No, I’m not an official of Cinemanila. I’m just a fan of machinima who loves being entertained by the creativity of my fellow gamers. So with that out of the way, and without further ado, I give you the winning entries to this year’s Cinemanila Machinima Film Festival:

Best Short Film:

Shelf Life Episode 1 by Pixel Eyes Productions

Best Music Video:

Since the entry has no copy that I can embed, just click on the links below.

Inside Your Head by Erica Cruz

Check out the videos fans voted for after the jump.

Audience Choice For Short Film:

Shrink Wrapped by Russel Boyd

Audience Choice For Music Video:

Worship the Will by Ian-Dean Loreños

There was supposed to be a fifth award, the Best E-Games Machinima Short, but apparently its sponsor, Philippine-based online games publisher IP e-Games backed out in the middle of the project. No explanation was given.

Talk about reputation suicide.

Anyway, it was still a great event, ushering in a new age of filmmaking and forever changing the landscape of cinema.

Cinemanila Machinima Film Festival Logo

As for Worship the Will, I’m on the fence (as I was really rooting for Darrick Regondola’s Nobody Dance, which used character sprites from MMORPG Granado Espada, to win). No offense to Ian-Dean Loreños, of course. Worship the Will is indeed a though-provoking music video, leaving you on edge with its eerie parallelism to real world soothsayers who use media to brainwash the masses.

Well, that’s it for now. Again, congratulations to the winners! I’ll try to sneak in an editorial about the sudden pull out of E-Games from the Cinemanila Machinima Film Festival later. Stay tuned!

Post from: MMOtaku

Free Realms‘ Goal Time introduces a new job, the Soccer Star, into the growing roster of classes you can choose for your toon or avatar. And what’s a Soccer Star without a soccer field and hundreds of adoring fans? Goal Time also comes with an all-new 3D soccer minigame for two three-man teams.

Players can try out the new Soccer Star job up to Level 5. Beyond that level, however, you need to be a member. Don’t fret as there is more in store for all Free Realms players, such as 20 new quests.

Here’s a hilarious video of how the Free Realms development team researched the different aspects of soccer to prepare for Goal Time:

For those who haven’t joined the fun or played Free Realms in a long time like me, here’s what you can expect from the new update:

• 20 brand new quests
• Play 3 on 3 with friends or in one of 15 scenarios against Free Realms‘ finest AI teams
• 6 full sets of soccer clothes and gear with various tints
• 3 themed background fields to play on
• Charge up skills with various accessories and shards
• Grab boosts on the field to increase speed and toughness
• Soccer Trainer is located south of Snowhill
• Play the Soccer Tutorial; it’s always available

So what are you waiting for? Grab your cleats and jerseys and join the fun in Free Realms’s Goal Time.

Free Realms' Goal Time update

Post from: MMOtaku

While most of the online games I’ve found are good, according to the factors that convince a player to stay and continue playing an MMO, they don’t have payment facilities for players who access the games from outside North America. Unless you have a credit card and/or a PayPal account, there is virtually no way for you to get items from the item mall or through micro-transactions.

4story Online from Zemi Interactive

Enter 4story, a fantasy MMORPG from Zemi Interactive. Just recently, the game developer and publisher announced that 4story was ready to welcome players from several Southeast Asian countries—Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, through micro-payment solutions firm, Cherry Credits.

Cherry Credits has proved its worth to NDOORS Interactive and its highly successful free-to-play MMORPG Atlantica Online. Some friends who live on my side of the pond can attest to this, as they have used Cherry Credits to purchase decoration items and mounts from Atlantica’s item mall.

Going back to 4story, I think the game and Zemi Interactive are on the right track by opening the doors to more players from different regions and giving them a great option to enter micro-transactions and truly enjoy the game.

“4story is already being successfully serviced in Europe, Asia, and North America. Our new approach to Southeast Asian market is truly a thrilling experience. In cooperation with Cherry Credits, 4story is available in three regions: Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines through both online and physical distribution,” said Vincent Hwang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Zemi Interactive.

I’ll lay down a few more details about 4story in a later post when I’ve finished downloading and installing the game. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a video of 4story’s gameplay:

Post from: MMOtaku

Upon closer inspection, however, Runes of Magic’s The Visdun Fortress looks more like an evolved form of Wizard’s Chess—you know, that game that Harry and Ron played in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone that Hermione had labeled as “totally barbaric.”

