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World Of Warcraft 2.3.0 Patch Released

World of Warcraft patch 2.3.0 has been released, updating v2.2.3 of the game to v2.3.0. The 281mb download introduces a new level 70 instance called Zul’Aman, over 50 new quests to Dustwallow Marsh, Guild Banks, changes and bug fixes, while also adding new gear and items for PVP Arena Season 3.

Offline Download:

• ActionTrip
• Games32
• FileShack
• Fileplanet

Full Patch Notes After The Jump:
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Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Trailer

EA Mythic Releases a new trailer for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning or just WAR as some would call it. Video includes some of the first game play footage of Altdorf, the Empire capital city.

 

Aion: The Tower of Eternity Trailer

NCsoft released from its forthcoming MMORPG Aion: The Tower of Eternity a mouthwatering new trailer highlighting the Elyos and Asmodian races as they lock swords and battle deep within the Abyss.

NOOOO! Warhammer Online Delayed Till Mid 08!!!

Dam you EA! Dam You Mythic! What is a ex-World of Warcraft player looking for a crack fix going to do? During EA’s financial conference call today they revealed yet another delay for Mythic’s long-awaited MMORPG, Warhammer: Online, pushing back its release from Q1 of 2008 to quarter two (at best). PLEASE! I do not want to play WoW anymore I need a new Fix!

During their financial conference call today with investors, Electronic Arts execs announced yet another delay for Warhammer Online, the long awaited fantasy MMO title from their EA Mythic studio. The game, originally set for release this fall and then delayed to the first quarter of 2008, has now been pushed back to sometime in EA’s fiscal 2009 year (which begins on April 1 2008). During the conference call, EA execs said that they now expect the game to ship sometime in the first half of 2008, explaining that Mythic’s head Mark Jacobs asked for an extension beyond March 2008 due to the team missing part of a milestone in the game’s development.

Here is what the VP and General Manager, EA Mythic, Mark Jacobsa had to say in the Warhammer online newsletter.

In 2005, when Mythic signed the licensing agreement for Warhammer, I promised Games Workshop that we would create a great and glorious game. When Electronic Arts acquired us a year later, I told them the same thing. Now, a year after that acquisition, nothing has changed: we still intend to deliver the next great MMORPG. As many of you may have heard, we have extended WAR’s development cycle until the 2nd quarter of 2008. The reason is simple; we will not release Warhammer Online until it is the game we set out to create two years ago.

Our goals for Warhammer Online are not easily met. The game includes many new and innovative ideas, a feature set that is going to blow players away, and, most importantly, the best RvR system in MMORPG gaming. These things take time to implement and test properly. During the last phase of beta testing, we received valuable feedback from our testers that will help make these features even better. When we looked at our options, two paths lay before us: 1) Ship the game on time with fewer features and less polish, or 2) Extend the development cycle and spend the needed time and money to make WAR great. We chose the latter path - to invest additional time and effort in implementation and polish to make WAR great. Fortunately, we have the resources and support of EA behind us to extend our development cycle; time that will be used to make sure the game is everything we want it to be. WAR is coming, and it will be glorious.

One of the “popular” topics of discussion regarding EA Mythic this past week has been the subject of layoffs within the studio. While we did let several people go from the Warhammer Online team, the number was *quite* small and their loss had no impact on our development schedule. These layoffs were part of our normal studio operations and a necessary step for EA Mythic to ensure that we have a focused and committed team working on WAR going forward.

On the Beta front, we will begin a new phase of testing in December, and we look forward to getting even more people involved in WAR by the end of the year. We are approaching a half a million registrants, and, to my knowledge, this could be the most signups ever for a Western MMORPG beta. I am very proud of this as it is a testament to the strength of the community, the popularity of the Warhammer license, and the outstanding work the team at EA Mythic is doing on the game. When we open the beta in Asia, we expect the numbers to continue to climb as we’d like to see one million players signed up to test the game. At that point, we will be well on our way to bringing about the second part of the double entendre of our motto as WAR really will be everywhere.

Over the next few months in Beta, our players will find all-new content to experience, careers to play and cities to siege. Our Capital City team continues to push the envelope by creating the next generation of living cities in MMORPGs and Altdorf is simply breathtaking. New Community systems will be in place and we look forward to getting many existing guilds into the beta to try them out.

In addition, we’ll be making changes to the RvR (open field RvR FTW!) and Server Rule Set Systems. These changes bring WAR a step closer to fulfilling the promise that “War is Everywhere” while ensuring a great play experience for those that do not choose to engage in RvR 24×7. This is another example of how EA Mythic talks to the community, listens to what they have to say, and takes action. We will continue this process over the next three quarters as we continue to develop, expand and improve WAR.

