DAoC Players Name New Server: Mythic Entertainment has announced the names of the new 'classic' servers coming to Dark Age of Camelot which was named and chosen by the player community based on the Arthurian mythos. We’re excited to announce the winners of the “Name The New Servers” contest! We received dozens of wonderful names, thousands of votes, and I’m glad we decided it would be a popularity contest – because we never could have chosen just two. You can check the full announcement here which inclused the names of the winners and the prizes along with the top ten names which almost made it. Posted June 22 2005 by Div Devlin

PotBS Dev Blogs: FlyingLabs has released new developer logs for their upcoming ship-to-ship MMO game Pirates of the Burning Sea. The first dev log introduces game play, titled "Getting Started" followed by an overview on skills and the mission system. Also, if your looking for work and just got laid off from an MMO game which went to an alternate developer, Flying Labs has updated their employment page with job openings for a Programmer, a Software Test Engineer, and a Mission Designer. Posted June 22 2005 by Div Devlin

RYL: PotE Launches: Planetwide Games announces that thier import game Risk Your Life has shipped to retailers and has officially launched. As of July 1st the official tallies begin, with the best PK/Ganker being awarded $1 million at next years E3Expo. The blurb: Planetwide Games (http://www.ryl.net) innovative publisher and distributor of "RYL: Path of the Emperor" has announced today that major video game retailers such as EB Games, Gamestop, and mass market, electronics, and online retailers such as Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, CompUSA and Amazon.com will be among the first to sell the highly anticipated new Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game RYL: Path of the Emperor, according to Planetwide Games? President, Kevin Donovan. RYL: Path of the Emperor is one of the world's most popular Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. On June 21, 2005, consumers will finally be able to get their hands on and purchase the retail box of RYL: Path of the Emperor. "Buying the retail box is the first step towards winning the $1,000,000 grand prize" says Donovan. "Players who purchase the game at retail will now be eligible to enter the $1,000,000 tournament that starts on July 1, 2005." Interested players can view more details about the tournament rules and regulations at http://www.RYL.net . RYL: Path of the Emperor is the first MMORPG to offer a $1,000,000 Grand Prize to the winner of a Player vs. Player Skill-Based Tournament. All Tournament Players will have equal chances to qualify monthly for the $1,000,000 Tournament. Player?s scores will start at zero at the beginning of each months qualifying. The RYL $1,000,000 qualifying tournament will start July 1, 2005 and will end April 30, 2006, culminating in a RYL: Path of the Emperor Final Tournament event to be broadcast live and to take place in conjunction with the E3 Video Game Expo in May 2006. We've had time to play around in this game so expect a review next week. Posted June 22 2005 by Div Devlin

