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Neverwinter releasing Q4 2012, opens French and German websites

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Neverwinter

Neverwinter was the unexpected surprise of PAX East for us, which is why we're psyched that it should be in all our hot little hands by the end of the year. Perfect World announced that its upcoming Dungeons and Dragons MMO will launch globally in the fourth quarter of 2012.

As part of the global efforts, Perfect World has opened up French and German websites to cater to the diverse European playerbase. Each localized website is just as informative and media-packed as its English counterpart.

Cryptic Lead Producer Andy Velasquez is quite excited to be working on the project and anticipates players' delight when the game finally arrives: "As a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, it's a rewarding experience to develop Neverwinter and contribute to the lore of the franchise. We're taking calculated steps to ensure Neverwinter will captivate players with its immersive storylines and beautiful artwork while being a fast and fluid action game."

[Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]

Neverwinter releasing Q4 2012, opens French and German websites originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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EVE launches in Japan, adds multilingual search tool

Jef Reahard — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

Japanese sandbox fans are saying domo arigato this morning as CCP and Nexon have officially launched a localized version of EVE Online in the land of the rising sun.

Japan boasts the world's fourth largest gaming community, and CCP has added it to an impressive list of conquests that include English-, Chinese-, Russian-, and German-speaking markets. The company is handling all of the game-related conversion tasks via its in-house localization system, while Nexon is responsible for various marketing and support initiatives.

CCP has also added a multilingual search tool to the EVE client. The new functionality "helps weld the disparate language groups present in EVE into a more global and unified game experience -- truly demonstrating the impact and value of the single shard server model," says senior producer Jon Lander.

[Source: CCP press release]

EVE launches in Japan, adds multilingual search tool originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Launches, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play

Star Trek may feature universal translators, but the crew at Cryptic has to make do with old fashioned techniques until the future catches up with us. As such, the studio has announced that it is relaunching Star Trek Online in Europe to support its French- and German-speaking players.

Starting right now, the game, website, forums, and game support will be available in all three languages. To further cater to European players, Cryptic has vowed to add more EU-friendly event timeslots.

Executive Producer Dan Stahl hopes this will spread STO across the world: "The launch of Star Trek Online in Europe is the culmination of our efforts over the past several years to bring gamers the Star Trek universe on a truly massive scale."

All players can benefit from this European relaunch, as Q's coming back to celebrate with a double-XP bonus weekend. Anyone who logs in from today through Monday, April 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, will not only benefit from the a skill point and bridge officer point boost but can claim a free IDIC Tribble of his or her very own. The Tribble provides a unique buff to your character based on his, her, or its class -- and if you manage to get all three buffs on you at once, you'll be granted an additional boost to damage, resistance, and health regen.

[Source: Cryptic press release]

Massively Exclusive: Star Trek Online announces EU relaunch, double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Tanks takes aim at southeast Asia

Jef Reahard — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Business models, MMO industry, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks

Wargaming.net might want to think seriously about changing its name to Worldgaming.net. The studio behind World of Warplanes announced today that it's bringing its World of Tanks MMO to southeast Asia. Wargaming has formed a partnership with SEA Gaming that will bring the World War II action title to gamers in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

This isn't a simple port of the European or American client, either, as Wargaming.net says gamers in the region can expect full localization, a Singapore-based server group, and dedicated support services.

Online gaming in southeast Asia features an estimated 100 million players, who will generate nearly $1 billion in sales by 2015, according to market analysts at Niko Partners.

[Source: Wargaming.net press release]

World of Tanks takes aim at southeast Asia originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars 2 to implement Spanish localization

Elisabeth Cardy — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2

In less controversial Guild Wars 2 news for today, a post on ArenaNet's blog confirms that the game will have Spanish localization on launch. While German and French were already a part of the game, Spanish-speaking fans have been hoping for localization for quite some time. The ArenaNet developers listened to those hopes, and apparently having decided that they can make this happen at the high standard they hold themselves to, have taken this project on. Because of the variation of spoken Spanish across the world, the game won't be receiving Spanish voicing; instead, voiced content will have Spanish subtitles.

