Monthly Archives: April 2014

Shikihime Garden: Two Rare Cards Annouced

Shikihime Garden

Appirits, the Japanese game developer and publisher has recently announced 2 brand new Extremely Rare cards for their hybrid browser-based casual game of card & simulation Shikihime Garden on April 8th 2014.

The 2 new cards, namely Otsuno & Oyuki, belong to the highest class of Shikihime so far. Otsuno uses powerful magic that is a nemesis to opponents using sword or axe. While Oyuki owns elite recovery skill that is very helpful at restoring HP for her teammate in battles. Appirits also emphasized that the summon rate for these 2 cards would be DOUBLED in 1 week since the release. And note that they are available for Gold Summon only. At the present, there are 7 races of Shikihime that players can summon by using Power (charged points) or combining from other normal cards through Unity feature.

In addition to the 2 new extremely rare cards, there are other updates and events announced also, such as the release of event-only Garden Summon button which is used for the 1-week event of Garden Festival and some new garden ornaments for decoration purposes. During the event, players will get Garden Tickets for free to summon special ornaments for their gardens. More details of these updates can be found on the game’s main website.

For more info, visit http://skgen.aprts-games.com

The Secret World: New Investigation Missions Available

The Secret World

Funcom is excited to release a pack of brand new Investigation Missions for The Secret World, called Side-stories: Further Analysis. Sidestories are a new type of downloadable content packs which will come in addition to the game’s regular content updates.

Side-stories: Further Analysis is now live in the in-game Item Shop and it offers four new Investigation Missions with fresh, deep and unique puzzles in New York, Egypt, Transylvania, Hell and more.

The Secret World’s Investigation Missions focus on figuring out mysteries and solving puzzles. Instead of defeating enemies through combat, players instead complete missions by for example deciphering runic texts or piecing together evidence from a murder case, and Further Analysis gives the players even more of this unique MMO content.

For more info, visit http://www.thesecretworld.com/news/sidestories_further_analysis_is_live

New Star Trek Game in Development

http://www.onrpg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Star-Trek-Timelines.jpg
Star Trek

Disruptor Beam, the company that brings together fan communities and games, has announced today its plans to produce a new Star Trek strategy roleplaying game (SRPG). Under license by CBS Consumer Products, Star Trek Timelines is a story-driven social game in which millions of fans will build their ultimate starship and crew, while exploring the vast Star Trek multiverse along with their favorite characters from across all eras. Currently in development, Star Trek Timelines will be released across mobile and web platforms in the future.

“We want to create a new generation of strategy game for tablet and mobile devices and one that is as large and deep as the Star Trek universe itself,” said Jon Radoff, CEO of Disruptor Beam. “I grew up watching the franchise and have always felt that the best episodes were those that went beyond the coolness of the technology or vastness of space; the ones which told the story of characters making important decisions that had an impact on others, on civilizations, planets, and technology. Star Trek Timelines will encompass all of these concepts, allowing you to explore the vastness of space along with your friends—letting you live out the ‘where no man has gone before’ mantra we all love—but will also allow you to make decisions that impact your future, your friends and even the fate of the Galaxy.”

Star Trek Timelines will immerse players through a story-driven journey across the vast Star Trek multiverse including content and characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. Players will explore the Galaxy alongside their friends, build their dream crew and go on missions with Captain Kirk, Spock, Captain Picard, Data, and many other beloved (and some infamous) characters. Throughout their journey, players will explore numerous galaxies, planets and distant lands, while interacting with a plethora of technologies, cultures and races. Players will resolve problems through combat, diplomacy and science while building their own resources and creating the ultimate starship! The game will feature all original artwork and 3D graphics throughout.

Disruptor Beam has built a name for itself as a developer which has mastered the strategy roleplaying game genre for mobile and web platforms. The company’s hit Game of Thrones Ascent was first released in spring of 2013 to critical acclaim and the game’s fanbase continues to grow with over 3 million players. Disruptor Beam will exhibit at the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East) in Boston April 11th – 13th.

For more info, visit http://www.disruptorbeam.com/

Age of Civilization Beta Pack Giveaway

OnRPG has partnered with Game321 to bring you a powerful beta pack to begin your rise to power in their newest browser MMO, Age of Civilization!

Age of Civilization is set in the European Middle Ages, with events and quests loosely based on historical and mythical events. Age of Civilization packs dazzling 3D rendered visuals, an advanced strategy-based battle system, and a stunning array of options for players to develop castles into powerful strongholds to use against one another.

Age of Civilization Newbie Pack Giveaway:

  • Food*10000
  • Wood*10000
  • Ore*10000
  • Silver*10000
  • Hero EXP Card *1
  • Crimson Bow *1

 

To Redeem Your Key:

  • Enter Age of Civilization.
  • At the top of the screen, you will see an event icon “Redeem Gift Pack”.
  • Click the icon; enter the serial number on the Media Gift Pack page
  • Click Redeem to receive rewards.
  • The serial number of each pack only can be used once.

