Massively

Free-to-play spending poised to become the majority in the US

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Miscellaneous

Free-to-play is on the rise -- we all knew that, but perhaps we didn't quite grasp how much it's gone up. Gamasutra reports that online players have boosted their F2P spending a whopping 24% this year over last, with F2P revenues cornering 47% -- versus 39% in 2010 -- of the MMO market in the US.

Analysts predict that we're on track to see $1.2 billion spent on free-to-play MMOs in 2011. This surge of F2P spending isn't just confined to North America, however. Europe, Asia, and other emerging countries already see a majority of MMO spending dedicated to F2P versus other business models.

The report states that US players spend 26 million hours daily in MMOs. Your average US player is 84% likely to be enjoying browser-based titles and 50% likely to be invested in a client-based game.

NewZoo CEO Peter Warman thinks 2012 will be a decisive year for F2P in more ways than one: "Recent lay-offs and the sudden death of LEGO Universe are serious warnings for the MMO games industry. Success will also strongly depend on how MMO companies extend their unique gameplay and IP across other game platforms, specifically mobile."

Free-to-play spending poised to become the majority in the US originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

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

Gamepot's hardcore do-or-die Wizardry Online took a big step in its development last week as the title went into open beta in Japan. Over 100,000 players stormed the castle gates to get a peek at this permadeath MMO, and Gamepot had to add several additional servers during the first day to handle the influx of adventurers.

Gamepot's Shuhei Ueda says that seducing Japanese players is just the first step in the company's plans: "For Gamepot, it is truly amazing to see so many enthusiastic fans of the Wizardry franchise participate in the open beta testing, and now live service, of Wizardry Online. Bringing this innovative and legendary series to a new platform has been a rewarding process and we're looking forward to continuing our world-wide rollout to fans around the globe."

Work continues on an English version of Wizardry Online, which Gamepot hopes will make it across the Pacific sometime in 2012. The studio is also seeking out a publisher for North American and European markets. While you wait, you can read up on our first look at Wizardry Online from this past summer's E3.

Gallery: Wizardry Online

[Source: Gamepot press release]

Wizardry Online launches open beta in Japan while eyeing the west originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allods Online announces October update

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lore, Patches, Free-to-play, Allods Online

This October, Allods Online will introduce new content to its already extensive free-to-play MMO. This update will include "a brand new zone for high level players, the ability to customize Astral ships, and enhanced leveling to improve the new player experience."

To help alleviate the usual gap that happens between European and North American content launches, gPotato will launch the update in both regions simultaneously. The exact date for this launch hasn't been announced yet, but in the meantime, you can check out the update's new screenshots below and watch for more news to come.

[Source: gPotato press release]

Gallery: Allods Online

Allods Online announces October update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Golden Age goes for a walk on the town

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Free-to-play, MMORTS

Forget the silver age or the iron age -- the Golden Age is totally where it's at. Where what's at, you ask? Apparently where MMOs meets real-time strategy and crosses paths with castles and tall ships.

Aeria Games is ramping up publicity for this upcoming title by releasing five new screens showing off the common town where players will bump into each other while they check out the sights. Golden Age is a free-to-play browser RTS where you can assume the role of the lord of a castle in the golden lands of yore. When you're not building up your fortress, you can go on hundreds of quests in the surrounding areas and unleash hell with your elite armies.

You can take a tour of the town in the gallery below. Right now the title is in beta for both North and Latin America, so if you're ready to move out of your parents' basement and into a roomy 200-room keep, head on over to the official site to sign up!

Gallery: Golden Age

Golden Age goes for a walk on the town originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

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

Legend of Edda, the free-to-play title from GamesCampus, is temporarily closing its doors to the gaming public on August 26th until early next year. This isn't because of a dying population or financial difficulty, but rather to overhaul and relaunch the game with a much-improved version.

According to a letter left on the website, EU's EYASoft developed a superior version of the game that went into open beta in Europe. Apparently this version was both so good and so incompatible with the North American version that GamesCampus decided to halt progress on the current edition of Legend of Edda in favor for the new and improved one. "Unfortunately," the letter says, "because of the extreme differences between the US version and the new version, it is impossible to update the US servers to the new game."

