Massively

RIFT kicks off service in Korea

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO industry, News items, RIFT

MMOs generally don't sojourn too far from home. Outside of launches in the US and Europe, it's rare for a western game to be adapted to the Korean or Chinese market; far more often games from those markets get shipped here. But it does happen every so often, and such is the case with RIFT. As of today, the game has officially started its full commercial service in Korea under the guidance of NetMarble.

The game is also launching with several of the usual launch events such as promotional giveaways, although they're of limited utility if you don't read or speak Korean. It's an unusual export, but with several Korean games making major promotional pushes in the US (such as Aion and TERA), it might be the time to see if cross-cultural appeal works in the other direction. And if you're familiar with the language and want to see how the game plays when adapted, now's the time.

RIFT kicks off service in Korea originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Diablo III roars into an open beta weekend

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Diablo III

Flex those mouse-clicking fingers, compadres -- it's demon-hunting time! This weekend, Blizzard is blowing the doors off Diablo III's beta, allowing any and all (well, those with a Battle.net account, that is) to come try out this upcoming action RPG.

The open beta weekend begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT today and lasts until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 23rd. During the beta, all five classes will be available, but players will be limited to a level 13 cap as they give the game a whirl.

To access the Diablo III open beta, you'll need a valid Battle.net account and a BattleTag. Despite playing in the open beta, participants won't be able to post in the beta forums and won't receive Beta Bucks to spend.

Asian players in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau will be part of not this stress test but rather a separate invitation-only closed beta test starting on April 23rd.

Diablo III roars into an open beta weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back!

Patrick Mackey — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Guides, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook

Last week, I said I would avoid doing articles on the situational "soft skills" in League of Legends. Well, this week kind of ruins that already. Today we're going to talk about lane positioning, zoning, and harassment. These things are not something I can just give you blanket tips on. There are a lot of nuances involved in good positioning, and every single matchup is completely different. You do not stand in the same places laning against Cassiopeia as you do against Kennen, and those positions change depending on which character you're playing, too.

Even though there is a lot of matchup-specific knowledge involved in lane positioning, there are some general tips I can provide. This week I'm going to only teach you about the basics of lane safety but give you some dirty mindgame tricks that will absolutely ruin your opponents. Interested? Read on!

Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back!

The Summoner's Guidebook: Get back, get back! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Three hours and out: South Korea considers additional gaming ban for minors

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

It looks like being a young gamer in South Korea is getting tougher and tougher. Last year the country put into effect a "Cinderella Law" that prohibited online gamers 18 and younger from logging in to popular games between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m.. Now the government is taking a close look at an additional law limiting the amount of time played each day for minors.

The proposed policy comes from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and would yank account privileges for minors if they played either more than two hours in a row or more than three hours daily. The MEST is concerned about game addiction in minors, citing that it may come from the duration of play sessions.

The game industry is concerned about possible over-regulation by the government spurred by theories on addiction that haven't been proven. Some are calling for earlier shutdown policies to be overturned if this one is implemented.

Three hours and out: South Korea considers additional gaming ban for minors originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Warner Bros. invests in Korean publisher to 'co-develop certain online games' [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Super-hero, MMO industry, New titles

Unless you live in South Korea or are a massive fan of the F.E.A.R. series, chances are you haven't heard much about Korean studio Inplay Interactive. That's going to change right now, so prepare yourself.

Inplay is a developer that's worked on F.E.A.R.: Origin Online and SNK All Stars Online but is now poised to rapidly expand its portfolio. ~~Today, the studio announced that it has inked a deal with Warner Bros. to develop two of its most significant IPs into MMOs: Batman and Lord of the Rings.~~ In turn, Warner Bros. will be both an investor and a shareholder of the company.

[Update: We've learned that our original source was mistranslated. Warner Bros. has indeed invested in Inplay Interactive with intent to "strengthen the Korean development capability of online games to the world." The partnership "Intend[s] To Co-Develop Certain Other Online Games by utilizing Warner Bros. Properties," but the specific properties have not as yet been disclosed as originally reported. We apologize for the confusion.]

Warner Bros. invests in Korean publisher to 'co-develop certain online games' [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pew pew more: A sneak peek at Vindictus' newest archer

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Previews, Free-to-play, Vindictus

The website Steparu.com has a hands-on preview with the latest character coming to Mabinogi Heroes -- also known as Vindictus to NA and EU players. His name is Kai, and he's a flashy archer with more than a few surprises up his pretty sleeves.

As an archer, Kai's tactics largely revolve around kiting and long-ranged assaults, so keeping one's distance is essential in most fights. Kai can transform his bow into a long or short variant, with the long doing more powerful (but slower) attacks and the short one pew-pewing much quicker at closer range. He can also unleash an attack that hits multiple targets at once, making him ideal for some burst AoE damage.

