Massively

Former Lineage II artist returns to NCsoft for new MMO project

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

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

NCsoft's prodigal son has returned, and with him the hopes and dreams of the future of gaming. Well that might be a smidge melodramatic, but fans of the company's games certainly have a good reason to celebrate today as former Lineage II artist Juno Jeong has come back to the fold.

Jeong signed back on with NCsoft as of yesterday to be the art director of an unknown MMO project. This is a marked step up from his previous role in the company as a member of the character production team, and those who know Jeong's art style are already expressing excitement with his current role. Following his stint on Lineage II, Jeong worked for several other game companies including Gravity, NHN, and Npluto.

While speculation is swirling over the exact nature of the project to which he's been assigned, the most common assumptions are either that he's working on another Lineage or Aion title.

Former Lineage II artist returns to NCsoft for new MMO project originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA consolidating servers in Japan [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, TERA

While highly anticipated in the West, not all is sunshine and rainbows for TERA overseas. Under assault by bots and bugs, NHN Japan announced that it will be reducing the number of open beta players currently in the game down to 33% by consolidating servers. Players in Japan shell out $38.50 per month to test the game.

TERA's been testing in Japan for five months now and has shown promise, with over 48,000 concurrent players logging in at one point. Even though the beta test is shrinking in players, NHN is making tweaks to the game to improve the experience for those who remain. These improvements include doubling the amount of free time for new players and cutting the cooldown time of dungeons in half while increasing the amount of loot dropped.

NHN Japan says that the population decrease will help to improve the game's performance as it progresses in testing: "Although the CCU has been decreased from the initial start, it is now more stable than we expected. The server consolidation is to promote better cooperative play."

The Korean beta test of TERA conducted a similar server consolidation last May.

[Update: While the developers are currently consolidating servers, TERA is no longer in beta testing in Japan. TERA launched several months back as a subscription-based game. We apologize for the confusion.]

TERA consolidating servers in Japan [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon, NCsoft refuse to fully cooperate with South Korean MMO gambling probe

Jef Reahard — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

South Korean MMO makers are under the Game Rating Board's microscope for allegedly obstructing an investigation related to MMORPG gambling. The ratings board has questions regarding real-world money transactions that offer a chance at valuable in-game items, and a veritable who's who of Korean development firms are refusing to fully cooperate, according to This Is Game.

NCsoft, Nexon, and HanbitSoft are just a few of the companies mentioned in the report, and while the publishers have given up item names, costs, and other details related to the transactions, the companies are thus far refusing to divulge information on payout percentages.

GRB chairman Soo Keun Lee says that his organization is simply trying to determine the legality of RMT transactions using a set of gambling standards adopted by South Korea in 2008. "Game companies ask us why GRB tries to touch their business model and [they] refuse our request[s]," he said.

Nexon, NCsoft refuse to fully cooperate with South Korean MMO gambling probe originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2011: ASTA video talks design philosophy and DAoC inspiration

Jef Reahard — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Dark Age of Camelot, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items

Last month we brought you a brief blurb about ASTA, the new fantasy MMORPG from NHN. The CryEngine3-powered title is making its official debut at this week's Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and a six-minute video trailer has surfaced that shows off quite a bit of detail about the new title.

The clip features a lot of concept art, behind-the-scenes shots, and talking-head developer interviews as well as an English-dubbed voiceover that's heavy on lore and backstory bits. There's also a lot of commentary regarding ASTA's design philosophy as well as how the developers are striving to avoid Asian MMO cliches to create a title that is original yet familiar.

Finally, the video lets us in on the fact that ASTA is aimed at players "who are not very good at controlling the keyboard and the mouse simultaneously." Despite its apparent simplicity, ASTA will be featuring RvR and PvP mechanics designed specifically to facilitate large-scale conflict rather than small-party skirmishes or duels. Dark Age of Camelot fans may be interested to know that the ASTA video specifically references the older title as inspirational material, and you can find that and more after the cut.

