ArcheAge

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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

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So, about that whole ArcheAge coming to the West thing. Yes, it's actually happening. In fact, XLGAMES is partnering with Trion Worlds to make it happen.

The company responsible for RIFT, Defiance, End of Nations, and the Red Door publishing and development platform will bring Jake Song's fantasy sandpark opus to audiences in North America, Europe, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand, according to a joint press release. The document makes no mention of either a release date or beta dates for the western market. You can read it in its entirety after the cut.

[Source: Trion/XL press release]

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It's not exactly a secret that ArcheAge is a good-looking game, but did you know just how good-looking it can get? Thanks to the magical, wonderful power of Nvidia graphics cards, now we can.

XLGAMES and Nvidia teamed up for a video to show off the premium graphical effects that ArcheAge is capable of putting forth. The video continually turns effects on and off for comparison purposes, showing how much more defined the world can be with all of the effects turned on. These include anti-aliasing, depth of field, and some pretty nifty water motions.

Seeing is believing, and believing is after the jump!

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XLGAMES has updated ArcheAge's English website to more closely resemble its Korean counterpart. The redesign boasts a slew of videos and images from diverse in-game activities like glider air shows, the court and trading systems, housing, farming, and ship-building mechanics, and of course information on the game's world, races, and classes.

The new site also lists several English-language fan sites. ArcheAge launches this week in its native Korea. Thus far XL has not revealed any information regarding a European or American release window.

[Thanks to Chris for the tip!]

If you've heard anything about the upcoming Korean sandbox ArcheAge, chances are you've heard about the ability to sail on the high seas. From videos of fighting a Kraken to reports of piracy, players eager to shed their landlubbing ways have been teased with the knowledge that watery adventure awaits. And thanks to this guide, players have the knowledge of how to construct their very own ship to get out there and begin those adventures!

The guide contains a detailed materials list as well as instructions on finding a construction site and tips for transporting materials to the site. Also included is a video that demonstrates the whole process; you can watch the full clip after the cut.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

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ArcheAge is launching in Korea this week, and Steparu has been spending a lot of time in the game's open beta exploring crafting, trading, questing, and even running afoul of pirates and farming bots. Questing appears to be the fastest way to level through XLGAMES' new sandpark, but plenty of XP can also be gained by tradeskilling, mining, farming, exploration, and more. Speaking of tradeskills, players have multiple chances to crit on their equipment when crafting, which can raise the quality of the resulting item or its level. Even equipped armor can be reforged and upgraded.

As usual, Steparu also provides readers with a number of video highlight clips. Check out some battles with the undead in the dark of night and take a look at upgrading your armor through crafting in the clips after the break.

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I'm a big fan of Korean MMOs. I don't know why, exactly, other than I'm partial to the unquantifiable exoticness on display in games like ArcheAge, Aion, TERA, Lineage II, and others.

Unfortunately from my perspective, the powers-that-be in the MMO industry usually decide that Korean MMOs must be "westernized" before they debut in America, and while the term means different things to different games, it usually involves monkeying with the progression curve, rewriting quests that depend on cultural context, etc.

I'd just as soon play Korean MMOs exactly as they were originally designed (albeit with a quality English text translation). How about you, Massively folk? Assuming you like eastern MMOs, would you prefer a straight-up language translation or do you support "westernizing" a game to make it more palatable to American or European audiences?

[Note: Something is wonky with the comments on this post today. Sorry for the weirdness!]

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

Things are moving fast for ArcheAge in Korea as the title barrels down the final stretch to launch. The title is currently wrapping up open beta testing in the region and recently revealed that it will be releasing on January 15th there with a subscription model. Now we have a glimpse as to what XLGAMES is preparing in terms of pre-order options thanks to the official Korean website.

While the translation is never perfect, it looks as if the various pre-order packages include game time (including bonus days), commemorative coins, items, buffs, and even a "sky boat." There's a limited amount of time to take the studio up on this offer, so if you're in the region and interested, definitely give it a look sooner rather than later.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

A Korean website called Inven has spilled the beans regarding ArcheAge's business model. According to a leaked photo from a convenience store, the highly anticipated fantasy sandpark will feature a monthly subscription.

Steparu reports that the listed prices will change after the game's open beta test, while MMO Culture says that they're cheaper than Blade & Soul and comparable to the Korean version of Aion. The site also says that a cash shop "is expected to be added soon."

Developer XLGAMES has issued no further comments on a western release of ArcheAge nor a possible western business model.

Non-combat features don't get a lot of love in popular MMOs these days, but there have nonetheless been some interesting experiments in this department over the years. From RIFT's housing to Star Wars Galaxies' Entertainers to Lord of the Rings Online's music system, several genre titles have strayed from the straight and narrow of violence and character progression.

Upcoming titles like Age of Wushu and ArcheAge are adding new wrinkles as well, so for today's Daily Grind we'd like to hear your thoughts on non-combat MMO features. Specifically, which one is your favorite?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

ArcheAge's Korean open beta is in full swing, and Steparu has been spending some quality time with the upcoming sandpark title. A new post details a series of week-long adventures that led up to level 20, as well as plenty of video that covers questing, a tour of one of the game's neutral trading markets, and an instanced dungeon.

Check out this last clip after the cut, and head to Steparu's website for the rest.

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Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had.

Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them.

But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.

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ArcheAge's Korean open beta is finally here, and XLGAMES has a lot of fans banging on its front door for a chance to test drive the new sandpark title. According to ThisIsGame, the firm opened 20 servers, some of which feature entry queues ranging from 500 to 2,300 players.

Steparu is hosting a look at the game's intro cinematic which features a "Nuian goddess summoning a gigantic portal and sacrificing herself to save her people." Check out the two-minute clip after the cut.

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Are sandbox games making a comeback in the MMO space? That remains to be seen, but there are a handful of major titles in development that self-identify as either sandboxes or sandparks, and all of them will be playable to one degree or another in 2013.

First up is Age of Wushu, currently in a public beta and scheduled to officially debut in February. Next up is ArcheAge, which, while still in limbo for the western market, will certainly launch in Korea and probably China in 2013. Finally we have EverQuest Next, which SOE has said will be playable at its annual SOE Live event in the fall.

Assuming you're a sandbox fan, which of these three titles do you see yourself playing the most? Vote after the break!

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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An ArcheAge fan named LlexX has demystified some of the mechanics surrounding the game's extensive housing system. The fantasy sandbox features open world buildings as opposed to the instances commonly found in many MMORPGs. In order to keep potential suburban sprawl in check, there are housing taxes as well as the potential for dwellings to be destroyed if they're built on ArcheAge's PvP continent.

The loss of a house isn't as dire as it sounds, though, since an affected player will receive the house and items in the mail and will need to simply find a new building plot. LlexX has outlined a basic building guide as well as posted a number of videos. Check out a decorating clip after the cut.

[Update: ArcheAge Online's sleuthing has also revealed that the game might have secured a Russian publisher.]

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