One of Kai's more unique skills is the ability to place a marker on the battlefield and then quickly grapple his way back to it on a moment's notice. While he's traveling back to his marker, he's immune to all damage, making this a strategic move for pitched fights.

Kai is coming to Mabinogi Heroes in Korea tomorrow, although it will be some time before he lands in the States or Europe.

[Thanks to Justatip for the tip!]

Pew pew more: A sneak peek at Vindictus' newest archer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bill Roper looking to partner with Korean companies for more MMO development

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

You may remember Bill Roper from Diablo. Or, more likely, you remember him from Hellgate: London and Champions Online, probably with emotions that are somewhat less than fond. Several months ago, he was appointed the Vice President of Disney Interactive Media Group, and it looks like Roper is continuing down a path he's walked many times before. As he oversees the production of games based on Marvel properties, he's also looking for partners to start developing an MMO.

Specifically, Roper is looking for a partner company in South Korea to work on co-development for several titles, which include MMOs. The obvious benefit for the Korean company would be increased visibility of licensed properties, with Roper hoping that a visit to the nation will produce a better way of developing new games. No word yet on whether or not anyone is interested in the offer, but there's probably no shortage of gamers made apprehensive by anything involving Bill Roper and a new online game.

Bill Roper looking to partner with Korean companies for more MMO development originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

South Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items, Legal, Miscellaneous

South Korea's burgeoning online gaming market has brought the country a great deal of business success, but it's also brought the dread specter of video game addiction to the forefront of public awareness. Hoping to curb addiction before it starts, the country has brought into effect a new law requiring all online games to block players under age 16 from playing between midnight and 6 a.m. Dubbed the "Cinderella Law," it also affects online services such as PlayStation Network and XBox Live.

As expected, the law has several vocal critics, who assert that the law infringes upon the civil rights of children. The Korea Association of Game Industry, a group including companies such as Nexon and NCsoft, is in the midst of preparing a lawsuit based on its claim that the law is excessively prohibitive. Of course, many gamers have been trying to circumvent the ban already by connecting to Western servers, which have no such restriction... although it could be argued that connecting to another country's servers just to play for a six-hour period sort of reinforces the whole argument about addiction.

South Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Perfect World Entertainment teams up with Nexon Korea

Matt Daniel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Chinese MMO powerhouse Perfect World Entertainment has teamed up with Nexon Korea in order to expand Perfect World's games to Korean players. Nexon CEO Min Seo says that "[Nexon is] very excited about establishing this New Company with Perfect World to bring more of their titles into the Korean market." Perfect World CEO Michael Chi believes that the pairing will help the studio to "further expand [its] user base and provide the highest quality services to local players in the Korean market."

Perfect World Entertainment teams up with Nexon Korea originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wargaming.net heading to G-Star 2011

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Real life, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks

Wargaming.net's assault on the global MMO scene continues this month as the development firm heads to Korea for Asia's largest gaming-related tradeshow. The folks who brought you World of Tanks (and who will shortly be bringing you World of Warplanes, World of Battleships, and World of post-apocalyptic Volkswagen Beetles with chainguns mounted on their hoods) are traveling to G-Star 2011 to promote the recently released World of Tanks Korean language pack.

The team has also launched a promotional Korean website, and Wargaming.net seems intent on creating a large presence in the Asian gaming market for its free-to-play action MMO brands. "We've created a truly high-quality AAA title with World of Tanks [which is] already wildly successful in Russia and in the West," said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi via press release. "Now we are looking forward to promoting our product [in] the mature and competitive Korean market."

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

Wargaming.net heading to G-Star 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

TERA's Korean version influenced by Western feedback

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, Previews, TERA

While we're still impatiently drumming our fingers waiting for TERA to release in the West, it turns out that our feedback is causing real change in the game's live Korean edition. According to a forum post by Producer Chris Hager, Bluehole Studio has taken several suggestions passed along by En Masse and is incorporating them into the live version of the game. Hager says that this is "just a taste" of how the two developers are interacting and collaborating.

On November 24th, the next big Korean update will hit the servers, and with it come the implemented suggestions from En Masse's fans. This update will include a dungeon finder system, rest XP, group XP bonuses, modified PvP rules, a guild battle system, and "more skill diversity through new master Glyphs." Oh, and there will be the ability to sit because roleplayers would be lost otherwise.

"This is a very exciting time for us as we are starting to see what true collaboration looks like," Hager writes, "and it also shows that you guys do carry a voice with us. The best part is that there is more to come."

