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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Blade &amp; Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/blade-and-soul/" rel="tag">Blade &amp; Soul</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/"><img alt="Blade &amp; Soul - nearing commercial release" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/bns5.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/ncsoft">NCsoft</a> is loath to talk about its <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/blade-and-soul"><em>Blade &amp; Soul</em></a> martial arts MMORPG here in the West, so we have to rely on third-party fansites and Chinese/Korean translations for most of our info. The latest such comes courtesy of <a href="http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/blade-soul-cn-brief-interview.html">MMO Culture</a>, and it features an interview from a recent <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/tencent-games">Tencent Games</a> media event with a couple of newsworthy notables.<br />
<br />
First up is the fact that upcoming Korean and Chinese <em>Blade &amp; Soul</em> beta phases will feature the new Summoner class. Not much is known in terms of class specifics yet, but the site says that it boasts an "easier" and "more relaxed" playstyle than other classes.<br />
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The interview also touches on <em>Blade &amp; Soul's</em> business model and its impending release. Despite the fact that NCsoft titles like <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/aion"><em>Aion</em></a> and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lineage-ii"><em>Lineage II</em></a> have recently committed to free-to-play in North America, the firm isn't talking about any particular <em>Blade &amp; Soul</em> payment model just yet. Finally, MMO Culture reports that <em>Blade &amp; Soul</em> "is currently near the end of the development phase for commercial release," and given the lack of info on a Western client, we expect said release to be exclusive to the Chinese and Korean markets for now.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/">Blade &amp; Soul nearing commercial release, adding Summoner class</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20199800/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/blade-and-soul-nearing-commercial-release-adding-summoner-class/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beta</category><category>blade-and-soul</category><category>blade-and-soul-business-model</category><category>blade-and-soul-summoner</category><category>business-models</category><category>chinese-beta</category><category>classes</category><category>closed-beta</category><category>fantasy</category><category>korean-beta</category><category>martial-arts</category><category>martial-arts-mmo</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>ncsoft-korea</category><category>summoner</category><category>tencent</category><category>tencent-games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/trailers/" rel="tag">Trailers</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/"><img alt="SURA Online - Bard shaman girl" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/sura.jpg" /></a></div>
If you haven't heard of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/sura-online"><em>SURA Online</em></a> yet, well, consider yourself enlightened. The online action title is renowned for its fast-attack combat system inspired by martial arts cinema, and <a href="http://www.thisisgame.com/en/2012/03/21/tencent-becomes-the-worldwide-publisher-for-sura-online">ThisIsGame</a> reports that <em>SURA</em> has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Chinese mega-publisher <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/tencent-games">Tencent</a>.<br />
<br />
<em>SURA</em> boasts three races and six classes, and TIG compares its fighting mechanics to the <em>Tekken</em> series (you can see an official gameplay trailer after the cut, below).<br />
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Tencent is a major player in the global MMO market; much of its revenue stems from the sale of virtual goods via its Q Coin currency. Interestingly enough, the company also acquired the <a href="http://www.zam.com/forum.html?forum=3&amp;mid=13286445163079089">ZAM Network</a> in February.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/">Tencent grows its empire with SURA Online</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20197838/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/tencent-grows-its-empire-with-sura-online/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>action-mmo</category><category>action-rpg</category><category>business-models</category><category>f2p</category><category>fantasy</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>martial-arts</category><category>mmo-industry</category><category>q-coins</category><category>sura</category><category>sura-online</category><category>tencent</category><category>tencent-acquires-sura-online</category><category>tencent-games</category><category>tencent-owns-zam</category><category>zam</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/archeage/" rel="tag">ArcheAge</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/"><img alt="ArcheAge - Chinese city and costumes incoming" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/a1.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/xl-games">XLGAMES</a>' new fantasy sandbox is a big deal in its native Korea, of course, but it's also looking to turn a few heads in the Chinese market. <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/archeage"><em>ArcheAge</em></a> has a strong presence at this week's <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/tencent-games">Tencent</a> media event, and XL has revealed that its devs are working on a new "main city" that features Chinese culture and architecture inspirations.<br />
