Mortal Online Releasing Sarducca Continent Sunday


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Star Vault has announced the release of Sarducca, Mortal Online’s next continent, for this Sunday May 17th. The update goes live during maintenance in the morning (Swedish time) and will be monitored throughout the day for any unexpected bugs.

CEO Henrik Nystrom revealed that more content for Sarducca is already on the way.

I want to express once again that the development of further polished areas, improvement in AI, new content, etc, will NOT stop with the release of Sarducaa. The geography of the continent is finished, and as you can read in the patch notes there have been tons of polish and new content put into to game with Sarducaa, but we will continue working on even more content and polish after the release.

(Source: Mortal Online)

Mortal Online Hit By Another Hack


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Star Vault is assuring players that payment data has not been stolen in what appears to be a breach of Mortal Online’s servers. Servers for the MMO were shut down after players noticed alterations to in-game menus, text changes, and strange dialogue shouted by town crier NPCs. The website is down as of this writing, however Star Vault has acknowledged the breach via their Facebook page.

As we use Global Collect as our primary payment processor, they would need to have been breached for any payment information. They have not been, so there is no need to worry about your payment information. This information is not stored on Star Vault servers so you won’t need to worry about that.

There are unverified reports of the attacker being able to ban and unban accounts. You can see some images from in-game at the link below, they contain heavily offensive language.

(Source: Images #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6)

Star Vault 2014 Finance: Sales Down, Profit Up


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Star Vault has released their fourth quarter finances for the 2014 year and the results are not all bad.

While net sales fell for the second quarter in a row, down to $57 thousand, net profit dipped slightly more out of the red at $109 thousand below. This year Star Vault made advances toward release on Steam, announcing that Mortal Online would support the Oculus Rift, testing a territory control system, and worked towards the upcoming release of Sarducaa, the next continent.

As always, here are CEO Henrik Nystrom’s (translated) comments:

We have throughout 2014 continued to improve the quality and the experience of playing Mortal Online. During the early years was updated game engine Unreal Engine which has facilitated and laid the foundation for further development. Territory control system was in place during the second quarter. This allows for further development with new features and experiences that will be interesting to follow the 2015th

We have in the fourth quarter continued to work hard for the upcoming launch of the platform Steam, which is the world’s largest digital distribution channel for PC games. In November we released a so-called “performance patch” to improve the performance of the players when especially a large number of players are on the screen simultaneously. This has previously been heavy for players’ computers but have become much better and the players now need not miss out on the game experience when playing surface is under heavy load. It is thus an impressive performance increase.

We are continuing to work on the new continent, which is the last step before STEAM launch, where the technical challenge is now complete. This means that our network solution now supports both the existing continent and the new continent that soon we will be presenting to our players. What we have left before launch is improving the artificial intelligence that gives players a better gaming experience. We think it’s important to stability in the continent is so good it can be before we release the update. Our previous goal was to release it before the end of the year but we want to give it extra time to the players who patiently waited for a new continent will get as good an experience as possible. We are committed to releasing the continent first quarter of 2015, and shortly after this launch the game on STEAM platform. We made the decision to have two continents implemented before STEAM to even be able to handle an increased number of players in the game world. As previously commented, we will continue to be very honest with our loyal player base and allow them to participate and judge when we have what it takes for a successful launch. One of the major challenges in the industry is to bring in new players, but also to retain existing players by offering a high quality and solid gaming experience which is very important for us at Star Vault.

Furthermore, I can happily comment that Mortal Online was nominated and came in first place as the most “hyped” game on the Gold Chip – a stipend provided by Estrella. The Gold Chipset provides Estrella players the opportunity to vote for a title that offered a place in Estrella’s booth at Dreamhack. DreamHack went well, we got a lot of fans who tried the game and playing now.