TERA's Korean version influenced by Western feedback originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

China and Korea partner to form a $46M investment fund for game developers

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

It may seem like a case of strange bedfellows -- China and South Korea aren't exactly buddy-buddy -- but through the magic of gaming, the two countries are growing closer than ever before. Recently, Chinese company Kunlun announced that it's partnering with the Korean government to whip up a $46 million investment fund for game developers.

Kunlun is a major player in China, claiming a respective 20% of the market in the country with over $187 million in sales last year, enough to take second place. The company owns Koramgame, an MMO publisher that's made inroads with both the Chinese and Korean markets with titles like Three Kingdoms Online and Dynasty Saga. Koramgame already has over two million subscribers worldwide.

Koramgame's Joe Zhou hopes that it'll capture a slice of the American pie, too: "We are catching more and more attention from North American gamers now."

China and Korea partner to form a $46M investment fund for game developers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage, The Game Archaeologist

If we judged MMOs by their numbers alone -- and I'm not suggesting we do so -- then Lineage would be the crowing rooster strutting about the hen house. It's also been one of those games that I've always intellectually acknowledged was a huge hit for some reason, but I never gave it much attention. I think it's because, contrary to many of the "big name" games we cover here, Lineage was and always will be an Asian phenomenon. That doesn't mean it should be shunned, of course, but just that it may be difficult to understand when you're on the outside of it.

So let's back up the memory truck to September 1998, when a then-fledgling NCsoft rolled out a Diablo-esque isometric MMO and struck virtual gold in South Korea. At the time, gaming rooms were becoming a huge thing in the country; a recession had hit (giving people a lot of time with nothing to do), and the government was rapidly expanding the broadband network. In the face of this perfect storm, titles like StarCraft and Lineage became overnight household fixtures -- and the country hasn't looked back.

Even if you haven't played Lineage and you don't know anyone who does, trust me: There are a lot of people playing this 13-year-old title, to the tune of millions and millions. As former Senior Producer Chris Mahnken said, "Lineage keeps going because it's just plain fun."

This month we'll be looking back at the incredible legacy that Lineage has given the industry, starting with an overview of the highlights of these past 13 years. Hit the jump and mind the gap!

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NCsoft increases profits, maintains revenues

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aion, Lineage, Lineage 2, MMO industry, Miscellaneous

It's a banner year over at the NCsoft household, as the company is showing a strong rise in net profits for the first quarter this year. Even though NCsoft's revenues have held relatively steady during Q1 2011, profits are up by 30% for a total of $37.5 million due to recent promotions in Lineage and Aion.

The vast majority of NCsoft's money comes from Korea, with Chinese and Western markets trailing behind. According to Gamesindustry.biz, Aion is making the most bank for the company (accounting for 44% of revenues), followed by Lineage (28%) and Lineage 2 (22%).

NCsoft's Sara Rogers sees nothing but good news in these numbers: "NCsoft consistently delivers strong figures in a way that most other games publishers can only dream of. These results prove that we have the MMO brands that people want to play and that we're able to grow and maintain customer loyalty, which is crucial in successful MMO publishing. This year, Gamescom will be very significant for us. We'll have a major presence and maybe even steal a headline or two."

NCsoft increases profits, maintains revenues originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Prius Online hits closed beta testing

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Free-to-play

If you're feeling a little beside yourself these days, Prius Online is right there with you. The vibrant anime MMO that features the ability to play three characters at once has finally entered the closed beta stage today.

It's a big day for publisher gPotato, which transported Prius Online over from Korea for the North American audiences as a premier free-to-play title. Closed beta testing will take place from April 28th through May 8th and includes six classes that can be played up to level 25. Prius Online promises a special experience as your character travels with two steadfast companions, forging a permanent party of sorts.

Both FilePlanet and Big Download have the beta client available to snag right away. To celebrate this special period of the game's development cycle, Prius Online is holding several in-game contests, such as a race to the level cap, and is handing out rewards to all beta testers. Catch up on this title with our overview from GDC!

Gallery: Prius Online

Prius Online hits closed beta testing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT ships off to South Korea

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, RIFT

For as many Asian MMOs that get imported overseas, it's good to see a little love heading back that way as well. South Korean players anxious to get their hands on RIFT will now have that opportunity. Trion Worlds announced that it signed a multi-year agreement with CJ E&M Games to publish a localized version in the country.

This is good news for RIFT, as it will expand outside of its current North American and European markets. Trion's Lars Buttler sees South Korea as ripe for a few dynamic invasions: "We take the Korean market very seriously as it is driven by innovation and growth in the online gaming space. By working with CJ E&M we are able to bring deep, immersive online gaming experiences to the east, and continue delivering quality games to gamers worldwide."