Continue reading Gamescom 2011: ASTA video talks design philosophy and DAoC inspiration

Gamescom 2011: ASTA video talks design philosophy and DAoC inspiration originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, All Points Bulletin, Global Agenda, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT, Vindictus, Guides, Miscellaneous

If you've never been to Gamescom before, let's simply put it this way: It's big. Really, really big. Forget most any convention you've attended; this is likely to be even bigger. Billing itself as the world's largest games event, Gamescom sees well over a quarter-million fans, journalists and exhibitors crowd into the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany to check out hundreds of games and companies.

Due to its size and worldwide prominence, Gamescom is a significant event for anyone following the MMO genre (and video games in general). There are plenty of MMO studios gearing up to share first looks, exclusive reveals, detailed Q&A sessions, and exciting hands-on demos for attendees.

Naturally, Massively will be paying close attention to all of the news coming out of Gamescom this week. For those attending the convention or merely looking to keep abreast of all of the games, studios, and information forthcoming, we've compiled a guide to the hottest tickets at Gamescom as well as a comprehensive exhibitor list of MMO studios after the break.

Continue reading Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011

Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASTA showing off its CryEngine3 visuals at Gamescom

Jef Reahard — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items

If you were fortunate enough to attend this year's GDC, it's possible you caught a glimpse of ASTA, the new fantasy MMO from NHN. The title, formerly known as Project E:st, is powered by the CryEngine3 and boasts some of the more impressive visuals in the MMO space.

Assuming you can make it to Cologne, Germany, for this year's Gamescom (August 17th through the 21st), you'll get another opportunity to see ASTA in action since NHN will be offering visitors "a first look at the captivating world [...] as well as the opportunity to chat with the developers and learn more about character development, guild evolution, competitive play, and many other features," according to a new press release.

ASTA is being developed by Polygon Games (which includes a core group of designers who previously worked on Rohan: Blood Feud), and it takes place in a world inspired by Asian myth. Gameplay elements include realm vs. realm, PvE questing, raids, and crafting.

ASTA showing off its CryEngine3 visuals at Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soul of the Ultimate Nation heading back to Webzen

Krystalle Voecks — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play

First we heard that NHN, running under ijji.com, would be transferring control of Huxley back to its developer Webzen here in North America. Now, news has reached us that NHN has decided to follow suit with the other Webzen game ijji.com has held for the last year -- Soul of the Ultimate Nation. Thankfully, those who are a part of the world of SUN need not fear: Plans are underway to make sure that all active characters are transferred smoothly between hosts. (Those of you who tasted the banhammer are SOL, even on the new host.)

The cash shop in Soul of the Ultimate Nation is already closed; character transfers are already open and will continue until January 21st, 2011. For those who have already set themselves up to make the jump, Webzen's SUN servers will be online as of December 15th, ready to welcome veterans and new players alike. If you choose to opt out of the transfer altogether, ijji.com is offering a pro-rated refund of cash shop items that your character may have had before the 22nd of November. For more details, check out the detailed FAQ on the ijji.com site.

Soul of the Ultimate Nation heading back to Webzen originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Webzen to resume publishing duties for Huxley: The Dystopia

Rubi Bayer — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Huxley, MMO industry, News items, MMOFPS

NHN USA, or ijji.com, has been the company responsible for publishing Huxley: The Dystopia internationally, but the people in charge have announced that they're passing it back to developer Webzen.

Webzen will be self-publishing Huxley, but it's not as much of a change at it might seem at first glance. NHN USA and Webzen are separate divisions of the same company, NHN Corporation, and the two divisions will continue partnering with one another to publish other projects.

If you've purchased G Coin Cards, don't worry about losing out: "G Coin Cards branded with Huxley imaging will remain valid as long as they're purchased through an authorized retailer."

NHN USA's official statement will appear on ijji.com today.