The Chronicles of Spellborn: Introducing another new fantasy-themed MMO titled The Chronicles of Spellborn from developer Khaeon Games has launched their website for the game, who seem to have a passion for MMO games, and doing it right, based on their developer intro: Having played and enjoyed rpg and mmo games for over ten years we asked ourselves some basic questions: - Why does it take such a long time before a game becomes cool for me? - Can I be a more casual player and still enjoy a large part of what the game has to offer? - Why do I have to walk for miles just to get my latest missions? Those questions and creative thinking led to three simple design principles: - Players have to be able to interact with each other or fight against each other individually and / or in groups. - Players have to be able to experience a fun game and look cool right from the start. - Players have to be able to influence the world and make a difference. The game is slated for release during the First half of 2006 and will be using Unreal® Engine 2.5 technology Posted June 22 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, More Expansion Posts: Blizzard has let the cat out of the bag, and is now coming clean with further announcements to an expasnion pack for World of Warcraft. This time on the N.American message boards as producer Shane Dabiri posts about what was, what is and what will be: Some have asked about an expansion and what it might hold. I wanted to let players know that it is in the works, and we'll release details as soon as we can. K? K. Posted June 22 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault News: Tons of news from the central wastelands in Auto Assault from NetDevil. Launching into the air is a new recon report that deals with the neutral faction INC and their airlifts, which are a major factor in the game. The announcement that every Friday for June, will see an MP3 track released from the games soundtrack to the community and a new FAQ has been added to answer questions regarding the pre-order campaign currently under way. Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH 14 Day Trial: NCSoft and Cryptic Studio's announce a 14 Day Free Trial to City of Heroes for new accounts if you have yet to check out the game. Paragon City is looking for new heroes to try out some villain-kicking action. Maybe it’s that friend, family member, or co-worker with a thirst for amazing adventure? Maybe you’ve stopped by the web site and wondered about all the excitement? Having folks tell you all about their heroic exploits is one thing—creating them for yourself is priceless. Grab a cape and get details. Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Bannings: Must of been a fun day for ArenaNet last week as they announced they were fixing an exploit within Guild Wars and then had to ban people for using the expolit after they announced it was an exploit and were going to fix it. Several players who used the exploit have had their Guild Wars accounts permanently banned. If you find an exploit, please contact us directly through support@guildwars.com. We are grateful for the assistance of the community in such matters, and will attend to reports as promptly as possible. When they say it's an exploit, don't use it! Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Introducing GunZ Online: Over the weekend my guildmates stumbled across a new MMO game in beta from MAIET entertainment, Inc. titled GunZ Online, with FPS elements and are raving about how much fun it was, and that the PvP has an interesting twist with arena team death matches just rocking. From the info available about the game: GunZ is an online game that was produced out the idea of enabling you to realize such a dream! GunZ is not simply a simulation game of a gun fight. It allows you to imitate a famous hero, create your own fashion, and perform a number of different actions such as shooting or stabbing while running or jumping on the walls. What makes GunZ more interesting than other games is the fact that the game is available on-line allowing easy access to its exciting elements! AND this game is FREE for playing. The game is in beta (free) for international players, but they have limited server capacity so don't bang your heads to hard trying to get past the log-in server. Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Box Office Smash: NPD Group released their totals for best selling games during the month of May. The top two games went to Guild Wars taking the number one spot with World of Warcraft taking second. The break down: 1. Guild Wars - NCsoft 2. World Of Warcraft - VU Games 3. The Sims 2 University - Electronic Arts 4. Empire Earth 2 - VU Games 5. The Sims 2 - Electronic Arts 6. Stronghold 2 - 2K Games 7. Half-Life 2 - VU Games 8. The Sims Deluxe - Electronic Arts 9. Seaworld Adventure Parks Tycoon - Activision 10. Lego Star Wars - Eidos Meanwhile, the movie to see over the weekend was Batman Begins which smashed Mr. and Mrs. Smith taking in $46 million. Nolan has signed to do two more movies, with Bale reprising his role in at least one for now. Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane Vid Contest: Wolfpack Studio's announces their first endoresed community contest in over two years for players within Shadowbane in conjunction with Guild vs Guild: We are pleased to announce a new video contest! Crank up the volume, turn on the recordings, and plan some major sieges.... because this new contest takes place in none other than Shadowbane, the mother of all conquest Guild vs Guild games. Five categories are available to enter. Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW Expansion Confirmed: Wonder if someone over at Blizzard is going to be raped for setting this fire, but the first confirmation that a World of Warcraft expansion is in the works has been posted on the EU message boards, after numerous Blizzard reps have denied it publically in North Amaerica. I would love to know if there is. Other MMORPGs get them, do we get one too? :-D I would love to see some new classes, some new professions maybe, ok, never been excessively caught up in new and improved equipment, but perhaps some new and improved race and class abilities (or spells in my case) Yes, there is. No, we don't have an ETA. - Aeus - Community Rep English Oops. Countdown to thread removal? (Props to GameBunny for pointing that out.) Posted June 20 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Transistion FAQ: Wit the announcment official now, a new FAQ has appeared for members of The Matrix Online community which answers questions regarding the transistion from 'Lith/WBIE to SOE. Two major items: I was previously banned from an SOE game. Can I play The Matrix Online? Customers that have been banned from the Station Service will not be able to continue to play The Matrix Online. ... Will Live Events continue in The Matrix Online? Live Events will continue in the game. There will be future live events announcements from SOE. Read. Posted June 17 2005 by Div Devlin

