Soul Master: Backstory Details Released

North America-based online games publisher GamesCampus.com has just released details of the backstory behind its new massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game Soul Master. Real-time strategy as an MMO? I know, I know—I'm just as intrigued as you are. Before I lead you into this new virtual world, let's first take a closer look at its backstory.

The Story of Soul Master

Nobody knows for certain how it was first discovered, but its immense power and endless potential were enough to destroy the greatest empire of the Bunden continent: Elamond. The Magic was a gift and a curse for the Empire that first experienced its effects. With its populace split between fear of the unknown and a hunger for power, the Great War that soon followed was swift and terrible. The conservative citizens that distrusted the corrupting influence of Magic were forced from their homes in an exodus across the continent, and eventually found refuge in the north. The revolutionists that had embraced the darker nature of Magic and brutally toppled the Elamond government entered into an age of obsessive, uninterrupted mystic study.

Decades passed, and the exiled among conservatives struggled to establish a culture with powerful technologies of their own. After uniting the various factions among themselves over the intervening years, a new nation was born out of the distrust of Magic that had been passed down over generations. The Valiant Empire that emerged was soon well known for their advanced steam punk technologies and mastery over machines. The revolutionaries of the former Elamond Empire had since created their own nation state, one self-indulgently known as the Holy Empire. By combining the primeval forces of light, darkness, ocean, and sky they had perfected the use of Magic to both an art form and a terrifying weapon. The Holy Empire soon became the most unstoppable force on the continent, with the Valiant Empire keeping an ever wary eye from the north.

Many, if not most, of the citizens of the Bunden continent prayed that the uneasy peace between the two powers might last... but it was soon shattered. With the sudden appearance of the nomads from the east, the Harmony Tribe emerged from out of legend and tipped the balance of power in the region. Peace between the Empires began to crumble as isolated border disputes turned into pitched battles over control of key resources and territory. War had returned to the continent.

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Atlantica Online: There's A New Sheriff In Town

Good news for players of the popular free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game Atlantica Online. Now, whenever you activate the title buff Legendary Sheriff, you can play the part as well—you and a hundred other players who have had the luck of getting a Sheriff's Outfit from a random box off of the item mall.

The introduction of the Sheriff Outfit comes at an opportune time as bandits run rampant in North America—at least, that's the scenario that NDOORS Interactive, publisher of Atlantica Online, will have us believe.



At least this new costume, the Sheriff Outfit, is way better than the previous costume NDOORS put out—the nefarious zombie costume—which hasn't really taken off. If only NDOORS had the good sense to release it in Atlantica Online on a holiday that's ripe for zombies and other undead. Halloween perhaps?

Going back to the topic ... as usual, you can only get this costume if you're lucky enough to squeeze it out of the random item mall box known as the Sheriff's Bounty. Here's a list of the other goodies you can get from the box (that is, in case it fails to produce a Sheriff's Luggage that gives you a choice of either a Sheriff's Hat or Sheriff's Outfit):

• 100 Freezing Scroll [V]


• 1 Mount Box


• 1 Ancient Skill Book (Merc. Only)


• 10 Skill Decrease Book


• 8 Scroll of Bewitching[V]


• 12 Scroll of Life's Blessing[V]


• 12 Scroll of Resurrection[V]


• 12 Scroll of Judgement[V]


• 12 Freezing Scroll [V]


• 50 Dragon Crystal


• 50 Giant Crystal


• 50 Redemption Crystal


• 50 Phoenix Crystal


• 30 Water of Life


• 1 Sheriff's Bounty


• 2 Sheriff's Bounty


• 3 Sheriff's Bounty

For more information about the new Sheriff's Outfit and the game you can find it in, head on over to the official Atlantica Online website.

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Karos Online: War Begins On April 9th

Good news for beta testers—and of course interested players and fans—of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Karos Online. The official launch is finally set, and some details about the commercial phase is already out.



For starters, let's talk about the date. Karos Online will enter the commercial phase on April 9th, a Friday—ergo, it's perfect, and will enable curious players to wander onto the server and check out what this title from renowned online games developer and publisher NHN Corporation has to offer.

"Following the commercial release, NHN will be continuing its commitment to improve and develop Karos Online in response to player feedback, with frequent updates to the game," the official press release announcing the game's launch said.

We'll be holding you to that promise, NHN.

So what else can we expect from Karos Online aside from it being a free-to-play MMORPG, having breathtaking 3D graphics and shifting and unpredictable dungeons?

