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Jade Dynasty reveals first details of next expansion
Perfect World Entertainment's free-to-play MMO Jade Dynasty hasn't seen an expansion since last November, so fans have been hoping that another is on the way soon. Players received some new dungeons just last month to hold them over, and now PWE are beginning to drop hints as to the next expansion. The newest developer blog post over at PWE gives an overview of two new classes coming with the expansion as well as ten new screenshots detailing some of what's to come in this as-yet-unnamed expansion. We get our first look at the Celan and Rayan, powerful new forces sent by the Athan. We learned about the impending arrival of Territory Wars, in which alliances will fight it out for control of different lands within Jade Dynasty. If that isn't enough, the post ended with a hint of much more to come: "but what good is the ability to conquer the world without some upgrades? How about smoother movements, better physics and destructible environments?" It looks like PWE have much more planned for this expansion, but for the time being, check out the latest information on the developer blog.
Adventure in a Forsaken World with some help from your friends at Massively
If you're a fan of Perfect World Entertainment, or if you've enjoyed Battle of the Immortals, Jade Dynasty, Ether Saga Online, or Perfect World, then we've got something that will be right up your alley. It's called Forsaken World, and it's the next offering from the guys at PWE. Forsaken World is an interesting little title, as we've discussed on Massively before. Not only is a vampire-esque race counted amongst the game's races, but the game also features large scale plotlines and a varied group of classes. Forsaken World seems to be a very deep game, but none of us can say that for sure until we play it. And if you're looking to play the game, then just take a leap after the break to find out how to nab yourself a key!
Perfect World Entertainment invests in Torchlight MMO
Torchlight received quite a bit of attention last year when Runic Games announced that they would be releasing the game as a single-player, with an eye for MMO development in the next 18 months or so. Since then, Torchlight has done very well for itself: Runic Games recently announced that they had sold over 500,000 units. The success inspired confidence in publisher Perfect World Entertainment, who solidified their commitment by purchasing an $8.4 million majority stake in Runic Games. PWE -- best known for their Perfect World MMO and more recently Battle of the Immortals -- is the publisher of the Torchlight MMO and the game itself can be found under the Perfect World banner. PWE hopes that the combined expertise of the two companies will spell success for both: "By collaborating more closely with Runic's professional team, we seek to combine their creativity and expertise in game development with our deep understanding of the online game market to create global titles."
Gameplay on parade in newest Battle of the Immortals video diary
It's a big day for Battle of the Immortals, as the open beta has finally started on the most recent Perfect World Entertainment game. Closed beta was quite successful, with the development team rolling out requested features like improved access to the high-end Soul Gear and improved keybinding (complete with standard WASD movement schemes). To celebrate the occasion, and to give players who haven't been following the game too closely an idea of why they might want to start, the game has released its fourth video developer diary today, this time focusing on the content found within the game. Jon Belliss, Product Manager for the game, focuses on the game's dungeons, starting off with one dubbed Knight's Jail. Everything from gameplay to rewards gets covered, complete with a semi-snarky reference that "you can complete it in ten to fifteen minutes, as long as you have a group that isn't full of idiots." He goes on to discuss the later Dragon Emperor Catacombs, which can switch between a low-level "easy mode" and a more rewarding "normal mode," and Spectre Island even beyond that. Take a look past the cut for the full diary, and keep your eyes open for more news on the open beta for Battle of the Immortals.
First round of Battle of the Immortals beta brings changes
One of the best things any MMO developer can do is listen and respond to their players, particularly during beta testing. Perfect World Entertainment seems to be fully aware of that, as last night an email was sent out to everyone who participated in the first round of closed beta testing for Battle of the Immortals: "We've been collecting a ton of feedback from our players and last night, we delivered!" Beta testing in this case did exactly what it was supposed to: tracked down bugs and drew player feedback on what they did and did not like. The majority of the player base, for example, disliked things such as click-to-move only and the ability to bot in-game. The bot has now been removed, and WASD movement has been added. That's just the beginning, however. Follow along after the jump for a peek at the email from the Battle of the Immortals team, and be ready for open beta on May 4th.
