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Leaderboard: Which upcoming Korean MMO excites you the most?
There are a lot of interesting Korean MMOs on the horizon. Well, they're interesting to me, at any rate. The problem is, none of them are playable in the West as of yet, even though one of them has a Western publisher and the others publish English-language news semi-regularly. Assuming you are also something of a Korean MMO aficionado, I've put together a poll featuring some of the blockbusters we'll (hopefully) be playing in the near future. Feel free to vote for the one you're most looking forward to, and explain why in the comments. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Blade & Soul's Tower of Mushin dungeon gets new floors, bosses
Steparu's got the goods on Blade & Soul's latest solo endgame content. A new article on the website says that the Korean fantasy MMO's Tower of Munshin dungeon is getting "an upgrade with new floors." NCsoft has designed the dungeon "to be an endless tower with new solo content every now and then," Steparu writes. The new sections are accessible after clearing the seventh floor, and you can also get a sneak peek at some of the content via the video after the cut!
Aion adding fourth race to the Atreian struggle?
The battle for power across Aion's world of Atreia is currently fought between the clawed Asmodians, the light-winged Elyos, and the dragon-esque Balaur. But NCsoft Korea has posted a picture on the Korean forums teasing the entry of a fourth race to the mix. The line above the poster translates to, "A mysterious army begins to step forth from the shadows of the Abyss." And the text below the ominous red eyes reads, "The 4th race" followed underneath that by "Elyos, Asmodian, Balaur and ..." And what exactly? Could a fourth race really be entering Atreia for good, and if so, will the race be NPC-based like the Balaur, or could a new player race actually be in the works? Or could this be just a special event? And what race could those eyes represent? According to the announcement, we'll know more come September 6th. Until then, feel free to leave your speculations in the comments below. And you can check out the entire poster after the break.
A look at the current endgame for Blade & Soul
If you're looking forward to playing Blade & Soul when it finally comes to this side of the pond, you probably want to know what to expect from the endgame mechanics. Fortunately for you, the game has just released its newest endgame dungeon, and a preview is available of the final boss fight within that dungeon as well as the process for gaining and powering up loot from bosses. Which is... ornate, for lack of a better term. The short version is that everyone present for the kill gets a loot box containing a weapon. You can either pay money to ensure that the weapon is right for your class, or you can buy an ordinary key and take your chances. Once you've gotten the right weapon (with the right stats) after however many trips, you can start leveling it up... but in order to really advance it, you'll need to get two more weapons and level those up. Take a look at the full preview for details on boss mechanics and the weapon upgrade process. [Thanks to Steparu for the tip!]
Blade & Soul introduces swimsuits with a hefty price tag
How much are you willing to pay for a new swimsuit? How about if that swimsuit is only available for your character in a video game? Blade & Soul has introduced a line of summer swimwear for characters in the Korean version, available either via the game's cash shop or through item trading, but the system for obtaining these suits from inside the game is a bit problematic. During the summer event, players can obtain a watermelon slice by clearing a daily dungeon. These slices are used as tokens to unlock these outfits. The problem is that it can be difficult to actually obtain enough slices through play unless you focus on running dungeons with a single-minded devotion, which forces you toward the cash shop option, which values the suits at $45. Still no word on when the game is being localized, but you can check out the suit trailers past the cut for a peek at what you probably aren't dropping $45 on. [Thanks to bnssswimwear for the tip!]
Blade & Soul 2.0 trailer sighted in the wild
I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first? OK, sweet. I like saving the good news for last, too. So, the bad news is that while Blade & Soul is soldiering on in its native Korea, thus far NCsoft has said a whole lot of nothing about a potential western version. Yep, that sucks. Now for the good news. The Korean game is transitioning to version 2.0, which brings with it new weapon upgrade capabilities, new skills, a level 50 cap, new PvP areas, etc. We might have mentioned this earlier. This weekend, though, we can see some of the stuff that's on tap, thanks to Steparu and a hi-def version of the 2.0 trailer. It's packed full of gameplay and pretty vistas, and you can watch it after the cut.
Blade & Soul Korea getting major update next week
Blade & Soul's biggest update yet is coming on June 26th according to Steparu.com. The site reports that new skill revisions, an upgrading system, new dungeons, an increased level cap, new story chapters, new instanced dungeons, and new PvP areas are on the way. Whew! Yes, that's a lot of new, and Steparu has also posted a handful of gorgeous new Blade & Soul posters for your viewing enjoyment. Have a look via the link below.
