Monthly Archives: July 2008

STATION VOICE™ POWERED BY VIVOX® MAKING WONDERFUL NOISE

Station Voice™, a service powered by Vivox® that allows players to talk to each other in online games, is now available in the role-playing games EverQuest® II and Star Wars Galaxies™, Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), announced today. Station Voice, which is scheduled to be available next month in EverQuest, is available for players at no additional cost with their current subscription plan.

“In-game voice chat is an enhanced new feature gamers of all levels can enjoy. Now, SOE’s players can easily talk to one another and better enjoy the online gaming experience,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “The integration of Station Voice into these initial games was seamless, and we look forward to incorporating this added gaming experience into other SOE titles, as well as implementing the next phase of features to come soon.”

The initial launch of Station Voice will allow players to:

Talk person-to-person in game with any microphone and headset combo

Chat with their party, guild or any other group in game

Play and communicate without worry of a significant increase in game lag

Manage group/user participation with moderator controls

Individually mute and set volume per user

Set up easily without the need for separate software, accounts or registration

“SOE’s commitment to the player experience and their game communities is unrivalled and presents an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the power of voice,” said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. “Through a magnificent implementation, SOE has delivered high quality voice chat, seamless access, instant groups, intuitive controls and a fantastic and immersive experience for their players.”

In addition to these current features, SOE is planning to implement other Vivox services into Station Voice later this year, such as voice fonts and the ability to connect to games from Station Launcher. SOE’s plan to integrate the service with Station Launcher should allow anyone who uses the Station Launcher, even if he or she doesn’t otherwise subscribe to an SOE game, to take advantage of these powerful voice chat capabilities. These features, which are intended to support hundreds of players in a channel, are also slated to be extended to other current and future SOE titles, such as The Agency™.

For specific details and tips on how to use Station Voice in each game, log onto www.station.sony.com/stationvoice/

TURBINE ANNOUNCES distribution Partnership with warner bros. INTERACTIVE entertainment For the LORD of the rings online™: mines of moria™

Turbine, Inc. announced today its partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to distribute The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ at retail in North America. As part of the announcement, Turbine unveiled its fall product lineup which includes two titles that will be available at retail, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition and The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Collector’s Edition, as well as a digital only title for existing subscribers, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Digital Expansion.

“We are excited to self publish The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria and to partner with Warner Bros. to distribute the title at retail this fall,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “Mines of Moria introduces breakthrough content and features including our Legendary Item system that will revolutionize the way players advance and customize their unique heroes.”

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expands the online world of Middle-earth™ to let players continue the ultimate interactive adventure in the largest and most dangerous online underground environment ever created. Players will be able to explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin’s Bane and more. In addition to the Legendary Item system, The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria features groundbreaking dual height map technology that creates a seamless, vast, and epic environment that brings Moria to life like never before. The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria extends the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests.

“Turbine has an impressive track record of creating and publishing high quality massively multiplayer online games,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We look forward to working with Turbine and we will leverage our experience in distributing successful premium titles with the launch of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria this fall.”

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria – Fall 2008 Product Lineup:

Ø The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition will include the original The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ game (Volume I), all content updates released since launch, and The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria (Volume II). The Complete Edition will be available at retail stores nationwide and offers new players who wish to journey through the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth the full, award-winning experience.

Ø The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Collector’s Edition will feature the content of the Complete Edition as well as compelling digital and physical items for collectors. Limited quantities of the Collector’s Edition will be available at retail outlets in a unique leather-bound book packaging and will include:

· 3 exclusive tokens that can be exchanged for the player’s choice of 8 different in-game items

· 22” x 22” premium quality cloth map of the Mines of Moria

· Special gold-plated ring complete with chain and pouch

· Mines of Moria poster

· The Lord of the Rings Online Art and Music Collection with the official Mines of Moria Soundtrack

· A full color Collector’s Edition Starter Guide

Ø The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Digital Expansion is a digital upgrade that will allow existing subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar to continue the ultimate interactive adventure into the vast, terrifying and unparalleled world beneath Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure. This award-winning massively multiplayer online role playing game delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy of all time. From the picturesque surroundings of the Shire to Moria, the most fearsome underground realm ever imagined, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. For more information on The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, please visit www.lotro.com/moria.