With that in mind, ArenaNet is now looking for Spanish QA and a localization editor to join its team in Bellevue, WA and a Spanish-speaking community manager for its Brighton, England offices. If that's your wheelhouse, polish up your résumé and head over to NCsoft's jobs page for more information.

Guild Wars 2 to implement Spanish localization originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch in the Asia Pacific region on March 1st

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Launches, MMO industry, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

On launch day, fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic were able to start logging into the game simultaneously across the world... assuming "the world" meant North America and Europe. The Pacific regions were unfortunately deferred to a later launch date, something that provoked some ire from fans in that area. However, the wait is now over for an official launch day. A launch of March 1st has been announced for Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.

Naturally, there are fans in those regions who would prefer to play on regional servers but have already started play on existing servers via imported copies of the game. BioWare is promising that players in these regions will be able to transfer characters for free for a limited time following the launch date, allowing everyone to move to regional servers if desired. The game is also available for pre-order now, so if you're in the affected region and want a copy, best take a look at stores near you for order options.

Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch in the Asia Pacific region on March 1st originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: On mourning a netbook edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. My stalwart little netbook, River, finally developed a serious problem: Her screen developed a pair of nasty cracks. I've had her for only a couple of years, but she's been a great portable machine and a real help at getting work done. Now if only it weren't such an enormous pain finding someplace where I could get her repaired, as I'd really prefer not to replace her. But it might come to that.

Even with an injured performer, however, the show must go on, and the show in question is Ask Massively. This week, we're fielding questions about ArcheAge and working in the gaming field, something that I'm sure is of interest to many of our readers. If you've got a question you'd like to see in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited for brevity and/or clarity.

Continue reading Ask Massively: On mourning a netbook edition

Ask Massively: On mourning a netbook edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Iron Pine Peak Curtain falls: RIFT launches in Russia

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, RIFT

Earlier this year we heard that RIFT would be bridging US-Soviet relations in a way unseen since Rocky Balboa stood toe-to-toe with Ivan Drago in '85. Today that dream has become a reality, as RIFT is now live across Russia.

This follows a string of beta tests and language localization for the title in the region. To make this happen, Trion Worlds partnered up with Belver, which will operate the MMO in the area. Russian fans can now check out a localized edition of the RIFT website in their native tongue.

Next up on RIFT's worldwide tour? The game is headed to South Korea "sometime next year."

[Source: Trion Worlds press release]

The Iron Pine Peak Curtain falls: RIFT launches in Russia originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aeria Games bringing Need for Speed World to a global audience

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Need for Speed World, Miscellaneous

Do you feel a need to get behind the wheel of a car and race through the city streets? Would you prefer to do so without being arrested or the risk of crashing into a building at 100 MPH? Need for Speed World fulfills that requirement, and as of today, Aeria Games is bringing the game to a worldwide audience. It's the second game that the publisher has handled from Electronic Arts following the work done on Battlefield Heroes earlier this year.

Like many other releases from Aeria Games, Need for Speed World's global release comes with several different localizations. The client is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Polish, letting players of several different nationalities face off against one another on the mean streets of several fictional cities. And of course, the core racing mechanics of the game have remained intact so that players can enjoy the whole free-to-play racing game in whatever tongue is most comfortable.

Aeria Games bringing Need for Speed World to a global audience originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runes of Magic to receive Turkish and Latin American localization from Aeria Games

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

Aeria Games seems to be making a niche for itself localizing games into neglected regions. Earlier this year, it was announced that the company would take on the localization for Perfect World International for Latin America. Now it's doing the same thing for another game, taking the responsibility of localizing Runes of Magic for both the Latin American market and the Turkish market. That means all of the current live features of Runes of Magic in your native language, assuming your native language is Spanish, Portuguese, or Turkish.

No details have been disclosed about the timeframe for the launch of these new localizations. According to Len Hoang, CEO of Aeria Games, the release is part of the company's overall ongoing strategy -- "We believe emerging markets will continue to rise in importance for Aeria Games as we commit to growing our global community of power players." Keep your eyes peeled for more news about the release.

