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Nexon EU offers two Vindictus gameplay videos of the new cross gun
A month ago Vindictus fans learned of the new cross gun being introduced to Kai's arsenal. It's a rapid-firing weapon that merges the look of the traditional crossbow with the firepower of the gun. Now, Nexon Europe has released two new videos that highlight the gameplay of Kai with his new armament. Watch the cross gun in action as teams take on various foes amid ruins, in the jungle, and across the desert dunes in the two trailers after the break. [Source: Nexon press release]
One Shots: Paging the burn ward
It's a little amazing, when you think about it, that all of these magic-users who prance around in extremely flammable robes don't suffer from third-degree burns more than we see. Or maybe the game is hiding the awful, scarred truth from us. In any case, our opening screenshot this week should have resulted in a quick trip to the ER for both parties. "This is a simple yet fun battle in Vindictus' early levels," reader Carolina says. "I love the detail of the damaged shoe on my spellcaster character." Forget the human element; now the shoes are the ones suffering for our casual disregard of fiery magic! If you can get past the misery of the moment, we've got plenty of other great one shots this week for you to admire.
Nexon closing North American Dungeon Fighter Online
Nexon is closing the North American version of Dungeon Fighter Online according to a post by CEO Min Kim on the title's official website. "Sadly, Dungeon Fighter Online has not attracted enough player interest to properly service the game," Kim writes. "Internally, we struggled deeply with the popularity of DFO in North America as the title is immensely popular overseas. For more than three years, we went through many milestones and several pushes before we came to this very difficult decision." Nexon will close DFO's cash shop on April 11th, and the game itself will sunset on June 13th. The company is also compensating players who purchased permanent and durational items over the past six months.
Nexon Europe adds new character and dungeons to MapleStory
Have you ever thought that adventuring would be so much easier if there were two of you? MapleStory players in Europe will have the chance for just that experience if they choose the newest character -- Mihile, The Knight of Light. As a special ability, this knight can duplicate himself, essentially creating a shield to protect against enemies. At level 70, Mihile can also transfer this same skill onto other players. Along with the knight, Nexon Europe is adding three new dungeons to MapleStory. Players will soon get to dive into four dungeons based on the seasons through Spiegelmann's Strange Gallery, take a cable car to the quests in Fatansy Theme Park, and discover the secrets of of the beautiful Sakura Castle. The first two will be accessible starting at level 50, but the final dungeon is only for players over level 70. [Source: Nexon Europe press release]
Vindictus introduces PvP changes, new clothing, and the deadly Cross Gun
You know what sucks about crossbows? They're so slow. Sure, they make a nice thrum as you fire off a bolt at whoever is about to die a pointy death, but then there's the whole reloading process and it's really just not quite action-combaty enough, is it? Vindictus is sorting this appalling deficiency by introducing the Cross Gun, a rapid fire ranged weapon available to folks playing as Kai. While that is impressive in its own right, the Cross Gun is not all that's coming to the game this month. Nexon America has plans for new open PvP death matches, custom clothing options, and a number of in-game events throughout March. The new PvP mode will be open to players regardless of their guild membership. One of the inbound clothing options is a St. Patrick's Day outfit, for those of you who want to look a little luckier whilst slaughterfying your opponents. Skip below the cut for a video teasing the March updates. [Source: Nexon America press release.]
Free for All: How to be OK with not knowing how to play
I've written before about how to accept your fate as a permanent newbie, international game explorer, or constant PvP victim. It has always come down to accepting the fact that many MMOs require hours of dedication in order to become skilled. Sure, we can break down what "skilled" really means and examine what sort of timetable is realistic for most human beings, but let's just say that we're past that. We're well into the territory of accepting our fate as a digital traveler, someone who simply cannot say no to a new MMO. This time I thought it would be better to list some lessons on how I learned to love the MMO explorer lifestyle. It worked for me! (Cheesy theme music starts in the background.)
Free for All: The continued standardization of selling power
Selling power is a much quieter controversy than it used to be. I've been in gaming long enough to remember when selling anything desirable at all was taboo. At the same time, it's always been OK to sell some things like subscriptions or special boxed editions, proving that MMO gamers and others are brilliant at segmenting their rage. If it's a cool, special box with a neat virtual item inside, it somehow does not fall under the same umbrella as selling powerful, useful items in game. I think it does. But geeks in general are good at justifying poor behavior if they get what they want; just ask the hackers and file-swappers. Still, it doesn't matter how we feel about selling power because the industry is already moving in the direction of selling power, lots of power. EA recently announced that every title it produces from now on will feature microtransactions. While that doesn't guarantee the sale of powerful items, I can promise that it will include some. This train ain't stopping. Sure, the console community seems a bit late to the party when it comes to the power-selling controversy, but that's likely because of MMOs' always-on multiplayer mode.