Well, if you hang around long enough, you'll learn that the commercial launch of Karos Online comes with the opening of a spanking new server, a revamped official website, and a cash shop where you can purchase exclusive items to make your Karos playing experience more exciting.

For more information about the game, you can follow Karos Online on its official website, on its Facebook fan page, or Twitter.

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Grand Chase: Enter The Rune Caster

In line with its thrust to keep content of its massively multiplayer online games current, Ntreev USA has just launched another update for its hit action-brawler, Grand Chase. The update is actually small since it focuses on introducing only one aspect of the game, the Rune Caster known as Mari.

"We are thrilled to introduce this brand new character, Mari, to our Grand Chase community," said Chris Lee, chief executive officer at Ntreev USA. "Players are going to really enjoy the combination of her characteristics and new skill attacks."



Mari wields both magic and machinery, according to the information sheet released by Ntreev USA. By the way, in case you're having trouble associating faces with names, Mari is a girl, and she's skilled—very skilled—in defending and evading. This is because she dislikes direct combat, opting instead to use machines fueled by her specially produced Magic Stone to dish out her unique brand of combat.

How does she do this? Simple. She hangs back in a fight, assesses the situation, and places her machines at strategic locations to drive her enemies into a corner.

Mari isn't called a Rune Caster in Grand Chase for nothing, either. Her first job's new skill attacks include first grade attacks that send close quarter enemies flying away from her, second grade attacks that summon Tesla coils that create shock fields over set areas, and third grade destructive skills that summon powerful lasers that zap all enemies in their paths.

Here's a short background of our little Grand Chase Rune Caster:

About Mari Ming Onette

Mari is the last survivor of an ancient kingdom once known as "Kounat." Having lost her memory, Mari no longer knows who she is or where she came from. Immensely curious about the unknown and fascinated by subjects new to her, Mari also possesses rune casting skills and magical abilities previously unheard of in this area of the world.

While satiating her curiosity by researching the monsters inside the Temple of Destruction, Mari found herself face to face with the Grand Chase. Finding her curiosity piqued by the Highlander skills of Sieghart, Mari decides to join them.

For more information about Mari and the virtual world she romps in, go check out the official Grand Chase website in North America.

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Tank Ace Lineup Grows

It's been quite a while since I've heard news about GamesCampus.com's upcoming free-to-play online tank warfare game Tank Ace. Good to know that steps are being taken to improve the game way before launch. The latest news to hit the headlines is the addition of more tanks in the game's already formidable lineup of historically accurate World War II tanks.

"Offering this broad range of realistic WWII tanks takes Tank Ace to the next level of the warfare genre," said David Chang, executive vice president of marketing and business development at GamesCampus. "Tank Ace gives players more historically accurate tanks and heavy artillery than any other online game, and these new tanks are really going to impress warfare enthusiasts."

Good news indeed for some friends of The MMOsh Pit like Playground Magazine managing editor Relly Carpio, who holds sway over the video gaming universe through his blog, Kalaro Mo (literal translation: Your Playmate).

Since I haven't gotten around to telling you about Tank Ace on this blog, let me start by saying that the game looks awesome. According to GamesCampus, the game is set on the realistic battlefields of WWII.

Of course, what massively multiplayer online game is complete without customization. In Tank Ace, players have the ability to customize tanks by adding additional armor, and painting on camouflage, kill marks and clan insignias.

With that out of the way, let's take a closer look at the new tanks:



T34/85 Mod 1944. Beginning in March 1944, this tank, which was created in the Malishev factory in Kharkov, was at the time during WWII possibly the best tank in the world because of its excellent armor, firepower, and mobility. During WWII this tank was assessed to be the most effective and hugely impacted tank design. Additionally, it is also the tank that was produced second most in the world.

Panzer III J/1. This vehicle was a main battle tank equipped with anti-tank artillery and two-rifle machine guns. Beginning in June 1941, Panzer III J/1 was mounted with a 50-millimeter KwK 39 L/60 cannon, the defense was increased, and it had stronger firepower than the original 3rd issue tank.

M24 Chaffee. Developed by the United States military during WWII, it was the last tank put into service in the war. It was produced in 1944, and though it was a small tank, the weapons were light and its mobility and maneuverability were excellent. Starting from the end of 1944, it was placed in each unit, and was first introduced into the Ardennes Civil War. Nevertheless, WWII ended before the tank was included in each unit and thus was not used in many battles.

