Massively

Prius Online closes down in South Korea

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sunsets

Whether you think of it as Prius Online or Arcane Saga, the game known to its Korean playerbase as Prius Online has had a hard time keeping the lights on in the West. It's been running for five years over in its native South Korea, though... but no longer. As of December 17th the game will shut down for good, with character creation and the cash shop already disabled for its remaining time.

Developer Netmarble has apparently been focusing more upon the mobile market rather than the PC game market, and the game presumably hit the spot of no longer being profitable to keep running. There had been rumors of a sequel, but this could kill any hopes for that as well as any lingering aspirations toward another American revival. It may have died many times before its final death, but it seems like this is finally the end of the road for the game.

Prius Online closes down in South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sunsets

It can only be hoped that during your brief time with Arcane Saga you have not gotten too attached to it. The game relaunched in the US just over a month ago, and now the game has announced an impending shutdown later this year. Somewhat unusually, the actual shutdown date is September 16th, meaning that the game will be waiting for the final shutdown longer than it was running normally. Netmarble has already closed up the cash shop; players are able to spend any remaining cash shop currency on the company's other titles.

According to the announcement, the game simply wasn't taking in enough money to remain profitable. Arcane Saga was a relaunch of Prius Online, which had already been shut down once before. Our condolences go out to any gamers who had hoped for a long and fruitful future with the game.

Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: The longest day edition, June 24 - 30, 2013

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

Recently we experienced the the longest day of the year, seasonally speaking. The fact that it happens in the middle of the night for us North American folks does not diminish the day's grandeur.

But beyond this scientifically proven date, there are other days that totally should be in the running for longest day ever. Like that day where you last in line at the DMV. Or that last day of work before your first vacation in forever, during which you get to see that one concert you've been waiting to see half your life. These have surely earned their space in the annals of longest days. Chances are you've got a few ideas yourself of days that just seem to drag on and on and on, as if time is being stretched infinitely just to taunt you.

We can empathize. So to help that slow-as-molasses time pass by a bit faster, The Stream Team has plenty of live shows on Massively TV to entertain you throughout the week. Feel free to take us along and watch reruns while you are forced to endure never-ending waits; you'll be the envy of the DMV line!

Continue reading The Stream Team: The longest day edition, June 24 - 30, 2013

The Stream Team: The longest day edition, June 24 - 30, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online

Beau Hindman — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, Video, Interviews, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Casual, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream

I sat down on Monday with NetMarble Producer Jon-Enee Merriex to discuss Arcane Saga Online, a remake/re-release/re-launch of the defunct Prius Online. I was actually very excited for Prius Online at one point, but the game fell flat once I got my hands on it. With this re-launch, would the publisher NetMarble be able to capture an audience -- and keep it -- this time?

I jumped into the first hour of the game with a bit of an unfair advantage, having Jon-Enee with me to explain many of the ideas and thought processes behind the re-launch. It all makes sense when you hear it from a developer's mouth, but how does the game translate when you just log in and start playing? It turns out that it has many issues but is quite fun a lot of the time.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online

Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

With all the talk about bashing stuff lately, I can't help but envision a certain prehistoric child going around whacking everything with a club, "Bam! Bam! Bam!" Of course, who can blame the little tyke? There are definitely times in game that we've all wanted to swing a cudgel or two, be it a nerf design or a just-quitcher-whining bat.

Destructive tendencies can even be harbored in the gentle hearts of your favorite Stream Team hosts. A number of you can surely attest to that. Need proof? Just watch Massively TV and see for yourself. Warning: You may start to feel sympathy for those poor mobs...

Continue reading The Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013

The Stream Team: Caveman edition, June 17 - 23, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny: Ragnarok Online 2

Beau Hindman — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, First Impressions, Rise and Shiny, Livestream

I remember playing Ragnarok Online, the first one, quite a while ago and semi-enjoying it. I liked the isometric views and even enjoyed some of the gameplay, but it was a bit of a mess much of the time. I walked away more confused than entertained. At the same time, I met reader after reader after reader who seemed to have grown up on the game. This "grind generation" was made of steely reserve and tougher stuff than I was because the game was notoriously grindy. How did they play it?

Even now as I was looking for a few different views on Ragnarok Online 2, I came across a video that was hosted by a player who acknowledged the "boring grind" that left players with literally "nothing to do but level alts," yet he played the game to the max level, several times. If only we could get these guys to put that much energy into world peace, I might be having dinner in the middle of a former warzone right now!