Massively Exclusive: MapleStory adds samurai Hayato
The pantheon of MapleStory characters has just admitted a newcomer to its ranks -- the legendary samurai Hayato. Having lost his clan to the evil forces of Oda Nobunga, Hayato seeks vengeance. Weakened by his mysterious appearance in the Maple World, he must regain the knowledge of his fast and powerful sword combos in order to fight off the invading forces of Oda. In this exclusive video, watch Hayato battle through ninjas and face Oda Nobunga himself in order to stop a dark ritual and save the princess. [Source: Nexon press release]
Navy Field 2 entering closed beta on March 27th
Is there a serious need for more games in your life based on World War II? There are a few options out there already, but very soon you'll have another as Nexon brings Navy Field 2 into closed beta testing on March 27th. Unlike many of the other options, this one isn't meant as an action-based game; it's an MMORTS focused on naval engagements and the more strategic pace of sending ships into confrontations. Players will be able to choose between 500 different ships from World War I and World War II to build their own fleets, entering huge engagements of up to 64 players at a time. The ships can also be customized with new weapons and armor. If this sounds like your cup of tea, check out the official trailer past the break and sign up for the beta, which will run until April 10th. [Source: Nexon press release]
The Firing Line: On Destiny, Tribes GOTY, and Ghost in the Shell
It's been a pretty eventful week for online shooter news, and The Firing Line is back to help you catch up on all the tidbits you might've missed. Since we've got so much to cover, what say we skip the usual game journo intro puns and get right to it?
Nexon launching free-to-play Ghost in the Shell FPS in first half of 2014
Nexon has announced that it will release an online PC FPS called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in the first half of 2014, in partnership with Kodansha Ltd., the comic book publisher behind the long-running Ghost in the Shell series.Stand Alone Complex will be based on the Japanese animated series of the same name and will offer up a cooperative battle mode, as well as other ways to battle with and against cyborgs. Considering the game is coming from Nexon (the maker of games like Maple Story, Combat Arms, and Dragon Nest), it probably comes as no surprise to learn the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will be free-to-play and supported by microtransactions.We've got almost a year to wait for this one, but Nexon also points out that it is only the first of a few different games it will be making with Kodansha as part of a deal announced in December 2012.
Nexon announces Ghost in the Shell online FPS
Nexon has announced today that its new Ghost in the Shell online game, in conjunction with its recent licensing agreement with Kodansha Ltd., is expected to launch in the first half of 2014. Based on the Ghost in the Shell animated television productions, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is said to be an online FPS with cooperative battle mode which allows players to fight along side both AI and other players. Be sure to read tomorrow's The Firing Line column to learn more about the game. [Source: Nexon press release]
Valentine's Day around the virtual world
Do you hear the chirping of songbirds in love? Do you see the flirtacious glance that cute Orc is giving you from across the battlefiend? Do you smell the flowers of romance in bloom all around you? If so, man, you've got it bad. Fortunately for those suffering from VDAS -- Valentine's Day Addiction Syndrome -- plenty of MMOs are on hand to provide you with a temporary fix until you get proper medication and are carted away to a professional love care facility. It may not be the biggest of holidays in the virtual world, but when love arrives in February, it cannot be denied. And who knows for you single folk? The man, woman, or one-eyed Gnome of your dreams might just stumble over you on this fine day! Read on as we sum up some of the larger Valentine's events in MMOs today.
MapleStory celebrates the magic of marriage and subsequent divorce
Valentine's Day is nearly here, and the best way to celebrate it is to have your pixelated avatar pretend to marry someone else's pixelated avatar. MapleStory allows you to do just that, and the game has thus far had around 28,000 couples tie the knot in-game. It's also seen 15,000 of those couples subsequently divorce, which seems like a staggering number when you realize that the game does not offer any systems to model the crumbling of your emotional bonds and the slow desertion of your childhood dreams. As it turns out, the staff at Nexon keeps track of a lot of interesting little tidbits about the marriage system. The longest marriage in the game is at 1,100 days; the shortest one clocks in at just three seconds. The average isn't too bad at 518 days, but couples that both married and divorced in 2012 wound up with an average run of 107 days. And some poor soul is already on marriage number 13, which implies Larry King-like devotions to remarriage. If you're looking at all of those stats and thinking that you can't say no, check out the wedding trailer past the break. [Source: Nexon press release] %Gallery-16709%
The Perfect Ten: Memorable marketing campaigns
I took only a single marketing class in college, so by no means am I an instant expert in anything but being on the receiving end of marketers' nefarious experiments to manipulate me so that I buy their stuff. I did take away the lesson that all marketers are professional liars who have no shame or dignity. Pretty much the same as a blogger, so I guess I have a backup career. Believe it or not, MMOs get off easy when it comes to notorious marketing campaigns. Anything on the following list, good or bad, is a pale shadow of what we've seen in the larger video game industry. Still, there have been plenty of attempts to promote MMOs in ways that make us either applaud or laugh at the studio (and sometimes both at once, which takes coordination). After doing some staff polling and internal polling, here are 10 memorable marketing campaigns from the era of MMORPGs. Maybe they're all winners in that they got noticed by at least one person, even if they're the most foolish notions in history. Here we go!
