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Archlord preparing to launch new Dragon Scion race
Archlord's anniversary celebration may be over, but that doesn't mean that things will be stagnating in the game. In fact, things are about to get a lot more exciting. There is a brand-new playable race coming to Archlord in December: the Dragon Scion. Webzen gave a preview of this race way back in September, so you may be familiar with it and ready to get started. Lucky for you, we here at Massively have a beta key giveaway coming soon to help you jump in and experience the Dragon Scion a little early. Keep an eye on Massively in the coming weeks for a beta key of your very own, but in the meantime check out the interesting class progression of the Dragon Scion race. The evolution system is unlike any other race in Archlord in that you can't pick your class at the beginning. It's not as restrictive as you might think, because as you learn and advance, new class options open. Check out all the details of the evolution system on the Dragon Scion page!
Webzen celebrates Archlord and S.U.N anniversaries
Noted free-to-play publisher Webzen is celebrating not one, but two MMORPG anniversaries this week. FIrst up is Archlord, the PvP-focused title that offers players the chance to become the titular ruler and indulge in perks such as controlling the server's weather and riding a dragon mount. Webzen has created a special anniversary zone inside the game which will spawn special mobs as well as a gold drop buff for players under level 60. Soul of the Ultimate Nation (S.U.N.) is also celebrating an anniversary this week, and to mark the occasion, players will receive a 200% XP buff. S.U.N. features hack-and-slash combat, a unique Battle Zone System where players create their own instances, and music by Academy Award-winning film composer Howard Shore.
Webzen to resume publishing duties for Huxley: The Dystopia
NHN USA, or ijji.com, has been the company responsible for publishing Huxley: The Dystopia internationally, but the people in charge have announced that they're passing it back to developer Webzen. Webzen will be self-publishing Huxley, but it's not as much of a change at it might seem at first glance. NHN USA and Webzen are separate divisions of the same company, NHN Corporation, and the two divisions will continue partnering with one another to publish other projects. If you've purchased G Coin Cards, don't worry about losing out: "G Coin Cards branded with Huxley imaging will remain valid as long as they're purchased through an authorized retailer." NHN USA's official statement will appear on ijji.com today.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation sees the spreading Shadow
It might seem like everything is all fine and dandy in Soul of the Ultimate Nation, but there's a shadow on the horizon. More specifically, there's Shadow, the newest character added to the game. A combination of dark sorcery and assassin skills form Shadow's potent, solo-friendly skillset, something the game's development team had been hinting at since the beginning of the year. But that's hardly all that's new in the game, which has expanded the high-level content as well. Player characters over level 100 have access to nearly two hundred added quests, as well as new high-level areas in Helron's Castle. Neville's Swamp and Bronze Moon City, as well as the area conquest for the aforementioned castle, are all open. To cap off the experience, players have access to the fourth village in Soul of the Ultimate Nation, giving high-end players a spot where they can congregate with one another. Rather than forcing you to just read the text, however, we have both a set of preview images in our gallery, and two trailers for the update embedded past the cut. %Gallery-98558%
Expansion brings new PvP battle systems to Archlord
Archlord fans can expect a new expansion in the coming weeks, and it will bring some new PvP content to the game. Episode 5: The Grand Cross will bring a new system called The Battle Ground to Archlord. The Battle Ground will bring race-vs.-race PvP to the game in a massive battle held every Thursday and Saturday. Players will join an army of their race, infiltrate the enemy base, and seek to kill the enemy players and heroes. Winners will gain not only bragging rights, but a special race spirit ability which will make all members of that race army stronger. Players will also earn Charisma points for kills in battle, which can be used as currency at the Charisma Gate. Keep an eye on the Archlord site for all the details on The Grand Cross, and check out our gallery for a first look at the expansion. %Gallery-97406%
Archlord opens new server, adds new incentives
Archlord has had its share of problems, beginning last September when it was transferred from Codemasters to Webzen. Account creation was shut down for over a month while the transition was made, then Archlord returned with a shiny new class to welcome players back. Things were iffy for a while, and Webzen announced a server merge even as they made plans for new content and support in several different languages. They're obviously doing something right, because Webzen has announced a brand-new server for Archlord, some great offers for those who take advantage of it, and a few extra additions to the game as well. Beginning tomorrow, North and South American players will be able to join the Grazia server, taking advantage of free character transfers if needed. Not sure if you want to switch? You might change your mind after you see the incentives: the server will be set up to grant +300% EXP as well as 200% drop rates for a month. Players on Grazia aren't the only ones who will be enjoying extras in the coming days. Archlord is also introducing the buddy system for the entire community. Adding someone to your in-game buddy list will provide a link to that player that gives you both additional rewards for clearing quests and missions. You can check out all the new information on the Archlord site.
