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Huxley's character creation in action
We won't lie when we say Webzen's upcoming first-person MMO Huxley had dropped off our radar, and when new details came out about their Real Time Worlds developed All Points Bulletin (APB) we thought Huxley got the quiet ax. Well, while details are still light on the title we do know that the game is still slated to come out between now and the next leap year. However, the latest news comes to us from a Game Trailers user who swiped some footage of the character creation menus. In the video, the user goes through some of the various options available for those interested in creating a female warrior within Huxley, which is actually comes Stateside in 2009 for the PC and Xbox 360. We were joking about the leap year thing.[Thanks, Chris]
Huxley breaks radio silence
As we noted when we named PlanetSide our #3 Sci-Fi MMO to date, it's good to see the "MMO" try on some new (i.e., non-RPG) clothes now and again. That's why we've been keeping a close eye on Webzen's MMOFPS Huxley. Updates on Huxley have been coming in a trickle in recent months. Videos have been released now and again, and we knew it was in closed beta, but Webzen hasn't said much to the public lately. Good news: the silence was broken by an article at IGN the other day!The basic info is all there: two persistent cities supporting up to 5,000 players in a post-apocalyptic Earth setting, instanced battles with hundreds of players, and differences between the PC and XBox 360 versions of the game. There are also several new screenshots and videos. The game looks a lot like Unreal Tournament 3. Not a surprise, since it's a first-person-shooter running on Unreal Engine 3.According to the article, the PC version of Huxley will launch States-side before year's end, with the 360 version following about six months later.[Via XBox 360 Fanboy]
Huxley's back! You know, Huxley ... that MMOFPS?
Ah, the prodigal son returns. IGN reports that long-dormant MMOFPS Huxley has fully popped back up on radar (following a random blip in December) since making a splash at E3 2005 and then flat-out disappearing after E3 2006. Publisher Webzen now plans on releasing Huxley on PC in the US by the end of this year and on Xbox 360 an "expected" six months later.The Xbox 360 version of Huxley will also be different from what PC players experience. Beyond the obvious changes in interface, the PC version will focus on a story about the missing Dr. Huxley, while the console story will take place 50 years later and center around a terrorist group. Despite the different times, there will be "cross-platform interaction" according to the developer. As for the pricing structure of the MMOFPS? That still hasn't been determined. Expect the Huxley info to slowly drip from here on in.
Huxley is still alive! Screenshots, video and more
For those of you who (including us) who questioned whether Webzen would ever release their MMOFPS Huxley or if it'd be forgotten vaporware know that it's real, it's alive and it's coming. Who knew?IGN posted their in-depth Huxley Progress Report which features a bunch of new screenshots, some new video footage and interesting Huxley factoids. Webzen is promising a lot, allowing 5000 players being able to interact at once, intense 100 versus 100 battles on each server, Unreal Tournament style gameplay and a substantial MMO following. They also dropped a nega-bomb confirming that Huxley will release to the Xbox 360 6 months after its PC debut which means no MMOFPS for 360 fanboys until at least 2009. But things aren't all that bad for 360 owners as the 360 version of Huxley will take place in a different world / time and allow for cross platform battling and trading of items. It's good to hear that Huxley hasn't turned into a Duke Nukem Forever, but the overly long development time sort of killed a lot of the game's hype. Here's to seeing Huxley by 2011.