Oculus Rift is that earlier in wait for when we know when it will be released and the hardware will apply to the market. Before we know it, we will not do any work here. We focus remains on being able to provide full support in Mortal Online as Oculus Rift will be on the market, precisely because the game fits so well on the type of hardware with dedicated first-person view. We believe that many will try out a game like this when they own a pair Oculus Rift, and then we also have the chance to reach out to many interested players.

Work on the continent release is proceeding according to plan.

Henrik Nystrom
CEO, Star Vault AB

(Disclosure: Star Vault’s finances are published on the Aktie Torget stock exchange in Swedish, linked below, and translated using Google’s automatic tools. Figures shown above are based off of the SEK to USD conversion rates as of the day of their publishing.)

(Source: Star Vault)

Star Vault Q3 Report Shows Revenue Growth


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Star Vault has released their Q3 2014 finances, and the results are slightly positive. The first quarter brought a dramatic shift in both sales and profit, and while operations have returned to normal the current quarter showed a small increase in profits over the previous. Net sales for the third quarter amounted to $72 thousand over $70 thousand last quarter, with net profit rising nearly $10 thousand to $143 thousand down.

The number of subscribers, according to the report, has remained stable.

(Full disclosure: Henrik Nystrom’s statement this quarter had to be slightly edited to polish the grammar, due to a particularly low quality translation. We didn’t alter much. Star Vault’s finances are published on the Aktie Torget stock exchange in Swedish, linked below, and translated using Google’s automatic tools. Figures shown above are based off of the SEK to USD conversion rates as of the day of their publishing.)

We a pleased to announce in September that Territory Control system is in place, giving players the opportunity to design and choose the laws of the cities. Players can now wage war on land and make peace with neighbors – an aspect that for a long time desired by users. As I have in previous communications have mentioned, we have worked to develop the Territory control for a long time and we look forward to following the development of the game now that the system is in place.

Territory Control will be developed with new features afterwards as there are needs. The system is a big part of our unique play area, where all types of players can participate. There are a lot of hidden and secret elements for players to explore, and this part will be exciting to follow and take note of feedback from players on.

We came in first as the most hyped game on the Gold Chipset and will attend DreamHack 2014 Saturday 29th November. There we will introduce the game to visitors and distribute Mortal Online steel boxes with the game code.

We await the new owners plan to launch the Oculus Rift for us to be able to handle further support for Mortal Online and Oculus Rift.

The technical implementation for network support for the new continent is completed and now we have full
focus on improving the AI (Artificial Intelligence / computer opponents) and very new content on the new continent. An improvement of our AI is an important part of our game that will achieve a higher standard when this part is over. This is to provide an exciting new challenge in the new continent. Myrland who was the first continent has no extremes of creatures or climate which now gets introduced with the next continent.

In memory of Ulf Nystrom, we have created a painting that is now available in the game Mortal Online.

Henrik Nystrom
CEO, Star Vault AB

(Source: Star Vault)

Star Vault Profits Continue To Drop In Q2


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Star Vault has posted their second quarter finances for 2014 and the results are not pretty. Net sales amounted to approximately seventy thousand dollars, down over 30% under the one hundred five thousand in the first quarter. Net profit, meanwhile, took a nearly 80% dive down to one hundred fifty two thousand in the red compared to eighty six thousand in the red for the first quarter.

The report notes that the number of subscriptions dropped in the second quarter. Player activity has dropped over the summer which Star Vault believes may be related to waiting for the territory control patch to be released. During the same quarter, Star Vault has also been at work to make Mortal Online compatible with the Oculus Rift.

Henrik Nystrom’s quarterly statement:

In April, we announced an updated development plan to allow time for testing and bug fixing prior to the launch on Steam, as the content and quality are prioritized over making a quick launch. During the first half of 2014 has been fully focused on getting the TC patch (Territory Control) with brand new unique features, completed and we went into the testing phase at the end of June.

As expected, the number of players has decreased over the summer, which may be partly due to the players wait for the TC patch will soon be released. At the end of the period, the reduction of the number of players stalled.