Webzen celebrates first anniversary with events in three games
MMO developers love to celebrate the "birthdays" of their games, but what happens when the developer itself reaches a milestone? In the case of free-to-play MMO portal Webzen, the answer is "throw a party in every game we have." Webzen is celebrating its first anniversary with special updates and events in MU Online, Archlord, and Soul of the Ultimate Nation. MU Online players will find new content with the game's second major update. New maps, new items and more are being added to the game as well as giveaways of jewels and ZEN. The NPC Leo also has some special gifts for anyone purchasing gold channel tickets before the 18th. Archlord is celebrating by inviting more people to the party, so to speak. Webzen is adding an American server to the game, and invites players in North and South America to join the fun. Finally, Soul of the Ultimate Nation wins the prize for the flashiest celebration with the week-long Mayan festival. The event is going on now, with huge XP bonuses for returning players, special items in the shops, and a "matching" program when you purchase W Coins. Check out the event page for all the details, and congratulations to Webzen!
Soul of the Ultimate Nation lays down plans for 2010
The new year is a busy one for Soul of the Ultimate Nation players, as we'll be looking forward to not only a string of updates, but a brand new class to play with as well. This year is the year of the Shadow, SUN's sorcerer/assassination combination character. Carrying a really cool sword that's reminiscent of Ivy Valentine's weapon from SoulCalibur, the Shadow is made for playing the game solo. So for all those of you out there who have been looking to get away from the groups and set out on your own, the Shadow is the character you've been looking for. Beyond the addition of the Shadow, Webzen is also rolling out mounts and the ability for your characters to transform for the international version. For all of the information on the new additions as they roll out, keep an eye on the Soul of the Ultimate Nation website.
Rumor: Red 5 Studios gets the axe [update]
Update: We just received a press release from Red 5 Studios announcing the "reorganization," stating the company has "great respect for these departing team members and the contributions they have made." The press release also confirms that Red 5 Studios has taken aid from a new investment partner and is "currently working on an unannounced massively multiplayer online game." So much for that ping-pong idea! Original post: Kotaku is reporting that Red 5 Studios, a studio comprised of some key ex-Blizzard personnel, is the latest to be handed its walking papers. A source claims that nothing but a "skeleton crew" remains at Red 5 Studios now, which at one point had offices in Irvine, CA and Shanghai. The latter recently shut its doors, though the relevant press release on Red 5 Studios' site has since been pulled. Apparently, the Irvine home base was also in danger of shutting its doors, but was bought out last week, spurring these layoffs. The Kotaku tipster said Red 5 Studios was currently at work on a MMOFPS, a militaristic title built on an Offset Software-developed engine as part of an $18.5 million deal inked with Korean publisher Webzen. Obviously, that game is now on hold, and it's believed the "skeleton crew" that remains has shifted its focus toward working on a product for the Chinese market. Might we suggest a table tennis game? We hear that's all the rage over there.
Archlord announces server and content updates for 2010
Since picking Archlord up in October of 2009, Webzen has been busy making plans to take the free-to-play game forward, and we got a peek at those plans today. They announced a server merge, new multi-language client, and brand new content for the game in the form of a dungeon designed to be accessible to players of all levels. Beginning today, the four existing European servers will be merged into two, and a new realm "Deribelle" will be opened. The merge will increase population on the two "new" serevers, and Deribelle will feature increased EXP and drop rates as well as a "massive cash item giveaway" in order to welcome new players. February will bring further opportunity for new players to check the game out, in the form of a new multi-language client. The new client will support German, French, Spanish, and Portugese. Webzen didn't stop there, however. All the effort in reaching out to new players will culminate in March with some brand new content designed to appeal to the entire player base, both new and old. The Chaotic Frontier dungeon features an automatic adjustment to the entering character's level, making the dungeon available to all players. The first of the new updates arrives today, so if you haven't checked out Archlord yet, this may be an excellent time to start.