WBIE and SOE Join Forces: It is now official. The Press Release: SAN DIEGO and BURBANK, CA – June 17, 2005 – Sony Online Entertainment Inc., and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced exclusive long-term licensing agreements allowing SOE to develop a DC Comics massively multiplayer online game for PC and next generation consoles, as well as the acquisition of The Matrix Online game by SOE. “By working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment we will fuse the knowledge SOE has in the online space with some of Warner Bros.’ phenomenal properties,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “SOE will work closely with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics to maintain the authenticity consumers demand from the DC Comics franchises. We will also take steps to continue the same high level of service that subscribers have come to expect from The Matrix Online game.” “Our goal is to deliver quality content and consistently advance our key properties within the online games space,” said Jason Hall, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We’ve done just that with The Matrix Online. Because of our compelling work in developing and launching that game we can now move it over to the leaders in the MMO space, SOE. We look forward to working with SOE to enhance our overall services to massively multiplayer online gamers for The Matrix Online and a new DC Comics game.” "Expanding our fans' ability to participate in the DC universe through a great online game is a terrific step forward for DC Comics," said Paul Levitz, President & Publisher of DC Comics. "We look forward to working with our colleagues at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and the talented folks at SOE." SOE, a worldwide leader in MMO gaming, will work with WBIE, a major creator, developer and licensor of key game properties, to create a next generation online game based on the vast universe of DC Comics. DC Comics is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. SOE will be creating a DC Comics game for the PC and next generation gaming platforms, and is currently planning on a fourth quarter release in 2007. For those we know in the industry that will no longer be involved with MxO we wish you the best. Posted June 17 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Rumor pt2: SOE's John Smedley is quoted in the Hollywood Reporter that they will oversee The Matrix Online, a rumor which began circulating late Wed. night on how MxO was sold to SOE (Story Below): "By working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, we will fuse the knowledge SOE has in the online space with some of Warner Bros.' phenomenal properties," Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley said. "SOE will work closely with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to maintain the authenticity consumers demand from the DC Comics franchises and the existing 'The Matrix Online' game." Sega of America will continue to manage distribution of "The Matrix Online," while Warner will oversee content development and relinquish operational involvement. Ubisoft withdrew from its involvement with the property in early 2004. "Our goal is to deliver quality content and consistently advance our key properties within the online games space," Hall said. "We've done just that with 'The Matrix Online.' Because of our compelling work in developing and launching that game, we can now move it over to the leaders in the MMO space: SOE." Sony Online will be creating a DC Comics game for the PC and next-generation gaming platforms, scheduled to be released in late 2007. Official press release info still pending. Posted June 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Matrix Online Sold To SOE: Industry sources have confirmed the rumor which began circulating late last night that the Matrix Online from WB has been sold to Sony Online Entertainment. Word has it all but 20+/- staff members from the MMO Business Unit at Monolith have been retained, while the entire events team which was the driving force in the games continued story-line from the movies has been axed. We've contacted official rep's and await word from WBIE for the announcement and any disclosure on the deal. Added: Thanks to SirBruce who also let me know that SOE also aquired an untitled MMO project from Monolith based on DC Comics. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Age of Conan/Anarchy Videos: Funcom has released their directors cut Videos from E3 for Age of Conan and Anarchy Online: Lost Eden to tease you. The Director's Cut of Funcom's official E3 trailers for `Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures', `Anarchy Online - Lost Eden' and `Dreamfall: The Longest Journey' are now available for download. This marks the very first time Funcom releases moving images of the highly anticipated 'Dreamfall' and 'Anarchy Online - Lost Eden'. E3 2005 marks the fifth year in a row where Funcom wins "Best of E3" awards, showing the company's clear commitment to deliver outstanding games. With 'Conan' crushing the online RPG competition in graphics and innovation in game mechanics, and `Dreamfall' heading towards release as the world's most anticipated adventure title, Funcom is proud of the fact that E3 2005 was the best in the company's history so far. You can grab them at the top of our downloads list. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Turbine Awarded For Innovation: Turbine takes home MITX Elite Technology award and honored with ''What's Next'' award for Innovation from Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange. Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today that it is the recipient of Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange's (MITX) second annual What's Next Award for Turbine's profound leadership and continual innovation in the online gaming industry. Turbine received the award during the Technology Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at Boston's Four Seasons Hotel. "It is an honor to be recognized for our innovative development and proven technology leadership," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO, Turbine, Inc. "This is a true testament to the talent of the Turbine team - their passion and commitment are what propel Turbine's ongoing success and creative excellence." With its world-class franchise roster, Turbine is at the forefront of the exploding massively multiplayer online games market. Turbine develops, publishes and operates massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). In addition to its award-winning Asheron's Call(R) franchise, Turbine is producing and funding Dungeons & Dragons(R) Online: Stormreach, the only MMORPG to be based on the world-famous Dungeons & Dragons(R) franchise. Furthermore, in early 2005, Turbine acquired the exclusive MMORPG rights to produce and publish The Lord of the Rings Online(TM): Shadows of Angmar(TM). Recipients of the 2005 MITX Technology What's Next Award are exclusive to New England based emerging companies that have demonstrated unsurpassed technology credentials. Winners are selected by a select panel of local industry influencers and executives from technology, investment, research and business communities. Ranking is based on innovation across technologies that are expected to have profound impacts on the IT environment within the next few years. Check out the other Winners and Nominees for the MITX Technology Awards, which does not have Turbine's awards listed. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault News: Over in our downloads section is a video interview with NetDevil's Scott Brown as he covers an introduction to Auto Assault, while below we have an official introudction FAQ on the game which is now available for pre-order. From the FAQ: Q: What about PvP in Auto Assault? A: Auto Assault will feature PvP (player versus player). The first way you'll be able to enjoy PvP is through the fully consensual arenas. The arenas will actually exist outside of the server you play on meaning that your bragging rights aren't limited to being the best on any one server, but throughout all servers - on a truly global scale! Arenas will feature multiple combat types and results will be monitored and updated in real time via our web-based stats and rankings system. You'll be able to see just how well you or your guild is doing. Beyond arenas, there will be 'open' PvP in the wastelands - areas of the game world not under the control of any one faction, where your choice of race will determine who's got your back and who's out to get you. Hit the full story below. Full Story Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Ballerium Dead (Again): Game On. Game Off. Game On. Game Off Again. Development for Ballerium by Majorem has once more ceased operations, and it appears that Majorem has thrown in the towel for their game engine: Majorem (www.majorem.com) regretably announces today that development of its MMO-RTS Ballerium has again come to a full stop, as a result of an agreement signed with Interplay's (IPLYE.OB) in December 2004 that could not be realized, apparently due to Interplay's inability to raise the required funding to turn Majorem's technology into a game. The agreement, signed in december was to see Interplay provide Majorem with the means to launch Ballerium this summer. As a result of this new situation, Majorem now considers to accept new offers for the licensing of its MMO-RTS technology (and an almost ready MMO-RTS game) to interested third parties. Inquiries can be sent to info@majorem.com What could of been, 2 years ago. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Community Round-Up: Were back. RGR is down until this weekend. Blogs Anyuzer is back, blogs about the circles. N3RFED is Back, Blogs about Anyuzer. Interviews CorpNews interviews Dave Rickey. GamersInfo interviews Three Rings on Puzzle Pirates. MMORPG interviews Nathan Richardsson from Eve Online. Warcry interviews the Hero's Journey team. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

