Yearly Archives: 2011

Playspan Partners with World of Tanks, Offers Promotional Tank Giveaway

PlaySpan Partners with World of Tanks to Offer Tank Giveaway

 

 

 

PlaySpan, a Visa company specialized in monetization solutions for digital media, online games, and mobile apps, today announced that its UltimatePay engine will be partnered with World of Tanks to process transactions.

 

 

“PlaySpan’s UltimatePay allows us to monetize World of Tanks, our first ever free-to-play online game,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. “with the recent announcement of World of Tanks’ availability to North American gamers, we feel we have made the decision that will serve the most users in the most markets.”

 

World of Tanks is celebrating this business partnership by offering a free M3 Stuart Tank for anyone who redeems their PlaySpan Ultimate Game Card between the dates of July 15th and August 31st!  The Ultimate Game Card, the world’s first pre-paid game card, makes it convenient for you to play over 1000 popular online games.  The Ultimate Game Card is available in over 55,000 stores across North America and thousands more worldwide including Walmart and Target.

 

 

For those unfamiliar with their World War II history, The M3 Stuart Tank was an extensively used United States light armor tank that turned the tides of many battles. Its 37MM guns fire quickly, accurately, and with little heating issues. Speed and stealth are the two key factors of survival as a light armored tank in World of Tanks and the M3 Stuart provides you with both.

 

For access to this Promotion online,  check out PlaySpan’s site HERE.

Battle of the Immortals Releases Titan Content Update

Battle of the Immortals Releases Titan Content Update

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment has launched the new Titan content update for its action-MMORPG, Battle of the Immortals. Based on the premise of international dungeon raiding, players will find themselves in exotic locales ranging from the Lost City of Atlantis to deep within the Mayan jungle to find rare and epic loot.

 

 

“Battle of the Immortals becomes even more epic with the Titan content update, which features huge monsters and even bigger bosses,” said Thang Phan, Product Manager for Battle of the Immortals. “We’re expanding the in-game world with two new maps, new pets, epic soul gears for each class, and players will be able to take on Kronos, the King of Gods, himself for pieces of new Soul Gear.”

 

 

The Battle of the Immortals Titan content update will include the following features:

 

 

Giant Kingdom and Black Dragon Lair maps – Explore new areas filled with new monsters and bosses.

 

Titan Throne dungeon – Challenge the King of Gods, Kronos, himself and be handsomely rewarded with pieces of the new Soul Gear equipment sets.

 

Greater, stronger pets – Venture through Rainbow Valley to the Ancient Beast Island and capture more powerful pets with higher levels.

 

Primal Soul Gear – Obtain primal Soul Gear with additional skill and gear attributes .

 

Gear re-forge system – Re-forge gear using Titan’s Glow from fallen monsters in the Titan Thrown or Black Dragon Lair.

 

Gain new powers – If great powers come with great responsibilities, players will be even more responsible  with new character stats.

Black Prophecy Enters Commercial Launch in North America

Black Prophecy Enters Commercial Launch in North America

 

German-based free-to-play MMO publisher gamigo is excited to announce the long-awaited space combat MMO, Black Prophecy has officially launched in North America this week. After a successful open beta, valuable feedback from the closed beta and the support of the large community, Black Prophecy will launch as one of the most elaborate and comprehensive space combat games ever to grace the free-to-play market.

 

“Black Prophecy has already raised the bar for Free-to-play games in the European market and now North American gamers will be able to experience one of the most expertly crafted space combat experiences available online today,”  said Patrick Streppel, Executive Board Member at gamigo.

Developed by Reakktor Media, Black Prophecy is a beautifully rendered MMO complete with a rich sci-fi back story that takes players on a journey into space to experience fast-paced, real-time combat in countless missions and epic battles.  North American players have waited for lift off and now the time has come to experience exciting PVP, modular ship design and a deep crafting component steeped in state-of-art graphics and a rich storyline. Right from the start, players will be drawn into the frenzy of space combat while following the rich and exciting background story. The story is told in spectacular cutscenes complete with voice-over recordings and a top-quality soundtrack.