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Additional Chinese-themed content is coming in the "near future," according to <a href="http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/tg-up-2012-archeage-teases-china.html">MMO Culture</a>, and it will include costumes, dungeons, maps, and events.<em> ArcheAge</em> recently <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/20/archeage-evaluates-cbt4-and-revs-up-for-cbt5/">closed the book</a> on its fourth Korean <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/12/xl-lowers-the-curtain-on-archeage-cbt4-releases-stats/">closed beta test</a>; XL's upcoming CBT5 phase will coincide with the first Chinese beta.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/">ArcheAge to feature Chinese-themed city, additional content</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20197813/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/21/archeage-to-feature-chinese-themed-city-additional-content/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aa</category><category>arche-age</category><category>archeage</category><category>archeage-cbt5</category><category>archeage-china</category><category>archeage-chinese-city</category><category>chinese-market</category><category>fantasy</category><category>pvp</category><category>sandbox</category><category>sandpark</category><category>tencent</category><category>xl-games</category><category>xlgames</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/trailers/" rel="tag">Trailers</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/previews/" rel="tag">Previews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/archeage/" rel="tag">ArcheAge</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/sandbox/" rel="tag">Sandbox</a></p><div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/"><img alt="Screenshot -- ArcheAge" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/archeage.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left; ">
	We have no idea when the Korean-developed <em><a href="http://www.massively.com/category/archeage">ArcheAge</a></em> is going to see the light of day on North American soil, but that doesn't mean we can't stare at the pretty trailers and hope that it's soon. Today, the official <em>ArcheAge</em> YouTube page has uploaded a new video that gives fans a look at the title's siege warfare. Now, you might think that you have an idea of what a fortress siege is like. A bunch of players group up, zerg rush the fortress, and the last side standing takes the prize, right?<br />
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	Well, not so much in <em>ArcheAge</em>'s case. The video shows plenty of infantry clashing blades, but that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are catapults and siege towers and aerial attacks and more, lending a suitable sense of chaos to the entire ordeal. The objective of the madness seems to be the destruction of a crystal nestled deep within the defending fortress, though we don't speak Korean, so don't quote us on that. At any rate, it's certainly an impressive display of the large-scale PvP offered by <em>ArcheAge</em>, so load your trebuchets and click on past the cut for the full video.</div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/">ArcheAge besieges us with a new warfare trailer</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20167328/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/archeage-has-us-besieged-with-new-warfare-trailer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>archeage</category><category>large-scale-pvp</category><category>player-vs-player</category><category>pvp</category><category>sandbox</category><category>siege</category><category>siege-warfare</category><category>sieges</category><category>tencent</category><category>trailer</category><category>trailers</category><category>video</category><category>videos</category><category>warfare</category><category>xl-games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Daniel]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/betas/" rel="tag">Betas</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/massively-event-coverage/" rel="tag">Massively Event Coverage</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/archeage/" rel="tag">ArcheAge</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/"><img alt="ArcheAge" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/aa.jpg" /></a></div>
Things over in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/archeage/"><em>ArcheAge's</em></a> neck of the woods may seem quiet these days, but rest assured that the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/archeage/">XL Games</a> crew is hard at work on making the game the best it can be while spreading the word about it. <a href="http://archeage-online.com/post/1718109290">Over on the <em>ArcheAge</em> blog</a>, news about the continuing beta process and upcoming conventions has been laid out in one convenient place.<br />
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First up, XL Games is preparing a fourth closed beta test for sometime before the end of the year. Expectations are that this will happen in November, although no official announcement has been made.<br />
<br />
<em>ArcheAge</em> will be making an appearance at two upcoming events as well. At <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/g-star-2011/">G-Star</a>, XL Games is forgoing a public booth for a private one in an effort to court business support for the game. <em>ArcheAge's </em>Chinese publisher will be showing off a demo of the game's character creation, questing system, and PvP at the <a href="http://www.tencent.com/en-us/ps/ieservice.shtml">Tencent Game Carnival</a> in November.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/">ArcheAge fills up its 2011 dance card with beta, events</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20089703/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/archeage-fills-up-its-2011-dance-card-with-beta-events/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arche-age</category><category>archeage</category><category>beta</category><category>cb4</category><category>closed-beta</category><category>closed-beta-4</category><category>g-star</category><category>g-star-2011</category><category>gstar</category><category>pvp</category><category>tencent</category><category>Tencent-Game-Carnival</category><category>xl-games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/trailers/" rel="tag">Trailers</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/new-titles/" rel="tag">New titles</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/archeage/" rel="tag">ArcheAge</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heNQXMadh24"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/mainimg1.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
If you're as starved for news about <a href="http://www.archeage.com/en"><em>ArcheAge</em></a> as we are, the new <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRa39ykyZgE">video</a> accompanying <a href="http://www.xlgames.com/">XL Games</a>' announcement of <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/archeage">ArcheAge</a></em> China is akin to a desert oasis. The clip features a good amount of new in-game footage as well a bit of narration from lead designer <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/jake-song">Jake Song</a>.<br />
<br />
