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Trion Worlds: RIFT has surpassed one million registered accounts
In case you couldn't tell by now, Trion has officially confirmed that a lot of people are interested in its RIFT fantasy MMORPG. The new title has surpassed one million registered accounts, according to a press release that coincides with today's headstart kickoff. RIFT officially launches on March 1st in the States (March 3rd in most of Europe and March 4th in the UK). The game will feature 33 opening-day servers to distribute the load of incoming players as well as several ruleset flavors including PvP, PvE, and RP. Check out our extensive RIFT coverage from the head-start period all the way up to launch day, and head to the game's official website for more info.
Guild Wars 2's Norn week starts Monday
You know you've got a surefire hit MMORPG on your hands when you're confident enough to put out a press release about a press release. NCsoft and ArenaNet have done just that by announcing that the Norn-flavored followup to the wildly successful Human Week is on its way. It doesn't start until Monday, though, so the best we can tell you at this point is that Norn Week is the second in an ongoing series of race reveals for Guild Wars 2, and the focus will be moving away from humans and toward the shape-shifting half-giants called Norn in short order. Norn Week will bring new dev insights regarding the game's lore, new art assets, and a new video. That's a lot of new, but unfortunately you'll have to wait a few more days. In the meantime, head to the ArenaNet blog for the latest official news and views from the world of Tyria.
Fourth season begins for 2 Out Rally baseball MMO
Despite the scorn that sports MMOs receive in some quarters, there are a few of them out there. One of those rare beasts is 2 Out Rally, a free-to-play baseball sim that gives players the opportunity to micro-manage a team of major leaguers as both a top-ranked talent scout and a team owner. Gameplay involves creating, training, and developing ballplayers, as well as negotiating with other 2 Out Rally gamers to fill out your roster. 2 Out Rally's fourth season begins Friday, February 18th, and brings with it an increase in team ownership opportunities as well as higher levels of challenge. Season four will continue with a tradition established in season three by allowing players to write for The Scoop, the league's fictional newspaper that adds a layer of immersion and atmosphere to the game. You can learn more about the game, and start planning your pursuit of the pennant, at the 2 Out Rally website.
Gods & Heroes details classes and releases new screenshots
The devs at Heatwave Interactive have given Gods & Heroes fans a bit more information to mull over as they wait anxiously for the title's debut. In a press release dated earlier this morning, Heatwave detailed the game's four character classes and released an accompanying batch of screenshots. While the classes don't stray too far from MMORPG norms, it's nonetheless instructive to see exactly what the game has in store. First up is the Gladiator, who, as you might surmise, exists to do massive melee damage at close range. The Soldier is your basic tank archetype, responsible for juggling aggro and taking a beating for his friends. The Mystic is Gods & Heroes' answer to ranged DPS, while the Priest is, crazily enough, the main healer. You can get a full rundown on Gladiators, Soldiers, Priests, and Mystics at the game's main website, and don't forget to check out the new screens below. %Gallery-118322%
New Faxion trailer reveals combat details and status effects
The combat in Faxion Online is shaping up to be a cut above the MMORPG norm according to a press release and a new video from UTV True Games. The free-to-play firm has just detailed Faxion's fighting system and is touting numerous visual cues and effects that help the player unleash hell on his enemies. Combat information is conveyed via a combination of color-coded floating text, status icons, and Vortex Effects, which change the player's viewing area (like the "Confuse" effect in the header image). Faxion's combat status reports can be summed up thusly: The more severe an effect, the stronger the player notification. "We don't want players to rely on the same old visuals; instead we want there to be an instinct and intuitiveness to this combat system that also allows them to know their status quickly so they can dish out more pain to their enemies," says UTV Studio Head Frank Lucero. Check out the video after the cut and head to the official Faxion Online website to sign up for beta. You can also see four screenshots of the game's status effects in the gallery below. %Gallery-113832%
Vivox doubles user base, now serves over 45 million
Last year was mighty productive for the folks at Vivox, as the voice chat firm doubled its user base and now serves over 45 million customers worldwide. While 45 million is quite a large number on its own, when taken together with the fact that Vivox served a mere 18.5 million users in early 2010, it's easy to see how the competition has its work cut out for it. Gaming firms including Wargaming.net, Runewaker, and Bigpoint all turned to Vivox for their voice needs in 2010, and company CEO Rob Seaver says that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. "There is a clear opportunity for voice providers to reshape the social web with a communication medium that has proven to be the easiest, most intuitive channel of communication throughout [...] thousands of years of existence: voice," he said in a press release earlier today. Vivox also provides voice services for the likes of CCP Games, Linden Lab, and Sony Online Entertainment, and you can find more coverage of the company in our interviews with VP of Product Management Monty Sharma.