 

Players can choose to join one of the two factions: the genetically-perfected Genides or the cybernetically-optimized Tyi. Whichever side they choose, there is much to be done in the vast
endlessness of space. Besides the story missions that unveil the plot, players can also complete hundreds of action-packed PvE and PvP missions or group up to form clans. Together they can collect resources and build their own clan station, which can then be expanded upon with a variety of different modules. Ships can also be customized to suit each player’s preferences using some of the countless building parts available.

Eden Eternal Launches Zumi Expansion

Eden Eternal Launches Zumi Expansion

 

 

 

Aeria Games has successfully launched the first of its many upcoming new content releases for Eden Eternal.  The latest patch includes the introduction of the Zumi as a playable race, expands on already perilous dungeons and adds a ranking based rewards system. The new features serve as both an excellent starting point for new players as well as highly anticipated end-game content for veterans.

 

 

The first of a new species of playable races, the Zumi, are a mouse-like creature with an affinity for innovation and commerce. Native to the barren desserts of the southeast, they made the pilgrimage to the central continent in search of trade opportunities.  With unique stat bonuses for each class, the Zumi are essential members of any well-rounded party.

 

Along with providing a new race, the latest patch adds eight-player raids and expands on Eden Eternal’s treacherous dungeons. Even the most experienced of players will be challenged by the numerous monsters they encounter on their path through the new end-game Heroic Dungeons, which is why they’ll need a party of eight just to survive!

 

 

Also included in the expansion is a new ranking based rewards system that tracks the top players and guilds from each server. Each month rare and valuable prizes will be awarded to those players who rank in the top percentiles of game play. The top 20 players and guilds on each server will receive rare and valuable loot.

 

The content update includes:

 

The First of New Playable Races – Utilize the benefits of playing as a member of the Zumi race. With the addition of the Zumi comes a new playable area called Fergal Valley. This new area is located on a new continent which will further expand on the Eden Eternal world in future updates.

 

8-Player Raids and Heroic Dungeons – The Heroic Dungeons will cater especially to the skilled players who have reached current level cap, providing new challenges, new items and new crafting recipes. These new dungeons are set to an extreme difficulty and are based off of previous dungeons from the original quest line. The first is Angor Quarry which revisits the very first dungeon that players have access to. The second would be the notorious Villeshark Headquarters as an established difficult dungeon, the Heroic Trial version introduces new challenges and a new boss.

 

New Ranking Based Rewards – Gauge your progress with new player and guild ranks every month. Only the best of Eden Eternal will be rewarded for their efforts with rare and valuable prizes.

 

League of Legends: Future of Stealth

League of Legends: The Future of Stealth

By Jason Harper (Hhean), OnRPG DotA Reporter

 

 

 

There’s fresh news on what we’re going to be seeing from the upcoming Stealth reworks Riot has in the works for League of Legends. While the details are subject to change, the current mechanics being used in internal testing should feel familiar to anyone who’s played some Metal Gear Solid in their time. The key idea is that every champion, when dealing with long duration stealth characters like Evelynn and Twitch, can see and target anyone using that form of stealth once they get within a certain range (Around 30% of the total distance of a champion’s visibility). However, Evelynn and Twitch can be permanently in stealth from the moment they put one point in their stealth granting ability. Visible only to the stealth player, there will be a notification above the head of enemy champions, indicating that they can’t see you (Green), that they can see you (Red), and an indicator to show when you are on the verge of being detected (Yellow, though I wish it was a sound file that said “What was that noise?”). If they attack without being spotted, they will be unable to hide for two seconds, regardless of distance, before they automatically stealth again.

 

This change won’t apply to short duration stealth, like those used by Akali and Vayne, or stealth with limited movement, like Teemo’s passive or wards. Those mechanics are in line to be renamed, most likely to “invisibility”.