To compensate Legend of Edda fans, GamesCampus is creating compensation packages to refund in-game currency and encourage players to try out on of the studio's other titles. We covered Legend of Edda earlier this year in our Rise and Shiny column.

Legend of Edda going dark until 2012 due to revamp originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Prophecy releases first content update, launches tomorrow in NA

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Launches, Patches, Free-to-play, Black Prophecy

It's a big week for Black Prophecy, as Reakktor Media's starchild both lights the fires of a North American launch and kicks the tires of its first content update.

While Black Prophecy has been released in Europe for some time now, tomorrow will see the official start of the North American servers. So if you've been itching for free interstellar combat in the region, then you've got less than 24 hours to go!

Along with the NA launch is the release of Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima. This sizable update is adding a new mission hub, a new sector set, additional stories, ship specials, an email system, and the ability to reset player skills.

You can read the full patch notes for Episode 1 over on the Black Prophecy forums, and then hit the jump to check out the exciting trailer!

Continue reading Black Prophecy releases first content update, launches tomorrow in NA

Black Prophecy releases first content update, launches tomorrow in NA originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Tanks enlists millions worldwide

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:30:00 EST

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

Like its iconic vehicles, World of Tanks is proving to be an unstoppable beast rolling over everything in its path. And if numbers are any indication, there's no sign of this newly released game slowing down.

Today, Wargaming.net announced that World of Tanks has crossed the line of two million registrations for its Russian server. The European and North American servers add another million to the roster as well.

The game is proving to be a smash hit in Russia, which recently awarded it Best Game of GDC Russia 2011.

CEO Victor Kislyi says that this well exceeds any predictions the company had for the game's growth: "At the very beginning of development for World of Tanks, we were assuming that the maximum number would be around 600,000 players worldwide. Now, we have two million registrations in Russia alone, not to mention the Western audience and its immense growth. With the tremendous number we've reached in Russia as well as the dynamics of community growth in Europe and North America, we are looking forward to the many more milestones to come."

World of Tanks enlists millions worldwide originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 May 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Bigpoint's Battlestar Galactica Online just the beginning of its master plan

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Launches, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Browser, Battlestar Galactica Online

In the Battlestar Galactica TV reimagining, the Cylons were infamous for having an overarching plan for their domination of the galaxy. Likewise, Bigpoint's plan for the newly-launched Battlestar Galactica Online is far more than it might first appear. For starters, the SyFy channel -- which is hosting the game on its website -- plans to aggressively run commercials promoting BSGO to the public.

According to Gamasutra, Bigpoint itself is in a state of rapid growth with the recent acquisition of the former employees of Planet Moon for its relatively new San Francisco office. This newly combined workforce numbers over 80, and CEO Heiko Hubertz has them all mostly working on two major IPs: "We didn't acquire the company; we just took over the employees. So almost 40 of them are now working for us, and they're working mainly on Battlestar and The Mummy."

Bigpoint's plan to tackle the North American market diverges from its European strategy by focusing on high-quality, multi-million dollar budget browser titles -- and so far, it's paid off, as the company is in the black. Hubertz thinks this was a smart move: "It was very quick -- the decision, 'Okay, if we want to be successful in the U.S., we have to change our thinking about this industry.' And that's the reason why we developed games here in the U.S., that's the reason why we picked a technology like Unity to develop games of high quality."

You can read up on Bigpoint's plan over at Gamasutra, and don't forget to check out our first impressions of Battlestar Galactica Online.

Bigpoint's Battlestar Galactica Online just the beginning of its master plan originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forsaken World to be unleashed March 23rd

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

Looking for new vistas to explore, for untamed MMO wilds to colonize? Perfect World Entertainment hopes that you'll give its upcoming free-to-play title Forsaken World a shot, as the company just announced its March 23rd release date. Forsaken World will be simultaneously launched in North America and Europe with English, German and French versions.

