Google Alert - mmorpg

	Black Desert Mobile to Start Pre-Registrations in Korea Develop "Today, I am proud to present to everyone, our second work of art, which is a combination of our passion for MMORPGs and persistent technical mastery, Black Desert Mobile. We will do our best to make history with our new game by following in the steps of the original Black Desert, that made so many ... Flag as irrelevant

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Google Alert - mmorpg

	Black Desert Mobile to Start Pre-Registrations in Korea
	Black Desert Mobile to Start Pre-Registrations in Korea Gamasutra Seoul, South Korea - November 23, 2017 - The much-anticipated mobile MMORPG Black Desert Mobile, was finally unveiled to the public. Pearl Abyss, who ... Black Desert Mobile is a mobile MMORPG that utilizes the IP of the original PC version, Black Desert Online, also developed by Pearl Abyss. Flag as irrelevant

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Why Pay for WOW? Check Out These Free MMORPGs

MMORPG stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, a phrase so cumbersome to type or say that everyone just calls them MMORPGs. (Just don’t call them MMORPG games, because that’s like saying ATM machine.)

Ever since the first casting of “An Corp” to resurrect someone in Ultima Online, the gaming world has never quite been the same. Followed by the success of WoW and Everquest, the MMORPG took over much of the gaming focus for many years.

MMORPGs are a commitment, a gaming marriage as opposed to the quick one-night stand of playing a few rounds of Smash Brothers before “24” comes on. MMORPGs demand serious investment of time, money and energy to be rewarding – but those rewards are incomparably sweet, so they’re worth it.

The question is then, are you ready for MMORPG’ing? Ready to sink hours of your life into the minutia of creating and leveling your character(s)? Ready to crunch numbers and research strategy? Ready to get so addicted that you end up paying for a monthly subscription…and then spending even more money for extras?

It’s a lot to ask of anyone, so we recommend “living together” before you “tie the knot”. Here are some try-before-you-buy solutions, otherwise known as free MMORPGs. Some of them are so good, you may decide not to buy the cow when you can get the milk for free…

1. Shaiya

Shaiya is a critically acclaimed, fantasy-themed MMORPG game. It won Gameborder’s Best MMORPG award in 2007, and MMOSITE’s reader’s choice awards for Best Graphics, and placed second for Most Anticipated Game of 2007. Best of all, it’s free!

The plot is the standard fantasy nonsense about Goddesses and Dragons and various races. Players create a character in either the Alliance of Light or the Union of Furies. We’ll let you guess which ones are the good guys.

The standard classes are on offer and, all in all, the 3D game mechanics should be familiar to anyone who’s ever delved into WoW. Quests, items, guilds, Player vs. Player zones, HP, MP, XP – you know the drill by now. It bears mentioning that Shaiya is a newcomer in the MMORPG world, and doesn’t offer as large or detailed an experience as WoW.

Still, with great graphics, solid gameplay and ever more players, Shaiya is definitely worth the download.

2. The Kingdom of Loathing

Not everyone is after an immersive 3D virtual world to suck up all their free (and work, sleep, and social) time. Kingdom of Loathing, or KoL (as it’s affectionately known to members of its friendly community), is a little browser MMORPG. You won’t need a high-tech PC or any fancy graphics hardware to run it. It’ll run just fine on anything which can handle internet browsing.

As you’d expect, the graphics aren’t exactly up to par with Fallout 3. In fact, stick-men illustrations are about the extent of them. That’s fine though, because what KoL has a lot of is humor, and apparently having that makes up for a lack of looks. At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.

In KoL, you collect items and currency (which in this world, is meat), compete and trade with other players, and join clans and whatnot. All of this is turn-based, and you can only do so many things every day. You can choose your character from the likes of Seal Clubbers, Pastamancers, and other such silly options. Basically, KoL is like playing a Terry Pratchett book — or at least a Pratchett eBook.

There are about 150,000 people playing this game, and payment takes the form of strictly voluntary donations. It’s a perfect little game for the office, assuming your net usage isn’t monitored, although it does have a bit of a learning curve. Still, you can’t argue with free and funny.

3. Anarchy Online

If you know MMORPGs, you probably know Age of Conan. Big game, lots of decapitation, about so tall? Yeah. Well, Anarchy Online is made by the makers of that. The setting has less to do with Robert E. Howard than William Gibson, and if you don’t know the difference between those two authors, you need to put down the joypad and pick up a book. Honestly, fantasy and sci-fi nerds today…

Anyway, as you might have surmised, Anarchy is a sci-fi MMORPG. You play as a colonist newly arrived on an alien world, and get to choose your character from three allegiances and fourteen classes. In addition to basic 3D game mechanics, the game offers deep character development, dynamic missions, a large world, and a setting that isn’t the usual elves and unicorns foppery – hurrah!

While the graphics are starting to look their age (Anarchy Online came out in 2001), the game has been consistently upgraded since its inception with patches and add-ons. Sadly, these add-ons require subscription, but the vanilla game is free (albeit with some in-game advertising).

Still, chances are you’ll like it so much you won’t mind upgrading – at least that’s the business model. Seeing as you’ve got nothing to lose, why not investigate the interesting world of Anarchy Online.

4. Fiesta

We’re trying to cover best-of-genre titles here, and the genre Fiesta best fits into is “games to get your girlfriend into MMORPG’ing.” Fiesta features cute cartoon-style graphics, very little in the way of decapitations and maiming, and plenty of light-hearted, friendly fun. Shenanigans and tomfoolery for all.

It’s a fantasy-themed game, where players can choose from four basic classes: Fighters, Mages, Clerics and Archers. It’s sort of an MMORPG-Lite, if you see what we mean. Just think WoW slimmed down to its core, with all the fiddly bits taken out so players can jump right into it and start having fun. While it may be a bit too cutesy for you to play yourself (though hey, we’re not judging) it should serve as a great introduction to the genre for non-hardcore role-players.

Game masters take an active role in the game, playing characters themselves. They are usually very friendly and helpful, allowing beginners to ease into the swing of things without too much trouble.

5. Wizard101

Fiesta still too difficult? Trying to bring MMORPGs to your non-gamer girlfriend, or perhaps *gasp* child? Well, look no further than Wizard101, a turn-based kid-friendly MMORPG set in a world of wizards at school. For copyright reasons, let’s just say that you would likely refer to it as Shmarry Shmotter.

Actually, the creators were probably worried that you’d name your wizard Shmarry Shmotter, so they force you to pick from a list of pre-generated first and last names. Just choose your wizarding school (Fire, Ice, Life, Death, the usual), and you are given a few cards of your chosen school and a starter set of one each from the other schools.