 

Riot is currently looking into how this change will affect Oracle’s Elixer, and the practice of ward sweeping (Where your tank or support buys an oracle potion for the express purpose of wiping enemy wards from the map). Testing relating to oracles, and especially how it interacts with wards, is currently one of the major factors holding back the stealth rework from release, in addition to general reworks to the two champions.

 

 

These reworks are going to be made to compensate the nerf they are receiving to scouting ability and general uninhibited face rolling of overextended unsuspecting foes. Eve is planned to receive a range boost to her Hate Spikes, turning them more into a mid-range harass to improve her laning presence. Her stealth may receive an active in the form of a very short range (250 units, about the range of Trundle’s bite) dash onto her old stun (yup her slow is being turned back into the tried and true stun it once was). Twitch is likely to receive an active on his stealth that grants him an attack speed bonus, with his ultimate getting a complete overhaul.

 

The main objective for these changes is to make stealth less of a binary “You are a god against those without Oracle Elixer, and useless against those who have it” to a more level playing field that allows for play and counter-play tactics. These changes will mean that a stealth user has the ability to go anywhere they please across the map at any time, given they won’t be revealed by minion waves or wards, making them exceptional roamers. It also will mean they will be able to counter junglers very well, due to the already limited vision in the jungle caused by the tight bends and large amounts of brush.

 

 

Their scouting ability and team fight presence is going to be diminished though. No more Evelynns sitting in the middle of enemy teams to give not only accurate, up to date information on their movements, but also a free double stun at any moment. They will still be able to shadow a team from a distance though, keeping just out of range of vision using the yellow indicator.

 

Their players are going to have to think hard during laning – Abusing fog of war, walls, brush and other aspects that will allow for their stealth not to break as they close ground. This will then lead to some interesting counter play, where champions in a lane could opt to be a spotter, always juking around walls and other map elements to try and get that crucial vision in order to confirm if a stealth character is roaming or not.

 

 

I doubt these changes will affect high level play much, since none of this really looks to be much of a counter to the current double AP metagame. It certainly looks like it is going to make these characters less frustrating to deal with though, both when playing with or against them. It should make mid level play a fair bit more interesting, given it allows for getting around wards while still punishing the looser play in that skill region. This will likely act as a nerf to stealth characters in low level play, since new players don’t really buy wards anyway, but will now be able to see the stealth characters coming when they inevitably overextend. Overall, I’m rather hopeful with this direction taken for stealth, and think it, on paper at least, sounds a good deal more interesting than the current implementation. Hopefully it opens up the way for new stealth champions in the future who can utilize these changes to change the current metagame up a bit.

Chinese Game Markets Surge as ChinaJoy Convention Approaches

Chinese Gaming Markets Surge as ChinaJoy Convention Approaches

 

 

 

After years of development, China’s game industry is now strong enough to explore the market outside China. This is coinciding with a widely known pessimism of MMO gamers that they have seen it all before and can no longer be satisfied with their current string of MMOs. This atmosphere is shaping up to create an explosive setting for ChinaJoy 2011, the premier Chinese gaming convention held annually in Shanghai.

 

“Going overseas” has long been a great ambition for China’s game industry. 2010 in particular marked a huge influx of Chinese developed games into the western market. According to China’s Game Industry Report 2010, a total of 82 game products developed by 34 Chinese Internet game companies entered the overseas market in 2010, with total sales revenue of $230 million, an 111 percent leap from the previous year.

 

 

Such achievements are attributed not only to the enhancing development capabilities of China’s game industry, but also the stake purchase and acquisitions of foreign enterprises by large-size Chinese game operators. Shanda’s purchase of Mochimedia and Eyedentity Games, the Korean developer of Dragon Nest, alongside The9’s purchase of Red 5 and strategic investment in Open Feint were just the beginning. The real news broke when Tencent announced the purchase of Riot Games for over $350 million in February 2011, which is proof of the prediction of Joe Steger, Chief of Ernst Young’s Global Technology Trading Unit, “I predict that Chinese companies will continue to consider purchasing foreign companies and looking for growth opportunities in the international market.”

