Atriarch E3 Post-Mortem: The World Fusion Team has their E3 Post-Mortem up about Atriarch being shown to the masses at the expo: At this stage, many independent developers would cower in the face of such an ostentatious display of screen size. Noooooo! Not us! The Atriarch Team was not daunted. It takes more than blinding colors and deafening sounds to stop us from bringing Atriarch to the masses! Our screen may be small, but our world is big. Atriana will swallow all of those human-designed, eleven-story screens and spit them out as alien pooh! (hmm... note to self... add alien pooh to the feature list.) This week is going to be all Atriarch updates. Posted May 31 2005 by Div Devlin

SOE Fan Faire Extension: SOE sends word out that the registration deadline for the upcoming Fan Faire this June 9th through the 12th has been extended until tommorrow night (June 1st) at midnight. For those who register themselves, plus 2 guests for the Classic Pass will receive a free upgrade to The Beach Party! There is even a guild incentive for those who register six or more folks with an upgrade for the Beach Party as well. Learn more here. Posted May 31 2005 by Div Devlin

SWG Multi-Person Vehicles: Lucas Arts announces that new vehicles which can hold more than two people have made it's way into Star Wars: Galaxies. "Ever since the XP-38 came out, they just aren't in demand," lamented Luke Skywalker after selling his landspeeder in A New Hope. With the addition of multi-passenger vehicles to Star Wars Galaxies, we'll have to see if that statement holds true. The new capability of carrying a passenger enhances existing vehicles like Luke's X-34, the X-31, the Flash speeder and the AV-21. But now that the XP-38 has come out, will its sleek two-seater capabilities indeed prove more popular? Or perhaps the similar AB-1 will do the same. Meanwhile, entire bands of adventurers can traverse their favorite planets with up to five others in their very own brand new V-35 landspeeder, just like the one on the Lars homestead. Always wanted to check out the game, but to shy to fork out the cash. Now, it's even cheaper with the new package "Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience" which went on sale May 26th for $29.99 and offers the original game, "An Empire Divided," the space expansion "Jump to Lightspeed," and the recently released "Episode III Rage of the Wookiees" offering a new planet, zones and ships. Posted May 31 2005 by Div Devlin

UBO Tournament's Starting: Netamin announces that tournament's within Ultimate Baseball Online will be swinging into action within the next couple of weeks with the ESPN UBO Summer Classic where they will be giving out prizes to the top two teams that compete in the finals as they near the last stage of open beta testing. The game is in open beta, registration is free and it cost's nothing to play! Get your team together and go swing a few. Posted May 31 2005 by Div Devlin

Webzen Games Movies: Webzen, the folks behind a slew of upcoming MMO Games has launched their official products website with information for each of their games, along with several new movies for the games: - SUN is the first title to incorporate console-style game mechanics into a classic MMORPG and is scheduled for release this winter. - Huxley is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooting game (MMO/FPS) that utilizes the Unreal-3 engine for a truly groundbreaking MMO/FPS experience. - All Points Bulletin (APB) is a massively multiplayer online freeform combat and driving-based game in development by Real Time Worlds under the direction of David Jones, the creator of the original Grand Theft Auto franchise. - Wiki is a casual MMOG set to deliver a lively and creative gaming experience based on intense levels of cooperative interaction. Parfait Station is an action and shooting oriented MMO in development for the Asian market set in a fantasy-based fusion atmosphere. Download the trailers and check them out. Posted May 31 2005 by Div Devlin

AC2 Return To Dereth: Turbine is welcoming back players to Asheron's Call 2 for a 30 day free trial if you subscribed with Microsoft: WESTWOOD, Mass. - May 26, 2005 - Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today the start of its "Callback" campaign for the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game Asheron's Call� 2, which invites former Asheron's Call 2 subscribers to come back and play the game free for thirty days. Turbine will give former players the opportunity to experience the many enhancements made since the initial release of the graphically groundbreaking MMORPG Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings. In addition to more than 20 episodic content updates Turbine provided to existing players since launch, Asheron's Call 2 will contain many new features including major game engine upgrades, all new Hero and Crafting systems and extensive performance improvements. These changes enhance gameplay experience for returning players as well as new players joining with the recent launch of Asheron's Call� 2: Legions�. In Asheron's Call 2, players are challenged to explore and conquer a world that has been devastated by conflict of an epic scale. In this unique fantasy environment player's advance through hunting, questing, crafting and optional head-to-head combat. The world of Asheron's Call 2 is both beautiful and deadly, where only the strongest may survive. The "Callback" campaign is open to former Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings account holders who did not migrate from the Microsoft billing system when Turbine acquired the AC franchise titles from Microsoft Game Studios in 2004. Now, those former Microsoft account holders are eligible for a free 30-day trial. This offer does not apply to players who already migrated their Asheron's Call 2 accounts to Turbine, or to players who purchase Asheron's Call 2: Legions, which has its own 30-day free play period included with purchase. This program also does not provide access to the new continent or races available to Legions customers. To reclaim your account and activate your free 30-day subscription, please visit www.asheronscall2.com. Reactivate here. Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Voice Actors Strike: With gaming becoming a major entertainment industry to rival big creen movies, voice actors have gone on strike searching for higher wages and for big name actors like Laurence Fishburne (Matrix Online) probably a search for roaylties. LOS ANGELES - A button worn by picketing actors at last week's E3 video games trade show suggested they might pull the plug if they don't get a bigger share of the industry's huge profits. It read "Game Over." About 2,000 union actors give voice to characters such as Obi Wan Kenobi in the latest "Star Wars" game. One actor can provide the voice of several characters during a single recording session. Talks between game publishers and the two main actors' unions broke earlier this month. Actors will decide over the next two weeks if the impasse is critical enough to call a strike. Voice actors have worked under a contract with game publishers since 1993. But now that video games generate nearly as much revenue as domestic movie ticket sales, actors say they want a piece of every game sold rather than one-time up front fees. "To deny working-class performers their fair share of the tremendous profits their labor helps to generate is illogical, unreasonable and unjust," John Connolly, president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said recently. "It is simply shortsighted to believe that consumers don't care about the artistic quality of the characters." That's a risk game companies seem willing to take, especially in light of divisions among actors, some of whom feel a strike would lead to the complete loss of union protection on video game jobs. "The union's demand for an equity stake, or residual structure, is unreasonable and not fair to the hundreds of people who often spend years developing a game," Howard Fabrick, an attorney representing publishers in the talks, said in a statement. "Voiceover work represents a small fraction of a video game's development and consumer enjoyment." No more than 15 percent of all games are produced under union contract, the unions say. But that includes nine of the 10 top-sellers last year. In some cases, celebrity voices and likeness are key to selling a game. Electronic Arts Inc. recently signed a deal with actors James Caan and Robert Duvall to reprise their roles in the game version of the Oscar-winning film "The Godfather." You can read the full news brief over on Yahoo News. Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Memorial Day Weekend: Return to Paragon City this weekend and don your cape in City of Heroes as they reactivate former account subscribers for a five day free trial: The recent arrival of Issue #4 and PvP marks a milestone in the history of City of Heroes and we're celebrating by granting you 5 FREE days of game play! There's no better time to check out the multitude of new features and updated game content the streets of Paragon City� have to offer. ... Just log into the game between 2pm (CDT) on Thursday, May 26th and 11:59pm (CDT) on Tuesday, May 31st and you will find your account reactivated FREE of charge!* Your hero characters will be waiting just as you left them, ready for new adventures. Guess I know what I'll be playing. Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

