Yearly Archives: 2012

Age of Wushu Officially Announced Stateside

Age of Wushu Officially Announced Stateside

 

 

Snail Games USA today unveiled their colossal upcoming MMORPG, Age of Wushu, also known as Age of Wulin. Representing more than 2000 years of Wuxia tradition, Age of Wushu thrusts players into a personal adventure, in a world where classes and levels no longer matter and where every action is judged harshly by the world around you. Players will learn that nothing is as it seems when the official International Test for Age of Wushu launches soon.

 

Prepare to embark on a journey like no other. After choosing one of six unique storylines, players become the protagonists of their own individual tale. Every action bears a consequence and every NPC has his or her own opinions about each player. Players will also be in control of where and how to hone their skills in Wushu. Players can choose one of eight martial arts schools to train, or invade another school to steal knowledge not offered at their current alma mater. Training can even take place offline by choosing one of 30 offline activities to keep a character progressing in-game as an NPC.

Without the traditional MMO crutch of levels and classes, it is impossible to predict the outcome of a fight. Yes, that means that beggar on the street can be a traveling Grand Master! With over 5,000 equipment upgrades, 32 guild sites, 17 professions and a range of amazing aerial combat, Age of Wushu puts each player in control of their experience.

 

 

 

With over 5 years of development time powering this AAA MMORPG, Age of Wushu is unlikely to disappoint. In fact one super fan of the game has dished out the insane amount of $16,000 on a virtual sword (plus framed picture) before the game was even released! Although no official release date has been stated, expect Age of Wushu it no later than spring of 2012!

E-Sports @ OnRPG: January 6th Report

E-Sports @ OnRPG: January 6th Report

By Umar Farooq(Kluey), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

 

Welcome! In these weekly articles, I’ll be updating everyone on what is happening in E-Sports. Before we start, I’d just like to point out that I will be heavy on Starcraft 2 information because it’s my favourite E-Sport as of right now(also the only e-sport, zing! Maybe someone got that joke…?).

 

 

Overpaid Dr.Day [9]

Chris “HuK” Loranger, the most honest, outspoken and attention attracting player ever just sparked the next debate of E-Sports: Are casters being overpaid and players being underpaid? Alright, here’s how it went. A casual talk between NaNiwa and HuK is taking place via Twitter. HuK brings up the fact that only a small percentage of players are actually being paid well, him and NaNiwa included. Eventually, HuK spits out the fact that his 1st place prize money was significantly less than the salary of Day[9] at Dreamhack. Day[9] supposedly made 20,000 while HuK made 14,000(this is all according to HuK, nothing has been proven except for the prize money HuK won which is 14,000).

 

 

And so the debate of all debates has begun. Where I stand on this is that it is definitely wrong but is 100% reasonable in this situation. Day[9] made Dreamhack more money than what they paid him. But, players should be the main attraction of a sports event as people should be showing up to watch the players play. In E-Sports as of right now, good casters will attract a larger crowd than good players. What is the reason behind this? I can’t say for sure but, the interaction between a caster and the crowd versus a player and the crowd is very different in E-Sports than it is in traditional sports. Day [9] for example has a daily show that people, including me, love and support. With a fan base as large as his, it’s a lot like asking a music group to play their song before a sports event so more people will attend.  Furthermore, I hear Day[9] childhood stories when he casts but never HuK’s childhood stories when he plays. I feel like I know a caster a lot better than a player and that usually brings me to love the caster more.

 

 

Another reason could very well be that if LiquidHerO (one of the most entertaining player to watch) is playing a best of 3 and I want to support him, I’ll watch that best of 3 and then close the stream. If Day[9] is casting a tournament and I really want to support him, I’ll watch the entire tournament to support him which in the end benefits the producers a lot more.

 

 

Now, a potential fix to this could be very simple or impossible. Casters have too much of a personality that over shadows the players. Listening to Tastosis is usually more enjoyable than watching a Zerg drone up. If casters were to solely cast the game or even play an ad during the first 2 minutes of the game instead of cracking jokes and telling stories then, the emphasis would be on the players rather than the casters. This could also very well be impossible as this change could just bore the viewers and convince them to leave. I think djWHEAT does this quite well but can sometimes get hate because he’s too play by play.