First Impressions: Battle of the Immortals
We've been hearing quite a bit from the guys over at Perfect World Entertainment in anticipation of the launch of Battle of the Immortals lately. The game has been given a fair amount of hype, thanks in large part to the promotion of innovative twists on standard game features such as mounts, pets, and gear. Does the game live up to the buzz? Well, closed beta began on the 14th, and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to check it out. Follow along after the jump for a look at Battle of the Immortals.
Battle of the Immortals releases second video developer diary
We've been hearing quite a bit from Perfect World Entertainment's upcoming free-to-play MMO Battle of the Immortals over the past few months. The developers originally planned for a closed beta in early February, and wound up delaying it until April 13th to ensure a well-produced game. This move bodes well for Battle of the Immortals, considering some of the ambitious features added to the game. Several of these features have been mentioned and described this year, such as Soul Gear, the intricate mount system, and a highly unusual pet system that allows you to potentially make a pet out of any enemy in the game. Perfect World Entertainment has released a new video developer diary featuring Product Manager Jonathan Belliss, and he's got some more details on all of these features. If you're anxiously waiting to see how all of this is going to pan out in beta, you'll enjoy the video for both the information and the gameplay footage. Follow along after the jump to see for yourself!
Perfect World Entertainment introduces new dungeons
Perfect World Entertainment has rolled out previews of new dungeons in two of their games, and fans should be pleased with what they find. Jade Dynasty introduces the Dread Labyrinth, a 5-6 man dungeon for players in the 120-150 level range. Navigate the Flower Cave, Stone Fall Cave and the Demon Village to face the fiery wrath of the creature in the Kirin Cave and earn Taichi Pills and Sky Coins. (What is a Sky Coin? Sky Coins can be used as currency to purchase Unique Pets, Sky Serenity Charms and in the future, awesome Espers.) Ether Saga Online players can take a sneak peek at The Obscurity, the upcoming 4-6 man dungeon, featuring five boss fights including fallen deities and mighty dragons. Both dungeons are coming soon, but for now you can make the wait a little easier with plenty of information and screenshots from both the Dread Labyrinth and The Obscurity.
More Battle of the Immortals info, including upcoming closed beta
The crew over at Perfect World Entertainment have been hard at work localizing their upcoming action MMO, Battle of the Immortals. But as we find out from their Product Manager, Jonathan Belliss, this isn't just a question of localizing the story or converting the in-game text over from the original language to English -- the ramifications are far further-reaching. In their most recent video developer update, we're not only treated to some in-game eye-candy, but Belliss informs us that the team at PWE has been really doing their homework on the differences between Eastern and Western gamers and what they enjoy in their games. One of the major things many were wondering about is how the cash shop will be utilized. In China, players expect a "pay for power" model, which Belliss clearly states that they know Western players "absolutely hate." As such, they've put in a lot of time doing a massive overhaul of the game, placing the power upgrades in as drops, and instead gearing the cash shop towards "convenience" -- something much more palatable to the Western gamer. Add to that, we've now gotten word that the plans are to start up the Battle of the Immortals closed beta on April 14th for players to get a chance to start testing these new gameplay changes. So if you've been curious about getting your hands on this beautifully-detailed upcoming Diablo-esque action MMO, then you'll want to be sure to head over to the Perfect World Entertainment site and get signed up. If you're curious about everything Belliss had to say in the recent developer update, we've embedded that video behind the break for you to check out. We'll also be talking with Jon Belliss and Jason Varden from PWE on an upcoming edition of Massively Speaking, so you'll undoubtedly be hearing more about this game soon!
Heroes of Three Kingdoms shows off extremely shiny weapons
The other day we hooked you up with a bunch of closed beta keys for the newly-announced Heroes of Three Kingdoms, but players were asking us for some in-game footage to check out. Thankfully, the folks over at Perfect World Entertainment have decided to release a teaser trailer showing off the crazy amounts of weaponry available for players to choose in the game - and their incredibly glowy attacks! This teaser trailer shows off most of the 18 types of weapons that will be in the game. There are more common weapons like glaives, staves and bows on up to much more exotic weaponry like war fans, ring blades, and more. So if you're curious as to what manner of things you might be able to expect in Heroes of Three Kingdoms, then be sure to check out the early pre-beta teaser trailer, embedded behind the break.