What's the occasion? It seems that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/xl-games">XL</a> has partnered with <a href="http://www.tencent.com/en-us/ps/ieservice.shtml">Tencent Games</a> to bring the sprawling fantasy sandbox MMO to the Chinese market, and the new trailer was created to show the game at <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/tencent">Tencent's</a> recent annual press conference. If you're an English-speaker, Song's comments (which appear in the video from approximately 1:30 to 2:20) have been translated at <a href="http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/04/tencent-games-2011-archeage-china.html">MMO Culture</a>, and they illustrate how <em>ArcheAge</em> is being positioned as a third-generation MMORPG that refines the best of all that has come before.<br />
<br />
"<em>The third generation online games use the previous two generations as the basics, further improving content and visuals. More importantly, players themselves can now create content and playing styles themselves, permanently reshaping the in-game world. When players log into the same place after some time, the place might look totally different</em>," Song says. <strike>Click past the cut to watch the video and also note that the video repeats itself around the 7-minute mark. We'll post a higher quality embed as soon as one becomes available.</strike><br />
<br />
<strong>[Update: We've embedded a subtitled 720p version of the video behind the cut. Thanks to <a href="http://archeage-online.com">ArcheAge-Online.com</a> for sharing the upload!]</strong><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/">New ArcheAge trailer released, Jake Song talks player content [Updated]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19914347/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/15/new-14-minute-archeage-trailer-released-jake-song-talks-player/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arche-age</category><category>archeage</category><category>archeage-china</category><category>fantasy</category><category>jake-song</category><category>player-generated-content</category><category>sandbox</category><category>tencent</category><category>tencent-games</category><category>third-generation-mmo</category><category>trailers</category><category>video</category><category>xl</category><category>xl-games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jef Reahard]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The big business of selling virtual goods]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/virtual-worlds/" rel="tag">Virtual worlds</a></p><a href="http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=199460.0"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/05/monopolydressbackat225.jpg" alt="" /></a>It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that the entire concept of people spending real money on virtual items and currency was just bizarre. The first mentions of such a thing this writer ever came across were back in 2003, when <a href="http://www.juliandibbell.com/">Julian Dibbell</a> told the story of <a href="http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/blacksnow.html">Black Snow Interactive</a>, rumored to have been operating virtual sweatshops operating in Mexico. Fast forward to 2009 and the notion of shelling out real world cash for the ephemeral has become commonplace. Moreover, these formerly arcane business models centering around virtual trading have <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/03/fortune-and-failure-in-real-money-trading/">ballooned into a huge business</a>, much to the chagrin of many game companies and their players. <br /><br />However, not all companies attempt to fight this ever-increasing gravity of real money trading (RMT) that now permeates the MMO and virtual worlds industry, and some seek to make it an aspect of their business that they control rather than something they need to curb. Indeed, the profits of many (legitimate) businesses are largely derived from sales of virtual goods, as Rory Maher explains at <a href="http://www.paidcontent.org">paidContent.org</a> in his article titled "<a href="http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-virtual-goods-clearly-a-big-business-by-now-but-what-are-the-big-seller">From Pet Penguins to Flame Throwers: The Biggest Sellers In The Virtual World</a>".<br /><br />Maher looks at three companies doing well for themselves in the virtual goods game, and what they're selling that's proven so popular. He points out <a href="http://www.tencent.com/en-us/index.shtml">Tencent</a>, a Chinese IM provider that incorporates microtransactions into the service, allowing users to spend their "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tencent_QQ">QQ</a>" currency to enhance and customize their IM interactions, even buying virtual pets that exist on their desktop and run around inside their instant messages.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The big business of selling virtual goods</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/">The big business of selling virtual goods</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-virtual-goods-clearly-a-big-business-by-now-but-what-are-the-big-seller>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1540778/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/the-big-business-of-selling-virtual-goods/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>black-snow-interactive</category><category>julian-dibbell</category><category>microtransactions</category><category>mobsters</category><category>pets</category><category>play-money</category><category>playdom</category><category>qq</category><category>rmt</category><category>rory-maher</category><category>tencent</category><category>virtual-currency</category><category>virtual-goods</category><category>virtual-items</category><category>yoville</category><category>zynga</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Chinese online games market saw 63% growth in 2008]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/04/shanghainanjingdonglu225.jpg" alt="" />Business is booming for online game operators in China. The market grew by 63% in 2008 according to analyst group <a href="http://www.pearlresearch.com/">Pearl Research</a>. They also predict that <a href="http://www.pearlresearch.com/files/PearlResearch_2009_Chinareport_TOC.pdf">online gaming in China</a> will be a $5.5 billion market by 2012, as reported by <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23133">Gamasutra's David Jenkins</a>. <br /><br />In a country where broadband speeds are continually improving coupled with the widespread adoption of the web, China's netizens have embraced the relatively low-cost entertainment that online gaming offers. This is good news for gaming companies, particularly in these lean economic times. Jenkins writes, <em>"Online operators in China have apparently seen little downturn in their business during the world economic crisis, with six companies now making revenues greater than $200 million (Tencent, Changyou, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/the9">The9</a>, Netease, Shanda and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/18/hardcore-gamer-builds-chinese-empire/">Giant</a>)."