Gamerkraft announces Aida Arenas MMO brawler
Ready for another free-to-play MMO brawler? Ready or not, here it comes in the form of Aida Arenas, a new title just announced by Game Bridger Entertainment for its Gamerkraft F2P distribution platform. Aida Arenas is an action title from Korea's GalaxyGate development house, and it looks to combine classic beat-'em-up arcade stylings with the character progression and social features commonly found in MMORPGs. The world of Aida is a place where "good ol' fashioned rough-housing" is a primary pastime, and "the game's accessible controls and gameplay mechanics are sure to appeal to a wide range of both hardcore and casual gamers," according to a Game Bridger press release. Game Bridger is the publisher behind F2P titles like Freejack and Priston Tale 2, and you can learn more about its latest offering by viewing the Aida Arenas trailer after the cut.
Habbo Hotel touts 200 million registrations
If you haven't heard of Habbo Hotel, you might just be in the minority. Sulake, the Finnish maker of the teen-focused virtual community and social game, has just announced that the title has surpassed 200 million registrations as of January 2011. If you're curious, one registration equals one character in the long-running virtual world, but the total number of unique registered users is unclear. Habbo Hotel celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, and since its founding in 2000, it has expanded to more than 150 countries across the globe. The year 2010 represented the virtual world's most successful to date, with 42 million new registrations and over 400 million play hours logged. "The fast, continuous development of Habbo Hotel has enabled us to make quick changes and create new features according to our users' needs," said Sulake CEO Timo Soininen via press release.
Perfect World bringing Rusty Hearts MMO to America
The MMORPG assembly line at Perfect World Entertainment is gearing up to churn out yet another title, this time partnering with WindySoft for a game called Rusty Hearts. While details surrounding the F2P title are sketchy at this point, it looks to be an action MMO with anime-inspired visuals if the various gameplay videos available in the wild are any indication. Perfect World and WindySoft will be officially revealing the game to the masses at this year's E3 convention, with the former looking to localize the game for the American market as well as make further in-roads with gamers in the West. "As Rusty Hearts is an action-based MMORPG, which differs from our existing game portfolio in genre, we believe it will help us extend our market penetration while also bringing new and unique online gaming experiences to our players," said PWE CEO Alan Chen. WindySoft, originally formed in 2002, has been involved in the development and/or publishing of titles ranging from GetAmped, to Katamari Damacy Online, to Cosmic Break. You can check out a Rusty Hearts gameplay video after the break.
Cataclysm sells 4.7 million copies in one month
Proving that Deathwing wrecking up the joint can actually be a good thing, this recent press release from Blizzard shows us that after an initial burst of 3.3 million, Cataclysm went on to sell another 1.4 million copies over the next month. Blizzard Entertainment Press Releases "We created thousands of new quests, introduced new lands to explore, and extensively revamped the game world for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, making it our biggest and most ambitious expansion yet," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We've been floored by the community's response so far, and we'd like to thank them for their continued passion and support for World of Warcraft, and for helping Cataclysm reach this incredible milestone." source This pretty much cements Cataclysm's position as a huge seller for Blizzard and brings this expansion up above Wrath of the Lich King, the previous best seller. It's unlikely that anyone is exactly surprised by this news, but it bodes well for the game and its current success. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
French making war, not love, with new World of Tanks armor
The French are invading! The French are invading! We know, it shocks us too, but at least in the case of the upcoming World of Tanks action MMO, it's a true statement. Wargaming.net has just released a new development tree which shows off level paths for each of the five classes of French heavy armor coming to the game. "With French vehicles we are going to take another step further in expanding World of Tanks armored fleet, drawing new tank enthusiasts into the game and providing more extensive gameplay options for those already playing," says Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. Check out the development tree graphic, and be sure to stop by the official WoT website to register for the ongoing beta.