S.U.N. launches first major update
Soul of the Ultimate Nation is launching its first major content update, and spreading a little Christmas cheer while they're at it. The content update will bring a new map -- Valley of the Dragon -- for players above level 60 who are looking for a new challenge, as well as a new battle zone, AC system and quests. Finally, an elite item set option is now available, said to be the most unique item in game. While they were at it, WEBZEN decided to add another little bonus to their game, the "Holiday Spirit in Soul of the Ultimate Nation" event. From now until December 30th, you can purchase Happy Winter Packages, and part of the purchase price will go to support UNICEF. The holiday promotion is limited, but the new content is here to stay, so pick up your winter gifts and settle in to enjoy this first major content update!
Soul of the Ultimate Nation gets a German server
European Soul of the Ultimate Nation players, your lag shall forthwith be reduced! Webzen, the developer and global publisher of Soul of the Ultimate Nation, will be opening a brand new European server for those of you playing on the mainland. Klippe, the new server set to be physically based in Germany, comes in response to the growing European community in SUN. While the server will not be region locked to Europe and will be available for all regions, don't expect a good connection unless you live in Europe. But, on the bright side, you can play with your European pals if you want to suffer the lag. If you haven't played SUN in a while and you were frustrated with connecting to Etherain, the North American server, then perhaps now is the time to jump back in and give Klippe a whirl. It's up right now, for your convenience.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation starts beta, blink and you'll miss it
Have you ever felt like a game or expansion is languishing forever in beta? Soul of the Ultimate Nation, the upcoming free-to-play MMORPG from developer WEBZEN, has an interesting approach to this particular problem -- they're running a short beta. A very short beta. A beta so short that it's easy to miss it until it's almost over. A three-day beta, specifically. That might sound like a recipe for disaster, but it might not be. According to the official press release, the game has already been running for quite some time in Asia, and the beta is primarily for the global version of the game which is going live at the end of the month. In order to appeal to more players, the developers are giving away free items to players who take part in the beta test, including those which are normally part of the game's microtransaction system. If you're interested in checking out Soul of the Ultimate Nation and want to get your hands on these items, of course, you'd better hurry -- the beta is ending October 16th, with the global version officially launching at the end of October.
Archlord's return heralded by extra buckling of swashes
Fans of the free-to-play MMO Archlord were probably less than thrilled in September, when the game's North American and European hosts lost the rights to the game. Codemasters was "unable to renew a license agreement" and had to shut down their servers for the game, with players left only with the taunting promise of another distributor picking up the game in the near future.The near future, however, is apparently right now, with Webzen having returned the game to operation in North America and Europe. The game has also been updated with the Swashbuckler class, an all-female close-melee combat class that sports rabbit ears. (We're not sure if comparisons to the viera were intended, but they seem largely inevitable and perhaps suitable.)In addition, Webzen is offering a transfer service for all former players of the Codemasters servers, with the transfer scheduled to complete on the 14th of October and offering a small amount of in-game money as an incentive -- that is, the money usually reserved for microtransactions. If you're a fan of the game, this is pretty unambiguous good news. If you aren't, well, now you have a chance to play it again one way or the other, which is always a good thing.[ via Kotaku ]
Archlord to transition from Codemasters to Webzen
Codemasters, while best known for running Lord of the Rings Online in Europe, was never a one-trick pony. While many people have been adventuring through Middle Earth, a brave few gamers were still calling the realm of Chantra, the continent of the archlord, their home. Sadly, however, all things must come to an end as Codemasters will be shutting down their service for Archlord.However, this is not a game sunset, but a game transition. Codemasters has failed to come to an agreement with NHN, the Korean developers of the game, to continue their service. NHN has transferred operation over to Webzen instead of Codemasters. If the images of Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation just popped into your head, then you have indeed remembered the correct Webzen.This transition will move all character data over to Webzen's servers, making Webzen the go-to spot for almost everything Archlord related. What hasn't yet been confirmed is if item data will be transported with the characters as well.Archlord has shut down new account creation until October 2nd, when everything will be transferred over to Webzen. For the full details of the transfer, or if you want to make a new account, check out Webzen for all of the gritty details.[Thanks, Adam and Doran!]
