Massively

Warlock class welcomed to Blade & Soul with new trailer

MJ Guthrie — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Events (Real-World), Blade & Soul

The eighth class for Blade & Soul was formally revealed at Tencent Game's annual Carnival (TGC2014). Together with NCsoft, the studio announced that the Warlock is joining the lineup and revealed a trailer to give a hint of the class's abilities.

Similar to a Summoner, the Warlock calls various companions to his side in battle and uses a variety of spells to inflict damage and erase buffs on enemies. An interesting Warlock ability manifests itself in PvP: They can steal the abilities of enemy players and use said abilities against them. The Warlock will be available on the Korean server this December and will arrive on the Chinese server at an undisclosed future date. Want a small taste of what's to come? Check out the action in the clip below.

Continue reading Warlock class welcomed to Blade & Soul with new trailer

Warlock class welcomed to Blade & Soul with new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Nov 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Elite's refund controversy, Civ Online's closed beta, and Ghost in the Shell's G-Star debut

Brianna Royce — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Launches, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Consoles, MMOFPS, World of Tanks, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Hearthstone, E-sports

Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs.

Elite: Dangerous navigated the refund controversy over its canceled offline mode.
OFPS Ghost in the Shell unveiled its debut trailer at G-Star.
Civilization Online posted a sweet new closed beta trailer.
Blizzard explained the spare parts mechanic in Hearthstone's upcoming Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion.
The opening cinematic for Destiny's upcoming expansion DLC was leaked. A demo version of the game is also now available. Bungie is reportedly planning more accommodation for solo play.
This is how you stop exploits: Riot's paying out cash money to players who find League of Legends bugs. The studio's also working hard to disincentivize leavers.
Tencent, Riot's main stakeholder, saw its Beijing offices vandalized earlier today.
SMITE revealed Ao Kuang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Seas.
Star Citizen explained its death mechanics.
NCsoft's MOBA, Master X Master, is coming to mobile devices.
MOBA TOME: Immortal Arena landed on Steam.
The Crew launches its console beta tomorrow.
Warframe's Archwing update hits consoles.
World of Speed uploaded a new teaser focused on Toyota's Supra Mk 4.
Ingress turned two years old and published an infographic to celebrate.
GTA Online's character transfers are busted for accounts dormant since 2013.
World of Tanks' Xbox 360 edition rolled out the German Maus heavy tank.
The Order and Chaos MOBA, Heroes of Chaos, is due for a large mobile update.
A StarCraft II player was booted from a tournament after tweeting about raping his female opponent.

Continue reading Not So Massively: Elite's refund controversy, Civ Online's closed beta, and Ghost in the Shell's G-Star debut

Not So Massively: Elite's refund controversy, Civ Online's closed beta, and Ghost in the Shell's G-Star debut originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Nov 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

A preview of the third closed beta for wuxia MMO Moonlight Blade

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Historical, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Miscellaneous

Would you say there's a distinct lack of wuxia MMORPGs in your life at the moment? Then you might be interested in learning more about Moonlight Blade, a wuxia game published by Tencent and currently in the midst of its third beta test in China. Steparu recently discussed the beta test, covering everything from missions and quests to character customization, with the caveat that the author doesn't speak a word of Chinese and has muddled through much of the game with the help of friends.

Moonlight Blade features three different combat modes based on player preference, ranging from traditional point-and-click gameplay to fully active combat. While the game looks gorgeous, according to the beta review it's still very buggy and the combat lacks some satisfying impact. Check out the full piece if it seems like something you'd be interested in; there's no word on a Western release, but showing interest can't hurt.

Continue reading A preview of the third closed beta for wuxia MMO Moonlight Blade

A preview of the third closed beta for wuxia MMO Moonlight Blade originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blade & Soul surpasses 1.8 million concurrent users in China

Jef Reahard — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Blade & Soul

Western Blade & Soul fans may be wondering when, or if, NCsoft is ever going to bring the martial arts fantasy MMO to their shores. Chinese fans, on the hand, are scarfing up the title as quickly as publisher Tencent can add additional servers.

MMO Culture reports that the firm added another hardware group last week, bringing the total to a whopping 195 servers and helping to alleviate shard congestion. The site also notes that concurrent users have surpassed 1.8 million while active users sits somewhere around the 18 million mark.

