“We are honored to partner with Children’s Miracle Network on this exciting tournament,” says David Chang, executive vice president for marketing and business development of GamesCampus.com. “It is wonderful to work with such a fantastic charity that helps so many children and families. Shot-Online players have been very supportive when we have held tournaments in the past for other great causes, but the Shot-Online For Miracles tournament will be our community’s biggest charitable effort yet.”

The Shot-Online For Miracles tournament kicked off on November 10th, 2009, and would culminate on November 16th, 2009. If you want to get more information about the contest for a cause, hie off to the Shot-Online website.

The grand prize winner of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic Charity Tournament, a.k.a. Shot-Online For Miracles, will get a signed pin flag from real-life 2009 tournament winner, a Children’s Miracle Network Ogio Golf Bag, and four passes to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Shot-Online For Miracles tournament prize

Not bad, considering you need only five dollars to participate … five dollars that will go to charity whether you win or lose.

Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals. Together with countless individuals and organizations, Children’s Miracle Network helps sick and injured kids in local communities and uses donations to fund medical care, research and education, saving and improving the lives of 17 million children each year.

“We are grateful that GamesCampus and its Shot-Online community want to make a difference in the lives of so many sick and injured children,” said George Mathis, director of new business and package goods at Children’s Miracle Network. “The Shot-Online players’ involvement in the tournament will surely result in a good time playing in a fun and competitive tournament with a chance to win great prizes, but most importantly they will know that they are contributing to a fantastic cause.”

Whew! For a moment there, I thought I’d lose consciousness from reading Mr. Mathis’ quote out loud. I’m just kidding, of course.

Now, the only thing missing is a telecast or a webcast of the tournament. Wouldn’t that be great?

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The contest is, of course, open to all Pangya players and is designed to test the limits of their creativity and skills with a virtual brush, courtesy of the game’s Season 4 update that features new customization options.

Here’s a video of what you can do with Pangya’s Self Design feature:

So with the help of Self Design, players can design their own Halloween-themed items. There’s no restrictions as to what characters can wear the items so long as players submit their entries, both top and bottom, by October 27th, 2009. The Winners, to be chosen by Pangya’s game moderators, will be announced on October 29th.

The three grand prize winners will be given 30,000 Ntreev points to spend on the item mall and 50 duplicate Self Design items, both top and bottom. The seven runners up, meanwhile, will get 10,000 Ntreev points. Not a bad deal if you ask me, considering that the contest may prove enjoyable to customization aficionados.

If simply designing a Halloween costume for a character doesn’t appeal to you, you may want to join the Pangya cosplay contest instead. All you need to do is dress up as your character in real life and post the picture. Check out the complete mechanics for the Pangya contest for more information.

The first place winner for the Pangya cosplay contest is four Gacha coins, while the second placer will get three Gacha coins, and the third placer will receive two Gacha coins.

“Halloween is one of the most popular holidays of the year for gamers so we wanted to bring a bit of Halloween fun to Pangya,” said Chris Lee, chief executive officer at Ntreev USA. “Our players are so creative; we are anticipating some amazing submissions for both the design contest and the Cosplay event. We look forward to seeing the final results.”

We’re anxious to see the results ourselves, Chris, so make sure to post them on the Pangya website.

Pangya Halloween Contest: A bee costume? Oh, puhleese!

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“We asked the Shot-Online community what they wanted to see updated or expanded upon and we got some great feedback,” said David Cheng, executive vice president of marketing and business development at GamesCampus. “Some of the features are big additions and some are small—but each and every one is something that was an important part of maximizing our community’s enjoyment of their time spent playing Shot-Online.

Wonderful interaction between publisher and players. Other online games operators and publishers would do well to follow suit. The players, after all, are the ones who play the game and spend both time and money just to have a good time. So it only follows that publishers and operators should listen to them. Hey, what have you got to lose?

Shot-Online from GamesCampus.com

Here’s a partial list of improvements done on Shot-Online by the update:

Group Whisper. Players can now send whispers and notes to several users at once using the shortcut key alt+direction key. The maximum number of players you can whisper or send notes to is 10.