E3Expo MMO Community Round-Up II: E3Expo coverage continues from last week through-out the community with editorials, previews, and pictures of scantily clad women promoting the games they know nothing about. Hit the full story below for links. Full Story Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Morpheus Dead In Matrix Online: Not that is has anything to do with the voice actor strike [News Item Above] but in the Matrix Online, Morpheus is dead. Killed by an assasin, and now players need to decipher the clues (and partake in events) to determine who the killer was: In a 'Live Events' spectacular week-long adventure in The Matrix Online (co-published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and SEGA), "The Hunt for Morpheus" began with Morpheus' obsession with the Machines not giving up Neo's body. His rampage began with setting off virus-encoded bombs around The Matrix MegaCity threatening the very fabric of The Matrix. Machines panicked; he had to be stopped. The Assassin appeared in The Matrix and he went after the beloved captain. The final showdown took place in a wastewater plant. While planting a code bomb, Morpheus noticed a buzzing fly, which disclosed the porcelain-masked Assassin. The Assassin took shots at Morpheus who managed to escape down a dark alley. But, The Assassin was able to catch up by bending the rules of the Matrix. In the end, Morpheus was trapped and even he could not escape the hail of bullets that ensued. Unbelievably, Morpheus has been ambushed and killed. It is now up to the players of The Matrix Online to solve the mystery of this giant cliffhanger. Since launch, The Matrix Online has touted that a major charcater would die in the continuing story-line from the movies. Now, someone has. Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

Mark Jacobs on Warhammer Online: With Mythic's announcement of being the developer behind a new Warhammer Online and some negative feedback from the community, Mark Jacobs has been doing the posting circuit to expand on some further direction that the game will take under his vision: Folks, First, I want to thank everyone for their kind words regarding the announcement of our first Warhammer game. Everyone at Mythic is quite excited about the possibilities that this partnership with the fine folks at Games Workshop with bring about to both companies. Secondly, as to the game that we have begun work on, it will be a game that is focused on the RvR aspects of Warhammer. We will reveal more details over the coming months but for now, I think the best way to describe the game I have envisioned is the simple phrase "This time it's WAAAGH!" Third, I apologize in advance for what will be infrequent appearances here and other Warhammer-related sites. It's not that I don't love to chat (as the guys at GW can tell you, getting me to shut up is more of a problem), but I have a game design to work on after all. To answer some brief questions that have popped up here and on other forums: 1) This is not a continuation of the Warhammer Online project. Mythic is working closely with GW to create a new vision for a Warhammer online game. 2) The development time-line for the game is a tad over 2 years but given our experience and existing code-base (Dark Age of Camelot, Imperator and others), we believe we can meet that schedule. 3) We want to pull in as much material from the Warhammer material as we can to make this a great game. I don't care where it comes from, if it's Warhammer (Fantasy Battles, RPG, Warmaster) and it also can be part of a great game, I want to try to fit it in this game. This game will not be DAoC2 with the name of Warhammer attached. 4) RvR does not equal PvP. DAoC is not a PvP game and neither will be this game. We want people to be able to roleplay and we also want them to be able to play the game without worrying about getting ganked from the moment they enter the game by someone more powerful than them. 5) The building and maintaining of community is quite important to Mythic whether it is in the game or out of it. The reason we don't host our own forums is that we either do it well (which means full-time admins, added costs) or we would rather not do it at all. We will consider setting up our own forums for this game but most likely, they will be private to keep the noise level down. Now, if we make them private, we will of course invite all the people who have been participating in forums like these to join us. We will also have ultra-private forums for beta-testers as we do for DAoC and Imperator. 6) As to the question of religion in Warhammer, we expect it will play a role. Religion doesn't in Imperator because Imperator is meant to be a pure sci-fi game. We'd be foolish to do the same here. 7) As a friend of mine at GW says in describing what we want to do with this game, Warhammer will not be happy-clappy land, we'll leave dancing orcs, prancing elves to other guys. 8) I have a long-standing relationship with a number of the people at GW, and I hold them, and the IP, in the highest regard. Nothing that we are doing is in any way a sign of disrespect for what has gone before. It's a new day, a new vision but the old world. Best, Mark Jacobs President/CEO Mythic Entertainment P.S. It's going to be a lot of fun... It's going to be at least two years before we see anything, and in gaming, you know changes will happen. Have faith, expecially with the removal of the adjustable cod-pieces. Posted May 27 2005 by Div Devlin

E3Expo MMO Community Round-Up: And some folks say that there is just not enough coverage of the MMO games which were shown at E3 this year. Check the full story below to see what others had to say about the MMO games shown. Full Story Posted May 24 2005 by Div Devlin

e3'05 Preview: Hero's Journey Deep within Kentia Hall while at the E3Expo this year we were able to spend time with Simultronic's and their upcoming MMO game, Hero's Journey. We liked what we saw in this preview and you can see why. Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Gravity Corp Lawsuit: Gravity Corp., the folks behind Ragnorak Online have caught the attention of the legal-eagles over at Schatz & Nobel, P.C. with a class-action lawsuit againt them: The Complaint alleges that Gravity violated federal securities laws by issuing false or misleading public statements. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that the Registration Statement/Prospectus included positive statements concerning Gravity's growth prospects and demand for its products when, in fact, there was declining demand for its main product, Ragnarok -- Online; its mobile animation business was in decline; and its China operations were in peril. On May 12, 2005, Gravity announced that its financial results for the first quarter of 2005 were lower than expected. On this news, Gravity's ADSs fell from a close of $9.24 per share on May 12, 2005, to close at $5.60 per share on May 13, 2005. The fine suits over Schatz and Nobel in the past have filed class action suits against such companies as MBNA and Harley Davidson in North America. Gravity better make sure the books add up. Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

E3 Memorable Moments: We are back from the E3Expo and should begin rolling out previews tonight. Due to technical issues last week, we ended up down and were unable to provide the news all of you were looking for. Special apologies to everyone who was unable to hear the streams on RGR. With that said, here is our listing of the most memorable moments from this year: - Scott Jennings did in fact wear socks. - Seeing Razor from Warcry get punched in the face by Supergirl. - Valerie "Pann" Massey from NetDevil and Auto Assault is my momma! - Sir Bruce from MMOGChart busting a move at the Perpetual Party. Sir Bruce call's everyone gamer geeks for not dancing followed by Christine from the Perpetual Party saying Sir Bruce really can bust a move! - I have a cryptic message for Dana Massey. - Pop from CorpNews saying they [CorpNews] do it by the dozen, which they in fact do. - Mythic announcing they are the new developers for Warhammer Online. - Two people falling into the pool at the Guild Wars/NCSoft release party. - Meeting Woody from GUComics, a great guy. - Comparing notes with the folks from MMORadio. - Delivering a set of pens to Serafina from Atriarch, she was excited! - Hanging out with Ivan and Wade from UnknownPlayer and making Wade say, "Eh." - Getting denied entry into a strip club because we were "White" (PC: Caucasion). - Being told I've mellowed out and hat I'm not as controversial as I've used to be. - Being called a sellout and a corporate whore in the gaming community. And the best moment from E3 goes out to the company which asked us, "Do we need to purchase advertising with you also for you to cover us?" Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Shadowbane Comic #3 Ends: The third chapter of the official Shadowbane comic from W. Lesmana has drawn to an end. If you have been following the "Dawn of War" series you will want to check out the epic conclusion and stay tuned for the next installment. Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

