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Cabal Online is shutting down in the West
OGPlanet, publisher for the free-to-play MMORPG Cabal Online, announced last week that the title will be closing down effective March 31, 2010. Cabal, developed by ESTsoft and originally released in Korea back in 2005, was localized and released for the North American market in early 2008, and featured combat-heavy gameplay and a dark storyline set in the world of Nevareth. OGPlanet offered up a somber press release on the game's web site. "We truly felt that a game like Cabal Online would offer something different and unique for our loyal OGPlanet members, and in many ways, we believe it has. While we had hoped to continue operating the game as part of our services, the game's developers, EST Soft, has unfortunately decided not to extend our contract for Cabal Online," the release states. OGPlanet goes on to say that item shop transactions were suspended on March 19, and that they "are doing everything we can to compensate our loyal customers." [Edit: There is an update to this story here.]
La Tale offers up a new Time Traveler patch
The colorful world of La Tale is expanding yet again, with three new areas to adventure in. This newest update called Time Traveler will offer players not only these three distinct new areas -- and a time machine to travel to them in -- but also adds in the new Guild Crops system. What's a Guild Crop? Well, the idea is this: La Tale players will be able to grow plants with their guild mates in special guild rooms. If they take good care of them, the plants will grow into monsters that players will then battle to gain access to a special dungeon with guild weapons, armor, and a fun new boss.
CABAL Online reloads for a new update
Free-to-play MMO CABAL Online has recently played host to a new update entitled "CABAL Reloaded." The new update has aimed to correct a few areas of gameplay as well as offering players some brand new content to play through. As a few other games have recently done, CABAL has looked at their earlier gameplay and made a few changes to the early content. In Reloaded, the developers have added three new dungeons targeted at those between levels 35 and 70, giving lower level players more options of game play. New quests have been added to the game as well, but those quests are more targeted towards endgame players, rather than midgame. Other additions, such as skill books and a change to the party interface, adds more to the playability of the game than it changes how the game plays. For the full story on what's been added and changed, check out the full patch notes available on the North American forums.
OGPlanet announces the launch of Lunia Chronicles
OGPlanet is known for its free-to-play games, and as of this week, there's another one on the table. OGPlanet announced the launch of Lunia Chronicles on Tuesday. Lunia Chronicles is the story of the different races on the continent of Rodesia and their conflicts. Players can download the game and explore several different characters including Lime the Fighting Slime, friend and companion to Eir the Healing Princess. The official site carries a nice overview of the game's story and character histories, as well as tutorials on combat strategy and keyboard controls. To get people playing and help celebrate the launch of their newest game, OGPlanet is offering up a nice incentive for those who check the game out. They're holding a 30-day launch event to celebrate. Players need to download the game and play to level 50 by December 16th (Yes, THIS December 16th), and they'll be entered in a drawing for a Dell XPS gaming laptop.
Lost Saga launches
You've taken part in the endless debates online about pirates versus ninjas. Admit it, you have. Well, add cowboys, knights, wizards, and nurses into the mix, and you're nine-tenths of the way to Lost Saga, a new game launched by OGPlanet. Billed as a massively multiplayer online fighting game, it features a variety of different gameplay modes and "heroes" that combine for what looks like an entertaining and frantic experience. Character types run the gamut, from soldiers to assassins to (you guessed it) pirates and ninjas, each bringing a small collection of different abilities to the table. It might sound a bit simplistic, but there are some interesting features such as the option to change heroes mid-battle -- in essence a quick class change whenever needed. The game also features some interesting battle modes beyond the prosaic Deathmatch style, such as Boss Raid, which allows one player to take the reins of an intensely powerful boss while the other players struggle to take said player down. And let's not forget that the game is also free-to-play, so you can satisfy your curiosity without commitment. Lost Saga won't revolutionize the industry, but it looks to be quite a bit of fun, so you might want to check out the official site for more information and to sign up.