Oh, did we mention that combat is all card-based? When you run into an enemy, you pick a card from your deck and cast that spell. Then the opponent gets to cast a spell. Then you get to cast a spell. Repeat until someone falls down and runs out of hit points.

Still, it’s so simple even a child can do it. In fact, many do, and the world is populated with 13-year olds. If that doesn’t bother you, though, you may as well give it a look. The first few zones are free, at least.

6. Private Servers

Enough of those free MMORPGs. You want to play a deep, high-end graphics, addictive, complex MMORPG like World of Warcraft, and none of this other junk is going to satisfy you as a replacement. Well, why not try playing WoW on a private server? Private Servers are small servers run by regular people rather than Blizzard.

Playing on a private server requires a complex reconfiguration of your WoW data files, guarantees that you’ll miss all the awesome world events on the Blizzard servers, generally requires you to create new characters, allows other players to have weapons with completely unfair damage, probably prevents you from playing with all of your friends who have subscriptions to use, may give you trouble when you try to log on, and often results in serious latency and lag.

So why play on private servers? Well, you get to play WoW for free. Yes, you read that correctly: You get to play WoW for free. If you have purchased World of Warcraft, but no longer want to pay Blizzard’s monthly fees, you can play on a private server for free. Also, if you can convince your friends to all join your server, you’ll have a small world populated with a higher percentage of your friends, and a lower percentage of n00bs. (n00bs will be unable to figure out how to set up the private server.)

There are a number of private servers available for various games, but a reasonable guide to private Warcraft servers can be found here.

By Tech Mog

Source: http://www.ethiopianreview.com/

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Gaming 101: Free PC games

Whether it's a limited-function addon for Myspace and Facebook, freeware by an indie developer, or a F2P MMORPG, free games have been on the rise, sometimes commanding an audience that dwarfs the playerbase of traditional, subscription-based MMORPGs and commercially-released video games.

Inside Social Games recently posted an article showing the top 25 Facebook addons for August 2009. Zynga, the developer whose games occupy three of the five top spots, has a playerbase that exceeds World of Warcraft's subscriber base for every individual title. In fact, WoW would currently place at #7 were it a Facebook addon.

The MMO genre itself is dominated by a number of free-to-play titles that support themself by item shops and has produced F2P titles that are nearly as well-known as subscription-based titles like Everquest and Lineage. Silkroad Online, for example, has been dominating gaming headlines recently for its continued war against botting and a recent major update. Others, like Atlantica Online, are noted for their original style, boasting features that are unique within the MMO genre.

Then there are entirely-free games that range from the professionally-developed America's Army 3 to old-school, simple freeware like Battle for Wesnoth. As this is already the minority group among free games, finding that rare gem that leaves you wondering how the major developers skipped over it can be quite a task. Often, the best work is done among modding communities, like the one built around Neverwinter Nights.

While the high-end graphics of commercial gaming aren't a frequent find among free titles, variety and playability are and with experiments like Guild Wars and Free Realms becoming more common, developed by professional teams, the mainstream industry has realized it. NCsoft and Sony are only pioneers, the first of many mainstream companies that will attempt to seize hold of the free-gaming community.



Bye Alexian Nox

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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MMORPG 101: Getting into beta testing

I have not been doing the world's greatest job posting news here on the Examiner, but I have a great excuse. I'm managing the alpha test for an upcoming MMO (no, for real, it doesn't have to have elves and orcs to be an MMO), and preparing to go into the beta phase.
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Experienced MMO people already know a lot about getting into beta. But for the Examiner 101 series, we try to break it down for newcomers. Check it out:

What's a beta?

A beta is an unfinished, incomplete, buggy version of a game. It can be annoying and frustrating, and occasionally tedious. But if the basic idea behind the game is a good one, you will also see flashes of awesome. A beta is a front row seat on the process of game development, and fascinating if you like seeing into the guts of the beast.

How do I get into beta?

Apply. Towards the end of every development process, game studios need to stress test their servers. If you're willing to tolerate the servers crashing for no reason, or if you just want to play a nearly complete MMO for free before it launches, sign up on the company's website. The timing of getting in will be a bit random, but most people will eventually get in.

How do I get into the real beta?

Oh, you mean the closed beta. You still need to fill out the form and register, so do that first.

Next, find the forum for the game. (If there's no official forum, consider starting one!) Post regularly and thoughtfully, about your reactions to the existing imagery, your thoughts about the market, and your hopes for the game. Don't make your posts too long, and use a spellchecker. Start a FAQ. Welcome new users cheerfully, and answer their questions. If a developer asks a question, answer it. Post news related to the niche the game is going to be in. Finally, show your sense of humor whenever possible - beta testing can be very, very frustrating, and everyone would rather hang out with the fun person as opposed to the angry person.

The forums are awfully busy. How can I stand out?

If you spell everything correctly and post every day, you will stand out. But if you want to take it a step further, send a short, friendly PM or email to the developers you see most often on the forums. This might be a community manager, or a designer, or even the CEO. In your message, give your forum handle, your real name, and a little of your gaming background. Explain what it is that you love about the idea of the upcoming game, and ask if there's anything you can do to help test the product. Don't kiss up, or gush, or flatter. Honesty gets you further with professionals.

How can I prove I'd be a great tester?

The website almost certainly isn't perfect. You can show your beta testing prowess by finding and reporting site bugs. Describe the bug in a short, simple sentence. Describe the way you can replicate the bug. Provide your system specs, your browser name and version, a screenshot of the bug, and the time/date you encountered the problem.

by Sanya Weathers

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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Gaming Economics 101: Free to Play (F2P) MMORPGs

Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPG) can be a lot of fun. Whether you're questing in World of Warcraft or grinding in Guild Wars, there is something really fun about being a part of an entire community of gamers every time you log in. The main drawback to these games is that you usually have to pay a monthly fee for them. And while it's not going to completely break the bank (fees are typically under twenty dollars a month) it may simply not be in the budget for some gamers.

So how can gamers supplement their MMORPG addiction in tough economic times?

With 'Free to Play' (F2P) games, of course! F2P are growing in number and some of them are really great money saving alternatives to the big MMORPG titles. Most of them are free to download and free to play.

How it works:

F2P games mainly support themselves in two different ways. One of those ways is in-game advertisement. There will be a banner above the game screen or possibly some text advertisement in the chat screen. This can be somewhat annoying, but it really doesn't take away from the game once the fact that it's free comes into play. Some of the games do this better than others, but if they didn't have ads there would be no games.