NVIDIA, WEBZEN Form Relationship: Webzen announces that their MMORPG game titles SUN is to be included in NVIDIA with a new Tech and Marketing partnership. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors, and WEBZEN Inc. (NASDAQ: WZEN), a leading global online entertainment developer and publisher, today announced a joint technical and marketing relationship that will support WEBZEN�s upcoming 3D massively, multi-player, online, role-playing game (MMORPG) titles for the PC platform. WEBZEN�s highly-anticipated Sun will be part of the NVIDIA �The Way It�s Meant To Be Played� program, and is debuting in the WEBZEN booth at this year�s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Additionally, a stage event will take place every day at 10:30AM in WEBZEN�s booth, #700 in the South Hall, to demonstrate how the two companies will be working together. All PCs used for the demonstration at WEBZEN�s booth will be equipped with NVIDIA� GeForce� 6 Series graphics processors. To maximize the stunning visuals along with the compatibility, stability, and reliability of the games developed by WEBZEN using NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs), the companies will engage in a joint development and compatibility testing program. In addition, WEBZEN and NVIDIA will work closely to implement graphical enhancements that will utilize the advanced features found in the award-winning line of NVIDIA GeForce 6 Series processors and beyond. Joint promotions will also be initiated in an effort to raise the awareness level of each company�s products. �As a company that is dedicated in transforming the computing experience, we are always eager to work with developers who are as passionate about graphics as we are,� said Mark Daly, vice president of content development at NVIDIA. �Combining our graphics know-how with WEBZEN creative talents will result in games that raise the bar in the online gaming space.� �WEBZEN is very pleased to be working with the world�s market and technology leader in graphics processors,� said Dae Chun Park, Chief Marketing Officer of WEBZEN, Inc. �By adopting NVIDIA GPUs as part of our reference development platform and working with their experts in 3D graphics, we are confident that our upcoming games will remain at the cutting-edge of 3D technology, resulting in games that are bound to excite even the most demanding game players.� Having met some of the folks from Nvidia and their passion for MMO games, it only makes sense. Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

Shot-Online Memorial Tournament: Golf is going to get hot with prizes this holiday as Shot-Online announces their memorial tournament: May is a month for warm days, the end of the school year and the unofficial start of summer, beginning with Memorial Day. There�s not many better ways to celebrate the start of the summer season than with an exciting contest of online golfing game skills where players can win fantastic, fun prizes, through the Shot-Online Memorial Tournament. This tournament is coming hot on the heels of the well-received additions of a new character and new items for each character to Shot-Online in late April. Shot-Online is a persistent online golf game for the PC, developed by OnNet, Co., Ltd. The Shot Online Memorial Tournament begins Friday, May 27 at 7:00 PM (CST) and concludes on Tuesday, May 31 at 7:00 PM (CST). Open to all Shot-Online members, qualification is available to the highest level character per ID. The contests will be played at the challenging "Gladsheim" course for 18-hole stroke play, for as many as 20 chances to play to win. Winners, from beginning (levels 1 to 11), intermediate (levels 12-30) and advanced (over level 30) levels, will be selected by adding the totals of the four score cards. The top players will receive the hot new Sony PlayStation Portable, the stylish Apple iPod Shuffle or a DVD player. We've lost Vash and Kalvaer to this game. Posted May 23 2005 by Div Devlin

The Future of Gaming: E3 is it time to get Serious about fun? Cue canned and stale E3 beginning sentence here. Every year thousands of industry professionals and media convene on a little known town in California called Los Angeles. A great hoopla is made about what new games and technologies will revealed and people outside the industry and with little real experience in what gaming is all about will scratch their heads and wonder, 'What's it all about?' [Read More] Full Story Posted May 17 2005 by Sachant

ED: PvP and the Modern Man... What is it with PvP (Player vs Player for the noobs) that seems to bring out the rabid on both ends of the spectrum? As the MMORPG genre continues to flex and show that it is a beast that keeps growing and engaging more and more players every year, there are growing pains that it keeps groaning about. Each new MMO that comes out has its own philosophy about how much PvP is enough. Some are coming out of the woodwork without any kind of PvP at all such as EQ2 and City of Heroes, although they both plan to remedy that with expansions. (Afterthought PvP is at it's best like a swift kick to the groin for most PvP fans. It hurts and it isn't really any fun.) So exactly what is it about PvP that has so many people stumped? Why is there such a love/hate relationship and what does the future hold? [Read More] Full Story Posted May 17 2005 by Rayvan

EQ Price Hike: SOE has announced that classic EverQuest is going to get a price hike. From John Smedley: Hello everyone, It's amazing that we're now six years since the launch of EverQuest, and even more amazing to see so many people enjoying the world of Norrath. I know that the development team has exciting stuff planned for the coming months (look for an announcement soon!) and they are dedicated to keeping EQ fresh and alive with all the best technology has to offer. EverQuest is in its 6th year of existence and while we have continued to bring new content for everyone to enjoy, the cost of operating a top tier MMO has increased significantly during the past three years. Today I am writing to tell you all that we will be increasing the subscription rate for EverQuest effective June 12, 2005. The new monthly subscription rate will be $14.99/month. We strive to ensure that EverQuest remains a great entertainment value. No other game offers the detailed gameplay, huge world and tight-knit community that EverQuest offers. The monthly subscription fee allows us to provide the best possible gaming experience for you while also expanding the world. The EverQuest team is dedicated to providing fresh and dynamic content to the players with in-game events, quests, zone re-vamps, game enhancements and great new expansion packs. To thank the EverQuest community, we're offering players a limited-time promotional offer. Between May 12, 2005 and June 11, 2005, you can take advantage of a 6 or 12 month limited time subscription and reap great savings. Just go here for more details. We will continue to offer discounts from the new rate plan on multi-month subscriptions and these increases will not affect the Station Access subscription rate, which will hold at $21.99. We sincerely appreciate all of you who inhabit our EverQuest universe and we look forward to continue having you be a part of our world for years to come. Thanks, John Smedley No price increase for EQ2... yet. Posted May 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Guild Wars Tops Charts: NCSoft unloads another hit MMO game, this time with ArenaNet's Guild Wars: NCsoft(R) Corporation (KSE:036570), the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, is sitting atop the PC entertainment charts with "Guild Wars(R)," the company's recently released online role-playing game, from Bellevue, Washington-based ArenaNet(R). "Guild Wars" is a global online role-playing game (RPG) that allows people to play with anyone, anywhere, at any time and there's no subscription fee required. "Guild Wars" immerses players in a colorful, robust and detailed online fantasy world where success is determined by player skill, not by the time spent playing. According to retail numbers released by The NPD Group for the week ended April 30, "Guild Wars" stood as the number one product among PC Entertainment titles. "It's been an immediate hit," said Jack Beuttell, senior vice president of marketing and merchandising for GameStop Corp, one of the nation's largest video game and entertainment software retailers. "At launch, `Guild Wars' quickly became our top-selling product." The game, which launched April 28, has quickly become a hit amongst game reviewers. GameSpot gave "Guild Wars" an Editors' Choice Award. GameSpot executive editor, Greg Kasavin, wrote, "It innovatively and successfully combines many of the best, most addictive properties of action RPGs, online RPGs, and competitive multiplayer games in one beautifully produced package. There's never really been anything quite like it before." GameZone also awarded "Guild Wars" with an Editor's Choice, calling the game, "A feast for the eyes." 1UP editors said, "`Guild Wars' redefines, going forward, what to expect from an online adventure." "Guild Wars" is now available at most major North American computer game retail outlets at an estimated retail price of US$49.99. No monthly subscription fee is required. A special Collector's Edition featuring a hard-cover art book, Internet chat headset, "Guild Wars" soundtrack CD and other items is also available for an estimated retail price of US$69.99. The game is rated Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. I'm pklaying. Are you? Posted May 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Tabula Rasa Revamped: The website for Tabula Rasa has been officially revamped and relaunched with all new gaming info, now taking form as a Sci-Ffi/MMO/RTS/FPS. - Go to the frontlines of a futuristic war in a massively multiplayer war game that combines the character growth of an RPG with the action of a shooter. - Players will participate in large scale battles with NPC allies against an intelligent enemy known as The Bane for control of entire planets. - Players will go behind enemy lines in missions that directly impact the war effort, either solo or with teammates. - Rich storyline and fictional universe features Richard Garriott's signature creative vision and attention to detail. - It's not all guts and guns; a mysterious power known commonly as "Logos," allows players to harness the very fabric of the cosmos to offer rebel forces an advantage against an overwhelming foe. - Simplified game interface is complimented by built-in voice chat technology to create a seamless cooperative gaming experience. Concept looks good. Posted May 17 2005 by Div Devlin