Runes of Magic: The Visdun Fortress

Going back to, ehem, Runes of Magic, The Visdun Fortress features, well, two fortresses that two teams of three members each try to protect against each other. The goal is to destroy the opposing team’s fortress by sending out hordes of monsters. Of course it doesn’t hurt for your characters to join the fray—you are, after all, protecting YOUR fortress.

There are other obstacles aside from the monsters you send on their merry way. Towers can also be set up that can either hinder or destroy oncoming mobs and heroes. Three variants of the towers: Ice, Lightning and Arrow.

An Arrow Tower attacks only one opponent but deals massive damage. An Ice Tower, on the other hand, slows down monsters that are heading to your fortress. The Lightning Tower, just like its namesake, can zap five targets at the same time.

If at the start you find your towers lacking in stopping power, don’t fret. Like everything else in an MMORPG, the towers can be upgraded. Tower placement and configuration plays a big role in ensuring victory in Runes of Magic: The Visdun Fortress as every summoned monster that breaks through them means a deduction in your fortress’ hit points.

Don’t let the hit points drop to zero!

Can’t get a clear picture of what Runes of Magic: The Visdun Fortress is all about? Here’s a video:

Post from: MMOtaku

Gamepot has a cool teaser page that pretty much explains why its games are free to play, and I’d like to share its contents with you:

What’s Free to Play?

Here at Gamepot, we believe in three ideals:

• Love your Games
• Fun is Free
• Respect the Players

The best way for us to stand by these ideals is to offer all of our games for free. There is no velvet rope, no annoying pop-up ads, and no worries. We don’t remember being asked to recharge Top Spin on our Way to beat Shadow Man, nor being asked to deposit USD$5 before we warped into Xen. Just pure fun, and that’s the way we’re going to keep it.

Now, you might wonder how we keep the servers on. Well, down the line, we’ll open a Cash Shop, which will offer a wide range of items to customize your gaming experience—these will be mainly cosmetic in nature, like lightning aura effects, different hairstyles, giant hot-dogs as weapon covers, fun stuff. You’ll never be asked nor obligated to purchase anything if you don’t want to.

So come on in, and taste the fun. It’s on us!

I love the reference to well-known video games like Mega Man and Half-Life.

After launching the classic Mir II: The Legend Continues in North America, Gamepot is now on the verge of publishing a new MMORPG, Bright Shadow.

“Bright Shadow lets players own their adventure—placing great emphasis on personalized experiences for them and their friends,” said Thomas Lee, director of business and marketing of Gamepot (USA) Inc. “With a focus on creativity, finely tuned social options and easy-to-learn gameplay, we feel it’s the perfect online entertainment experience to bring to North America as part of our growing roster of free-to-play games.”

So what does Bright Shadow offer that other MMORPGs don’t?

Well, it’s basically the same as most free-to-play online games in the market today. Bright Shadow has common social features like the omnipresent friends list, an in-game mail system, and guilds formation, among others. Of course, you’ll think, “What’s the use of playing it if I get the same things in the MMORPG I’m currently playing?”

First off, Bright Shadow has what Gamepot calls the Soul Power System. Player characters absorb Soul Power from slain enemies. This power is used for a variety of purposes, such as skill and spell activation, item production, starting guilds, raising pets, and a whole lot more.

Bright Shadow also has a treat for players who are fond of collecting stuff. Introducing the Card Collection System. As your characters go through quests—and hundreds of monster hides—they’ll come across monster cards. These cards may be used to purchase special items, activate special abilities, and summon monsters.

Oh, let me just shut up and show you a video of Bright Shadow’s game play:

Post from: MMOtaku

Here’s the official announcement from NDOORS:

Today, we would like to extend a warm welcome to users of ijji.com. NDOORS has entered into a partnership with ijji.com that will allow its members access to Atlantica Online, opening up the world of Atlantis and Oriharukon to even more enthusiastic players. As of now, this door is open, and ijji players can begin playing.

As this new group enters the community, we’ll be sure to be as hospitable as always—to new friends, new allies, and of course, new rivals in Free League.

NDOORS forgot to include “fresh meat” somewhere in that announcement. Kidding!

Anyway, as a pioneer on Atlantica Online’s Delphi server, I’d like to extend an invitation to ijji members to make their home there. Delphi is, after all, the newest server, and competition isn’t as tight as on other more established servers. This means there’s more room to grow for you and your characters.