Blade & Soul surpasses 1.8 million concurrent users in China originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Dec 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blade and Soul adds servers in China

Mike Foster — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, PvP, News Items, PvE, Rumors, Blade & Soul, Miscellaneous, MMORPG

Blade and Soul's closed beta appears to be going quite well in China; Tencent has just expanded the number of live servers from 19 to 33. Additionally, rumors indicate that the Chinese version of the game will be entering open beta sometime in early December.

No new info is available for western gamers waiting for Blade and Soul. The last update on the official site is dated December 5th, 2012 and claims that details will be delivered "when the time is right." NCSoft and Team Bloodlust are working on the western version of the title.

Blade and Soul adds servers in China originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Chinese Blade and Soul beta begins October 29th

Mike Foster — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Blade & Soul, MMORPG

Blade and Soul is moving ever closer to release, at least in China. Tencent has confirmed that the final closed beta test for the game will go live on October 29th. The beta will roll out in two steps that should be familiar to weary MMO beta warriors. First, early access codes will be required to enter the beta. After an unspecified period of time, everyone else can join up.

Accounts created during this last closed beta test will not be deleted; progress will remain when open beta launches a few weeks/months later. According to Tencent, all characters will be kept unless there is a "major" change to the game.

If you're not in China but are hoping to join the closed beta test, you can earn a chance to win a code by visiting the official Chinese site and voting for your favorite character.

Final Chinese Blade and Soul beta begins October 29th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: D3 Reaper of Souls, Star Citizen hits $16m, and Dead Island goes MOBA

Brendan Drain — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Events (Real-World), Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, MMO Industry, New Titles, Patches, PvP, Endgame, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Casual, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile

Star Citizen celebrated hitting the $16 million US crowdfunding milestone this week, unlocking a virtual PvP arena game module. Developers revealed the system requirements for their upcoming hangar module release and promised that the $18 million goal will include a private solar system exclusively for pre-launch backers. Elite: Dangerous talked procedural galaxy generation in its latest fiction diary, confirming that around 75,000 real-world stars will be used and key locations like the Sol system will be manually created.

Details of Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion have come thick and fast this week following Gamescom 2013, with the announcement of the new Crusader class, a fifth story act, and a ton of other features aimed at improving the loot-gathering endgame. Path of Exile recently introduced a hidden unique item accessible through an unknown vendor recipe, and players have already figured out what's required to make it. And Red 5 Studios was also at Gamescom to announce details of the second stage of MMOFPS Firefall's open beta.

Bloodline Champions fans will be glad to hear not only that the game will be getting a little more attention in the near future but also that the developers have secured the contract to create a new MOBA named Dead Island: Epidemic. League of Legends put on its usual showing at Gamescom with the EU LCS Playoff and International Wildcard tournaments, and new champion Lucian has officially joined the game's growing roster of characters. Finally, SMITE celebrated a new partnership with Chinese publisher Tencent that will see the game released in China.

Continue reading Not So Massively: D3 Reaper of Souls, Star Citizen hits $16m, and Dead Island goes MOBA

Not So Massively: D3 Reaper of Souls, Star Citizen hits $16m, and Dead Island goes MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gamescom 2013: SMITE's latest god, new game mode, and Tencent partnership

Gavin Townsley — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Classes, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, PvP, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), MOBA

MOBAs are great for the MMO gamer afflicted by that nasty distraction called life. They offer progression, PvP, and even some theorycrafting you can take to the water-cooler gatherings at work. In some cases, MOBAs even grant the player a variety of ways to play the game. SMITE is one of these gems.

During our pre-Gamescom chat with Todd Harris, co-founder and COO of Hi-Rez Studios, we learned a few details about SMITE's coming additions of a new Match-of-the-Day game mode and the Chinese-themed god named Zhong Kui.

Continue reading Gamescom 2013: SMITE's latest god, new game mode, and Tencent partnership

Gamescom 2013: SMITE's latest god, new game mode, and Tencent partnership originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Activision Blizzard makes up with the ESA

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Miscellaneous

After taking its toys and going home in 2008, Activision Blizzard has kissed and made up with the Entertainment Software Association as announced in a press release this morning.