The second way the sites support themselves is through Premium Memberships. Now, this completely negates the 'free' part of Free to Play, but it also makes more financially stable gamers support the game by charging them a fee in exchange for certain benefits. The perks usually include better equipment, an higher rate of experience point achievement, and more currency drops. The fee is usually much cheaper than any of the mainstream titles and it keeps the site running.

How sites deal with Premium Memberships VS F2Pers is all across the board. Sometimes there really isn't a whole lot of difference, and sometimes the difference is so huge that new players are completely turned off by the class war that is constantly popping up in the chat window.

In the next few weeks I will be playing any F2P MMORPG I can get my hands on and reviewing them in an effort to lay out a decent guide for new users. The goal is to set up the right gamer with the right game. So if you're interested, make sure to look out for articles entitled 'F2P Review'.

By Summer Munger

Source:http://www.examiner.com/

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Video Games 101: Where can I find some free games online?

I've never been one to pick a fight with Friedrich Nietzsche, so I'm willing to concede that free will may be an illusion. On the other hand, I am completely unwilling to give ground on the fact that free video games are 100% real, and I further aver that it's our duty as gamers and as human beings to take advantage of those free games whenever we can. Now, almost everybody knows that you can go to sites like addictinggames or Yahoo! and play online versions of Asteroids or Euchre. Ho-hum. The good news is, sites like that are neither the be-all nor the end-all of free gaming. Other, lesser known avenues to no-cost fun are scattered all over the internet, and only require a little exploration to track down. As a public service, here in no particular order are five of my personal favorites.


1. The Kingdom of Loathing

Anyone who likes games with challenging puzzles and a satirical edge will love The Kingdom of Loathing, a turn-based MMORPG which makes up for its lack of graphical sophistication (most of the game world is drawn in a crude stick-figure style, and there's almost no animation) with clever writing and a bizarre, complex world that takes months to fully explore. It's also the only game I know of where a player can get hopelessly addicted to goofballs and then ascend to a higher plane of existence in the span of 15 minutes. That should tell you all you need to know.

2. Nintendo8.com

A treasure trove for the old-school gamer, Nintendo8.com offers anyone with an internet connection the chance to relive the 8-bit era by presenting a massive library of NES, Sega Master System, Gameboy, and even Commodore 64 games for free online play. While using a keyboard to control Mario might seem a little awkward at first, I promise that you'll soon find yourself burning away the hours in the futile (but pleasant) pursuit of your long-lost childhood

3. America's Army

To paraphrase the great Chris Rock, it wouldn't cross my mind to join the army if there were Libyan tanks rolling down Forbes Avenue right now. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy America's Army, an online first person shooter developed (appropriately enough) by the U.S. Army as combination video game and recruiting tool. The game itself is remarkably realistic and extremely tactical in nature, so fans of games like Rainbow Six will find a lot to enjoy... as long as they can look past the jingoistic presentation and tedious training missions.

4. Trackmania Nations

Much as I generally dislike racing games, I was able to get a surprising amount of enjoyment out of Trackmania's blistering pace, twisting levels full of pipes and loops, and polished graphics. If you're looking for a free game that will test your reflexes and give you a little motion sickness to boot, then you can't go wrong with this one.

5. Liquid War

One of the most unique strategy games I've ever played, Liquid War has up to six players controlling blobs of colored pixels as they maneuver around obstacles and attempt to assimilate each other. My friends and I used to play this game back in high school when we were supposed to be programming in C++, and while I never got any good at it, I still think I made the right decision.

By Eric Keihl

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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Reviving the RPG in MMORPG (Part 2)

Should I just call you by your tag or what?

If all this is the case, why do the MMORPGs still have that RPG thing tacked onto them? The developers and investors alike are probably aware that these games rarely qualify as an RPG proper, so why the moniker? There are a number of possible reasons, the first of which is that, for all the connotations of “nerd” and “gamer” and whatnot, the title of MMORPG sells. As long as you know role-playing only by that single-phrase spasm of a definition, you are tantalized by the idea of an escape that is far cheaper than six days and seven nights in Cancun and can last even longer.

When Ozzy Osbourne makes incoherent remarks about his World of Warcraft character in the television ad, the mind reels with the idea that Ozzy plays the same game that you could be playing. More importantly though, the advertisement asserts the role he plays with his character, that you too could be on equal, if not greater footing than Ozzy Osbourne with the role you play. Another commercial formed as a kind of conversation between William Shatner and Mr. T has Shatner saying, with less pause than is pleasing, “Get World of Warcraft, dawg, you can be anyone you want.” Any sane person with even the tiniest shred of dignity would sign up under an assumed name. Thus the moniker of MMORPG is something to be cherished – it is an excellent tool for promotion, giving the impression that they are playing an important role rather than just acting a part.

Awesome. Who cares?

If money is being made hand over fist and companies like Blizzard are rumored to have something like three billion US dollars in their coffers, why bother with the RPG element? Who cares if it’s a railed ride on a pretty pushcart? It’s your damn pushcart (sort of), and while it’s not really an RPG, you have to admit, it’s kind of fun.

Let there be influence

The RPG, the real one that actually fulfills the wikipedia quote, continues to exist because it is fun. If it was some horrible, misshapen cult following, you’d have probably heard by now, and the whole idea would have more or less died off. And no, LARPers don’t count. They’re in some whole other weird area that this article aims to steer clear of. But the RPG, the real kind, is a wonderful experience. Without some ultimate quest, without some predetermined endgame, you exist to explore whatever horizon appeals most. There are game rules, of course – you can’t just kill everything all at once and be done with it – but there is an unmatched sense of freedom that can be as disconcerting as it is vivifying.

EVE Online captures this role-play feel in a way completely apart from most other MMORPGs. It is, in its entirety, a true RPG. There is a back-story, but no main quest to strive for. You can go in whatever direction you want, under whatever guise you want. Freelancer. Mercenary. Diplomat. You make the choices and you control your own little piece of an unclaimed destiny. The game is complicated, sure, and you may not have friends the instant you start playing, but the object is truly to play a role, to immerse yourself and throw away the petty self-consciousness of playing a video game with a bit of seriousness involved. Even that can be dispersed with, if that’s the role you feel like keeping. Admittedly it’s not all the best of times – without the game forcing any direction on you, it can be a difficult transition from riding the pushcart to walking in whatever direction you choose.