RIFT is riding high after a recent NPD report that listed the game as the top-selling retail PC game in North America in March, according to Trion's press release.

RIFT ships off to South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

G-Star 2010: Hands-on with Blade & Soul

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Culture, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Interviews, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Blade & Soul

Although the game itself was announced a few years ago, last year's Blade & Soul trailer reveal was a big deal for NCsoft fans at G-Star 2009. So you can bet that a year of build-up has caused some anticipation at this year's G-Star event.

I had a chance to sit down and play a Korean demo of the game on the show floor this week, which was quite an experience in itself. Although I couldn't read a word on the screen (it was generally translated for me), and the game isn't even in closed beta yet, I thought I should relay my impressions of the public's first playable demo.

Not only that, but I also got a chance to sit down with Producer/Director James Bae to answer the questions I had about the game as it stands. Follow along after the jump for more on Blade & Soul at G-Star 2010.

Continue reading G-Star 2010: Hands-on with Blade & Soul

G-Star 2010: Hands-on with Blade & Soul originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

G-Star 2010: From the show floor

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Galleries, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage

With the booming popularity of Korean games in western culture, the G-Star convention in Busan, South Korea is quickly turning into an international event. We had an opportunity to attend the four-day convention to see the latest and greatest from Korean online gaming.

Follow along after the jump as I describe my experiences on the first day of the convention, as well as take a look at what else you can expect as we go into days two, three and four.

Continue reading G-Star 2010: From the show floor

G-Star 2010: From the show floor originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Age of Conan goes F2P in Korea, Morrison talks NA conversion

Jef Reahard — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Business models, MMO industry, News items

Funcom's Age of Conan has adopted a free-to-play business model for its entrance into the Korean market, according to a report by MMO Culture. While this isn't exactly news (since basically every game in Korea is F2P), it was interesting to note executive producer and game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison's response. Morrison quickly doused speculation of any conversion with regard to the North American version of the game, but he did leave the door open to the possibility, citing EverQuest II's vanity items as an example.

"That isn't a 'yes, it will happen' or a 'no, it will never happen,' it's a 'we will always keep our options open and be open minded to business models that will most benefit the project,'" Morrison says in a post on the North American Age of Conan forums.

He goes on to illustrate the differences between the Korean market (where free-to-play dominates) and the U.S., while pointing out that Funcom was one of the first companies to adopt a hybrid business model with Anarchy Online.

Age of Conan goes F2P in Korea, Morrison talks NA conversion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Avast ye landlubbers: Uncharted Waters Online ahead!

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Interviews, New titles, Hands-on

A month ago we heard that the folks at TECHMO KOEI are bringing Uncharted Waters Online, a three-year-old pirate MMO from Korea, to North America. As we do with all piratey things, we waved our hooks in the air and demanded that they tell us more -- or else face our ire and walk the plank. While they didn't respond to garish pirate threats, KOEI was moved by "Pretty please?" and gave us a glimpse into the high seas and low talk of this popular title.

Uncharted Waters Online is actually the latest in a long series of Uncharted Waters games, dating all the way back to a 1991 Nintendo title. Each game has dealt with a romanticized version of the Age of Exploration (14th through 16th century), and this MMO is no different. If you're familiar with games like Sid Meier's Pirates! and Pirates of the Burning Sea, you have a good idea what you're in for: trading, exploration, and a whole lot of ship-on-ship violence.

Hit the jump for a deeper look at Uncharted Waters Online!

Continue reading Avast ye landlubbers: Uncharted Waters Online ahead!

Avast ye landlubbers: Uncharted Waters Online ahead! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

This week on The MMO Report

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Video, News items, Legal, Humor, The MMO Report

Casey Schreiner is taking a trip away from the states. Well, not really, but this week's edition of the MMO Report is bringing us over to games developed quite a distance away. Specifically, it's looking at TERA and possible subsidization by the Korean government, as well as Final Fantasy XIV's ongoing beta. Which is almost as good as a trip, if you're fond of either one of those games.

If they're not quite your cup of tea, however, you can always enjoy Casey's look at the Blizzard back-and-forth on the Real ID fiasco, or the management changes for Star Trek Online and what it might mean for the future of the game. And of course, there's the usual dip inside of the mailbag, for those who just can't get enough of that mailbag action. Take a look past the cut for the video, and stay tuned every week for a new edition of the MMO Report from G4TV and Massively.

Continue reading This week on The MMO Report

This week on The MMO Report originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Korea institutes nighttime shutdown for underaged MMO players

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, News items

"You've been playing long enough, it's time to do something else now." It's a statement you'd expect to hear from your parent, but from your government? The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has introduced a set of policies known as "nighttime shutdown" for underage users -- an enforced six hour blackout time. According to today's report in the Korean Herald, kids can choose the start time for their six hour window -- midnight, 1:00 a.m., or 2:00 a.m., and internet access will automatically shut down at that time for six hours.

