Yearly Archives: 2009

Regnum Online’s Impressive Overhaul Enters Open Beta

NGD Studios, the leading MMO developer and publisher in Latin America, has rolled out the largest and most important update to Regnum Online to date. A new engine has been developed in house to offer enhanced lighting and graphical effects in an ever more competitive free-to-play market. Add to this a completely new physics system, with improved performance and combat action; it makes Regnum feel like a new game.
 
The Woods Feel Alive
 
New Shadowing
 
Regnum has always been well positioned considering its unique game play. It has not always offered the best graphics and scenery. This is all changing with this update as users will experience fantastic lighting effects with real time dynamic shadows; longer view distance and colour correction. Each battle and each sunset will offer something new and exciting. Combining great graphics and great game play offers hours of entertainment for every user in Regnum Online.
 
“This release catapults Regnum into the top free-to-play games as far as graphics and game play” said Andrés Chilkowski, General Manager of NGD Studios.
 
“Regnum has always offered top game-play in the Realm vs. Realm category. We now add the visuals on par with A class titles. New character creation- and initiation areas help with customer retention but we believe the overall look and feel simply puts it at a different level compare to where it was six months ago” said Andrés Chilkowski.
 
“This is truly a milestone in Regnum history! However we are following this up with yet another aggressive road map where further enhancements, including the re-modelling of all of the playable characters in the game and their equipment. In addition our users can look forward to more social aspects both inside and outside of the game”, adds Chilkowski.
 
Character Overhaul
 
New ways for you to improve and customize your experience
There are many ways you can customize your experience in Regnum. When you start the game you now have a tool that tests your computers performance which allows it to set what works best for you. You can now choose between several shader-models and if you choose level three or above you can see the new shadows in the game.
You can also quickly make changes live in the game. By clicking on “O” on your keyboard you get all the options you have to lower or improve the quality at which you are playing. For instance you can quickly turn on and off the shadows or parts of the terrain. This will help you speed up your game play should you feel it is not playing the way you want.
[regnum_graphics.jpg “New Graphics in Regnum Online”]
 

Neverland Online Ingame Tour with GM N.E.

Neverland Online Ingame Tour with GM N.E.
Questions and Exploration by Vincent Haoson
Accompanied by GM N.E. (abbreviated)

 

I was given the opportunity to get a guided tour by the people from Neverland Online, the 2D MMORPG set on a mystical eastern-themed world. When I was told that I would be touring the game I was not personally expecting much especially for a browser based game. Let’s just say that I became jaded with the whole browser based online gaming thing especially after getting to experience a lot of disappointing games. Upon logging into the game I was surprised that Neverland Online felt like I was logging into a client-based MMO. The whole feel was kind of surreal because I was not expecting this kind of familiarity in a browser -based MMO.

 

While I was waiting to connect into the game I was being entertained by the Chinese string background music playing. I think that the BGM, plus the fact that the game’s interface looks like your average MMO definitely influenced me to feel that the game is like your average client-based MMO rather than a web-based one.

 

So upon getting inside the game I was waiting for a game master to contact me, being the impatient gamer that I am I kind of wandered within the vicinity I was put in. Lo and behold I encountered my first monster in the game. I was faced with a level 2 rabbit, yep, that’s right a level 2 rabbit was my first opponent upon entering the game. The game’s fight system resembled the old-school role playing of games of consoles and for those who have a thing for them would really feel nostalgic as you play Neverland Online.

 

 

Dungeon Talk

Dungeon Talk

 

After getting my behind whipped by the cute gray bunny of death, I was contacted by GM N.E. and eventually he came to get me from the mess I’ve managed to put myself into. When we met I was immediately introduced to the game’s party system where the party leader literally has complete control over where the party goes and even what NPCs can they talk to. I was literally following N.E. all over the place during my tour.

 

GM N.E.’s character was a Taoist, which translates to the game’s healer while I was an elementalist. Both of us were the game’s magic users with me being the offensive one, but during the tour he was the one dealing the most damage with me being the official cheerleader because my character was practically hitting like a baby. However, I figured out the reason why I was hitting so weakly, I hadn’t distributed the stat points that I had. So I asked GM N.E. to pause the tour for a moment and distributed the stat points that were left untouched since I logged in.