I found number two to be a bit like its older version but surprisingly modern and more fun than I thought. But only a bit more fun.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Ragnarok Online 2

Rise and Shiny: Ragnarok Online 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Betawatch: June 1 - 7, 2013

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous

If you've been waiting for Marvel Heroes or Arcane Saga to launch, the wait is over for both. Neverwinter also announced its official launch date, if a game can really launch from an open beta with no character wipes and a functional cash shop. (A glance at the past several weeks makes our views on that clear.)

Meanwhile, the rest of the game world buckles down for E3 next week, which promises to have goodies for several MMOs and points related. Aside from pre-convention hoopla, World of Warplanes has detailed its open beta, offering players treats for shooting down a lot of enemy fighters, and we were reminded that EverQuest Next is still a thing that will happen.

But while you languish here, countless other games are still in testing. Check out the full list past the break, and let us know if something managed to evade our notice in the comments.

Continue reading Betawatch: June 1 - 7, 2013

Betawatch: June 1 - 7, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arcane Saga launches with Steam bonus packs

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play

Ready to start a new saga? After a brief period of open beta testing, Arcane Saga has officially launched today for players to enjoy a saga all about the arcane. Or a saga that is itself arcane. However you want to dissect the game's title, you can download directly from the official site or pick the title up among Steam's free-to-play offerings. Steam players also have the option of purchasing up exclusive item packs, so that might be an added incentive.

Arcane Saga's main selling points are fast leveling, job combinations, and a competitive PvP endgame. The stated design goal is to get players into the meat of the game quickly and provide players ample opportunities to forge their own paths. No events are scheduled to celebrate the game's launch, but considering the number of free-to-play titles that simply add a full cash shop onto an open beta, the official launch is compelling enough.

[Source: Netmarble press release]

Arcane Saga launches with Steam bonus packs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013

MJ Guthrie — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Polls, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team

With summer right around the corner, a number of folks are thinking of ways to shape up a little more before hitting the beaches. Of course, as gamers we may not understand this strange desire to actually go out in the sunlight, but we, too, can be swept up in the fervor. So The Stream Team is here to offer you some calorie-free treats to help you through your week. Each and every tasty morsel on Massively TV is guaranteed to be 100% calorie-free.

Got cravings in between your livestream meals? Just click on a rerun and snack away anytime you like! Then just sit back and watch the hours just melt away.

Continue reading The Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013

The Stream Team: Calorie-free edition, June 3 - 9, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Betawatch: May 4 - 10, 2013

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous

You don't need to read the rest of this column, folks. City of Steam goes into open beta in two hours, so there is no reason for you to be sitting here when you could be playing that. Oh, and Marvel Heroes is running one last open beta weekend. And UFO Online is also in open beta. Plus, Arcane Saga launched (or re-launched) its beta. There is too much stuff to play for you to be sitting around reading columns about betas. You've got your project right there.

Still here? You're really dedicated to that beta list, huh? Well, we appreciate that. And you can find it just past the break as always, and you can feel free to let us know if we missed anything down in the comments just as always. But seriously, you don't even need to close your browser for City of Steam. That's accessibility right there.

Continue reading Betawatch: May 4 - 10, 2013

Betawatch: May 4 - 10, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arcane Saga triggers its beta test

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-Play

The MMO formerly known as Prince, er, Prius Online has gone into beta in preparation for its relaunch. The newly titled Arcane Saga represents a reworking of Prius' old content to include new features and content.

Netmarble Head Project Manager Joe Kim invites you to check out the changes: "With the start of the beta phase today, players will finally get to experience for themselves all of the improvements we've made to the world of Prius over the past year."

Assuming all goes well in the beta, Arcane Saga is scheduled to launch in the next couple of months. In the meantime, check out our interview about the re-launching of this title.

[Source: Netmarble press release]

Arcane Saga triggers its beta test originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Interview: Re-launching Prius Online as Arcane Saga

Mike Foster — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Launches, Lore, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Interviews (Massively's), Miscellaneous

Prius Online, a free-to-play, fantasy MMO published by gPotato, launched in North America in 2011. Roughly a year later, the MMO was shut down. Now, another year later, the game's original developer is re-branding, re-visiting and re-launching Prius Online under a new moniker: Arcane Saga.

Curious about how, when, and why a company would choose to re-open a shuttered game, we sat down with Netmarble's Jon-Enée Merriex to ask. Merriex walked us through what it takes to restart a game, why good MMOs sometimes go by the wayside, and how his company plans to iterate and improve on the Prius Online experience that the title's original players enjoyed.

Continue reading Massively Interview: Re-launching Prius Online as Arcane Saga

Massively Interview: Re-launching Prius Online as Arcane Saga originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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