TQ Digital: Announcement for Way of the Five

TQ Digital Entertainment, one of the leading Chinese online gaming companies, has officially announced that its new game: Way of the Five’s English version will be released at the early stages of 2009.

Way of the Five (http://wotf.91.com) is a turn-based MMORPG based on the stories of mythical ancient China. The game’s Chinese version is currently in its closed-Beta phase, and open-Beta will be launched at the beginning of November. Kai Xin, the Chinese version, (which means Happiness in English), has been one of the most expected games in China. Players are already going crazy to get their hands on the activation codes…

According to Ivan Ouyang, Marketing Director of this game, “In addition to our market expanding strategy, we would like to bring Way of the Five to the oversea market. This game is definitely a unique breakthrough compared to other TQ game, and a turn-based MMORPG will also supplement our current product line. Besides the graphics, players will see great improvements on quest design, group interactions, skill trees, and even the music as well.”

 

During the interview, Ivan also told us that starting from this coming Friday (Aug. 1st), he will gradually post more updates in the game’s official forum (http://forum.91.com/wotf/). Moreover, players can also tell him what they would like to know by replying to this thread: http://forum.91.com/topics/249/200807/27/43,1.html?time=1217224399#tip637.

Message from the new management!

Source: http://forums.ryzom.com/showthread.php?t=32216

Dear brothers and sisters of Atys,

In order to keep you informed of what is going on with the new team of artisans working hard in the shadows, we wanted to first tell you that we are really very happy and very proud to work, and for some of us – work again, on the magical world of Ryzom.

We also want to sincerely apologize for not having been able to talk to you earlier. Unfortunately we had a lot of work to do to revive our fabulous planet; tonnes of terrabytes of blood, sweat and tears… hard drives to recover, check, and deal with… countless Kami, Karavan, Kitins and tools to find and put in place… all in an effort to prepare for your next visit.

We are all really pleased to share our joy that now the hardest part is behind us.

Along with your new entrance tickets to Ryzom we have also decided to redo the website, which will soon be made public.

But we must warn the old members among you: do not expect major visual changes; the new site will look much like the previous one, but in fact it has been redeveloped and entirely rebuilt. This site will be much lighter, faster, cleaner and more efficient in order to bring in and not to scare away our future adventurers, all with the slogan: Less is more.

At the same time, the servers have been revived in a testing phase for several weeks now, and with the help of our great CSR team, we have worked hard to repair Atys to its former glory. We mowed lawns, trimmed hedges, pulled weeds, and fed the Yubos which were feeling very hungry and abandoned.

Our next step in the coming days will be to re-open the servers for free – a VIP access to all our former Homins to thank them for their patience (to be specific, all the players who had a paid account at the time of the closure of servers).

Then, for the second step, we will allow new adventurers and travelers to come and tread the soil of our beautiful planet Atys!

Thank you once again for your loyalty and above all for your patience; the new Ryzom team bids you a very warm welcome and is looking forward to seeing you again in our world…

The Ryzom Team.

Zero:[Full Week Event]Snowmen Meltdown

Snowmen Meltdown

You must miss the time when you made a snowman and had a snowball fight in the winter with your little friends on the earth. Now it’s gone. Most of the little kids are now pilots like you and some of them have passed away in the war against Othello. The earth is not in peace any more…

From August 1st, the Alliance would like to invite all pilots to join in the snowman carnival called MELTDOWN to reexperience the days that will never come back.

The snowmen will melt automatically? Don’t worry, we’ve made them in the Titan Icefield. Moreover, they’ve been embeded with ADV AI-chips, which means they can move and …attack you!

If you are above level 120, Officer Carl will send you to the Titan Icefield instantly. If not, sorry, you have to consume some energy to get there.