 

 

Stats Overview

Stats Overview

 

As seen on the above picture, there are five areas where you can allocate your stat on. Neverland Online helps you decide on what area to allocate the points to by providing descriptions as your cursor hovers over each area.

 

 

Description Tooltip

Description Tool

 

The descriptions helped me determine what areas I should be investing on. However seeing the outcome of my stat allocation I kind of relearned one simple rule in playing mmorpgs. Pay attention to where you click, I thought I was clicking on stamina when it turns out it was on agility so in the end my elementalist was an int-agi type. Aside from the stats, a character’s strength is also determined by the skill points allocated to each skill.

 

After my fail attempt on allocating my stat points we continued the tour. We then discussed the pet system in the game. Neverland Online has a very nice pet system where you can practically capture any monster you face in the field. GM N.E. showed this by capturing a mist marsh crocodile we faced in one battle.

 

 

Capture

Capturing a mist marsh crocodile!

 

Your pets could also fight with you in battle. There are even instances according to GM N.E. that the pet is stronger than the owner. Your pets are even actual members in your party therefore they also take damage from monsters. Here’s proof of it:

 

 

Pet Dead

Pet Dead

 

Yep, my pet died in the battle, my glorious gold dragon was killed by a lamp. Thankfully GM N.E. informed me that my pet can be resurrected right after the battle in the nearby town. When we came back to town we broke party got my dragon back on its feet. This is where the problem with the game’s party system comes out. Before you can do any individual action you have to break your party so you can move on your own free will. This would become cumbersome in future gameplay especially if you are in a hurry, this is where a little patience can go long way. After getting my dragon, who I lovingly called DBZ, healed we were set to get back on track but I insisted to do one thing before we get a move on:

 

 

Poke Poke

*Poke*

 

Yep, I had to poke the cute plump NPC. Though it would really seem pointless if you look at it however, what’s the sense of a tour if you can’t have fun once in a while right? After horsing around town, me and GM N.E. went out and killed more monsters, I wanted to at least try a dungeon run however due to circumstances, I got disconnected due to a very bad net service that day, and we weren’t able to come in. Me and GM N.E. was able to discuss about the various game systems I unbelievably though no web game could have. One example is the Neverland’s crafting system. According to GM N.E. you can play the game with all your equipments hand-crafted yourself. He told me that the flying purple sword he has

 

 

Oh No

O_O Oh No!

 

GM N.E.: Neverland Online’s crafting system is a bit complex for beginners however its easy to get a hang of it. You get to craft rare items using the materials from monster drops or NPCs. This purple sword I have? I crafted it myself

 

Aside from the crafting system, Neverland Online has its own bot system included. However you’d need to use scores which is acquired through paying.

 

 

Bots in Neverland

Bot System

 

GM N.E.: bot is allowed however it uses usd, it’s basically for those who want to have a ‘better’ gaming experience

 

All in all my Neverland tour has been a fun and enjoyable experience to say the least. Neverland Online is a game that shows a lot of promise, even if it’s in the CBT stage there are a lot of things you can do. I can only imagine what else is in store for players when the games go to commercial. I must say that I was impressed game especially that this one’s a web-based mmo.

 

With the game nearing Open Beta we’ll just have to see how Neverland Online turns out now won’t we?

 

Visit the Neverland Online Game Profile!
Visit the Neverland Online Official Website!

City of Eternals

City of Eternals will soon launch as a free live action, 3D online game (or MMO, massively multiplayer online world) available for casual play on the web, and within social networks like Facebook.  Because we know that your site users are fans of vampires, we can offer you exclusive invitations for your readers to enter the City of Eternals early! With City of Eternals, instead of watching vampires, players can become them, fighting undead monsters, going on creepy quests, and exploring New Valencia, a modern city secretly ruled by four Vampire houses.  Players can create their own coven of Vampires (called an “entourage”), turn themselves into an ultimate Vampire warrior, even develop craft skills that enhance their undead lives.  (For example, players can make themselves a “fashionista,” and customize their Vampire outfit to make it the talk of the town.)  City of Eternals gamers can own and furnish their own home, befriend fellow Vampire players – or even romance them, by designating them your Blood Mate. 
ohai is the developer of the first true massively multiplayer online games for social networks, and offers MMOs for everyone.  City of Eternals uses patented Flash technology that is installed standard on 99% of Net-connected computers, making it easy for casual gamers and more experienced MMO fans to jump right into the game, with no barrier to entry.

