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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[NCsoft aiming for Aion 2.5 test at the end of April]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://uk.aiononline.com/board/notices/view?articleID=1354&amp;page="><img border="1" hspace="4"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/aionrecall.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
<a href="http://aiononline.com"><em>Aion's</em></a> 2.5 update has been a long time coming.  We first heard tell of the patch in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/aion-2-5-patch-notes-translated-lots-of-new-content-incoming/">early January</a> and are happy to report that <a href="http://ncsoft.com">NCsoft</a> is looking to take the wraps off the new content via the game's test servers in the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
In a new <a href="http://uk.aiononline.com/board/notices/view?articleID=1354&amp;page=">interview</a> at the official UK <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion"><em>Aion</em></a> website, producer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/sean-neil">Sean Neil</a> and brand manager <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/dominic-wai">Dominic Wai</a> take turns answering player-generated questions relating to the new patch, which Neil says should be "<em>on our player test servers (PTS) at the end of April or beginning of May</em>."<br />
<br />
What, exactly, does 2.5 bring to the world of Atreia?  Quite a lot, actually, and whether you're talking about the extensive graphical overhaul or the new Empyrean Crucible and Esoterrace dungeon instances, chances are there will be something interesting in the update for every daeva.  Getting to endgame should be less of a chore as well, and while <em>Aion</em> still possesses one of the more daunting gear grinds in the genre, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ncsoft">NCsoft</a> is introducing a mentoring system in 2.5 that allows "<em>new players [to] level up quicker with the help of a friend</em>."<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/">NCsoft aiming for Aion 2.5 test at the end of April</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19904679/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/ncsoft-aiming-for-aion-2-5-test-at-the-end-of-april/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2.5</category><category>aion</category><category>aion-2.5</category><category>ap-grind</category><category>dominic-wai</category><category>empyrean-crucible</category><category>esoterrace</category><category>fantasy</category><category>gear-grind</category><category>graphical-update</category><category>graphics</category><category>grind</category><category>grindy</category><category>interviews</category><category>level-grind</category><category>mentoring-system</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>patch</category><category>pts</category><category>sean-neil</category><category>test-server</category><category>update</category><category>vision-trailer</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[NCsoft to push evolution of Korean-style MMOs through Aion]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion/" rel="tag">Aion</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/09/soar425.jpg" /></a><br />We love <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com">The Escapist</a> over here at Massively. Take for instance Jared Rea's recent article, "Beautiful 21st Century" -- a piece about one company's attempt to overcome the stigma attached to most older Korean MMOs that make it to the western market: beautiful but grindy. Perhaps the most notable Korean title currently played in the west is <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ncsoft.com">NCsoft's</a> <a href="http://www.lineage2.com/"><em>Lineage II</em></a> which, despite being a beautiful game, has drawn some flack from gamers about its steep grind <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/lineage-ii-becomes-more-accessible-for-new-players/">(although this is becoming less of a problem). </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ncsoft.com/global/">NCsoft</a> is working to change this perception of their forthcoming Korean-developed titles, particularly in light of their upcoming MMO <a href="http://www.aiononline.com/us/"><em>Aion: The Tower of Eternity.</em></a> Much of the problem that NCsoft faces is similar to what all companies, game or otherwise, face when taking their brand overseas -- being recognized as a global brand rather than seen in the limited light of their offerings in a given region of the world.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>NCsoft to push evolution of Korean-style MMOs through Aion</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/">NCsoft to push evolution of Korean-style MMOs through Aion</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_164/5165-Beautiful-21st-Century>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1301328/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/ncsoft-to-push-evolution-of-korean-style-mmos-through-aion/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aion</category><category>asia</category><category>asian</category><category>classes</category><category>culture</category><category>ffxi</category><category>final-fantasy-xi</category><category>game-mechanics</category><category>global</category><category>grind</category><category>grindy</category><category>industry</category><category>jared-rea</category><category>korea</category><category>korean</category><category>lineage</category><category>lineage-2</category><category>lineage-ii</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>lotro</category><category>market</category><category>mmo-industry</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>new-titles</category><category>opinion</category><category>pve</category><category>pvp</category><category>the-escapist</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
