I’m sure you’re probably tired of people wishing you a Happy Halloween, but I just have to say it since I’m really not used to it coming from a country that doesn’t celebrate it. Oh, we also mark Halloween, especially the thousands of massively multiplayer online game junkies, since this holiday is an integral part of MMOs all over the world.
For one, it’s one of the best holidays to launch events. I just wish that online game developers and publishers would come up with better gimmicks than simple bash-this-monster-and-get-this-item or open-this-box-and-get-a-random-item-that-is-totally-useless events. I mean, come on, guys! Fire up those …read more

Lucky Dawg! MMOtaku regular viewer Robert Sanchez, a.k.a. Alacarcalimo, has just bagged the top prize, a limited edition iPod Nano, in a Perfect World Philippines contest launched by publisher Level Up! Games.
It’s actually a blogging contest, and those who know Robert can attest to his love for both blogging and massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The contest is an event aimed at boosting awareness about Perfect World Philippines‘ latest update, Lost Empire.
Among the features introduced by the Lost Empire patch are new equipment to craft (there are four new furnaces at Ancient Heaven-Tear City on top of the ones in …read more

After a bit of research on free-to-play massively multiplayer online games I could try, I finally settled on World of Kung Fu from Vestgame Entertainment. The game looked promising from the reviews I had read and its graphics didn’t look outdated, so I decided to download the client and start up the game.
When I managed to enter the World of Kung Fu and started creating my character, a spear wielder named Jadzia, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like something in the game. Nothing was amiss. The graphics looked great. There wasn’t any lag. The controls were easy to master. …read more

Oliver Queen has finally made his introductions in the much-anticipated massively multiplayer online game DC Universe Online from Sony Online Entertainment. For those of you who are unaware of the world of comic books, Oliver Queen, fondly called Ollie by his equally fictional friends, is the alter ego of the well-loved comic book hero The Green Arrow.
Awww, but The Green Arrow isn’t exactly super by some standards, so what is he doing in DC Universe Online. Well, for starters, that’s probably why he’s a well-liked chap. Ollie’s lack of any super powers endears him to a lot of DC Comics …read more

It’s weird reading about the United States’ free-to-play massively multiplayer online games market being saturated considering that it is one of the largest MMO markets in the world. The news prompts the question, “Is publishing a free-to-play MMO in North America no longer viable?”
J. Mark Hood, co-founder of F2P games company Reality Gap, publisher of Monato Esprit in North America, made this assessment of the market in a recent interview with Gamasutra. “I think it is saturated here … how do you compete with (the massive budgets) that Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts are doing right now?” Hood said.
He goes …read more

That’s no typo at the end of the title. It’s a play on Pangya’s play on the phrase “Got You” or “Gotcha,” only it’s hard to get something that you know so little about. Does that make any sense? Read on.
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, …read more

How do you choose a massively multiplayer online game to play? I’ve been thinking about this question many times over the course of a week, especially after my video card conked out (again), and keep coming up with the same answers. There are only five factors that push us to play an MMO. Of course, our preferences differ, with one player identifying closely with only one factor, while other players claiming all five.

I’m looking forward to playing Shaiya from Aeria Games.
In the end, however, all five factors must be met for a player to stay and continue playing an MMO. …read more

The title says it all. This is not a pitch to massively multiplayer online game fanatics to shun Luna Online. I’m sure that the game works well in other countries. The Philippine version of the game, however, needs a lot of work, and the dedication of the staff of Run Up Interactive Corp.
The problem with Luna Online Philippines starts as soon as you launch the client. If you haven’t installed any language packs, particularly Chinese, you may want to do it before you start up the game. Apparently, the guys up at Run Up Philippines haven’t gotten around to translating …read more

Sony Online Entertainment’s DC Universe Online is shaping up to be a great looking game. To be totally honest with the guys up at SOE and Bender / Helper Impact, the publicity machine of SOE and DC Comics‘ baby, I’ve been ignoring all the press releases they’ve been sending me. It’s not because I’m disinterested with the game. Far from it. Maybe it’s because I want to see where all of it is headed.
The latest announcement, however, is an exception. It’s not every day that you get to see a new incarnation of one of comic-dom’s most loved heroes. I’m …read more

A few weeks ago, good friend and MMOtaku regular Robert Sanchez gave me the heads up about NDOORS Interactive’s recruitment of a game master in the Philippines. I checked out the job posting and, sure enough, it was the real deal. It got me thinking: Was NDOORS planning to launch Atlantica Online in the little tropical paradise that serves as home to thousands of online games-hungry players?
Oh, don’t bother looking for the advertisement; it’s long gone. NDOORS has probably found someone capable of running the show. The question, however, remains: A game master for what game? I fervently hope it’s …read more