SU-100. When the SU-76 armament could not effectively destroy the German tanks Panzer III, Panzer IV, Panzer V, and Panzer VI, a new gun was developed, which was the SU-85, and the enhanced firepower model was the SU-100 assault guns. The SU-100 assault guns used the T-34/85 tank's frame and were the last product from the derived tanks. It was produced in September 1944 and until the end of 1944, 500 tanks were produced with 1,145 tanks produced by 1945.

For more information about this groundbreaking tank warfare game, go check out the official Tank Ace website.

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MMOtivational Screenshot #1: Recession

Today I'm launching a semi-regular posting for The MMOsh Pit called MMOtivational Screenshot. I know, I know ... this type of thing has been done before, but it's something I want to do and something that will keep me busy during lean days.

For those who have heard or read about or even viewed the website that contains the so-called RPG Motivational Posters, I hope these MMOtivational Screenshots won't disappoint you.

Let's get cracking!



Screenshot taken from the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Granado Espada, published in Southeast Asia by IAHGames.

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Atlantica Online Empress: Pincushions Beware!

I'm sure by now you've heard about the upcoming introduction of a new B-class mercenary to the virtual world of Atlantica Online. This new mercenary is called the Empress, and she packs quite a punch, thanks to her weapon of choice, the bow. Oh, did I forget to mention that she's a B-class mercenary?

The Empress is already out in the South Korean servers of Atlantica Online, but I have yet to see her being used to full potential. Oh, sure she makes pincushions out of soft-skinned mercenaries, but skills seem to be a rarity. It's either Empress skill books are expensive or very hard to come by.



Atlantica Online's Empress has two skills, both upgrades of existing mercenary skills:

Empress' Blessing. According to the Atlantica Database, this skill is a clone of Holy Guard in the sense that it blocks the casting of spells on specific mercenaries as long as it is in effect. There are differences, of course, the first—and most important—of which is the fact that Empress' Blessing does not block the effects of scrolls. This is great news for those who depend heavily on scrolls to decrease or remove stun counters.

Empress' Curse. If there's a blessing, there's also a curse. The curse is apparently an enhanced version of Silence, the archer's basic skill. Damage is, for obvious reasons, better than the lowly archer skill, and so is the defense debuff. Empress' Curse doesn't give the targets an attack modifier, though. It is also unclear whether this skill, being a skill of a B-class mercenary, can affect characters, non-player characters and monsters that have immunity to silence.

What makes the Empress more interesting is her damage potential, especially when inserted into a sniping formation. Players of Atlantica Online who frequent Free League and Competition League, and their big brothers, the Weekly Championship and the Titan League, will do well to respect the damage that the new mercenary deals.

To give you a better idea of the damage output of this new Atlantica Online bow mercenary, take a look at how it performs in this video of the Korean Atlantica Online Titan League:

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Restaurant City: No Need For Janitors

I've discovered something new on the addictive Facebook app known as Restaurant City. Well, it's new to me, as I'm sure it's new to a hundred or so other new fans and users of PlayFish's baby. What I'm talking about is the ability of players to clean any part of their restaurants with a click of a mouse button.

Like I said, old news for most Restaurant City fanatics, considering the feature was built into the application way back. What's new, however, is the fact that you can now do away with a janitor—that is, if you're actively playing by managing your virtual restaurant. Say goodbye to wasting manpower to unclog toilets!

Isn't that the reason why PlayFish included the janitor job in Restaurant City's staff assignments? That may be true, and it is still practical to assign one member of the restaurant staff as a janitor, but only if you're planning to spend several hours away from the keyboard.

Man, to think I wasted my entire play time yesterday switching staff assignments to accommodate the maintenance of clogged toilets! Good thing I discovered the Restaurant City feature that greatly helped me regain popularity and much-needed gourmet points.

Don't know what the hell I'm talking about? Here are a couple of Restaurant City screenshots to help you visualize:



Clogged Toilet. In this screenie, you can see that one of the restaurant's toilets is clogged. To clean up the mess, simply hover the cursor over the errant toilet and then click on it.



With Just One Click. Upon clicking on the wayward crapper, a timer will appear and countdown the time until the loo is clean.



Clean More Toilets. If the other toilet gets clogged while you're in the process of cleaning one, don't fret, just repeat the process.

