The Funeral of WoW Gold

Massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming has grown exponentially in recent years. Titles like World Of Warcraft and Everquest have become more than mere games; to many, they are a way of life. Inspiring levels of dedication and passion like no other form of entertainment can, these virtual communities are ensnaring hundreds of new members worldwide on a daily basis.

With MMOs enjoying such phenomenal popularity, what better time to create another virtual world for online gamers to colonise? No doubt the folks at Gala Networks Europe had this in mind when they made the decision to import Korean MMO Dragonica to these shores. Digital Spy caught up with producer Max Stolberg to find out exactly what the game has in store for us.

It may not be household name yet, but Dragonica is sure to create a stir upon its release. Combining arcade-style gameplay with traditional MMO action, this side-scrolling 3-D adventure is completely free to play, but that’s not the only thing that makes it unique.

“It’s certainly not a traditional MMO as the whole approach is completely different,” explained
Stolberg. “Players will mainly move left-right and up-down even though you can move diagonally as well. The main difference is that all maps limit your movement in the up-down direction while players progress by moving to the right like in a 2-D side-scrolling game.”

Although it won’t be the first game of its kind set against a high fantasy backdrop where gods, demons, wizards and warriors are locked in an epic battle between good and evil, Dragonica offers an alternative to its competitors and is geared towards a very diverse crowd. “We are targeting a really broad audience addressing older and younger players alike, as the game combines a retro style with up-to-date graphics,” said Stolberg. “Due to the many fun quests and humorous skills like the fart attack, airstrike or Buddha squash, we believe parents can enjoy Dragonica as much as kids can.”

As the producer informed us, the game’s ethos is very much an inclusive one, with developer Barunson Interactive striving to create an accessible community for players of all ages to enjoy. “They wanted their game to be different from other side-scrolling games, though, and therefore chose a 2-D side-scrolling system with a 3-D turn concept and transformed this whole action-oriented jump and run experience into a proper MMO with all the up-to-date community features,” Stolberg elaborated.

One of these features is an in-game cash shop, where players can purchase a variety of character customisations, including costumes, novelty items and health. In order to keep the game balanced, the developers have ensured that players with money will rarely triumph because of their financial advantage. Important items like weapons and armour will not be sold in the store. There can only be obtained through completing quests, trading with other players or killing enemies. Players can transfer funds into their account using a similar system to other online stores such as Xbox Live or the Wii Shop.

When trailers for the game appeared on YouTube, some fans drew visual comparisons to role-playing games of old, such as The Secret Of Mana and Final Fantasy Tactics, as well as newer titles like Disgaea, but Barunson assured us any similarities are unintentional. Its simplistic approach and economical system requirements are, however, certain to strike a chord within the retro community. “We’ve even tested it with a SNES pad using a SNES-to-USB converter, which worked,” the producer assured us.

The game has undergone beta testing in three countries so far and enjoyed a positive reception across the board. “The last closed beta test in China saw a huge influx of players every day and the vast majority of comments were either really good or plain euphoric,” the producer asserted. “Despite that, Barunson decided to review the game one more time and added a couple of new maps, lots of more quests, and balanced the classes so that playing PvP will be an as good experience as with any pay-to-play MMO.”

Its first playtest in the Western world took place this month at the Games Fleadh in Tipperary, Ireland. The game was previewed to a group comprising school children, university students, parents, media and teachers. Feedback was highly positive, with players appreciating different aspects of the game depending on their age group.

“I looked at the game and thought it was cute, but as soon as I played it for two minutes, I realised that the gameplay is nothing like the other side-scrolling MMOs,” said one of the university students.

“At last, a game that I can play with my children but that I can beat them at!” a parent added.

Since their rise to prominence, MMOs have not been without their critics. World Of Warcraft in particular has been lambasted in the excessive gaming debate due to its high maintenance and time demands. With this in mind, Baruson has taken measures to ensure that Dragonica does not put such a strain on the social life. “There’re a couple of ways you can greatly reduce your levelling time, developing your skills with your characters, or playing as a group to get through sections of the game quicker,” said Stolberg.

“When we talk about skill, we talk about the action-oriented side of the gameplay; the bigger
the combo you are able to pull off, the more experience you’ll gain. Also, if you’re married in the game, have kids or play as a couple, you’ll also be able to level considerably faster. Dragonica has chosen a more casual approach compared to regular MMOs but it’ll still take some time to reach the highest level or equip your character with the best PvE and PvP armour. Otherwise, where would be the challenge?”

Dragonica is very much a long-term project for Gala Networks and Barunson. Major updates are planned “roughly every quarter” to ensure longevity and there has even been talk of console ports. “Developing console versions of Dragonica is definitely an option according to Barunson,” Stolberg revealed. “They, however, need to focus on finishing and polishing the game first to launch it in the many territories they’ve licensed the game to. For the time being however and once Dragonica is launched, you can easily just plug in an Xbox controller and it still works absolutely fine.”

The game is due to arrive in Europe later this spring, with Gala Networks holding lofty expectations. “We believe Dragonica can be a rival to any pay-to-play game and its unique style and approach combined with a lot of modern and even innovative features will only be the start,” said Stolberg.

“It has tons of quests, and fun skills await the player and until he or she has seen it all. We’ll have new updates ready with even more content. We think that as the game has controls that are easy to pick up, console gamers will be drawn to it as it offers a style of gameplay that isn’t available to them in other MMOs.”

Blizzard appears to be working on a fifth title according to two new job postings.

The fifth brand-new unannounced game surfaced last week following previous hints that Blizzard was interested in working on a completely new IP.