In parallel with the TC construction, we have worked with the new continent as planned, where most is via outsourcing. With the new continent will face in Mortal Online will be doubled and the new Territory control, we will be able to offer unique features.

During the quarter, we have also developed a full support for virtual reality headset Oculus Rift that lets you see the game world in a completely different way; when you turn your head the same thing happens in the game and you look around. It also sees the depth and 3D by Oculus, which may provide some benefits in Mortal Online because you always play the game in first person view.

We plan to further develop support for Oculus Rift hardware (now owned by Facebook) so that this is clear until the release date of Oculus Rift published. There is a huge interest in this among the players and we believe that the combination of Mortal Online and Rift Oculus will provide a gaming experience beyond the ordinary.

Henrik Nystrom
CEO, Star Vault AB

In the long term, Star Vault plans to develop new titles however no other information has been given.

Editor’s note: Quarterly reports are provided by Star Vault and publicly available via the Aktietorget stock exchange. All monetary values are presented in Swedish Kroner and are converted to US Dollars for your convenience using rates provided by Citibank NA and reflect trading values on the day of reporting. Henrik Nystrom’s statements are automatically translated by Google and some context/grammar may be lost in the translation.

Star Vault Sees Q1 Bump In 2014


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Star Vault has released their Q1 2014 finances and the results are actually looking good. Net sales broke one hundred thousand for the quarter, up heavily from the previous quarter’s report of eighty one thousand. Net profit remains in the red but increased severely over the previous two quarters, from one hundred fifty thousand in the red down to eighty three thousand. If Star Vault can keep this momentum going, the company will be in the black by the end of the third quarter.

As usual, Henrik Nystrom made his quarterly address.

During the first quarter of 2014 marked by a continued positive trend in increased player activity in Mortal Online. Meanwhile, we have the beginning of 2014, working with a major focus for the planned release on STEAM, the world’s largest online distributor of PC games. Mortal Online will then be posted on a global playlist daily visited by between 4-6 million players worldwide. In February, the game engine Unreal Engine updated, resulting in a large number of improvements in place. Briefly, the above, including both graphical quality and performance improved, which facilitates the creation of a new continent in the game, so we can handle a larger number of players.

With the new continent will face in Mortal Online will be doubled and the new Territory Control will enable us to offer unique features. These features will be released in stages before release. In our industry it is known that all releases are unpredictable and I think it’s important to be clear that although we will encounter problems in the same way as the major players, but we’re doing what we can to be prepared. One of the major challenges in the industry is of course to bring in new players, but also to maintain the existing players by offering a consistently high quality. The competition is tough and you have to deliver. We will just as before to continue to be very honest with our player and also allow them to participate and judge when we have what it takes for a successful release on STEAM. 

As previously announced, of course, both the content and quality priority, which means that we update the plan we had from the beginning, to gain more time for testing and bug fixing before release. In this overall development plan to release the work has been divided into six blocks; Engine update (completed and is live), development of the Territory control, test and release of Territory Control continent’s development, test and release of the continents, and the testing and release of Steam API (Application Programming Interface). Each block has a lead time of about one month, while parts of the work of the various blocks is done in parallel. 

We have since the beginning of the year even able to announce a new functionality in the form of that Mortal Online has built-in support for Oculus Rift. Oculus Rift can be described as the next generation of virtual reality headsets and developed by the company Oculus VR. In March 2014 it was announced that Facebook, Inc. decided to buy the project for about two billion dollars. By playing Mortal Online with Oculus Rift given increased playing experience then, so to speak “comes into play.” Turn the head of the unit really does play the character in the game too. One sees also the depth and 3D by Oculus, which can provide some benefits in Mortal Online because you always play the game in first person view. When Oculus Rift released, we think players will be interested to try the dedicated first-person games such as Mortal Online, which is the first mmo game that is exclusively dedicated first person only, and therefore lends itself very well to play with Oculus rift. 

