Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[GamersFirst sees a management shakeup]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/gamersfirst-sees-a-management-shakeup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/gamersfirst-sees-a-management-shakeup/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/gamersfirst-sees-a-management-shakeup/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Not pictured: management.
GamersFirst is in the minds of gamers for its successful relaunch of APB: Reloaded, which went from a lightning-fast shutdown to a successful free-to-play title. The company is also developing new games based on original IPs for future release. But there's some rumbling going on behind the scenes at the company, as the company's parent corporation, K2 Network, saw the resignation of its CEO, Joshua Hong. Bjorn Book-Larsson, former COO and CTO, has been promoted to the CEO position, with Hong's future uncertain.

The official statements claim that the transition of power was amicable and pre-arranged, but it also comes on the heels of worldwide layoffs from K2 and rumors of a power struggle behind the scenes. Rahul Sandil, the company's public relations chief, claimed that there was no truth to these rumors and that the plan was to move forward from simple localizations of titles developed in foreign markets. Sandil went on to confirm that APB: Reloaded continues to be a large-scale success for the company and that further development will be centered around work that Book-Larsson had already seen during his time as CTO and COO.

MassivelyGamersFirst sees a management shakeup originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinapbapb-reloadedbjorn-book-larssonbusinessbusiness-newsceocooctof2pfree-to-playgame-industrygamersfirstjoshua-hongk2-networklayoffsmanagementmmo-industryrahul-sandilThu, 16 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/06/first-impressions-a-second-look-at-apb-on-launch-day/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

APB Relaunch day
On June 29th, 2010, Realtime Worlds launched All Points Bulletin, an MMO that was highly anticipated for its character customization options, open-world "gang warfare" PvP, and similarity to the wildy popular Grand Theft Auto series of video games. In fact, the original APB's lead designer was David Jones, creator of such classics as Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto.

But six weeks later, Realtime Worlds entered administration, which essentially means that the company was having financial troubles but was allowed to continue running while looking for a new owner. That new owner didn't materialize quickly enough, forcing the company to announce the game's closure during what may be the shortest MMO lifespan of all time.

But who should come to save the day on November 11, 2010? None other than K2 Network, parent company of free-to-play publisher GamersFirst, which swooped in to rescue the game under the new title APB: Reloaded.

Today marks the official re-launch of the crime MMO on Steam, and I've been spending entirely too much time with the game, rediscovering why I both loved and hated the original version. Follow along after the cut for our second look at a First Impressions of APB.

Continue reading First Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day

MassivelyFirst Impressions: A second look at APB on launch day originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedapbapb-reloadedapbrcrimef2pfirst-impressionsfree-to-playg1gamersfirsthands-onk2-networkrealtime-worldsrelaunchsecond-chanceTue, 06 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta delayed]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/all-points-bulletin-reloaded-open-beta-delayed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/all-points-bulletin-reloaded-open-beta-delayed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/18/all-points-bulletin-reloaded-open-beta-delayed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As we reported a couple of weeks back, the All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta test was scheduled to begin today. Unfortunately, we've got some bad news for all you wanna-be gangsters and law-enforcers out there: The game will remain in closed beta while the team rolls out a new patch this afternoon in an attempt to fix a "player disconnection issue." In the post, TechMech says, "The issue manifests itself in disconnecting some groups of players after one to two hours of gameplay, which clearly is not acceptable in Open Beta."

As a thank-you for the continued efforts of all of APB's closed beta testers, the team is preparing a "goodie-pack" of in-game items for everyone who has participated in the closed beta test so far. This bag o' fun will be available to players the week after the open beta is released to the public. When will that be? "If we determine after the next patch that the issue has been resolved, we will then proceed to release the game to the public," the post explains. For further details and any updates, check the official post.

MassivelyAll Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta delayed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 May 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-points-bulletinall-points-bulletin-reloadedapbbetaclosed-betadelaygamersfirstk2k2-networkopen-betaopen-beta-delaytechmechWed, 18 May 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GamersFirst publisher purchases APB]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/gamersfirst-publisher-purchases-apb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/gamersfirst-publisher-purchases-apb/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/gamersfirst-publisher-purchases-apb/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Most of the time, when an MMO goes under, there is a strong core of fans remaining hopeful that their game will get picked up by another company and come back.

Most times that simply doesn't happen, but APB might just be the exception to that rule. There have been rumors flying for a while, and speculation was that Codemasters had purchased the game. After David Solari put a stop to that, we all went back to wondering what -- if anything -- would happen.

We've finally got our answer this morning. According to gamesindustry.biz, K2 Network, the publisher behind GamersFirst, has purchased APB. Sources say that K2 paid around £1.5 million for the game, and that there is a "possibility that the shooter may be up and running again before the end of the year." Furthermore, the game is likely to adopt a free-to-play business model.

Check out the full story on gamesindustry.biz.