[Source: Aeria Games press release]

Runes of Magic to receive Turkish and Latin American localization from Aeria Games originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spanish version of Perfect World International is on the way

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Perfect World International, Previews, News items, Free-to-play

Despite the name, Perfect World International has always been fairly national after all. Or at least, it's been limited in the sense that unless you can read the game's English text, you're going to have a hard time navigating it. Fortunately for players in Latin America, Aeria Games is currently in closed beta testing for a Spanish version of the game client, complete with all of the game's content and free expansions to date.

The official site for the Spanish version is up, along with registration options for players hoping to take part in the testing and refinement of the title. We've also received a few preview screenshots of the game in its current incarnation, although ironically enough none of these screenshots features text in any language. If you're hoping to be able to play the game in a language other than English, keep your eye on the localization of this title in the coming months.

[Source: Aeria Games press release]

Gallery: Perfect World

Spanish version of Perfect World International is on the way originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more

Jef Reahard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Economy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Crafting

ArcheAge news has been a bit sporadic of late, and it's also been quite some time since we talked to the devs or took a spin through one of the game's closed beta phases. Like many of you, we're dying to know more about XL Games' forthcoming fantasy sandpark, so we went straight to the source to see if we could drum up anything new.

Lead designer Jake Song was kind enough to field a few of our burning questions, and we're pleased to present you with another Massively ArcheAge exclusive that touches on everything from localization and story to consensual PvP and item decay. Join us after the break for that and more.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more

Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lord of the Rings Online still not available in China

Jef Reahard — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

When it comes to mammoth western themepark MMOs and the Chinese gaming market, apparently there can be only one. And that one isn't named Lord of the Rings Online (or Highlander Online, sadly).

CDC Corporation initially entered into an agreement to distribute Turbine's Tolkien-inspired MMORPG to Chinese gamers in 2006. Five years later, the game still has not seen the light of day, and Turbine has pulled the plug on the arrangement as a result. CDC spent approximately $10 million on "licensing, development, and other costs," but has nothing to show for the expenditures.

Don't cry too hard for Turbine, though, as the Boston-based developer pocketed the $4 million non-refundable licensing fee.

Lord of the Rings Online still not available in China originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare delaying Star Wars: The Old Republic's European testing

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

International issues with Star Wars: The Old Republic started cropping up more or less as soon as the pre-order began, and they're apparently persisting. It's recently been officially announced that European testing invitations have been delayed, missing the initial weekend and being postponed for an unspecified length of time. Fortunately for the players who are no doubt sore over the delay, an explanation was included with the announcement, which kicks off by pointing out that a new build and an associated character wipe are on their way for later in the week anyway.

The new build will require testers to re-download the entire client, and with the client requiring a 27 gig download, it was suspected that any players presently invited might finish the download only to have to start an entirely new download immediately afterward. Localized French and German versions of the game will be included in the new build, which further contributed to the decision to ultimately hold off on the European testing. It's cold comfort to would-be testers left out of the game, but at least it isn't without some logic.

BioWare delaying Star Wars: The Old Republic's European testing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizard101 voyaging to China

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Kids, Wizard101

Never underestimate the power of magic or kids accessing their parents' wallets. That's what we've learned from KingsIsle over the past few years, as its Wizard101 has grown into a powerhouse slugger that knocks down barriers of all types: age, social groups, and most importantly for the accounting department, world regions.

Today we've learned that KingsIsle has struck a deal with Taomee Holdings Limited to bring Wizard101 to China, and in so doing greatly expand the game's market. Taomee specializes in online gaming that's angled for children, so this seems like a perfect match. Chinese players should see a localized version of Wizard101 sometime next year.

KingsIsle also says that Wizard101's website netted over 13 million unique visitors during the month of July, a strong indication of just how big this game has grown.

Wizard101 voyaging to China originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lore, Previews, News items

Have you ever thought to yourself that bards are such a supremely cool idea for a character class that they ought to have a whole game devoted to them? Apparently you're not the only one, as Gamania today announced its upcoming game, Tiara Concerto, a game focused around musical gameplay in floating castles in the sky. And with all joking aside, it seems like a pretty interesting concept at face value, although it's a bit difficult to divine how well it will play out over time.