Henrik Nystrom 
CEO, Star Vault AB

Editor’s note: Figures are provided by the Aktietorget stock exchange. All figures are presented in US Dollars using conversions provided by Citibank NA and reflect trading values on the day of reporting. Henrik Nystrom’s statements are automatically translated by Google and may contain various spelling or grammatical errors. 

Star Vault Lays Down Road to Steam


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With its big show on Steam just over the horizon, Star Vault has laid out how the hardcore sandbox MMO will make its way to gamers worldwide. Before Mortal Online is allowed to release, however, Star Vault is implementing a number of updates and fixes. In the latest press release, Star Vault has laid down just how the Steam rollout will happen.

Each block, according to the release, has a lead time of about one month, noting that multiple blocks may run in parallel.

? Block 0 – Unreal Engine update 
? Block 1 – Territory Control 
? Block 2 – Territory Control Testing and release 
? Block 3 – Continent Support 
? Block 4 – Continent support testing and release 
? Block 5 – STEAM API release on STEAM

Henrik Nystrom, Star Vault’s CEO, made the following comment (translated):

We continue our focus on working towards STEAM, it looks we all look forward to the team, but I also believe that our current players see the value in this. We will increase communication about the development work currently involves about 40 resources in our global development team. For transparency to our shareholders, we have teamed up with Axier, specialists in communication to the stock market. They have produced an analysis of Star Vault. I hope you find it interesting

(Source: Star Vault Press Release)

Star Vault Q3 2013 Finances


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Star Vault has released their third quarter finances, and odds are if you are taking the time to read this, you already have an idea of what is coming next. The good news is that, according to Henrik Nyström, third quarter subscription numbers saw a rise compared to the previous quarter, although net sales dropped slightly and net profit dropped approximately thirty percent. The number of registered users on the forum has also increased over last quarter, the financial report shows.

The other good news is that Mortal Online may be set for an infusion of new players. In September, Mortal Online was officially greenlit for release on the Steam platform. In response to this news, the board conducted a private placement of 2.6 million shares to several private investors to increase development toward a Steam release.

Our hearts also go out to the family and friends of Ulf Nyström, father of Henrik Nyström, who recently passed away due to illness. The board has decided not to fill his position immediately, but to wait until the 2014 Annual General Meeting.

Star Vault Private Placement For Steam


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Star Vault has announced the private placement of 2.6 million SEK in shares to allow for greater development and hone in on a launch on Steam. The issue includes ten million B-shares among several private investors at a price of .26 SEK per share to Markus Hodell, Magnus Uppsäll, William LW Nock and Joan Mir. According to the announcement, obtaining the capital required to bring Mortal Online to Steam was not possible with a simple rights issuance.

Henrik Nystrom commented on the placement, noting his enthusiasm that the revenue will spur development and prepare Mortal Online for a boost in traffic once it is available on Steam.

An example of major updates that many players looking forward to for months is a developed territory-system we call Dominion. This will give players many new play features where one can design their own cities and provide various services to other players. This is a long-sought systems that require large playing surfaces then it’s up to the players to be creative in designing their cities. We estimate that these areas will begin to be launched beginning in October 2013 and continue accelerating until the first quarter of 2014.

You can read the entire announcement at the link below.

(Source: Aktie Torget)

Mortal Online Greenlight On Steam


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Star Vault has announced that Mortal Online has finally been approved by Valve for release via Steam’s Greenlight program. The sandbox MMO has sat near the top of Valve’s list for a good while now, seemingly passed over with every month’s release set. Well the good news is that players will soon be logging in and running around buck naked or clothed if you’re into that sort of thing.

Thank you to our awesome community for voting us up to the very top of 15,000 game titles and earning our place on Steam, the worlds largest online PC game distribution platform. More information concerning our plans for Steam will be announced shortly; we just wanted to shout out a big “thank you” to our incredible community. Mortal Online’s future is getting more exciting by the day!

Hopefully the influx of new Steam players will bring much needed profit to the Swedish developer.

(Source: Mortal Online)