Now I know what you other MMO’ers are thinking right now: World of Warcraft got a mount that generated like a billion dollars for them. Why is it that WoW can pay $25 for a mount, and I can’t?
Well those of you who do not play Everquest 2, you’re out of luck (at least for now). Those who do play Everquest 2, however, can purchase Etheral, Sinister, and Ulteran Prowlers. What does each mount do, you ask? Aside from +65% run speed, each one comes in two version: Fierce and Arcane, each differs as follows:
Sony promises that these mounts will be available at least one month, so our paranoid mount-grabbers should act quickly, assuming this turns out to be a hint that the mounts will not be around forever.
Aion launched in late September 2009, and by November I had reported that NCSoft’s report that the game had sold nearly one million copies in North America and Europe. Not only that, but very shortly after release NCsoft released a couple more servers to alleviate load. They did this, of course, with very public opposition to the idea. With any MMO, adding servers within the first month is generally a poor decision, as the iconic mass exodus that follows any MMO’s launch in the first few months is bound to alleviate those overpopulation woes.
So it is not too surprising when Aion announces that they are merging servers:
“I don’t relish the idea of mergers, however, once it is complete you should notice improvements in each of the new server economies, an abundance of players to group and run instances with, a number of great Legions to join or people to form new ones with, and a more tightly knit community.When all is said and done, Aion will be a better game because of the server merge. We’re in the planning stages, and will have more information on the timing and execution in the coming weeks.”
Chris Hager is right! Seriously, he is. Server mergers are not always a bad thing, and can do a world of good to the game’s economies and servers, and often even incite people into resubscribing who may have left due to low population on their server, but an unwillingness to transfer and create a new character.
In the recent NCsoft Q1 report, Aion is down in the West, with the conference call noting:
“As for the Aion performance in the Western market, I should have mentioned that the number of active users has declined since the launch of the retail package in September and October last year. But I’m also very confident that at this point EU/US is able to maintain the current level of active users and since we’re expecting the 1.9 update soon, and also 2.0 in the third quarter.”
More on Aion and the server mergers as it appears.
NIDA Online shut down late last night, after approximately eight months in service, so last night I decided to take a plunge into the game and see just why the title fell short of its one year anniversary.
What I found was a game that wasn’t all that terrible, but nothing special. In terms of cookie-cutter MMOs, this cookie was that plate of Christmas cookies you get from relatives and neighbors that eerily look identical. They are home cooked, but have the strong sensation that the person simply unwrapped store bought items, arranged them on a plate, and called them their own.
I created an Artificier, a tech-based character, who did all of his fighting through guns, not unlike my character in Aika Online. My starter pistol was replaced at level ten with a shotgun, and buying ammo was quick and easy (click on a button on the HUD, no need to be in town or at a vendor). At level fifteen, however, I purchased myself a machine gun that tore through enemies like a hail of knives through air.
By the time I logged off for the night (the game shut down at approximately 3am my time), I hit level 20 and felt like I had accomplished absolutely nothing. I had finished a total of five quests, each one having me kill dozens, if not hundreds, of the same two or three mobs for the sake of finding three or five of whatever item they dropped. Sayries, for example, dropped shells that I needed for a level five quest. I leveled from eight to fifteen before I retrieved all five shells, which I turned in to find my next quest? Get three Sayrie shells. These are non-repeatable quests.
I wanted to get the essence of what new players see when coming into the game, and what I found was an uninviting world filled with monsters who, should you partake in the game’s quest system, you will be slaughtering by the hundred until they no longer give you a viable source of exp, only to finish one quest and then be sent right back for the next. It isn’t a test of patience, or tolerance of grind like in most other Asian MMOs, but instead you get to a point while questing where you simply ask yourself “where is the challenge?”
Moving around is a chore, with the WASD system broken, and the point/click system shoddily put together (I had regular moments where clicking yielded no movement). The combat system is a combat system, there isn’t much more to say about it. Nothing special, but nothing horrible about it either.
I’m sure I will be berated for not giving the title more of a chance, but the focus of my play time over the course of the day yesterday was to experience the game as a new player would, and judging by the dearth of posts on the forums pre-shutdown, and the lack of people in-game, I get the feeling I was one of the few remaining who cared to even take a peek.
