Korean News and Beta Test Announcements

• Zepetto FPS “Point Blank” records 50,000 peak CCUs in Brazil via publisher Ongame Entertainment.
• KOG establishes a Philippine corporation in Makati City for overseas expansion.
• Take2 Interactive baseball game “Pro Baseball 2K” holds 2nd CBT from March 14 to 23.
• Intersave comic web online game “Maenbung Brothers” holds CBT from February 22 to 25.
• Crytek FPS “Warface” holds final test from February 21 to March 3.
• Glory Destiny opens CBT on March 21.

Face of Mankind: Fall of the Dominion Revealed

Face of Mankind: Fall of the Dominion Revealed:
Face of Mankind is a sci-fi action MMORPG unlike any other, with a huge focus on politics and living a virtual life. As one of the most unique MMOs to be released to date, FoM has spent the last decade growing and evolving, and still is to this day with future updates.

Everything We've Got On The PlayStation 4, All In One Place

Everything We've Got On The PlayStation 4, All In One Place:

Ever try to drink out of a fire hose? Me neither, but I'd imagine that it might feel a little bit like trying to keep up with all the news that's pouring out about the PlayStation 4. More »

The Aurora World closed beta coming in March

The Aurora World closed beta coming in March:
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Free-to-play

Asian import The Aurora World is just minutes away from a closed beta. OK, days. OK, a couple of weeks, but that's the last we'll budge on that line. The tri-faction fantasy title is preparing to launch its North American closed beta on March 7th.



We have a good overview of what The Aurora World is in our original announcement post and would hate to try to top that here. Suffice to say that it takes place in a world broken by gods, where players will engage in PvE and PvP to right what once went wrong. Also, there's a nifty pet-slash-mount system.



You can watch the full beta announcement video after the jump.
Continue reading The Aurora World closed beta coming in March

The Aurora World closed beta coming in March originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: CB Announcement

Sony stock dips following PS4 announcement

Sony stock dips following PS4 announcement: Following last night's announcement of the PlayStation 4, Sony's stocks have dipped -- not exactly what you hope for...

Wooga entering mid-core market, aims to change storytelling with newest social games

Wooga entering mid-core market, aims to change storytelling with newest social games:
Social mobile developer Wooga is continuing to expand its development efforts, today announcing its next four titles that include a mid-core strategy game. At a media event, Wooga Founder and CEO Jens Begemann revealed that his company was profitable for the year of 2012 (but declined to go into specifics) and also laid out what the first half of 2013 is going to look like for the game developer.

Why I Play: Clone Wars Adventures

Why I Play: Clone Wars Adventures:
Filed under: Puzzle, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Reviews, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, Massively Hands-on, Kids, Family, Clone Wars Adventures, Why I Play

I'm Jef, and I love Star Wars. This is the part where the rest of you addicts chime in with "hi Jef," before we go about trying to cure ourselves of a life-long obsession. Except we're not going to do that today, are we? In fact, I'm going to dangle another death stick that you may not have considered as of yet.



It's called Clone Wars Adventures.
Continue reading Why I Play: Clone Wars Adventures

Why I Play: Clone Wars Adventures originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Age of Camelot launches an update and answers player questions

Dark Age of Camelot launches an update and answers player questions:
Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Patches, News items, Community Q&A

If you've been playing Dark Age of Camelot for a while, odds are good that you've acquired a lot of things. You've got a set of Epic Armor, you've got tons of items clogging your bank, and you've got a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers that you don't remember buying but you now refuse to remove. The game's latest patch does not improve your slipper situation, but it does improve Epic Armor, add new Epic Weapons and Accessories, allow for remote bank access, and increase the stack limits on many items. So everything else gets better.



Does that satisfy you? No? You want to know more about the future of the game? Well, then, you can feast your eyes on a new set of community answers from the development team addressing the future update plans for the game as well as which areas will not be seeing much improvement (throwing weapons, for instance, are pretty much up the creek). So there's plenty for DAoC fans to enjoy. However, no one enjoys those bunny slippers. Seriously. Wear armor like everyone else.