Skara Interview: Building to Early Access

Questions by Michael Sagoe (Mikedot)

Answers by Pablo and César of 8-bit Studios.

 

Skara Shinse Splash

Mikedot: Hello there! My name is Michael Sagoe, but you can call me Mikedot. Now before we begin, would you care to introduce yourself for our readers?

 

8-Bit: Hello there! This is Pablo Rodríguez – Founder and Creative Director of Skara, and I´m César Ortega – CFO and co-Founder of Skara. Pablo and I grew up together playing videogames more than 20 years ago, and now we are creating our own one.

 

 

Mikedot: So for anyone that does not already know, could you tell us what Skara all about?

 

8-Bit:Skara pioneers a new gaming genre, MOV—Multiplayer Online Versus, where up to 16 people can play a versus-style game together online. The game is free to play, though players can purchase customized features like equipment and even special moves to make their experience unique.

The game takes place on a planet after its sun has ruptured, causing dramatic climate shifts and other disasters that impact the world’s five races. Already used to battling each other, these races engage in a frantic struggle to survive. Players can choose a race and band together into unions, or factions, to see who can dominate what’s left of the world. Individual and group successes are tracked and rewarded as the game continues to evolve.

 

Skara Rope Slide

Mikedot: Tell us a little bit more about the development team at 8-bit studios and how everyone came together to create this game.

 

8-Bit:We have put together an incredible, international team with a lot of experience developing games in big companies such as Ubisoft, Eurocom, Tequila Works, Ankama and more…

The studio has been growing fast since last year and right now we work as a well-oiled machine, something proven with the amazing results we got in just eight months of development with Unreal 4.

 

Skara 8 bit Team

Mikedot: Tell us more about the playable races.

 

8-Bit:In the world of Skara, there are 5 races – Khärn, Durno, Tamvaasa, Shinse, and Celea – with unique characteristics, abilities, and aesthetics. We have put a lot of effort into making them unique, with their own story, literacy, calligraphy and music, creating a background that players will be able to enrich and modify, adding their own personal stories to fill in more details.

 

Each one of the races are defined by their weapons and combat style. This way we have the Durno, knights that fight using sword and shield; The Khärn, fierce and big warriors who love to smash their enemies with huge clubs; The Shinse, quick and agile warriors carrying two deadly katanas; the Tamvaasa, northern warriors covered in animal skins who carry big axes onto the battlefield; and the Celea, the Sons of Fire, deadly with their long bows and long spears.

 

Skara Battlefield

Mikedot: Will each race cater to distinct fighting game play styles (like rush down or zoning) or will players be able to create their own play style?

 

8-Bit:Besides choosing the way a character looks, we want to create ways for players to be able to personalize their combat styles. Characters can unlock different movements, special attacks and even fatalities! These customizable options won´t make your character stronger or faster, but they will distinguish your character from the others.

 

 

Mikedot: What was the main inspiration for creating Skara?

 

8-Bit:Skara has been somewhere in our heads forever. As a lifelong lover of great stories and great games, we wanted to create something fast paced and fun. We also wanted it to be competitive, allow for collaboration in an engaging and evolving world that we weren’t totally responsible for creating—something that surprised us occasionally, that had a life of its own. These ideas gradually became Skara.

So we’re not even totally sure what will happen within Skara. The story will be written through the players’ actions and contributions, the success of their factions and races.

For example, if the Khärn factions win many battles, their tribes will expand their territories and will dominate Skara, until other factions beat them. We’re going to immortalize these movements, by naming those that achieve them Heroes and Kings, to be remembered in the future as the people who, at one time, ruled Skara. This is the way we want to reward great players: By immortalizing them as the true protagonists of the game.

 

That’s a game we can play ourselves—without rigging it to be the winners, of course!

 

Skara Durno Splash

Mikedot: What kind of game modes is your team planning to develop?

 

8-Bit:We distinguish three main branches: players will be able to perform 1v1 or 2v2 quick fights and tournaments at the Lava Coliseum. Ten minute Fast Battles for those who only want to play quick matches, in Free for All or Team Deathmatch, and Faction Battles will be the true core of Skara, allowing players to create their own factions – clans and tribes inside every race. Members of the faction will be able to describe the faction’s theme, its appearance and the background story, and invite other players to join.

 

Skara Lava Arena

Mikedot: How much of the community’s involvement has driven development for Skara (so far)?

 

8-Bit:Our community members help us in so many ways. We are a small indie studio and have some good ideas, but when you have thousands of fans talking about the game and telling us what they like and don’t like, amazing things start to happen, things that we wouldn’t even dream about. This is how the game has improved—by getting lots of feedback and new ideas as we go along.