Interview: with Grogbeard from PotBS Taking time out of their prep for E3, Flying Labs sent over a new victim for us to plunder with knowledge for thier upcoming pirate based MMO game, Pirates of the Burning Sea. We make Thomas "Grogbeard" Sitch reveal the bootie before walking the plank in this exclusive (It's Our's Damnit) interview. Posted May 13 2005 by Div Devlin

ATitD Legacy Tests: New challanges await players this weekend in A Tale in the Desert as the latest in-game tests begin: Citizens of Egypt, Some of the wisest and most accomplished of our ancestors created a series of eight challenges (Seven by Oracles in A Tale in the Desert, One by Kemet), to test our generation. These challenges are known as the Legacy Tests. Already, we have faced The Test of the Safari, The Test of Yokir, and the Test of the Host. This Saturday, Noon EST (GMT-0500) will see the release of one of the most anticipated of the Legacy Tests: The Test of Life in the Discipline of Architecture. In the Test of Life we will build a sprawling system of aqueducts to bring life-sustaining water to the hostile desert. It is known that certain areas of desert - if not for their naturally dry state - have extraordinary levels of nutrients, which would otherwise allow certain vegetables to grow to astonishing size. Aqueduct towers promise to unlock this potential. Furthermore, just as rumors of the Test of Life made their way across the land, the reclusive scientists at Egypt's Universities of Worship have announced research of their own. The new technology is Herbiculture, and it requires Moss, an unknown species of flora. Could there be a connection? Who shall advance? Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

America's Army vs. The Frag Dolls: Something that made it's to our news box is that the Frag Dolls will be taking on challengers all three days at the E3Expo next week waging war within America Army. The Frag Dolls, the seven-member girl videogame team sponsored by Ubisoft, will take on all competitors in America's Army: Rise of a Soldier in the Army booth all three days of the show from 2:00 p.m. until the end of each day. Somethin' to see? Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Atriarch Music: World Fusion has released an album of new music for their upcoming game Atriarch. The tunes from "Torpors Edge" are compiled by Atriarch composer, Mark R. Irvin (alias MRI) to provide a sampling of the audio you will hear within game. The album was originally made for mp3. With our recent switch to ogg format, we wanted to celebrate by making an ogg format of the album available on our site. You can tune into the tunes through their download section. Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Pre-Order Auto Assault: Rev up your engines, polish your guns and prepare for Auto Assault with a shiney not-so-empty box as NCSoft and NetDevil announce pre-orders for the upcoming cyber-punk/post-apoc/car game: NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announces the beginning of its North American pre-order campaign for Auto Assault. Pre-order boxes will begin to appear on store shelves this week at retail outlets throughout the United States and Canada. Customers who pre-order Auto Assault will receive a special in-game weapon only available in the pre-sale boxes, plus a loot bonus. In addition, the pre-order CD contains art, screens, wallpapers, and music tracks. Customers who purchase this special edition pre-order box and register the product will also be eligible to participate in beta testing events and given a head start over other players before the commercial launch of the product. Wiating is always the hardest part. Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

As The Market Turns: High profile changes within the industry as the movers-and-shakers take work at different companies. As mentioned yesterday (Below: SWG Update) Rich Vogel has departed SOE as the Executive Producer on SWG. Perpetual Entertainment has beamed up Daron Stinnett as Executive Producer for Star Trek Online: Mr. Stinnett has over two decades of experience working in the interactive entertainment industry. At LucasArts Entertainment, Mr. Stinett was the creator and executive producer of six PC and console titles, including the hits Dark Forces, Outlaws, Star Wars Starfighter, and Star Wars Republic Commando. Prior to LucasArts, Mr. Stinnett was project manager on Spectrum HoloByte's Falcon 3.0 and lead programmer on classics such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Donkey Kong Jr. Welcome aboard Admiral! Meanwhile Webzen who is growing their American presence just hooked up three veterans. WEBZEN America, Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of global online entertainment leader, WEBZEN, Inc., announced today that it has filled several key executive positions for its new U.S. operation. Junhyun Kim has been named the company�s general manager, Peter Matiss joins as the head of marketing and Jason Wonacott as the head of corporate communications. WEBZEN America is poised to launch a diverse portfolio of online products and services, beginning with the highly anticipated MMORPG SUN, the Unreal 3.0 engine-based MMOFPS Huxley, and the original action MMOG All Points Bulletin (APB). Buena Vista has also got a new face. Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company today announced that Craig Relyea has been named vice president of marketing. Reporting to Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games, Relyea will be responsible for leading the integration of domestic and international brand positioning, advertising, retail marketing, promotions, public relations, creative services and vendor relations strategies. He will also focus on building and executing internal synergy initiatives. Craig Relyea brings to his new role more than 19 years of experience in packaged entertainment marketing, including driving global marketing initiatives for multiple videogame companies. Prior to this role, Relyea served as executive vice president, marketing at Creative Domain. In this role, he built and ran the interactive entertainment and branding divisions and developed marketing campaigns for clients including Activision, THQ, Ubisoft, and Vivendi-Universal. Previously, Craig held senior marketing positions at Interplay Entertainment, The Cimmaron Group, Dreamworks Interactive, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Playlogic also has a major name. As of May 1st 2005, Leo van de Voort has joined Playlogic International as CFO. Leo has been working in financial positions for over fifteen years, as Consultant, Investment Banker and Financial Director/CFO. After finishing several academic studies and graduating with an MBA from Erasmus University/Rotterdam School of Management in 1989, Leo started working with KPMG as a Business Consultant, moving to the Dutch A.T. Kearney consultancy practice in 1994. From 1999 to 2001 Leo served as Director of the Corporate Finance Department of merchant bank Kempen & Co. In 2001 he joined Flex Group Netherlands as CFO; in 2003 the Flex Group was voted Europe's fastest growing company. At the end of 2004 Leo joined a NASDAQ listed company specialized in the distribution of digital content as CFO ad interim. In his new position with Playlogic, Leo will be responsible for Playlogic's Finance Department and its day-to-day activities. He will also have a key strategic role in overseeing all aspects of Playlogic's imminent NASDAQ listing and preparing the Company for compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act ('SOX'). Are they going to suprise us with an MMO? Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Drop Team Announced: Not an MMO but a cool concept for another RTS game as Battlefront.com and TBG Software announce DROPTEAM a mechanized combat in the far future. DropTeam is a multiplayer capable, real-time, tactical simulation of armored ground combat in the far future. You�ll battle for control of objectives on a broad variety of planets ranging from verdant Earth-like worlds to desolate, radioactive wastelands. You will use Dropships to land fighting vehicles and other deployable assets like sensors, mines and automated turrets on planetary surfaces. You will take direct control of various types of armored fighting vehicles while also coordinating your team, including AI, other human players, artillery support and more. Vast alien landscapes rendered in real-time with detailed, accurate physics and ballistics systems and true line-of-sight provide realistic combat. There are no �hit points�, limited view distances, unrealistically short weapon ranges, or other gross simplifications that are typical of many other sci-fi games. DropTeam can be played online on a public server with up to 16 players, or it can be played privately with as few as 2 players, as well as single-player vs. AI opponents. AI opponents can also be mixed in with human players in order to make the teams any size you like. DropTeam runs on Mac OS-X, Linux, and Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and has been designed to be very scalable with a wide range of systems. For a full list of features head here and be sure to scope out the screenies. Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