New Slot. The game now has a slot for Odlelile, Elgin Marbles, and Stardust.

Cart Fee Reduction. The fee has dropped from 10,000NG to 1,000NG. NG refers to “Not Gold,” the in-game currency. Gold and Gold Plus members of Shot-Online can use carts for free.

Additional Menus and Options. If a player clicks on a co-player’s character’s name, avatar face, or personal score, the Info/Whisper menu will come up. In addition, when a player closes the game, there will be an additional step to confirm the close to avoid any players accidentally closing a session of play. Also, players can now change clubs with the PageUp and PageDown keys during a round.

Sound Volume. Shot-Online now has options to adjust the sound volume, including background music and sound effects, in the Option Menu.

Revamped Auction House. The Shot-Online Auction House has a new look. It also has a new restriction on the amount of auctions per character, a maximum of 16 each for item registration and for bidding. Players can also block items with durability below 10 percent.

New Random Courses. The game now has three new random courses at each difficulty level. When a player chooses a random course, they can choose course difficulty: easy, normal or hard.

If you’re interested in a few rounds of virtual golf, sign up at the official Shot-Online website and take advantage of all the features of Episode 1.5.

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“We know that the majority of our players are golf fans and play golf on a regular basis so we thought this would be a nice way to reward those players,” says David Chang, executive vice president for marketing and business development of GamesCampus.

“With out new promotion, our players can spend their money on real golf equipment and still get some really special equipment in Shot-Online, which will help increase their enjoyment of golf regardless of whether it is online or in real life,” he adds.

Shot-Online from GamesCampus.com

It is, however, a one-is-to-one deal, meaning if you buy a Big Bertha Diablo, an all-titanium driver from Callaway, then you’ll get Shot-Online’s newest driver to use in the game for free. If you purchase a dozen Titleist Pro V1s, then your Shot-Online character will receive the best virtual golf balls in the game.

Of course, you need to send a scanned copy of the receipt along with your GamesCampus ID to freeclubs@gamescampus.com to get the virtual items. It’s not such a bad deal, especially if you play real golf and spend real money on great golf equipment. But will you have time to enjoy a virtual golf game with your shiny new virtual golf equipment as well?

Hey, if you’re interested, hie off to Shot-Online’s official site and check out the rules for the promo.

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Ntreev USA, publisher of casual online golf game Pangya in North America, has just launched the Gacha System in the game. But that’s as far as the information goes, just an announcement that the system has been implemented. Being an on-again-off-again player, I’m really not familiar with the workings of Gacha.

From observation and a little research (which, I might add, produced scant results), it seems the Gacha is an in-game lottery system where players purchase virtual coins with real money for a chance—and I do mean a chance—to get a rare item in Pangya. For its initial release, Gacha offers Rainbow Fairy Wings.

The Gach, errr, catch here is that you may or may not get the rare item on the first few tries. A few players who have ranted about the system on the Pangya forums claim they spend anywhere between USD$20 and USD$100 before they get “something useful.” To add insult to injury, the wings they’ve been getting don’t even match their characters.

Crazy stuff, that. But you’ve got to remember that it’s a lottery after all and works under the same mechanics as any game of chance. It’s like joining a raffle for a car by purchasing dozens upon dozens of grocery items but winning only a few knick knacks or nothing at all. So it’s a double-edged blade and cuts both ways.

Well, enough of my ranting. Let me show you Ntreev USA’s announcement on the release of the Pangya Gacha System:

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, has announced the release of new screenshots for its online casual golf game, Pangya. The new screenshots feature the game’s nine playable characters, including Lucia, the popular and cute pink-haired pop star who was introduced to players in Pangya Season 4. Additionally, the company recently introduced the first set of Gacha items in Pangya.

