Michael Jackson, the world’s one and only King of Pop, has passed on but his legacy will continue to live in the memories of millions of adoring fans who, surprisingly, include hundreds if not thousands of online game players. I realize that this tribute is a bit late so I’ll keep it short.
Frankly, I was surprised at the reaction of different massively multiplayer online game communities when news of Michael Jackson’s death hit the headlines on June 25, 2009. In China, home of hundreds of thousands of MMORPG players, the outpouring of grief was pretty evident in the way they …read more

I’ve stumbled upon this video on YouTube featuring United States President Barack Obama, or a likeness thereof, in a machinima based on the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game Aion, and it’s hilarious! Actually, I’ve known about it for quite some time, but haven’t had opportunity to view it.
Go check out President Obama in Aion:
If the video is indeed based on Aion, it shows a lot in terms of the versatility of the game’s engine. Can’t wait to play it … that is, if I can.

Yes, it’s a big thing, to answer that nagging question, “What’s the big deal with Aion coming out on top?”, doing the rounds of your noggin. Well, if the news means nothing to you, it simply means you don’t know about the friendly competition between online games developers in China and those in Asian MMORPG capital South Korea.
I remember publishing an article on MMOtaku that detailed an escalating industry “war” between massively multiplayer online games developers in the two countries.
Here’s an excerpt from that story:
Here’s old news that’s still relevant today: Korean MMOs are losing out in China. According to …read more

Pardon me for posting this video if you’ve already seen it. I haven’t been keeping tabs on Aion: The Tower of Eternity since its teaser website made my computer crash a several months ago. So you can just imagine the wonder in my eyes when I saw this video:

The graphics of Aion looks great and the sound effects seem crisp, but I just have to go hands on to pass judgment. Knowing NCsoft, however, I’m sure disappointment will be far from my thoughts.
Now, the only hindrances are Aion’s actual release date in North America (yes, I’ll be playing on the …read more

My God! USD 14,000 for a single closed beta activation key to the world of Aion? Well, not really. The kingly sum is actually from dozens of CBT keys. How did a single player get so many Aion CBT activation keys?
Let me direct your attention to China-based online games portal 17173 for the answer:
A scandal has recently popped up in the official forum of Aion. A guild leader has revealed in a post how he managed to get over 200 closed beta activation keys and gained over RMB 100,000 (around USD 14,500) by selling them. He allegedly conned members of …read more

Shanda, an operator of massively multiplayer online role-playing games in China, is gunning for online gaming godhood.
In a recently released statement, Tan jun, chief executive officer of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd., said the company would operate 20 online games in 2008.
Here’s a quick rundown of Shanda’s plan:
Shanda Interactive has announced plans to operate over 20 online games next year right after bagging the license to operate upcoming 3D MMORPG Dragon Nest, which is being developed by Korea’s Eyedentity Games Inc. Shanda also plans to bring in and operate over 50 online games between 2008 and 2010.
At the earlier Q3 conference …read more

If my interest in Perfect World wanes any time soon, and if the online gaming gods in my country decide to bring in another Asian-made MMORPG, I’d probably go for Aion, the latest baby of NCsoft, developer of Lineage I and Lineage II, and City of Heroes.
I kid you not when I say that I’m keeping my eye on Aion. It’s one Korean-developed game that you will continue to whet the appetite of Asia’s hundreds of thousands of MMORPG players.
Enter Atreia, the name of the game’s world, populated by humans and human-born demigods called Daevas, who are, as the fate’s …read more

A little introduction, please. Very well. Every Thursday, I will strive to post a list of Top Ten “anythings” related to Asian MMOs, from the games themselves to gaming quirks. I’ll start off with this handy list of Top 10 Most Expected Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games from the land of my ancestors, China.
1. Chinese Paladin Online, developed by Softstar and operated by 9you

2. Jian Wang 3, developed and operated by Kingsoft
3. Dragonball Online, developed by Ntl-inc
4. Cang Tian Online, developed by Wemade and operated by Shanda
5. Aion, developed by NCsoft and operated by Shanda
6. Wushuang Online, developed by Koei …read more