The point of this new "curfew" of sorts is to help curtail video game addiction among Korean citizens, a problem that's been making headlines off and on for a while. While it's only in the testing phase at the moment -- it affects four games right now, including Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragon Nest -- it will eventually expand to include 19 of the most popular online games in Korea, such as Mabinogi and MapleStory. The new policies aren't limited to nighttime shutdown, either. If an underage player is online for a significant amount of time online, a "slowdown" will come into effect, throttling back the user's connection speed and presumably making it much more difficult to play.

You can read the full story in the Korean Herald.

[Thanks to Amana for the tip!]

Korea institutes nighttime shutdown for underaged MMO players originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nexon MMOs not coming to Mac or consoles any time soon

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, Mac, Vindictus, Dragon Nest

There's been quite a bit of talk coming out of Nexon from the time of the GDC -- revealing two games, more news on the venerable MapleStory, and even a developer initiative announced shortly before the conference. But if you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, there is one after a fashion, because the company still has no plans to develop anything for the Mac or for consoles. Both Vindictus and Dragon Nest are apparently popular choices for players to request on consoles, but according to Nexon America vice president Min Kim, neither one is planned for development for the console platform.

Kim went on to explain that his company's base of operations in Korea meant that Mac support was a distant afterthought at best -- the market for non-PC games in Korea is minimal. Of course, in both cases he said that the support is something they would like to expand to eventually, but for now there's just not enough reason to expand. Which is sad news if you're one of the many users who prefer a fruit-based computer, especially with more and more games expanding to be playable on any platform.

[Thanks Tracey!]

Nexon MMOs not coming to Mac or consoles any time soon originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HanbitSoft acquires worldwide publishing rights for Hellgate: London

James Egan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, MMO industry, Hellgate: London, Legal

It's been a long and turbulent ride for Hellgate: London, stretching all the way back to its rather troubled Halloween 2007 launch under the banner of the ill-fated Flagship Studios. This stretched through a bewildering morass of licensing disputes, general misinformation, and mixed signals (like continual English press releases for the game in a non English-speaking market. *ahem*) in the wake of the Flagship Studios closure and subsequent legal wranglings between T3 Entertainment/HanbitSoft and NAMCO BANDAI. Still, despite some of the flaws both in terms of business decisions made and the game itself, the title has its fans and many were sad to see Hellgate: London's servers in North America and Europe go dark.

Liken it to a yo-yo, a roller coaster, or what have you -- it's been confusing, but there have been glimmers of hope of the game one day returning to Western regions. An official release from Hellgate: London's license holder HanbitSoft today is perhaps the most solid bit of info we've received about the future of the game outside of Korea. In HanbitSoft's own words: "HanbitSoft Inc., announced today that the company has obtained the publishing rights for Hellgate in North America, Europe and Japan from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.. HanbitSoft and NAMCO BANDAI Games America, the formal owner of the publishing rights in these regions, have entered into an agreement for the game to be distributed by HanbitSoft in the future."

Continue reading HanbitSoft acquires worldwide publishing rights for Hellgate: London

HanbitSoft acquires worldwide publishing rights for Hellgate: London originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Korea rules that virtual currencies can be exchanged for real money

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lineage 2, Making money, News items, Legal, Virtual worlds

The odd thing about us gamers is that we seem to think of the various doodads in our games as being real -- even more to the point, as being ours. We think and act as if we're owed some compensation if we're deprived of them. Which is silly, really -- after all, that Monster Signa isn't a real staff, that Deputy Chain Coat isn't a real coat, and all that gold isn't real money.

Except that now, in South Korea, it is. A ruling by the nation's supreme court has stated that virtual currency is the equivalent of real-world money. Even more sweeping are the details of the case that led to the ruling, in which two men were on trial for exchanging a large amount of Lineage II Adeena for cold, hard currency.

For those of you who might not be drawing the link, the core there is that selling in-game currency for real money is essentially just an exchange of currency and perfectly legal in South Korea. This could have sweeping implications for RMT operations the world over, not to mention free-to-play games and... well, online games in general. The official story is available online from both the Korea Times and JoongAng Daily.

Korea rules that virtual currencies can be exchanged for real money originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hellgate: Tokyo, still not for you!