Tank Ace

Create a tank and begin the greatest tank battle of your life! Tank Ace is a third person shooter game featuring realistic WWII battlefields and vehicle stats based on historical facts. With 10 years of experience in creating tank shooting games, BOB Studio proudly presents this great tank warfare game with historically accurate specifications, realistic recoil action and tank tactics. After selecting a historically accurate tank, players can customize their own tank by adding additional armor, different styles of camouflage, body art, kill marks, and clan insignias.
 
This game is all about tactics. Gather up your friends and create your own clan to plan your own winning battlefield strategies. Cowboys that charge headlong into the fray will be in for a rude awakening – don’t be surprised if you get picked off by an enemy that you didn’t even see. Using terrain features like hills and trees to wait in ambush, you can coordinate an assault with advanced pincer, flanking, and other historically accurate tactics.

Bright Shadow Interview: Solid Gameplay

Bright Shadow Interview: Solid Gameplay
Questions by Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist
Answered by Sheloman Byrd, Business Development and Marketing, GamepotUSA

 

Bright Shadow is an upcoming MMORPG that uses the mixture of cute anime-style graphics and solid, addicting gameplay. It is currently in the beta phase just to make sure that the kinks and bugs are well sorted when it goes commercial.

 

We here on OnRPG were given the opportunity to talk to the people behind the game to discuss the game’s current status, how the game is transitioning into the western world and the possible differences from the Western and Eastern versions of the game.

 

OnRPG: What is Bright Shadow and why bring it to Western Shores?
Bright Shadow is a fun, free MMORPG that places an emphasis on customization, sociability, and thrilling quests. Now that I’ve given the custom PR answer, I’ll get a bit more in-depth. Imagine a world where you and your friends can simply be anything you want-a world that welcomes adventurers, a world that needs protecting from some of the most fearsome and vibrant monsters to roam the land. It’s a place where you have total control over what your path is-you can hunt, craft, help others, mentor your friends, and enter some of the most thrilling dungeons this side of Lord of the Rings.

 

We have a plethora of systems which encourage this-for instance, the Umbra Guide, it’s a book that holds Umbra (monster) Cards from defeated Umbra, and they give you effects which stack on top of your normal skills. We have also have Combo Attacks-if you’re a Warrior, and pair with a Machinist (think a blacksmith with guns), you’ll be able to activate different devastating attacks, each class has different interlocking combinations with a variety of effects for monsters. In addition to that, you can mod your character’s skills a bit more via skill tree assignments, as well as 10 areas for weapons and equipment.

 

So when you put those systems together, you have a fairly robust system for being exactly who you want. We haven’t touched upon the Soul Power system, which grants an extra tier of Transformation and abilities (A Golem, or Demon Wolf, for instance) which are different for each class, or the 1.3 million words worth of quest text, nor the smooth, high-quality graphics or the multiple social options we have. Players will have a lot to discover, and look forward to, as we’ll be adding content from our side as well.

 

We brought this game to the U.S., because frankly, it’s a game that many players have been looking for. On a deeper level, we love the game, which is a key point for us, if its not something we can play and love, we don’t bring it over.

 

OnRPG: When it comes to porting games from the east the factor of gaming culture should also be considered, why do you think western players would play Bright Shadow?
It’s a fun, polished game. Irrespective of anything else, players enjoy great games, and we believe that Bright Shadow is that at its core. About localization, well, a great way to look at that is to ask yourself what localization is. It’s not just translating, not just adding items, or events. It’s about creating an experience that the players from that region will enjoy. Some of that comes from having a host of gamers in-house, but a lot of that comes from player feedback, which is something we value.  So in a sense, while the game text will all have the story, quests, UI all in English, the localization is never-ending, as we’ll be adding content and systems from our side. In all, players will have new experiences with their friends, in an environment tailor-made from both our side and the community; built on top on a rock-solid game, that is also free.