LotRO Dev Diary: Turbine has posted up a new dev diary for Lord of the Rings Online from Chris "Hakai" Clay: If you had told me when I was little that people made games, I would have laughed at the thought. To me game developers were a thing of myth, and it wasn't until I left microbiology to make games that I realized that they are indeed creatures of myth -- made from caffeine, sugar, and adrenaline. As I enter my sixth year at Turbine, I can't help but wonder at the time I've had here and the people I've worked with. My adventure has taken me through multiple roles to this amazing project. I currently spend my time working with designers, engineers, and artists to help create the combat experience for The Lord of the Rings Online. Check it. Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

Lineage II C3 Live: NCSoft announces the awaited Chronicle 3 for Lineage II which introduces new game-play aspects. Chronicle 3, which is available free to all current subscribers via automatic download, brings several new elements to Lineage II's land of Aden, with one of the most important being the addition of bonuses for new players. The bonuses will give new players a boost, allowing them to progress through the early levels at a faster pace so they may participate in the more advanced elements of Lineage II. As part of the bonus system, new players will receive additional items and adena, Lineage II's in-game currency, for completing early quests. New players will also receive free beneficial magic from a guide in each village. Additionally, new players will receive full value for items, instead of partial credit, when exchanging them for more powerful items in village stores. "This is a step that will allow players to more quickly participate in the advanced elements of Lineage II," said Aaron Rigby, Lineage II's North American producer. "Because Lineage II has so much to offer, it makes sense to get players through the early levels quickly so they fully realize the depth of the game and the amount of fun it provides." Lineage II's highly-praised PvP system has also been improved and augmented in Chronicle 3 with the addition of a new combat points system. This system gives players an extra layer of protection when attacked by another player. Combat points vary by player class, recover over time and act as a buffer that must be depleted before damage will affect a player's hit points. The combat point system will be especially valued by new players who are common ambush targets of veteran players. Chronicle 3 also adds a new epic adventure, the Seven Signs Quest, which gives players the chance to fight for control of several Seals as a member of two factions. Every two weeks players can join one of these two factions, The Revolutionary Army of Dusk or the Lords of Dawn, and compete for control of a Seal by collecting rare stones and hunting special monsters in the Festival of Darkness. A faction in control of a Seal will gain access to different dungeons containing unique elements, recieve an extra edge during castle sieges and the ability to recover rare items. Adding to the excitement of sieges is the new flying, fire-breathing dragon, the Wyvern. Wyverns are the final evolution of the Striders introduced in the last Lineage II chronicle. Players who are able to ride a Wyvern can cross large distances quickly, raining fire and destruction down on enemies and their strongholds. Flying dragons for players! Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

PotBS Rebuilt Web, New Features: FlyingLabs is really flying with full sails as they do a major make-over on the official website for Pirates of the Burning Sea, included witht he new look are new game features revealed, a dev diary and 20+ new screenshots. Flying Lab Software�s MMP Pirates of the Burning Sea showed off its new look today at its relaunched website, including photorealistic ocean graphics, avatars with cutting-edge graphics, and a bold new art style. At E3 next week, Flying Lab staffers will be at the ATI booth to demo the game and talk about new features such as a conquerable PvP game world, player-created battles, and customizable avatars. Screenshots are online now at http://www.burningsea.com. Later this year, gamers will enter PBS�s beta to experience all-out war at sea, as Britain, France, and Spain battle to control valuable ports across the entire Caribbean of 1720. Pirates, naval officers, and adventurers use a wealth of skills and modifications to make their ships the fastest, strongest, and deadliest in all the New World. PvE missions contribute heavily to the extensive strategic PvP system, as players working together can force a valuable port into contention, triggering a series of scheduled battles that activate open PvP regions and can result in portions of the shared world dramatically changing sides. The more ports a nation controls, the faster it racks up points towards a server-wide victory, resulting in celebrations, rewards, and the beginning of a new round of competition. Pirates of the Burning Sea�s customizable avatars feature normal mapping and dynamic self-shadowing for a powerful visual look and lots of creative freedom for players. Crew on the deck of your ship haul ropes, fire cannon, and are blown off the deck by massive impact effects. Hollywood sound designer Richard King, who won the Oscar(R) for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, supplies the game�s immersive and detailed sound design. This game is really looking good and with fierce competition sailing their way from Disney and KOEI. Check em. Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

UBO ESPN Beta Live: Netamin announces that their beta partnership with ESPN sports has begun playing ball in Ultimate Baseball Online. The official word: ESPN today announced the launch of beta testing for the full-feature version of ESPN Ultimate Baseball Online (ESPN UBO) on ESPN360 - the company's customized broadband service. Fans with broadband capability will also be able to download the world's first massive multi-player online sports game from ESPN.com, the leading sports site. Previously, ESPN Spring Training, a limited-feature version of ESPN UBO, was available to fans on ESPN360 during its recent All Access free trial week. Among the enhancements included in the new version are enhanced graphics, new pitching and fielding practice, enhanced crowd reactions, and better artificial fielding intelligence. ESPN UBO will be offered for FREE to gamers until its full launch on July 2. Registration will be available on www.espn.com, www.espn360.com and www.ultimatebaseballonline.com. The beta of ESPN UBO, developed by Netamin Communication Corporation, gives gamers a first-person perspective to baseball gaming via real-time online experiences. In the game, fans and gamers compete online with and against other players in 3D virtual stadiums by controlling customized, personalized characters (avatars), playing a particular position, forming teams and leagues and playing against other ESPN UBO participants. Players control their avatar while batting, pitching, fielding, running, stealing bases and every other baseball action. Gamers can practice, play pick-up games, join or found their own teams, compete against rival teams, play in specialized tournaments, and win league championships in post-season play. After creating their own characters, gamers can build their skill level (player stats) through practice and successful play. The beta version of ESPN UBO features a new graphics engine that runs at 60 frames per second and more than 100,000 polygons per frame - double the quantity of the previous version. Other visual enhancements include dynamic RGB lighting, soft-edged shadows, and natural reflections. Play Ball! Posted May 12 2005 by Div Devlin