Blade & Soul's 2.0 patch boasts weapon and skill upgrades
NCsoft Korea just updated Blade & Soul's weapon and skill mechanics. According to Steparu.com, it's a game-changing patch because it introduces weapon upgrades and version 2.0 of the skill system. The latter includes special sub-menus and enhancement options for each skill, and Steparu speculates that the patch could be NCsoft's response to players who are looking for something to keep them busy at endgame. The 2.0 patch also features crafting tweaks, a simplified repair system, and new belt and bracelet slots. You can see plenty of 2.0 screenshots at the source link below, as well as a gameplay video after the break.
NCsoft sales down from last quarter, up from last year
A recent earnings report suggests that NCsoft's sales have slipped from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, although the studio is quick to point out that the showing was "solid" particularly when compared to sales from a year ago. While sales were down 35% and net income was down 49% from the last quarter, sales were up 31% and net income was up 322% year-over-year. Guild Wars 2 accounted for 21% of sales in the first quarter, in addition to Blade and Soul's 9%, Aion's 16%, and the usual Lineage cavalcade (Lineage 1 represented 38% of sales alone with its subscriptions). While 64% of NCsoft's sales were in Korea, only 13% were in North America and 8% in Europe. The decrease in NA and EU contributions was due to "the reduction in Guild Wars 2 package sales," according to the report. All of NCsoft's subsidiaries posted drops in sales from last quarter except for NC Taiwan. [Update: Also of note in the earnings call is the news that NCsoft's Nah Seong Chan says the company is "preparing an expansion pack" but has yet to decide when it might launch. Very interesting news indeed as ArenaNet said as recently as March that it was not working on an expansion. Thanks to Mike and Robert for the tips!]
New Blade & Soul video tours White Blue Mountain Range
It's no secret that many folks like to see what they are getting into... or in the case of MMOs not yet available in all markets, what they'd like to get into. So those looking forward to playing NCsoft's martial arts fantasy Blade & Soul should appreciate this newly released visual tour of the White Blue Mountain Range area. Although lacking any English subtitles, the video contains over six minutes of footage from various locales. From verdant vistas to wintery caverns, quaint villages to majestic cities, get a taste of the ambiance and architecture of the White Blue Mountain Range region in the trailer after the break.
Leaderboard: Bless vs. Black Desert vs. Blade & Soul vs. ArcheAge
There are plenty of interesting MMOs coming out of Korea these days, and whether we're talking sandboxes like Black Desert, themeparks like Bless, or hybrids like ArcheAge, I'm pretty excited to try all of them. Let's not forget Blade & Soul, either, and even Aion has a new expansion on the way that's introducing a couple of game-changing classes. For today's Leaderboard, let's pit these games against one another and see which one will claim the title of Massively's most anticipated Korean import. Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Epic 30-minute Blade & Soul video shows off cinematics, gameplay
NCsoft has been fairly quiet on the Blade & Soul front lately, but that doesn't mean fan anticipation has died down for the martial arts fantasy MMO. If you're among those anxiously awaiting the game, you'll definitely want to have a look at YouTube user YoraiDragon's epic 30-minute video that shows off some of the title's opening cinematics as well as early-level gameplay. The clip's audio and the game UI are of course in Korean, but there are occasional English subtitles that help clarify important concepts. Click past the cut to see the clip. [Thanks Yorai Dragon!]
NCsoft earnings report shows healthy growth
NCsoft just released its fourth quarter 2012 earnings report, and things are looking pretty good across the board for the multi-MMO company. NCsoft's earnings are up both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year due to the releases of Blade & Soul and Guild Wars 2, not to mention "record-breaking annual revenues" from Lineage. Guild Wars 2 accounted for 45% of the company's sales in Q4, followed by Lineage (24%) and Blade & Soul (10%). ArenaNet's newest game increased the North American market from 16% in Q3 to 25% in Q4. It's not completely sunshine and roses, however. Lineage II and Aion both experienced declines during the period. NCsoft's net income was in the red for the quarter and its stock has slid since September, losing half of its value in the process. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
New vids detail Blade & Soul's Spiral Labyrinth dungeon
Blade & Soul's newest endgame dungeon release is called The Spiral Labyrinth, and Steparu has posted an extensive look at the content complete with multiple videos. The dungeon features three floors, each of which ends in a boss fight, and there's a bit of randomization in the mix, too. Each time your party enters a particular room, you'll need to fight a miniboss. Defeating him triggers a random door which leads deeper into the dungeon level and eventually to the floor boss. With a new dungeon comes new drops and new equipment. Steparu says that farming The Spiral Labyrinth will likely be necessary to compete in the game's upcoming PvP content. Have a look at the dungeon's first minotaur boss after the break, then head to the source link for several more gameplay videos and analysis.
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.
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.
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!
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!