According to the game's backstory, the game takes place 800 years in the past, with humanity on the brink of eradication due to the ambiguous sinning of mankind. The Seven Wise Men helped preserve civilization in floating palaces, developing the art known as "tuning" to allow musical melodies to be used as weapons. While the localization appears to be a bit scattered, the trailer just past the cut certainly promises some interesting visuals if nothing else. You can also look at the official Facebook page, which features a series of comics translated to English to help introduce the game's concepts and play style.

Continue reading Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto

Gamania announces musical MMO Tiara Concerto originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall possibly headed to Asian market

Jef Reahard — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries

Darkfall's brand of FFA PvP and sandbox-style fantasy elements may be headed to the Asian market, according to a new post on Aventurine's weekly dev blog. Tasos Flambouras reports that company staffers recently traveled to the Far East for discussions with "several of the Asian majors." What became of those discussions is still shrouded in secrecy, but Flambouras does hint at more news in this regard down the road.

"This will be good for the game overall since we'd be tapping into some vast development resources. Unfortunately I can't be more specific but there will be announcements when we can," he explains.

Today's Epic Blog entry also talks a bit about some new PvE dungeons in the works, and there are some interesting pieces of concept art as well as a screenshot or two of the new Cairn dungeon. Read all about it at the official Darkfall site.

Darkfall possibly headed to Asian market originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Trion signs deal with Belver to localize RIFT for Russia

Jef Reahard — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

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

Hey look, it's another RIFT tidbit! We know it's been several hours since the last one, and honestly, the void was making us all a bit weepy. Seriously, though, we do have some good news for our Russian comrades who're itching to take a peek at the Telara the rest of the MMO world has been fawning over for the past month.

Trion has just announced a publishing deal with Belver to bring a localized version of the game to Russia as well as 14 Commonwealth of Independent States. Currently, there's no firm release date, though Trion's press blurb mentions a late 2011 window.

"The work going into launching on Russian servers is significant, but with skilled specialists on either side of [the] Atlantic, RIFT's release in Russia is sure to be a solid product," said Belver CEO Slava Plotnikov.

Trion signs deal with Belver to localize RIFT for Russia originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA's Chris Lee on making a Korean MMO into an American hit

Jef Reahard — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA

The recent announcement regarding a mind-meld between En Masse Entertainment and Atari for the purposes of bringing Bluehole Studio's TERA to North America has generated a fair bit of industry buzz. Not only does it indicate an impending release date (though En Masse remains coy about anything other than a "2011" date), but it also signifies to fans of AAA Asian-themed MMOs that they'll soon have an alternative to Aion and Lineage II.

Gamasutra recently chatted up En Masse publishing vice president Chris Lee about the challenges inherent in bringing TERA to the West, and surprisingly, the "westernization" catch-phrase -- and associated deflections -- were nowhere to be found. Lee instead focused on how En Masse has a long road ahead when it comes to turning a Korean MMO into an American hit (regardless of the title's inherent quality). "One of the biggest misconceptions in the business is that a good game will sell itself," Lee says.

Lee also spoke to TERA's decision to bypass the free-to-play craze as well as the title's unique combat mechanic, which is "a large departure from traditional MMOs, regardless of region."

TERA's Chris Lee on making a Korean MMO into an American hit originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC 2011: Prius Online and the evolution of MMORPG pets

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

The closed beta countdown for Prius Online is in full swing, and the new MMORPG from gPotato is targeting a spring 2011 North American launch window. Prius is a new free-to-play fantasy game (new to the American market, at any rate), and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Toyota automobiles. We recently sat down with the guys from gPotato to talk about how they've spent the last little while working hard to localize Prius and how it differs from your average F2P MMO.

The game has been out in Korea for a couple of years now and was one of the more unique titles we saw at this year's GDC on account of its three-character control system and an unusually elaborate narrative focus and pet mechanic. Join us after the cut for the full scoop on Gigas, Animas, and all things Prius.

