen members of other sects, the sect is full of adherents who practice a live-in-the-moment attitude with little care for the consequences of their actions. Skills available to this school include the use of pressure points to poison energy and dual blades to slice through opponents. You can even use insects to slowly eat away at enemies. If the prevailing motto of "eat, drink, and torture others, for tomorrow we die" sounds right up your dark alley, then Wanderer's Valley is the school for you!
Age of Wushu unveils its Deluxe Edition
Is something missing from your life following the end of the last Age of Wushu closed beta? Something like Age of Wushu? If you enjoyed what you saw during testing, you might be interested in picking up the game's Deluxe Edition, available from the official site right now. Priced at $19.99, it's a chance for fans to get in on the game early and pick up several perks, including automatic access to the second closed beta beginning December 20th. Purchasers will also receive a bundle of upgrades worth about $15 if bought piecemeal from the game's cash shop as well as 60 days of VIP status. Anyone who buys the Deluxe Edition will also have access to special events and sweepstakes made available only to purchasers. If you can't wait to lay your hands on the game again, you'd probably best head over and order soon, since December 20th is approaching fast. [Source: Snail Games press release]
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!
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.
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]
New Age of Wulin trailer released
Gamescom's been over for a while now, but apparently no one told the folks at gPotato. The firm has released a new Age of Wulin trailer that's labeled "Gamescom 2012" on YouTube. Timeliness issues aside, the three-minute video offers a breathtaking look at the martial arts sandbox's gameplay and gorgeous graphics. Age of Wulin is now accepting beta signups for its European client. The game has been rebranded as Age of Wushu for the North American market, and is scheduled to launch on October 18th. Click past the cut for the full trailer.
Age of Wushu launch announced for October 18th
Get ready to get your kung-fu on: Age of Wushu, the English version, will release globally on October 18th, 2012. Elite pre-orders will get access to the free-to-play fantasy game a week early on the 11th. Although the initial announcement was short on details and left many folks wondering whether an open beta is in store between then and now, further developer posts clarify that there will not be any character wipes between the early elite and the general releases. More information is promised soon, and we'll keep you posted as it becomes available. [Thanks to SWGbesteva for the tip!]
Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs
Although the majority of MMOs are level-based, some games are bucking the trend. The Secret World, EVE Online, and Age of Wushu are three titles that eschew the standard system in favor of offering players a more open gaming experience. In a recent interview, GameSpot talked with developers from these games about level-free MMOs. Why should games forgo the popular trend and throw levels out? To give players freedom and allow them to play they way they want is the reason cited by both Funcom Lead designer Joel Bylos and Tyler Rawlins, Marketing Associate for Snail Games. Bylos sums up Funcom's design philosophy like so: "You should not be playing a game to get to the top level. You should be playing a game to have fun." He also admitted that The Secret World changed from level-based to skills mid-development when the team decided that the genre had grown stale in that sense. Kristoffer Touborg, lead game designer for CCP, noted how players get to participate in the gaming experience for EVE even without being in the actual game thanks to the title's far-reaching meta experience. Are skill-based systems on the rise? Watch the full video after the cut to find out.