PWE's Director of Marketing, Jonathan Belliss, thinks the game should appeal to these regions: "Forsaken World is one of our most impressive games to date. With vast devotion from our talents and contribution from our players, this game was built from the ground up with the western gamers in mind. We're very excited to finally be releasing Forsaken World and a huge thanks goes out to our beta testing community for providing us with such great feedbacks."

Forsaken World is an MMO that features both the familiar and the unusual (such as floating guild halls), and has been praised by testers for its performance and interesting classes. If you're looking to get to know the game a bit better, hit the jump to watch PWE's third developer diary covering locations and dungeons (here are the first and second videos, if you need to catch up).

Continue reading Forsaken World to be unleashed March 23rd

Forsaken World to be unleashed March 23rd originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online adds even more servers

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, New titles, PvP, News items, PvE, Consoles, DC Universe Online

Things are seriously taking off for Sony Online Entertainment's newest MMO, DC Universe Online. Just a couple of days after launch, the company needed to open up two new PvP servers (one each on PC and PS3), as the extant PvP servers were slammed full of people, and more were picking up the game daily. Now, due to demand, SOE has decided to open up even more servers, and this time it's not just for PvP -- or North America!

The newest servers -- four in all -- include two new PvE servers for North America: "Last Laugh" and "Relentless" on PC and PS3. Meanwhile, our friends in Europe are getting two new PS3 servers to enjoy: the "Justice for All" PvE server, and "Absolute Power" as a new PvP server. With six new servers online since launching a week ago, it's a great sign that DC Universe Online is attracting a lot of players with it's interesting mix of action-packed game play and story.

[Edited to correct new server name]

DC Universe Online adds even more servers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone MMORPG Empire Online comes to North America

Brendan Drain — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, News items

When it comes to the iPhone and other mobile platforms, MMOs are thin on the ground. Technical limitations make developing an MMO for a mobile platform difficult at best, but with titles like Pocket Legends doing so well, there's still an obvious demand for massively mobile games. Mobile game development studio Lakoo announced today that that its popular Asian iPhone MMO Empire Online would be released in the North American app store later this week on Saturday, January 15th.

Empire Online supports PvE with parties of up to five players at a time and five-versus-five PvP battles. Features include turn-based combat and an open skill-based character advancement system. Lakoo is hopeful that the game does well in North America, suggesting that over five million players have already registered in China, Taiwan and Australia.

Skip past the cut to watch the Empire Online trailer.

Continue reading iPhone MMORPG Empire Online comes to North America

iPhone MMORPG Empire Online comes to North America originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAQ attack: Trion clarifies RIFT pre-order options

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models, RIFT, Community Q&A, Promotions

With all the news and discussion swirling around RIFT these past few days, many players may be considering pre-ordering Trion Worlds' baby to snag the head start and bonus items. However, as evidenced by the comments in a previous post here on Massively, there's a bit of confusion as to how all this works out, especially if one does not want to make a misstep.

Fortunately, Community Manager Abigale posted a pre-order FAQ on the RIFT forums to clear up any murky haze floating around the subject. One of the biggest questions concerns the status of VIP codes, which are automatically granted to any pre-order customers. If the player pre-ordered the game through Trion Worlds directly, his account is flagged for all future beta events, but if the player went through a retailer, an extra step is required to enter an emailed code into his account.

The pre-order FAQ also deals with payment methods, how the rewards are dispersed to characters, and the life expectancy of beta characters come launch (hint: Don't get too attached!). For anyone wondering why RIFT is being released on two different days between North America and Europe, Trion says that NA traditionally releases on Tuesdays whereas Europe prefers Fridays. Head on over to the RIFT pre-order FAQ for more info!

FAQ attack: Trion clarifies RIFT pre-order options originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO industry, Patches, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." In light of recent events, we might turn that phrase to become, "Do not meddle in the affairs of players, for they are outspoken and very, very quick to anger."

I'm referring, of course, to the outright debacle that's been happening on the Lord of the Rings Online European front. While Turbine released LotRO's F2P version along with the latest patch a month ago in North America, Codemasters has yet to follow suit, citing numerous problems on its end.