Continue reading GDC 2011: Prius Online and the evolution of MMORPG pets

GDC 2011: Prius Online and the evolution of MMORPG pets originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Now is the winter of our discontent edition

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, News items, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

We're not sure whether he was inspired by the recent Oscars or other recent winning theatrics, but this week we're treated to a breathtaking performance from the MMO Report's very own Casey Schreiner. Admittedly, he likely won't be picking up any golden statuettes from the Academy -- this is internet video, after all. However, we feel relatively certain that he will likely find his bag quite swollen over owing to this week's subtle combination of stellar performance and particularly well-groomed facial hair. Well, that and because this week's episode is really short.

Starting off running, Casey touches on the February game update in DC Universe Online while simultaneously saving us from having to look at cherubs from the game's holiday event. After that, it's a quick jump to Runes of Magic, which is determined to make it even easier to spend tons of time wandering aimlessly in the game while telling your Facebook friends all about it. Next, it's a nod to our GDC 2011 coverage with our ArenaNet localization panel writeup and an aside about the large amount of Guild Wars hardcore Norn we got to enjoy last week. Finally, the bag returns to equally rapidly disappear once again.

As always, this week's episode lurks beyond yon break -- or you can catch it on G4TV every Thursday! Until then, anon good readers; anon!

Continue reading The MMO Report: Now is the winter of our discontent edition

The MMO Report: Now is the winter of our discontent edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC 2011: ArenaNet's Adam Vance talks localization for Guild Wars

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Business models, Culture, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

Ask the average Guild Wars player what makes the game so enduring, and "localization" is probably not on the top of the list. But the game is truly a masterpiece of blending players across an international community, with a single multilingual client supporting a wide range of communities across the entire world. ArenaNet's Adam Vance hosted a panel on the localization process for the game at GDC, discussing the many trials and tribulations the game faces from both a business standpoint and a cultural standpoint.

It certainly doesn't seem like a difficult task from a conceptual standpoint -- even just running a block of text through secondhand solutions such as BabelFish can produce something that looks somewhat translated. But as Vance explained, simply changing the text from one language to another is an issue, and linguistics only scratches the barest element of what's needed for adapting a game. "Localization should be as much a science as an art," as he put it during the panel. While the focus remained on localizing Guild Wars from a business standpoint, players will still find interesting facts within the discussion.

Continue reading GDC 2011: ArenaNet's Adam Vance talks localization for Guild Wars

GDC 2011: ArenaNet's Adam Vance talks localization for Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bluehole Studio's TERA westernization team interviewed

Jef Reahard — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, News items, TERA

Inevitably, one of two things happens when we post a story about TERA's westernization. First, folks compare it to Aion (and the general consensus is usually that it will be similarly grindy). Second, people bring up Brian Knox, currently an En Masse producer who formerly worked as an NCsoft producer responsible for bringing Aion to western audiences. Happily, TERAfans has brought us information rather than speculation about TERA's journey overseas, in the form of a lengthy interview translation with members of Bluehole Studio's Korean localization team.

The article, translated from the Korean original, touches on the challenges inherent in bringing a game to the North American market that values story presentation a bit more than the game's native Asian audience. "The English version really takes priority for the game's story. NA players consider a game's story a portion of the game's content. With that in mind we are currently working on how we can best convey TERA's story. For example, the story cannot just be told through simple text, but with many background stories for the NPCs and zones," says Young-Kwang Kim.

The piece also makes clear that the job of westernization is much more than simply translating quest text into the appropriate language. Whether you're talking about the German, Japanese, or American markets, Bluehole's team is especially mindful of what it terms "culturalization" as opposed to localization. "It is true that we are careful about cultural differences more than anything. TERA's localization is more than a simple translation, word for word. We want to make it easier for players around the world to understand the game without hitting cultural walls," says Hee-Soo Lee.

Head over to TERAfans for the full interview.

Bluehole Studio's TERA westernization team interviewed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Passing the torch: WAR's GOA-to-Mythic transfer explained

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Warhammer Online

Despite what your grade school friends told you, there are take backs in life. Last week we brought you the breaking news that GOA was transferring Europe's Warhammer Online operations to Mythic Entertainment, a significant event considering that GOA's been handling WAR on the continent since 2006. Today Mythic posted a rather extensive "WAR EU Takeback FAQ" which is as informative as it is rhymey.