Massively's Heroes of Three Kingdoms closed beta key giveaway
While our fearless road crew have been hard at work, bringing you all the latest and greatest from GDC 2010, they've also managed to grab a bunch of beta keys to give away to you. And we're not talking just a handful -- no, we have a ton of keys for the newly-announced Perfect World Entertainment title called Heroes of Three Kingdoms ready for you to snag. Based on one of the greatest battles in Chinese history, Heroes of Three Kingdoms features some pretty interesting things such as motion-captured combat, 18 types of weapons, historical battles, an achievement system, and more. For those who prefer their MMOs a little more bloodthirsty, the game will also include PvP battlegrounds and a "kingdom war system" allowing the three armies to face off against each other in a struggle for power. If this sounds like your kind of thing, then be sure to pop on over to our beta code giveaway page and pick up a code for yourself. Keep in mind that the game will be entering closed beta in April, so don't be surprised when you can't immediately download it. If you'd like some more details on some of the specifics of the game mentioned above, we've included a breakdown of different, interesting points behind the cut.
In a Perfect World podcast begins operation
In a day and age where we all seem to have mobile devices kicking around, podcasts are great for keeping up with news and opinions on your favorite topics while still being on the go. Needless to say, we're a bit fond of podcasts around here, so we're happy to announce the first full episode of Perfect World Entertainment's official podcast, In a Perfect World, is available for download. Covering the full range of Perfect World Entertainment's products, the first show includes discussion on Battle of the Immortals, Perfect World International, Ether Saga Online, and Jade Dynasty. Unsurprisingly, the centerpiece of the Battle of the Immortals segment is an explanation of the game's delay until mid-April. There are also previews of the next few Perfect World International events, discussion of the recently-added player-made mount in Ether Saga Online, and in-game events in Jade Dynasty. Various download and aggregator links for the podcast are available on the official blog entry, along with a small contest to win a Barbarian Tiger statue. If you're a fan of the multitude of free-to-play games the company offers, it should be worth the time spent listening.
Player mounts in Battle of the Immortals explained
The developers at Battle of the Immortals are continuing to work on their game to prepare it for the planned closed beta in mid-April. Between now and then, the Perfect World Entertainment blog offers glimpses into what they're up to. The latest entry for Battle of the Immortals delves deeper into mounts in the game, something that we've touched on before. The focus is on the system of leveling and progression of your mount, as well as offering screenshots of several of the available mounts (someone's been watching Ghost Rider!) As your mount progresses from level one to level five, it receives various improvements, both cosmetic and functional. Visual upgrades are accompanied by more practical things such as a default skill and customizable skills that become available to your mount as it levels. From the looks of things, mounts in BoI go way beyond what we've grown used to in so many games. Check out the full blog entry for more screenshots and information on what's to come!
Perfect World Entertainment talks about delay on Battle of the Immortals
We recently brought you the news that the closed beta for Battle of the Immortals has been delayed until mid-April. Several reasons were cited, including details such as Windows 7 support, revising the item shop and the AI behavior, and so on. The Perfect World Entertainment team took some time to expand on those reasons for us this week.
Meet Ether Saga Online's "My Little Pony from Hell"
Letting fans design mounts is always an interesting idea, but here's a mount that really leaves a burning mark on the land -- Ether Saga Online's new "Dark Noturno" mount. Dark Noturno, originally named Nocturne, is the fan-made creation of ESO player Monaka. She submitted her designs for Nocturne during their "create a mount" contest and her designs made it to the official ESO artists in China. After a few tweaks here and there to her designs, Dark Noturno finally came to life and Monaka was the first player to recieve the devilish new mount. Perfect World recently caught up with Monaka to ask her about the experience, so check out their interview with her over at their official company blog. Nice mount, Monaka!