When we first heard of the delay, I assumed it would be shortly resolved -- perhaps no more than a week or two at the most -- which is why I've mostly kept from discussing it in this column before now. Tech problems happen, there's always legal traps waiting, code can be glitchy, and regionalization is an ever-present obstacle. But at this point it feels as though the EU "Have-Nots" community has been under siege from lack of information and a frustrating view of the "Haves" across the pond.

When will it be their turn? Why didn't Codemasters see this coming? How is the EU team trying to mollify the community as the devs scramble to get this puppy to live? Let's take a journey, you and I, through the past month and into the near future. Don't mind the hobbits picketing the Shire -- I'm sure it'll all work out.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum

The Road to Mordor: The Codemasters conundrum originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vindictus is moving into (fully) open beta in North America

Krystalle Voecks — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Vindictus

Are you part of the masses eager to get your hands on a Vindictus beta key? Well, we have good news for you! Nexon has let us know today that its highly anticipated free-to-play hack-and-slash action-adventure how-many-hyphens-can-we-get-in-a-sentence game, Vindictus, will be heading to a true open beta status in North America on October 13th. So, sure, you could continue spending time trying to track down a key, or you could simply relax and get ready for the doors to open on the game in a couple of weeks.

As part of the opening, Nexon is going to be adding in the dungeon of Ainle, which will offer players new challenges in the form of fireball-throwing vampires and goblins intent on destruction. Nexon has also said that players will have to do everything they can to stop these new invaders, including "hurling the corpses of their defeated enemies at the attacking mobs." Also, players will have a chance to check out the fishing system as a way to enjoy some downtime and potentially land some nifty loot. You know, if you can pry yourself away from hacking everything to bits. If you aren't in the beta, we have a handful of new screenshots for your eyes below.

Gallery: Vindictus Gallery

Vindictus is moving into (fully) open beta in North America originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DDO Europe to go free-to-play on August 20th

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, MMO industry, Free-to-play

While fans of Dungeons & Dragons Online in North America have had good reason to celebrate the game's transition to a free-to-play model and its subsequent revival, European players have had to make do with the regular (i.e. subscription-based) version of the game under Codemaster's rule. Like angry twins facing each other across a crowded cafeteria, the two versions of this MMO created an uncomfortable tension in the air over the past year.

This is about to change, however, as Eurogamer reports that Turbine is taking operational control of the game from Codemasters. With this move, Turbine is bringing DDO Europe in line with its North America sibling, transitioning the game to free-to-play on August 20th. This transition includes bringing European players together with NA players with global servers.

Looking to calm any apprehensions by the players, Turbine plans to pave the way to their new global servers by giving current DDO Europe players 5000 Turbine Points to spend in the DDO store. While there will only be an English service initially, French and German account services are in the works.

DDO Europe to go free-to-play on August 20th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aika's service restriction problems have happy ending for existing players

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Aika

When Aika's service restriction first hit, it was less an example of malice and more of poor timing working in all the worst ways. The game had always been meant for just North American players under gPotato's administration, but the European players who had spent money in the cash shop and subsequently gotten locked out of the game were... well, to say they were unhappy would be a thunderous understatement. But the team behind the game kept working on the issue, and they managed to come up with a compromise solution.

An official announcement has just gone live restating that players outside North America will not be able to register to play Aika. However, players who had registered on or before April 7th will be able to continue playing, regardless of their location. That means that anyone affected by the sudden change in service restriction will be able to resume where they had left off, with all their cash shop purchases intact. It's an elegant and equitable solution, and our hats go off to the team for ensuring that players weren't completely shafted by an ex post facto ruling.

Aika's service restriction problems have happy ending for existing players originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aika service restricted with some unintended consequences

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Aika

When Aika opened its item shop, a comparison or two to Allods Online was inevitable. After all, with gPotato managing both games, there were a few people that wondered if the same pricing issues might show up. Turns out that the cash shop has still caused problems... but it's not the prices, it's the fact that the game is only supposed to be operating in North America at the moment.

A statement was posted earlier today that the game would be blocking IPs from outside of North America, as gPotato only had the rights to operate the game for that region. The problem is the number of international players who had been playing the game and had purchased items from the cash shop. As a result of the block, these players are obviously left out in the cold with no way to access Aika... and no real recourse for the items that they had already purchased from the item shop.