 

 

TSL_JYP to JYP to EG`JYP

I was almost convinced that it was SangHo (Killer) joining EG. We had seen him in the SlayerS house on Cella’s stream hinting that it was him joining EG and that he was there practicing at the SlayerS house. Apparently, he was just visiting for New Years or something.

 

 

Anyways, JYP is a sick good player especially against Zerg. The fact that he is one of the only Code S Protoss players proves that he is a good player. Joining EG will benefit him more than any other player I feel. Entering a house with the best Terrans in the world is going to help his lacklustre PvT become fearsome. Also, EG already has PuMa who is friends and former teammates with JYP. With all this in mind, JYP will become one of the best protoss players if he practices his weaknesses.

 

 

What I don’t understand though is HuK had such a grand entry. He had hidden codes in the websites source code and a secret video. JYP got a single tweet… PuMa had somewhat of a bitter sweet entry into EG too. I feel bad for JYP and hope that some kind of fame and notice goes to him as right now he’s overlooked because of IdrA, HuK and PuMa.

 

 

Hey, Artosis is my name!

I don’t understand why this is such big talk right now. Day9 had revealed a shirt on his daily show that displayed an Artosis Pylon (A singe pylon powering multiple important buildings) and it used the word “Artosis”. Dan “Artosis” Stemkoski asked the original designer politely and professionally (this was confirmed) to not use the word “Artosis” in his shirt. He also claimed there was a copyright of some sort so the designer agreed.

 

 

Here’s what I think: Artosis and this designer are competitors. Every customer that buys that shirt is a potential customer for Artosis’ business, The Handsome Nerd. Artosis did the correct thing to ask him to not produce that shirt. I would have liked it more if they had negotiated some kind of deal so Artosis would sell the shirt and the designer would get a portion of the revenue.

 

 

Quantic’s Destiny drunk on stream…

I won’t stretch this one too much. Basically, Destiny takes shots in a glass the size of my head and gets drunk on stream. He does stupid stuff over and over again. To make it worse, all of his friends were there just watching and left the stream on. It’s a bit disappointing that they let it go on for a few hours. Eventually, the sober one who ironically is a former porn star turned the stream off.

 

 

The interesting part of this story is when Destiny was having a chat with the team manager, he accidently did not mute the call on his stream. The viewers heard the first part of the call which was basically that Razer, their primary sponsor, was not happy. I don’t know if Destiny is in big trouble or was just warned. I’ll be surprised if he is booted off Quantic as it was a mistake that didn’t seem as bad because he is an entertainer on his stream.

 

 

Dignitas acquires I Will Dominate for their League of Legends team

A while ago they released an official announcement stating that Jatt would be dropped from their team. To fill this slot, Dignitas has now acquired I Will Dominate. Apparently Jatt wasn’t a good team player? Anyways, I Will Dominate is a good player and will do just fine on Dignitas.

 

 

 

Homestory Cup IV

I love Homestory Cup. It’s actually the greatest thing every. A casual, laid back weekend with top tier games plus a semi reality show with pro gamers? Yes please! Homestory Cup is just a well ran tournament with a great idea behind it.

 

 

My predictions for Homestory Cup are based on different situations. If MarineKingPrime plays at his best, he will win and there’s no doubt about that. Apparently he’s the best player ever on the ladder and cannot be stopped. He had an 80%+ win rate on Korean Grandmaster. If his nerves get to him, he will still get top 5 as he is actually that good.

 

 

LiquidHerO will do extremely well at this tournament. If MarineKingPrime, oGsSK`MC or mouzThorZaIN don’t take him out early, we will most certainly see MarineKingPrime vs. LiquidHerO in the finals.

 

 

Other than that, Ret will have a decent result, iNcontroL will do poorly and Destiny will be the class clown. I really hope we will see some entertaining things apart from the games themselves.

