Tome of the Sun is one of several games Chinese megapublisher NetEase is hoping will capture western minds and attention spans this year. We caught up with Game Designer Alex Liang to chat about the unique mobile action RPG and how it plays.
General: Eternal Arena Looks to Capture PVE Fans with its Hybrid MMO MOBA
NetEase is a big player in China’s gaming market, and they’re poised to make a splash here in the west with a host of MMOs for mobile platforms later this year. We caught up with the Eternal Arena team and its Content Designer Brad O’Farrell to talk about the unique hybrid of MMORPG and MOBA his team is creating.
General: Should Studios Outsource?
Player Versus Player, MMORPG’s bi-weekly debate in text, is back! This week our writers are talking outsourcing. Selling labor is a reality of the times and is also part and parcel of modern game development. Even though most jobs stay in the U.S, we ask are so many hands in the cookie jar a good thing?
General: ARK: Survival Evolved – Where RPG and Survival Collide
This week, the RPG Files digs into ARK: Survival Evolved and how its excellent blend of RPG mechanics and survival gameplay make it a game RPG fans should pay close attention to. But not buy. You heard us right. Read on to find out why and all of the week’s RPG news!
General: Aftermath – Survival Horror MMO Enters Open Beta
George Romero’s Aftermath, a survival horror MMO, has now entered its open beta phase of development. Players can check out the game on the official site or via Steam.
General: The Greatest MMOs of All Time – Numbers 25 to 16
This will ruffle some feathers. The staff at MMORPG.com, from President Craig McGregor and CTO Ben Krueger, to our wonderful list of reviewers, columnists, and community managers, all the way down to your humble and lowly Managing Editor (me) have voted. We took the top player-rated games from our Game List, including those that have been closed after launch, and we ranked them.
General: ELOA: The Game, The Controversy & The Future
ELOA Online has been in Korea now for some time, and in the US and EU as Inspirit Online. However, it turns out that Inspirit is an unauthorized version of the MMO, and now Webzen is officially bringing ELOA to the West later this year. We reached out to the developers to chat about the controversy, the game itself, and their thoughts on the future of MMOs.
General: NineLives – Two Guys, the Unity Engine & A Dream
A new game called NineLives is getting ready to hit its alpha phase of development and made by a team of two with a dream and a copy of the Unity Engine. According to the site, NineLives is an open world, level-less, adventure RPG with some of the sandbox elements that players are longing to find.
General: HTC Vive: Not in Kansas Anymore
In between appointments with indie game developers at PAX Prime this year I was able to slip in and experience the HTC Vive. If this is the first you are hearing of the Vive it is HTC’s entry into the virtual reality space in collaboration with Valve (you know, those people behind Steam). I’ve used the first two versions of the Oculus Rift so I had a general idea of what to expect. However what I experienced was leaps and bounds ahead of what I have experienced in previous years.
General: HTC Vive: Not in Kansas Anymore
In between appointments with indie game developers at PAX Prime this year I was able to slip in and experience the HTC Vive. If this is the first you are hearing of the Vive it is HTC’s entry into the virtual reality space in collaboration with Valve (you know, those people behind Steam). I’ve used the first two versions of the Oculus Rift so I had a general idea of what to expect. However what I experienced was leaps and bounds ahead of what I have experienced in previous years.