Currently Blizzard is working on Starcraft II, Diablo III, a new World of Warcraft expansion, a next-gen MMO, and a new unannounced game that may be a new IP. Blizzard hinted at developing a game based on a new IP back in 2006 when Blizzard COO Paul Sams commented: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new franchise from us at some time in the future; there’s certainly a desire to do so.”

Blizzard is recruiting again and have been looking for programmers on programming job site forums where two new positions have been advertised by Blizzard’s ‘Slouken’ who has been working on World of Warcraft, specifically with the UI and interface community.

The positions have been advertised stating: 

“Blizzard Entertainment is seeking an experienced gameplay engineer to focus on game rules systems for an unannounced title. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor of a dynamic and focused team working on a brand new project. Blizzard Entertainment offers a fun, creative, and technically challenging environment with excellent compensation and a full range of benefits.”

Based on these two new job postings for software engineers, we can assume that a new IP from Blizzard is in the works.

Nirvana for the video-game industry looks a lot like World of Warcraft, except without the arcane rules that mystify the average player. That vision is the driving force behind “Lego Universe,” a new online game based on the building bricks franchise scheduled for release in 2010. Developed by a San Mateo,
Calif., company called Gazillion Entertainment, the game is designed so even a 5-year-old and his grandfather can play together. Gazillion, which has been operating in stealth since 2005, is also working on an online superhero game based on its license with Marvel Entertainment. The goal is to make virtual-world games that anyone can play. It’s a financially hazardous terrain, explored by many companies before Gazillion, including NC Soft, whose “Tabula Rasa” game, designed by Ultima Online creator Richard Garriott, shut down March 1. These types of games are difficult and expensive to build. They’re even more arduous to maintain once tens of thousands of players pile in.
The potential payoff is a pot of wow gold. Consider “World of Warcraft,” developed by Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine, Calif. It has 11.5 million subscribers, each paying about $15 a month to play. That’s $172.5 million a month in fees alone. The disc, which appears regularly on the weekly list of 10 best-selling PC games even though it’s 4 years old, brings in another $20 a copy. It’s no surprise that the game genre, known as massively multiplayer online games, or MMOs, is a hotbed of development. MMORPG.com lists 253 such games, many of which are in development. With such a crowded field, one way to cut through the noise is a well-known license. Lego and Marvel fit that bill, said Ted Pollak, senior analyst with Jon Peddie Research in San Francisco. “I think there is a big opportunity for mass-market MMOs, especially when they are connected to recognized brands,” Pollak said. But, he warned, “the quality of the game must be top-notch, which is not an easy undertaking.”

Gazillion Chief Executive Rob Hutter said his company had recruited 300 developers, many of whom have worked for Sony Online Entertainment, Blizzard, NC Soft, Walt Disney and other seasoned MMO studios.

Among the changes Gazillion made: shorter game sessions so players can jump in and out in 5 or 10 minutes, easier ways to move around the virtual world, more intuitive menus and fun ways to interact.

The Logitech G19 is a feature-loaded gamer’s dream-keyboard — but at $200 it’s definitely not for the light of wallet.

The G19 has a standard, straight keyboard layout. It’s main selling feature — and the one that no doubt drives its price up the most — is that it’s also equipped with a tiltable 320×240 LCD.

The LCD can be used to display all kinds of information. Not counting nearly 80 games — including World of Warcraft — that directly support the LCD to display in-game information and statistics –  out of the box you can use the LCD to display a clock, play Youtube videos, run a picture slideshow, or even check your POP3 email.

The only downside to the LCD is that it requires a power supply, so the G19 will add a little extra cabling to your setup.

Immediately to the right of the LCD at the back of the keyboard are two USB 2.0 connections — great for Logitech’s G35 headset and G9x Laser mouse, for example — for the perfect Logitech PC gaming ‘triumvirate.’

Like Logitech’s G9x Laser mouse and G35 gaming headset, the G19 keyboard is highly customizable. For starters, the G19 arms you with twelve programmable ‘G keys’ (G1-G12) that sit along the left-hand side of the keyboard.

Each G-key can be assigned a keystroke,  a pre-made macro, or a custom-made, complex, multi-keystroke macro — perfect for MMOs and real-time strategy games in particular.

The G19 also supports up to three separately stored profiles, so you can have up to 36 macros (12 per profile) stored at one time. The color of the backlight — which can be nearly any color — can be different for each profile. Switching profiles is as easy as hitting the M1, M2, or M3 buttons located at the top of the G-keys.

A set of media-keys and a conveniently placed, ergonomic roller for volume adjustment sits just above the number pad. Another convenience is a dedicated slider switch  for disabling the Windows key –  something any gamer will immediately appreciate.

Personally, I have to confess that I miss a dedicated set of programmable gaming keys like the Ideazon Merc Stealth has. I also found the G19’s keys to be a little ‘mushier’ than I prefer for general typing, but that’s a highly subjective preference. I like the LCD panel, although I don’t have any games that directly support it yet — but it’s still handy for its clock, POP3 and other functions. The LCD is crystal clear and has a very sharp image. I look forward to seeing what this puppy can do. (Can I be the first to ask for a ‘rear view mirror’ function for 3D shooters?)

Minor faults aside,  there’s no question about the G19’s greatness. And the LCD function — which is currently supported by World of Warcraft and more than seventy other games — definitely has a lot of potential. Whether or not major PC game developers  jump into supporting it in the future is another question.

Overall, the real question about the G19 isn’t whether or not it’s awesome — it’s just whether or not you’re willing to spend $200 (the cost of a good video card or other system upgrade(s) to get all that awesome. If you are, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.