 

At an industry annual conference in Beijing at the beginning of this year, China’s leading game companies all placed high priority on overseas expansion and mobile entertainment products. Mr. Sun Shoushan, Deputy Director of China’s General Administration of Press and Publication, addressed that the administration will initiate an overseas promotion program for China’s local-made Internet games to encourage and support qualified game companies in their overseas expansion.

 

 

According to China’s Game Industry Report 2010, China’s game development companies independently developed over 356 games in 2010, representing an increase of 35 games from 2009, while the growth rate maintained the same as 2009. Through years of growth, China’s game industry has turned out nearly 3,000 varieties of games, covering different types including MMO, Webgame, social game and mobile entertainment.

 

It is safe to say that China’s game industry has reached a stage where continued growth is impossible in the present without seeking international markets. Recent quality games like Eden Eternal and Forsaken World have shown that Chinese development is starting to show parity with their competition in Europe and the US.

 

 

Compared with European and US game companies, Chinese game companies are improving in their MMO products’ features, content updates, and graphics. Meanwhile, China’s constant stream of games provides multiple competitive titles to pressure the international market. According to Howell, the organizer of ChinaJoy scheduled for July 28-31, 2011, enquiries have come from various industry associations in countries and regions including Europe, the US, Korea, Japan, South and East Asia, Brazil and Russia seeking to establish partnerships with Chinese counterpart companies.

 

OnRPG, an official western media outlet for ChinaJoy, will be putting our attention on this event come the end of July to see what new and excited games emerge from this Media Frenzy of business deals and game porting plans.

Early Access: Realm of the Titans Pre-CB Preview

Early Access: Realm of the Titans Pre-CB Preview Part 1

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), OnRPG Editor-in-Chief

 

 

 

Hey OnRPG viewers! My apologies for the lack of updates over the weekend. I have once again gone to Santa Clara to meet with Aeria Games for an early press preview of their upcoming MOBA, Realm of the Titans.

 

For those few who are still in the dark about Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas, I say to you.. for shame! MOBAs are built around short session combat in which two teams duel it out to kill each other and, ultimately, destroy the enemy’s base. Along the way you earn gold to purchase various items that add a real strategic feel to the genre unlike anything else offered in the MMO world. The easier way I can explain it to someone not in the know is that it feels like you are a powerful minion in a 2 sided tower defense game.

 

As for the viewers that are already in the know, I’m sure by now you are getting tired of my rambling and just want me to answer the question, “Does Realm of the Titans stand on par with League of Legends?” My answer is yes.

 

 

Graphics Burnt into my Retinas

 

Realm of the Titans, much like Aeria’s previous release Eden Eternal, is heading towards launch with a powerful weapon at its disposal. It has already been launched in China and has gained a lot of tweaking, balancing, and bug fixes prior to seeing the light of day in America. In fact I found no bugs or glitches in my entire afternoon playing the game. The game is also highly polished graphically, bringing in beautiful maps, well defined unique looking characters, and clear cut skill animations that never leave you puzzled over what happened in an intense team fight. The special effects in this game are dazzling from moment to moment, but the ultimate skills left me in shock and awe.

 

 

Diversity is the Spice of Life

 

Besides polish and looks, Realm of the Titans is using its Chinese release to one up the competition in the realm of content. Although their homepage only shows 13 Heroes on display, this is pure trolling. At the press event there were closer to 20 Heroes available for use, with a grand total of 59 Heroes existing to be released. As Associate Producer Travis Hawk assured me, Realm of the Titans is looking to follow a 2 week continuous content release starting from launch. That means new champions, new skins, and constant feedback, tweaking, balance, and bug patching to keep the game feeling fresh and dynamic.

 

 

The same is true for of the items on display on the website. Though they show quite a large variety of items on the homepage, it’s not an accurate depiction of the sheer variety of items and builds you can create on a game to game basis. The items also feature diverse build paths that result in a variety of end game items featuring powerful active abilities that also freeze, cc, and other side effects. Oh having 8 item slots to work with doesn’t hurt customization either!