NIDA Online is a reminder that for all we rag on mainstream Korean MMOs, there is in fact a level of quality that borderlines on comatose, and I for one feel bad that Gamekiss put so much of their own support and funding into a title that the developers obviously couldn’t care less about.
I love earnings reports, more so because I am a huge number crunching nerd, but because it gives us an occasional glimpse into how MMO developers are doing. NCsoft finally got around to filing their Q1 reports, and there is plenty of information to be found, namely in what game is doing better than others.
I often hear complaints about NCsoft pushing North American and European players to the side, and quite frankly they might have good reason. The breakdown of NCsoft’s income paints a picture as to why NA and EU may take a back seat to other regions.
Korea: 65%
Japan: 11%
N. America: 8%
Europe: 7%
Taiwan: 4%
Korea is still NCsoft’s biggest market by far, with NCsoft making almost as much from royalties (the remaining 6%) as they do from N. America or Europe.
As far as game sales themselves go, NCsoft pointed out at the top of the page that Lineage is continuing its growth momentum, which is quite impressive for a game hitting its twelfth birthday this September.
Aion: 71,235
Lineage: 47,507
Lineage 2: 29,662
City of Heroes: 3,348
Others: 3,255
Guild Wars: 2,382
Sales are down 5% from the last quarter, however the trend is continuing upward on a year over year scale. Profits have also increased due to what NCsoft referred to as cost cutting programs to improve efficiency. Arenanet looks like they are in some hot water, as their quarterly sales are down 33% from last quarter, and are plummeting on a year-by-year basis of 47%, making it the lowest operating NCsoft at this point. NCEurope did the worst this quarter with a 50% drop a sales, but is still riding a 180% year on year growth.
A few of the titles are disappointing, yet not all that unsurprising. Guild Wars, considering its age, is getting to the point where most of the people who will purchase it have already purchased it. Not to mention Guild Wars doesn’t exactly have a subscription to ride on for cash. City of Heroes is getting on in its age, although the game and its community are still going very strong. Lineage and Lineage 2 are still big sellers in Korea, no surprises there.
NCsoft is looking at a lot of potential in the next few years, what with their upcoming titles. Aion still appears to be selling strong, although the recent announcement of server mergers…well that’s for another story.
I love earnings reports, more so because I am a huge number crunching nerd, but because it gives us an occasional glimpse into how MMO developers are doing. NCsoft finally got around to filing their Q1 reports, and there is plenty of information to be found, namely in what game is doing better than others.
I often hear complaints about NCsoft pushing North American and European players to the side, and quite frankly they might have good reason. The breakdown of NCsoft’s income paints a picture as to why NA and EU may take a back seat to other regions.
Korea: 65%
Japan: 11%
N. America: 8%
Europe: 7%
Taiwan: 4%
Korea is still NCsoft’s biggest market by far, with NCsoft making almost as much from royalties (the remaining 6%) as they do from N. America or Europe.
As far as game sales themselves go, NCsoft pointed out at the top of the page that Lineage is continuing its growth momentum, which is quite impressive for a game hitting its twelfth birthday this September.
Aion: 71,235
Lineage: 47,507
Lineage 2: 29,662
City of Heroes: 3,348
Others: 3,255
Guild Wars: 2,382
Sales are down 5% from the last quarter, however the trend is continuing upward on a year over year scale. Profits have also increased due to what NCsoft referred to as cost cutting programs to improve efficiency. Arenanet looks like they are in some hot water, as their quarterly sales are down 33% from last quarter, and are plummeting on a year-by-year basis of 47%, making it the lowest operating NCsoft at this point. NCEurope did the worst this quarter with a 50% drop a sales, but is still riding a 180% year on year growth.
A few of the titles are disappointing, yet not all that unsurprising. Guild Wars, considering its age, is getting to the point where most of the people who will purchase it have already purchased it. Not to mention Guild Wars doesn’t exactly have a subscription to ride on for cash. City of Heroes is getting on in its age, although the game and its community are still going very strong. Lineage and Lineage 2 are still big sellers in Korea, no surprises there.
NCsoft is looking at a lot of potential in the next few years, what with their upcoming titles. Aion still appears to be selling strong, although the recent announcement of server mergers…well that’s for another story.