The ESA is not only in charge of organizing E3 each year, but it's also seen as the political arm of the gaming industry. This, along with the joining of Tencent (owner of Riot Games, Epic Games, and the ZAM Network), brings the ESA's membership to 37 companies.

Does this mean we'll see more of Blizzard's goodies at E3 while other large companies are skipping the industry expo? Could this be an act of desperation on the part of Activision Blizzard or the ESA? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: ESA press release]

Activision Blizzard makes up with the ESA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trailer shows off China's upcoming Monster Hunters Online

MJ Guthrie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play

If you've had the urge to slay dinosaurs, dragons, and even giant beavers, you'll have the chance -- if you live in China. The Monster Hunter franchise is expanding into the Chinese market with a free-to-play version called Monster Hunter Online. Along with the aforementioned giant bosses (and plenty of others), the MMO will add more weapons, monsters, and locales to the series.

Developed by Tencent Games and Capcom, Monster Hunter Online will be powered by CryEngine 3 instead of Capcom's own engine. How big of a difference does that make? Check out the trailer after the cut and see for yourself.

Continue reading Trailer shows off China's upcoming Monster Hunters Online

Trailer shows off China's upcoming Monster Hunters Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Over 20 minutes of ArcheAge gameplay on display in new vids

Jef Reahard — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Crafting

Looking to change the world? You can in ArcheAge according to a couple of new videos released this week for China's Tencent Games Festival 2012.

Both clips are in Chinese, but you can still get a good sense of the diverse gameplay on offer in XLGAMES' fantasy sandbox. The first video is an eight-minute affair that shows off everything from housing to farming to rearing cattle and sieging castles. The second clip was taken from a Tencent demo station and features nearly 15 minutes of random gameplay. See them both in their entirety after the break.

Continue reading Over 20 minutes of ArcheAge gameplay on display in new vids

Over 20 minutes of ArcheAge gameplay on display in new vids originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge Chinese beta begins May 2013

MJ Guthrie — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Classes, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox

Yesterday, we brought you the new ArcheAge trailer that XLGAMES originally planned to debut at the Tencent Games Carnival 2012; lucky for us, it released early. Today, we can see the entire live stage presentation the studio put on at the carnival. In addition to the trailer, attendees were treated to costumed actors representing four different classes and at least two different races plus live music and additional gameplay footage.

Next, XLGAMES devs took the stage, and using the names of registered fans in China for the countdown, they announced that the Chinese beta will begin in May 2013. Sadly, there are no subtitles for those of us not fluent in Chinese, but feel free to share if you can translate, and check out the full presentation after the break.

Continue reading ArcheAge Chinese beta begins May 2013

ArcheAge Chinese beta begins May 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New ArcheAge China videos profile Hariharan race

Jef Reahard — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Races, ArcheAge, Sandbox

ArcheAge is preparing for a sixth closed beta phase in China, apparently because of challenges inherent in localizing the Korean sandbox for a foreign market. To gear up for the testing, publisher Tencent has put together a "racial week" highlighted by a trio of new gameplay trailers.

The first is a very brief intro clip, followed by two longer videos that offer extensive looks at the game's Hariharan (i.e., human) race and its native territory. All three videos are viewable after the cut.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

Continue reading New ArcheAge China videos profile Hariharan race

New ArcheAge China videos profile Hariharan race originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blade & Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class

Jef Reahard — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Blade & Soul

NCsoft is loath to talk about its Blade & Soul martial arts MMORPG here in the West, so we have to rely on third-party fansites and Chinese/Korean translations for most of our info. The latest such comes courtesy of MMO Culture, and it features an interview from a recent Tencent Games media event with a couple of newsworthy notables.

First up is the fact that upcoming Korean and Chinese Blade & Soul beta phases will feature the new Summoner class. Not much is known in terms of class specifics yet, but the site says that it boasts an "easier" and "more relaxed" playstyle than other classes.

The interview also touches on Blade & Soul's business model and its impending release. Despite the fact that NCsoft titles like Aion and Lineage II have recently committed to free-to-play in North America, the firm isn't talking about any particular Blade & Soul payment model just yet. Finally, MMO Culture reports that Blade & Soul "is currently near the end of the development phase for commercial release," and given the lack of info on a Western client, we expect said release to be exclusive to the Chinese and Korean markets for now.