EverQuest Expands Again: SOE announced yet another expansion for classic EverQuest with the title "Depths of Darkhallow". EverQuest: Depths of Darkhollow will have players adventuring in raw, bleak caverns and facing the most formidable monsters yet. Featuring new lands with beautiful graphics, a bold new storyline, and fierce new creatures including Sporali, Clockwork Gnomes and the frightening Werewolves, EverQuest: Depths of Darkhollow is the next great expansion pack for the fantasy adventure that is EverQuest. For the first time ever, players will have the ability to play as a monster and experience EverQuest lore first hand through the eyes of another character while they do battle against their ancient foes. Players will also utilize Spirit Shrouds to don the form of a lower level creature to join newbie friends in battle. EverQuest: Depths of Darkhollow is bursting with new adventures and features for players of all levels. Finally, someone did it! Who would of thought Sony would be the ones? The expansion is scheduled to be available at retail and for digital download from Sony Online Entertainment for U.S. $29.99. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

EQ2 Splitpaw Saga Pre-Orders: SOE announced that The Splitpaw Saga for EverQuest II is now available for pre-order. The Splitpaw Saga is the second Adventure Pack for EverQuest II, the follow-up to Sony Online Entertainment's original EverQuest, the longest-running 3D MMO role-playing game in North America. The Splitpaw Saga is scheduled for launch on June 28, 2005 for $7.99, with in-game pre-order events starting today. "We enjoy making sure that EverQuest II is chock-full of new content all the time," said Sr. Producer Scott Hartsman. "In addition to our regular live updates and expansion packs, adventure packs like The Splitpaw Saga let us bring story-rich content to lots of players for a really low price. We also have a lot of fun creating the in-game events, in connection with adventure packs, that lead up to the release of the full content." By pre-ordering The Splitpaw Saga, players will gain access to a special instanced zone and earn rewards before the adventure begins. At launch, players will explore the collapsed caverns and twisted tunnels of Sundered Splitpaw. Throughout this adventure, the truth behind the dungeon's mysterious demise is uncovered by using moveable planks, crates and barrels to work through a series of 12 intriguing event-based zones. A ferocious clan of cannibalistic gnolls will stand in the way as players seek to destroy the greatest threat yet in Norrath's history of late. New and veteran players alike can experience the adventure meeting fresh challenges as they progress and try again as the encounters scale dynamically to match the player's level. With the instanced battleground problems in that other game, SOE strikes back hard. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Exteel Soundtrack By Inon Zur: NCSoft announnces that for their upcoming MMO game Exteel, they have signed award-winning composer Inon Zur to produce the soundtrack for the game. Inon Zur (www.inonzur.com), an internationally acclaimed music composer for film, television and video games, is writing the musical score for EXTEEL, a new online action game currently under development by NCsoft's Team Beam. Zur has composed music for well-known game titles such as Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (cinematics), Men Of Valor, Socom II and Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest. His film/TV credits include Power Rangers, Escaflowne and Digimon, and his powerful orchestral scores are featured in the promotional trailers for recent blockbuster movies such as Kingdom Of Heaven, The Pacifier and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. EXTEEL is an online game featuring stylized action in a universe filled with robots. The story takes you to a far off world where the exiled survivors of a lost war struggle against each other for control of the planet's resources. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Alice in Wonderland Online: For the kidz!@ Fairyland USA announces a major patch to their game which brings in the storyline of Alice in Wonderland: EAS USA today announced the launch of the "Alice in Wonderland" patch for their debut title, Mystic Journey: Fairyland USA. This new patch will include new territories to be explored such as the Garden of Dreams, Chamber of Doors, Lost Wood, Rabbit Playground, Garden of Live Flowers, Kitty Forest, Rose Garden and Garden of Cards. Based on the 1865 book by Lewis Carroll, this is the classic fairytale of Alice's adventures as she follows a white rabbit into a wonderful voyage of her own imagination. On her journey, she encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts, and a host of other beloved characters brought to life! The Cheshire Cat which used to guide Alice in her dreamland now becomes a beast in Fairyland USA! Join the Mad Hatter for a tea party and beware of the Queen of Hearts and her card soldiers. With the release of this new patch, players will now be able to make their own weapons. Other new features include Equipment Enhancements and Pet Merge - meaning players are able to merge their beloved pets with their equipment and weapons or with other pets to create all new prototypes!http://www.1010game.com to learn more. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Jumpgate Server Consolidation: Announced at the start of the month that JumpgateEU provided by Mightygames was going to shutdown, NetDevil jumps into hyperdrive to save their EU Community by announcing a server merger. NetDevil, developer of the groundbreaking action space combat MMG Jumpgate, announced today the upcoming merging of its European and American servers. The move results from the discontinuance of Mightygames as NetDevil's European partner. "To help ease the transition from the European server to the American server, we're offering a free month of play from July 1 to August 1 to all transferred accounts," said Scott Brown, President of NetDevil. "The free month will give the transferred players time to adjust to their new environment, and is a way for us to thank them for their continued loyalty to Jumpgate." "We are thrilled to be able to welcome the European players to the American server," continued Brown. "We look upon this merger as a unique opportunity to expand the Jumpgate community with a more diverse player base." The merge is planned for June 30. No changes in user data on the European server will be transferred after June 27. Transferred European players may access their accounts beginning June 30. NetDevil shows to all, that they they are about the gamers. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, KR Infant Death: While Blizzard celebrates having over two million subscribers worldwide, and gamers get pissed over the poorly thought-out release of battlegrounds, over in Korea an infant child died due to negligence as the parents played World of Warcraft at an internet cafe: A thoughtless couple in their 20s who left their four-month old daughter at home while they played Internet computer games at a nearby PC café have been booked by police after the child died. According to Incheon Police Station on Tuesday, a 29-year-old man husband identified by his family name of Yu and his wife put their four-month daughter in the bedroom of their home and went to a neighborhood PC café at around 4:00 p.m. on May 24 to play the online game "World of Warcraft. Time flew by as the couple lost themselves in the game, and when they returned home at 9:00 p.m., their daughter was lying on her stomach, dead of suffication. The couple told police, "We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day." Police said an investigation turned up that the couple, who wed last year, used to play "World of Warcraft" whenever they had time. Police said, "It's unfortunate, because the tragedy could have been averted if the couple had just left their daughter with Yu's mother-in-law, who lived upstairs from them... We booked the pair on criminal charges, judging that when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death." Major U.S. online game producer Blizzard, which grew famous with the game "Starcraft", produced the game to which Yu and his wife were addicted, "World of Warcraft." The game allows multiple players to form teams to fight battles and enjoy various adventures. The cycle repeats, again. Posted June 16 2005 by Div Devlin