For the release of the new Gacha item, Ntreev has made the Rainbow Fairy Wings available for everyone. These wings are useful to all players, as they will increase the size of the Pangya Bar. Players must hurry to retrieve these, though, as the wings will only be available for the next month. To access Gacha, players should navigate to the main pull-up menu, or click on the “buy” button on the Pangya Gacha Coins located under Item > Gacha. Additionally, Gacha Coin packages have also been added to the shop.

For more information about the game and the new Gacha System, visit Pangya’s official website.

Post from: MMOtaku

Then suddenly it hit me. I read the headline again, “YetimeNet Will CB Hot Volleyball on September 17th.” Was this Hot Volleyball the same as the Beach Volleyball that MMOtaku featured in October last year?

Let’s take a look at the two announcement stories from the China-based online games portal 17173. This is the latest announcement:

YetimeNet Will CB Hot Volleyball on Sep 17

Shanghai-based online game operator Yetime Network Technology plans to start the closed beta testing of its licensed 3D casual game Hot Volleyball (Re li Pai Qiu) on September 17. The test account registration began on September 10.

This is from almost a year ago:

Beach Volleyball Enters Second Closed Beta in China

Beach Volleyball, the 3D simulation online volleyball game, has entered its second closed beta on October 24.

Developed by Shanghai Yetime Network Technology, Beach Volleyball is an online casual game with a sports theme. The game is developed on the world-leading 3D engine with realistic character design. There are beaches and official match fields that provide different game experience.

Talk about confusing. So which is which, and which is correct. I realize that online games developers, operators and publishers sometimes get their dates mixed up, especially when it comes to closed and open beta tests and commercial launches. This is because they need to work out the kinks in the programming of every game to ensure a smooth gameplay experience for their clients.

But relaunching a game under a slightly different title and doing another round of beta testing? Weird.

Actually, this online volleyball game (I don’t even know what to call it anymore) is only under license by Yetime from Radiance Digital Entertainment. Watching the matches is fascinating, from a former volleyball varsity perspective. I’d rather have the real thing, though.

If you want to know more about Hot Volleyball, err, Beach Volleyball or whatever Yetime decides to call it, I suggest you search for videos since navigating the sites of Yetime and Radiance can be just as confusing. I remember posting one in the first article on the volleyball game in MMOtaku last year.

Post from: MMOtaku

Here’s the reason for the title: Pangya’s new Card Holic System, which adds yet another level to customization in the fourth season of the game. It works pretty much like cards in other online games. Collect cards, use them on equipment, and watch your game improve. The only difference is, in Pangya, you have to purchase the cards in packs from the Pangya Shop.

These card packs contain three unknown cards. Each of these cards gives a unique attribute to a character if it is put into clothing. Of course, the effects are totally random, so it is suggested you keep trying your luck until you get the desired stat boost.

For more information about the Card Holic System, hie off to the Pangya Season 4 guide and click on “Card Hunt” in the sub menu.

Another update in the game has been made to the Pangya Papel Shop, an in-game screen where players can use Pang to win various items. Included in the new Papel Shop are the Rainbow and Devil Feathers, which help make Pangya easier to play.

Still in the dark about Pangya? It is an online casual golf game that takes the difficult rules of golf and transforms them into an easy to pick-up and play casual golf experience that a player of any skill level can enjoy. The game features simple and intuitive controls, an extensive customization experience thanks to thousands of costume combinations, and tons of equipment and accessories.

Although some items in the game like characters, clothing sets and equipment can only be acquired via micro-transaction, Pangya is free for players to download and play. Pang, the in-game currency that players earn by finishing a hole at par or better, may be used to purchase some items from the shop.

If real golf is more to your liking, make sure to drop by EveryJoe’s Golf Section, which features news and updates about the well-loved sport.

Post from: MMOtaku

Here’s the good news straight from Ntreev USA:

Ntreev USA launches Pangya Season 4 in North America

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, has announced that Season 4 of its popular online casual golf game Pangya is now available. With Season 4 now live, gamers can look forward to a great deal of new gameplay content, including a self-design feature, new characters, new custom items and options, and much more.

