Posts Tagged ‘free-to-play games’

Blacklight: Retribution Release Date Announced, Bonus XP Weekend On Now! [Updated]

16 March 2012 | 1 Comment » | iTZKooPA

We’re glad to inform you that Perfect World Entertainment will be releasing Zombie Studio’s free-to-play FPS Blacklight: Retribution on April 3, 2012.

Shwing!

The title is currently in Open Beta, so you might as well jump in an begin leveling your permanent character now. If the “headstart” isn’t a good enough incentive for you.

How about this tidbit: The game is currently undergoing a Bonus XP Weekend. Actually, that’s weekend++, as the event will end on Tuesday!

We’re not worthy!

“After five successive months of closed and open beta testing, Blacklight Retribution has recruited a strong community of dedicated players that have provided valuable feedback for our development team to create a tight and polished free-to-play game with innovative and exciting features,” said Andrew Brown, Executive Producer for Perfect World Entertainment. “Our team has been working really hard to prepare the game for its release, including additional content like new game modes, supporting maps, and a variety of new weapons and related gameplay enhancers.”

Above you’ll find the latest trailer for Blacklight: Retribution. To be fair, it’s geared more towards getting your adrenaline pumping than showcasing in-game experiences. This blogger has never faced enemies that stupid, or that willing to spill their blood, which doesn’t exist in BLR.

“Add it in post” indeed.

(Sorry, I just watched Wayne’s World).

[Update]

In fact, this was confirmed and expanded upon by the Creative Head of Zombie Studios, Jared Gerrtizen:

Aftereffects and a path in the video that isn’t in the map…. Heads have rolled.

Zombie Studios takes its community very seriously.

Fallen Earth Purchased by GamersFirst, Creative Team Absorbed, Going F2P

20 June 2011 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

Fallen Earth, LLC and GamersFirst have announced that the latter company has purchased Fallen Earth from the former. In addition to acquiring the post-apocalyptic MMORPG, GamersFirst has opened its doors to the 12 person creative team, lead by Marie“Aro Sei” Croall, moving the team to its Reloaded Productions team.

The Fallen Earth creative team will continue working on the title, helping with the transition to the free-to-play model. GamersFirst will provide all background publishing services moving forward, including backend development and QA. Croall and her team will be joined by Tracy Spaight, executive designer, and Joseph Willmon, associate game director, to help integrate Fallen Earth into the GamersFirst universe.

“Fallen Earth has a number of unique and innovative game features, and we felt it was important to incorporate this outstanding creative team into Reloaded Productions’ staff,” said Bjorn Book-Larsson, COO of GamersFirst and head of Reloaded Productions.“It was important to retain what made Fallen Earth popular and unique, and we are therefore thrilled to have this particular band of passionate game creators joining our growing global studio team.”

The transition to the F2P model is scheduled to be completed in roughly five months. Players that remain subscribed throughout the changeover will receive a lifetime increase to the premium tier, as well as veteran-only items.

Once the transition is completed, all players will  receive “completely unrestricted permanent access to every zone and instance in the game.” As with other games, GamersFirst will offer tiered membership services in lieu of a typical subscription. And the obligatory store with content, convenience items and services.

Sounds good to me.

The Price of F2P: Champions Online: Free for All

1 February 2011 | 4 Comments » | iTZKooPA

The “The Price of F2P” column attempts to discover the cost, if any, of free-to-play (F2P) titles.  Most F2P titles are just that, free-to-play, but offer objects for players to purchase.  Often these items are purely cosmetic, such as extra costumes, character customization options or non-stat armor modifications.  However, there are items that are more than cosmetic or “convenient” to own in today’s MMORPGs.  Especially for those who want to be in the title’s upper echelon.  Analyzing the cost of those useful items is why we are here.

This may come as a shock to some, but Cryptic Studios has been running a store for Star Trek Online and Champions Online for awhile. The C-Store, as it is known, offered dozens of items before Champions Online morphed in to Champions Online: Free for All. Since the transformation the virtual market place has expanded to Wal-Mart proportions. And yet, the game remains remarkably inexpensive. The fear that you may end up spending far too much money on a “free” game is misplaced. At least when it comes to Champions Online.

Hit the jump to see the full breakdown.

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Champions Online Now Far More Tolerable

25 January 2011 | 5 Comments » | iTZKooPA

It's a flippin' ninja!

It’s no secret that I didn’t have a good experience with Champions Online. So poor was my time with the game that I abandoned it well before my 6-month timeshare was up and shrugged away from Star Trek Online. The title didn’t…resonate with me, to put it politely.

A couple of months ago, Cryptic Studios announced the no-brainer transition to the popular free-to-play model. Like DDO and LotRO before it, the re-launched Champions Online would support itself on the freemium model. Players would jump in the game for free, only having to pay for addition content. While I still believe Cyptic is shooting itself in the foot (which may be in its mouth) by relegating the customization, the game’s best, features to the pay-for category, I expect the “new” game to make bank.

The re-launch, dubbed Champions Online: Free for All is now live (currently, login servers are being hammered).

In fact, there’s a very good chance I’ll dip my toes back in the pool. After numerous balance and content patches, months of beta testing, new opening areas and “reordered, rescripted and augmented” zones, the game is probably a radically different experience. Just look at the insanely long patch notes.

Seriously, I’ve never seen that many documented changes for a game before.

You can sign up here and check out the Free for All trailer after the jump. Continue Reading

Shenmue Released Online. On Mobile Platforms. In Japan.

5 December 2010 | 2 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Upon its release, Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever made. Not surprisingly, Sega expected big success from Yu Suzuki’s pet project. The modern-day martial arts epic was a critical hit, but the Dreamcast was struggling in the worldwide market. A cult following and strong-enough sales allowed for a sequel to be produced, yet the Dreamcast didn’t last that long (Shenmue II eventually come out in the North American market for the original Xbox, Japan and Europe received a Dreamcast version).

Over a decade since inception and years of Shenmue Online rumors/delays/details, Shenmue has finally hit the Internet, in a legal sense. Shenmue City, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki, went live in Japan on Yahoo’s mobile gaming platform a few days ago. As you may expect from the platform of choice, Shenmue City is nothing like its predecessors. Set in the same world, actually during chapter one of Shenmue, the game sounds like numerous free-to-play browser games. Gameplay details lead me to believe it’s along the lines of a martial arts Shakes + Fidget with extra social aspects.

Now, you may be wondering why I’m talking about a game that (probably) none of us will ever play. It’s simple really; Yu Suzuki said that the future of the franchise rests upon Shenmue City’s critical and commercial success. That means our ability to continue Ryo Hazuki’s revenge tale ultimately depends on notoriously fickle mobile gamers.

/crossesfingers