Irth Online Kicks Open Beta: MagicHat Software has kicked off an open beta for their Mutable Realms-Wish-like MMO game Irth Online has gone into open beta. Magic Hat Software announced today that the Open Beta for its MMORPG Irth Online begins today and runs through July 5, 2005. Gamers are encouraged to apply for the Open Beta on the Irth Online website. "We scheduled our Open Beta relatively late in the development cycle because we wanted our gamers to have the deepest and most complete experience we could provide," says Alan Chipura, Lead Game Designer. "We've paid close attention to the input provided by earlier testers and our changes and improvements are up to date, so we expect the Open Beta test to go smoothly." Game is scheduled for retail release in July, so check it outnow while it's free you cheap bastards!@ Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Beauty and the Geek: If you missed the first show last week, be sure to tune into TheWB tonight (check your local listing) to catch "Beauty and the Geek." This has to be the stupidest reality-tv shows yet. The sad thing is, I'm addicted, and you can probably relate to a number of the geeks that are being abused on national TV. We all know someone from the MMO Community that is a spitting image of some of these guys, or acts like these guys. It's actually funny, in a sad demented way. LOSER!@ Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

RYL@MTV Awards, Stars Posing: Planetwide Games continues to spend bucketloads of marketing money to hype their MMO game RYL: Path of the Emperor and attract those of us hardcore MMO/PvP vets looking for an end-game with substance (nothing to see here!) as they sponsor the MTV Style Lounge at the MTV Music Awards grabbing stars to pose in their game tent with the game box. Now, ya would think that based on a couple of these shots that this was a scam. It was not, and we spoke to Mark Politi over at Planetwide to get the real deal. "All of these celebrities participated in the Style lounge in conjunction with a charity Project Angel food and gave us authorization to photograph them using the product and holding up the box. All proceeds from the event went to Project Angel food. We were the exclusive video game sponsor of this event where 150 celebrities participated. All images are cleared and our copyright of Planetwide Games." Planetwide Games, the innovative publisher and distributor of Video Games, Interactive Entertainment and Software Technology announced today that it was the official video game sponsor of the MTV Style Lounge 2005, leading up to this week's MTV 2005 Movie Awards. The Style Lounge is billed as a star gathering which includes a luxury fashion showcase for MTV Movie Awards nominees, presenters, performers and celebrities. On Thursday June 2 and Friday, June 3, celebrities including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Shannon Elizabeth, Wilmer Valderama, Chris Judd, Bai Ling, Shelley Burkard, Natasha Henstridge, Hal Sparks, Ashley Tisdale, Daveigh Chase, Travis Aaron Wade, Naveen Andrews , Joe Hahn (Linkin Park) and Monkey (Korn) were at the MTV event and enjoyed the newest Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game RYL: Path of the Emperor. Photos are now available online at http://www.RYL.net/StyleLounge. [Broken - Div] The direct link from Planetwide Games is broken. Check the pics in our gallery, here. Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Saga of Ryzom Expansion Announced: We met with the Nevrax team while at E3 and talked with Jessica Mulligan about the future of Saga of Ryzom when we were introduced to thier latest expansion "Ryzom Ring." Nevrax, developer of The Saga of Ryzom, the ground breaking massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), announced a new expansion to The Saga of Ryzom entitled The Ryzom Ring, first presented at the recent E3 Expo in Los Angeles, California. The Ryzom Ring is a set of tools for editing and sharing player-made "maps" that are customizable with terrain, monsters and NPCs all run by individual players. Maps can be integrated directly into The Saga of Ryzom world of Atys, where thousands of other players can experience one person's handiwork, or kept as a private sanctuary only accessible to a select few. Maps can be made exclusive to player guilds or select friends while running their own invasions or events. "Our hope for The Ryzom Ring is that it will bring back the power to the players," said David Cohen Corval, CEO of Nevrax and creator of The Saga of Ryzom. "The Ryzom Ring will empower individuals to create their own adventures and lands and to share them. The only true limitations will be their own imaginations". Player maps will be hosted on Nevrax's servers and developed with tools that have a point-and-click interface. Nevrax plans the first phase of the tools to be easy enough to use that even the most inexperienced MMG player can create content with ease. "One of our goals is not only to make the players be truly a part of the world of Atys by giving them the tools to create their own areas, but also to make it easy and fun to do so," continued Cohen Corval. "We believe that the player-empowering nature of The Ryzom Ring is ground-breaking and we hope it will change the way MMGs are played forever." The Ryzom Ring is currently scheduled to ship in Winter 2005/2006. Now it's an official announcment, and it looks good. Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Sachant Joins Team Wolfpack? Rumor has it that Danielle "Sachant" Vanderlipp has joined the Wolfpack Team as an Assistant Community Relations Manager for Shadowbane which she co-authored the Brady Games Strategy guide for. No official announcement has been released yet, but with the rumors that Wolfpack (A Division of UbiSoft) Studios has been working on another MMO Game title, and current Community Relations Manager Sean "Ashen Temper" Dahlberg starting his own community portal for feedback on what makes a good PvP Game we can forsee in our cracked crystal ball something major coming down the line. Expect an extended delay on the E3 Coverage we are missing. Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, Battlegrounds Live: It's no where near ready but, what the hell, right. World of Warcraft has gone live with Battlegrounds. Prepare to for b0rked battle. Blizzard Entertainment today announced the release of the first two player-vs.-player (PvP) Battlegrounds for World of Warcraft®, its record-setting subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Featuring distinctly different map designs and game objectives, these highly anticipated PvP battlefields provide an entirely new dimension of competitive gameplay for both expert and new World of Warcraft players. "While World of Warcraft has been expanding with new content regularly since launch, the PvP Battlegrounds represent the single biggest update to the game yet," stated Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're excited that players can now experience Horde-vs.-Alliance combat as it was meant to be, and we're looking forward to adding even more Battlegrounds to the game with future updates." World of Warcraft's Battlegrounds are PvP-enabled zones where players compete against each other to achieve victory, Honor points, and valuable in-game rewards. Each Battleground has different goals and gameplay styles, providing an addictively engaging experience for participants. The two initial Battlegrounds now available to the public are Alterac Valley, a high-end zone designed for large groups of experienced players, and Warsong Gulch, a more casual zone designed for all players level 21 and up. In Alterac Valley, two teams of 40 battle each other for all-out domination. The snowy zone, nestled high within the Alterac Mountains of Lordaeron, features a fully functioning base for each faction, NPC defenders, PvP quests, and unique allied monsters to create a challenging and epic conflict. Players can spend hours executing carefully planned strategies in Alterac Valley, earning bonus Honor points by achieving key objectives along the way and ultimately by winning the Battleground. Victory in Warsong Gulch, situated on the border between Ashenvale Forest and the Barrens, likewise requires strategy and teamwork, but the pace of play is faster, with games lasting 45 minutes on average. In Warsong Gulch, two teams of 10 vie to capture each other's flag and return it to base while defending their own flag from capture. Three successful captures result in a win, with each capture conferring bonus Honor points. The Honor points gained in both Warsong Gulch and Alterac Valley accumulate to help players advance in rank in World of Warcraft's Honor System. Designed as an alternate means of character advancement, the Honor System allows players to access increasingly powerful items as they move up through the ranks. Blizzard is currently in the process of designing additional Battlegrounds, complete with exciting new settings and new styles of gameplay, which will be available for testing in the months ahead. Good luck! Posted June 8 2005 by Div Devlin