As I often quote from movies, one line particularly leaps to mind right now: “Creation is an act of sheer will,” said John Hammond in Jurassic Park. Unlike his creation in that film, however, what EA Mythic creates will be great and glorious, and nobody will get eaten by giant reptiles. That is, until we bring Lustria to life and then all bets are off.

As always, we thank you for your patronage, support and interest.

Mark Jacobs
VP and General Manager, EA Mythic

Pirates of the Burning Sea MMO Release Dated

Release: ‘Shipping’ worldwide on January 22nd
Genre: MMORPG
Platform: PC
Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Developer: Flying Lab Software
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Price: TBD at retail and digital download/Monthly Subscription fee TBD
URL: www.burningsea.com

Game Description:
Pirates of the Burning Sea is an MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder. Set against the backdrop of the New World of the 18^th Century, players can choose one of three nations – England, France or Spain – or choose the role of a Pirate and battle it out for glory and power.

Virtual buccaneers can engage in fierce ship to ship combat in real time, complete with the roar of cannon fire and the crunch of timber as masts and hulls are shattered, sending enemies to the bottom of the briny deep or helpless and ripe for looting. Pirates of the Burning Sea also allows players to choose one of three fighting styles – classic Fencing, the flashy dual-wielding Florentine or treacherous Dirty Fighting – and engage in intense one melee combat in one on one duels, as well as boarding and taking control of enemy vessels.

The game’s Conquest system turns any of the more than 80 ports into a battleground, as rival players accrue points in both PvE and combat, culminating in a period of PvP warfare that determines who controls the port, and all of its valuable economic resources. Burning Sea also features an economy completely run by players, forging their own empires across the Caribbean; players can build their own quarries, distilleries and timber mills, managing large-scale production and distribution in a cutthroat world of commerce where profits are the dream and desperate measures the reality.

Features:

• Join one of the four loyalties (Pirate, English, French, or Spanish)
• Live the life of a sea captain commanding a crew and fleet with up to 30 ships
• Battle other players to control more than 80 conquerable ports
• in the Caribbean
• Explore the world and make a name for yourself in more than
• 1,000 missions
• Economy driven by the players, who manufacture and sell all
• the goods found in the game
• Build, capture, and customize more than 65 historical ships
• Design your own personal flags and customize sail decals
• Choose from 3 different styles of melee combat – deadly and
• formal Fencing, flashy, dual wielding Florentine or rowdy and
• treacherous Dirty Fighting

V.I.L.E. A Upcoming Sci-Fi MMORPG -PC, Xbox360, PS3

Vile Studios today announced their premier title, Project V.I.L.E., a beefed-up Sci-Fi Fantasy MMORPG that brings many facets of the science fiction genre together in a massively multiplayer online format. Project V.I.L.E. is being developed for the PC platform, but Vile Studios is looking into releasing this epic Sci-Fi Fantasy MMORPG across multiple platforms (xbox360, and PS3). Project V.I.L.E. is in early production solely in Vile Studio’s Brisbane studios and is scheduled to be released late 2008

“Project V.I.L.E. is going to be a full-flavored, shooting, fighting, action-packed Sci-Fi MMORPG which gamers, both casual and dedicated, can really sink their teeth into. We will be incorporating and twisting all of the coolest concepts the Sci-Fi genre has been known for and we have all been eager to see in a Sci-Fi game” said Vile Studio’s Creative Director, Ashley Hodgetts.

Unlike the majority of MMORPG titles which have saturated the gaming market with wizards and warriors, dragons and all things fantasy, Project V.I.L.E. is based in a dark and distant future. Also unlike most MMORPG type games where the focus is on the storyline, in Project V.I.L.E. the focus is to get rich, get the gear and kill as many of your enemies as possible. There is an underlying storyline and Project V.I.L.E.’s flow follows this but takes a back seat to the thrill of the action.

Featuring a proprietary in-house next generation 3D Engine, Project V.I.L.E. delivers advanced 3D graphics, effects and deep immersive gameplay. Project V.I.L.E. offers thousands of gamers the ability to out-wit, band together, steal, profit and to climb over one another for greater glory for their Faction and ultimately for themselves.

A state-of-the-art combat system allows for mind-blowing weaponry and hand-to-hand combat against multiple opponents. “Unlike Fantasy MMORPGs, this is set in the future, so you get all sorts of damage dealing weaponry which you can fire from various distances, as well as melee weapons – for when you have to get close and personal.” Ashley continues “Also, instead of giving players little horses to run around on, we are giving them customizable battle-vehicles, including walking mechs, hovering bikes and other cool personal machinery. Players will be able to call them from a spaceship in orbit and either battle in PvP (Player-Versus-Player) or use them as transport.”