That’s why the forum part of our website is so important. Committed fans can go on there and communicate with our team on a daily basis. When we are coming up with some new concept art or have a game design idea, we publish the idea in the forum and get feedback.

We anticipate the forum remaining an important part of the game even after it has been launched, but once people are playing the game, we are designing ways for them to collaborate even more.

 

Skara Celea Splash

Mikedot: Is the gameplay more tailored for casual or hardcore gamers?

 

8-Bit:We like to say that the combat system in Skara will be easy to learn but hard to master. It will take some commitment to be truly successful in Skara, but anyone can of course have a go.

 

 

Mikedot: So when does your team expect a more public beta test for Skara to happen?

 

8-Bit:It depends on so many factors, but we have already started the private alpha testing with some selected users from our forum, and they really love the game. We still have to do a lot of work to open a beta version to the public. In the next two or three months we are releasing a Steam Early Access version so we can start testing the networking and faction battles and prepare Skara for the masses.

 

Skara Greenlit

Mikedot: Any announcements regarding how the free-to-play model will work for Skara?

 

8-Bit:The most important point to make about this is that we are aiming to be the perfect free-to-win experience: In Skara there is no way to buy an unstoppable character in the “pay to win” tradition. Purchasing items for your character in Skara will be both cosmetic and strategic.

All the equipment has trade-offs, and players will have to use their equipment tactically.

For example, buying some Heavy Armor will make a character more resistant to blows, but it will also slow them down. In the end, a character’s choices about equipment will depend on their combat style and the needs of their faction on the battlefield.

Teamwork will be very important in Skara: A well-coordinated and balanced team will have more chances to win a battle than a bunch of uncoordinated players. Teams will need to experiment with the equipment to ensure that they have a wide enough variety of combinations for different environments and situations.

 

Skara Tamvaasa Splash

Mikedot: Is there anything else in particular that you would like to share with our readers?

 

8-Bit:We would like to welcome all the players to our forums and engage them to help Skara become the perfect experience for fellow gamers. Listening to our future players and developing the game with the help and feedback of the community has always been our top priority.

 

Mikedot: Thank you for your time!

 

8-Bit:Many thanks to Mikedot for following us from the beginning of this incredible journey!

Ridge Racer Slipstream Trailer

The ultimate arcade racing experience — all in the palm of your hand. New cars, new tracks, new breathtaking views and a whole new experience. With 12 new cars and more than 300 combinations, Ridge Racer Slipstream is entirely customizable. Rev your engines and drift your way to victory.

Ridge Racer Slipstream

Ridge Racer Slipstream is a free to play racing experience for mobile, built on the traditions of the original arcade racing Ridge Racer franchise. Drift and slipstream past your rivals on challenging tracks.

Features:

Customizable Racing Machines: Twelve machines with hundreds of customization possibilities let you burn rubber on the tracks.

Career and Arcade Modes: Play in the full length career mode, or take on quicker matches in the Regular, Quick, and Knockout Races in Arcade mode.

Inspiring Race Tracks: Ten tracks, twenty courses, and 108 racing competitions will let you push the limits in beautiful locations.

Real Time Multiplayer: Challenge others in 8-player multiplayer, and connect with Facebook to gain rewards and share achievements.

Hanakai Studio surpasses Kickstarter target for Prodigy in Three Days

Prodigy Art

In just three days Hanakai Studio has surpassed their target goal of $100,000 in the Kickstarter campaign for their upcoming game Prodigy. More than 660 backers have pledged their support for Prodigy’s unique blend of tactical figurine RPG and video games, reaching the halfway mark of $50,000 in just 24 hours. The campaign total now stands at $121,000.

 

The French independent studio would like to thank all the backers for their overwhelming support.  A new stretch goal has been introduced: if the campaign reaches $150,000, a brand new figurine called Argon Batter, the Sorcerer King Companion will be added to the game. Check out the Kickstarter page for more details.

 

The Prodigy campaign still has 25 days to go.

Zombies Monsters Robots

Zombies Monsters Robots (ZMR) is an online multiplayer third-person shooter developed by Yingpei Games and published by En Masse entertainment. Set in an alternate world where the invention of portal technology has lured cross-dimensional creatures to Earth and humanity finds itself under attack, ZMR pits gamers against a bevy of hostile foes.

Features:

Intense co-op & competitive modes: For both the casual and hardcore, there’s something for everyone.

Expansive variety of maps & enemies: Tons of variety to break up repetition.

Unpredictable boss fights: Duel against creatures that will require you to switch tactics during every encounter.

Deep customization of guns & gear: Tweak your weapons and equipment with several different parts and stats until your heart’s content.