James Egan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, MMO industry, Hellgate: London

Let's just get this out of the way right off the bat -- there is no word on a Hellgate game release for, or return to, any of the Western markets. Still, some of us quite enjoyed playing Hellgate: London or saw the potential in it, and would like to see this happen. Back when Hellgate: London was new and held some promise as a good mix of horror and sci-fi, a few of the writers here envisioned how the game might expand if it were successful. Monikers like Hellgate: Hong Kong, Hellgate: New York, and such were mentioned. As was Hellgate: Tokyo, only it seems this one is actually going to happen... for Asia.

Our Korean is ~~rusty~~ non-existent but the (very brief) Hellgate: Tokyo teaser indicates a 2010 release. Fans of Hellgate: London -- we know there must be a few of you out there somewhere -- can find the video over at GameTrailers.

Hellgate: Tokyo, still not for you! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Second Life Global Provider Program troubled?

Tateru Nino — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Back in 2007, Linden Lab formed regional partnerships with companies to operate localized portals for the Second Life platform, called the Global Provider Program (also sometimes referred to by the Lab as the Gold Provider Program, though distinct from the Gold Solution Provider Program). Linden Lab identified three non-English regional markets that it felt were priorities for support and localization: Brazil, Korea and Germany.

The first of the providers was Kaizen Games in Brazil, followed by Barunson Games (then called T-Entertainment) in Korea in October 2007. Bokowsky and Laymann might constitute a third partner in this program for Germany, but the the actual arrangement there isn't very clear.

Continue reading Second Life Global Provider Program troubled?

Second Life Global Provider Program troubled? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively interview with Aion's new community manager

Kyle Horner — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, News items, Massively Interviews

Aion is easily one of the biggest MMOs of the year, so when a new North American community manager took over recently we decided it was the perfect time for an interview with the new team member, Andrew Beegle -- known as Tamat to community members.

We asked Tamat about new methods of community interaction, the hotly anticipated experience boost patch and even some personal questions about our new community manager. You can never really know enough about the person serving as the conduit to your main MMO -- at least that's what we tell them!

Continue reading Massively interview with Aion's new community manager

Massively interview with Aion's new community manager originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Big improvements in Aion 1.5.1 patch

Brooke Pilley — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches

The folks over at AionSource were kind enough to translate the latest Aion patch notes being tested in Korea. ~~There's no word yet on when western players will see these changes~~, but the notes are still worth reading because there are some big improvements. Three items stood out to us especially.

Based on the table shown in the notes, quest experience is being increased; to the tune of almost 500% on average (if our calculations are correct). The craziest example is a level 44 quest going from 13,300 to 703,820 experience (53 times as much).

Extracting aether now has a chance to debuff you with "Aether Venom." This debuff reduces your chance to successfully extract a gatherable down to 0. Players can remove this effect with a "Word of Purification" ability. Each character has this ability but to successfully use it, one must properly type in a captcha. This seems like an obvious attempt to prevent bots from gathering up all the game's resources.

Finally, Spiritmaster pets can now fly. We're not quite sure how this issue ever made it into the game at launch (design oversight or complication?), but 1.5.1 aims to finally remedy it so Spiritmasters aren't totally gimped in aerial PvP. Be sure to check out the full notes here.

[Update: These notes are for the Korean test server, so they're not final notes for the Western version.]

Big improvements in Aion 1.5.1 patch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer

Kyle Horner — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Age of Conan, Expansions, Massively Event Coverage

Age of Conan came to PAX pretty much directly off their announcement of the Rise of the Godslayer expansion. So when we arrived at our appointment to check the game out and speak with Executive Producer Craig Morrison, you can imagine our curiosity levels were quite high.

This expansion is taking players far into the eastern lands of Khitai, which is essentially a retelling of our own ancient eastern worlds. Something we were told right away is that Funcom wanted to avoid Japanese influences, as they're fairly over-saturated in videogames. Instead, they're going for a heavy focus on Korean and Chinese culture for the lands of Khitai.

Gallery: Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer

Continue reading PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer

PAX 2009: We travel east with Rise of the Godslayer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aion Abyss rankings show assassins like it on top (Korean)

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Classes, News items

We stumbled upon this interesting Aion chart that shows off the current Abyss rankings on the top five Korean servers. There are a few things you should know before drawing any absolute conclusions. First, the list only ranks players by their total Abyss Points (AP) and doesn't factor in many of the variables associated with AP gain (e.g., solo, group, PvE, PvP, exploit, etc.). Also, it doesn't necessarily reflect class imbalance issues (power or population), but we're sure that's the conclusion most people will jump to.

After tallying up the class numbers, you can see that Assassins seem to be dominating the Abyss rankings, while Spiritmasters are at the bottom. Of the top 100, 48 are Assassins and 2 are Spiritmasters. With three classes tied for second and a few others not far behind, at least that seems quite balanced in terms of class spread. Exploitation is also mentioned in this thread and there appears to be one blatant case of it in the rankings (i.e., the level 30 Ranger with the top rank for his server). PvP games inevitably result in lists like this and it will be interesting to see how things pan out on the North American servers when Aion launches later this month.