Your journey in Atlantica Online begins here. Oh, and make sure you choose Delphi as your server. *wink, wink*

Here’s a short video to whet your appetite for Atlantica Online:

Post from: MMOtaku

It’s a good thing trailers and screenshots of Mytheon are now available. But first a word from True Games Interactive about Mytheon:

True Games Interactive, an international multiplayer online game publisher, in conjunction with renowned game developer Petroglyph have released the first official trailer for the upcoming online multiplayer action-strategy game Mytheon.

The companies have also released the first official screenshots and launched an all-new Mytheon website with new content about the game, a place to register for updates and more. Mytheon is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2010.

“Mytheon is truly the first of its kind and we are excited to give people a sneak peek at this captivating ancient world,” said PEter Cesario, director of new business and development. “The lore of ancient Greece is indeed unique to this variety of online gaming, and it is one of the many mythologies players will explore in game. This trailer gives fans a chance to see just a bit of what they can expect from Mytheon as it progresses.”

The action-packed trailer is pure in-game footage and showcases the unique and fascinating Greek mythology-styled environment while giving players their first glimpse at some of the larger-than-life mythological creatures and gods in the game, including the mighty Poseidon. Players will get a glimpse inside the immersive mythological world with dynamic 3D renderings and lush fantasy settings such as Hades. The trailer also explores one of the game’s key gameplay elements, its “power stones,” which can be used to summon loyal minions, inflict destructive and devastating spells, battle colossal monsters and more.

“We’re pleased to finally take the lid off Mytheon and show everyone the incredible, fully realized 3D world that we’ve created for the game,” said Chuck Kroegel, chief executive officer and general manager of Petroglyph Games. “The trailer demonstrates the immense maps players can look forward to, along with the unique gameplay mechanic of casting Power Stones to summon and use incredibly detailed creatures, structures and spells. We look forward to releasing additional information on Mytheon in the coming months.”

Well, enough with words. Pictures and images, moving or still, after all, say more than mere words.

Post from: MMOtaku

Ntreev USA, publisher of Pangya in North America, has been beating the drums to herald the coming of the new update since its relaunch in April, but this is the first time a preview is being shown.

Okay, before I goad you into watching the preview with me, let’s take a gander at what Ntreev has to say about it:

Ntreev USA releases first look at Season 4 content with video for its popular online golf game, Pangya

Ntreev USA, a leading online game developer and publisher, has released its first video of Season 4 for Pangya, its popular, online casual golf game. The game currently features Season 3, with Season 4 available to players this July.

The new video features the playable characters in Season 3 and 4, with an introduction to Lucia, a pop star who players can take on the role of when Season 4 launches.

The video also shows a new feature in Season 4 where players can customize their clothing items by painting their clothing with a paint brush, and either wearing it themselves, or giving it as a gift to other players.

Yup, customization and other cool new features, including additional security courtesy of an in-game safe. No kidding!

Now for the video on Pangya Season 4:

Post from: MMOtaku

Your answer is probably the same as the one most MMORPG players give: “Yes, I’m curious about these numbers and how they affect the way my character moves and interacts with other game elements, but it matters little when I’m busy hacking and slashing.”

Spoken like a true video games fanatic.

True Games Interactive, publisher of new MMORPG Warrior Epic, begs to differ, if its recently released tutorial on Warrior Epic’s Combat System is any indication.

Thanks to the video tutorial, players of Warrior Epic can learn more about attack and defense, and other combat stats. And should players think the video tutorial is insufficient, True Games has posted more information about the Combat System on the Warrior Epic website.

Okay, let me just shut up and let you watch the video:

Oh, and if you missed it, you can still view True Games Interactive’s tutorial on Warrior Epic’s unique Spirit System.

Post from: MMOtaku

What better way to whet the appetite of massively multiplayer online role-playing game fanatics than to release a high-definition trailer of Jade Dynasty. Here’s a copy of the trailer:

Magnificent, eh? Too bad I didn’t enjoy playing Jade Dynasty, er, Zhu Xian when it was launched by E-Games in the Philippines. It’s a wonderful game, but I just didn’t feel its wonders during closed beta.

Fortunately, the North American version of the game is being handled by Perfect World. That, at least, is an assurance that quality will always come first. Hope you guys have a great time playing Jade Dynasty. Wish I could join you.

Post from: MMOtaku