Fortunately, it does not appear as though the transfer will be too disruptive to current players. Characters, levels, gear, servers and friends lists will remain intact, and no new client download is required. Mythic will also be hosting German and French-specific servers for any wishing to play in a particular language environment. However, all players are asked to register for a new Mythic account, and will need to make sure that their payment plans and options are set up accordingly in it.

Mythic's also stated that they have long-term plans to allow players to transfer to and from North American servers, although no decision's been made regarding transferring to non-English speaking serves. The transfer begins tomorrow, June 29th, and will continue through July 7th. For the rest of the details, or just to settle your mind, read through the Takeback FAQ over at Warhammer Online's site.

Passing the torch: WAR's GOA-to-Mythic transfer explained originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion 1.9 patch highlights with producer Chris Hager

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST

Yesterday NCsoft teased some of the upcoming features in Aion patch 1.9, making daevas the world over drool their sparkling, celestial spit. However, while everyone was busy drooling, we met up with Aion's producer, Chris Hager, for a more extensive look into the patch notes.

Patch 1.9 has a bunch of things going for it -- from the introduction of a new "rent-a-item" system, to daily quests, to looking for group interface enhancements and more. As we said yesterday, there's over 26 pages of patch notes which will be appearing on the Aion main website -- that's a huge number of fixes and changes.

While we can't cover them all in this document, we aim to hit the highlights of the patch that just hit the Korean test server. Now extend your wings and fly with us to the land after the break!

Continue reading Aion 1.9 patch highlights with producer Chris Hager

Aion 1.9 patch highlights with producer Chris Hager originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamepot Partners with Square-Enix for Fantasy Earth Zero

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Fantasy Earth Zero

Apparently, Square-Enix isn't satisfied with just launching the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy XIV this year. In partnership with Gamepot USA, they're also going to be rolling out Fantasy Earth Zero, a new game for this side of the pond. The game promises PvPvE elements a la Aion, will be free to play, and should be available early this year.

Sound like a remarkably short turnaround? That's because the game isn't actually new, having launched in Japan in 2006. Square-Enix had initially put quite a bit of promotion behind the game, but it very nearly died in its home country soon thereafter. Gamepot saved the game from a swift death, uncoupled it from the rather ill-fated PlayOnline Viewer, and moved to a free-to-play model that's been working out quite well for the game ever since.

Tortured history aside, players can expect Fantasy Earth Zero to deliver a very active PvP experience with large-scale battles, as well as the usual high production values associated with a Square game. Take a look at the official teaser site to see about entering the local beta, and keep an eye open for more details about the game become available in the likely very near future.

Gamepot Partners with Square-Enix for Fantasy Earth Zero originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic taking over DAoC Europe

Kyle Horner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, News items

Mythic Entertainment today announced that GOA's license to publish and maintain Dark Age of Camelot in Europe will not be renewed, and that Mythic plans to take hold of the reins for European support. The news post says the transition will occur "in the coming weeks" which hopefully means a gradual shift is being planned, rather than a sudden one.

The developer makes sure to assuage any fears of rocky times ahead by saying, "We are currently working with GOA to take over operation of the game and its European community, and will soon be providing details about pressing player questions such as existing subscriptions, character transfers, game versions, localization, and more." It sounds like everything is well under control, but an effort like this is most certainly a delicate one. Hopefully things go smoothly, as we'd rather report good news over bad.

Mythic taking over DAoC Europe originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic being localized in French and German

James Egan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic

One of the unique aspects of Star Wars: The Old Republic is that it's being developed as a fully-voiced MMO through the efforts of hundreds of voice actors. According to BioWare, the script for SWTOR contains 40+ novels worth of content. This is impressive -- not to mention a bit frightening -- but what happens if BioWare and LucasArts want to tap the non-English speaking markets? (They do.) BioWare stated: "Today, we are revealing that BioWare and LucasArts will be localizing The Old Republic into French and German and we are launching the French and German versions of the official website."