Want to know more about Aion? NCsoft invites you into the world of Atreia where the Elyos and the Asmodians fight each other and the evil Balaur for control of the shattered planet. Check out out all our coverage of this highly anticipated MMO!

Aion Abyss rankings show assassins like it on top (Korean) originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EA finds a publishing partner in Outspark

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, News items

If you think you stepped into bizarro world there for a moment, chances are you might be right. Electronic Arts, one of the leading publishers in the gaming industry, has partnered with Outspark, the MMO publisher/games portal company that holds Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice, to bring a brand new rhythm game to the US. Yes, that's right, EA is the developer while Outspark is the publisher. Freaky, we know.

The game, dubbed Debut, is coming out of EA's Korean studio J2M. Debut will feature a "casual MMO atmosphere," which will undoubtedly be something like the other rhythm games on the market and not an MMO as we see it.

So how does this affect us beyond the fact that this story includes Outspark? The reason EA has come on board with the company is due to their attraction to Outspark's business platform, which we discussed in an earlier article. The platform allows any developer to use Outspark's registration, billing, and community functionality, as well as list the game on Outspark's portal. They like to call it "marketing-in-a-virtual-box," and if that approach is enough to attract EA, then it most certainly will be drawing the eye of many other, perhaps more mainstream, MMO developers.

EA finds a publishing partner in Outspark originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Five things content writers learned while westernizing Aion

Brooke Pilley — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Lore, News items

In a developer journal over at MMORPG.com, NCsoft Content Writer David Noonan waxes on five things he and the "Aion Westernization Army" learned while stripping Aion down to its narrative essence and building it back up again. It was no easy task taking what was basically a fully-fledged successful Korean MMO and repackaging it for a totally different audience.

It seems as though the writing team took the task seriously. In a game populated by over 2,500 quests, there's bound to be some repetitiion and uncreative storytelling going on but Aion's writers aren't simply giving in to the status quo. Your character's primary campaign quests may deliver the bulk of the narrative, but tons of other pieces are strewn about for players to discover that will be picked up by chatting with various NPCs. Based on this article, they seem to have taken a strategic approach to storytelling in the game. Story isn't shoved down your throat, but it is there if you are perceptive and take the time to actually read it. While many will surely plough ahead to reach the level cap as fast as possible, many others will stop to smell the roses. NCsoft wants to reward those flower-sniffers with a rich story experience.

Five things content writers learned while westernizing Aion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NCsoft aims for Aion to be second only to WoW in US

James Egan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, MMO industry, New titles, News items

NCsoft has big plans for their fantasy MMO Aion in the west, and they're hoping to emulate their Asian success in the North American market. Kris Graft reports for Gamasutra that Aion generated 40.6 billion won (USD 32.7 million) in Q2 2008, which he notes is a strong start. In an earnings call, NCsoft CFO Jaeho Lee said, "I believe the performance of Aion in the US and European markets will be very successful. ... We are guessing that Aion will be -- could be -- the second [most] successful MMO in the US market next to World of Warcraft."

Bold optimism, to be sure. What really caught our attention, though, was that Graft pointed out a mention of the now dead-and-buried Tabula Rasa during that earnings call, another title NCsoft once had high hopes for in western markets. In answer to a question about how many boxes of Aion will ship as opposed to Tabula Rasa, Gamasutra quotes Lee as having said, "It's very unfortunate to hear the name of Tabula Rasa at this conference call... and we all want to forget and erase that memory from our performance."

Continue reading NCsoft aims for Aion to be second only to WoW in US

NCsoft aims for Aion to be second only to WoW in US originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Korea's Dungeon Fighter Online sets sights on the West

James Egan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play

As graphics in massively multiplayer online games push ahead year after year, a few developers are taking a different approach to these games, some with a stylized 2-D look. "Different" is an understatement when it comes to Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online -- a blending of an MMO with an old-school arcade game which Massively previewed at E3 2009.

Although the side-scrolling action is reminiscent of games like Street Fighter, Dungeon Fighter Online will have classes and subclasses, skills, and a level-based system of advancement as with the majority of MMO titles. The game has done very well for itself in Korea (where it's known as Dungeon & Fighter) and is coming to North America, with a closed beta on the way.

Continue reading Korea's Dungeon Fighter Online sets sights on the West

Korea's Dungeon Fighter Online sets sights on the West originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Which version of Aion will be available at launch?