Continue reading Aika service restricted with some unintended consequences

Aika service restricted with some unintended consequences originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragonica Online kicks off 2,500 dollar gift card contest

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, News items, Free-to-play, Dragonica Online

We know what you're thinking. You're thinking that Dragonica Online is offering you a 2,500 dollar gift card to their own game. Well, that's what we thought too, but we were wrong. 100% wrong!

The Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card Sweepstakes (hereafter referred to as "the contest" because that's one huge name) is offering new players and old players a chance at a very sweet 2,500 dollar gift card to Best Buy, allowing you to stock up on all of your electronic needs! All you need to do to enter is simple -- simply sign up for a THQ*ICE passport, download Dragonica Online, and then log into the game before January 31st. Really, it's that simple. If you're already a Dragonica Online user, simply logging in will enter you into the contest.

Five first place winners will be grabbing a $25 limited edition Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card while 10 second place winners will find themselves the proud owner of a $10 limited edition Dragonica Online Water Series Game Card. We don't know what's so "limited edition" about them, but who wants to turn down game credit for logging in?

Remember, the contest only runs until January 31st, so make sure to log in to participate! Also, THQ*ICE runs the North American version of Dragonica, so sorry in advance to our friends overseas -- this one's not for you guys.

Dragonica Online kicks off 2,500 dollar gift card contest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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.

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Aion tops NPD Group PC sales chart for September

James Egan — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

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

When NCsoft released Aion, they had hopes it would ultimately enjoy the caliber of success in western markets that the title has in Asia. It's been roughly one month since Aion launched in North America but it's off to a good start, as indicated by its entry to the NPD Group's September US PC sales chart at number one.

Aion usurped competing titles like World of Warcraft and Champions Online in the NPD rankings, and the Aion Collectors Edition took the number five slot on the chart as well. Not bad at all for a game that only launched in the third week of September.

Aion tops NPD Group PC sales chart for September originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion open beta hits some hiccups, but patches are on the way

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Bugs, Culture, News items

First Champions, and now Aion. It seems that no game can find that smooth stride regarding their beta testing these days, but thankfully that's what beta testing is for -- squashing bugs. (No matter how much marketing we seem to lump atop these tests these days.)

The Aion development team has heard the community's call regarding the lag, authentication server, gameguard anti-cheating program, forum authentication script, and beta key release schedule. They understand that the problems with the lag experienced by North American users, as well as the login server not working, is frustrating. However, they are devoting resources to finding out the cause and will be patching the game ASAP.

Continue reading Aion open beta hits some hiccups, but patches are on the way

Aion open beta hits some hiccups, but patches are on the way originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon revenues are up, largely driven by MapleStory

James Egan — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

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

One of the most successful companies operating in the free-to-play games arena is Nexon, which reported their July revenues are up 35 percent year-on-year, according to Worlds In Motion. Much of this good fortune can be attributed to MapleStory, which set a new max concurrent user record of over 70,000 users last month. While the number of registered users in a free-to-play MMO doesn't tell the whole story, Nexon recently announced MapleStory has 92 million registered users worldwide, six million of which are in North America.

Nexon America VP of Marketing Min Kim was quoted by Worlds in Motion about the company's plans for North America. Kim said, "We're heavily investing on all fronts -- in our games, our publishing platform, aggressive marketing efforts as well as customer service. The best news for Nexon America is that our success isn't just reflected in registered users, but in actual, dramatic revenue growth."

Nexon revenues are up, largely driven by MapleStory originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ*ICE's Dragonica Online to enter open beta on August 18th

William Dobson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

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

THQ*ICE's version of Dragonica Online is all set to transition into its open beta phase of testing next week, on the 18th of August. There's always been a bit of confusion regarding the different versions of this game and their various states of readiness, so we'll be very careful about explaining which one this is: THQ*ICE is responsible for the North American iteration of Dragonica Online. The three English versions have each been attempting to lock down users that try to connect to the wrong service by way of IP blocks. An easy way to see which one you should be registering for is to check the game's Wikipedia entry, which lists all of its publishers worldwide. Also, the NA version is the only one with "Online" in the name.