If it hasn’t become readily apparent by now, this is not an article aiming to bash games like World of Warcraft or coddle the few games like EVE Online simply because they meet or fail the definition of RPG. The point is for developers and players alike to recognize that embracing the RPG aspect has almost horrifying potential. With the custom mission-making, City of Heroes has proven that even a small ability to forge your own destiny in a game is intensely gratifying, as evidenced by the popularity the option received. Likewise, EVE Online has proven that true adherence to the RPG aspect is not only possible but profitable and enjoyable. It’s hard not to almost start drooling after hearing of the 10-month infiltration mission that eventually led to a CEO’s assassination and the destruction of in-game assets worth at least ten-thousand dollars USD, yet at the same time, getting to that point seems so daunting that many people would simply steer clear in favor of the linear game.

Why bother with the RPG element of the game? Because it involves the player more than a no-control rail ride – it engages and lets the player pursue more of what they want. It is more gratifying for the consumer and by virtue of this more gratifying for the developer – look at the community that has surrounded the City of Heroes mission making and EVE Online in its entirety. These people aren’t just playing the game, hoping to be entertained by the sights and sounds provided – they’re outright enjoying themselves and their potential for power. A game wouldn’t even need a full overhaul to get that feeling of having some control over events – even World of Warcraft has the custom UI that has stimulated a number of enterprising souls. None of these make a game a true sandbox, but they add that, that feeling of power and control instead of some routine, been-here-done-that grinding. Even given in small amounts, it’s difficult to imagine how a game like City of Heroes could have ever existed without it.

Whatever direction the MMORPG chooses to go, one thing is clear: the RPG element becomes more tantalizing and possible by the minute, and those that do not embrace it will find themselves wondering in five years, against a market that has already given consumers a considerable taste of forging their own world, why the old linear formula didn’t just start doing its magic.

By Stephen Marshall

http://www.examiner.com/

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Atlantica Online Continues Growth with New Mercenary Class and Game Update

Ndoors Interactive today announced the continued expansion of their hit strategic MMORPG Atlantica Online. As new users flock to the best-reviewed free-to-play online game of the year, Ndoors will be updating the game and adding a new mercenary class, the Hwarang, which will add to the strategic depth of the game's unique, turn-based battle system.

The Hwarang will be the first of three new mercenaries planned for Atlantica. Many of the characters in Atlantica Online are derived from myth and history and the Hwarang are based on warriors of ancient Korea. The bow-wielding Hwarang is an offensive-minded character with very little defensive stamina. He is unique for his ability to sacrifice himself in order to increase the attack power of allies and he is able to increase the combo rate of an entire squad. Each mercenary has their own unique strengths and weaknesses meaning players must balance their teams carefully. As more mercenary types are introduced, the strategic elements of Atlantica's battle system continue to deepen.

"Atlantica Online is growing larger every week in terms of the size of our player base and the amount of content we provide to players," remarked the CEO of Ndoors, Peter Kang. "We are improving the game's performance and are committed to adding new content, such as the new mercenaries, so that we offer a fresh experience for new players and veterans."

In order to offer the best possible experience for all players, the minimum technical requirements to run Atlantica Online have been slightly raised, affecting only a small minority of the players. While not an easy decision to make, this is necessary to ensure a better overall product. The optimization update will ensure faster loading times in high-traffic areas of the game. Ndoors will take every necessary action to assist its longtime players who are affected by the upgrade as a way of demonstrating their appreciation and commitment to the game's loyal fans. More information will be available on the official Atlantica Online website in the near future.

For more information on Atlantica Online please visit: www.playatlantica.com/ao

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Free to play MMO 4Story Rolls Out 80 Percent Discount on Cash Items

A popular free to play MMORPG ‘4Story’ www.4story.com, plan to adopt super discounts on all cash items. 4story players are eagerly waiting for this grand update scheduled on the 1st day of August. All Items will be sold at discount rate of 30 to 80%. With this exceptional offer, players of this hybrid action MMORPG can visit the cash shop to try out various items and customize their characters.

"This was not an easy decision to make. We have decided to provide a stimulus to the world of 4Story by letting our users to try out all elite items at moderate price. I am thrilled to gather optimistic response from our users. I believe that playing game is all about fun. As long as we can keep our users happy, I plan to keep this event to prolong.” said Hyunho Shin, a chief project manager of 4Story.

Along with super discount event, 4story offers the epic scale fantasy war zone much enhanced in every aspect. 4Story brings a gigantic world where gamers take their journey throughout the mystic world of fantasy. Players of 2 kingdoms Defugel and Craxion, are challenged each and every day. Thrilling quests, fierce creatures, battle with players of hostile kingdom, 4Story truly is a perfect game for all to enjoy.


Source: http://www.gamersdailynews.com

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Gala Networks Europe Announce Canaan Online, the First Fully Flash ...

Gala Networks Europe Announce Canaan Online, the First Fully Flash-Based Open World MMORPG gPotato Europe and XPEC Entertainment bring a full blown MMORPG to PC and Mac browsers across Europe.

Gala Networks Europe, the leading publisher of free-to-play games is proud to join forces with XPEC Entertainment to announce that Canaan Online, a browser-based flash MMORPG will be released across Europe in early 2010. Published in French, English, and German, with further languages to follow throughout 2010, it will be available to play on the gPotato.eu games portal. Canaan Online will let European players experience all the features of a full blown MMORPG - without the need to download or install a game client.

Canaan Online takes place in a fantasy manga-style universe. Its inhabitants, fleeing their war-torn world through a magic gate, arrive in a savage new world where they will need to fight to rebuild their civilization. Utilising Flash technology, it will bring a full-blown MMORPG experience to everyone through their favourite browser. Canaan Online features rich content and strategic turn-based combat and wide variety of dungeons and quests. It also supports massive guild wars and PvP multiplayer modes, an extensive pet system, a housing system and much more.

As the European subsidiary of the Tokyo-based Gala Group, Gala Networks Europe has established one of the leading free-to-play game portals in Europe. It currently publishes Flyff, Rappelz, Street Gears and Dragonica, with Allods Online due in the Autumn. The portal recently passed 2,000,000 users. "We are very excited to work with XPEC Entertainment on Canaan Online" stated Hyun Hur, CEO of Gala Networks Europe. "With this title, we are taking the next step by bringing quality browser based games to our European players. Now our two million users will be able to play gPotato Europe games anywhere they want, through their favourite web browser."

As a leading console and PC games developer in China, XPEC Entertainment introduced Chinese players to Canaan Online in 2008. It continues to be very successful and was awarded the "Best Browser-Based MMO 2008" Award. "We have full confidence in Gala Networks Europe's abilities to being Canaan Online to European users with the best quality of operations and support" stated Aaron Hsu, President of XPEC Entertainment. "The launch of this client-free MMORPG will not only enhance the player's experience, but it also allows all kinds of players to meet in a game with minimal barriers to entry."