CABAL Online's Soul and Siena expansion comes to US shores
Last week we picked up the story that CABAL Online was getting a brand new expansion -- Soul and Siena! However, we learned that the expansion was coming to the European version of the game first, not both the US and EU versions. Well, OGPlanet has been quick to update, and now the US version will also be graced with Soul and Siena. The game has been updated as of today, and players will be able to access all of the new goodies.
News From the Wider MMO World: September 16, 2008
The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.World of Kung Fu opens screenshot contestFrom September 15th to the 30th, VestGame Entertainment has partnered with zownder.com to create the first World of Kung Fu screenshot contest. "This contest really gives us the chance to showcase the awesome graphics and spectacular artwork that forms such an integral part of the game", says David Clarke, World of Kung Fu's North American Producer. The Grand Prize includes a permanent Xuan Wu mount and over a hundred rare items such as high level Forging Vouchers, Advanced Craftsman Charms, Sky Pearls, and much more. For more information, visit either founder's website.Gaia Online brings Snoop Dogg and the Incredible Hulk to the virtual mallEach month, residents of the virtual world Gaia Online have a chance to vote for their favorite real-world celebrities as part of the Celebrity Snare section of the website. As an example, the latest items to have been made available are Snoop Dogg's hairstyle, and the Hulk's torn-up purple pants. "Gaia Online is truly an extension of our users' real life interests and passions and Celebrity Snare is just another way we're enabling Gaians to customize their online persona and express themselves to the community," said Craig Sherman, CEO of Gaia Online. "The same way fans hang a poster on their bedroom wall or wear a t-shirt with their favorite band on it, we're enabling our users to establish a connection with the celebrities they admire." Further celebrities to go virtual will include Elvis Presley, Justin Timberlake, Tila Tequila, Paris Hilton, Raven Symone and Marvel's She-Hulk.
OGPlanet's plan for a free MMO portal
David Hoffman, executive producer for OGPlanet, recently talked about their idea for bringing free-to-play and free-to-download MMOs ported from Korea to North America all in one portal. One of these titles is CABAL Online, an MMO set in a devastated modern-day environment, complete with magic talents, government oppression and colony rebuilding. Oh my!OGPlanet's idea for a free MMO game portal is unique in the sense that it's not simply taking free-to-play eastern games and translating them for a western audience. They are actually play-testing the games specifically for the target western audience. David Hoffman claims this business model will actually break down the rather large wall between free MMOs and quality MMOs. CABAL Online is their first attempt at this, being supported by a cash shop and the increasingly-popular in-game advertising model we're seeing in more popular western titles lately.
OG Planet's David Hoffman interviewed
For those of you who may not be familiar with OGPlanet.com, they are a North American company that brings Asian MMO titles to the US. Among their games are the golfing title Albatross 18, the combat game Rumble Fighter, and Cabal Online, an RPG. This is a particularly good time for overseas imports, as more and more players are beginning to feel the need to look elsewhere for their MMO entertainment other than World of Warcraft. MMOgamer has an interview up with OGPlanet's executive producer David Hoffman, wherein the topics range from the specifics of OGPlanet titles, to the more general mechanics of running this sort of business. It's a piece worth your time, and offers some insight into the process of adapting Asian games to an American audience.[Thanks, Siam!]
CABAL Online launches in North America
CABAL Online has officially launched here in North America, offering a new free-to-play Asian import for fans of that MMO play style. The game, which is already running in countries throughout Asia and Europe, stands at more than a million users according to the title's official press release. CABAL has been brought to the states and Canada by a partnership between OGPlanet and the game's developer ESTsoft. Though originally a subscription title, the game is free-to-play here with item purchasing as an additional option. These purchasable add-ons will speed movement through the gameworld, but are not currently planned to offer any sort of gameplay benefit. The game's open beta was greeted by a number of enthusiastic US players and (as with all free titles) is never more than a few clicks away from a quick trial. Commentators have had a few reservations about the game, but at the very least you have to respect OG and ESTsoft from trying to put a new spin on a business plan that hasn't always turned out so well in the past.
