ArcheAge

We still haven't gotten any inkling from XLGAMES or Trion regarding ArcheAge's western business model. A freemium model of some sort is probably a safe bet, though, particularly now that the Korean version of the game -- which launched as a subscription-only title -- is gearing up for a F2P switch.

MMO Culture reports that, starting July 3rd, ArcheAge Korea will cease selling time cards in favor of premium 30- and 90-day packages that offer in-game advantages like faster labor point recovery, item exchange vouchers, the ability to own a house, and assorted buffs. The site also says that XL will implement account services like name changes, aesthetic changes, and server transfers.

ArcheAge has finally officially arrived at E3. I've personally been following this game for about two years. I've written about it on multiple websites and had a chance to play a closed beta for the Korean version. However, I'm also critical about the game (or just a pessimist), so hopefully I can balance my enthusiasm for the game with some critical commentary, but to be honest, my interviews today with both Trion and XLGAMES' producer Kyoung Tae Kim has reminded me why I've been following this game for so long.

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Zomg, ArcheAge beta signups are live! In the West! How cool is that? It's so cool that I could really just stop writing this post now and leave it at that.

Seems we have this acceptable word count thing, though, so let's see. ArcheAge is a fantasy sandpark that's been in development for nearly six years by Korea's XLGAMES. Lineage creator Jake Song is the brains behind the game, and Trion Worlds is publishing the title for the western market.

The game's feature set is too long to list here, but it includes open PvP, sieges, extensive player housing, hang-gliders, sailing ships, steampunk tractors, and a whole lot more that you can learn about via our ArcheAge category and dedicated column. Don't forget to look for our ArcheAge E3 interview later this week.

[Update]: We've added the ArcheAge teaser trailer shown to the media at this week's E3. Watch it after the cut.

[Thanks Soren!]

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I owe ArcheAge an apology. A couple of weeks ago, when XLGAMES released a trailer featuring steampunk-powered hot rods and an impromptu beachfront drag race, my kneejerk reaction was a boisterous what-the-funk!

After I watched the clip a second time, I realized not only that the cars fit neatly into the world that Jake Song and company have created but that they tickled my fancy in the same way that numerous other elements in the game have done over the years.

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Is it me, or has ArcheAge been a long time coming? I don't think it's me because it was three years and thousands of posts ago that Massively introduced ArcheAge to western gamers. Heck, it was six years ago that Jake Song and company started building XLGAMES' upcoming sandpark.

And it's been two years -- two years! -- since I first got my hands on the game's seemingly endless closed beta. Now, though, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Trion recently and famously signed on to publish ArcheAge in the West, and despite the silence following the announcement, I'm still optimistic about a beta before the end of the year.

Even if it that doesn't happen, we've still got plenty to talk about, which is why I'm taking the wraps off Massively's newest game-specific column. Join me after the cut for the traditional first-issue community roundup.

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This not-sure-if-serious moment is brought to you by XLGAMES. The Korean MMO maker, presumably hard at work collaborating with Trion to westernize its ArcheAge sandbox opus (right guys... guys?), has published what can only be termed a curious gameplay video to its official YouTube channel.

The clip features car racing and a number of spiffy looking hot rods, which normally wouldn't raise any eyebrows if they weren't located smack dab in the middle of a feudalized high fantasy world that, up until now, has featured sailing ships, horses, and low-tech gliders as its primary forms of transportation. It's hard to tell what's under the hood on these babies -- maybe it's some sort of steampunkish propulsion system -- but one thing's for sure: We can't make this stuff up.

Have yourself a look-see after the cut.

[Thanks Dengar!]

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How's your Chinese? Mine's not very good either, but I imagine that the narrator for the new ArcheAge trailer is just saying the Mandarin word for badass over and over again for the duration of the clip's two-minute-and-29-second running time.

That's because everything in the clip is indeed badass, from the location fly-throughs to the mounts to the boat construction to the combat. The trailer is being released to build excitement for ArcheAge's Chinese beta phase, which is less than a week away. I'd say it's doing a pretty fine job of it, wouldn't you agree? Click past the cut to have a look.

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There are plenty of interesting MMOs coming out of Korea these days, and whether we're talking sandboxes like Black Desert, themeparks like Bless, or hybrids like ArcheAge, I'm pretty excited to try all of them. Let's not forget Blade & Soul, either, and even Aion has a new expansion on the way that's introducing a couple of game-changing classes.