First Look: Imperator Online Mark "Torch" Maslow visited Mythic Entertainment last month for a behind the scenes look at Imperator Online and shares his thoughts on the game with his first look. Imperator is a PvE design with all players on the same Roman faction. Mayans are the enemy. Don't expect the middle Americas to embrace this with enthusiasm. There will be four playable races at launch: Humans, Artificial Life (think AI + robot, i.e Al Gore), Tigris (genetically engineered cat people), and Ingenii (genetically engineered race of Supermodels crossed with the minds of Mozart/da Vinci/Shakespeare/etc). Many of the items were under an NDA at the time. Check it. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

Turbine Grabs $30 Million: Turbine Games announced that they have secured another $30 Million in funding which takes them to the next level of becoming a publishing house as opposed to a development studio. Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, today announced that it has secured $30 Million in Series B equity financing. Tudor Ventures and Columbia Capital led the new round with additional funding from existing investors Highland Capital Partners and Polaris Venture Partners. In connection with the financing, Carmen Scarpa, a partner at Tudor Ventures, will join the company's Board of Directors; Jeff Patterson, a partner at Columbia, will be added as an observer. "We are excited about adding the talent and expertise of these two great firms to the company," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO, Turbine, Inc. "This investment demonstrates Turbine's commitment to being the premiere provider of online gaming in North America. We are excited that all four of our Series B investors are confident in Turbine's ability to deliver triple-A games and services." Turbine develops, publishes and operates massively multiplayer online video games (MMOG). In addition to its award-winning Asheron's Call(R) franchise, Turbine is producing and funding Dungeons & Dragons(R) Online, the only MMORPG be based on the world-famous Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Turbine also recently acquired the exclusive MMOG rights to The Lord of the Rings(TM) and The Hobbit(TM) literary works by the world-renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien and is producing and publishing The Lord of the Rings(TM) Online. "Turbine has emerged as one of the clear leaders in online gaming," said Carmen Scarpa, partner at Tudor Ventures. "Our commitment to Turbine is a validation of the Company's experienced management team, proprietary technology and outstanding market potential." With its world-class franchise roster, Turbine is at the forefront of the exploding massively multiplayer online games market. According to DFC Intelligence, individual subscriptions to MMOGs in North America, Europe and Japan topped more than 2.5 million and generated more than $400 million in revenue in 2004. The number of subscribers in those markets alone is expected to hit nearly 10 million by 2009 and generate more than $1.6 billion in revenue. The race for global domination begins. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

Community News: Editorials GameZone shares thoughts about MMO Pricing. Grimwell shares thoughts on game companies jumping into virtual item sales. Interviews Corp News chats it up with Scott" Scorch" Brown on Auto Assault. GameSpot chats it up with a Q&A from Funcom about Age of Conan. IGN chats it up with a Q&A from Funcom about Age of Conan. Previews Imperator on Allakhazam, GameSpot, GameSpy, MMORPG, RPG Vault, and Warcry. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes on RPG Vault. Reviews Guild Wars on GameOgre, NerfBat, and UGO. Rumor Mill GameBunny reports that NCSoft is working on yet another MMO game with the working title of Exteel. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

Mythic Goes To Europe: Mythic announces they are heading to Europe in full force with the addition of new branch offices set to open. Mythic Entertainment, developer and publisher of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game "Dark Age of Camelot," today announced plans to open a European office, and to launch their upcoming science-fiction MMORPG, "Imperator," simultaneously in North America and Europe. The new office will oversee Mythic's European publishing operations including localization, marketing, distribution, customer support and billing for "Imperator" when it is released in the summer of 2006. Mythic is currently reviewing several possible locations for their European presence and is in discussions with a number of potential European distribution partners. As with "Dark Age of Camelot," "Imperator" will be published by Mythic Entertainment in North America. "'Dark Age of Camelot' is a huge success in Europe; it was the first MMORPG to prove the great potential for online games in Europe," said Mark Jacobs, president and CEO of Mythic Entertainment. "Our new office will allow us to participate in the rapidly growing European MMORPG market, and to expand the player community for 'Imperator' and future Mythic titles." DFC Intelligence, in The Online Game Market report, forecasts that the European market for online games will grow from the current estimate of $300 million in 2004 to reach $2 billion by 2009. Mythic will reveal a playable version of "Imperator," and future plans for "Dark Age of Camelot" expansions, during the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The trade show takes place in the LA Convention Center from May 18th - 20th, and Mythic will be located in booth number 5001C in the Concourse Hall. EU players will get to rejoice if operations comes under the Mythic roof over there. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

E3Expo MMO Updates: Perpetual Entertainment announces that the Roman Legion will march upon E3 to showcase Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising while at at the show: The famed soldiery of Legio IX Hispana have broken camp and begun marching on Los Angeles, where they will marshal in support of Perpetual Entertainment's Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising. Legio IX Hispana is the largest Roman re-enactment society in North America, with chapters throughout California and the South-West. Over a dozen members in full legionnaire's kit will be present at various times in E3's Concourse Walkway to promote Gods and Heroes and discuss the tactics and technology of squad warfare in ancient Rome. "Due to safety concerns, Legio IX Hispana will be unable to hurl our spears and charge with drawn swords," said Sean Richards, founder and centurion of the legion. "We will still, however, be able to show off the armor and kit of the era, and share our expertise in Roman squad-based combat." Even though they won't chuck spears, perhaps they can have a working catapult? Turbine announces that they will showcase both Dungeons and Dragons Online with the new subtitle "Stormreach" and the rebranded title Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar on the show floor with a couple of special contests. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

Escahton Online Dead: Escahton Online the sci-fi space based MMO/RTS from developer Gnostic Labd had halted development operations with a message board post announced last month: Chain of Command is on hold - no longer in active development as of last month. Of the key two other founders, one is pursuing grad school and the other is getting into real estate. I've depleted my finances and lost most of the motivation to continue at it alone, so I'ved moved to LA to work for a larger studio to pay the bills. At this point I am uncertain what will happen with this game and engine. I still put it in a little time now and then working on it, but I don't know where that is going yet. I hate to see the project unfinished and would like to take it to some level of near completion, but I simply can't afford to work on it full-time anymore. That being said, I am interested in continuing it as an independent side project and looking forward to meeting anyone who has some interest in pitching in resources/time to complete it. I still strongly like the basic idea of the game but it needs more resources than I can provide at the moment to fulfill its potential. I may be in a position to continue at a business level later on the year, I may not. I may reincarnate again later with a different focus. But I've learned that I'd rather see a beautiful vision fulfilled with adequate manpower than languish slowly with a tiny team. Thanks Chris for the update. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

Horizons Reseller Program: Tulga Games announces a reseller program, much akin to an affilaite program, for Horizons in which you can make cash for helping to sell the game. The Horizons Reseller Program (HRP) offers individuals and or businesses (the Reseller) the opportunity to supplement their revenue by helping to advertise and market "Horizons: Empire of Istaria", a massively multiplayer online game. After filling out the form provided and being approved, the individual and or business will be provided with a link and a "Product Image" to incorporate into their website. For each paying subscriber gained by Horizons from the Reseller's website, the Reseller will be paid $1 per month per subscriber (PMPS) for all paid subscriptions in good standing. Details. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