Instead of using the classic class-based system for assigning players their roles, Project V.I.L.E. will follow a skill hierarchical system which awards players “Skill-points” for everything they kill. These points are then “cashed in” to gain the desired skills. If a player wants to primarily be a soldier, they can allocate their points into areas such as Gunnery, Hand-to-hand combat and Spec-Ops. As they progress in level, they can choose to change their training to better suit their needs i.e. if there is a shortage of medics, then a player can choose to train in this field.

Players level up by completing set missions. Increased stats and skills are obtained on each level and also some selective skills can be gained over time. Choosing to complete missions from particular parties will gain players reputation with that party, which would be redeemable for items, money and other worldly possessions. Players travel from planet-to-planet to level up. Each race has its very own home world, moon(s) and solar systems where safe travel can only be given to races of the same faction. On each home world, a player will gain the necessary skills to venture into the contested regions of space for PVP, epic instances and group raids.

“A really exciting feature of Project V.I.L.E. is that during the game, players may be called to fight a waging war on a planetary level. Medics, Troopers, Pilots and the other skill sets will be called upon to defend their species. On arrival to the war area, players with certain skills will be given items to help them fight - i.e. Pilots will be given small drop ships to drop the troops off - they will need to take troops with them to the surface - then pick up more troops and supplies before having to go to battle themselves. Each quest involved in this type of world event will give players awesome rewards. Medics will need to heal so many people to gain rep, troopers will need to take out so many enemies, etc”. Ashley continues “A Call to Arms would be announced when a critical region of space is falling to the other side or if the other faction(s) reach the player’s home world.”

Pirates Of The Burning Sea Retail Pre-order To Start October 23

Pirates of the Burning Sea, the MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, is scheduled to be available for pre-order starting Tuesday, October 23rd at participating retail locations.

12►

PRE ORDER FEATURES:

• Players who pre-order the game will receive the following:
• An invitation to the “Pre-Boarding Party” allowing them access to the live game up to 15 days prior to launch, and the ability to keep their characters, skills and equipment after launch with purchase of game and paid subscription (characters will have a level cap of 20 during the pre-boarding party)
• Captain’s Best Friend – a blue and yellow parrot
• Mighty Blades - Swedish Rapier, Old World Steel or Musketeer’s Matching Blades (depending upon which fighting style is selected)
• Original Game Soundtrack CD – 60 minutes of pirate themed music (comes in pre-order box)

Pirates of the Burning Sea is scheduled to be available for preorder in North America on Tuesday, October 23, 2007. A European pre-order date has not been set at this time.

For more pre-order information on Pirates of the Burning Sea log onto www.piratesoftheburningsea.com

Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning Gets Windfall Number Of Beta Testers

EA Mythic today announced that the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning beta now has over 400,000 sign-ups. This allegedly makes it the one for the most successful MMO betas ever, I imagine only one has ever been bigger to be honest.

Thankfully for eager fans, this doesn’t mean sign-ups are now closed, European gamer’s can still take part via the official European site, others should try the EA Mythic beta site.

Warhammer Online launches in early 2008.

New Tabula Rasa New Trailer

Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa is an MMORPG from NCsoft, designed in part by some of the creators of Ultima Online such as Richard Garriott. The game is an RPG that blends in certain shooter aspects into the combat system.

Tabula Rasa is about humanity’s last stand against an alien race called “The Bane.” The story takes place in the far future on two or three planets, which will be in a state of constant conflict between the AFSF (Allied Free Sentient Forces) and The Bane.

[youtube Wjv2cEIm4dY nolink]

World Of Warcraft Surpasses 9 Million Subscribers

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has reached a new milestone, with a player base now totaling more than 9 million subscribers worldwide. The company is currently working with its partner for World of Warcraft in China, The9, to prepare the game’s first expansion, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, for launch in mainland China and anticipates an influx of new and returning subscribers in conjunction with that event.

“We’re thrilled that gamers around the world have continued to embrace World of Warcraft so enthusiastically,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’ve worked hard to provide a compelling experience for our players, and we plan to continue updating the game with exciting new content for them to enjoy for many years to come.”

Since debuting in North America on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG around the world. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006* and has remained at or near the top of the weekly PC-game sales charts for much of 2007 as well. Blizzard’s Burning Crusade expansion released to critical acclaim in several regions earlier this year and shattered PC-game sales records in North America and Europe, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of release and approximately 3.5 million in its first month. World of Warcraft is available in seven different languages and, in addition to North America and Europe, is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.