MassivelyGamersFirst publisher purchases APB originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday the 13th: An inauspicious day for the superstitious crowd, but a great day for attendees of the Social Gaming Summit, held in San Francisco. The day saw a schedule full of great panels, populated by some of the industry's finest movers and shakers, among them representatives from Gaia Online, Nexon, Three Rings, and Gamasutra, among others too numerous to list here.

A particular highlight of the conference for this blogger was the panel entitled "Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds", which provided a lively discussion on what it means to create a virtual social space, how to monetize free-to-play content, and what exactly is a casual MMO? Trying to divide attention between listening raptly and taking notes is difficult; here is the result, along with the panelists, after the jump.

Continue reading The Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds

MassivelyThe Social Gaming Summit: Casual MMOs and Immersive Worlds originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auditioncasual-gamesclub-penguineventfeaturedfree-to-playgaia-onlinejoystiqfeaturesk2-networkkart-riderlostmaple-storymassively-event-coveragemicrotransactionsneopetsnexonpanelplayerbasescionsocial-gaming-summittexas-hold-emWed, 18 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sword of the New World expands with Nocturnal Sonata]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


IGN has a scoop on the new 'Nocturnal Sonata' expansion to Sword of the New World, an MMO also known as Granado Espada in Asia. Sword of the New World is a free-to-play title brought to North America and Europe by the K2 Network. Massively has looked at this game in the past and found it to be a quirky title; IGN describes its setting as 'the European Baroque period if it was designed by a modern anime artist'. Sword of the New World becomes even more surreal given that its old world setting is juxtaposed with a techno soundtrack.

Surreal qualities aside, the game has some interesting features, particularly the use of collectible UPCs, or Unique Player Characters. The concept is somewhat comparable to the Heroes in Guild Wars. You control up to three characters at once who are members of your 'family'; certain NPCs for whom you've successfully completed quests offer themselves up to be added to your family as UPCs and called upon to aid you in your adventures. They provide access to special hybrid classes with unique powers to match. There are over 40 such UPCs, and two more are initially being added in the Nocturnal Sonata expansion: Vincent Rio (who inflicts damage with music) and Baek Ho (martial artist extraordinaire). Yet more UPCs are to follow in the coming months, adding new gameplay possibilities to Sword of the New World. The Nocturnal Sonata expansion will be released on June 25, and closely follows the 'The Land of the Dead' expansion released only three months ago.

MassivelySword of the New World expands with Nocturnal Sonata originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K2 Network, recently named the 2008 Entertainment and Gaming Company of the Year (in Southern California), has announced a new expansion for their MMO Sword of the New World. Like any good patch, "The Land of the Dead" includes new monsters, new Cash Shop items, new spells, new elites and more. This patch also introduces the Polisher System which brings Ancestral items into the mix. These are extremely powerful and rare items which are similar to the Elite items, yet will be bound to your family only, and can't be dropped or traded.

"The Land of the Dead" includes a PvP-enabled player map filled with all creatures of the dead, where everyone is considered the enemy. It can be accessed through Los Toldos in Porto Bello, A Deserted Quay. Two new UPCs also join the fray, with the introduction of Kurt and Eduardo. These Unique Player Characters add a new element to the existing pool of UPCs we've encountered previously. So head on over to the Sword of the New World main site to check out more details on this new highly-anticipated expansion.

MassivelySword of the New World has announced a new expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>expansiongamersfirstk2-networksword-of-the-new-worldMon, 31 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: Sword of the New World]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/first-impressions-sword-of-the-new-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/first-impressions-sword-of-the-new-world/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/first-impressions-sword-of-the-new-world/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You've got to love that "new world smell". Sword of the New World or Granado Espada was created by imcGames and the creator of Ragnarok Online, Hakkyu Kim. K2 Networks has brought the game to North America and has made it free to play via the GamersFirst network. I'm not one to pass up a free to play game and since I had already been eyeing Sword of the New World with interest, it seemed like the perfect setup.

The first step was to create an account on GamersFirst. The site/network plays host to a number of free to play games you can gain access to and manage from their site. They also have giveaways and who doesn't love giveaways? Brace yourself, however, the game client is a 3-gig download and then you need an additional 600mb patch once you start the game. My advice: start the download before you go to work, provided you have a job. Then, start the patch when you come home for lunch. By the time you get home, the game should be ready to play and you'll be ready to go where no one ... well, where a bunch of people have gone before. But it will be new to you!