GDC08: Realtime Worlds' MMO darling, All Points Bulletin
Realtime Worlds and Webzen dropped an MMO bombshell today during their "My first MMO" GDC panel, officially revealing (for the first time) All Points Bulletin. And it's impressive.APB is a cops and robbers, Crackdown / GTAIV hybrid, open world MMO that'll do away with the tediousness (or the "grind") that traditional RPG based MMOs are known for, focusing more on the community and the world. Customization will be key, as every player will be able to completely makeover their in-game character, changing things from hairstyle to eye color to whether or not a tshirt is tucked in. That same level of customization lends itself to vehicles as well. Realtime Worlds also revealed that APB will not have a leveling up system, instead players will be rewarded by gaining more and more character customization options. Realtime then showed off a quick pursuit demo where a group of cops had to band together to take apprehend some TV stealing thugs. The placeholder graphics aren't great, but we get the idea and yes ... it's delicious. Make the jump to read Joystiq's APB impressions and learn why APB is where you'll wanna be.[Thanks, xenocidic]
Unofficial Huxley videos released, feature lots of running
All right we admit it -- they also feature a good amount of NPCs and a very pretty cityscape, but we can only take so much endless running before our attention wanes. The first video was five minutes of running and after that we figured, "The next video will have something else, obviously." Well -- obviously -- we were wrong, because it was another four minutes of running around, looking at some static NPCs, trolley cars passing by and smokestacks. Now don't get us wrong, we definitely appreciate Huxley-Evolved for the high quality videos of the game engine doing its thing -- we guess we're just really anxious to see this game in action. Huxley is of course being developed by Webzen and is currently scheduled for a released date sometime later this year. Be sure to check out the second video after the break, if you want to see more Huxley footage.
Korea Rising: the East goes West
The CMP games-flagship site Gamasutra has up a Massive article about the state of Korean gaming, which basically means it's almost entirely about online titles. Journalist Brandon Sheffield sat down for a chat with some of the biggest names in Korean gaming for the piece, and comes away with fascinating analysis of the Eastern push West. Big names he talks to include Nexon's (MapleStory, KartRider) international business development manager Stephen Lee and Webzen's (Huxley) development strategy manager of global studios, Sang Woon Yoon.If you had any notions that the increasingly visible influence of eastern-style online games was going to be lessened in 2008, think again. Every person Sheffield interviews has big plans for the US and EU markets, from a port of MapleStory for the DS to big 'next-gen' console expansion plans in Korea and beyond. Most interestingly, it looks as though the more Korean developers push into these markets, the more they're adapting to the local climate: [Webzen's Sang Woon Yoon] observes that though the Korean market is lucrative due to its high number of online users, the packaged software market in the U.S. allows Webzen to "...calculate ROI easier than online games. Also the next-generation consoles like the 360 shows great graphics, and a lot of CPU power... We have no choice but to go for those," noting, "We can't really push for the Korean way. In America, it just doesn't work."
Video of a character's first steps in Huxley
Still in the dark about Huxley, that much-delayed MMOFPS game from Webzen? You've seen amazing screenshots and beautiful combat videos, but you're still not sure about this title? Never fear! The company is offering two videos with some of the first in-game footage we've seen of your initial entry into the game world. The fine folks at Huxley-Evolved have been making sure that they get out to all the fans that want an in on this unique game concept. The first kicks off your adventure in the world of Huxley, while the second (below the cut) sees an avatar exploring one of the game world's cities. Fascinating viewing.Thanks, Stephen!
Huxley: In-game hyper-active footage from the Korean beta
Huxley is shaping up to be a true to its roots MMOFPS. The second phase of the Korean beta test wrapped up testing focused on the dynamic hyper FPS style gameplay as seen in the footage above provided by Game Videos. During the open beta the testing will focus more on the MMO elements, which are the aspects I'm more interested in because underneath the fancy graphics and hyped up blurbs Huxley is well... Another FPS, but with a tasty grind! Huxley is being developed for the both the PC and Xbox 360 by H-studio under the Webzen flagship. There is still no word on when the non-Korean beta test is planned.
Huxley returns from the abyss with video
We hope this doesn't make us negative people, but we had basically written MMOFPS Huxley off after not hearing much about it for more than a year. Now though, it's made its (semi) triumphant return from the grave with a new video captured in the Korean-developed game's closed beta accompanied by a truly, almost epically excruciating techno soundtrack. What we see so far is a pretty, frenetic shooter in the vein of a Painkiller or Unreal, that seems just a tad bit uninspired. That said, we don't know how the MMO elements are playing into it, as what we have here is straight-up action. What say you? Has your interest been piqued? Or have the last, dying embers of your desire for Huxley been fully doused?