</em> You can see the <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23133">full story on China's online games growth</a> over at Gamasutra.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/">Chinese online games market saw 63% growth in 2008</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23133>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1515902/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/13/chinese-online-games-market-saw-63-growth-in-2008/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>asia</category><category>changyou</category><category>china</category><category>david-jenkins</category><category>economy</category><category>gamasutra</category><category>giant</category><category>giant-interactive</category><category>mmo-industry</category><category>netease</category><category>pearl-research</category><category>shanda</category><category>tencent</category><category>the9</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/politics/" rel="tag">Politics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/legal/" rel="tag">Legal</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/virtual-worlds/" rel="tag">Virtual worlds</a></p><a href="http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/shdaily_sing.asp?id=380542&amp;type=Business&amp;page=0"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="middle" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/11/shanghaidailytaxgraphicat425.jpg" /></a><br />China's State Administration of Taxation recently imposed a 20 percent <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/china-legislates-20-tax-rate-on-virtual-currency-profits/">income tax rate on profits made from virtual currency and virtual items</a>, sparking price increases for virtual goods. While this tax rate (if actually enforced) clearly impacts the virtual space, it also affects transactions happening outside of MMO servers and virtual world grids. The taxation policy could ultimately extend to the virtual currencies linked to the largest IM providers in <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/china">China</a> such as Tencent, drastically increasing the percentage of the population affected by the new laws. Despite this, the positive benefits of eliminating gray and black markets for virtual items and currency may outweigh the drawbacks for gamers and users of the various digital services in China. <br /><br />Questions remain about what will and will not be taxed in the virtual space, but it's clear that individuals who gain virtual income are expected to declare their profits and pay taxes on this, and do so within seven days of having earned the profit, <a href="http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/shdaily_sing.asp?id=380542&amp;type=Business&amp;page=0">according to Shanghai Daily</a>.Taxpayers who can provide proof of the value of this property or the value of the transaction are taxed at 20 percent on their profits, while those who cannot provide sufficient verification are taxed at three percent of the total transaction value. But how many people are affected by this new system?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/">China's virtual goods taxation sparks price increases and controversy</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/shdaily_sing.asp?id=380542&amp;type=Business&amp;page=0>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1377128/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/19/chinas-virtual-goods-taxation-sparks-price-increases-and-contro/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>asia</category><category>black-market</category><category>china</category><category>controversy</category><category>economics</category><category>economy</category><category>gold</category><category>gray-market</category><category>law</category><category>legal</category><category>mmo-industry</category><category>rmt</category><category>shanghai</category><category>shanghai-daily</category><category>tax</category><category>taxes</category><category>tencent</category><category>virtual-currency</category><category>virtual-goods</category><category>virtual-items</category><category>virtual-taxation</category><category>virtual-worlds</category><category>zhu-shenshen</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Egan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The face of MMO gaming in China's heartland]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/china"><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/chinesecafesidebar.jpg"  alt="" /></a>Gamasutra's "China Angle" column has a new look at <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19285">the changing face of gaming in China's heartland</a>. While most of us in the West think of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/china">China</a>'s biggest cities - Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai - the vast majority of its people live in less-developed and semi-rural areas. In the biggest cities, the net cafes are facing extinction as laws tighten and people purchase the means to enjoy internet connectivity at home. In these more rural areas, though, the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/chinas-forgotten-gamers/">internet cafes remain the primary means of accessing the web</a>. The article goes on to say that wealthy young people in these areas are particularly drawn to MMOs - sometimes the only form of amusement in particularly remote areas.<br /><br />Giant Interactive, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/18/hardcore-gamer-builds-chinese-empire/">the Chinese gaming powerhouse headed by Shi Yuzhu</a>, has tapped into this by connecting the social aspects of MMOs with more traditional social networking. The company has apparently invested in the site 51.com, with the hopes of getting some of their players together offline as well as on-. China Angle author Frank Yu notes that the company is a likely to have a lot of success in this endeavor, as it has proven especially cunning at promoting online services in the past. In-cafe representatives will touch base with future customers, and (they hope) continue to improve the online lifestyle of China's heartland.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/">The face of MMO gaming in China's heartland</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19285>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1252593/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/the-face-of-mmo-gaming-in-chinas-heartland/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>51.com</category><category>china</category><category>culture</category><category>giant-interactive</category><category>tencent</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Zenke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