Canaan Online will be launched in early 2010 on the gPotato.eu games portal. It will initially be available in English, French and German, with Turkish and other languages to follow throughout 2010. As a flash based game, it will work on any compatible PC or Mac browser.

Source: http://pc.ign.com/

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Video games 101: what is the history of mmo's?

Massively Multi-player Online Games (MMOG's or MMO's) are becoming the most popular and successful games on the market today. Companionship is the main source of this huge boom. Camaraderie has always been a powerful emotion in the minds of people. To be able to talk and share experiences with another is one of the greatest joys in life. Even the earliest forms of games are more entertaining when you can test your skill against another. With all that goes on in the world today, it is often hard to gather even just one friend to come and enjoy a quick game, thus the time of the Internet game has come.

Origins
The first semblance of an MMO appeared in 1987 from a company called Kesmai. Their creation, "Air Warrior", sported wire frame graphics and involved online dogfights. This game also introduced a Pay-to-Play requirement, weighing in at a whopping $10 an hour! Compared with the now standard $13 per month most MMO's charge, it seems like an extremely expensive and unworthy way to spend your time. The heaping price did nothing to dissuade the players, as they felt they were truly on the cutting edge of gaming technology, and in truth they were.

Leaps and bounds were then taken when Wizards of the Coast and AOL introduced Neverwinter Nights. Neverwinter Nights was the first MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). Based heavily on Dungeons and Dragons, Neverwinter Nights implemented a turn-based system that allowed a high amount of strategy to enter into the game play. This game also supported large PVP (Player Versus Player) tournaments. The price started at $6 per hour, but as more people subscribed, the price eventually dwindled and became free. The "Stone Age" of MMORPG's was ended in 1997 when Neverwinter Nights was cancelled, but from the ashes of that revolutionary game came the phoenix that are the MMORPG's of today.

Success
In 1999, the MMOG market skyrocketed when Verant Interactive released its crown achievement, Everquest. While Everquest wasn't the first 3D MMOG, it was the first one to experience success. Everquest continually broke subscription records, from its conception through the first five years
of its life. During this time period, the developers worked almost non-stop, constantly releasing patches and expansion packs to keep the players happy. Within two years of release, three full length expansions had been released with completely new continents and the ability to travel to and explore the depths of the moon, Luclin. Everquest also spawned the first third-party information sites that provided information in the form of a constantly updated, free strategy guide.

The next breakthrough in the MMO world came from Blizzard in 2004 with the launch of World of Warcraft. Drawing on the huge fan bases of discontented Everquest players and the growing masses of Blizzard fanatics, World of Warcraft quickly took the throne that previously belonged to Everquest.

World of Warcraft featured a more simplistic approach to the MMORPG genre, in an attempt to draw a larger crowd. Complete with colorful cartoon-like graphics, World of Warcraft's hold on the young and old was complete. In the few short years after it was released, World of Warcraft soon surpassed all old records and exceeded 10 million subscribers world-wide.

Future
Today, every company is looking to take a piece of the MMO pie, but few are successful in drawing the huge player base from the existing dynasties. As the years go by, more and more MMO's are being released, and inevitably, the quality of these games are decreasing. Developers seeking the quick buck are taking the easy way to draw away the crowds with different themes and worlds, without success. The only games that break the mold and take a firm grasp on the population already have many dedicated fans.

Many of the elements that made World of Warcraft and Everquest popular are overdone, leaving little hope for the future of MMO's. A lack of fresh ideas has been consistently flooding the market with under-par games. Sequels and expansions of established titles will likely become the future of the genre. Many players are reluctant to leave their work, but are still hungry for fresh gaming experiences. The future is never a sure thing, but what remains certain is the need for companionship that will likely drive MMO's to new and exciting heights.

By Author: Andrew Lattie

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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MMORPGs 101: Genres in MMORPGs becoming more varied... slowly

In the beginning was the fantasy MMORPG. Generally regarded as the first MMORPG, Meridian 59 was a typical sword and sorcery fantasy adventure. The Realm Online came out around the same time, and Ultima Online, arriving in 1997, really popularlized the MMORPG. Each of these early MMORPGs were fantasy-based, as is Everquest, which really brought the MMORPG into the mainstream.


The vast majority of MMORPGs since then have been fantasy-based, including the current "big dogs," World of Warcraft and Lineage. Other current fantasy MMORPGs are Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and Guild Wars.

Why so many MMORPGs have been firmly entrenched in the same basic genre isn't completely clear, but it could be that since the first successful MMORPGs were fantasy, publishers wanted to continue the trend of what was obviously working. The last few years have seen a shift in genres for MMORPGs, including some that have gone on to become big hits.

City of Heroes is perhaps the biggest example of this. Set in a comic-book-inspired world where heroes and villains fly and superjump through the skies night and day, City of Heroes was the first MMORPG entry in its genre. Champions Online, set to be released on September 1st, and DC Universe Online, coming next year, will follow in the footsteps of City of Heroes. Superhero fans will have much to pick from in MMORPGs within the next several months to a year.

Science fiction is another genre slowly edging into the MMORPG world. Games like Star Wars Galaxies, Ryzom, Tabula Rasa, EVE Online, and the upcoming Star Trek Online and Star Wars The Old Republic have represented science fiction and space simulation in the market. Science fiction MMORPGs sometimes have had a tough time of it, as the spectacular failure of Tabula Rasa, a game with high expectations given that Richard Garriot and other creators of Ultima Online were so integral to its creation.

Sports-based MMORPGs have also been trickling into the market, including Hattrick, Shots Online, and the upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. Another genre virtually untouched is Steampunk, but NeoSteam and Clockwork Symphony look to be up to the challenge of knocking down those walls.

Variety is, as they say, the spice of life and of the MMORPG world. While it may be good business sense to build on what has worked in the past and try to improve upon it (which has been one of the big factors in the success of World of Warcraft), it's nice to see other genres gaining some ground in the MMORPG market.

Source:http://www.examiner.com/

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Upcoming MMOs and How They Can Succeed: Part II

Welcome to Part 2 of "Pwyff's Most Anticipated MMOs and How They Can Succeed!" With BlizzCon and GamesCom coming up very soon, I'm sure all MMO gamers, myself included, will be on pins and needles wondering if Blizzard will release any information about their upcoming MMORPG. Personally speaking, one of the biggest reasons why I believe that the next few years will really change the face of the MMO industry is that Blizzard will finally be entering the ring to defend their title as uncontested champions of MMORPG development.

