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 observed mourning for Michael’s passing.

In an article reposted by bommy4217 on the MMOsite forums entitled “The ways of Chinese MMORPG players mourn for Michael Jackson,” we can clearly see how Chinese MMO players cherish the memory of the King of Pop.

Here’s an excerpt from that article:

June 25, the world-renowned King of Pop—Michael Jackson left us. To the players after 70s and after 80s, MJ has become a myth. He led an era. Rumors had surfaced that Jackson was involved with the game industry. No matter what, his left shocked everyone. MJ is the forever myth. Besides the praying in the network, the Chinese MMO players also use their own approaches to cherish the memory of him.

Pardon bommmy4217’s use of English as it is not his mother tongue. Fortunately, it doesn’t take Einstein’s keen intellect to sift through what he means.

Among the “ways” of remembering Michael Jackson he cited, I found two that amused me the most—a quest in the online game Superstar by Shanda where you have to sing four songs—Rock With You, Billie Jean, Heal the World and You Are Not Alone. Upon completion of the quest, the player is rewarded with Michael Jackson-inspired equipment. Bedazzled gloves, anyone?

The other one is a recreation of the King of Pop’s likeness in the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game Aion:

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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.

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Here’s the lowdown from China-based online games portal 17173:

Shanda to build a theme park for Aion

Shanda Entertainment has announced that it will partner with Long Chuan Xia Travel Company in Tai Jiang City, Zhejiang Province, to build a theme park based on Aion.

Li Yu, chief executive officer of Shanda Games, revealed that they were planning to build a Tower of Eternity, bringing the landmark in the virtual world into reality.

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Source: 17173.com

For those who can’t read Chinese, the characters that are lighting up the facade of the Shanghai Jinmao Building, purportedly the fourth tallest building in the world, spell out “Yong Heng Zhi Ta,” or simply Aion.

Yes, it’s an advertisement for Shanda Entertainment’s newest acquisition, Aion Online.

Still in the dark about Aion Online? Check out this video on the character classes available in the game:

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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 a 2005 story, a report found “persistent world titles created in Korea” were beginning to lose ground as the Chinese market boomed … Although there are no figures to indicate a further decline in Korean MMO titles in China, the sudden awakening of the dragon in Chinese game developers may be proof enough that foreigners are on the retreat.

Now, China-based online gaming portal 17173 reports that Aion: The Tower of Eternity, an online game developed by Korean giant NCsoft, has topped an online poll on new games in China.

The list includes notable titles such as Aion: The Tower of Eternity, Dragon Ball Online, Dragon Nest, and Atlantica Online.

Go check out the entire list.

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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 North American server—if NCsoft will not block foreign IP addresses) and its business model—whether pay-to-play (subscription) or free-to-play.

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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 his guild to turn over to him their activation keys.

The guild leader also said that he organized the guild just to get the activation keys of members. He sold the keys at RMB 400 each. At the end of his forum post, he implied that the selling of beta activation keys has become a profitable business.

I wonder if this juicy tidbit is true. Let’s wait for an official statement from NCsoft.

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No, they’re not my screenshots. The game, Aion: The Tower of Eternity, hasn’t been released yet. It’s still in closed beta testing in Korea and is set for release in 2009. Before we get down to viewing the wonderful screenshots, let’s take a closer look at the game and its mechanics.

Aion: The Tower of Eternity is a visually stunning massively multiplayer online role-playing game featuring cutting-edge imagery, breath-taking environments, and a unique world of fantasy. You play a pivotal role in the fate of Atreia, where flying takes on a completely new role and the enemy is not only the other player factions, but a deadly ancient evil as well.

Here are some distinctive aspects of Aion:

The World: Aion is set in a unique land where players explore the inside of a shattered world, separated into two halves with the Abyss between them.

Aerial Combat: No longer limited to two-dimensional combat on the ground, players in Aion can fly. Now think of online combat on a massive scale where attacks can come from any direction.

PvPvE: Players will be able to engage in intense raids and other encounters with computer opponents, not to mention the opposing player faction.

Classes: Players have a choice of four classes to start with, and can then move on to two more specialized classes once they attain a certain level of capability.

Character Customization: You can customize your character in a multitude of ways with a thorough character creation and crafting system, as well as detailed item customization options.

Now, we can view those screenshots!

Screenshot downloaded from Worth Playing and modified by Joel. Aion: The Tower of Eternity is a product of NCsoft.

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If the list of Top 15 Most Expected Online Games in China is to be believed, the popularity of South Korean-made Ragnarok Online 2: Gate of the World is starting to flounder.

Is it because of its delayed release? Last year, the online gaming markets in several Asian countries were abuzz with news about the release of Ragnarok Online 2 that had been originally slated for December 2007 (at least in the Philippines).

Closing the gates to the refurbished Rune Midgard in the ancient land of China are three upstarts, namely Dungeon and Warrior, SGC Online, and Fun Online. Ragnarok Online 2, or RO2, has been knocked down in the rankings from 9th place to 12th place.

Here’s this week’s Top 15 Most Expected Online Games in China:

1. Chinese Paladin Online, developed by Softstar and operated by 9you

2. Jian Wang 3, developed and operated by Kingsoft

3. Cang Tian Online, developed by Wemade and operated by Shanda

4. Wushuang Online, developed by Koei and operated by Tianxi

5. Cibi, developed and operated by Perfect Space

6. Fantasy Journey Online, developed by Lingo Soft and operated by 9you

7. Dragonball Online, developed by Ntl-inc

8. Aion, developed by NCsoft and operated by Shanda

9. Dungeon and Warrior, developed by NEOPLE and operated by NHN

10. SGC Online, developed and operated by Gamlaxy International

11. Fun Online, developed by Tqdigital and operated by Netdragon

12. Ragnarok Online 2, developed by Gravity and operated by 9th City

13. Gear War Online, developed by CYKAN and operated by DDTONG

14. Cross Fire, developed by SmileGate and operated by Tencent

15. Kingdom of Warriors, developed by Webzen and operated by Ourgame

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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 call, Shanda president Chen Tianqiao made it clear that the company would focus on four key points for online gaming operator success: licensing, self-development, investment, and co-development.

With licenses to at least four MMORPGs—Cang Tian, Aion, Dragon Nest, and Freejack—in its belt, and the development of games such as Disney Magicboard Online and Over the World waiting in its wings, Shanda seems poised to dominate China’s online gaming market.

Post from: MMOtaku