The patch features a number of Christmas items, including a Santa hat and beard, and four limited time Christmas-themed weapons: an AWM-Adv, a Glock-18, an M4A1, and a Christmas combat axe. The update also features two new maps: the snipers-only “Prison,” and a limited time only Christmas map. Ah, let’s not forget about the German GSG-9, the new playable mercenary.

Have a Merry Christmas on Cross Fire MMOFPS

Of course, what is a Christmas patch without the corresponding Christmas events?

In line with the patch, G4BOX Inc., publisher of Cross Fire in North America, is hosting a week-long Christmas in-game event called “Crimson Snow,” from December 18th to December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Players who lock and load in Cross Fire for at least two hours will get 2,000 Game Points per day. Playing for two hours will not only net players the additional GP, but they will also get the chance to win a daily draw for a free in-game Santa hat.

On the last day of the event, Christmas Eve, Z8Games will draw three grand prizes, consisting of a permanent Christmas AWM, 100,000 GP, and 10 Christmas ZP crates. Throughout the event, Cross Fire GMS can be spotted playing random matches. If players manage to beat the GM team, they will receive an additional 5,000 GP for that match.

Cross Fire is a free online military first-person shooter for Windows PCs supporting Windows P, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players assume the role of either a Black List or Global Risk operative and compete in various modes of play including Free-For-All, Team Death Match, and the exclusive stealth-action Ghost Mode. Cross Fire includes a military ranking system, in-game friends lists, an integrated clan system, and deep character customization options.

For more information about the game, hie off to the official Cross Fire website.

Take a gander at these Cross Fire screenshots of Christmas items:

Post from: MMOtaku

Cross Fire Philippines GM Zea

Cross Fire Philippines GM Rhaine

It’s hard to imagine, much less believe, that two beautiful ladies are game moderators of an online game with guns and gunbattles as the central themes. Yes, I know, there are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of game mods who are female, and I’m not discriminating against anyone. It just seems unlikely.

Although, I do know a couple of women who might make good game masters for an MMOFPS such as Cross Fire. One of them is Alma Anonas-Carpio, a Philippine-based journalist. She doesn’t fancy totting guns in real life. In fact, she abhors the use of guns to settle issues. She does make a mean virtual killing machine, though, in any MMOFPS, especially if you put an AK-47 in her character’s hands.

Going back to the GMs of Cross Fire, which is published in Korea and the Philippines by GameClub, I think it’s a great idea to have women guide players through the game and GameClub deserves kudos for initating the move.

If you want to know more about Cross Fire GM Zea and GM Rhaine, hie off to GameClub’s official website for the game.

Post from: MMOtaku

This jumping through hoops to please the skeptical FPS market gets easier the more unique features an online first-person shooter has. Not that I’ve seen anything special in Cross Fire, a game developed by South Korean firms SmileGate and Neowiz, and published in China by Tencent and in North America by G4BOX Inc.. through Z8Games.

Cross Fire Online female character sprite

So what are Cross Fire’s features that should set them apart from other MMOFPS? Here’s a breakdown:

Team Deathmatch. Players must work together to kill opponents a designated number of times or get more kills within a designated time limit.

Search and Destroy. The Black List (one team) attempts to destroy designated points with C4, or destroy all Global Risk (the other team) players, while the GR team must destroy all Black List players before the bomb is planted. Of course, if the bomb is planted it can still be disarmed for a GR victory.

Elimination Mode. Similar to team death match, but players don’t respawn when they are killed, and it runs on a bsis of rounds instead of kills or a time limit.

Free For All. A mode where there are no teams but with optional weapon restrictions. Players constantly respawn at different locations.

They seem pretty common to me. All these gameplay modes are available in almost all first-person shooters and MMOFPS available on the market today.

Here are two features that I think may pique your interest enough to play Cross Fire:

Ghost Mode. All Black List terrorists are cloaked in invisibility when they are not moving and are armed only with melee weapons, while all Global Risk mercenaries are fully visible but can use all available weapons. The Black List must use stealth to blow up the target with C4 to win, while the Global Risk mercenaries must defend the target and shoot down any ghosts. Global Risk can locate invisible Black List when in their vicinity as they emit a heavy breathing sound.

Pandemic Mode. One to two players are infected and turned into zombies 10 seconds into the round, depending on how many players are in the game. An infected zombie will begin with 6,000 HP. When a person is hit or attacked by a zombie, they become a zombie with 2,000 HP. When the time is up, the survivors win. IF all the survivors become zombies, the zombies win. Zombies are flung backwards when shot and the map is completely darkened to add more suspense to the game. It is supposed to scare you and confuse you when you are not paying attention.

Now that’s what I’m talking about! Two gameplay modes that are sure to add spice to the game. It’s unfortunate, though, that the Pandemic Mode is available only in China, Japan and Vietnam.

If you want to know more about this free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter, go visit the official Cross Fire website for North American players.

Post from: MMOtaku

Getting a closed beta key to join the test is simple. Just check out the Mercenary Wars website (yes, it’s running despite the game only being in closed beta) for the details.