Time Schedule:

August 2nd 23:00-00:00
August 3rd 05:00-06:00
August 4th 10:00-11:00
August 5th 19:00-20:00
August 6th 15:00-16:00
August 7th 02:00-03:00
August 8th 09:00-10:00
Rewards: Rose Quartz, Sapphires, EXP and Zero Points (free) Pack
Map: Titan Ice field
Level For All Levels
NPC: Officer Carl (Steel Warship, 531,809)

Pirates of the Caribbean Online now has Privateering!

Disney Online has added Privateering to Pirates of the Caribbean Online! Players must side with the Frenchman Pierre by setting sail from the privateering port of Ile D’Etable De Porc – or side with the Spaniard Garcia by departing from Isla De La Avaricia. Then, with a “private license” in hand and able crew in tow, players can set off for some pillaging and plundering on the high seas!

Both Basic and Unlimited Access players can engage in Privateering. Pirate “Lords” on both islands will additionally challenge players with quests that, upon completion, will gain players gold and reputation points – not to mention a special Spanish or French tattoo! For background information on Privateering, players can check out the new Lore Journal “The Rise of the Privateer,” on the game’s website.

In addition to Privateering, Disney Online has made a number of enhancements to the Crew Interface, making it easier for players to gauge their Crewmember’s health, bonuses, and overall status.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online, developed and published by Disney Online, is rated E10+ and features lower PC and Mac system requirements than most other games in this genre, allowing for easier access to a broader audience of players. Players can download the game directly and access additional information at www.PiratesOnline.com.

Video Gamers Immortalized in Space by NCsoft

Could you be the savior of humankind? NCsoft®, the world’s leading publisher and developer of online computer games, has announced it will launch the “Immortality Drive” – a time capsule with the digitized DNA of select video game players and space aficionados – into orbit when famed game designer Richard Garriott travels to the International Space Station in October 2008.

As part of NCsoft’s “Operation Immortality,” Richard Garriott – the man who created Tabula Rasa, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) PC game that explores the destruction of Earth – is now venturing into space to save humanity.

During the campaign, Tabula Rasa players have a chance to have their DNA sequenced, digitized and sent into space on the Immortality Drive. In addition, all players with active accounts on September 2, 2008 will have their Tabula Rasa characters uploaded to the device, giving them the opportunity to go to space virtually. In order to make this unique opportunity accessible to as many people as possible, free trials of the game are available at http://www.rgtr.com/trial. Garriott will place the Immortality Drive on the International Space Station when he travels there this fall.

“I’ve been able to do some very exciting things in the games business, but nothing of this magnitude,” said Garriott, executive producer for Tabula Rasa at NCsoft. “I’m thrilled we can offer the once in a lifetime chance to millions of gamers to virtually go to space with me. A select few will have their DNA digitized and sent. And, theoretically, if anything happens to the human race, it could be their DNA that is used to resurrect humanity.”

Starting today and lasting through August 31, 2008, anyone with a PC and an Internet connection can go to http://www.OperationImmortality.com and participate in weekly polls on humanity’s greatest achievements which will be included on the Immortality Drive, such as “What is the greatest song of all time?” and “What is the greatest technological breakthrough of all time?” Current Tabula Rasa players, or those who download and play the free trial, will also be able to enter a personal message for inclusion on the Drive.

“This is your chance to leave your mark,” says Garriott. “While everyone can participate in the polls at OperationImmortality.com, Tabula Rasa players will be the only gamers in the universe who can say that a piece of them is in space, since we’re sending their in-game alter-egos, and for some, their DNA, to space with me.”

Tabula Rasa, which launched November 2007, is an intense, fast-paced, sci-fi MMO PC game that puts you in the middle of the never-ending intergalactic fight for freedom against a hostile alien race called the Bane. Players use high-tech weaponry, alien powers, and the help of other Allied Free Sentients (AFS) soldiers to rid the universe of the Bane threat.

With frequent free updates to players, the game world of Tabula Rasa has grown significantly since launch. Upcoming features to the game include clan-owned Control Points, new missions, and Personal Armor Units.

No purchase is necessary to participate in Operation Immortality, with free trials of Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa available at http://www.rgtr.com/trial. The game is currently available at most major retailers and at the PlayNC® store. The retail box includes the first month of online game play. After the first month, players will be charged a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99. The game is rated Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

For information about Operation Immortality, including full terms and conditions, go to http://www.OperationImmortality.com. For information on Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa go to http://www.rgtr.com.