Huxley enters second phase of beta, still Korea-only
Webzen announced this week that Huxley, their upcoming MMOFPS aimed at both the PC and the Xbox 360, will be entering the second stage of closed testing next month. Running from December 13th through the 17th, the beta will be limited to local (read: Korean) testers and members from the previous closed beta test. The press release said that this round will focus primarily on the shooter elements of the game, and that the highly-touted MMO elements will be phased in over time in later testing stages. Says CEO of Webzen Nam-Ju Kim, "I'm confident that this unique blend of MMO and twitch-action FPS game design in Huxley will have a dynamic and positive effect on the online gaming market."If online game retailers are to be believed, Huxley is still scheduled for release in April of next year. For a game that is supposed to rely so heavily on the interplay of its shooter and MMO elements; it seems strange that they're only just now starting to put their shooter gameplay through the wringer, never mind the fact that the MMO elements won't appear until "later stages." We don't want to relegate Huxley to the dustbin preemptively, but we're worried about its progress. Keep checking back and we'll keep you posted.
Huxley scored by Gears of War composer
GameDaily reports that Gears of War composer Kevin Riepl has provided the score for the upcoming MMO FPS Huxley. The score reportedly took 2 days to record with the help of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Warner Bros. Studios. Riepl says he's "proud" to have worked on Webzen's Huxley, the varied themes of which demand a "gripping soundtrack" according to the composer. We're quite fond of the Gears of War soundtrack, so we have high hopes for the soundscape of Huxley. Here's hoping the actual game can live up to it. We'll find out when the game hits retailers in 2008.
Video: Huxley has a lot to prove
Let's make one thing clear: I've been pimping Huxley since before I began working for 360 Fanboy. The idea of a massively multiplayer first person shooter is almost too delicious to contemplate. In the intervening months, with the release of several AAA 360 titles, Huxley has been all but forgotten. As fate would have it, a new video of the game popped up on the net today, and Xboxyde was kind enough to create a streaming version of it, as is their wont. Call me jaded, but the video is uninspiring. It's just a generic montage of blasting things with a tiny bit of the actual MMO aspect of the game thrown in. Considering the main selling point of Huxley is its MMO nature, you'd think they'd make more use of it in a promotional video. But, I digress. Check out the video and make your own judgments. Does it look like it can stand up against the likes of Gears, COD3, or Vegas?
Shaiya, Guild Wars most anticipated in China
According to new research from Chinese gaming portal 17173.com, Guangdong-based distributor Optisp (EVE Online) is home to the most anticipated online game in China, the Korean import Shaiya: Light and Darkness. WoW distributor The9 is hosting two of China's other highly anticipated Korean titles, Guild Wars and Soul of the Ultimate Nation. The fever over Shaiya is reportedly due to some racy ads that prompted Chinese censors to request less suggestive promos. I'm sure the two half-naked women prominently featured in the game's propaganda had nothing to do with that. 17173 has collected some in-game screen shots and wallpapers of Shaiya's physical embodiments of "light" and "darkness" (can you guess who's who?).See also: China online gaming trends
Webzen ends Endless Saga
Turns out Endless Saga wasn't so endless after all, although the mystery surrounding the game's development certainly felt neverending. Webzen has pulled the plug on their Unreal 3-powered MMO, which had been scheduled to launch next year for the PlayStation 3 and PC. While this move thins out the PS3's initial MMO offerings, the Korean developer insists they are still committed to Sony's next gen platform. For now, however, Webzen will concentrate on finishing APB, Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation -- the first two projects being Xbox 360 titles.See also: Joystiq E3 hands on with Soul of the Ultimate Nation Joystiq E3 hands on with Huxley
PS3's MMO, Endless Saga, truly becomes Endless
For those who had been following the next-gen MMORPG circuit, perhaps you had heard of Endless Saga. Developed by Webzen and for the PS3, Endless Saga was to be the next step in MMO gaming which utilized the Unreal Engine 3. The Saga stopped short, though. It was canned recently and according to Webzen because "after some rigorous development effort, we found the gameplay of Endless Saga to be short of innovation and creativity we seek to achieve in online gaming space."Good. The last thing we need is another generic, formulaic, achieve-nothing MMO. While it would've still been a neat idea, it gives the lovers of WoW, FFXI, and for the cheapskates in all of us, Guild Wars or Maple Story more time to clock into their worlds. Sorry Endless Saga, but thank you at the same time. For now, Webzen has nothing in the works for PS3, but perhaps they'll try again later. A question, though: would you rather see a port of an existing MMO, or a brand new creation pop up for the PS3? Some people do like familiarity, plus they might have some badass equipment. What do you think?