While this is obviously old news, I just find it fascinating that a significant portion of our upcoming mega-hyped MMOs are, for the most part, built on pre-existing IPs. Final Fantasy XIV, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2 and Star Trek Online are all tapping in to their millions of fans worldwide, while Blizzard has chosen to compete with just their company image. The only other companies that I can think of that have done this successfully in the past few years have been SOE's Free Realms and NCsoft's Aion. There have been a number of fresh MMORPGs developed but, aside from Free Realms and Aion, I don't believe there have been many games that can boast about having millions of users across the world.

Note that I've bolded "in the past few years," because about 5-10 years ago, the MMO industry was still quite fresh and new IPs were being developed and pushed steadily into the market. If you consider it, Ultima Online, Guild Wars, Asheron's Call, Everquest, Lineage, EVE Online and Dark Age of Camelot (sort of) were all developed based on unique IPs that had little no to pre-existing fan bases. These days, of course, the MMO industry is much more competitive than before and, just like the movie industry, multi-million dollar development companies tend to get a little bit antsy when you're trying to generate a fan base from nothing at all. Either way, let's move forward to look at Part II of my most anticipated MMORPGs for the next few years!

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Many users expressed concern that I didn't touch on this MMO in my first article, and it's mainly because I'm trying to space out my most anticipated MMOs across all three pieces. Either way, the fact that many of you were shocked that SW:TOR wasn't on my first list is a testament to the amount of hype that BioWare has generated for this MMORPG. To be honest, I would probably say that SW:TOR has the most potential to be the best MMO on the market (and no, I'm not talking purely about subscription numbers) just because of the players and the forces involved. If you think about it, what we have is one of the most well developed IPs known to humankind, and it's been placed into the hands of BioWare, a company that doesn't seem to be capable of failing (see Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic). Not only that, but since BioWare is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, one of the biggest names in video game development, we can expect SW:TOR to have some of the best national and international support of any MMORPG. Finally, as if these elements weren't enough to ensure their success, BioWare will be building on the pre-existing Star Wars: Galaxies fan base. In this way, not only will they be able to fully analyze a Star Wars MMORPG that's already been released, but they'll also be able to tap into this ageing MMO's player base - especially the thousands of users who abandoned the game after the gaffes that were the New Game Enhancements and Combat Upgrade changes.

Of course, when we talk about the game itself, BioWare has been dropping some very tantalizing hints. Not only will SW:TOR be the first fully voiced MMO ever, but they've also indicated that a key focus of the game would be upon developing players as individuals in the SW:TOR universe by offering real choices that have a lasting impact upon progression (à la Knights of the Old Republic). Personally speaking, I do hope that BioWare doesn't take the World of Warcraft way out by slowly reducing the consequences that a game offers. I understand that players will be angry if they learn that by killing this captain and robbing his ship, they may have forfeited the bigger prize offered for his safe return, but BioWare needs to stick to their guns if they want to really let players feel the weight behind their decisions.

What they need to do to succeed: Make sure they remember the massively multiplayer part of MMORPG. If there's one thing that BioWare is untested in, it's definitely in making that transition from Offline RPG to a full-blown MMORPG. While I have absolute confidence in the fact that BioWare is capable of creating an incredible Star Wars game, what worries me is how they're going to allow players to experience such a brilliant storyline while still feeling like they're interacting with a universe of other players. The fact is, if BioWare is working on a game that's chock-full of storyline advancement, they have to be careful that they're not just creating a massively scripted online role playing game. If there are 3 Sith players for every 1 Republic player in the SW:TOR universe, will the story evolve to accommodate this imbalance in numbers, or will players simply march forward on a mechanical storyline that unravels of its own accord?

In a way, I guess BioWare has to be careful that they're not too good with their story pillar. While I'm certainly very excited for this game (I'm having an incredibly tough time deciding between this, FFXIV and Aion, as they appeal to three different sides of me), I think that Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade says it best:

"What they're [BioWare] positing is not a multiplayer game, but a single player game that multiple people can play. Will people subscribe to a game of that kind?"

Remember, we'll be at GamesCom this week to report on BioWare's first public live demo for Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Fans might be wondering why I haven't also mentioned Diablo III, and that's because D3 isn't quite an MMORPG - it's actually missing that 'massively' part to it. I will say that I'm very much looking forward to D3, but I'm definitely not expecting some kind of incredible diversity in game play; I'm guessing Blizzard will continue to abuse the awesome concept of getting loot and exploding things, and, personally speaking, that's what I will buy Diablo III for.

Either way, with BlizzCon set to erupt this week for fans of all ages, the biggest piece of news and, in reality, the only significant one, will probably be if Blizzard announces their newest MMORPG. If you think about it, Starcraft II really can't get even more hyped than it already is, unless they announce that it'll be released soon, and unless they reveal a new class for Diablo III, I'm not quite sure where they can go next. The only other point of juicy news that Blizzard can release is if they want to discuss their next expansion with World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. If you didn't know, MMO-Champion has an impressive array of 'compiled information gathered from reliable sources' concerning this new expansion - most notable being the fact that WoW's next expansion ('Cataclysm') will see a small 5 level increase on the level cap, two new races introduced to the game, and the rumour that Blizzard will be going back to 'revamp' the old continent instead of introducing a brand new one. But World of Warcraft isn't an 'up and coming' MMORPG, so I'll just talk about Blizzard's new IP instead.

With Blizzard's newest MMORPG, I mentioned earlier in this article that this would be a very important milestone for the MMO industry. The reason I say this is that this will also be the first time that Blizzard has 're-entered' the MMO industry since World of Warcraft's easy entry into the market in 2004. Not only this, but Blizzard will be trying to create a brand new IP for their MMO, so they've basically chosen the hardest path in developing a budding new MMORPG. In this way, if Blizzard succeeds, then you can definitely expect to see a new wave of MMOs that imitate their style. If, on the other hand, Blizzard's newest MMO fails to capture the public's attention, then industry competitors may just take it as a sign to aggressively pursue the Blizzard half of the MMO pie. Either way, it will definitely be interesting to see what Blizzard will do with their newest MMO; we'll be able to see if World of Warcraft was just some very lucky timing, or if Blizzard truly deserves the title as the 'best' MMO developer in the world.

What they need to do to succeed: Make a game that's just as polished as World of Warcraft, but make sure that it's not World of Warcraft.