 

OnRPG: What does Bright Shadow bring to the MMO scene that sets it apart from the others? Why do you think so?
Where Bright Shadow sets itself apart is a customizable experience on top of deep gameplay systems. For instance, you can create a Shaman. After you pick his look/face, hair, etc, down the road you can choose to be more of a Healer, or more offensive in nature-they use Earth and Wind-based magic, while the Mage focuses more on Fire and Ice.  Those attacks can be combined for an even more devastating onslaught when you’re in a group.  It’s like that for each class-so think of it as specialization customization.

 

Next to that there is Soul Power. There’s a completely separate gauge for this, and it can used for a “Soul Swap”, a transformation into a more powerful form, to level up certain skills-you can even buy certain items with it.  We have a Monster Card system, the Umbra Guide, with over 500 monster cards to obtain. They’re tradable to both other players and Item Shops, and you can also use them to summon monsters and buff yourself with different effects. There’s also a title system, which will expanding into full-blown achievements.

 

In addition to that, we have a great range of social options-there’s party matchmaking, friends list, guild BBS, an in-game mail system, a mentor system, and many different chat options. We’re also adding features down the road.

 

Along with our focus on localized content, Bright Shadow is a completely different MMO experience, and one that will only get better as time passes.

 

OnRPG: What would be the difference of the North American version of Bright Shadow from its Japanese counterpart?
The story and quests would be at the top of the list. We adapted portions of the story based on what we wanted to develop down the road; the story itself will emerge more in the coming months as an epic that simply must be experienced. We’ll have different items as well, and we’re looking at adding WASD early next year. We are also planning expansions as well as new systems for implementation that is not in the Japanese version. We have to emphasize that all of this would not be possible without Gamania’s assistance; they have really been a great partner in terms of listening to our suggestions.

 

OnRPG: Would the items found on the Japanese version’s Cash item mall be found on the North American version as well? Or would there be exclusive items for the North American version?
There will be exclusive items for our version, as well as some of the items from the Japanese version. We’ll be announcing details at a later date.

 

OnRPG: Can you describe the game’s look and feel?
Think of it as a darker version of Kingdom Hearts. It’s an anime-inspired look, however, the monsters vary from standard RPG fare (Chimera) to more horror-inspired (blind mummy that uses its arm to beat you) to on the zany side of things (squirrel with scythes, super cute rabbit-like creatures). There’s a normal weather cycle, with different effects, so players can expect things to change, there’s a total of 29 different environments that we’ll be rolling out. It plays fairly smooth, and the character expressions and animations themselves are quite expressive. It’s a pleasure to play and watch, we feel the game does a good job of hooking you in visually.

 

OnRPG: How interactive will the in-game elements be?
There are many interactive elements in-game. There are all sorts of environments ranging from an ordinary peaceful town to ghastly dungeons. Within these environments are hundreds of different NPCs and thousands of different monsters. Not only do you receive quests from NPCs, but the rewards you receive and the upcoming quests may differ by your answers to the NPC’s questions. In addition to that, there’s quite a bit of personality touches, to make it a bit more personal-you’ll have to hop in-game to find that out though…

 

OnRPG: How customizable are the characters in Bright Shadow?
Quite. You can pretty much control every aspect of your characters skills, and their look. From hairstyle to skin color, eye color, face look, title, and demeanor; to the other side of skills, special abilities, weapons, armor, stats-even the kind of party members you look for.

 

OnRPG: Can you tell us a little about the job -class system Bright Shadow is going to use?
Sure. Bright Shadow has a total of 20 classes: Warrior, Mage, Shaman, Machinist, and those expand based on what you want to specialize in. So if I love guns, I’m going to go the Machinist-Gunslinger- Pistolero route; or perhaps I’m more interested in controlling monsters, then a Shaman-Beastlord is more appealing. Or I’m a Warrior, I can go light and be a Paladin, or become a Dark Knight. Each class has its own attacks, and many of them are stackable for the aforementioned Combo Attacks which work well for many monsters.