Yup, it's as simple as that, and naturally you can also do this to the trash that your Restaurant City patrons dump in your joint from time to time.

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Hooked Once Again To Casual Social Games

Yes, I admit it—I am once again hooked to casual social games, particularly those found on the phenomenal social networking website known as Facebook. Not to Zynga's smash hit Farmville, though, but PlayFish's Restaurant City. This is despite the fact that my better half—formerly known in some circles as the Perfect World yuling (elf priestess) Cesky, the Ragnarok Online blacksmith TikaWaylan, and the Atlantica Online staff main Elphame—is playing Farmville like there is no tomorrow.

Why Restaurant City? Well, the first reason, I guess, is because this particular game is my first Facebook application, upon the goading of friend Khang, a girl gamer (although I can't exactly classify her as the girly type) who haunts the Philippine servers of Perfect World.

Now, I'm on my own, and I've found a challenge to hurdle. I need to get my virtual restaurant's popularity up. Ashamed as I am to admit it, the sudden resurgence of my interest in Restaurant City has caused my restaurant's popularity to dip from 30.5 points out of a maximum 50 to a pitiful 16.3 points.



I've mapped out a plan to get not only my restaurant's popularity up, but also my gourmet points (the basis for leveling up in Restaurant City). Let's go check it out:

Renovate My Restaurant City Resto. Hey, I've got about 30,000 coins with nothing better to spend on. I've come to realize how important a good layout is to achieving success not only in real world restaurants but virtual ones as well. My current setup sucks and contributes a lot to the decline of popularity. From what I've gleaned from the virtual restos of my friends and neighbors, a good layout means corralling incoming customers long enough for your staff—primarily cooks and waiters—to cope with the orders. You can do this by using dividers or walls or whatever item that can block movement and forming something like a maze from door to tables.

Fix My Restaurant City Staff Assignments. At my current level, I have five staff members. I assign three of them as cooks and two as waiters. The problem with this setup is the two waiters have nothing to do in the first minute or so after the first customer comes in. When all the tables are filled, however, I'd need to step up both cooking and waiting on tables. What complicates matters is the fact that toilets often get clogged, so I change the designation of one of my staff members from cook or waiter to janitor. I haven't figured out how to fix the staff assignments, but I'm sure the answer will come to me soon.

Try My Best To Stay Active In Restaurant City. Tall order, especially since I have to work. Playing on a workday is a big no-no. Believe me, I've tried it, and it sucks because it saps your remaining time for rest. My best bet is to play on weekends, and even this is difficult. But if I am to become a virtual restaurant mogul, I better step up my game.

Well, that's it for now. If you have suggestions on how to get my Restaurant City mojo going, do leave a comment.

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Perfect World's Heroes Of Three Kingdoms

News of the impending closed beta testing for Perfect World's Heroes of Three Kingdoms is finally out, and so is the list of the online games developer and publisher's partners in bringing China-made massively multiplayer online role-playing game to the Western world.

For those who are clueless as to what Heroes of Three Kingdoms is—that is, aside from its being an MMORPG, its original title might ring a bell in your noggins. In China, and presumably the rest of Asia, the game is known as Chibi. I've talked about this online game extensively in my past life (read: previous blog).



Enough of my prattle. Let's get down to business by checking out the announcement story on the upcoming CBT of Heroes of Three Kingdoms from Perfect World Entertainment:

Heroes of Three Kingdoms Closed Beta Key Partners

We've (sic) very excited to announce that Heroes of Three Kingdoms, also known as Chibi in China, will be making its way to North America. Based on one of history's greatest battles, Heroes of Three Kingdoms will allow players to experience the fight first hand and shape their legacy through pivotal moments in Chinese history.

In the word's (sic) of Lao Tzu, "A journey of a thousand miles starts from the first step," and your first step to greatness begins with securing a coveted spot in the upcoming closed beta. To make it easier, we've partnered with the top MMO sites to help distribute these closed beta keys.

Here's a list of the top MMO sites that are giving away the closed beta keys to Heroes of Three Kingdoms: ausgamers, CGE Network, Free MMO Gamer, Game Items, Game Ogre, Gamers Daily News, Massively, MMOABC, MMOhut, MMOsite, MPOGD, N4G: News For Gamers, The Gamers Hub, Warcry Network.

So what do you do when you get a closed beta key for Chibi, err, Heroes of Three Kingdoms?