Phew! With that red tape out of the way we can return to your scheduled programming. Those interested in joining the open beta should head to the Open Beta Countdown page and sign up. The test officially kicks off at 2PM Pacific on Tuesday -- if you're too filled with Dragonica excitement to wait that long, then consider entering the "Craft a Dragonica Online T-Shirt" contest. The winning shirt will be made official, and the contest page promises a surprise for the creator: "The winning entrant will be immortalized in Dragonica Online history. Although we can't mention more on this at the moment, it's safe to say you won't soon forget winning!"

THQ*ICE's Dragonica Online to enter open beta on August 18th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Dreamland Online coming to North America and Europe this year

William Dobson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items

Dreamland Online is a 3D sidescrolling MMO that is currently in its testing phase in China. The latest news from the game's developer IGG is that Europeans and North Americans can expect to be able to play an English version of Dreamland before the year is through. One of the defining aspects of the new title is said to be the involvement of pets: "The main feature of Dreamland Online is its pet system. In Dreamland pets play a central role - they can assist players in fighting monsters and completing quests, but they are also loyal companions on lonely adventures." There will also be some form of competitive player-versus-player gameplay.

The game has an official site up with some limited information, along with a link to some forums. Check out our new gallery for a handful of screens from the Chinese version.

Gallery: Dreamland Online

Dreamland Online coming to North America and Europe this year originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Darkfall's US server to launch today

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Business models, Launches, News items

Darkfall's first North American server, NA1, is due to launch today. The stage is set for the new server with the release of Darkfall's expansion, and July 13th is the date declared by both the website and the game's associate producer, Tasos Flambouras.

However, beyond a single thread regarding how to download the new US client, the launch has been very quiet. The account page is now online, ~~ready to take your payments of 49.98 for the brand new NA client.~~ Edit: While the account management is working and you can create an account, ~~the shop is currently offline and unable to take new purchases of the game.~~

EU users interested in playing on the NA servers with their EU characters will still have to wait, however, as EU players will only be able to transfer to NA three months after the launch. Even then, EU characters will not be allowed to bring their possessions with them, transferring onto the server as a naked player. However, on the bright side, those who wait will not have to pay for a brand new account to play on the NA server.

Update: The shop is now online. Have fun!

Darkfall's US server to launch today originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Western launch dates for Aion revealed

William Dobson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Launches, New titles, News items

The hype surrounding Aion has certainly increased in the last month or two, particularly due to the hands-on time the public has had with recent beta events (you can see all of our coverage of the ongoing beta here). Whether the game has won you over or if you're just watching pessimistically from the sidelines, you're probably interested to know when it will officially launch in the western world. IGN is reporting that Aion will launch on the 22nd of September in North America, and the European launch won't be far behind on the 25th of September.

Other notable MMO launches in September include Champions Online, and Cities XL (for some European countries). Even with its recently pushed back release date, Champions will still be out well before Aion if its 1st of September goal is reached. Seeing as all three of these games aren't really very similar, their close proximity probably isn't too much of a big deal, but it does mean that some of the largest MMO launches of the year will be right next to each other.

Western launch dates for Aion revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall details their plans for the future and North American servers

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Fantasy, Darkfall, Business models, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, PvE

Developer Tasos Flambouras of the Darkfall team stopped by the official Darkfall forums again with a lengthy update concerning pretty much everything under the sun for Darkfall -- from cheating to future updates -- all in one large swoop.

One of the big notes of the post is the acknowledgement of a North American server coming down the pipes, but coming with restrictions to character transfers. Original plans detailed that characters from the European server could transfer off onto the American server (as North American players are certainly playing the European version right now) but this transfer will now be delayed by several months. So, if you're itching to get off of EU-1, looks like you might be waiting for a while unless you wish to create a new character on NA-1.

Past the new server, Tasos has outlined some of the priorities for the Darkfall team, including an enhanced newbie experience, improvements to the economy, upcoming improvements to the solo and group experience, and improvements to the game's PvE system to name a few. While exact details haven't been given, it's nice to know that things like this are on the developer's "to do" list for future updates.

