three-kingdoms
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Blizzard sues Hearthstone copycat
Blizzard isn't taking kindly to a Chinese ripoff of its Hearthstone and is suing to protect its upcoming online card game. Blizzard and its Chinese partner NetEase filed a suit against mobile game Legend of Crouching Dragon and its developer Unico to the tune of $1.65 million and possible closure of the game for an infringement of intellectual rights. Legend of Crouching Dragon uses characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and bears a striking similarity to the design and function of Hearthstone. The mobile game has been in beta for both Android and iOS platforms.
The Chosen enters closed beta and prepares for release
The Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history has become a popular backdrop for MMOs of late (not surprising, considering the growth of the Chinese MMO market). Snail Games' The Chosen is the most recent entry in the particular sub-genre, with the game having just begun its closed beta process. The beta promises to be a fairly short one, however -- the game is due for an official launch on July 5th, allowing everyone to explore the game's open skill system and factional warfare. To help kick off the beta, the team behind the game has released both a brand-new trailer for prospective players and a series of screenshots and concept art. While the historical period has become a popular setting, The Chosen is taking a looser approach to the setting and mixing in a greater dose of mythology, which might be just the thing to hook certain players. %Gallery-126949%
Atlantica Online entering the realm of the Three Kingdoms
If you've never read Romance of the Three Kingdoms or studied a bit of Chinese history, you're missing out on a drama full of intrigue, cleverness, and sweeping battles. Fortunately for players of Atlantica Online, you don't need to know the history to enjoy the upcoming Three Kingdoms update. Slated for release on the 26th of April, the update will contain a variety of new quests and systems along with a new mercenary hero, Guan Yu. The quests will center around the Battle of Red Cliffs, with players getting the chance to rub shoulders with well-known figures such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Players can also enjoy the new Expedition Team feature, which allows mercenaries to be dispatched for side objectives while the player focuses on the more pressing battles of the day. Check out some of the concept art in the gallery below, and if you're fond of Atlantica Online, make sure to check out the new update on the 26th. %Gallery-25535%
The Friday Livestream: Dynasty Warriors Online... er... FFXIV [Updated]
Yes, that's right dear readers, it's another edition of the Friday Livestream! It's almost time for the weekend, and that means it's time for us to get down and enjoy another MMO. Tonight we're going to give Dynasty Warriors Online a try, because I've always had a soft spot for the Dynasty Warriors series. Sure, the games are horribly repetitive and always occur in the same timeline with the same battles in every iteration, but there's just something really satisfying about walking into a battle and taking on a whole army by yourself. It's just an amusing amount of fun. Oh, and did I mention we're giving out beta keys to the game? Yeah, you should totally get in on that. So, if you want to check out the action of DWO, hit the "read more" button below or click the picture above. Either way, you'll be taken to our livestream of the game, or you could visit us at http://www.livestream.com/massivelytv and join in on the live chat too! [Update: Well that was interesting. Instead of DWO, we did World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and Final Fantasy XIV! The video is, as always, after the break for those who missed the stream!]
Take a Dynasty Warriors Online beta key, or we'll send Lu Bu to camp your gate
Look at that man and his fancy beard. Do you want a piece of that? Do you, punk? Lu Bu (and our good friends at Aeria Games, but mostly Lu Bu) has given us 2,500 beta keys for Dynasty Warriors Online that we're giving to you guys! Now you too can step into the shoes of a Three Kingdoms officer and fight the good fight against thousands of nameless soldiers who will inevitably die at your feet! Huzzah! If you've never played a Dynasty Warriors title before, let us sum it up for you. You take control of an officer in the military, specialize in some sort of neat, exotic weapon, and then win entire battles by yourself. It's the ultimate game of one versus 1,000, and the one person usually comes out triumphant. Epic battles are epic. But now since it's online, you'll be doing the same thing with friends! So if you want a key then look no further than after the break.
Dynasty Warriors Online set for American release by Aeria Games
The Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history is one of those settings that people just can't seem to get enough of, with other free-to-play games mining the territory with vigor. The Dynasty Warriors franchise, however, has quite a bit of pedigree, with a long tradition of character-based storytelling and impossibly large battles. American fans of the franchise can take heart, as it has just been announced that Aeria Games will be publishing Dynasty Warriors Online in North America, with the game currently accepting beta applicants. Fans of the series will be happy to know that the game hasn't lost sight of its roots, with the engine focusing on allowing player-created characters to face off against huge hordes of NPC opponents. The game will also allow players to have a direct influence on the historical setting, with the outcome of battles affecting the delicate balance between Wei, Shu, and Wu. Naturally, there will also be the same psuedo-historical personalities made famous in the series and in the source novel. Dynasty Warriors Online is set for an official launch later this year, and if you're on the fence, take a look at the gallery below to get a feel for the game's appearance. %Gallery-99390%
Grab a Heroes of Three Kingdoms beta key like it's hot, hot, hot!
It's Christmas in July here at Massively, and we want to hook you up with a free gift -- in this case, a closed beta key for the upcoming Heroes of Three Kingdoms. Perfect World Entertainment's latest MMO entry looks to set itself apart from the pack with a historical setting, the ability to control NPC soldiers and a dynamic PvP faction battlefront. If this sounds intriguing to you, then make sure to take advantage of our Christmas spirit today, as supplies are limited! To get your key, just head over to our Heroes of the Three Kingdoms Closed Beta Key Giveaway page and follow the instructions when you get there. For added amusement, check out the URL.
Perfect World continues Southeast Asia business expansion
When "online gaming" and "Asia" are mentioned in the same sentence, it's a safe bet that either Korea or China are going to be mentioned. But the countries of Southeast Asia are also hotbeds of MMORPG fandom, a fact that's not lost on game companies operating elsewhere in the continent. Chinese game publisher Perfect World has struck a deal that will allow for greater expansion into Southeast Asia. The licensing agreement has been made with Malaysian online game operator Cubinet, which will bring Perfect World's title Chi Bi to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Cubinet will handle the localization of Chi Bi for the various Southeast Asian gaming markets, offering the game in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Thai. Chi Bi is a fantasy MMORPG based on the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The title's introduction to the SE Asian markets follows Perfect World II, Legend of Martial Arts, and Zhu Xian, and marks another potentially lucrative pairing between Perfect World and Cubinet.