 

 

Now my first reaction when I learned of the 59 total champions was ‘why not release them at launch?’ Travis Hawk had a satisfying answer to my outcry. Turns out there is a very strong fan base for MOBA games among the Aeria Games staff. As such, when they got their hands on the heroes they soon realized that there were some heroes seriously lacking in usefulness and some that were intensely overpowering. Thanks to Aeria’s close relationship with the developers, they are able to delay the release of these champions and address directly what needs to be done to prepare and balance the champions before going live on their servers. Maybe it’s the cynicism I’ve developed towards MMO games over my lifetime, but I find it easier to sleep at night knowing that the publishing company of a game is acting as a firewall between me and the developers so that only tested and approved content makes it live on the game servers.

 

Features Features and More Features

 

Realm of the Titans really has the full features at the ready to make this game an ideal candidate for Esports. Wish you could catch a glimpse of the pros in action while having your morning cereal? Realm of the Titans has a fully functional and detailed observer mode that will be ready at launch! This mode allows you to sit in on a game with a 5 minute delay to avoid cheating. While sitting in, you can observe both teams or set fog of war up to keep things mysterious. You can view personal stats of each hero, the overall gold acquired by each team, the skill and item progression of each hero, and even the current cool down timers limiting that hero’s skill use!

 

 

But why stop there? Realm of the Titans is dedicated to make itself as Esport friendly as possible. They are implementing a 1 or 2 man ‘Referee System’ in which neutral parties can place themselves on the map in observer mode but view the battle live. This is an ideal system for youtube enthusiasts and live streams of tournaments alike!

 

If you’re interested in a more active feature, you’ll be happy to know that bot games exist in Realm of the Titans to help players hone their skills. But these aren’t your grandma’s wimpy autofeed bots you have gotten so used to from other MOBA games. Set the bots difficulty to hard and you will find yourself fighting for survival as the bots acquire experience gain bonuses and use them to pounce and punish any player caught out of position.

 

Overextended Noobs Will be Punished!

 

Maps and Missions

 

At the press event, there were two maps available for play. They are called Titan’s Eye and Omeka Divide. Omeka Divide is your standard 3 lane map designed for 5v5 combat albeit with one of the most winding and confusing jungles known to MOBA games. The goal of the map is also pretty typical. Push the enemy back to their control points, statues that occasionally spawn minions on steroids, then turn these control points on your enemy and destroy their base core to win. But for those looking for something a little more unusual, Titan’s Eye is for you.

 

 Titan’s Eye Mini (mega) Map

 

Titan’s Eye breaks the norm by introducing a mission aside from the main quest to destroy the enemy’s base. A total kill count goal is set at the beginning of the game based on how many players are present within the game, with the maximum being 66 for 5v5 and 15 for 1v1 matches. If your team reaches this quota before destroying the enemy base, you win! Of course it is encouraged that players win by this kill based quota, and so respawn times following death are reduced by roughly 90% to keep the action constantly flowing.

 

If you’re looking for even more of a whacky goal to shoot for in a game, take a look at Realm of the Titans’ achievement list. Here you will find some off the wall challenging goals to aim for in a game such as earn 6 kills in 30 seconds or go 20 minutes in a game without buying boots of speed. Some of the more difficult achievements will even unlock special titles that can be worn above your head in-game to intimidate your foes. Of course this led the press to question if these achievements might cause people to throw games while pursuing their non-win related goals. Travis assured us this would not be an issue because your achievement is voided out if you earn it but lose the game.

 

Supports.. the new Carry

 

In part 2 of this column I will be stepping away from the overarching concepts of the game to give you the juicy details of the Heroes, Titan Skills, Titan Skill Amping, and map layouts. Expect to see it before the end of the week! Until then, Dizzy’s Early Access is signing out.

 

Edit: Be sure to check out Aeria’s new Realm of the Titans Titan’s Eye Preview Video!