The full post containing all of the juicy details can be read over at the official Darkfall forums.

[Via Hardcore Casual]

Darkfall details their plans for the future and North American servers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrimeCraft to be sold exclusively for North America at Best Buy

James Egan — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Launches, MMO industry, News items, Crime, MMOFPS, CrimeCraft

One of the titles gamers can look forward to this summer is CrimeCraft, a hybrid of a shooter and urban MMO from Vogster Entertainment, to be published by THQ Inc. in August. Vogster and THQ have taken a somewhat surprising step towards distribution of CrimeCraft in North America; the title will be sold exclusively at Best Buy, either in-store or online.

The exclusivity of this deal may bring some perks to CrimeCraft players. The official release states: "Consumers who purchase CrimeCraft at Best Buy will receive two months of free play time and a number of exclusive in-game items, including two in-game t-shirts from acclaimed real-world fashion labels and a combat backpack for their avatar. Gamers will also receive a virtual Best Buy discount card that allows them to purchase in-game items at a reduced cost. Those gamers pre-ordering CrimeCraft via Best Buy retail stores or online at www.bestbuy.com, will additionally receive virtual in-game shoes from Ecko Unltd., created by fashion icon Marc Ecko, access to play the pre-release version of the game during beta, and three days' head start at the game's launch."

Pre-orders begin on May 31st (online) or on June 7th (in stores). CrimeCraft is still slated for an August 25th launch.

Gallery: CrimeCraft

CrimeCraft to be sold exclusively for North America at Best Buy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spellborn launches in the US; subscriptions free for 2 weeks

William Dobson — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Launches, New titles, News items, Chronicles of Spellborn

Acclaim has officially launched The Chronicles of Spellborn in North America, and to mark the occasion, premium subscriptions are totally free for people registering before the 7th of May (and for existing accounts). The issue of needing "Acclaim Coins" to purchase subscriptions has been fixed in time for the launch, and when the free subscriptions run out, players will be able to keep them going using their credit cards directly.

As we had confirmed for us last month, Spellborn will be using a monthly paid subscription business model, however, a small portion (three areas) of the game's content will be available for free in perpetuity. Upon reaching a certain level, all further character progression is blocked. This is really more of a free trial than an actual "free-to-play with premium for-pay bits", so to see what the full game is really like, the best option would be to try it out now while the flood gates are opened all the way. If you decide to give it a go, be sure to let us know what you think about it.

Spellborn launches in the US; subscriptions free for 2 weeks originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LotRO free trial keys are back for North America and Oceania

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

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

Just last week we received news that Codemasters was holding a Welcome Back Week for the European Lord of the Rings Online players, and now there's good news for the North American and Oceanic players as well. Turbine has just announced a 10-day free trial key available for download from their website. Even if you live in Europe, there are 14-day free trial keys still available for you as well.

If you're thinking of using one of these trial keys to sample the game for the first time, might we suggest a few weapons from our own arsenal. Check out our LotRO category page for the latest news on the game, our new class guides for the Warden and the Rune-keeper, our low-level and high-level guides to Mines of Moria, and don't forget our Know Your LotRO Lore features!

LotRO free trial keys are back for North America and Oceania originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Faction populations largely balanced in Warhammer Online

James Egan — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, Warhammer Online, Races

When Warhammer Online launched, one of the pressing concerns players had was population imbalance between Order and Destruction. Some of the measures Mythic Entertainment has taken to remedy this -- like free server transfers -- seem to have worked, according to Mythic's Jess Folsom.

A recent dev blog by Folsom at the Warhammer Herald addresses the concerns WAR players continue to have about faction imbalances, and paints a decidedly bright picture of the current state of play.

Percentages shown for the average of all North American servers shows a near equal balance in active accounts per faction (49% Order vs. 51% Destruction), and an even 50/50 split between factions in terms of average experience and renown point gains.