MEO New Name, New Look: Middle Earth Online has been officially rebranded with a spiffy new title including a subtitle from Turbine. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar website has gone live with new info on the Tolkien property in development. Included in the new name and look is a Dev Diary from Jeffery Steefel which explains the changes and answers community questions. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

... And Then There Were None: Word has it via Sir Bruce that Rich Vogel, Executive Producer of Star Wars Galaxies has left the building joining all-star departures of Gordon Walton and Johnathan Hanna. Only Raph Koster remains at SOE now? While some specualate that it had to do with the Combat Upgrade, Raph Koster informs that, "The news is old, he left before the CU was done." Could it be that the high profile names reject virtual item selling that SOE is undertaking? Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

ToA Make-Over: Shadowpool Studios announces a make-over for their Trial's of Ascension website which includes in the revamped site, new message boards along with new screenshots and concept art, as well as new audio samples and wallpapers. Check it. Posted May 11 2005 by Div Devlin

AO, Lost Eden Announced: The official announcement for the Anarchy Online expansion pack, Lost Eden has been released as they bring PvP back into the game: Funcom announces 'Anarchy Online - Lost Eden', an action-filled new expansion pack for the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG. Set for release in early winter, 'Lost Eden' is packed with exciting new features and abilities, including massive orbital battle stations, player controlled battle Mechs, vast PvP upgrades, encounters inside alien motherships, extensive alternative character advancement options and more. 'Lost Eden' sees mankind pulling out all the stops against the alien invaders as gigantic battle stations are deployed in orbit around Rubi-Ka. As fire rains from the heavens humanity finally seems to gain the upper hand. But with great power comes great temptation, and Omni-Tek and the Clans both see the ultimate means to gain total supremacy for their side; the orbital battle stations. Rubi-Ka, once the birthplace of mankind and the garden of Eden, now a place of havoc and death. Will humanity finally get it right, or will their own aggression see the downfall of both the alien invaders and themselves? "With 'Lost Eden' we are continuing our focus on the unique sci-fi aspects in 'Anarchy Online', and we are giving our players extensive new gameplay options" said Game Director Morten Byom. "The ability to raid and control orbital battle stations, steer powerful battle Mechs, fight inside the motherships and new character advancement options should bring great fun to all of our players." List of features. Posted May 9 2005 by Div Devlin

CoH Issue Four: NCsoft and Cryptic Studio's announced the release of their City of Heroes content patch with Issue #4 adding Player versus Player arena's into game. Issue 4 also adds new options to the critically-acclaimed costume customization tool with the addition of a wide-variety of anime-influenced costume choices. Additionally, players now have greater control over the look and feel of their characters with the introduction of body and face scaling features. The costume customization interface now enables players to shape parts of their characters' bodies including heads, shoulders, legs and chests. The updated customization options will be available to all new characters. Pre-existing characters can visit any of the tailor shops in Paragon City� to update their look. "We took a costume customization tool that offered an almost unlimited number of costume options and added to it by geometric proportions," said Jack Emmert, City of Heroes lead designer and creative director for Cryptic Studios. "One of the achievements we are most proud of is that players know that they can play City of Heroes and may never see another player with the same costume. The updating of custom options also expands our ability to reach more players who are fans of Anime or Manga." The main event for Issue 4, however, is the three new PVP arenas in Paragon City. For the first time, heroes can test their skills against each other in hand-to-hand combat. The arenas, which opened in Galaxy City, Talos Island and Peregrine Island, resemble some of today's newest domed stadiums, but also reflect the classic architecture of coliseums throughout history. These arenas provide players with access to instanced PVP zones in which solo, team or super group battles can take place. "PVP has been a highly requested option, but until now City of Heroes has been only player-versus-environment style, so this opens up a whole new opportunity for our community," Emmert said. "I believe PVP will supplement the game while not detracting from City of Heroes' missions or story arcs. I see the PVP arenas as a way for players to hone their skills and as a change of pace from arresting villains." The arenas are open to all player levels and include a ranking system where players can see their skills ranked against all other heroes in Paragon City. Winners in the arena matches gain recognition and those defeated still gain valuable battle experience without earning character debt. Matches will also have a wide variety of battle criteria to select from, so players may customize their battles to their preference. City of Villians soon! Posted May 9 2005 by Div Devlin

MxO Friends & Family Invite: WB announces a free trail program for friends and family members within The Matrix Online. The Matrix Online Team is pleased to announce the Friends & Family Trial Program that will take place from May 20th-29th, 2005 during the next major live event, "The Hunt for Morpheus." On Thursday, May 12th all current subscribers to The Matrix Online will be e-mailed 3 trial keys and a game client download link. Each of these keys will allow a non-subscriber guest to sign-up and play the game during this live event. Morpheus, the once-beloved Zion visionary leader, takes center stage in "The Hunt for Morpheus" event. Continuing to pursue the haunting question "Why won't they give up his remains?" Morpheus resorts to drastic measures to persuade the Machines to return Neo's body to the people of Zion. The fragile truce between the Machines and the people of Zion begins to shred under this added strain, and the Merovingian takes advantage of their distraction, intensifying his efforts to expand the Exiles' power base. Tensions run high on all sides, and Morpheus becomes the focus of the chaos to ensue. Free trials so soon after retail launch, does not bode well. The official website directs you to the offical website to learn more. Sanfu. Posted May 9 2005 by Div Devlin

UO, Robin Hood: Remember Ultima Online? Here's a good movie which adds some humor to the state of the game with artifacts. Farewell to Neives from UOPG who has retired. Posted May 9 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW, An Undead netPr0nStar: NSFW, But Too Funny To Not Mention: Who cares about the rumored patch notes leaked by a Blizzard employee which are announing nerfs to warriors and thieves in World of Warcraft. The real news is about the ever developing netpronstar known as the Kate. Here's a gal that plays an Undead Mage in game while nekkid at her PC. And if you sign-up to her guild you can check out action shots of her playing nekked with her gal-pals. How many hot girls do you know that play MMORPG's? Remember when you see my character(she's an undead mage who i think looks like me!) that the girl behind it is playing nude. I bet you'd like to see that, wouldn't you? I bet you'd love to see how hard my nipples are when I'm slaying the Alliance. So, how many subscribers do you think she has? As Fires of Heaven point out, she already has stalkers and a hoof. FoH for teh win as they made Kate cry. Although Kate, is not actually Kate, but is Jenise Hetu. Blizzard give's her the recognistion she deserves. Posted May 9 2005 by Div Devlin