 

OnRPG: Is the game going to use a stat-build system or would it be skill based?
Both. You have your individual stats: HP, MP, Soul Power, Weight, STR, INT, DEX, CON, Agility, Wisdom, and Level. Depending on those, you can unlock different attributes for your character; what we call your Soul Unlocks. They can be HP +10, Weight Limit increase, etc.  On the skill side, there’s your base tier, then there’s your class skills, then there the skills you obtain via Monster Cards, and your Soul Power-based Transformation. Again, these all benefit different classes, and thus, are up to the player to determine what their path is. Now, on top of all that, there are skills obtained via the Mentorship System, as well as Guild-based skills, which we’ll get into a bit later.

 

OnRPG: How far are you guys in the game’s localization?
About 90%, 1.3 million words.

 

OnRPG: What were the major issues you had to fix during the localization process?
Well, nothing needed “fixing” per se, the main work we had to do was on the story, to deliver the kind of experience that really pushes the game, we had to add some elements. Other than that, it was pretty normal, just making sure everything matches up.

 

OnRPG: Can you give us a heads up on what’s in store for the CBT players?
Sure, we’ll be doing some events, as well as in general seeing what they like, what types of features get the most attention, that type of thing. We want feedback, as we’ll build quite a bit over the coming months.

 

OnRPG: How long would the CBT last and would you be going Open Beta right afterwards?
It’ll last a week, and if everything goes as planned, we’ll see Open Beta about a week after that. Fingers crossed!

 

OnRPG: Thank you for your time!
Anytime, look forward to seeing you in-game!

Ether Saga Online: Christmas Celebrations!

Ether Saga Online: Christmas Celebrations!
 
Our friends at Perfect World Entertainment have informed us that the following exciting events are awaiting you in the Manga Inspired Ether Saga Online:
 

Christmas Card Exchange Quest

Exchange cards with other players to receive Turtle Shells. The more turtle shells you have at the end of the event, the better your “Christmas Gift” reward will be.
(NPC – Christmas Card Seller)

Ether Saga Online - Snowman Coldy Pet

 

Adopt a Penguin

Players complete a series of quests ranging from collecting items to killing monsters. Each quest rewards them with a penguin egg. After collecting enough eggs, they get the penguin pet.

 

Stockings Quest

On Dec. 24th, stockings will appear around Pokari. Players that harvest them are rewarded with a title and a random prize.

Ether Saga Online - Celebrate Christmas with a Tree

 

Visit the Ether Saga game profile!
Visit the Ether Saga official website!

Earth Eternal Winter Dawning Festival

Earth Eternal Winter Dawning Festival
 
Tis’ the Season so they say and the Beasts of Earth Eternal are getting into the Holiday spirit! The Winter Dawning Festival is here, an annual winter holiday with plenty of gift giving, sharing, and evil snowmen!
 

Holiday Features:

Undertake an epic quest to save Winterfest from the treacherous Grindle! (Not everyone is in the holiday mood….. stories are told to the young of a terrible creature named Grindle who sneaks into the houses of young Beasts to steal their precious Winterfest gifts.)
 

Suddenly Chill lords are Everywhere

 

Collect a free Holiday weapon, available only during Winterfest! Ring in the New Year by destroying your foes with candy cane weapons!
Chill Lords and Chillkin are popping up around Earth.  These creatures drop snowballs and corn cob cipes. Corn cob pipes can be redeemed for awesome Winterfest gifts, while snowballs can be thrown at other players!
 