Our understanding is that the French and German releases of Star Wars: The Old Republic will be fully voiced as with the English version. If the localizations for each of these languages truly encompass everything in the English version of SWTOR, this could mark the biggest localization effort undertaken to date in the MMO industry.

Star Wars: The Old Republic being localized in French and German originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So that's how they localize a game...

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, MMO industry

If you thought localization was just a developer running everything through an auto-translator and shoving the game out the door, you're pretty far off according to Atlus U.S.A. The team over at the company that produces some of the best game localizations in the business have written a very insightful post into why game localization takes so long.

Atlus doesn't just take a game and throw it through a quick translation process. There's the weeks of the translators playing the original game to get a feel for it, then the weeks of the actual translation, the weeks of re-programming to make the new text, voice-overs, and graphics line up. Then you have the weeks of testing to remove bugs and finally the packaging and shipping process. On a good game release, you're looking at around three and a half months for the localization. For MMOs, you're looking at something much more intensive thanks to the amount of text involved.

Interested in the full process? Check out Atlus's production diary number 12 for the full rundown.

So that's how they localize a game... originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Free to play MMO Cronous to launch in India

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, Launches, Free-to-play

Lizard Interactive, the makers of free-to-play MMOs Cronous and Sho Online, has made an agreement with Servex of India to bring Cronous over to the Indian MMO audience.

The Indian MMO scene is very much like the Asian MMO scene, where internet and gaming cafes dominate the market while at-home users only make up a small percent. To combat this, Lizard and Servex have also teamed up with Sify and Zapak -- two of the largest internet cafe chains in India. These chains will be offering special promotions and incentives for players who choose Cronous, as well as simply promoting the game in their stores.

The Indian MMO scene is one of the best marketing choices right now, as the market is uncrowded and quickly gathering steam. This move is very similar to Rappelz's choice to move into the Middle Eastern market, choosing to take the costs of localization in order to tap an untapped player base.

Cronous will be launching their Indian website later this month, with game service targeted for the same timeframe as well.

Free to play MMO Cronous to launch in India originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The birth of the Middle Eastern MMO scene

James Egan — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

Much of our coverage of the MMO industry at Massively is clearly focused on North America and Europe, with the occasional article about what's happening in Asia, but we rarely have the opportunity to point out what's happening in MMOs in the Middle East. Truth be told, we weren't aware that MMOs are operating in this region of the world until an article we came across today.

Sanya Weathers recently got in touch with Fadi Mujahid, general manager of a Dubai-based company called Game Power 7 which has localized the free-to-play MMO Rappelz for the Middle East/North African (MENA) market. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, Game Power 7 is the first company to focus on the MMO industry in the Middle East and North Africa to date.

Mujahid explains to Weathers how Game Power 7 made these first inroads to the MENA market, from market research to localization efforts (adding 'Middle Eastern touches' to the characters and other changes to make the game less offensive to the market's cultures), to getting the word out about the Arabic version of Rappelz.

Continue reading The birth of the Middle Eastern MMO scene

The birth of the Middle Eastern MMO scene originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lord of the Rings Online launches in Korea and Russia

William Dobson — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Launches, MMO industry, News items

Turbine has issued an announcement regarding the regional availability of their number one title. Just ahead of Lord of the Rings Online's second birthday, the folks over in Russia and Korea are now able to join in the Tolkien-inspired fun with new localized versions of the game. Pictured above are the logos for the two new regions, Korean on top and Russian underneath. Noticeably, the Korean logo is in the Mines of Moria format that we've all become used to now, whereas the Russian logo takes after the original logo from vanilla LotRO (Shadows of Angmar). We aren't sure whether this means that Korea's LotRO is Moria enabled and Russia's is not. Perhaps a couple of our readers could translate the sub-headings and shed some light on the issue (and yes, they did! See the comments for info).

Korean company NHN is handling their region's version following a deal from December of 2007, and IT Territory made a similar agreement to bring the game to Russia in January of 2008. Both of these companies made statements emphasizing their high expectations for the success of LotRO in their respective markets, but the real test of that begins now.