Webzen to resume publishing duties for Huxley: The Dystopia originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Karos Online enters open beta Dec 4th

James Egan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play

Karos Online publisher NHN Corporation has announced that open beta for the fantasy MMO will kick off on Friday, December 4th. The official site's link for CBT sign-ups is still active, so this may be worth a shot. Those gamers already in the Karos Online closed beta will have some things to look forward to in the final CBT event running from November 27th - 28th. Characters will be given gear and items for high-level play with rapid experience gain. NHN says players will reach a level cap of 44 "almost immediately". There will also be new monsters, weapons, and Holy Creatures to tear into.

In addition, players in the CBT will be able to reserve their character names for when Karos Online's open beta doors swing wide to the masses. The English version of Karos Online is scheduled to launch in Q4 2009, with German and Turkish versions to follow in 2010.

Karos Online enters open beta Dec 4th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Karos Online proves that mining and fishing don't have to be crafting tradeskills

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Crafting, PvP, Free-to-play

Free-to-play title Karos Online is demonstrating a different use of fishing and mining than the norm. Instead of taking their crafting skills and placing them on the side, Karos is directly implementing them into an alternate character progression tree separate from leveling.

Both mining and fishing will allow players to recover "fletta gems," artifacts that are used to increase player stats and some player buffs. These gems can also be used to buy special resources or enchant items for the character, making them a one stop shop for all your upgrade needs. Of course, this leads to these items being coveted for their use, and Karos is also implementing a guild control system on the mining areas -- turning what's normally a crafting ground into a high-stakes PvP area.

Karos is currently in closed beta, running in weekend beta tests similar to Aion. If you're looking to jump in, sign up for an account on the Karos website and then apply for a beta testing position.

Karos Online proves that mining and fishing don't have to be crafting tradeskills originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archlord to transition from Codemasters to Webzen

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, ArchLord, Business models, MMO industry, Server downtime, News items, Free-to-play, Legal

Codemasters, while best known for running Lord of the Rings Online in Europe, was never a one-trick pony. While many people have been adventuring through Middle Earth, a brave few gamers were still calling the realm of Chantra, the continent of the archlord, their home. Sadly, however, all things must come to an end as Codemasters will be shutting down their service for Archlord.

However, this is not a game sunset, but a game transition. Codemasters has failed to come to an agreement with NHN, the Korean developers of the game, to continue their service. NHN has transferred operation over to Webzen instead of Codemasters. If the images of Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation just popped into your head, then you have indeed remembered the correct Webzen.

This transition will move all character data over to Webzen's servers, making Webzen the go-to spot for almost everything Archlord related. What hasn't yet been confirmed is if item data will be transported with the characters as well.

Archlord has shut down new account creation until October 2nd, when everything will be transferred over to Webzen. For the full details of the transfer, or if you want to make a new account, check out Webzen for all of the gritty details.

[Thanks, Adam and Doran!]

Archlord to transition from Codemasters to Webzen originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Details emerge on Karos Online's Fletta system

William Dobson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

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

Karos Online's first closed beta event took place a bit over a week ago, and in a recent press release NHN stated that it was a success and that further closed beta dates will be announced soon. They also said that they are ready and willing to adapt the game based on tester's opinions. The main reason for the press release, however, was to provide details on one of the game's central features: the Fletta system. Fletta isn't the stuff you crumble into your Greek salad -- it is "the magical energy which underpins the world of Asmara", and it's going to have a variety of uses for players of Karos Online.

Fletta Points are accumulated by killing monsters, but they aren't the same as experience points. You can use them to raise some character attributes, or hang on to a certain amount of them to provide an experience bonus while leveling. They can be traded to NPCs in different regions in return for special local items and bonuses, and at high levels, the points can even be used to cast particularly potent spells. There are also Fletta Gem items (both weapons and armor) that grow in stats and appearance with the player. They are crafted out of Fletta Gem Shards that come from mines that player guilds will battle to control. Sounds like a recipe for some heated competition.

Details emerge on Karos Online's Fletta system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Karos Online announces closed beta dates and three playable races

James Egan — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Races

It was only the other day when we first mentioned Karos Online, a fantasy MMO in development at Galaxy Gate, which will offer a twist on standard game mechanics with a dual dungeon system. Event dungeons will be limited to five players but battle conditions will adapt to player actions. Maze dungeons, on the other hand, won't have those player caps, and are essentially shifting labyrinths which add more difficulty the further players venture in.