[Thanks to Etaew for the tip!]

Dark Age of Camelot launches an update and answers player questions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: Patch 1.114 notes, Developer Q&A

PlayHaven hires former Rovio exec for European expansion

PlayHaven hires former Rovio exec for European expansion: Ville Heijari joins PlayHaven as its new GM of Europe

Matt Higby Updates on PlanetSide 2 Roadmap and Server Mergers | Ten Ton Hammer

Matt Higby Updates on PlanetSide 2 Roadmap and Server Mergers | Ten Ton Hammer:
Creative Director Matt Higby drops an update to reveal the new PlanetSide 2 Players site and server merger details.

Yoshida talks all things PlayStation 4

Yoshida talks all things PlayStation 4:
Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida discusses The Last Guardian, 4K and 3D support, and unlikelihood of PS Vita price drop.

NEW YORK CITY--Today during a roundtable session with media, Sony president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida fielded questions about a range of topics concerning the just-announced PlayStation 4 and the growing PlayStation ecosystem.

Unity's co-founder leaves -- to make games

Unity's co-founder leaves -- to make games:
Nicholas Francis, chief creative officer and co-founder of the popular engine provider, has announced that he is moving away from the company in order to create his own games using the tech. ...

World of Tanks: Bringing War to eSports

World of Tanks: Bringing War to eSports:

Wargaming recently announced the formation of an eSports league around their premier title, World of Tanks. We managed to corner Wargaming's Head of eSports Caleb Fox to talk all about it. See what he had to say before heading into the comments to discuss it.

EA Lays Off Staff, May Have Shut Down Army of Two Developer Visceral Montreal

EA Lays Off Staff, May Have Shut Down Army of Two Developer Visceral Montreal:

Electronic Arts has laid off a number of development staff in both Los Angeles and Montreal, the publisher confirmed today. More »

Seeking an international Android audience? Know their devices

Seeking an international Android audience? Know their devices:
What Android devices do people use in India and Hong Kong? Ibrahim El-Mouelhy, of publisher Animoca, shares data the company scraped from its international user base, to help you target your games. ...

Mobile game spend tops dedicated handheld sales

Mobile game spend tops dedicated handheld sales: Analytics firm App Annie and IDC find more than 20 billion games downloaded on smartphones and tablets last year

Gun Bros 2 Review (iPhone, iPad)

Gun Bros 2 Review (iPhone, iPad):

Gamezebo Rating: It’s been a while since we last saw the Gun Bros., but seasoned fans of the series will feel right at home here in this much-anticipated sequel. In Gun Bros. 2, Francis and Percy Gun return for another installment of all-out destruction with big guns and even bigger bad guys. But has the time away left these war-hardened F.R.A.G.G.E.D. vets a little soft on the inside? Come on. Is that even a question here?

Worm Run Review (iPhone, iPad)

Worm Run Review (iPhone, iPad):

Gamezebo Rating: Oh, so your job sucks? Poor you. Does a giant worm chase you down whenever you want to grab a cup of coffee or use the washroom? No? Then you’re already doing far better than Zeke, the hero of Worm Run for iOS. In his line of work, he runs a real risk of being eaten alive by a critter that looks like it’d be at home on Dune.

Arcane Legends: Kraken Isles Expansion Goes Live Today

Arcane Legends: Kraken Isles Expansion Goes Live Today:

Spacetime Studios has announced that the Kraken Isles expansion to Arcane Legends will go live later today.