Catch the Chillkin

 

A majestic Winterfest holiday suit (image attached) is available for a limited time only in the Earth Eternal credit shop!
Winter Holiday Suit

OnRPG Weekly News Roundup: December 09 – December 15

MMORPG Weekly News Roundup: December 8th – December 15th
By Joshua Temblett (Dontkillmydreams), OnRPG Journalist

 

World of Warcraft: Patch 3.3

The new patch for World of Warcraft has been released!  The new update, entitled Fall of the Lich King, brings a host of improvements to this already well-established game whilst giving eager players new content to explore and enjoy.  Here’s the official release:

 

“At last. In the Fall of the Lich King content update (3.3), the great doors of IceCrown Citadel will be forced open. The mightiest heroes of the Horde and Alliance will confront and finally defeat Arthas, the Lich King — but the lord of the Scourge will not easily part with his sword, his life, or his frozen kingdom.

 

This update includes an all-new raid and winged five-player dungeon; numerous interface improvements, including detailed quest tracking and instant cross-realm dungeons; scores of new quests and achievements; the epic tier-10 armor sets, and numerous class and system updates. You can find specific info, patch notes, and extensive details on all of the additions below.

 

The price of victory in Northrend grows higher with each passing day. Charge the gates, and bring an end to the wrath of the Lich King!”

 

The Lich King

 

If you visit the World of Warcraft Profile Page you can find an epic trailer for this epic patch.

 

After intensely browsing through the patch notes, I’ve noticed several import things of interest.

 

Getting Started and Quest Tracking

“A number of changes have been made to World of Warcraft’s introductory experience, including updated character and class information at the character-selection screen, more robust tooltips with images, improved health and mana regeneration at lower levels, and adjustments to various classes designed to make it easier for players to get started. In addition, all-new quest-tracking features have been added to assist players in finding objectives, including new interface functionality in the quest log, the map (“M” key), and the Objectives pane.”

 

It seems that the game just keeps on getting easier and easier for new players.  If you have yet to play the game, then there’s no time like the present especially with the addition of the quest tracking features.  Changes have also been made to the Interface:

 

“Many of the default Interface Options settings have been changed for greater ease of use by new players. Existing players who create new characters may want to review the Interface Options in the event that the default settings feel different.”

 

If you’re already an existing player then make sure you familiarise yourself with the new Interface Options. 

 

Dungeon Finder

 

The new Dungeon Finder feature has been added recently to accompany the new patch.  This new system replaces the old Looking For Group tool and is available for all five player dungeons. Here’s some really interesting changes you can read about the New Dungeon Finder tool.

 

A few players have complained about this new feature removing the fun from finding your own party and that they don’t feel as immersed in the game and less connected with their team mates.  What’s your opinion?

 

New Dungeons and Raids

 

What would a World of Warcraft patch be without new places to explore?  Two new dungeons have been added, a five player dungeon and a raid dungeon:

 

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls: Looming over the stark wastes of Northrend, Icecrown Citadel awaits those who would see the Lich King and his Scourge brought low and the threat they pose wiped from the face of Azeroth. The heroes who venture within will face some of the greatest horrors yet seen. But before you burst into the front gate of the citadel, an alternate means of entry beckons. Journey through three separate wings of the new five-player dungeon, Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls, and follow Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner into the Lich King’s domain.

 

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne: All across Northrend, many battles have been fought against the vile Scourge. Countless lives have been lost since the Alliance and the Horde first reached these frozen wastes, but the champions of Azeroth continue to march forward — and Icecrown Citadel, the cornerstone of the Scourge’s power and the home base of the Lich King, is their final target. Tirion Fordring and the Argent Crusade have forged an accord with Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade to form the Ashen Verdict. This coalition’s strongest combatants, along with the champions of the Alliance and the Horde, will lead the charge against the citadel. In the new Icecrown Citadel raid dungeon, Azeroth’s mightiest will face terrifying challenges before ascending to the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King and his runeblade, Frostmourne, await to deliver the heroes to their deaths….”

 

I think that’s about enough on this brand new patch.  Much more has been added than mentioned here, such as new Tier 10 Armour Setscharacters and weapons.

 

Of course there has also been a huge amount of class balancing, so make sure you check the patch notes, before entering the game and getting a big surprise.