Continue reading Faction populations largely balanced in Warhammer Online

Faction populations largely balanced in Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online now on Steam in North America

Tateru Nino — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Warhammer Online, News items

As you may have already spotted on our sister blog, Big Download, the games publishing giant Electronic Arts are bringing a chunk of their software catalog to Steam, sans any third-party DRM or copy-protection (beyond their own, or that provided by the Steam service itself).

For Massively readers, particularly, that means that Warhammer Online is available right now for US$49.99 (including 30 days free) -- however, only if you are in North America (essentially the USA and Canada, we believe). As yet there is no announcement that the EA catalog will be made available via Steam to other regions in future (though we have our fingers crossed). This is kind of a bummer, yes. Steam seems to be a great way to handle MMO clients, and bulk installs.

This makes Warhammer Online the third MMO client available via Steam, as it joins Age of Conan or EVE Online. How many of you would try out Warhammer Online from Steam versus a purchase off the shelf or through the EA Store?

WAR has gone 1.1! Check out our full coverage of the 1.1a patch, along with our interviews exploring upcoming content and the open RvR changes. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Warhammer Online now on Steam in North America originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spellborn's American launch pushed back, closed beta starts the 27th

Samuel Axon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New titles, News items, Chronicles of Spellborn

So we heard a couple months ago that The Chronicles of Spellborn would be released in North America and the United Kingdom on November 27th, coinciding with the continental European launch. Turns out it's been pushed back -- kinda. The European launch will still commence on the 27th, but the North American closed beta will begin on that day, with the actual, final launch occurring sometime in January.

Sure, we're a bit disappointed, but chances are we'll still get to play the game soon. Acclaim, the game's publisher in the region, went out of its way in the press release it sent us to stress the "Freemium" business model -- a newbie trial area will be available to all players, who can reach level seven before they have to upgrade to a premium subscription at the usual $15/month rate.

The idea of an unlimited free trial area with a level cap isn't fresh -- both Meridian 59 and EverQuest II have done that, but it's not a bad way to sample a game to decide if you want to invest your hard-earned cash in it. Might be worth trying just for Jesper Kyd's soundtrack

Spellborn's American launch pushed back, closed beta starts the 27th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion: Tower of Eternity breaks all beta test records in Korea

James Egan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, MMO industry, News items

While we had some grim news related to NCsoft's dip in profits yesterday, there may be a silver lining to this, in the form of Aion: The Tower of Eternity. A press release from NCsoft states that the Aion beta has surpassed all previous records for a beta test in Korea: "Concurrent user numbers have already jumped to more than 170,000 players, making it the most popular beta event in Korean history." That's a significant achievement, given how mature the market is in Korea. 11,000 people were logged into the Aion beta only two minutes after service began and hit 40,000 players within an hour. The rapid influx of players necessitated NCsoft having 25 servers running to accommodate them.

David Reid, president of publishing for NCsoft West in Seattle said, "The response we're seeing in Korea is incredibly exciting. Our Aion community in North America and Europe is rapidly growing. We've got aggressive plans for the western launch in 2009." On the subject of Aion's launch, the press release lists Korea's commercial launch as being just a few weeks away. As Reid stated, the North American and European Aion launches are set for 2009, but NCsoft hasn't nailed down a specific launch date for these markets at this time.

Aion: Tower of Eternity breaks all beta test records in Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half

James Egan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items

MMO industry giant NCsoft has seen better weeks than this. First there was Richard Garriott's announcement that he's leaving the company for new horizons. Then came the news that NCsoft's third quarter profits fell by 50 percent.

Gamasutra reported today: "In the three months ending September 30th, the South Korean company's profit was down from 10 billion won ($7.2m) in 2007 to just 5 billion ($3.6m) in this year's third quarter." Gamasutra goes on to cite some additional figures in regards to NCsoft's operations, namely that its Korean titles are still the big earners, with Lineage and Lineage II comprising roughly 84 percent of its overall revenues. MMO titles popular in North America and EU account for roughly 15 percent of NCsoft's revenues. For further details, be sure to check out Gamasutra's piece on NCsoft's third quarter revenues for more statistics linked to the company's revenue dip.

NCsoft third quarter profits sliced in half originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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