Battle of the Immortals closed beta delayed until April
If you've been waiting to play the closed beta for Battle of the Immortals, it looks like you're going to be waiting a bit longer. According to a blog post by Perfect World Entertainment, Battle of the Immortals isn't just quite ready for it's debut. Instead of rushing it out the door, the company wishes to take some more time to iron out the finer details of the game, namely native support for Windows 7, 64-bit OS support, revised shop structure, revised AI behavior, and much more. Because of all of this, the closed beta has been delayed until April, a full two months away from the original CB date, which was today. However, as their blog post says, "A late game is only late once. A bad game is a bad game forever."
Battle of the Immortals explains mounts and pets
The pace of information released about the upcoming Battle of the Immortals is increasing, no doubt to raise anticipation for the game's swift-approaching beta. The most recent post on the official Perfect World Entertainment blog offers more details on the game's mounts and pets, which look to be an integral part of the game's structure and offer a few interesting twists on the features. Mounts, for instance, can be upgraded for increased speed... but each upgrade also allows the mount to learn new skills. The example given was of a mount that learned to teleport short distances as well as running, a helpful trick to be sure. Pets, on the other hand, can be almost any monster encountered in Battle of the Immortals. Players will have the opportunity to turn a defeated enemy into a pet "every now and then," which is a bit light on details but suggests either a long cooldown or a limited-supply item. Each pet can apparently have their skills slotted for a variety of roles, allowing them to be viable in both PvP and PvE combat. There's a week left before the closed beta begins, so if you're interested, take a look at our closed beta key giveaway to start out early.
Kung Foo! offers up new trailer and beta
As if a world promised to be "100% rat-free" wasn't enough to make you want to visit this strange new land, the folks at Perfect World Entertainment have released a shiny new trailer very much in the keeping of Kung Foo! This new commercial video shows off all manner of crazy things that you can look forward to when stepping into the world of Foo. That's right -- it's just chock full of Foo, and all for you! If you haven't taken the time to find out more about Kung Foo!, then be sure to check out the trailer after the break. With the recent death of Dungeon Runners, we're really glad to see another light-hearted MMO that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Kung Foo! closed beta event
If you've been involved in a beta over the last several weeks and haven't been boldly going where no gender-neutral-pronoun has gone before, you've probably been taking a look at Kung Foo!. Statistically speaking. Maybe you're in on the Hello Kitty Online: Rise of Cthulhu beta testing, we're not sure. Anyway. If you have been testing Kung Foo! recently, you'll be familiar with the volume and intensity of events that the community team has been organizing to keep the beta tests as engaging as possible. In preparation for Closed Beta 2 next week, they've announced another testing event... and the rewards are cold, hard cash. Well, cold, hard, item-mall cash. Which is still a nice freebie. The servers will go live for Closed Beta 2 on January 26th, 4 PM PST (7 PM for those of us running on EST), and the event will start an hour later at 5 PM PST on Realm 4. The official blog for Perfect World Entertainment will update this blog entry with a screenshot hinting at where the GM is hiding. Be the first to find him, and you win $50 worth of Zen currency. Easy money, isn't it? And a perfect way to get more excited about the game's launch when testing starts.
Battle of the Immortals offers details, screens, and concept art
With three F2Ps up and running, and Kung Foo and Torchlight underway, you'd think that the folks at Perfect World Entertainment would be content to rest on their laurels. But no, it appears that they've got yet another game in the wings called Battle of the Immortals, which will blend little bits of Eastern and Western mythology together as the old gods play for power against one another. According to the Perfect World Entertainment site, Battle of the Immortals will be a "2.5D MMORPG" that will feature things such as 5 different playable classes; PvP including Territory War; PvE content with both an auto-quest-navigation system and high-end raids; pets; mounted combat; and more. The story is said to cover everything from Norse mythology to the Qin Empire, which should be interesting to see. If your curiosity is piqued, why not pop on over to the PWI site and check out the story & concept art. Alternately, you could just skip to the meatier features or gear screenshot post if story-lines aren't your thing. They also hint that they'll be posting about the beta for Battle of the Immortals soon, which we'll be keeping an eye out for.