Game of Thrones Ascent Review (Facebook)

Game of Thrones Ascent Review (Facebook):

Gamezebo Rating: The fantasy world depicted in Game of Thrones is fun to visit on HBO, but living there might not be (largely due to the difficulty of keeping your head attached to your shoulders). Disruptor Beam wants you to be able to experience all the intrigue and excitement of Westeros from the safety of your computer, creating the multiplayer RPG Game of Thrones Ascent for Facebook. The Iron Throne beckons, but only if you keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

This Week's Android Charts: So Excited for a New Game I Don't Care That It's Wipeout

This Week's Android Charts: So Excited for a New Game I Don't Care That It's Wipeout:

I've been rather hard on Activision's mobile Wipeout game in the past, largely because it's based on a silly television obstacle course show and not my beloved series of PlayStation hovercar racing games. Today I'm just so happy to see a new game in the Android paid charts that I don't care. C'mere Wipeout, you big lug. More »

New CTO for Irish Digit Game Studios

New CTO for Irish Digit Game Studios: Dominqiue Boutin was previously technical director for Bigpoint

Sony: "Retail will still play a key role" despite booming digital business

Sony: "Retail will still play a key role" despite booming digital business: With Gaikai and digital downloads PS4 will be a very digitally-focused platform, but Shuhei Yoshida doesn't dismiss retail

Uh oh! PSN games won't transfer to PS4

Uh oh! PSN games won't transfer to PS4: Coming off yesterday's high of a new console from Sony, we're beginning to get a better understanding of what the...

Stahl: Star Trek Online is Perfect World's 'best-performing game'

Stahl: Star Trek Online is Perfect World's 'best-performing game':
Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play

How successful is Star Trek Online? It's Perfect World's top performer according to producer Dan Stahl. It's hard to know exactly what top performer actually means since, like most MMO studios, PW keeps its user data under heavy guard, but a recent forum post by Stahl shed a bit of light on the situation.



"STO is the best-performing game for Perfect World Entertainment and is enjoying month-after-month increases in new captains," he wrote. How much money those captains are spending is unclear, but given that Perfect World's game roster includes Champions Online, RaiderZ, Torchlight II and its predecessor, and various other long-running MMORPGs, STO's growth is nothing to sneeze at.



[Thanks to The Grand Nagus for the tip!]

Stahl: Star Trek Online is Perfect World's 'best-performing game' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: STO forums

Opinion: Sony's mixed showing leaves the future up to devs

Opinion: Sony's mixed showing leaves the future up to devs:
Some press and fans were sold on Sony's PlayStation 4 event. Some were not. But no matter what the machine promises, developers and publishers will be carefully watching the ebb and flow of sentiment. ...

Apple's Slap-Bracelet Patent Turns Up The Heat On iWatch Rumors

Apple's Slap-Bracelet Patent Turns Up The Heat On iWatch Rumors:

Is this filing further proof that a smartwatch is on the way?

A patent that AppleInsider.com has unearthed sheds interesting new light on the idea that Apple is investigating a smartwatch. The patent was first filed back in August 2011, and is for a "Bi-stable spring with flexible display." This is essentially the same mechanics as a slap-bracelet, married to digital circuitry and a flexible wrap-around display. There's also mention of a kinetic charging system, which means that like old self-winding watches the natural motion of your arm would keep it charged.
When snapped around the wearer's wrist, the screen forms a continuous display, with the device sensing which way the arm is pointing so the display can be easily read. The "watch" would communicate wirelessly with a companion device like a smartphone or tablet, and relevant info would be shown on the display.
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The essentials of HTML5 game development

The essentials of HTML5 game development:
What does it take to make a game work in HTML5? This new technical article lays out some of the most important parts of the equation, sharing code and techniques for working on graphics and more. ...

Spunk and Moxie Review (iPhone, iPad)

Spunk and Moxie Review (iPhone, iPad):

Gamezebo Rating: You’ve got to feel bad for the janitors in video games. I know I wouldn’t want to be the one to mop up the slimy warehouse floors after Spunk and Moxie have made their way through. Spunk and Moxie is an unforgiving platform and running hybrid game that moves at a lightning-fast pace, and puts your every reflex to the ultimate oozy test. It’s funny; I always thought ooze was supposed to be slow!

Dragon's Prophet boasts new EU website, gameplay video

Dragon's Prophet boasts new EU website, gameplay video:
Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Dragon's Prophet

You'd naturally expect an MMO called Dragon's Prophet to concern itself with dragons, and Runewaker's upcoming free-to-play title will indeed allow you to discover, capture, and tame over 300 of the mythical beasts.