Does that make sense?
In all of my years of playing MMORPGs, I'll definitely have to admit that nothing even comes close to the polish that World of Warcraft has. Users who will be buying in to Blizzard's newest IP will have come to expect this kind of quality from these prolific developers, and if Blizzard fails to deliver with a high level of polish, you can definitely expect fans to be ready to skewer any company that cannot deliver - even if it is Blizzard! As a personal preference of my own, I'd be very interested if Blizzard were to look into making a Steampunk type of MMO with some 'serious' graphics; not that cartoony WoW style. Steampunk is an unappreciated genre!

And that will be all for today! The final part of this three part series will come next week, as this week we will be covering both GamesCom and BlizzCon, where you can definitely expect to hear some big news about most of the MMOs I've covered, and have yet to cover, in my "most anticipated MMOs of the future and how they can succeed." Next week I'll cover the sci-fi spaceship MMOs-Star Trek, Black Prophecy, Jumpgate Evolution, some free-to-play MMORPGs and maybe talk about the future of FPSMMOs.

By Christopher "Pwyff" Tom

Source: http://www.zam.com/

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Game company Blizzard wants you to socialize

We’re a decade into the 21st century and your company doesn’t make all its products work seamlessly with social networking sites? Who do you think you are?

Perhaps a bit bashful about the fact that its most social service isn’t really social at all considering the times, Blizzard Entertainment says that it will be massively overhauling Battle.net, as announced at the annual BlizzCon event that ended this weekend.

Battle.net is Blizzard’s highly successful multiplayer online game service, first launched in 1997—when founder and CEO of FacebooBattle.net 1998k Mark Zuckerberg was only 12 years old. Back in those days, the channel had one simple purpose: to connect users in an online multiplayer gaming experience. Blizzard has come a long way since those early forays into multiplayer gaming, what with its massively successful MMORPG, World of Warcraft, a game played in an exclusively online environment.

Now, the game makers have decided, after taking a good hard look at the current online world, it’s time to revamp Battle.net for the age of social networking.

In a demo at the Blizzard conference, Blizzard executive VP of game design Rob Pardo demonstrated how “even before you play your first game you're already connected to the online community.” Setting the tone for the new Battle.net, he continues, “We really feel like we're in an online world.”

Profiles will track a user’s achievements, match history, and other cool features, like the ability to trade around maps. Searching for friends by their names will be made much easier and users will be able to publish “Toasts” or “broadcasts”—known as status updates to the rest of us. ThBattle.net 2009e coolest thing for the first game coming out, StarCraft II, will probably be the Marketplace, which Pardo describes as “a vibrant ecosystem of user-generated content, including multiplayer maps, single-player scenarios, challenges, themes, and more.”

Some are speculating that the new service will likely work with other social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook, possibly allowing users to link shared content between them.

Responses from gamers on the Battle.net forums varied from the excited (“This is awesome, it's really going to change how we play Blizzard games....”) to the bitterly angry (“It's official. [StarCraft II] has been delayed until 2010 so that users can post their stats to their Facebook profile”) to the, of course, insightfully humorous (“I miss the days when I played games to get away from people”).

Nevertheless, for many of Blizzard’s fans, the company’s name has often been synonymous with high-quality games. These are gamers who are used to waiting a little longer for a more refined end result. As long as the upgraded Battle.net comes with a list of cool capabilities and doesn’t just emulate what all the best social networking sites already do, Blizzard is sure to please its fanbase.

by Ronny Kerr

Source: http://vator.tv/

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DC Universe Online Hands-On Preview

DC Universe Online seems like an obvious extension of the popular comic book brand. The fact that the game hasn’t even entered Alpha testing does little to tame the rabid MMORPG fans that are looking for something outside the staple fantasy genre. With so many heroes, villains and morally grey characters in the mix, how could DC Universe Online be anything but awesome?


At first glance, DCUO looks like every other MMORPG out there. The title follows the standard set forth by Ultima Online and its ilk, with health, mana, and equipment bars littering the screen. The preview build that I saw was running off of a PlayStation 3, but it was tough to notice a difference between the console and PC versions. While the overall resolution is lower on PS3, I didn’t notice any reduced spell effects, feel encumbered by a controller or get hamstrung by hardware lag.

Technical prowess of the PS3 aside, I did get to see a bit of new content during my demo time. I was handed a pre-built shock-heavy character that fights the good fight with the Justice League of America. After some spell practice, I ran to aid a group of biologically tainted civilians. Combat against the Joker’s thugs was quick and dirty, with electrical bombardments, physics-based attacks and environmental items dealing the most damage. Adding to the complexity of battle was an appearance by several famous DC characters, with Batman helping to revive the endangered civilians and battle by my side. As if the Dark Knight didn’t offer enough help, some of the former brainwashed mobs joined our ranks as well. After easily dispatching the zombie leader, I was awarded with a piece of loot that automatically matched my previously chosen color scheme. No longer will avatars need a visit from the Queer Eye people to keep them looking sharp!

It appears as if SOE really plans to keep players constantly rubbing shoulders with the characters that have made DC comics such a long-lasting brand, and that’s a damned good thing. I am thankful that SOE has plenty of development time left, as the environments remain incredibly empty and undetailed outside of the sparingly used interactive pieces. As interesting as the demos have been, one has to wonder what the general grind is going to be. Will the MMO focus on quests and instances? Is general mob farming a viable strategy? What we don’t need to worry about is the PC-PS3 cross-platform play, as it seemed to work fine from what I was shown. If SOE’s focuses on the gameplay and story as much as the technology, DCUO will be hard to pass up.

DC Universe Online remains undated, although we expect it to be released sometime in 2010.

Source:http://www.thegamereviews.com

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Aion aims to fly to the top of the MMORPG rankings

Look out World of Warcraft; here comes another new MMORPG with its goal set to knock off the king of online fantasy gaming; and while WoW’s established base, entrenched name recognition and savvy marketing may be too much for any new game to overcome, Aion could take a sizeable bite out of the WoW apple.

Aion, with its state-of-the-art graphics; emphasis on flight as both a form of mobility and a tactic in combat; and unique elements, like RvRvE (realm vs. realm vs. environment), is officially the most anticipated MMORPG since, well, World of Warcraft.

Due to arrive in late September, Aion is “. . . a visually stunning massively multiplayer online RPG where you ascend to divinity and fight in an epic celestial war. Wielding divine powers and the capability for true flight, you must bring salvation to your people and restore balance to a vast, beautiful world shattered by cataclysm,” according to NCSoft, developer of Aion and a number of other very successful Online Games, including Guild Wars, Lineage and City of Heroes.