 

Quake Live: Hit Box Updates

On the 8th of December a few changes were made to player hit boxes: “Tonight’s update brings great improvements to the hit registration, thanks to increased server framerates, new cylindrical player hitboxes, and player position extrapolation fixes. These changes should help reduce occurrences where you actually miss an enemies body with a shot, but actually register a hit (because the “hitbox” was larger than the body itself). In addition to these changes we have also included several new smaller features such as the impactSparks, that further assist in detecting when and where you’ve hit your enemy.”

 

Tibia: A Year’s Retrospective

In Tibia’s last feature article of the year the developers, CipSoft, talk about the year and some of their most challenging and exciting moments.

 

Wizard 101: For Charity!

Everyone seems to be jumping on the charity band wagon these days, first it was World of Warcraft, then Runes of Magic,  and now Wizard 101.

 

“We are proud to give our players and their friends a unique way to support children this holiday season. The purchase of an in-game mount, the “Meowmodon”, will benefit the Austin Children’s Shelter and Child’s Play. The Austin Children’s Shelter provides emergency shelter and care for abused and neglected children and Child’s Play is a game industry charity dedicated to providing games and toys to children in hospitals worldwide.

  

 

Wizard 101 Charity

The black and white Meowmodon resembles a large tiger and sells for 7,500 in-game Crowns per mount. For each Meowmodon mount sold, KingsIsle will donate the full amount (a retail value of approximately $15) to the two charities, divided equally. The Meowmodon is available for purchase through the in-game Crown Shop from December 14, 2009 through January 5, 2010.

 

“We have an opportunity to give back by tapping into the power of our Wizard101 community – our 5 million players can make a real difference to deserving children,” said Elie Akilian, CEO of KingsIsle Entertainment. “We chose these organizations because we wanted to support the communities that we are a part of – one located in the same city as our design studio and another with global reach, just like Wizard101.””

 

This is one of the many reasons why I love KingsIsle, for their compassion.   No other gaming company is giving such a big donation to charity.  I will definitely be buying one of these mounts, now I just need to find my wallet.  Keep up the great work KingIsle!

 

Atlantica Online: New Content!

New content for Atlantica has popped up just in time for Christmas.  This new patch, was released on the 9th December and features some great new content such as:

– New Mercenary: Druid
– New Dungeon: Grand Canyon
– New System: Squads
– Squad Dungeon: Coyote’s Valley
– New Competition: Colosseum League

And much more! 

 

Non- MMORPG News

Team Fortress 2: WAR!

 

“So: how is the War update different from our other class updates?

 

In many ways, it’s not. Like any other class update, the War update will reveal three new weapons each for the Demoman and Soldier throughout the week, as well as some maps, achievements, and surprises, right up until the day of release, when everything we’ve been teasing goes live.

 

Where the War update differs from other class updates is that we’ve decided to mix things up a little with, as the Administrator would say, “a healthy competition.” A secret, exclusive seventh weapon has also been developed by the TF2 team. In other words, either the Soldier or the Demo (but NOT both) is walking out of this update with one more weapon than the other. If you want your class to have it, you’re going to have to fight for it. The more Demomen you kill as the Soldier class will help ensure the Soldier gets the weapon at the end of the week. The more Soldiers you kill as the Demo will help the Demo class get the exclusive seventh weapon. Check back daily to see how your class is doing at the War hubpage – this is also where you’ll see links to all the leaked previews of the weapons, maps, and surprises releasing soon with this update.”

 

TF2 War

 

Looks like it’s time to boot up Team Fortress 2 again…

 

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

If you own a Nintendo DS then make sure you pick up this brand new Zelda game (or at least get it for Christmas!).  Following on from The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hour Glass, this new title has a better story, better gameplay and better puzzles!  It’s definitely worth a purchase!

That’s a wrap!  Join us next week for a roundup of Christmas events and much more MMORPG gaming news!  Have a great time putting up your Christmas decorations and wrapping up those presents for your loved ones!  I’ll see you next time!

Renaissance Kingdoms

The Renaissance Kingdoms is a game of power and ambition. Amongst a large community of players you will start out in a little village and have to start climbing up the hierarchy.
Build your capital and gain influence but always keep an eye on the reputation you have with your villagers. Only by finding a subtle balance between friendship and treason will you rise to the top.