“We are thrilled that all of our North American fans who have been playing Pangya this spring can now jump into our Season 4, just in time for summer,” said Chris Lee, chief executive officer at Ntreev USA. “We have been eagerly awaiting this day so players can experience for themselves the fantastic new content and special items they can now enjoy.”

Pangya is a casual golf game that takes the difficult rules of golf and transforms it into an easy-to-pick-up-and-play casual golf experience that a player of any skill level can enjoy. Featuring simple and intuitive controls, Pangya allows anyone to easily play with other gamers, and unlike in other online games, players in Pangya are friends, not enemies. Players will be taken to 14 breath-taking locations where they can choose one of eight unique playable characters.

As I’ve mentioned, Pangya has new features, the most talked-about of which is the one that gives players the ability to customize how their characters look insofar as clothes and accessories are concerned. This feature is not only the most anticipated, it’s also the most important, at least to my gamer brain and sense.

Whenever I select online games to play, I always look for this feature first. Character customization, or the ability to change how a character looks, from facial features to body shape to clothes and accessories, gives a player a better sense of ownership. Yes, we players all know it’s a virtual world that may be gone with a bloody server crash, but we love our characters and giving us even just a fleeting sense of ownership does wonders for our loyalty.

Don’t you think?

Well, just how extensive is Pangya’s new character self-design feature? Check out this video:

Cool, eh? That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

For more information about the game and its new features, hie off to the official website of Pangya.

Post from: MMOtaku

I won’t go into a lengthy discussion of what Game and Game World Championship is. Suffice to say it’s a championship sponsored by gameNgame.com, a free online game service provided by the Korea Culture, Contents Agency, and the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and hosted by the Korean SW Industry Promotion Agency.

Shot-Online has been a part of the Game and Game World Championship since its inception and this year promises a better showcase for massively multiplayer online games talents. At the moment, the Game and Game World Championship 2009 features three online games: Shot-Online, Silkroad Online, and Atlantica Online.

Bah, enough of my ranting. Let’s hear about it directly from Gamescampus.com and OnNet USA:

San Jose-based online games publisher Gamescampus.com has announced that Shot-Online has once again been chosen as an official game of 2009 GNGWC. The tournament is a unique opportunity for Shot-Online players to take their online golfing experience offline, giving them a chance to compete face-to-face with their fellow Shot-Online players across the world. Gamescampus and GNGWC are offering thousands in cash prizes, with the best Shot-Online players also winning a trip to Korea for the grand finals.

Multiple countries will take part in the tournament, including those in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Each will hold local contests with the final global match being held in Korea this November where 16 lucky finalists will compete for the grand prize.

The GNGWC qualifying events will take place from June through November 2009. The first preliminary competitions for Europe will take place July 10th through July 16th in Germany with a regional final occurring July 31st at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany. The qualifying rounds for North America, Korea, South America and Japan will occur later in the fall with the finalists from each heading to Korea in November for a chance to win a USD$5,000 cash prize.

Want to know more about the GNGWC? Check out the official 2009 Game and Game World Championship website.

Post from: MMOtaku

With that said, I turn you over to Pangya operator and publisher Ntreev USA:

Ntreev USA to close Pangya migration from Albatross 18 Tuesday, June 30

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, has announced that it will be closing Pangya migration from Albatross 18 at 11:59 Pacific Daylight Time, June 30th. This means any Albatross 18 users who want to migrate their accounts over to Pangya must submit their recovery requests to Ntreev USA before the cutoff time on June 30. After that, the account recovery service will no longer be available.

This announcement is only for players who had played Albatross 18 and have not yet submitted a request for account recovery. For players who have never played the previous version of Pangya, this announcement does not apply. Albatross 18 players can request account recovery through the “Recover Account” button located on the left side of Ntreev’s official Pangya website.

Check out previous MMOtaku postings on Pangya:

Pangya Season 4 Sneak Peek
Pangya: Diary of a Novice Virtual Golfer #1
Ntreev Opens Pangya Fairways and Greens

Virtual golf not your thing? Maybe EveryJoe’s Golf section is for you.

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