Jagex Games Studio wins patent infringement case
Jagex Games Studio, renowned as the maker of RuneScape, has announced its success in securing a non-infringement judgment in a case brought against it by PalTalk Holdings. PalTalk initiated patent infringement legal proceedings against Jagex (as well as Activision-Blizzard, Sony, Turbine, and NCsoft) after being awarded a settlement in a similar claim against Microsoft in 2009. PalTalk claimed that Jagex had infringed on U.S. patents relating to server group messaging systems and further alleged that it had suffered "in excess of tens of millions of dollars" in damages. Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard didn't pull any punches when expressing his displeasure at the perceived frivolity of the claim. "It is exceedingly unfortunate that the U.S. legal system can force a company with a sole presence in Cambridge, UK to incur a seven digit expense and waste over a year of management time on a case with absolutely no merit," he said. "This anomaly, which could easily break smaller studios, doesn't happen in the UK since you can pursue frivolous litigants for the costs of such claims," Gerhard stated.
World of Tanks reaches half million active players
Wargaming.net's World of Tanks is different from your usual MMO, and it's not just because your avatar is 25 tons of steel and a large gun barrel instead of the standard orc or elf. Unlike most game makers, the World of Tanks devs are quite open when it comes to their playerbase, freely divulging the number of registrations and active players in various regions around the world. For example, the ongoing US/European closed beta test features 150,000 active players (and 200,000 registrations), while the Russian version of the title boasts 350,000 actives and a half million registered players. Taking a page from CCP's book, Wargaming.net has also released peak concurrent user numbers, which amount to 43,000 in Russia and just over 10,000 in the West. "It's just the beginning of a global legend. We see this game running for at least ten years in the West and Asia with tons of new content coming out every month," says CEO Victor Kislyi. You can find out more about World of Tanks on the official website, and don't forget to sign up for the beta.
WoW reaches 12 million concurrent subscribers
It seems that World of Warcraft's oft-rumored (or is that wished-for) demise has been exposed as the usual forum scuttlebutt, thanks to a report today that confirms the MMORPG behemoth is cruising along with 12 million concurrent subscribers in tow. Our friends over at WoW Insider tipped us off to Blizzard's latest milestone, which you can view for yourself via a press release on the official European website. With the December release of Cataclysm looming, things are looking up for the massive genre's reigning champion, and while many of WoW's would-be competitors are turning to free-to-play business models to survive, the gap between Azeroth and the various also-rans only seems to be growing.
Realtime Worlds restructuring to provide "total support" for APB
APB's Dave Jones said he expected mediocre reviews from the media immediately after launch. Be that as it may, the Realtime Worlds team obviously feels that the game is a success, according to today's press release. The press release announced that the APB staff will increase, and Realtime Worlds will actually be pulling resources from an unnamed second project as well in order to give full support to APB. This will mean 24/7 live support, more content updates, and generally a more active future for the game. CEO Gary Dale explained that the decision is a reflection of the game's successful launch and Realtime's expectation of continued success in the future: "APB experienced a very smooth launch for an online dedicated game along with a great reception from consumers and we're immensely proud of the game the team has produced. We now have to focus our efforts and resources on running APB as a 24/7 online live operation, creating new content and services for the future and ensuring the best possible experience for the players." Check out the press release for all the details.
Chronicles of Spellborn shutting down?