AC2 Legions Launches: Turbine has released their first expansion to Asheron's Call 2 since the title has released and come home under their roof: Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today that the highly-anticipated massively multiplayer online game Asheron's Call 2: Legions(TM) is available now at retail chains throughout North America. The game will be available in Europe on May 6. The long-awaited expansion pack to Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings(R) marks the first game to be funded, developed and published entirely by Turbine. With Legions, Turbine has taken the first of many steps beyond its original role as a contract developer and added the responsibilities of marketing and launch efforts, effectively positioning the company as a full-scale publisher. "Launching Asheron's Call 2: Legions is the beginning of a new era for Turbine," said Tom Nichols, vice president of marketing, Turbine, Inc. "Not only will we continue to develop great games based on some of the world's most compelling properties, but as a publisher we will now be able to oversee the entire process. Every step in delivering a title is now under Turbine's direction and is held up to the company's high standards." Turbine is working with Station Publishing to distribute Asheron's Call 2: Legions in North America. Turbine also partnered with Codemasters to distribute the game throughout Europe. About Asheron's Call 2: Legions Asheron's Call 2: Legions is the first follow-up to the graphically ground-breaking MMORPG Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings. Legions will provide players with an ambitious new storyline complete with an extensive array of new content for hours and hours of additional online adventuring. Players will now have a massive new continent to conquer, full of more than 100 quests, increasing the size of the existing gameworld by 30 percent. The title allows gamers to take control of never before playable races, including the Empyreans and the Drudge, as well as explore new dungeons, battle new monsters and arm themselves with the latest array of weapons. The improved Hero System 2.0 builds on the 300 added skills and abilities as well as three new prestige classes. The overall game engine upgrades and extensive system improvements largely enhance the performance and game play experience, making the title appealing to both new players as well as the most avid fan. It does look pretty good. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

In Game Ads Go Global: The world just became smaller and all the Advertising companies which have been pounding the virtual pavement by brining in game ads into MMO games became a bit shell shocked as IGA Worldwide, the world's largest name in in-game advertising, announced the formation of the first global specialist media group dedicated to advertising opportunities in the game space, using their technology enabled media network to help brands reach millions of end consumers. Operating out of New York, London and Berlin, and tapping into the expertise of former executives from leading agencies such as McCann Erickson, BBDO, and Carat and McKinsey, the IGA Worldwide network of companies has expanded to include IGA Partners North America (formerly In-game Partners LLC), IGA Partners Europe, IGA Technologies, and the newly acquired Hive Partners, a communications agency best known for its groundbreaking in-game advertising work for energy drinks giant Red Bull. With its rapid expansion, IGA Worldwide will open new offices in Paris, Benelux, Los Angeles, and Tokyo in the coming months. IGA Partners� primary offering is the planning, serving and tracking of highly targeted and dynamically updateable advertising campaigns into their global network of live multi-platform (PC, console, handheld and mobile)video game titles via proprietary ad-serving technology. Consumers playing game titles enabled with the IGA technology will see a range of territory-localized and context-sensitive advertising content both during and between game play sessions, including billboards, interstitial screens, TV spots and a wide variety of other formats comparable with real world advertising. Plus, with the next generation of high definition, broadband-enabled, �always on� game consoles, this content will rapidly expand to include a wider variety of rich media and even brand-specific game play content. I just hope we don't see ads on sails in either PotBS or PotC. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

Community News: Events SOE Fan Fair has new details released for the Vegas Event taking place June 9 through 12. This is where they will be holding their search with Stuff Magazine for the new game gal. Interviews BoomTown chats with Scott Brown on Auto Assault. MMORPG holds a Combat Upgrade Q&A with Julio Torres on Star Wars Galaxies. Warcry chats with Jeff Strain of ArenaNet on the Guild Wars launch (in article format). Videos After a few months of downtime MALVision announces they are back online and getting ready to produce some new movies soon. If you have not checked out their classics, be sure to stop by. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

RGR Covering E3Expo: Radio.GameRifts our netRadio site for the hardcore gamer will be heading down to E3 in just two week and counting and will be covering the show with hourly updates. Check out our ever expanding list of MMO games which we will be covering. Something you want to see us cover, drop a line on our (restored) message boards. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

EQ2 Expansion Announced: SOE breaks loose with new content for EverQuest II. Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced EverQuest�II Desert of Flames(TM) and EverQuest�II The Splitpaw Saga(TM), the first expansion pack and second adventure pack, respectively, for the critically acclaimed MMO EverQuest II. Scheduled for launch September 12th 2005, Desert of Flames has a suggested retail price of $29.99 and will be showcased at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. The Splitpaw Saga will be available only via digital download for just $7.99 and is scheduled for release June 28th 2005. "Through our regular live updates for EverQuest II we've not only added a couple thousand quests and dozens of new adventure instances, we've changed the way people play our game with new features," said Scott Hartsman, senior producer, Sony Online Entertainment. "Expansions and adventure packs, however, let us do even more. In Desert of Flames we've created a home for some great new player versus player gameplay, with some unique twists. The Splitpaw Saga does more than tell an interesting story; it also includes the addition of dungeon instances that scale to your group's level. Both of these additions to EverQuest II let us do things we've never done before and we're excited about our plans for the next six months." WoW. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

Mourning, Mourning: From the Mourning boards on Mourning: A new kind of MMO world is born! Mourning will soon be attempted something new, that no massive online game has done before. We feel this feature will bring a totally new dynamic to online worlds and provide roleplayers and crafters opporunities never before seen in this genre to date while at the same time creating strong community bonds inside and outside the game world. More news regarding this exciting feature will be present with the relaunching of the official website to happen soon! Comments held due to laughter. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

Puzzle Pirates Sails Into Stores: It's been a long time in the coming, but Puzzle Pirates from Three Rings and Disney can now be found in retail stores thanks to Ubi Soft becoming the official publisher of the game. Be ye landlubber or sea dog, hoist yer sail for Puzzle Pirates and plunder a world of challenge and adventure. If it's the pirate's life ye crave, ye'll find plenty o' mateys to puzzle with online, or rally yer own crew fer a swashbucklin' good time. The boxed copy retails for $19.99US and can be purchased direct through the Ubi Soft Store in which you can be entered into a special sweepstakes contest. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

SWG Rages with Wookies: Even with the flak hammering SOE/Lucas Arts on their Combat Upgrade, the lastest expasnion for Star Wars Galaxies has mades it's way into the galaxy with Rage of the Wookies. After weeks of polishing the Episode III inspired content through the beta process, Rage of the Wookiees will ship via download to current subscribers on Thursday, May 5th, two weeks before the movie hits theaters. Star Wars Galaxies: Episode III Rage of the Wookiees brings the entire planet of Kashyyyk with over 100 story driven new missions and the exclusive Varactyl mount to subscribers for $24.95 on May 5th, 2005. You know you want too! It's all about the Wookies. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin

WoW Kills Braincells: World of Warcraft causes braincell decay. Nothing but drama. Some notable industry personages have written books on what to do right with an MMO game. Earlier this week, characters belonging to a guild on Uther were moved to Eldre�Thalas to protect them from harassment. Understandably, members of the Eldre�Thalas community were very concerned about this and contacted us through the proper channels, so we investigated the matter internally. After reviewing the steps that were taken, we�ve determined that the appropriate procedure for addressing harassment was not followed. The person responsible for making this decision saw this case as a good way to test the complex realm-to-realm transfer functionality that we would like to make available to players, while at the same time addressing the harassment concerns in a positive way for everyone involved. Unfortunately, the action caused confusion for both the community and the characters moved to Eldre�Thalas. We have decided that in order to correct this situation and put the resolution in line with our current policy, all characters transferred to Eldre�Thalas will be moved back to Uther. Furthermore, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in regard to the harassment that took place on Uther. In addition to this, we will be reevaluating our communication procedure as it relates to enforcing policy, in order to avoid similar situations in the future. We apologize for the confusion caused by this matter, and we want to reaffirm that the complex procedure of transferring characters between realms is in no way appropriate for addressing harassment concerns or other policy violations. We also apologize to the players on Eldre�Thalas for having disrupted the current state of their realm with this issue. Go visit CorpNews for the full story. Could not of been explained better. Posted May 5 2005 by Div Devlin