The basic theme of the game is, on the surface, fairly standard stuff. A world has been sundered in two and the inhabitants of each half-world blame each other for the catastrophe. The Elyos, a beautiful race of light angelic-like beings loath their opposite number, the dark winged Asmodians, whose hatred of the Eloyes runs equally deep.

In the middle of the divided world lies the Abyss, a dangerous world of its own and home to the chaotic evil know as the Balaur. Both the Eloyes and Asmodians believe that by surviving the rift between the two worlds and conquering the enemy race, the world as they once knew it will become whole once again.

While the Elyos and their Tower of Light and the Asmodians and their Tower of Darkness seem to be metaphors for angels and devils, good and evil and/or heaven and hell, that isn’t really the case. Their appearances came about as evolutionary changes necessitated by their environment. The only true evil is the Balaur, who inhabit the Abyss.

Realm vs. Realm play comes into effect when the Eloyes battle the Asmodians. Realm vs. Environment takes place when the Balaur show up in the Abyss. The thing about the chaotic Balaur that adds so much to the game itself is that the Balaur will sometimes aid one side and sometimes the other. Then again, the Balaur might show up in such numbers that the Elyoss and Asmodians have to put aside their enmity and join forces against the Balaur.

NCSoft will be using the CryEngine, immersive 3D graphic system to bring unprecedented realism, physics and graphic details to what promises to be, if nothing else, probably the most beautiful MMORPG ever to grace a monitor or television screen. Those of you who are familiar with the popular first-person shooter, Far Cry, have already gotten a taste of the amazing world that can be created via the CryEngine, umm, engine!

Aion, though, if far more than just flash. According to Beta Tester Mark Dunmire, “This is the game that will lure sizeable numbers from WoW.” Dunmire, a longtime player of MMORPGs, has maxed out toons in WoW, Age of Conan, Warhammer and several other online games, so he knows of what he speaks.
“I’ve been in the Aion beta since its inception; and I have to tell you, it has captured me like no other game I’ve played. It’s stunning visually but the depth of the story, and the sense of never quite knowing what you’re getting into when you fly into the Abyss makes every play session a fresh experience.”

Mark also pointed out that unlike many MMORPG releases that are plagued by bugs, Aion should arrive with a high degree of polish on it. “Aion has been around for several years in Korea and most of the bugs have already been fixed. The game is being ‘Westernized’ but it should be an incredibly smooth release. It’s darn near perfect in Beta.”

Unquestionably, Aion will have its share of naysayers, will be similar to MMORPGs that have preceded it, have classes that feel a bit too familiar, etc. However, its look and its focus promise to deliver more substance than mere hype. Prepare to ascend and earn your wings; then fly into the Abyss!

By James Trunzo

Source:http://www.examiner.com/

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MMORPG 101: What are financial systems in MMORPGs?

Nearly every MMORPG has some sort of financial system. Money or its equivalent is usually represented by something that makes sense within the larger context of the game. Thus, in most fantasy MMORPGs, gold is the unit of money. Along with money or its equivalent comes things to buy with that money. Items or rewards which can be bought with and sold for money are usually collectively referred to by the playerbase (and most developers) as loot.

In-game money and loot are big components of the social structure of most MMORPGs, although they don't hold the same importance in every game. World of Warcraft, for example, is a game where gold and the items it can buy are fairly critical aspects of the game. City of Heroes, on the other hand, while it does have a market system and loot-like items now (it didn't have much at its launch), places less importance on such things than does World of Warcraft.

Sometimes loot doesn't play a major role in character advancement, but in many cases, it is vitally important. In games where loot represents physical armor or weapons, not having the proper "gear" can make a character undesireable for certain game content. In games like this, loot is highly prized and can lead to arguments over who gets what when an item "drops" (i.e., becomes available upon defeat of an enemy).

Another problem that can arise from MMORPG market systems is "gold selling," or "real money transfers." Companies and individuals will gain a lot of game money, either through relentless "farming" or exploits, and then sell that in-game money for real-world money. This is against the rules of nearly every MMORPG, and it is a problem that game companies are constantly striving to squash. Accounts are banned if they are found to be in violation, and harsh restrictions are placed on trial accounts in an attempt to prevent trial accounts from being used as easy gateways into the game world.

Having a financial system in an MMORPG adds another layer of immersion for players and adds variety, so that it's not just a bunch of "kill that mob" or "collect these objects."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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Ankama to introduce DOFUS 2.0 at Penny Arcade Expo

ANKAMA will attend Seattle's Penny Arcade Expo on September 4th to 6th to present the brand new version of the 20-million-player tactical MMORPG DOFUS, DOFUS 2.0.

Since 2004, Penny Arcade Expo has become the largest Game Festival in North America with an exponential growth over the years and sponsored parties throughout downtown Seattle. Being one of the biggest independent studios, ANKAMA is proud to join the PAX and to celebrate games and gamers along with members of the independent gaming community.

Five years after its debut, a brand new version of DOFUS is due to be released soon, in order to meet players' expectations. The Penny Arcade Expo will be the opportunity to reveal DOFUS 2.0 for the very first time in a major exhibition in North America. The game has been completely revamped, featuring more detailed graphics, new animations, improved performance and gameplay in order to give players a renewed experience of their favorite game.

During the event, ANKAMA will spoil attendees with:
* A 600 sqft booth (#3117) dedicated to DOFUS 2.0 right in front the expo entrance! 20 computers will be available for players to test the game for the very first time in the US!
* A display of all ANKAMA's DOFUS-related licensed products!


By attending the Penny Arcade Expo, ANKAMA is proud to finally get to meet its American audience and looks forward to introducing US gamers to the revamped version of DOFUS.

About the ANKAMA Group
Founded by Anthony Roux, Camille Chafer and Emmanuel Darras in Roubaix in 2001, ANKAMA is an independent group which produces digital creations and employs over 350 people. The international success of the group's MMORPG DOFUS, with more than 20 million players, enabled ANKAMA to branch out into several related industries: online games, publishing, animations, web design, press, mobile phone services, video games for next gen' consoles. ANKAMA is also currently developing Wakfu, a crossmedia project including animated series/video game/card games and comic books. Find out more on our official website: www.ankama-group.com

DOFUS
www.dofus.com
Treading a lush path between video game and animated cartoon, DOFUS brings a whole new dimension to online Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. With its manga-inspired graphics, gripping tactical game play and wild humor, DOFUS has created a unique style of its own for other MMORPGs to follow and currently boasts 20million players worldwide.

Source: http://pc.ign.com/

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