While Frogster Interactive is perhaps best known for its main MMO, Runes of Magic, it also carries other games for players to enjoy. One of the titles handled by Frogster Asia is The Chronicles of Spellborn -- a belabored game that has seen its model shift from subscription to free within a few months of launch, had its development team go bankrupt and scatter to the winds, and watched its player-base drop off. Well, according to the most recent press release by Frogster Interactive, it would appear that the Frogster Asia division plans to slough off The Chronicles of Spellborn once and for all. Meanwhile, in North America, Acclaim still has servers (somewhat) open for The Chronicles of Spellborn, but the game feels as if it has been left chained in a dusty corner with a crust of stale bread and a tin of rusty water by its neglectful parents. There are enormous issues on the official site, such as a broken downloader setup, corrupted patches, and most recently, a bug requiring players to change their passwords each and every time they try to log in to the game. No fixes or responses are forthcoming, and we were unable to get any official comment from Acclaim regarding its intentions for the North American version as of the time we published this. The full text of the section of Frogster's press release dealing with TCoS can be found behind the break. As to Acclaim's intent, we'll update this post if we get a response. [Thanks, Cow Moo Flage]
Apple sells two million iPads, international launch likely the main culprit
Apple has just trotted out its latest sales milestone for the iPad: two million devices have now been sold since the slate's launch on April 3. We promise we won't bother you with sales figures every time another million gets rounded, but it's notable that the company has managed to maintain the rapid pace it achieved with its hero tablet during its first month on the market. Of course, that big international launch just a couple of days ago would surely have had something to do with it as well. Ah well, good for them.
VIA Nano E-Series CPUs offer native 64-bit support, guaranteed longevity, and extreme energy efficiency
Oh, look who it is. The company that was supposed to give the Atom a good run for its money is back at it today with the announcement of a new E-Series of processors, operating at speeds between 800MHz and 1.8GHz. Bringing native 64-bit software and virtualization support, as well as a 7-year guarantee, these will certainly appeal to business types, while their minimal idle power consumption (as low as 100mW) and multimedia-accelerating promises should garner some interest from consumers as well. VIA is promising "exceptional hardware acceleration of the most demanding HD video codecs and industry leading 3D graphics capabilities" when these CPUs get dropped into integrated chipsets like the VN1000. Them's fighting words indeed, and we should be able to gauge their veracity in due course with samples available for interested parties right now and mass production sure to swiftly follow. Go past the break for the full PR.
ASUS U30Jc on sale today, come get your Optimus-ized Core i3 in a thin and light package
Lusting for the ultimate compromise between a desktop replacement and an ultraportable computer? The ASUS U30Jc might -- in spite of its generic name -- be just the ticket for you, since it packs in a 2.26GHz Intel Core i3-350M CPU plus an NVIDIA GeForce GT310M graphics chip, which will be used in the most efficient fashion possible thanks to the addition of that newfangled Optimus auto-switching technology. ASUS also manages to fit in an optical drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 320GB hard disk (5,400RPM), HDMI-out, WiFi, and the usual webcam and mic. The 5,600mAh battery is rated to last 9.5 hours according to ASUS (sounds pretty optimistic to us) and the display's resolution is 1366 x 768. That last spec is the only thing we can find wrong with this package, and the $899 sticker and immediate availability should garner plenty of fans out there. If you need a little extra convincing, keep an eye out for our forthcoming review. Full PR after the break.
Canon rolls out four new colorful PowerShot compact cams
Canon's just gone and busted out four new cameras in its point and shoot PowerShot line. Up first the PowerShot Sx210 IS boasts a 14.1 megapixel sensor, a 28mm wide-angle lens with 14x optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD, and can shoot HD video. The SX210 IS will come in black, purple and gold. The PowerShot SD3500 IS also packs a 14.1 megapixel sensor, with a 24mm ultra wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD. The PowerShot SD3500 IS will come in black, silver and pink. The PowerShot SD1400 IS similarly has a 14.1 megapixel sensor, with 28mm lens and 4x optical zoom, but this little guy is less than an inch thick, and will be available in pink, orange, silver and black. Finally the PowerShot SD1300 IS has a 12.1 megapixel resolution, with a 28mm wide angle lens and 4x optical zoom, and a 2.7-inch LCD. It'll be available in silver, pink, green, blue and brown. The SX210 will be available in late March for $349.99, while the SD3500 IS, The SD1400 IS, and the SD1300 IS will arrive in late February (that's this month!) for $329.99, $249.99 and $199.99, respectively. Full press release is after the break. %Gallery-84939%