TLOHC Reviews Writing Contest, Enter to Win Cool Cashes & Gems!

PKVE is holding a The Legacy of Holy Castle Review Writing Contest for all TLOHC Fans. The review can be for a specific part of the game or about TLOHC in general. The contest will only run for a month so submit your entries as soon as possible! Original work only. Win real cash, Gems prizes! Read the guidelines below for information on how to enter the contest.

Review Writing Contest rules are as follows:
• Hurry! Contest runs from August 1, 2008 to August, 2008 only.
• Participants of all ages and from all countries may enter the contest, except those staff members of PKVE.
• Your review can be about any topic within HLOHC, it can be specific in nature or general.
• 180 words or longer
• Review must be written in the English language. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are taken into account.
• Original work only. You may not submit someone else’s guide as yours, this is illegal and will have serious consequences.
• Reviews will be judged based on content, quality and overall usefulness.
• The nicer, the better. The more presentable a review is, the more points it will merit. We urge contestants to include pictures with their reviews, but it is not a requirement. In the end the most important judging factor is well written content and not the looks, but it helps.
• You can enter as many times as you want. Please post your review under this thread.
• Judging of entries will be done by the PKVE Team. Winners will be notified by e-mail and their names posted on official forum of TLOHC.
• Cash prizes will be paid through PayPal. If the winners do not have access to PayPal, then an alternate method of payment will be arranged.

The Cash Prizes are as follows:
• First Place – USD $100
• Second Place – USD $70
• Third Place – USD $50
Gems Prizes:
All eligible reviews will get 100 in-game Gems as rewards. If you post your review in gamesites or blogs such as gamefaqs.com and bloggers.com post review in forums is ineligible for prizes. 20 additional Gems will be awarded for per site. You are also allowed to add the TLOHC referral url in the review, thus if the visitor join this game, and his/her castle reach 50, you can get another 300 Gems! Please send your posting links to cooperation [at]pkve.com. We will check it and send the gems to you when the contest ended.

Tales of Pirates: Triple Exp Carnival Week

To bring more fun to their players in the summer holidays, Tales of Pirates Online (http://top.igg.com), a well-received cartoon-styled MMORPG is going to hold a week-long Triple Exp Carnival.

From July 28th to August 2nd, they will be holding Triple Exp everyday, which means players can enjoy 3 times the Exp by killing monsters during the event!

For more information about Tales of Pirates and the exact event time, visit http://top.igg.com/info.php?articleId=1229.

Lands of Hope Celebrates its Third Year

The Forlorn Games team is excited and proud to announce that Lands of Hope is now three years old, not only is this an important milestone for any browser based game it also improves upon our previous game Forlorn Hope: Online which lived on the internet for 2.5 years.

To celebrate our third anniversary we handed out an anniversary box earlier in the month to all active players, the box contained one of three different mountable pets:

Mindwraithe
Giant Eagle
Mammoth

In addition to this free gift for the last week we have been handing out prizes of virtual currency to players, with a special draw planned for the end of the month yet to come.

Other News
-Lands of Hope now supports optional payments/purchases via Google Checkout.
-Four new dungeons have been added to the game this past week.
-Forty land tiles have been put up for sale in game.

About Lands of Hope
Lands of Hope, is a persistent browser based online role playing game, dwarfing most other games in this genre by its size and playability.

Set in the fictional land of Myzan, you can choose to play LoH as one of 4 Allegiances (Neutral, Exile, Society and Reaper), the story is still in its infancy but revolves around the age old rivalry between the Exiles and Society and the growing power of the undead allegiance known as the Reapers.

As you journey around the 12 massive realms that make up Myzan you will encounter hundreds of monsters, thousands of quests and gain new powers.

Lands of Hope features a very comprehensive interface system that allows you to access game features through menus, there are hundreds of menus and over 800 screens that make up the game.

There are few browser based games like LoH and its staff is dedicated to ensuring that it stays like it!

Visit http://www.forlornonline.com for more information and to signup/play.