First, you need to visit the Perfect World website and then login using your Perfect World Entertainment username and password. Once that is done, go click on the "My Account" link and then "Redeem Beta Keys." From there you can enter your closed beta key.

Easy as pie.

Now my only hope—and wish—is for Perfect World not to block the IP of international players so we can all enjoy the game.

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Gamigo's Loong - The Power Of The Dragon

I've got to hand it to Europe-based online games publisher Gamigo. First, they come out of nowhere, establishing an office in New York City in the United States, and then they announce the upcoming beta testing of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game known as Martial Heroes. Now, they're continuing their apparent streak with another announcement: the acquisition of Loong - The Power of the Dragon.

"Loong has been the greatest release of 2010 in China and we are very proud to be bringing a game like this one to the West. The spectacularly detailed graphics are unparalleled in the world of free-to-play games," said Patrick Streppel, member of Gamigo's executive board.

Mr. Streppel isn't kidding when he describes Loong - The Power of the Dragon as having "spectacularly detailed graphics." Let me give you a sample:



Let me just shut up and let Gamigo do the talking:

An incredible journey through ancient China: Loong - The Power of the Dragon

Forty million players in China, breath-taking detailed graphics and online warfare with up to 500 players. Today, Gamigo announces Loong - The Power of the Dragon, a new online role-playing game that is truly in a class of its own, for Europe and North America.

This incredible game cost roughly USD$10 million to develop. The result is an extremely colorful, fascinating world set in ancient China that has captivated more than 40 million Chinese players since its launch in January 2010.

Exciting journeys take adventurers through endlessly vast desert landscapes, into mysterious castles, and along winding paths through the jungle—visually diverse settings that will make the hearts of gamers beat a few beats faster. More than 1,000 quests, 100 pets, player-versus-player combat for up to 500 players, and the ability to swim create plenty of diversion and excitement in the game.

Players will be able to enter the world of Loong - The Power of the Dragon when the game starts its beta testing phase in the summer of 2010.

Ugh. Why so loong?

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Trickster Online Welcomes Spring With New Event

Ntreev USA has just announced a new event for its popular fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game Trickster Online: A New Discovery to welcome the dawning of Spring.

Dubbed the Spring Poppuri Olympics, the event gives Trickster Online players the chance to win some amazing prizes, including a new in-game pet, an iPod Touch 32G, and up to 20,000 Trickster points.



From March 18th to April 7th, players will be able to drill up Poppuri Boxes (now you know why it's called Poppuri Olympics) all over Trickster Online's Caballa Island. The more boxes a player collects, the better the prizes he or she receives. There are a total of eight stages and as each of the stages is fulfilled, the player will earn unique prizes.

Of course, there's a limitation or a requirement, and in the case of Trickster Online's Spring Poppuri Olympics, player characters must be at least Level 40 and have in their possession at least 200 Poppuri Boxes to qualify for prizes.

"We love to watch the fierce drilling spirit of our players during these Poppuri events," said Chris Lee, chief executive officer of Ntreev USA. "Players will be rewarded nicely with some fabulous prizes for this exciting event and we hope to deliver more events in the future with even greater in-game and real-world prizes."

For a complete list of rules and prizes for the Spring Poppuri Olympics, head on over to the official Trickster Online: A New Discovery website.

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MMORPGs Remind Me Of Food

Playing my favorite massively multiplayer online role-playing games always makes me hungry, even when I'm not at home and spending countless hours—not to mention money—in some Internet gaming cafe. This is because MMORPGs remind me of food. Of course, food also reminds me of some MMORPGs. Well, you get the picture.

Here's a list of well-known free-to-play MMOs, the food they remind me of, and why I think of having a meal while playing them:



Allods Online - Filet Mignon. Mouthwatering, to say the least. Allods Online is definitely a force to be reckoned with as the food it reminds me of is a powerhouse of culinary delight. The problem is Filet Mignon is expensive, and the thought of a bill the size of Rhode Island often disuades your tummy from its flights of fancy. Yes, playing Allods Online can be expensive, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying a hearty meal.

Atlantica Online - Clubhouse Sandwich. Altantica Online is like a whopping clubhouse sandwich that's oozing with meat and vegetables and literally bursting at the seams. The game is chock-full of content, but some players either get overwhelmed or turned off by the amount of information they need to digest. There's also some sort of parallelism between the number of portions of a clubhouse sandwich and the number of mercenaries you can have in an Atlantica Online formation. But then again, that's just me.