Lineage II Free-to-Play Service is Live in Europe, Localized Versions Coming Soon

Lineage II Free-to-Play Service is Live in Europe, Localized Versions Coming Soon

 

 

The European Lineage II services, published by Innova, are alive and well as they prepare to celebrate their first full month under the new free-to-play model. The EU server features all content currently available in the original servers including the Goddess of Destruction expansion with hundreds of hours of unrestricted, action-packed gaming. Goddess of Destruction brings many improvements to the game’s look and feel such as improved graphics, 4x faster leveling and character advancement, eight new specialized classes, fearsome bosses, new landscapes to explore, and much more. Of course Innova is dedicated to provide players on their EU dedicated servers with full-time community mangers, customer service agents, and continued updates.

 

 

“The launch of our free-to-play Lineage II service for Europe is a very special moment for all of us,” said Gevork Sarkisyan, Innova’s CEO.

 

 

In addition to the Goddess of Destruction, Innova introduced the brand new item shop offering players access to speed leveling runes, fast travel scrolls, and stylish wardrobe pieces, all intended to maximize player enjoyment without creating balance issues to those playing for free. Premium Accounts are also available for purchase to provide characters with accelerated progression, energy boosting items, and priority server access. This is especially useful for players with limited time to play so they can keep up with their guild members.

 

 

Innova has also announced localized versions of Lineage II will be released throughout 2012. Whether you speak English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, or Turkish, Lineage II will be available, Innova has plans for you.

RIFT Mobile Now Live on App Store

Rift Mobile Now Live on App Store

Rift Mobile Scratchcard

 

The beta version of the Trion Worlds Rift Mobile application is now available as a free download for iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, via the App Store. Players with an Apple mobile device can extend the Rift experience no matter where they are with real-time chat, games that grant prizes, and zone event alerts. Rift Mobile can be used by anyone with a game account and character, regardless of their current subscription status.

 

The iOS launch is just the first stage of the Rift Mobile rollout. A beta version of the app will be available for Android phones later this month, with a full launch on both devices planned sometime during Q1.

 

Rift Mobile Guild Info Tab

 

 

Rift Mobile features:

 

Social Features: Chat in real-time with friends and guild mates. Keep up to date with guild happenings with the latest wall postings

 

Loot Cards: Play Planar Invasion, Crafty Critters, and Shinies for a chance to instantly win in-game planar loot, crafting materials, and artifacts

 

Zone Events: Always know when a Zone Event is kicking off on your shard by setting up these handy alerts

Proxzor’s Predictions for 2012

Proxzor’s Predictions for 2012

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

2011 wasn’t only a year with awesome gaming titles but it was also the year of a lot of ups and downs. A lot of companies publishes their games and had a lot of success, and unfortunately some gaming studios saw their game fail in the market and had to change their original plans to grasp at what profit still remained for them. 2011 was a year of vast market expansion, but just as many games closed down due to increased competition. It seemed as if there was a surge of female gamers as well, though it’s likely due to the increased western publicity of e-sports bringing the faces behind the avatars to life. This rise in competitive gaming is what has captivated me and many others on the OnRPG staff the most in the past year. In fact in the past six months there were some western events that invited gamers to all gather at a local bar to watch their favorite Starcraft players battle it out on the big screens. This is something remarkable which hasn’t been seen before and wasn’t even expected to happen until a few months ago.

 

 

But enough of 2011. Looking at 2012 we will have some great games which we all have been anticipating for several years now closing in on their expected release deadlines. For all genre’s there will be something someone is waiting for and dying to play. You thought 2011 couldn’t be any better release-wise? Well then you are wrong! Dota 2, Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Mass Effect 3 have me hyped beyond expression. These are only a few games that have been announced and caught my eye early; who isn’t waiting for these shiny stars to be released?

 

 

In my eyes 2011 set the stage for a new golden age of competitive gaming in 2012. Games like Counter Strike, Call of Duty, Starcraft, and Halo have created a want in the western market and League of Legends has rushed in to fill this desire for e-sports with record numbers. Those familiar with the trends in the MMO market know that development will follow where the money goes, so expect many games to try to cater to the e-sports frenzy as 2012 stretches on. Personally I’m rooting for Dota 2 to become one of the biggest competitive games in the e-sports scene. The MOBA genre is quite popular right now and Valve is putting their full effort into building DOTA 2 as the premier e-sports title, hosting a major international tournament months before launch.