For today's Leaderboard, let's pit these games against one another and see which one will claim the title of Massively's most anticipated Korean import. Vote after the cut!

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

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ArcheAge launched with a subscription model in its native Korea, but XLGAMES founder Jake Song says that a free-to-play model may be better for the title's Chinese release. Song's comments came as he attended a recent awards ceremony, according to MMO Culture, but there is no official word from the company as of yet.

Similarly, no plans have been announced for ArcheAge's Western business model. The game is being published by Trion in America.

[Thanks Dengar!]

If yesterday's ArcheAge fishing trailer didn't float your boat, XLGAMES is trying again with a more combat-oriented gameplay teaser. Castle sieges are the subject, and the game's latest clip takes us on whirlwind tour filled with siege engines, flying arrows, cavalry charges, and clashing armies.

Siege mechanics are new to the Korean version of the game, which launched in January. Trion will publish ArcheAge in the west, though the company has yet to announce a release window. Click past the cut for the full clip.

[Thanks Dengar!]

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Ho hum, fishing in MMOs. Who cares, right? Wrong! XLGAMES cares, and the company apparently thinks enough of its ArcheAge angling mechanics to make a gameplay trailer out of them.

MMO Culture has uploaded the trailer to YouTube, and in it you'll see over a minute's worth of deep sea fishing plus the transporting of the day's catch back to land, presumably to sell or cook. ArcheAge is gearing up for its Chinese closed beta phase, a date for which will be announced later this month. The game has already released in its native Korea and will be published in the west by Trion, though no date has been forthcoming.

You can view the trailer after the break.

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Welcome to Massively's guide to MMO sandboxes in 2013 and beyond. I've collected the essential details on all the major sandbox titles releasing this year and in the near future in one easy-to-reference article. If you're wondering whether ArcheAge forces you to PvP, or if you can't tell The Repopulation from Origins of Malu, this is your post.

I'll be updating it as game features are added, removed, or revealed, so be sure to use the comments to let me know if I've overlooked a particularly noteworthy item. Finally, I want to point out that this isn't an exhaustive list because of the sheer number of sandbox projects ongoing. For now, I'm choosing to focus on the ones that will be playable in 2013/2014 as well as the projects that have a big-name developer attached.

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If you've got a serious craving for ArcheAge and you don't mind cutesy graphics, you might want to check out XLGAMES' ArcheVille. Oh yeah, you'll also need an iOS device (an Android version is in the works).

What exactly is ArcheVille? It's a farming- and minipet-based mobile game that ties into XL's upcoming sandpark title. MMO Culture reports that gift exchanges are possible between ArcheVille and ArcheAge, though we're not sure if that functionality will work for English-speakers just yet due to the latter's Korean-only client.

In any event, ArcheVille is currently available in English and viewable in the App Store. You can view a gameplay video after the break.

[Thanks Dengar!]

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Hyped about ArcheAge? We are too, but as with any MMO, great expectations can lead to great disappointments. That's why we're linking to another fan review of the game's Korean client. While the previous such post was largely high on the game from a dedicated player perspective, this piece at AltTabMe raises more than a few concerns involving AA's combat, sandboxiness, character creation, and more.

While most of the combat complaints can be summarized by the subjectively nebulous it-doesn't-feel-as-polished-as-game-XYZ argument, the sandbox and economic concerns are a bit more concrete. "And like the pirate system that has no reward for serious consequences, the economy has the opposite, high reward with no consequences, except to those who also play the game," the author writes. "Without money sinks and a way to balance out the economy, ArcheAge is heading toward a flatline when it comes to worth."

He also alludes to the possibility that the game's extensive housing and farming systems will be lost in translation from the social gaming culture in Korea to the isolationist achiever mentality prevalent in the West. "When you apply these [housing items] to the real world/game practice you see player-run towns that don't look like towns, but rather more like FarmVille: a homestead of the same resources in bulk, such as goats (which are the most profitable resource) filling every single bit of available space. So you go from being aesthetically pleasing to a resource farm," the writer explains. "The magic of a home and town is lost to min-maxing personal gain. ArcheAge turns into Men Who Stare at Goats."

[Thanks Dengar!]