Cabal Online - Ginisang Ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Gourd). Some like it, some don't. This is the essence of my comparison of Cabal Online to a plate full of sauteed bitter gourd. And when you're young and don't know any better, you are usually forced to eat the stuff. Like Cabal, eating ginisang ampalaya is an acquired taste.

Casvian - Chop Suey (Stir-Fried Vegetables). This uniquely Asian dish turns off most kids as its main ingredients are, well, vegetables, and you know how children react to seeing—and thinking about eating—veggies. Most children avoid it like the plague, but adults sure like it. Casvian is a healthy distraction, with hundreds of elements that remind you of the variety of vegetables in a dish of chop suey.

Granado Espada (Sword of the New World) - Paksiw na Lechon (Roasted Pork Stewed in Vinegar). Paksiw na lechon is a recurring dish in the culinary culture of my homeland, and Granado Espada is much like it in the sense that the thought of playing the game haunts one's mind. I'm an on-again-off-again Granado Espada pioneer and I find the game, like a heaping bowl of roasted pork stewed in vinegar, as rarely stale but too much for a single person to finish.

That's all I have for now. I might continue my list later in the week. For now, let me go grab something to munch on while playing one of my favorite massively multiplayer online games.

How about you? What's your favorite MMO and what food does it remind you of?

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Gamigo's Martial Empires CBT On March 22nd

Barely a month after opening an office in North America and announcing the acquisition of science fiction massively multiplayer online game Black Prophecy, European online games publisher Gamigo is once again on a roll, this time heralding the closed beta test of free-to-play MMORPG Martial Empires.

Let's take a closer look at Martial Empires in the words of Gamigo:

Are you prepared for the exploration of the once-separated continent Neha? Ready to meet its people and to expose its secrets? Take action and fight for the freedom of this mystic continent. Decide between three different classes. Take revenge for the murder of your mother as a ranger. Prevent the destruction of Neha as a mighty mage or participate in the troops of the imperator on their secret mission as a warrior.

Learn new skills and develop your abilities in the handling of numerous weapons and enter the war with your guild. Meet the challenge of captivating player-versus-player battles or relax with one of many minigames.

Become master of fighting and an honorable hero in the world of Martial Empires!

Here's a list of features you should expect from Martial Empires:

• Detailed 3D graphics


• Unique character development


• Three classes with various options for configuration


• Numerous player-versus-environment and player-versus-player features


• Extensive quests for single and group play


• Guild system with different war options


• Entertaining minigames


• Easy start option due to numerous tutorials

Out of all the features, the one about the guild system having "different war options" piques my curiosity the most. I mean, most of the features listed are common fodder for MMORPGs. I just hope it manages to impress not only me but the hundreds—even thousands—of other online games fanatics.

For more information about the game, check out the official Martial Heroes website.

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IAHGames' Spanking New Site

The homepage of Southeast Asia-based Infocomm Asia Holdings, more popularly known as IAHGames, has undergone a transformation, one that is long overdue, in my opinion. The new site is indeed spanking, with more features than you can wave your sword at.

IAHGames, for those who don't know, is the publisher of several hit massively multiplayer online games in Southeast Asia. Its roster of online games include EA Sports FIFA Online 2, Emil Chronicle Online, Granado Espada, and Dragonica.



From my perspective, the reason for the change in appearance goes beyond the simple desire to please the eye. First, the new IAHGames portal (that's what it is, a portal) features more content. The inclusion of blog entries is definitely a plus as it will keep the homepage fresh, enticing search engines to re-index the portal's pages for better search results.

Another common feature that has been adapted by the IAHGames portal for its content is the Related Articles box on the sidebar that highlights other articles on the site that you may find interesting.

My only beef with the blog-type entries on the IAHGames homepage is that the titles are not clickable or not linked to a specific entry. Oh, sure, there's a Read More link at the bottom of each blog post summary, but some surfers are pretty casual and may click on titles to jump directly to the meat of the story.

If you're curious about the other features of the new and improved portal, check out this introductory blog post, or better yet, head on over to the IAHGames site.

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Atlantica Online: Mephisto's Cross

NDOORS Interactive has finally unleashed the decoration item known as Mephisto's Cross in the hit massively multiplayer online role-playing game Atlantica Online, and I can't say that I'm ecstatic about it.

I first saw the damned thing called Mephisto's Cross on one of the main characters in a video of the Korean Atlantica Online and have since vowed never to don it—that is, if my semi-active character on the North American servers of Atlantica Online can afford it.