 

 

Before I trail off too far on the e-sports tangent and steal some thunder from Kluey’s upcoming e-sports prediction article, I want to look at the future of current MMOs on the market. Star Wars the Old Republic recently launched with a healthy pool of one million subscribers after the first few days. I expect this game to keep up its momentum into 2012 but don’t expect everything to be peachy. Like all major MMO launches in recent memory, it will have a loss of hype and a few players will fade away from the game, but not to the extent seen in games like Star Trek Online or Warhammer Online. Expect BioWare to release a free update in 2012 that will make history as one of the largest free expansions for an online game. Constant minor tweaks and updates as well will keep the majority of current subscribers satisfied well into 2012.

 

 

Diablo 3 is another title that has been a hot topic on gaming forums for a few months now. A lot of people have tested the first few levels and are having a fit that they will have to wait a few more months until experiencing the entire game. This game, like most all Blizzard titles, will be by far the most anticipated title among gamers and rake in the dollars in 2012. I do however think that the economic system is a huge flaw that will hold it back from its true potential. People that have been reading my articles about Diablo 3 might have read about the announced market system should agree with me that there are far too many holes in the system Blizzard has to account for. I believe this is going to be a mess that will take many months before Blizzard can iron out the faults. Knowing Blizzard the situation will be given their upmost attention and resolved successfully to ensure a bright future for Diablo 3 and the franchise as a whole.

 

 

So what about the current plethora of online games filling the market today?  I think gaming studios already in the market will recognize their dwindling player bases and engage in marketing battles with each other to claim a particular niche for themselves. Also many upcoming pay-2-play games will eventually end up free-to-play with some sort of cash shop. Only a handful of games will be able to survive through 2012 on a subscription system, and I hope their managers realize this sooner rather than later.

 

 

Happy New Year OnRPG viewers and thanks for reading my 2012 predictions!

Mikedot’s MMO Predictions of 2012

My MMO Predictions for 2012

By Michael Sagoe (Mikedot), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

What are my predictions for 2012? Well it has nothing to do with any big name titles like TERA or Guild Wars 2. My prediction leans toward the future of the free-to-play gaming market. I predict that new online game titles will come and follow down the F2P route in the RIGHT way. Most free-to-play games these days always promote themselves free, but they always include some sort of catch or crippling factor on free players that force them to cough up some real money in order for them to enjoy the game properly. You know… the whole “Free-to-play = Pay-to-win” thing. This has become less of a mockery against particular games and more of a philosophy shared by publishers throughout the free-to-play MMO world.

 

 

Well a few game companies have created a way of monetizing games in the F2P format that doesn’t involve nickel and diming their players by force. The way they’re structured is that everything in the game (including cash shop items) can be earned by simply playing the game or by trading with other players. While this method of free-to-play is usually limited to earning cash items at a snail’s pace, it makes purchasing items with real money more of a convenience rather than a necessity.

 

Nothing says I Owned you with my Credit Card like a Solid Gold Machine Gun

 

Also: instead of cash shops that sell power items such as “The golden machinegun of noob slaying” or the “Thunder horse mount of expensive-ness”, cash shops will focus on selling vanity items and convenience items/services such as extra storage space. This way the playing field is fair for all, no one will complain about others buying their way to victory, and the game devs & publishers make bank. Win-freaking-win.

 

 

There are only a couple of games that I can literally count on my fingers as true Free-to-play games, including League of Legends, Team Fortress 2 and Tribes Ascend. Publishers and developers alike will look at the popularity and success of these games while seeing the proper way to monetize their games in the F2P format without trying to rob their players. Hopefully, more publishers and developers will follow their example. With countless games free-to-play games closing their doors in 2011, learning this lesson of proper game monetization fast may be the only saving grace the F2P market has against the impending juggernauts of 2012.