Hey, Dum-dum! You give me gum-gum!

Going back to the topic at hand, the new round of beta test features all-new content, including two new maps (Museum and Watercourse) and a new gun, the fan-favorite Desert Eagle. The Black Market, the cash shop or item mall of Mercenary Wars, is also open to serve players. As a bonus for this closed beta, all items in the Black Market will be free.

“The second closed beta for Mercenary Wars provided us with valuable feedback on how players interact with the game and areas where we need improvement,” said Chris Keswani, marketing manager of Uforia. “Hosting this third closed beta allows us to gain even more feedback and give our players better content.”

The third closed beta test will run from November 16th to November 19th, 2009.

Those who manage to get in to this closed beta can look forward to a major event, the Night at the Museum. During the event period, each kill made in the new Museum map will be counted as a raffle ticket. Kills made in the gameplay mode “Plant the Bomb” will be counted as two raffle tickets and detonating and defusing a bomb will count as four raffle tickets. At the end of the event, Uforia will tally up the tickets and randomly pick three players to win a Razer eXactMat Gaming Mouse Pad.

Post from: MMOtaku

“The testing phase as we lead up to launch is very important to us so we are looking to our community to come and check out the game and give us their feedback on things we can improve upon,” said Mike Min, creative director of Uforia.

Oh, yeah? How about those who missed the roughly two-day test? Are we important enough to get another go at the beta test? *Hint, hint*

Of course I’m kidding. Just iron out the kinks, guys, and let us in to the game come open beta.

As a consolation, Uforia sent me a few images and an announcement story on what we may see in Mercenary Wars come crunch time. Here’s an excerpt from the announcement:

Don't run ... you'll only die tired. Getting the bead on an opponent in Mercenary Wars from Uforia.

Uforia, an online game publisher specializing in massively multiplayer online games, has announced its weaponry lineup for its highly anticipated online military FPS, Mercenary Wars. The arsenal is made up of 14 different weapons including assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles and machine guns.

“With this much variety of weaponry, Mercenary Wars is taking combat to a new level,” said JK Kim, chief executive officer of Uforia. “By offering this broad range of arms, we are providing players with the kind of non-stop, action-packed gameplay that they desire.”

To learn more about the armament, view exclusive videos and screenshots, and of course learn more about the game, visit the official Mercenary Wars website.

Post from: MMOtaku

“We are very excited to launch this new game, ad we are confident that this will be the first-person shooter that Filipino gamers will be talking about and getting their action gaming fix from,” said Jane Walker, chief executive officer of Level Up! Games, in a statement.

The only clue that Level Up! has given as to the title of the online game is that it is powered by Valve’s Source engine. What’s Valve and the Source engine, you ask? Why, Source is the most well known graphics and physics engine for first-person shooters. It gives life to Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike, two of the most popular video game shooters.

As for Valve, well, it’s an American video game development company based in Bellevue, Washington. Founded in 1996, the company is better known for its first product, Half-Life, and its star Gordon Freeman.

Between you and me, I think this new MMOFPS that Level Up! is bringing to the Philippines is Sting: The Secret Operations, the first Korean online shooter that uses the Source engine. Doesn’t ring a bell? Maybe some of the game’s other aliases can shed some light. The game, developed by YNK Games of Korea and distributed by YNK Interactive, is also known as Sting Online, Code Name Sting (Japan), and K.O.S.: Secret Operations (North America).

Sting: The Secret Operations from YNK Games

If my hunch proves correct, then Sting will be Level Up!’s second title from YNK, the first being the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Rohan: Blood Feud.

Well, we’ll know soon enough what this new first-person shooter is. Level Up! is scheduled to unveil the game at one of the Philippines biggest online gaming events, Level Up! Live 2009, on November 7th, 2009.

While we’re waiting for that event, let’s check out the game trailer for Sting: The Secret Operations:

Post from: MMOtaku

At present, Uforia has only revealed five maps, including a museum filled with ancient treasures to a restaurant filled with secret meeting rooms, which are sure to pose a challenge even to the most aim-savvy player.

Welcome to my playground: One of the five maps in Mercenary Wars.

“We are pleased to reveal the interesting maps of Mercenary Wars as we continue to develop its unique gaming experience leading up to its official launch,” said Chris Keswani, marketing manager of Uforia. “The five maps that we’ve created differ dramatically from one another, allowing players to truly experience the challenge and excitement of adapting into the dynamic environments throughout their quest.”

The list of the maps and their descriptions after the jump:

Sweden. Although the International Hessian Order, one of the factions in Mercenary Wars, is based in the United States, it has a base in Sweden. The European country initially gave protection to the group in exchange for a percentage of natural resources that it gets from battles, but eventually found itself in a quandary when IHO decided to overthrow the government.

The Museum. This facility houses a variety of ancient artifacts ranging from prehistoric to Egyptian, and then from medieval to modern. Located in Africa, the museum is the main stronghold of the Continental African Mercenary League, another Mercenary Wars faction.