Jukebox Heroes: Eleven MMO soundtracks you can get for free
Collecting MMO soundtracks is a scattered, scavenger-like experience. Releasing video game soundtracks isn't exactly high up on studio and publisher to-do lists (although we're seeing more love from digital stores), so whether or not a title will get a music release is really a crapshoot. What does get released is never in the same place twice: Some game soundtracks are released as special editions only, some only as CDs, some as full MP3 album releases, some directly from the composer, some are buried on websites, and so on. So I'm constantly looking everywhere trying to beef up my MMO soundtrack library, and as a result I've uncovered several scores that the studios are giving away for free. I'm all over free (legal) music, especially when it's in my area of interest! If you've been looking to start an MMO soundtrack collection or are looking to add to what you have, I've put together a list of 11 MMO scores that you can get today free of charge. Sound good? It does to me!
Massively Exclusive: The MapleStory developers talk about the Root Abyss
When dealing with international games like Nexon's MapleStory, it's a simple reality that updates are often going to be coming out later for US players. It's just the nature of the beast; new updates have to first be tested natively, then localized. But the upcoming Root Abyss breaks the mold, with the full version due to be released on the global servers on January 16th before the Korean servers get a live push of the update. But there's more to the dungeon than just the release date -- there are four new bosses and a variety of updated prizes for everyone to earn. If you're looking for more insight into how the dungeon was designed, click on past the break for an exclusive developer diary from the Korean design team. You can also check out the dungeon's trailer, which features a quick preview of all four monstrous and disturbing bosses.
Jukebox Heroes: Christmas music
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the staff at Jukebox Heroes! When it comes to the season, I have to admit that I'm a bit of a Christmas music junkie. Not nearly as bad as some I know, and I'm totally for a ban of hearing such music in public spaces before Thanksgiving and after New Year's Eve. I just love how it's so cheery and makes me feel warm in my tummy. A couple of months ago when I realized that this column would fall on Christmas day, I entertained the notion of just featuring MMO Christmas music. That seemed a bit silly to me; there's no way that there could be more than a scarce handful of tunes, right? It turns out that there's quite a bit, actually. So whether you're celebrating, taking some time just to game, or bored out of your gourd, why not hit the jump and see how MMOs have contributed to the enormous library of Christmas music?
Nexon releases Dungeon Fighter Gunner for iPhone
Nexon has released a version of its extremely popular (in Asia, at least) Dungeon Fighter Online game on the iPhone, called Dungeon Fighter Gunner. You can download the title right now -- it's pretty standard fare, featuring lots of onscreen touch controls, and the same 2D beat-em-up style gameplay that makes the online title so popular overseas. But what's most important about this app isn't necessarily what it is, but what it represents. Dungeon Fighter Online is a huge franchise, boasting over 300 million registered users around the world. That's gigantic -- by comparison, World of Warcraft (definitely the largest MMORPG in the West) hosted about 12 million users at its peak. DFO is by far Nexon's biggest title, and while it has put a few apps onto the store already, this is the first app it's released that's been related to the DFO juggernaut. So we'll have to see how this one does. There are some huge brands out there in terms of online gaming, both in the East and West, that could benefit a lot from some tie-in titles on the App Store. If this game does well, or gains just a fraction of the audience it already has on the PC, we could be looking at the first in a series of big tie-in hits.
Nexon partnering with Kodansha for Ghost in the Shell online title
How does a Ghost in the Shell MMO grab you? We're not sure whether it's a reality just yet, but we do know that Nexon has entered into a development agreement with manga publishing giant Kodansha to produce an online title based on Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX. Nexon's press release offers no details on the game itself, so anything beyond the source material is guesswork at this point. The original Ghost in the Shell manga was met with critical and popular acclaim upon its 1989 release and has since been adapted into an extensive expanded universe that includes films, television shows, and a 1997 PlayStation game. Nexon's new title "will be based on the award-winning series Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG, and Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society." [Source: Nexon press release]