Those who wish to condemn their Atlantica Online main characters to eternal damnation are advised to purchase Faust's Soul Shard from the item mall and take a chance that the random box will give them a Mephisto's Cross.

Take a gander at the stat bonuses that Atlantica Online's Mephisto's Cross gives:

Mephisto's Cross - Min. Level: 70, Attack Power: 650-750, Vitality: +120, Defense: 500

As is the case with most random boxes from the Atlantica Online item mall, Faust's Soul Shard may also yield different items if Mephisto's Cross doesn't "drop," including an Armed Mount Box, which in turn can give players an Armed Byzantine Elephant, an Armed Volcanic Raptor or an Armed Snow Tiger, or an Extra Inventory License (Perm.).

If that's not to your liking, maybe the fact that Faust's Soul Shard also drops Druid Recruitment items—Shining Gold Sickle or Giant Bull's Horn—is more appealing.

For a full listing on what you can get from Faust's Soul Shard, visit the official Atlantica Online website.

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Grand Chase Turns 2 in North America

The online action-adventure brawler Grand Chase is turning two years old and publisher Ntreev USA is inviting you to the celebrations via a tournament sponsored by PlaySpan, one of the world's leading monetization solutions provider for over 1,000 online games, virtual worlds and social networks. How's that for a sponsor?

Going back to the topic at hand, Grand Chase is indeed growing older and this new tournament, dubbed the Slam Party, is open to anyone who plays the game. Check out the official Grand Chase website to register an account, download a client and learn how to play.



So what's in store for winners of the Grand Chase Slam Party tournament slated for March 18th?

Well, for starters, we have an AlienWare MX11 gaming notebook, a 32-gigabyte iPod Touch, a Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard, and Ultimate Points worth USD$10.

"But the tournament isn't the only fun in store for Grand Chase players. An entire lineup of fun events is planned for this special anniversary," says Ntreev USA in its announcement story.

Here's a rundown of the other events that celebrate the second year of Grand Chase in North America:

Second Anniversary Welcoming Event. This event is for all existing active, new and old players returning. Each of them will receive a different greeting message and will be given an item that gives them a 10-percent experience point boost set to last for 15 days.

Lucky Day Gift Event. Set to run from March 11th to March 29th, this event will give players different gifts when they log in. All of these items are equipment created in celebration of Grand Chase's second anniversary.

Second Anniversary Special Decoration. Special artwork is being created for the second anniversary of the North American version of Grand Chase. The in-game park area will have special boss monsters placed to give a congratulatory message to the players as well as having a special banner placed in.

"The fabulous prizes—sponsored by PlaySpan—the Grand Chase players have a chance at winning are what makes this second anniversary tournament truly exciting," said Chris Lee, chief executive officer of Ntreev USA. "We are ecstatic that we are in our second year and plan on bringing so many exciting tournaments and non-stop brawling action to both our loyal knights and new players."

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US MMO Revenues Hit $4B Annually

That USD$4 billion (well, USD$3.8 billion ... but you get the picture) is a big figure, and it's how much gamers based in the United States are spending on massively multiplayer online games, according to GamesIndustry.com's Today's Gamers MMO Focus Report. Considering there are around 48 million MMO players in the United States, the figure translates to an average of USD$82 per player.

According to the survey, however, only 46 percent of the total 48 million players are paying customers. Taking that into consideration, we're looking at an average spending of $15.10 per player (although when I ran my own computations, the figure turned up as USD$179 per paying player).

Regardless of which figures are correct, that's how much US-based online games publishers are raking in. I can't even begin to imagine how much Chinese players spend to enjoy their favorite MMOs, both subscription and free-to-play.



Here's an excerpt from the press release titled "Americans spent $3.8 billion on MMO games in 2009":

Analysis of the consumer data coming from the Today's Gamers MMO Focus Report by GamesIndustry.com and TNS reveals that 21 million Americans spend an average of $15 per month on massively multiplayer online games.

More than 90 percent of this budget is spent directly online. Twenty-five million Americans play these games without spending any money. Revenues in main European countries are around $250 million with the United Kingdom having a slight lead over Germany; nowhere near the staggering amount of $3.8 billion spent in the United States. Growth is expected to come from countries such as Italy, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Poland and Sweden, and these countries are subject of the new MMO Emerging Markets Survey.