Mosque. Well, it’s no longer a mosque, according to the back story of Mercenary Wars faction Medjay Mercenary Unit. This group of Middle Eastern mercenaries overthrew the peaceful monarchy and replaced it with their kill-for-hire rule of law. The former mosque serves as the group’s training area.

The Restaurant. Another stronghold of another mercenary group. This dining establishment is a bulwark of the United Asian Front, serving as a business center for the trade in arms and other contraband. With its myriad rooms, the restaurant is a veritable maze that aids the group against other factions.

The Factory. This building is the main base of the Mercenarios Unidad del Americas. The factory acts as the group’s nerve center that routes vital supplies and assigns members to different locations around South America.

That’s it? Yes, at the moment, that’s all there is. Uforia promises that more maps will be added during Mercenary Wars‘ closed beta period.

Post from: MMOtaku

Egad, that’s tomorrow! The funny thing is, Uforia’s announcement coincided with the launch of the full website for Mercenary Wars, and it is only through the website that you can sign up for the closed beta. Talk about tight schedules.

“It is an exciting time for Mercenary Wars as we give our fans the first opportunity to join in a closed beta for the game and also check out the newly launched Mercenary Wars website,” said JK Kim, chief executive officer of Uforia. “A strong community is a big part of an online game’s success and with the launch of the closed beta, the community can now start to gather and get to know more about Mercenary Wars.”

Mercenary Wars: Hitting the mark

Hmmm, and then again, it may not be too late. So if you still want to go into the first closed beta of Mercenary Wars with guns blazing, hie off to the official site’s registration page and sign up for an account.

Of course, no closed beta is complete without in-game events. Uforia has a unique take for a first event. Dubbed “Bug Squashers,” the event prompts players to keep an eye out for in-game bugs and post information about them on the forums any time between today and October 1st. The three players who post the most number of confirmed bugs will win a Logitech G7 gaming mouse. Not a bad prize, considering that the button mashing of MMOFPS like Mercenary Wars can eventually wear down your computer mouse.

For more information about the event, visit the Events Section of the Mercenary Wars website.

Post from: MMOtaku

As I reach the homepage of WWII Online: Battleground Europe, my mind gets bombarded with vivid memories of me and a couple of friends shooting at German military forces from a bunker. The memories are real, I assure you, but the situation is not. I’m actually thinking about a scenario my friends and I played on Battlefield 1942, a shooter game from Electronic Arts.

A British military unit secures city streets in Battleground Europe.

After reviewing gameplay mechanics and screenshots of WWII Online: Battleground Europe, I can safely say that it’s almost a match to the Battlefield series of games, if not for the online play aspect of the former. I apologize to Playnet for the comparison, but that’s exactly how I see the game.

I like the fact that Playnet is continuously upgrading WWII Online: Battleground Europe and basing most changes on player feedback. This ensures that players will continue playing the game for years to come.

Maybe this is what convinced Happyoo to give WWII Online: Battleground Europe a try. How will the Chinese online games market receive it? Let’s wait and see.

As for me, I’m excited to test it. Maybe I’ll sign up for a free trial and download the World War II Online: Battleground Europe client just to relive those wonderful memories of living on the edge in a virtual world.

Post from: MMOtaku

Okay, enough with the jokes that Mercenary Wars is just another Counter-Strike clone. Although it can’t be denied that the game indeed looks a lot like other MMOFPS out on the market, it does have its merits. Just the fact that it has a built-in “bot” system where instead of fragging other players you get to shoot down heartless computer-controlled sprites adds a whole new dimension to gameplay experience.

What really takes the cake, however, is the fact that you can upgrade your character in Mercenary Wars using the Stat System. From what I understand, a player can allocate a set amount of points to improve their characters. For example, placing a point in the SMG skill will boost its capability in handling sub-machineguns.

What’s unclear is how exactly do these points help since most first-person shooters, including those online, makes use of a players skills and hand-eye coordination rather than computer-aided targeting and movement. I can understand wanting to upgrade walking speed and defense, but weapon skills?

Mercenary Wars from Uforia

Let’s take a look at what Uforia has to say about the Character Stat System of Mercenary Wars:

Uforia, an online game publisher specializing in massively multiplayer online games, has revealed the full details of the Character Stat System for its upcoming online military FPS, Mercenary Wars. With a large number of characters and almost unlimited customization, players can look forward to highly unique characters to play, from finely tuned snipers to fast and furious run and gunners and everything in between.

Mercenary Wars features a large number of characters that the player can customize. For each new character that a player earns in-game they can allocate a set amount of points into different stats to give them different strengths. For example, there are stats to increase a character’s skill with SMGs, Rifles, and Sniper Rifles. A player can also increase a character’s walking speed, grenade-throwing abilities, defense increase, and much more.

Although a player must select just one character to start a battle with, they may switch between them during re-spawn time. If a player’s selected character specializes in SMGs and speed,t hey can switch to their sniper specialist while re-spawning, thus allowing an added depth of strategy and the ability to adapt to what is going on in the battlefield.

For more information about the game, visit the Mercenary Wars teaser site.

Post from: MMOtaku