This blog and its writer, yours truly, has always been a fan of machinima. For the benefit of those who don’t know what the heck machinima is, the terms stands for “machine-animation” or “machine-cinema” and, to borrow the definition of the first machinima film festival on my side of the pond, “utilizes widely popular videogames such as Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, etc. to produce short films and music videos, using avatars and characters as actors, and the maps and locations of the game as setting.”
So imagine my surprise—and excitement—when friend and fellow online games enthusiast PJ Punla informed …read more

It’s been a long time since I last logged on to Granado Espada, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game operated in Southeast Asia by Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd. I want to play the game again—that is, if I find the time, or when I eventually get bored of romping in Atlantica Online, Ragnarok Online and Rohan: Blood Feud.
I’m really not in a hurry, especially after learning about new events shaping the New World in Granado Espada. One of these earth-shaking events is what IAHGames calls The Defense of the Zeia Battle, which runs from May 27 to June 11, …read more

Boy, Granado Espada Version 3.0, better known as The Zeia, is still piping hot but news of the release of Version 3.3 in South Korea (and probably Japan) is already rocking the Southeast Asian community.
This is, of course, due to a video trailer of Granado Espada Version 3.3 hitting the Internet through our favorite video broadcast site, YouTube.
I won’t expound anymore on what Granado Espada Version 3.3 will bring to the table. Instead, I’ll let you watch the video and see for yourself.

From the looks of it, Granado Espada is shaping up as a survivor. I think I’ll continue playing …read more

Just like what I did on January 21, 2009 for Atlantica Online, I’m posting here on MMOtaku the patch notes (well, at least an excerpt) for Version 3.0 of Granado Espada in Southeast Asia:

The Ancient Shelter has been introduced to the game. This is a non-PK version of the Ancient Territory. There are two Ancient Shelter dungeons—Shelter of the Ancient Skeleton in Ustiur and Ancient Underground Shelter in the Bahamas.
Occulta Fortress has been added to the game. This dungeon comprises of a free dungeon and a mission-based boss raid.
Hrin’s Treasure Mission has been added to the Treasure Hunter minigame.
Necro Shaman …read more

Yeah, I know it’s a bit late. Blame it on frequent disconnection from the Internet. The 5.1-magnitude earthquake that shook my side of the pond a couple of days ago might have something to do with this craziness. And then again, maybe not. Well, them are the breaks.
Okay, I’m not here to gripe about the tragic state of the Internet in this little tropical country I call home. This post is about The Zeia, the latest patch of Granado Espada in Southeast Asia. To veterans of the online game, the patch is called Version 3.0.
Let’s make this short as I …read more

I haven’t been playing Granado Espada lately simply because the servers are too laggy, giving mobs enough time to kill off members of my family one by one with nary a sword swing or fireball. Couple this nasty tidbit with the long wait for family members to revive or having to journey back to the point where they fell, then you’ve got a recipe for getting turned off.
No, I’m not giving up on Granado Espada. I’m just laying off it for a while, at least until the guys up at IAH Games resolve the problem. Yes, I know they’ve resolved …read more

By the gaming gods! Is it true? Have five days already passed since I last posted? Apparently, yes. Whew! Time flies so fast when you’re having fun. Unfortunately, my five-day hiatus had not been even remotely fun.
Yes, you guessed it. The flu—at least I think it’s the flu—hit me right after New Year’s Eve, right in the middle of writing a Top Ten Asian MMORPGs of 2008 post. Don’t worry, I’ll finish the story … soon.
Right now, I’m just starting to recover. Of course, as a fanatic of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, there’s only one way for me to …read more

I’ve found an interesting article on the blog of good friend Mon Macutay, who works for Philippine online gaming giant Level Up! Games. The story, titled “40 percent of MMO Players are Female,” focuses the spotlight on the growing number of girl gamers in massively multiplayer online games, the health of players, and the emergence of MMO playing as the social activity of choice.
Here’s an excerpt from GM Tristan’s article:
We always thought that MMORPGs were dominated by male players. That “fact” is now being challenged. Well, according to a recent study by BBC, 40 percent of MMO players are female, …read more

Earlier today (that’s December 24 to those living east of the International Date Line), I decided to give the suggestion of good friend PJ Punla to reexplore the world of Granado Espada as a pioneer in the newest Southeast Asian server, Giovanni. She’s probably right, I thought, in the sense that I might develop a better appreciation for the online game that she had played and supported for over a year before packing up her bags—and her blog, Granado Espada: Dispatches from the New World.
A few minutes ago, members of my fledgling family, the Estrangheros, turned Level 14. Although not …read more

Play now and get double rewards for 30 days, says the email sent to me by Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., the authorized operator of Granado Espada in Southeast Asia. Of course, the IAH guys are talking about Giovanni, the game’s latest server, and what pioneers will get when they play on it.
Here’s an excerpt from the announcement:
Hakkyu Kim’s legendary baroque fantasy game, Granado Espada, just got even bigger. A new server, Giovanni, opens specially for new players today. For those who have yet to experience the award-winning online game, it’s the perfect chance to enjoy it in a world …read more