As I mentioned earlier this week, the Fates (mortals) in Mytheon are having quite a hard time. Not only do they have their original task of attempting to bring down the gods, but now they must take down an even greater foe: The publisher. Citing consistent delays and unreasonable requests for funding, True Games Interactive, a company still in its toddler stage (founded January 2008) and has been publishing Warrior Epic. Now, in my normal fashion, I won’t be bashing Warrior Epic, but I will point out that my trek to the WE forums found that only five out of the sixteen forum categories have had a post in the past week, with six having no posts since April. Apart from that, my only company were forum bots from Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Baidu.
Petroglyph Games, noted defendant and developer, is being accused of not patching the title, and holding the source code hostage. True Games announced that they are moving full steam ahead with the title’s current beta process.
“Mytheon will proceed through Open Beta and launch officially in the near future. We cannot provide more details at this time. Players and fans of Mytheon will not be affected in any way. We are committed to delivering a fun and unique game play experience with the release of Mytheon.”
Best of luck to Mytheon in the future. It’s time to slay some gods!
I’m writing this next sentence not only because it’s true, but because I know at least one hardcore Marvel fan is going to have a stroke after reading it: Who’s a cute little alcoholic? You are, little Tony Stark, yes you are.
The trailer I mentioned earlier this week for Marvel Universe Online, I mean Super Hero Squad Online, has arrived.
What we know of the game so far is that it likely follows the television show closely. The heroes are fighting the villains, both sides searching for the shards of an ancient and powerful sword. Throw in some jokes about Wolverine slicing bread, toasted over The Flame’s fiery body, and Dr. Doom throwing a temper tantrum, and voila! You have something.
And if the medics have arrived and are in need of assistance, you can mention to the gentleman/lady that this is not the Marvel Universe MMO. Whatever it is, expect more news in the coming months.
Super Hero Squad is being developed by Gazillion Entertainment, who you may know from the upcoming Lego Universe, Jumpgate MMO, and the defunct Auto Assault.
I’m writing this next sentence not only because it’s true, but because I know at least one hardcore Marvel fan is going to have a stroke after reading it: Who’s a cute little alcoholic? You are, little Tony Stark, yes you are.
The trailer I mentioned earlier this week for Marvel Universe Online, I mean Super Hero Squad Online, has arrived.
What we know of the game so far is that it likely follows the television show closely. The heroes are fighting the villains, both sides searching for the shards of an ancient and powerful sword. Throw in some jokes about Wolverine slicing bread, toasted over The Flame’s fiery body, and Dr. Doom throwing a temper tantrum, and voila! You have something.
And if the medics have arrived and are in need of assistance, you can mention to the gentleman/lady that this is not the Marvel Universe MMO. Whatever it is, expect more news in the coming months.
Super Hero Squad is being developed by Gazillion Entertainment, who you may know from the upcoming Lego Universe, Jumpgate MMO, and the defunct Auto Assault.
NIDA Online is a Korean free-to-play MMO. For some of you, that is enough to avoid this game like the plague, and for others it is enough to question: Omali why are you bothering reporting on yet another cookie-cutter MMO shutting down. Why is this significant? NIDA Online opened in September 2009, around the same time as Aion, Champions Online, and Fallen Earth. So, from start to finish, NIDA Online lasted slightly less than eight months.
Now I have never played NIDA, so I’ll leave the quips about the game’s quality to another person, but eight months says a lot. Consider, for instance, the fact that two very widely panned MMOs are still going rather strong to this day, after two years of being live (I’ll leave you to fill in what those two MMOs released in 2008 with high preorder numbers are). NIDA’s run even knocks out FURY, the only MMO we are aware of to fire off emails to its ex-players calling them losers. FURY, for reference, had a ten month life span.
Perhaps now Gamekiss can focus on its other riveting titles, such as the Freestyle basketball MMO.
All Points Bulletin is all about customization: The more we learn about the game, the more options for making your cop or villain unique come to light. Everything from changing the details on your car, customizing your weapons, your character, your radio, and even subscription allows you to tailor to your style of play.
But we ask: What methods can I use to taunt my opponents using the same method of customization? Well Chris Collins has the answer.
“Players can create what we call death themes, so every time that you kill a player they’re forced to listen to your music,”
Looking forward to being killed by someone and hearing “We’re no strangers to love…” or ten seconds of some teen shouting expletives through his cracking voice.
MMO Fallout 