James Egan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Launches

NCsoft is hoping that the pairing of flight and fantasy in Aion will prove to be a hit in both North America and Europe. Gamers who were accepted into the betas have been asking the Aion team about which version of the title the Western markets will see at launch. NCsoft has announced: "Aion is planned to release with version 1.5, the third major game update, bringing the content as up to date as possible. The Aion team strives to keep the game content consistent between territories, and releasing with this game version brings us one step closer to this goal."

Our own Lesley Smith has been writing about her experiences with the game through Aion's various beta test phases, particularly the experience of becoming a Daeva as an Elyos or as an Asmodian; we recommend reading her hands-on series if you're interested in this title. Massively will continue to cover Aion leading right up to the game's September launch.

Which version of Aion will be available at launch? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion

James Egan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

Stereotypes and ingrained perceptions can be frustrating to deal with, but let's face it -- some stereotypes do exist for a reason, and this can certainly apply to games as much as to anything else. There have been no small amount of Asian import MMOs that have been localized poorly for the western market, and this has certainly left a bad taste in gamers' mouths. Localization is a major challenge for any developer, and there's a rather wide chasm between what makes a game popular in an Asian market like Korea and what players embrace in the west. The westward-bound MMO that many people are focusing on right now is Aion, from NCsoft.

The westernization of Aion is the subject of another solid interview at The MMO Gamer by Steven Crews, who sat down with Aion producer Brian "Xaen" Knox, the person largely responsible for NC West's localization of this title. Knox talks about what he sees as being the best aspects of both East and West in terms of game development, and how some western influences on Aion's design have actually proven to be successful in Korea. It's a fairly in-depth interview and hits on a number of Knox's ideas about how a game can begin to bridge the game culture divide between East and West, seen in the context of Aion. Check it out over at The MMO Gamer.

Continue reading NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion

NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jaeho Lee moving to Seattle, not running NC West from Korea

William Dobson — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

When the news came out last week that Jaeho Lee, former chief financial officer for NCsoft, would be taking over as CEO of NCsoft West, a lot of people (including press) assumed that he would be calling the shots from Korea -- after all, NCsoft had said that the change was about "global management" and working together across business units. However, we are now being told that Lee will make the journey to Seattle to join the NCsoft West team. In response to the earlier reports of NCsoft shifting leadership of its Western division to Korea, a rep had this to say to Gamasutra:

"Jaeho Lee is moving to Seattle, so nothing has shifted except him. A similar change of personnel happened in our Japan office, so this was a strategic move on the part of our headquarters in Seoul to streamline global management."

The rep also mentioned that Lee ran other departments such as marketing and production while in his position as chief financial officer.

Jaeho Lee moving to Seattle, not running NC West from Korea originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

An introduction to the Daeva

Jon Shute — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Lore, New titles, Professions

MMORPG.com have a new developer journal for Aion, NCSoft's new MMO which is due to make it to the west later this year. Aion launched in Korea last year and has already proved highly popular. This journal introduces us to the Daeva, humans who have undertaken a sudden mystical evolution.

Daevas are revered by the people of Atreia and are created when the invisible lifeblood of Aion, Aether, infuses a human. This often happens to somebody who is undergoing trauma or pain. The human will then sprout feathery wings, break free from the bonds of gravity and mortality and become the first line of defense against the invasions from the Balaur and incursions from Daevas from the other side of the world.

You can read the full developer journal at mmorpg.com.

An introduction to the Daeva originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Atlantica Online selected for Game and Game World Championship 2009

James Egan — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, PvP, News items

Atlantica Online, the free-to-play turn-based MMO from NDOORS Interactive has been selected as an official title of the 2009 Game & Game World Championship (GNGWC). For those unfamiliar with this event, what is GNGWC? It's an annual Korean game festival and tournament that's held in major cities around the world representing different regions -- Los Angeles, Leipzig, Singapore, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Yongin (South Korea). Regional tournament champions are ultimately invited to the Grand Finals held in Korea. GNGWC is run by the Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency (KIPA) which aims to promote Korean games to players globally.

The announcement mentions Atlantica Online being played in GNGWC 2009: "Selected as a GNGWC title for the second year in a row, Atlantica Online features a revolutionary turn-based battle system that utilizes free PvP leagues and a new 100v100 tactical battle system for PvP combat. Atlantica has proven to be an ideal title for e-sports competitions with its unique PvP combat." Top-ranking competitors can earn prizes, including cash prizes in the Grand Finals. Beyond the NDOORS Interactive title being a prominent aspect of GNGWC, the release also mentions that Atlantica Online will be expanding to new territories in Asia: Taiwan and Vietnam.

Atlantica Online selected for Game and Game World Championship 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments