Massively

Cabal II preps Korean launch, rolls out new trailer

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Launches, Free-to-Play

Cabal II is looking good, real good these days. The CryENGINE 3 title boasts eye-popping visuals, although we haven't gotten any face-time with the game to judge how it handles. We'll be hearing more about it soon, however, as Cabal II prepares to launch in South Korea next month.

The sequel to Cabal is the first of the CryENGINE 3 MMOs and is being developed by ESTsoft. We've got a spiffy-looking trailer for you that shows off not only the game's good looks but also its many classes, from Warriors to... um, Force Bladers. Check it out after the jump!

[Source: ESTsoft press release]

Continue reading Cabal II preps Korean launch, rolls out new trailer

Cabal II preps Korean launch, rolls out new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: Meeting the 'Asian gamer' stereotype on common ground

Beau Hindman — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

I originally thought I would craft this Soapbox to discuss the differences between Western and Eastern gamers. But in my research, I ended up noticing the differences and the similarities between the two gaming cultures -- in fact, the similarities were more prominent. Yes, there are gamers who game in stereotypical ways; there are gamers from China, Korea, and Japan who are stereotypically "Asian."

But Westerners can behave as stereotypes as well. The good news is that we're all blending together.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Meeting the 'Asian gamer' stereotype on common ground

The Soapbox: Meeting the 'Asian gamer' stereotype on common ground originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Legal, Diablo III

After investigating numerous complaints that Blizzard wasn't granting refunds to dissatisfied South Korean Diablo III players, the government there demanded that the studio do so anyway. The South Korean consumer protection law ensures a refund if there's a problem with the product that isn't related to the customer.

Many South Korean players were angered due to massive server crashes and high latency while playing Diablo III. The Wall Street Journal reports that 66% of Diablo III online traffic in Asia comes from the country.

As for the refund itself, there are a few stipulations. It currently extends to players who haven't reached level 40. If eligible, the customer has to file for a refund between June 25th and July 3rd. Past that date, Blizzard said that it will offer refunds for any players under level 20 within 14 days of their purchasing the game. The studio is also extending an olive branch to upset gamers by handing out 30-day trials to StarCraft II.

South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 205: Revolt!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Miscellaneous

Bree's off this week, so Justin is joined by Elisabeth to fashion a new empire in their own idiom. We have to warn you: It will not end well. There will be unfortunate mutations, a revolt in the slave mines, and international pressure to shut down Massively Speaking due to its torrid language. On the plus side, we get to gab about Guild Wars 2!

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes.
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Listen here on the page:

Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 205: Revolt!

Massively Speaking Episode 205: Revolt! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-Play, Blade & Soul

With Blade & Soul's South Korean open beta starting this week, NCsoft released an action-packed trailer to highlight the game's characters, attitude, and insane combat sequences. It's... pretty nuts in several ways.

Whoa, is he juggling that guy in the air with his sword? That cannot feel good! That lady is so unconcerned about her general welfare that she's just strolling through combat and swatting down bad guys like flies! And is that...? It is. A girl with a mustache and bunny ears? Huh. Let's just roll with it.

While we don't know when Blade & Soul will be making its way overseas, the title is scheduled to launch next month in Korea. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump and let us know what you think!

Continue reading Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer

Blade & Soul unleashes its Korean open beta trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition

Brendan Drain — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Events (Real-World), PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Legal, Events (Massively's Coverage), Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III

This weekend was DreamHack Summer 2012, during which the MOBA world got together to run some awesome tournaments with huge cash prizes. Heroes of Newerth set the tone for the event with the biggest prize pool at DreamHack: a whopping $60,000. In addition to a standard tournament, S2 Games held the first ever Mid Wars tournament and invited amateur players to battle against the professionals. Bloodline Champions made its usual grand showing with its own packed tournament, and Dota 2 ran the massive $57,000 Corsair Vengeance tournament.

League of Legends continued the trend with its own $40,000 tournament and announced that Greece will get a fully voice-localised game client in the near future. Rumours of gold duplication in Diablo III continue to spread this week despite a lack of hard evidence behind the claims, and legislators in South Korea proposed a new law that will make the real money auction house illegal in that country. Path of Exile started a new community character build showcase to demonstrate the upcoming game's incredible customisation system. Finally, Blacklight Retribution showed off its interesting new Kill Confirmed game mode, while Rise of Immortals released its official Kreed immortal spotlight.

Continue reading Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition

Not So Massively: DreamHack Summer 2012 edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:00:00 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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Three hours and out: South Korea considers additional gaming ban for minors

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

Filed under: MMO Industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filed under: Fantasy, Super-hero, MMO Industry, New Titles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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Blizzard kills Diablo III's RMT to appease South Korea

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Legal

Blizzard Entertainment made waves last year when it announced that Diablo III would be supporting real-money trading (RMT) through its in-game auction house system. While it proved to be a divisive topic among fans, apparently it was too much with the South Korean rating board, which sees such activities as potentially violating the country's anti-gambling rules.

The board was quoted as saying that "the feature involving for-cash trades between users was not included in the presentation to the rating committee, and therefore it was not subjected to any scrutiny."

To appease the board and pave the way for release, Blizzard has dropped the RMT auction house for the Korean version. The ratings board has warned the company not to sneak in the feature in a future patch and gave the title an 18 rating for the country. Interestingly enough this makes South Korea the first country to slap a rating on Diablo III to date.

Blizzard kills Diablo III's RMT to appease South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DarkEden returns from the grave with Ignited Games' help

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Launches, Free-to-Play

Long before recorded history, there was a race of vampires who were like, "Man, we should totally make a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game starring us!" Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case for centuries until DarkEden came along in 1997 in South Korea, but even then North American players would have a while to wait to sink their fangs into it. After an aborted 2008 launch, Ignited Games is finally launching DarkEden as "the world's first free-to-play vampire MMO" here in the States.

Ignited Games CEO Peter Kang hopes that the isometric MMO will appeal to those looking for a well-established throwback: "DarkEden offers online gamers a nostalgic journey to the classic era of MMORPGs. The game's macabre setting invites fans of vampire-centric movies and lore to experience the style of gameplay that launched an entire genre of online gaming."

As part of the launch celebration, DarkEden is hosting several events and promotions including handing out starter packs to anyone who joins by January 11th, a "Bible War" contest, a Christmas Stocking Hunt, and a merry chase to capture Rudolph. Seeing as how the population of the game is made up of vampires, we are a little worried for Rudolph's eventual fate, but such is afterlife.

Ignited Games did not wipe characters from the second closed beta, and those toons have already made the transition to launch.

DarkEden returns from the grave with Ignited Games' help originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: Schreinercraft edition

Brianna Royce — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, MMO Industry, Opinion, Humor, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous

This week on The MMO Report, Casey covers South Korea's Cinderella Law, Firefall's attempts at class balance, and World of Warcraft's 4.3 patch. He also suggests that "it's beginning to look a lot like riftmas" in RIFT (groan) before announcing that in honor of Minecon and Minecraft's 240 million logins per month, he will soon begin work on "Schreinercraft, a graphically minimalist, open-source game where players build, create, and customize virtual beards for their avatars." He notes that he doesn't "have any programming experience, start-up capital, or a business plan," but he "love[s] money and would enjoy having more of it." Don't we all!

Finally, he dives into Uncle Casey's Mailbag and asks readers to mail him the story of their first MMO experience for possible inclusion in a future show.

All this and more in the full HD video behind the break!

Continue reading The MMO Report: Schreinercraft edition

The MMO Report: Schreinercraft edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, MMO Industry, Free-to-Play, Legal

The famously hacked Sony has a sympathetic shoulder this week, as Nexon recently discovered a massive breach that's exposed over 13 million MapleStory player accounts to cyber ne'er-do-wells. Discovered this past Thursday, the breach was solely limited to South Korea, as Nexon hosts separate countries on their own servers.

This means that any South Korean MapleStory player's information is at risk, including user IDs, names, passwords, and residential registration numbers. This information could potentially be stolen and used for a variety of crimes.

While there's been no word whether actual personal information has been stolen, Nexon nevertheless urged these 13+ million subscribers to change their passwords. The company has contacted the police to ask for a formal investigation.

This comes at an unfortunate time for the company, as Nexon is poised to present its IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December.

MapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect

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

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Legal, Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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The Daily Grind: Should games be region-locked?

Brianna Royce — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

A reader named Sam recently wrote in to Massively with a concern: He's a U.S. expat who moved to South Korea only to find he cannot log in to his North American Age of Conan account. The reason? Funcom employs region-blocking. Customers in Korea simply cannot connect to the U.S. game servers.

Many games make it obnoxiously difficult for players in one country to play with friends in another. At the dawn of every World of Warcraft expansion, my own guild sees a flurry of Americans fussing with PayPal and buying boxes for our European members. But at least that's possible -- at least Blizzard isn't blocking their logins altogether. And upcoming MMOs, like Star Wars: The Old Republic, seem to be reversing this trend, forsaking region-locking altogether and letting folks play together and deal with the lag in their own way (although the company's not exactly making it easy on its customers Down Under).

What's your stance on region-locking (and -blocking)? Do you think companies should insist on keeping players neatly corralled by country and language for the sake of server stability and customer support? Or do you think that such policies undermine one of the best qualities of MMOs -- the chance to play with people from around the globe?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Should games be region-locked? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:00 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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Pando Networks trumpets global download data

Brianna Royce — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous

Whether you're a fan of Pando Networks or you're still trying to scrape its last vestiges from the dark corners of your poor, beleaguered computer, there's no arguing that it collects some interesting usage data while doing... whatever it does that MMO companies can't seem to do on their own. In fact, Pando has released to us an eye-catching infographic and interactive chart to illustrate its compiled statistics on download speeds gleaned from 27 million downloads on 20 million computers across the globe. The victors won't surprise most gamers. "South Korea has a faster download speed than Great Britain, Turkey, Spain & Australia combined!" declares the chart, letting it slowly dawn on the reader that the United States doesn't fare quite as well as we might hope. Pando's also included a handy map breaking down speeds by state, the better for you to go forth and mock your neighbors.

There's a whole host of socioeconomic and political reasons for these data over which armchair gameologists can salivate, but we should note that Pando is by definition tracking only game-related downloads, not the greater internet. Why not click past the cut to check out the charts for yourself?

Continue reading Pando Networks trumpets global download data

Pando Networks trumpets global download data originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Legal, Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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

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North Korea employing MMO hackers to fund government

Jef Reahard — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lineage, Business Models, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items

What's a dictator to do when his third-world economy is wheezing along on its last legs? Hack some video games, of course! According to a report in the New York Times, North Korea's Kim Jong-il unleashed an army of young computer crackers on popular South Korean online gaming portals to find ways to make quick cash.

South Korean authorities claim that a squad of approximately 30 hackers operated from a base in China and were given the mission of breaching online gaming servers (including those of the immensely popular Lineage) to set up bot factories and automated farming collectives. The digital booty was then sold to gamers for a reported $6 million over two years.

Chung Kil-hwan, a senior officer at South Korea's International Crime Investigation Unit, says that the hacker group "reports to a shadowy Communist Party agency called Office 39, which gathers foreign hard currency for Mr. Kim through drug trafficking, counterfeiting, arms sales, and other illicit activities."

North Korea employing MMO hackers to fund government originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

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

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage, The Game Archaeologist

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

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

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

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

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights

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

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South Korea gaming curfew law unanimously passes committee, moves on to National Assembly

Jef Reahard — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, News Items

Apparently the kids are not all right in South Korea, at least according to the adults who've passed a new law aimed at curtailing certain online gaming activities. A South Korean legislation and judiciary committee voted unanimously to adopt a law that will theoretically prevent kids under 15 from playing online between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m.

WorldsInMotion.biz reports that the new law also provides for the throttling of connection speeds for certain online games if it's determined that "children remained logged in for too many consecutive hours."

Details are scarce regarding how such a law could be enforced, but concerns over gaming addiction and gaming-related deaths are conspiring to drive the legislation forward. The next stop: a vote before the full South Korean National Assembly.

South Korea gaming curfew law unanimously passes committee, moves on to National Assembly originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years!

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events (Real-World), Events (In-Game), Interviews, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor

While four years is not a nice round number -- or even a halfway number like five -- it's a substantial milestone for any MMORPG. Debuting in early 2007, Lord of the Rings Online introduced something we'd never seen before: a fully realized 3-D virtual Middle-earth where we could not only enjoy a deep MMO but explore the lands and meet the people we'd only read about before.

It might not be a universal truth that all LotRO players are big Tolkien fans, but I'm sure enough that it's a sizable chunk of the playerbase. There's something special about the IP that gives a weight and richness to the game, especially when a long-time reader of the books is given leave to actually go on adventures through Eriador, Moria and Mirkwood. It's a giant sight-seeing tour of lore, a thrill with every brush one has with the source material.

It's heady to consider that four years ago we were but starting on this journey, feeling out the mechanics of combat, crafting and pie-running. Four years later, LotRO has emerged to be one of the most significant MMOs of the past decade, growing strong with no signs of slowing down.

Hit the jump as we reminisce about the ups, the downs, and the off-the-beaten-path hikes of our beloved game as it celebrates its fourth anniversary.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years!

The Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:00:00 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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You are the navigator: China developing motion-sensing MMO

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Miscellaneous

MMO players are always looking for games that provide deeper, more immersive experiences to draw us into the game world and keep us there. China, one of the world's largest MMORPG markets, is attempting to forge ahead with the next evolution of immersive gameplay by combining online games with motion-sensing controls.

Jin Gang Network is developing Land of Lords Online, an MMO that promises to allow players to explore the world and control their characters via a Kinect-like device. Without touching a physical controller or keyboard, a person can instruct his avatar to move, kill and cast spells in the game. Although details on the project are scant at this point, the company says that it will be releasing a video next month to show how the game's technology works.

Whether motion-sensing controls are the next true gaming interface or just an odd fad, China isn't the only place where a marriage between MMOs and such devices is being explored. Students from the University of Southern California hacked a Kinect to interface with World of Warcraft while South Korea's GamePrix is bringing the Kinect-compatible Divine Souls to Xbox.

You are the navigator: China developing motion-sensing MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G-Star 2010: From the show floor

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

Filed under: Galleries, Culture, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Hands-On, Hands-On (Massively's), Events (Massively's Coverage)

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

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

Continue reading G-Star 2010: From the show floor

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

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South Korea increases counseling programs for compulsive gamers

Rubi Bayer — Sat, 29 May 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, News Items

Stories of internet and gaming addiction in South Korea are, unfortunately, not that unusual. The South Korean government has been working with its teenagers for several years through counseling programs, and the success of these programs is shown in the decreasing numbers of teens showing symptoms of internet addiction.

While teens have been getting the help they need, another part of South Korean society has not -- those in their 20s and 30s. A series of tragic stories, like that of the 32-year-old man who died of exhaustion after a five-day gaming spree, has the government looking for a solution.

According to the New York Times, the South Korean government has "plans to open rehabilitation centers for adult addicts and expand counseling for students and the unemployed, groups considered the most vulnerable to compulsive gaming."

It's certainly a growing problem; psychiatrist Dr. Ha Jee-hyun says that he is currently treating an average of four adults a month for this problem, as opposed to one a month two years ago. Take a look at the New York Times article for the full story.

South Korea increases counseling programs for compulsive gamers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Fighter Online hits 197,000,000 registered players

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Dungeon Fighter Online

No -- that's not a typo in the title. We didn't get attacked by a swarm of ninjas who knocked us out on the "0" button or anything like that. Nexon has announced that Dungeon Fighter Online has hit a worldwide total of 197 million registered players since launching in South Korea in 2005. To put it another way, put a penny in your hand and then imagine 196,999,999 more of them. That's a lot.

The amazing thing is that DFO hasn't technically launched yet in North America, which should push this number far higher. What's a few million between gamers? The 2.5D game -- which is a crossbreed of a side-scroller beat-em-up and an RPG -- has grown by leaps and bounds in the NA beta, as Nexon has adjusted the level curve and added new content in preparation for the June launch.

Nexon had a few other impressive numbers to sling about as well. Up to this point, players have killed more than 1.6 billion monsters, invaded over 25 million dungeons and engaged in PvP arena combat over 28 million times. Does this make DFO one of the world's most populated games? If you want to see the evidence for yourself, head over to DFO's site, sign up for the beta (there's no wipe going from beta to launch) and add to their hefty statistics.

Dungeon Fighter Online hits 197,000,000 registered players originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korea rules that virtual currencies can be exchanged for real money

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

Filed under: Lineage 2, Making money, News Items, Legal, Virtual Worlds

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

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

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

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

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Aika to be first free-to-play fantasy RvR MMORPG

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play

Move over Dark Age of Camelot. Step aside Warhammer Online. There's a new realm vs. realm MMORPG on the block, and it's free-to-play! Gala-Net, Inc., a leading free-to-play online game publisher, recently announced their partnership with HanbitSoft to publish Aika Online in the North American market.

Having watched some videos and read some reviews, the game appears to share several similarities with both of Mythic's aforementioned RvR innovators. Aika will feature quests, item crafting, gender-locked classes, and yes, large scale RvR including keep sieges. The publishers claim they can handle battles up to 1000 vs. 1000. That will be quite a feat considering the detailed graphics and animations.

That's about where the similarities seem to end though. Aika is an MMO of South Korean descent and definitely has the look and sound effects. The MMO will also be free to play (just how free, we don't know yet), boast sophisticated voice-overs, and come packaged in a tiny 300MB download. And then there's the interesting (some might say creepy) "Pran system." Prans are kind of like pets from traditional MMOs, except that they are young girls. According to one review, you can interact with your Pran, dress it up, give it dolls, help it grow, and boost its intimacy/relationship rank.

Aika to be first free-to-play fantasy RvR MMORPG originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worlds.com vs NCsoft: Not yet served?

Tateru Nino — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: News Items, Legal, Virtual Worlds

Just to update you all on the progress of the Worlds.com vs NCsoft lawsuit (a patent suit that is pitched to spread to other MMOG and virtual environment developers/operators), the Korea Times reports on 31 December 2008, that NCsoft had yet to be served with notice of the suit.

There are essentially only two ways in which the notice can be legally served to NCsoft in the Republic of Korea to establish jurisdiction over NCsoft as a defendant. One is through formal diplomatic channels, and the other is via the Hague Service Convention. The HSC was established because of the enormous delays in using the formal diplomatic channels. There's a time-limit on the serving of notice, and formal diplomatic channels for civil suits often take quite a bit longer.

Continue reading Worlds.com vs NCsoft: Not yet served?

Worlds.com vs NCsoft: Not yet served? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game revenue taxation begins spread to Sweden and South Korea

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Virtual Worlds

They always say the two things you can't avoid in life are death and taxes. Yet, being an MMO player, death always just seems to be a part of life. And now, governments around the world are beginning to become interested in putting in the other unavoidable part of life in our gaming experience -- as if we had enough of death.

As in-game transactions and RMT are beginning to become major boons to business the government is getting interested. And, of course, like any good government, they want their share. China was only the first, now Sweden and South Korea are interested in getting their tax laws straight as well.

Taxing game transactions, however, isn't as easy as making laws that tax a physical currency. There's the issues of relative value, constantly diminishing returns as more money flows into virtual economies without enough monetary sinks in the game, and the whole issue if the game goes out of business.

We tend to believe that worlds like this should avoid colliding, but it seems that as we begin to mesh our virtual currencies and begin to value them as much as our real world ones, paths like these seem inevitable.

Game revenue taxation begins spread to Sweden and South Korea originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA acquires J2M, a South Korean free-to-play MMO studio

Samuel Axon — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items

EA has made another move in what looks like an overall strategy to ramp up its MMO efforts by acquiring J2M, a South Korean game development studio known for making top notch free-to-play MMOs for the Asian market. The company is 50 employees strong, so it has the potential to crank out some quality products.

Just what will those products be? Your guess is as good as ours. EA Asia president Jon Niermann was quoted saying that the studio will work on both "new properties and powerful EA franchises." This is not the first time EA has set up shop in Korea. Back in January the company announced plans to open a studio there to work on online versions of the NBA Street and Battlefield franchises.

Add that to the big western MMO products from the company (Warhammer Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic), and it looks like EA is pretty keen on the genre these days.

EA acquires J2M, a South Korean free-to-play MMO studio originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The slow demise of virtual tax havens

James Egan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Economy, MMO Industry, Opinion, Virtual Worlds

Is taxation of commerce in the virtual space inevitable? We've been hearing more and more about this coming out of China, South Korea, and Sweden, but a recent piece on BBC News -- "Slapping a tax on playtime" -- hits a bit closer to home for many of us. Flora Graham, a technology reporter for BBC News, spoke with Professor Edward Castronova of Indiana University, well-known for his research and commentary on virtual economies over the years, and game researcher Dr. Richard Bartle about the impact of taxation on games and virtual worlds.

Castronova points out the idea of taxation of virtual goods exchanged for virtual money, saying, "... it's an extraordinarily dangerous development... It's as if every time I played soccer in my backyard and scored a goal, I would have to pay the government three euros. It takes away from the game's contribution to human happiness."

Continue reading The slow demise of virtual tax havens

The slow demise of virtual tax havens originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:00:00 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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Western MMO fan plays Eastern MMO, gets disoriented

Samuel Axon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Humor, Mabinogi

There's an article over at The Escapist that tells the story of a hardcore Western-style MMO player who tries out an Eastern-style MMO and experiences a bit of culture shock. The article is written by WarCry Senior Editor John Funk.

The game he tries to play is Mabinogi (of which we've published our own first impressions), and he dedicates himself to playing it for one week. During that week, he plays it for a total of 30 hours. That means he played the same game four and a half hours a day for seven days straight. We're not sure there are many games Western, Eastern, or otherwise that can stand up in that kind of intensity but he weathers through it! Comedy occurs as he struggles to understand random owl visits and perplexing user-interface functionality.

At first it seems like the article is asking if the game mechanics of an Eastern MMO are destined to be completely lost in translation for Western players, but in the end Funk cops out into another direction. Still, it's humorous and occasionally almost insightful, so check it out if the topic interests you.

Western MMO fan plays Eastern MMO, gets disoriented originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon unveils MapleStory's Crimsonwood Keep expansion

Samuel Axon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: MapleStory, Expansions, News Items, Free-to-Play

Big news for MapleStory players: Nexon America yesterday made public Crimsonwood Keep, a big expansion for the game. The expansion 31 adds new maps -- mostly to the continent of Masteria's Phantom Forest. Also added: "11 unique enemies, 12 extensive, story-focused quests and a collection of new weapons and objects."

The platformer/MMORPG hybrid (which is particularly popular with pre-teens) is updated pretty frequently, but this expansion is a bit bigger than usual. Its launch coincides also with the opening of a new server (called Yellondale) and more Summer Break Events.

MapleStory -- which originated in South Korea -- is a huge success story. The expansion-related press release boasts of 5.9 million North American players and 87 million users across the globe. Keep in mind, though, that such numbers are a bit fuzzier and less conclusive with regards to a free-to-play game than they would be for a subscription-based MMO which has a financial barrier to entry for new users, and guaranteed income per user for the developer and/or publisher.

Nexon unveils MapleStory's Crimsonwood Keep expansion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq looks at South Korea's PC Baang culture

Matt Warner — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry

No PlayStation, No Nintendo, No Sega. In a sprawling metropolis on the brink of a technological revolution what place would eschew console gaming? It was South Korea, and for the longest time there was an embargo against Japanese made imports. In the embargo's wake an unstoppable PC gaming utopia and a molding of an anomalous social culture evolved. With the government push for broadband access and the proliferation of PC Baangs, online PC-game rooms, a remarkable 70% of South Korean internet users have played some kind of MMOG.

The Korean MMOG invasion on the western market has spurned resentment but some MMOs like Nexon's Maple Story found a successful niche. What is fascinating, are not the endless failed imports or the lucky few that do succeed in the US but the radical differences in our gaming cultures. Joystiq's Geoffrey Brooks is residing in Seoul, South Korea for the summer. Indulging his senses in this part of the world Brook posits about South Korea's PC Baangs and the masterful technological wired revolution and contrasts it to the lagging-behind United States. It's a must read, especially if you know nothing of the PC gaming culture in South Korea other than asking "isn't Starcraft big there?"

Joystiq looks at South Korea's PC Baang culture originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huxley enters open beta (in Korea)

Samuel Axon — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Huxley, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, MMOFPS

Webzen published a press release today announcing the start of Huxley's open beta test phase in South Korea. No word yet on when gamers in other regions will be able to participate. There have been hints that Webzen is backing away from the North American market, but today's press release reiterates the company's dedication to releasing Huxley "in markets around the world." This comes after an announcement that portal NHN will be distributing the game in North America and Europe, so we're pretty sure things are good.

The press release is full of not-quite-true statements that Huxley is the very first game to combine the FPS and MMO genres. PlanetSide and Neocron come to mind right away, and there have probably been others. Still, we're watching Huxley with curiosity. Its production values are sky high (just look at the recent cinematic trailer) and its Unreal Engine-powered graphics are impressive. Webzen plans to release the game in Korea in 2009, so we'll be waiting a while yet.

[Via Big Download]

Huxley enters open beta (in Korea) originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korean judge defends RMT

Chris Chester — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Making money, Academic

In the MMO business, RMT is frequently treated as a dirty word. Though some companies are trying to embrace the trend with home-grown or acquired RMT designs, these efforts appear to be thinly-veiled attempts to curtail an undesirable black market by simply internalizing and controlling it.

In an interesting (though somewhat old) paper on the Social Science Research Network, South Korean Judge Ung-gi Yoon argues that despite court cases in his country ruling to the contrary, the trading of virtual property is a practice that should be allowed under the existing law. While developers maintain a legal grasp on the IP rights that govern the ownership of in-game items and currency, Yoon argues that the very existence of trading within the game grants players a tacit right to exchange in-game items. And moreover, since what is being traded is really the right to use certain items earned in-game, the ability to transfer this right via RMT can be inferred without much controversy.

The paper is thorough examination of the South Korean perspective on the topic, and deconstructs some oft-held misconceptions about the legality of certain clauses in MMO terms of service. It's a good read.

South Korean judge defends RMT originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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