The game boasts a new European community website, which itself boasts a sparkly new gameplay video that shows the dragons in action. "The dragons not only differ in appearance but also offer different types of movement: Some can be used to fly, some are experts at gliding, others don't have wings at all and some are even capable of diving underwater," according to Infernum, the title's European publisher. "Each dragon possesses an individual skillset containing passive, active and supporting abilities. For example, a flying dragon could be capable of healing, providing buffs, and engaging in melee combat.



Players manage their dragon collections via a personal lair, from which it will be possible to teach new skills to your scaly companions or send them out to collect resources. You can learn more about the game by viewing the video after the cut.



[Source: Infernum press release]
Continue reading Dragon's Prophet boasts new EU website, gameplay video

Dragon's Prophet boasts new EU website, gameplay video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's comprehensive preview of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Massively's comprehensive preview of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn:
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Previews, News items, Opinion, Hands-on, Consoles, Massively Interviews, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous

Final Fantasy XIV is doing something that has never been done before. After launching to poor reception, the MMO appointed a new producer and director, Naoki Yoshida, who has been working tirelessly for two years to rebuild the game from the ground up. The launch version shut its servers down in November of last year, and since then players have been eagerly awaiting the release of the game's revitalized relaunch, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.



In preparation for this relaunch, Yoshida spent the last week and a half touring the globe and meeting with the press to show off FFXIV in all its glory. After playing the game since launch and writing about it for three years, I was glad to attend the event and see the full spectrum of what the game has to offer in its relaunch. And there's a lot to be said about the game as a whole. It's the sort of thing that can't be contained in just one article or two.



So how about half a dozen? And a trio of videos to accompany the new benchmark program?
Continue reading Massively's comprehensive preview of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Massively's comprehensive preview of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting the right game testers for the job

Getting the right game testers for the job:
Ryan Henson Creighton, president and founder of Untold Entertainment Inc, discusses weighing up game tester feedback against how "into" the game they are - and why it's important. ...

King.com moves into Asia with localized games

King.com moves into Asia with localized games:
King.com today announced it’s expanding its global presence by bringing localized versions of its most popular “Saga” games to both Japan and South Korea.
Both Candy Crush Saga and Bubble Witch Saga’s Facebook versions will be the first to be localized, with mobile versions following afterwards — both on iOS and Android. King.com’s localized expansion adds to the company’s continuing success on both social and mobile platforms. AppData shows Candy Crush Saga is now the top application (not just game) on Facebook, both by monthly and daily active users, and King.com says the game had more than 1 million DAU in Hong Kong alone (even before the localized version launched in that area).
We’ve heard from developers before that localizing games can give them a huge leg up over the competition. Robert Nashak of the BBC spoke to us in September about how localizing the Dancing With the Stars social web game was a huge part of the title’s ability to thrive outside of Facebook. “The games world is coming to the realization that there’s no need to have a North America-only version of a game,” he told us at the time. “If you build the game correctly and plan long term, you can win on localization alone.”
Territories like Korea and Japan, which are well-known for their populations’ voracious appetite for online games, are smart areas to expand into with localized games. While King.com has already conquered the social mobile market here in the West, doing so in Japan alone could mean a massive increase in revenue for the developer. As it was reported yesterday, Puzzle & Dragons is the top mobile game in Japan and is bringing in somewhere between $54 to $75 million each month across iOS and Android.

No online requirement for PS4

No online requirement for PS4: Yoshida confirms "if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that"

Waren Story’s First CBT Starts Feb 22

Waren Story’s First CBT Starts Feb 22:

Take on legions of rival players in ferocious large-scale battles in Waren Story, the latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) published by Gplayon. The company announced today the beginning of Closed Beta testing for this highly-anticipated fantasy adventure filled with breathtaking visuals and engaging Player vs. Player (PvP) gameplay.

Continue reading Waren Story’s First CBT Starts Feb 22.