Soul of the Ultimate Nation closed beta test starts today for all ijji.com players
If you've been looking forward to Soul of the Ultimate Nation finally coming to America, well now's your chance to give the game a whirl. Today marks the opening of the game's closed beta test, which really isn't as closed as it sounds.If you're an ijji.com member, you already have access to the game. If you're not, well simply sign up for an account to get the ball rolling. Please be aware that only four territories have access to SUN on ijji.com currently, and that's Mexico, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. If you're having trouble logging in, check out this thread on their forums.Closed beta testers will also get the chance to win an exclusive in-game pet -- the husky. To win this illustrious pet, you'll need to fill out one of their closed beta test surveys and have more than 2 characters on your account. The winning 100 accounts will be chosen randomly and will be announced during the first week of the open beta.So while you're downloading the client, feel free to check out some of our exclusive screenshots below. You'll be awash in the game soon enough. %Gallery-65491%
The Daily Grind: FPS 'mah MMO?
Combat systems are always an integral part of games, as they provide the main source of conflict and challenge for most players. Lately, however, we've been seeing a change in how our MMOs handle combat. Traditional systems have always been based on click targeting and skill usage, but a number of MMOs have opted to utilize new technology and integrate aiming and elements of first-person shooters into their systems. PlanetSide has been one of the first (as it's built to be a first-person shooter MMO, obviously) but other games like Darkfall, Face of Mankind, Hellgate: London, Huxley, APB, and others have embraced the aiming concept. Our question to you today is what do you think of this shift? Do you like having to aim in your games, as it presents a new level of skill-based gameplay, or does the aiming just not work for you, as lag and other factors can give some players a hefty disadvantage? Take your thoughts, pull them out of your head, smash them against your keyboards, and let them land on our webby page. We're used to these sort of things.
Huxley's closed beta now open to everyone via Fileplanet
Yes, we know, that title sounded like a complete oxymoron. How can a closed beta be open to everybody? It just doesn't make any sense! We understand your confusion, but it's best not to question it. Fileplanet is giving out Huxley: The Dystopia closed beta keys to all account holders now, not just their subscribers. A couple quick button presses is now all it takes to find yourself braving the lunar apocalypse with all of your friends! A small note of instruction: if you get your beta key from Fileplanet, you will have to still make an ijji.com account for the closed beta test. You can do that right over at the Huxley closed beta page without much fuss at all. Now go forth and kick those Sapiens all the way back to the early days of evolution. Update: As so many commenters have pointed out, this offer is only available for the US and Canada. European gamers, it appears, are locked out of this promotion being offered by Fileplanet.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation finally makes its way to America
It's only two years late, but hey, we're not complaining! Ijji.com has reported to us that they've obtained the rights to publish Webzen's Soul of the Ultimate Nation in North America and that the game will release somewhere in late 2009. Soul of the Ultimate Nation, called SUN for short, is a hack and slash MMO developed by Huxley creators Webzen. The game was originally slated to be published in North America in late 2007, but the game's status went silent and slowly slipped off of everyone's radar. SUN features a quicker style of gameplay, more akin to a game like Dynasty Warriors than your standard MMO. To perform this feat, the game breaks the world map up into zones created by players in towns, very much like creating your own match in a first-person shooter. Players create these fields in order to hunt down monsters, solve missions, or complete quests. Players can also take objectives to assult areas in a siege-esque manner, where many players create rooms to assault one objective. In these cases, successful and unsuccessful sieges affect how the other in-progress games play out, altering the difficulty of the battle to show the turning tide of one side winning or losing. The game does feature persistent cities where players can mingle, much like it's first-person shooter brother, Huxley.
Joystiq interview: Huxley project manager Andy Hong
You remember Huxley, right? It's that Webzen-developed MMOFPS we first heard about way back in 2005. We even played it ... in 2006. Not ringing any bells?Huxley was billed as the first MMOFPS to hit the Xbox 360 and PC, and it was to offer cross-platform multiplayer and promised 100-vs-100 online battles. Sounds to good to be true, right? Apparently. The game suddenly disappeared from public eye -- for years! And then, just as sudden, Huxley re-emerged from hiding through a handful of new screens and is now under the (hopefully!) steady hand of ijji.com (owned by NHN America).We caught up with Andy Hong, project manager for Huxley: The Dystopia, to see where the game has been and where it's going:How different is Huxley now, as compared to the original coverage (back in 2006)?There's been a real focus on polish and that really shows in the current version. There haven't been any major changes to the game, but the gameplay has changed a lot, it's a lot faster ...