Gallery: Sword of the New World First Impression

Character CreationCharater CreationLet's party!Let's go!Heading Out

Continue reading First Impressions: Sword of the New World

MassivelyFirst Impressions: Sword of the New World originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredfirst-impressionhands-onjoystiqfeaturesk2-networksword-of-the-new-worldThu, 14 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[K2 Network launches free MMO portal powered by microtransactions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/k2-network-launches-free-mmo-portal-powered-by-microtransactions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/k2-network-launches-free-mmo-portal-powered-by-microtransactions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/k2-network-launches-free-mmo-portal-powered-by-microtransactions/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


K2 Network, the folks behind the localization of titles like Sword of the New World, Red Stone, MU Online and others, has announced a new MMO portal called GamersFirst (or G1) that will give players access to all of their free to play titles using one centralized account. Sounding remarkably like the plans we've been hearing from NCsoft all of last year, you'll be able to purchase G1 Credits that are usable in all the titles in their portfolio. This is welcome news for those brave enough to dive into the world of the free MMO with any regularity, as managing a myriad of accounts across multiple games (and let's be honest, you can burn out on free MMOs pretty quickly) can be hazardous to one's mental health and the safety of one's credit information. The site is also considerably less obnoxious looking than we expected, which is an added bonus.

As a cherry on the proverbial sundae, they're running a myriad of giveaways over the next twelve weeks to bribe you into virtual submission. At stake are Creative Headphones, an Alienware PC, an 8gb iPod touch, a 19" Samsung monitor, and more. They never really elaborate on the more, but we're sure it's fancy. From poking around on the contest page a bit, it seems that you can enhance your odds of winning these goodies by buying G1 credits, inviting friends to join the network, and playing a flash version of that boardwalk game where you throw darts at balloons. The registration process is a bit of a pain, but hey, free stuff, right?

MassivelyK2 Network launches free MMO portal powered by microtransactions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsfree-stuffg1gamersfirstk2-networkmicrotransactionsportalWed, 30 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sword of the New World gives players their Manifest Destiny]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/sword-of-the-new-world-gives-players-their-manifest-destiny/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/sword-of-the-new-world-gives-players-their-manifest-destiny/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/sword-of-the-new-world-gives-players-their-manifest-destiny/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you're a Sword of the New World player who's been looking for more stuff to do in his -- or her -- game of choice, then you're in luck! What's being called "The long awaited expansion" to Granado Espada (Sword of the New World to us Stateside) has finally hit the game. It's name is Manifest Destiny, which also happens to be your families' claim to the new lands by order of Queen Vespanola.

The expansion (which is free) contains more content then you can shake your weapon of choice at and a bevy of tweaks. Most notably are the two new areas Gigante Island and Bellem's Relic, a bunch of new items and an event that is very uniquely titled "Andre's UFC" or "Andre's Ultimately Fabulous Competition" Well, we can't say that Sword of the New World lacks a personality when it so obviously has the quirky thing down pat.



MassivelySword of the New World gives players their Manifest Destiny originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freefree-to-playgranado-espadak2-networkqueen-vespanolasword-of-the-new-worldFri, 25 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IAHGames changes Granado Espada model again - returning to free-play]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/iahgames-changes-granado-espada-model-again-returning-to-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/iahgames-changes-granado-espada-model-again-returning-to-free/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/27/iahgames-changes-granado-espada-model-again-returning-to-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

After announcing that Korean MMOG, Granado Espada, would be commercial on 30 August, 2007, Asia-Pacific operators IAHGames have announced that the MMO will be free-to-play at some (as yet) unannounced date in the Asia-Pacific region in the very near future (The game is, as we understand it, already free-to-play in North America, having gone free-to-play on 21 August 2007). That's Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Granado Espada (also known in North America as Sword of the New World, where it is operated by K2 Network), won the 2006 Korean awards for Best Graphics, and for Game of the Year. Reviews and responses in North America have been more mixed, but Granado Espada does provide some interesting departures from more regular MMO fare.

Continue reading IAHGames changes Granado Espada model again - returning to free-play

MassivelyIAHGames changes Granado Espada model again - returning to free-play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asia-pacificbusiness-modelsfree-to-playgranado-espadaiahgamesk2-networknewssword-of-the-new-worldThu, 27 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMO Gamer interviews K2 Network]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/mmo-gamer-interviews-k2-network/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/mmo-gamer-interviews-k2-network/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/14/mmo-gamer-interviews-k2-network/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

For those of you wondering 'K2 who?', you're not alone; the interviewer himself admits to having to look up the company on its website before beginning the interview. However, as publisher of mostly Asian free-to-play MMO titles such as Knight Online, Global MU Online, and the recently-released Sword of the New World, K2 Network is well-stocked with potential gaming goodness.

One of the questions I've always had about these free-to-play MMOs is 'How do they make money?' The answer is 'Item sales', where in-game objects are paid for through purchased currency, which is apparently the standard business model of these types of games in Korea.

It's an interesting interview, and one that made me curious to see these games, so watch for my take on them in the near future.

[Thanks, Siam!]

MassivelyMMO Gamer interviews K2 Network originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asianfree-to-playglobal-mu-onlinek2-networkknight-onlinemassivelymmo-gamersword-of-the-new-worldWed, 14 Nov 2007 10:01:00 EST