SUN is most anticipated game in China
According to the latest poll from Chinese gaming site, 17173.com, Korean developer Webzen's Soul of the Ultimate Nation is the most anticipated game in China. Other titles in the top ten include Guild Wars and Granado Espada (both will be operated by WoW host The9), as well as Kingdom of Warriors, Ragnarok Online 2, and Rohan. Analysts are predicting China's online gaming market will approach $1 billion in annual revenue within the next year, surpassing Korea. In response to this gaming boom, major publishers such as Electronic Arts, NCsoft, Take-Two, and Ubisoft have opened development offices in Shanghai. Webzen is currently putting the finishing touches on MMO-shooter Huxley for the North American market, but has also opened an office in Shanghai to produce Kingdom of Warriors.See also: Disney, Shanda bring online content to China
Webzen: a lot of fuss for one release
One MMO company definitely wants to get noticed at this E3. Webzen's booth is big, almost as large as nearby THQ and Activision, and they're putting on a show for the crowds. With dancing booth babes, a loud emcee and armour-clad models -- as well as plastering all the cafeteria tables with ads -- Webzen's attack on the Western world is well and truly here. Of Webzen's three games being shown at E3, only one is out in the near future -- Huxley. Soul of the Ultimate Nation will make its way to the U.S. in 2007 (no word of an European release), and Project Wiki is slated for a Korea-only release at the moment. So why the big fuss? Webzen believe that in Huxley they have the tools to break into the Western market, and make a name for themselves worldwide. The joint Xbox 360/PC release is at once a risk and an adventure for them -- and they want gamers to sit up and pay attention to it.
Hands on with Project Wiki
Project Wiki from Webzen is a bright, colourful MMO that immediately stands out from their other post-apocalyptic/dark-fantasy offerings. With inviting colours and visuals reminiscent of a 2D cartoon, the game seems well-matched to its kids-and-teens target demographic. It's simple to play -- perhaps too simple -- and death comes quickly at the hands of nearby enemies; the character we were playing has a limited number of skills which made combat a little repetitive. Project Wiki is only scheduled for a Korean release -- its anime-inspired graphics may make it appealing in the West, but its gameplay is rooted firmly in the East.
Hands on with Soul of the Ultimate Nation
Korean MMO company Webzen is launching an attack on the Western world with Huxley, but the company isn't confining itself to the MMOFPS genre. Soul of the Ultimate Nation is a fantasy-themed MMO with a distinctive Eastern style that will be launched in North America during 2007 (it's currently in open beta in Korea). Fantasy MMOs are ten a penny these days, so we asked Webzen representatives what makes SUN different. They are banking on its graphical style to win fans, and also its competitive nature -- players enter into 'competitive hunting' with others, rather than co-operating as in many other MMOs. The game also features voice chat amongst adventuring parties and guilds.