Lord of the Rings Online launches in Korea and Russia originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Tinkering around with Neo Steam and Atlus Online

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Free-to-play, Casual

The World of Gatheryn isn't the only steampunk MMO on the block this year at GDC09. While Gatheryn certainly appeals to the Victorian steampunk crowd, Atlus Online's upcoming MMO Neo Steam will be bringing in those who like more fantasy mixed in with their brass and gear-driven inventions.

Atlus may be a newcomer to the world of MMOs, but they're proving that they're no newbies with their initial offering. Our look into Neo Steam was quite informative and surprising, especially considering that this will be the second time Neo Steam will be releasing in North America. Atlus is putting a large amount of effort into making Neo Steam resonate with North American audiences, and not just putting out a rehash of the same game you've already seen.

Continue reading GDC09: Tinkering around with Neo Steam and Atlus Online

GDC09: Tinkering around with Neo Steam and Atlus Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online extending reach into Russia and Japan

James Egan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, News items

The sci-fi massively multiplayer online title EVE Online is very much a game of galactic conquest. In that spirit of world domination, CCP Games has been working on establishing the title's presence in both Russia and Japan. EVE developer CCP Caedmon is part of the company's localization team, and has written a dev blog titled "Machine Translation's Bad, M'kay?", dealing with CCP's efforts to reach out to Russian and Japanese gamers.

Both Japanese and Russian localizations of the EVE client are now up on the Singularity test server. By all indications, the Russian client's localization is further along, as CCP Games opened up the client for public testing in 2008. However, they're interested in pushing ahead with Japanese localization as well. CCP Caedmon writes, "We know there is a highly dedicated community of Japanese players out there who have been with EVE since the early days and we are excited to hear your feedback."

For more on the status of EVE Online as it applies to other markets, see CCP Caedmon's "Machine Translation's Bad, M'kay?".

EVE Online extending reach into Russia and Japan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion's release date expected for fall 2009

Seraphina Brennan — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Launches, News items

Localization is big, time consuming business, and NCsoft wants to make sure that they get it just right with the release of Aion: The Tower of Eternity. The US community manager, Liv, has just confirmed that NCsoft is seeking a fall 2009 launch date for the Western copy of the game that has already seen success in Korea.

The game is undergoing a significant re-write of all of the narrative content instead of being simply translated and pushed out the door. What this should produce is a game without the standard awkward mistranslated phrases, incomplete sentences, and dialogue that doesn't word wrap properly.

This style of localization is common amongst recent games that have crossed over into Western culture, such as the Megami Tensei Series and Odin Sphere from Atlus Games. It's more extensive and time consuming, but produces much better results in the long term.

For all of the questions and insights Liv has provided to the Aion audience, check out her full letter and note from the producer at the European Aion website.

Aion's release date expected for fall 2009 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan expands its bloody conquest to Korea

Samuel Axon — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST

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

It looks like Age of Conan is headed for South Korea thanks to a distribution deal between Funcom and well-known Korean publisher Neowiz. You thought you were safe from King Conan's wrath just 'cause you live 7,700 kilometers from Funcom? We could've told you that was a false assumption -- this particular blogger is almost 6,500km away and he's still knee-deep in the barbarism!

We won't predict that it'll be more well-received there than StarCraft, but Korea is a bastion of online gaming, and Neowiz plans to offer full localization and support, as well as all the same content updates the US and EU players get, to the Korean audience. The release date "has not yet been finalized," though -- not even a hint was provided in the press release, so, uhh, we guess we'll just wait and see.

Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!

Age of Conan expands its bloody conquest to Korea originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Conan will start speaking Russian later this year

Samuel Axon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST

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

Funcom today announced a partnership with huge Russian developer/publisher 1C Company to localize Age of Conan for the Russian-speaking market. All text and voices in the game will be translated to Russian, and 1C will provide customer support and community services to the Russian community. There will also be a Russian server. This is all due in Q4 of this year.

The English language version of the game has already been released in Eastern Europe, and it's done pretty well. All the marketing hype quotes in the press release stress that the game will be a massive success when available in the native tongue of the region. We're not going to make any predictions about that, but this is probably good news either way if your native language is Russian and you're already playing the game.

Conan will start speaking Russian later this year originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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