Blade & Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online

Jef Reahard — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play

If you haven't heard of SURA Online yet, well, consider yourself enlightened. The online action title is renowned for its fast-attack combat system inspired by martial arts cinema, and ThisIsGame reports that SURA has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Chinese mega-publisher Tencent.

SURA boasts three races and six classes, and TIG compares its fighting mechanics to the Tekken series (you can see an official gameplay trailer after the cut, below).

Tencent is a major player in the global MMO market; much of its revenue stems from the sale of virtual goods via its Q Coin currency. Interestingly enough, the company also acquired the ZAM Network in February.

Continue reading Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online

Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content

Jef Reahard — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox

XLGAMES' new fantasy sandbox is a big deal in its native Korea, of course, but it's also looking to turn a few heads in the Chinese market. ArcheAge has a strong presence at this week's Tencent media event, and XL has revealed that its devs are working on a new "main city" that features Chinese culture and architecture inspirations.

Additional Chinese-themed content is coming in the "near future," according to MMO Culture, and it will include costumes, dungeons, maps, and events. ArcheAge recently closed the book on its fourth Korean closed beta test; XL's upcoming CBT5 phase will coincide with the first Chinese beta.

ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer

Matt Daniel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, PvP, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox

We have no idea when the Korean-developed ArcheAge is going to see the light of day on North American soil, but that doesn't mean we can't stare at the pretty trailers and hope that it's soon. Today, the official ArcheAge YouTube page has uploaded a new video that gives fans a look at the title's siege warfare. Now, you might think that you have an idea of what a fortress siege is like. A bunch of players group up, zerg rush the fortress, and the last side standing takes the prize, right?

Well, not so much in ArcheAge's case. The video shows plenty of infantry clashing blades, but that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are catapults and siege towers and aerial attacks and more, lending a suitable sense of chaos to the entire ordeal. The objective of the madness seems to be the destruction of a crystal nestled deep within the defending fortress, though we don't speak Korean, so don't quote us on that. At any rate, it's certainly an impressive display of the large-scale PvP offered by ArcheAge, so load your trebuchets and click on past the cut for the full video.

Continue reading ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer

ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (Real-World), Events (Massively's Coverage), ArcheAge

Things over in ArcheAge's neck of the woods may seem quiet these days, but rest assured that the XL Games crew is hard at work on making the game the best it can be while spreading the word about it. Over on the ArcheAge blog, news about the continuing beta process and upcoming conventions has been laid out in one convenient place.

First up, XL Games is preparing a fourth closed beta test for sometime before the end of the year. Expectations are that this will happen in November, although no official announcement has been made.

ArcheAge will be making an appearance at two upcoming events as well. At G-Star, XL Games is forgoing a public booth for a private one in an effort to court business support for the game. ArcheAge's Chinese publisher will be showing off a demo of the game's character creation, questing system, and PvP at the Tencent Game Carnival in November.

ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge

If you're as starved for news about ArcheAge as we are, the new video accompanying XL Games' announcement of ArcheAge China is akin to a desert oasis. The clip features a good amount of new in-game footage as well a bit of narration from lead designer Jake Song.

What's the occasion? It seems that XL has partnered with Tencent Games to bring the sprawling fantasy sandbox MMO to the Chinese market, and the new trailer was created to show the game at Tencent's recent annual press conference. If you're an English-speaker, Song's comments (which appear in the video from approximately 1:30 to 2:20) have been translated at MMO Culture, and they illustrate how ArcheAge is being positioned as a third-generation MMORPG that refines the best of all that has come before.

"The third generation online games use the previous two generations as the basics, further improving content and visuals. More importantly, players themselves can now create content and playing styles themselves, permanently reshaping the in-game world. When players log into the same place after some time, the place might look totally different," Song says. ~~Click past the cut to watch the video and also note that the video repeats itself around the 7-minute mark. We'll post a higher quality embed as soon as one becomes available.~~

[Update: We've embedded a subtitled 720p version of the video behind the cut. Thanks to ArcheAge-Online.com for sharing the upload!]