If that's caught your attention, Karos Online's publisher NHN released more info today about the game's closed beta test. The closed beta weekend event will begin on Friday, August 21 and last through Sunday, August 23. This first weekend event will let players choose from three different races -- Humans, Shadows, and Seroines -- and one of each race's sub-classes.

Continue reading Karos Online announces closed beta dates and three playable races

Karos Online announces closed beta dates and three playable races originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Karos Online opens signup for closed EU beta

Lesley Smith — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items

NHN have announced the start of signups for the closed European beta of their fantasy game Karos Online. While the beta is due to start later this month, the company has already opened a forum to enable discussion about the game.

Set in the world of Asmara, the player takes the role of a hero who trying to become the legendary Karos warrior. Anyone interested in signing up, should head over to the official site.

The closed beta will also see NHN announce more detailed information about the game, specifically its dual dungeon system. One is an 'event dungeon' which is limited to five players and sees the dungeon itself adapt to decisions made in combat. The second is a 'maze dungeon' which allow unlimited parties but is far from static. NHN says that the walls will move and shift round, disorientating players as they move further into the dungeon. As players level, these dungeons will become progressively more complex and include boss fights. The English version is due to be launched in Autumn 2009 with German and Turkish versions to follow.

Karos Online opens signup for closed EU beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:00 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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More Jeffrey Steefel goodness regarding the Korean LotRO launch

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST

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

In line with the recent interview at MMORPG.com, Lord of the Rings Online's Jeffrey Steefel speaks in another interview with Ten Ton Hammer regarding the plans to bring LotRO to Korean audiences. This is something that has been discussed for quite a long time now, but with the Korean release imminent, we now get into the details of this launch and what LotRO hopes to offer to this specific audience.

One of the most important points made in this article is the projected number of players who could potentially be involved with this game at launch. While Steefel is reluctant to give figures, he says that with half the population of Korea playing online games (which would be a potential market of almost 37 million people), "the numbers could be astounding," he says.

More Jeffrey Steefel goodness regarding the Korean LotRO launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huxley coming to NA and Europe by way of NHN USA

Kyle Horner — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Huxley, New titles, News items

The rumors of Webzen's North American demise have been greatly exaggerated. News on the inter-streets is that Webzen has found a PC-version publisher for their MMOFPS game Huxley in gaming portal heavyweight NHN USA, which is a subsidiary of the Korean NHN. There still isn't any mention of the 360 version, however. This is a pretty big deal for Webzen as it means that Huxley will be sold through the incredibly huge ijji.com videogame portal. That's the same portal through which over six million people play tons of games including Gunbound, Gunz, Drift City and Soldier Front.

You may or may not know about ijji.com, but trust us when we say it's a pretty big win for Webzen. Originally announced when Hoover build the dam, Huxley has been in the works for a long, long time. Which is the main reason we've all been questioning its US release solidity. All joking aside, the real question we should be asking is whether or not NA and European players will even like the game. Some of us here at Massively haven't been decidedly impressed by anything so far. Only time will tell.

Huxley coming to NA and Europe by way of NHN USA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lord of the Rings Online headed to Korea

Michael Zenke — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Business models, Economy

The Korean online gaming market is getting a new fish in the pond. And it's a big one. Turbine has signed up with NHN (which controls a sizeable portion of the Korean search market) to offer Lord of the Rings Online to gamers in Korea.

NHN also operates Korea's Hangame online game portal, claiming 1 million concurrent users worldwide. The company is headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, and has offices in Japan, China and the U.S. Turbine President and CEO Jim Crowley said, "The Lord of the Rings is a powerful franchise with global appeal, and we are committed to bringing the game to fans around the world. NHN is a powerful force in the Korean gaming market and we are very excited to work with them to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to Korea next year."

Lord of the Rings Online headed to Korea originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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