'Free to play' versus 'Pay to play'

The majority of American MMO players do not pay to play but still a significant share of 46 percent does. It shows that MMO games are being accepted as a type of game worth paying for. Of the hundreds of MMO games in the market, only a few require payment up-front, mainly by selling software to be installed on the PC.

Americans spent approximately $400 million on this, split up into boxed products and online downloads. About $2.4 billion is spent on monthly or annual subscriptions. Many free-to-play MMOs rely on selling in-game virtual items using direct micro-transactions or a virtual currency approach, grossing another $1 billion in revenues.

"The market for MMO games definitely still has a lot of growth potential. We were able to increase our revenue by 6,261 percent over the past five years. Delivering long-term quality and depth are major success factors in expanding our player base. And it definitely works—with more than 100 million registered users, we are growing fast and expect to continue this path," comments Klaas Kersting, chief executive officer of Gameforge.

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Coming Soon: Battlestar Galactica Online

Well, it's about time someone gets the ball rolling on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the Battlestar Galactica series. Tentatively called Battlestar Galactica Online, the game is said to be the brainchild of NBC Universal and Bigpoint.

"Overheard" at gaming site Gamers Daily News, Battlestar Galactica Online will be a tactical space combat and adventure MMOG based on Syfy's Battlestar Galactica series. The tentative date of release for the game that is inspired by one of the most popular—and successful, I might add—science fiction series in television history is Fall 2010.

Oh, and there's a teaser website for Battlestar Galactica Online already up and running.



For those who are unaware of what the fuss is over a Battlestar Galactica MMO, let me explain:

Battlestar Galactica is a franchise of science fiction television series and films spanning several generations. The franchise started with a 1978 television show created by Glen Larson and was followed by a television series, several book adaptations, comic books and video games. The television series was revived via a miniseries developed by Ronald Moore and David Eick that aired in 2003.

So you see what I'm getting at when I say it spans several generations. I watched the original show and the series that followed. I watched it again in 2003, although I didn't like it.

Here's Wikipedia's take on Battlestar Galactica:

All of the Battlestar Galactica productions share the same premise: In a distant part of the universe, a civilization of humans lives on a series of plants known as the Twelve Colonies. In the past, the colonies have been at war with a cybernetic race known as the Cylons. With the help of a human traitor named Baltar, the Cylons launch a sudden ambush on the Colonies, laying waste to the planets and devastating their populations.

The human survivors flee into space aboard any spacecraft they can reach. Of all the colonial fleet, the Battlestar Galactica appears to be the only military capital ship that survived the attack (later, it is learned that the Battlestar Pegasus also survived the attack). Under the leadership of famed military leader Commander Adama, the Battlestar Galactica and its crew take up the task of leading the small fugitive fleet of survivors into space in search of the fabled thirteenth colony known as Earth.

A bit of warning, though. I hear Battlestar Galactica Online is a browser-based MMO. How that will work out is beyond me, but I'll be sure to watch out for it.

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Tales Of Fantasy Alpha Test Today

Yes, you read that right. If you've been living under a rock this past few days, then you probably don't know that Tales of Fantasy, I Got Games' (that's IGG to you, bud) latest acquisition, is finally entering alpha testing, and everyone has a chance to participate—as in everyone who wants a crack at a new 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

To be frank, I don't have much information about Tales of Fantasy that you don't already know. I do, however, have a breakdown of a list of some features that you may find interesting.



Out of the three or so features listed on the official Tales of Fantasy website, two clearly stand out: the ability of characters to fight while mounted and to tame different monsters to use as mounts.

Pretty exciting, don't you agree? I mean, it has been the dream of any true blue MMORPG fanatic to witness the dawning of mounted battles, where a player's prowess with his or her character's skills is multiplied tenfold by the strength of the mount. At least, that's my most fervent wish.

Aside from engaging enemies while mounted, your Tales of Fantasy character can also tame various beasts to serve as mounts, from common horses to rare holy beasts. What makes this feature even more interesting is that your character can switch mounts in mid stride. How's that for battlefield tactics?

Of course, no MMORPG in today's world is bereft of wings for characters, be it the kind that allows characters to fly or not. Tales of Fantasy also features an item crafting and enhancing system. An online game that doesn't have these features isn't worth playing, in my opinion.

So what are you waiting for? Mount up by grabbing an activation key, confirming your attendance, and downloading Tales of Fantasy. See you there!

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