Auto Assault Updated: The NetDevil team is back from an exhausting E3 where they held a great showing for Auto Assault and are rolling out updates again on the main website. This weeks features include a new chapter in the historical preludes, called "a href="http://www.autoassault.com/recon/recon_history_prelude_chapter4.html" target="_new">As Good As New," a look at the Mutant Archon class, and they have added the first entry in the new "Enemies Section," detailing the Pike Duster. Beta is going strong and sign-ups are open still. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

IGN Aquires AskMen.com IGN turns its hand to dating, women, fashion, money and fitness as they announced they have aquired AskMen.com the internet's number one male lifestyle web site. The acquisition increases the total reach of IGN's audience by approximately three million visitors and further strengthens the company's position as one of the web's top providers of content and community for the 18-34 male demographic. "IGN has always been about the gamer and male lifestyle," said Mark Jung, president and CEO of IGN Entertainment. "Adding AskMen.com to our network of properties will allow us to deepen our lifestyle offerings to gamers while giving AskMen.com readers access to the web's best gaming information and community." AskMen.com, an online resource for men with daily features on subjects such as dating, women, fashion, money, fitness and entertainment, has consistently ranked No. 1 by visits in the "Lifestyle - Men's Sites" category against all other web sites, according to Hitwise. Approximately 85% of AskMen.com's audience is male, and, according to Hitwise, the site enjoys a 26% market share of all web visits to men's lifestyle sites - more than MaximOnline.com, MensHealth.com and GQ (men.style.com), combined. But, what does this have to do with gaming? Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

Hero's Journy w/PvP: Simutronics Melissa Meyer the producer on Hero's Journey addresses the issue on if there will or will not be Player versus Player combat within the game. So sayeth her: There will be PvP in Hero's Journey. Now, what is there to not like about this game. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

JumpGate EU Closing: Sad news to players across the pond within JumpGateEU as Mightygames announces the servers are going down, and closing. We are sorry to announce to our customers today that on June 30th of 2005, the operation of Mightygames and all its respective services will be shut down permanently. After over three years as a stable and successful Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game on the market, the Jumpgate license Mightygames held for the european market has run out. All currently active subscriptions will receive a cancellation notification by Email. The last subscription fee for the month of June will be charged on May 31st. Subscriptions with billing dates of June 1st and later will not be billed. Thus, no subscription will have paid for a playing time of less than one full calendar month. We wish to thank all players for the exciting and interesting years of Jumpgate EU and wish you all lots of fun in its remaining time. All the best, Your Mightygames team. A sad day. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

Merdian59 Free Trial: Near Death Studios, Inc. is proud to announce that they are running a free one month trial of their classic game, Meridian 59: Evolution. NDS is taking this time to allow anyone who wishes, to log into a special server and check out the game free of charge. The trial server will run throughout the month of June and let people see all of the additions we have made to the game. This is including our latest graphics update in which we've taken the Meridian 59 that was released in 1996 and made it DirectX compatible. That's right, no more pixel shock. =) In addition, we've added such things as Mouselook, and rebindable keys to bring our game up to par with newer games in the industry. See how classic games have it right, and sign-up. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

Pardus Seeks Players: Pardus is a free Massive Multiplayer Online Browser Game (MMOBG) playing in a future where traders, pirates and other pilots of various races and factions strive to gain wealth and fame in space. Since October 14th it is in an Open Alpha, and having just released a major update, they are seeking new players to help test the additional content. Today the universe was expanded by roughly 50% with two brand new clusters, the Federation Rashkir Core and the neutral North Pardus Rim. Federation HQ is currently searching for new pilots to explore and inhabit the new sectors. Check em. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

Roma Victor Gets The VERM: RedBedlam announces the launch of the commercial test phase of Roma Victor along with the implementation of the VERM revenue model. What is VERM you ask? VERM, which has been developed as an alternative to the typical MMO game subscription model, allows players to purchase sesterces (the in-game currency) via credit or debit card.* Players can also earn sesterces in-game by means such as, farming, hunting, building and smithing (to name just a few possible sources of a virtual income). Explaining the *All sesterces purchased during Roma Victor's commercial test will be redeemed at the full launch of the game in sesterces at the exchange rate determined at that time. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

UO Announces Expansion: EA has announced a new expansion for Ultima Online titled "Mondains Legacy" which will include a new playable race: Elves (?!), new mobs, nine new dungeons (including champion spawns), new skills, and a new questing sytem that will include epics. The intro: The shattering of the Gem of Immortality was the genesis of Ultima Online™. The shards created were perfect images of Sosaria. But with the essence of immortality seeping from the fragmented shards, the fabric of the universe began to unravel. While mysterious guardian spirits are credited with the salvation of Sosaria, in actuality, the primal cooperative magic of the elves mended the world anew. Such an immense enterprise, weakened the fey folk significantly and they withdrew from the world and its affairs to restore themselves. As self-proclaimed but severely drained protectors of the land, the elves watched in sorrow as plague swept through Yew and decimated the region, converting it to a foul swampland. Isolated and safe, the elves waited until the time was right to come forth again into the world... Read the features. Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

UBO Tourney Prizes: Netamin has announced the prizes for the top two teams that compete in the Ultimate Baseball Online tournament co-sponsoered by ESPN this summer. Winning team members will receive Apple iPod Mini for winning the ESPN UBO Summer Classic! The winner of the 2005 ESPN UBO Summer Classic has to advance through just three games to claim their prize from Netamin. With only 72 players in the tournament, 18 have a chance to take home a prize! The 2 nd Place team will receive an autographed Darrell Evans wood baseball bat! Darrell Evans – Ultimate Baseball Online's player/ambassador – had a 21 year career that included stops in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Detroit. He was a two-time All Star and won a World Series in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers. His career 414 HR's and 1,354 RBI's make him one of the game's all-time elite third basemen. It's an open beta during the tournament so have play! It's going to be too hot outside to play a real game, so go virtual in a nice air-condtioned area! Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW Expansion Named: Thanks to spridal over at GameBunny who points out an article on IGN speculating the name of an expansion for World of Warcraft as Blizzard filed a trademark application for the name "The Burning Crusuade." While at E3 Blizzard reps were very open about saying they were not working on an expansion and only focusing on game content at this time. How things change? Posted June 3 2005 by Div Devlin