Continue reading New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]

New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The big business of selling virtual goods

James Egan — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Virtual Worlds

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that the entire concept of people spending real money on virtual items and currency was just bizarre. The first mentions of such a thing this writer ever came across were back in 2003, when Julian Dibbell told the story of Black Snow Interactive, rumored to have been operating virtual sweatshops operating in Mexico. Fast forward to 2009 and the notion of shelling out real world cash for the ephemeral has become commonplace. Moreover, these formerly arcane business models centering around virtual trading have ballooned into a huge business, much to the chagrin of many game companies and their players.

However, not all companies attempt to fight this ever-increasing gravity of real money trading (RMT) that now permeates the MMO and virtual worlds industry, and some seek to make it an aspect of their business that they control rather than something they need to curb. Indeed, the profits of many (legitimate) businesses are largely derived from sales of virtual goods, as Rory Maher explains at paidContent.org in his article titled "From Pet Penguins to Flame Throwers: The Biggest Sellers In The Virtual World".

Maher looks at three companies doing well for themselves in the virtual goods game, and what they're selling that's proven so popular. He points out Tencent, a Chinese IM provider that incorporates microtransactions into the service, allowing users to spend their "QQ" currency to enhance and customize their IM interactions, even buying virtual pets that exist on their desktop and run around inside their instant messages.

Continue reading The big business of selling virtual goods

The big business of selling virtual goods originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chinese online games market saw 63% growth in 2008

James Egan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Economy, MMO Industry

Business is booming for online game operators in China. The market grew by 63% in 2008 according to analyst group Pearl Research. They also predict that online gaming in China will be a $5.5 billion market by 2012, as reported by Gamasutra's David Jenkins.

In a country where broadband speeds are continually improving coupled with the widespread adoption of the web, China's netizens have embraced the relatively low-cost entertainment that online gaming offers. This is good news for gaming companies, particularly in these lean economic times. Jenkins writes, "Online operators in China have apparently seen little downturn in their business during the world economic crisis, with six companies now making revenues greater than $200 million (Tencent, Changyou, The9, Netease, Shanda and Giant)." You can see the full story on China's online games growth over at Gamasutra.

Chinese online games market saw 63% growth in 2008 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy

James Egan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture, Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, Politics, Legal, Virtual Worlds

China's State Administration of Taxation recently imposed a 20 percent income tax rate on profits made from virtual currency and virtual items, sparking price increases for virtual goods. While this tax rate (if actually enforced) clearly impacts the virtual space, it also affects transactions happening outside of MMO servers and virtual world grids. The taxation policy could ultimately extend to the virtual currencies linked to the largest IM providers in China such as Tencent, drastically increasing the percentage of the population affected by the new laws. Despite this, the positive benefits of eliminating gray and black markets for virtual items and currency may outweigh the drawbacks for gamers and users of the various digital services in China.

Questions remain about what will and will not be taxed in the virtual space, but it's clear that individuals who gain virtual income are expected to declare their profits and pay taxes on this, and do so within seven days of having earned the profit, according to Shanghai Daily.Taxpayers who can provide proof of the value of this property or the value of the transaction are taxed at 20 percent on their profits, while those who cannot provide sufficient verification are taxed at three percent of the total transaction value. But how many people are affected by this new system?

Continue reading China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy

China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The face of MMO gaming in China's heartland

Michael Zenke — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, Culture

Gamasutra's "China Angle" column has a new look at the changing face of gaming in China's heartland. While most of us in the West think of China's biggest cities - Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai - the vast majority of its people live in less-developed and semi-rural areas. In the biggest cities, the net cafes are facing extinction as laws tighten and people purchase the means to enjoy internet connectivity at home. In these more rural areas, though, the internet cafes remain the primary means of accessing the web. The article goes on to say that wealthy young people in these areas are particularly drawn to MMOs - sometimes the only form of amusement in particularly remote areas.

Giant Interactive, the Chinese gaming powerhouse headed by Shi Yuzhu, has tapped into this by connecting the social aspects of MMOs with more traditional social networking. The company has apparently invested in the site 51.com, with the hopes of getting some of their players together offline as well as on-. China Angle author Frank Yu notes that the company is a likely to have a lot of success in this endeavor, as it has proven especially cunning at promoting online services in the past. In-cafe representatives will touch base with future customers, and (they hope) continue to improve the online lifestyle of China's heartland.

The face of MMO gaming in China's heartland originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments