Free PC Gaming Blog

Here’s a holiday treat for those of you lucky enough to own one of the Ageia PhysX Cards in your monster PCs (Sadly, I am not one of them)… NetDevil has release a completely free next-generation FPS PC game called "Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction".

The game is built on the Unreal 3 Engine and uses so much destructible environment physics, that it’s nearly unplayable without the PhysX Card. The environments are so destructible as a matter of fact that they can be used for gameplay strategy. Floors, ceilings, walls, stairs, and even whole buildings can be demolished in order to give yourself the upper hand.

Both offline single player bot games and online mulitiplayer modes with up to 64 players are available.

If your machine is up to it, consider this an early Christmas gift and download it now!

Tonight I was checking out PoxNora… this is a very cool free to play online trading card / collectible miniatures game. PoxNora uses a "rune" system where you control champions, spells, relics and equipment in turn based play by randomly selecting runes from your BattleGroup.

Initially, your battle group is chosen from 8 pre-made configurations of rune cards. If you enjoy the game and want to advance the level of your cards as well as configure your own groups, you can choose to purchase "Rune Packs". There are hundreds of Runes available including both the miniatures and illustrated cards containing beautiful fantasy artwork as well as stats and descriptive text.

If you want to play something other than the standard game, you can choose from "Capture the Flag" or "King of the Hill" modes of play.

The game itself uses Java as a platform, so it’s online play only. There is a note on the site that they will soon be releasing AI controlled bots modes for a single player challenge and training.

PoxNora is a lot of fun even if you just stick with the free play and the ready made decks. I give it 2 free thumbs up!

We first posted on Marble Area when it was released back in October. Now, Brightside Entertainment has released the latest version with bug fixes, new maps, and more:

Brightside Entertainment Releases Marble Arena 1.3

Independent game developers, Brightside Entertainment have announced the release of version 1.3 of their popular family friendly, single player and multiplayer game for PC and Mac, Marble Arena.

Barlad, Romania, November 26, 2007 – Independent game developers Brightside Entertainment have announced the release of version 1.3 of their popular family friendly, single player and multiplayer game for PC and Mac, “Marble Arena”.

Building on the success and good reviews received by the original version, the new release comes packed full of new features, new maps and more stable than ever. 22 new custom maps, created by the community await new players and fans alike.

Among the many new features you’ll find new physics contraptions such as mines and gravity bubbles and the ability to cause a shock wave when smashing into a wall, that will send players on the other side of the wall flying. After you complete a level you can now post your best time and see if you are the fastest Marble Arena player around. If the single player games were not intense enough, you can now add as many AI controlled marbles as you want, at any point, on any map in the game.

Along with the new release, Brightside Entertainment is proud to announce the second edition of their weekly “The Architect” competition. As the name probably suggests, it’s a map making contest. With the help of the built in, easy to use editor, you can now create your own custom levels, based on a theme that will be provided to you. Submit your map and take your pick from the 6 full games the Prize Bucket has to offer.

Marble Arena and its built in editor are based on a very popular engine, namely Cube 2. All those who are used to creating maps for it or its popular mods will have no problems creating maps for Marble Arena. If you don’t know your way around, the forum awaits you with all the answers you’ll ever need.

This week’s theme is “Replicas”. Create a map similar to one you found in your favorite game, but make it playable with a marble. Ever wondered how a Counter Strike map would play if you were a marble ? If so, this week you’ll probably be able to find out.

For more information, discussions, screenshots, videos and to download the latest version of Marble Arena, please visit the official website :

http://www.Marble-Arena.com

K2 Networks collection of free to play MMOs are going to have special Thanksgiving day events:

GOBBLE UP THE REWARDS WITH K2 NETWORK’S THANKSGIVING EVENTS

Celebrate turkey day with your favorite K2 Network game!

IRVINE, Calif. – (November 20, 2007) – K2 Network, Inc. (www.GamersFirst.net), an online game publisher is celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with special events and prizes in all of its games. There is something for everyone from War Rock’s “Winter Gun Giveaway” and Knight Online’s “Cursed Gobble Event” to Red Stone’s “Rescue the Pilgrims” and Global MU’s “turkey shoot”. And as if that weren’t enough, don’t forget to check out Sword of the New World: Granado Espada’s 1.5 Experience extravaganza!

All of K2 Network’s games can be found at www.GamersFirst.net

War Rock
Celebrate the holiday with the War Rock Winter Gun Giveaway. With every purchase made through the web store, players will receive a free promo code that can be applied to their account for a random unreleased weapon. These weapons can only be obtained via this promotion! For the official rules and start time of this event, please visit www.warrock.net.

Knight Online
Back by popular demand, the Cursed Gobble will be attacking the Knight Online towns in-game! Log in starting November 20th to help defeat these winged beasts that will be spawning outside of the main towns. GMs will also be running events throughout the holiday weekend and there will also be a fun event running in the Official Knight Online forums. Happy Thanksgiving!

Red Stone
Rescue the Pilgrims! – Throughout the day, GM’s will be controlling characters in game and acting as “Pilgrims” who have been taken captive by monsters and are being held in dangerous dungeons. This event will be run via in-game notices and GM controlled players. These GM controlled characters will need to be rescued by players and safely escorted out of the dungeon. Players who successfully escort the GM controlled player character will receive special prizes including an increase in their level by 1!

In addition, it is Harvest Festival time! – Thanksgiving is celebrated as a time of bounty. During this time period players will be 3 times as likely to get rare items! Harvest Festival will be celebrated until Sunday evening.

Global MU
Celebrate Thanksgiving and Hunting Season ALL at once with the Global MU Thanksgiving [MM] Event: turkey shoot! Running daily now through Thursday, November 22, a server announcement will be made that a [MM]turkey is out to be hunted. It is randomly timed, during the day or night, so gamers will have to be on the lookout! No specific location hints will be given so players will have to search high and low to find this hidden [MM]turkey, who can be hiding anywhere from Noria to Kanturu. Speed is essential for players will need to quickly find the [MM]turkey and "shoot" him (by taking a screenshot). Players can then submit their screenshot by posting it on the official Global MU Forum thread. The first player to do so will win 3 jewels of Bless, 3 jewels of Soul and 3 Jewels of Chaos.

K2 Network will only be awarding the prize to the FIRST player that posts the daily screenshot on the official entry thread. In addition to the big thanksgiving event, Mutizens will be treated to a 3 XP weekend from November 22 -25.

Sword of the New World Grando Espada
Sword of the New World: Granado Espada will run 1.5 experience over the Thanksgiving holiday. Players can also expect special giveaways and prizes for participating in the special Thanksgiving Events. These events will reflect the Thanksgiving Holiday in the New World. As Sword of the New World is based on a fantasy interpretation of the discovery and exploration of the New World, K2 Game Masters will be in-game providing numerous events and fun tasks for players.

About K2 Network
K2 Network publishes and services highly engaging online games and cultivates dynamic player environments. The company puts GamersFirst™ by giving them free access to compelling titles, supporting their amazing communities, offering creative pricing models and updating games based on player feedback. K2 Network currently has over 16 million registered users and offers War Rock, Knight Online, Global MU Online, Red Stone and Sword of the New World: Granado Espada. K2 Network has an operational presence in the United States, Korea, and India. Read more about the company at www.K2Network.Net and find all of their games at GamersFirst.Net.

Ok, so this isn’t a post about free games like usual, but I have to post on it.  Marvel has opened up a digital comic library containing thousands of comics from the entire Marvel universe.  I had thought that this would be an awesome idea for years, but it seemed like they were never going to get around to it.  Well, now it’s here and for a limited time you can check out samples of 250 digital comics for free.

For a low price of $9.99 a month or $59.88 for the year, you can have open access to the entire library!  This is an amazing offer!  We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of comics available for viewing at your leisure.

The only issue I see at this point in time is that there are some missing issues in certain collections… in fact certain sets are quite bare, but Marvel claims that they will be building on the library on a weekly basis.

Ok DC and Dark Horse Comics, Marvel has set a high bar here… it’s time to catch up or even top it and get into the digital game!

Starting November 26th, Shaiya, a new free to play MMORPG will be launching a closed beta. You can sign up now to be one of the lucky ones to try it out first. The screen shots look pretty cool. Here are a few features they claim you will find in Shaiya:

• 1500 vs 1500 - The ultimate Realm vs. Realm combat.
• Bootleggery - Sell items to the opposing faction in the secret warehouse.
• Challenges - Sick of someone’s trash talk? Request a battle with a member of your own realm.
• Arena Fights - Enter the grand arena and take your fight to a new level.
• Goddess Blessing - Crushing the enemy doesn’t just feel good, but it helps your side.
• Guild Events - Guild vs. Guild combat, Guild vs. Monster combat, and the upcoming Willows Trial!
• Quests, Mounts, Executions, Boss Fights, Dungeons, Demons, Dragons, and more…

And here’s the press release:

Aeria Games Announces the Closed Beta for Shaiya

California, U.S.A. (November 12, 2007) – Shaiya will be launched by Aeria Games for a Closed Beta test in North America starting on the week of November 26th.

Shaiya is a fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG). Located on a distant planet, Shaiya puts players in the middle of an age-old blood feud between two warring factions: the Union of Fury and the Alliance of Light.
The Beta test phase gives players early access to a game with dozens of maps, hundreds of monsters, over 1,000 quests, and more than 1,000 different items, armor and weapons. This classic-style MMORPG offers players:

PvE, PvP, RvR: The best of all game worlds in one game. Slay monsters, battle friends in duels, smite opposing players in PvP, and fight for control of the continent in Realm versus Realm combat. To the winner of RvR goes the blessing of their Goddess and all the bonuses that includes!

Intriguing Content: Run bootlegs to the opposing faction and sell wares to the enemy. Go on quests that range from delivering love letters to completing a hit on an enemy. Impact your entire realm with your acts of heroism on the battlefield.
Classic RPG Elements: shining armor, dragons, elves, orcs, swords, magic, dramatic music, beautiful realms, quests, faithful steeds, and never-ending of battle of Light versus Darkness.
Players are encouraged to sign up for CB on the Shaiya website at: http://shaiya.aeriagames.com

Signup for beta requires an Aeria Games account which can be registered for free.

About Aeria Games:

Aeria Games is the dynamic gaming community where players of all backgrounds and interests can connect, share, and enjoy an unparalleled variety of Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games from all over the world.

Our vision is to provide the best Community Gaming Experience and Service to each and every one of our players and best of all, every game is FREE to Play! Start playing our games today by registering here for your Aeria Games account.

Founded in 2006, Aeria Games & Entertainment, Inc. is based in Silicon Valley, California.

It seems like all of the free to play MMOs continue to expand infrastructure to keep up with demand… What can I say, it must be all of traffic coming from this blog!

Aeria Games Announces the Addition of a New Server for Last Chaos

California, U.S.A. (November 12, 2007) – Aeria Games will launch a new server for Last Chaos starting on the week of November 19th. Several exciting promotions will be available for new players as well as current players and these include a limited item giveaway event and a variety of in-game contests.
In the world of Last Chaos, the mortal races fight for power and conquest of Iris. In a land of shifting alliances, bloody betrayals and insatiable ambitions, players have full control of their destiny; every action and decision is meaningful and important. Fate rests on their shoulders and they determine the evolution of Last Chaos’s story through brutal warfare, brilliant strategy and building trusted alliances.

By accomplishing missions, learning crafting skills, rearing helpful pets and experiencing adventures in the huge and unknown world, players acquire the bravery, intelligence and strength to become the true ruler of Last Chaos.

For more information regarding Last Chaos, please visit: http://lastchaos.aeriagames.com

About Aeria Games:

Aeria Games is the dynamic gaming community where players of all backgrounds and interests can connect, share, and enjoy an unparalleled variety of Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games from all over the world.

Our vision is to provide the best Community Gaming Experience and Service to each and every one of our players and best of all, every game is FREE to Play! Start playing our games today by registering here for your Aeria Games account.

Founded in 2006, Aeria Games & Entertainment, Inc. is based in Silicon Valley, California.

The Legends of Norrath is an online trading card game similar to Magic the Gathering. The game client is free to download and there are training missions available to learn the game and see if it’s something that you want to invest in. Once you are through the training though, you need to either purchase virtual trading card sets or if your play Everquest or Everquest 2, cards can be found as drops off of characters you defeat.

EVERQUEST® FRANCHISE ONLINE STRATEGY GAME — LEGENDS OF NORRATHTM STACKS THE DECK WITH ITS FIRST EXPANSION ANNOUNCEMENT

Additionally, SOE Announces the First Championship Series to Start Later This Year

DENVER, CO – November 8, 2007 – Just three months after the highly successful inaugural launch of the online trading card game Legends of Norrath (LoN), Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announces that Forsworn, the first expansion for the online strategy game, is currently in development. Based on legendary MMOs EverQuest® and EverQuest® II, Forsworn is scheduled to launch Tuesday, December 18, 2007. LoN Oathbound was released late this past summer and has already hosted more than 300,000 matches to date.

“The instant success of the game’s first set, Oathbound, led to the decision to release Forsworn before the end of this year. Forsworn will continue to provide players with high-quality gameplay and a rich storyline that enhances a compelling stand-alone game or the already seamless experience from within the worlds of EverQuest and EverQuest II,” said Scott Martins, Director of Development, SOE. “Forsworn expands the Legends of Norrath experience with something for everyone. We’re particularly excited about kicking off the Legends of Norrath Championship Series in early December. With a total prize pool in excess of $100,000, this series adds another viable element of competitive play to the game.”
Developed at SOE’s Denver, CO studio, Legends of Norrath is the first online trading card game based on and playable from within SOE’s popular franchises EverQuest (EQ) and EverQuest II (EQII), as well as from a free stand-alone client. Launching from a menu within either MMO or using a free SOE Station ID (available at www.station.com) in the stand-alone client, players can challenge opponents on their game server and across other EQ and EQII servers.

Forsworn, the second release in the Legends of Norrath storyline, features enhanced multiplayer support that allows team-based 2 vs. 2 games, as well as cooperative multiplayer “raid” games against powerful AI opponents. Forsworn introduces 235 new, artistically stunning game cards, with new gameplay and multiplayer options, as well as an updated client with new content and bonus features for all registered users. Forsworn also boasts 22 additional loot items each for EQ and EQII, including player mounts, potions, clothing and spells.

Available in both 58-card digital starter decks and 15-card digital booster packs, Forsworn cards will be available via digital download from SOE’s Station Store. The digital starter decks (58 cards) will be available for $9.99 (plus any applicable taxes), with digital booster packs (15 cards) selling for $2.99 (plus any applicable taxes).

In addition to AI opponents and player vs. player combat, Legends of Norrath is the complete online card gaming experience, featuring numerous Casual and Tournament game lobbies with three exciting tournament formats in which to compete. Tournaments range from smaller on-demand tournaments all the way up to the Legends of Norrath Championship Series events, with a total prize pool in excess of $100,000 USD.

Legends of Norrath Championship Series
Starting in December Legends of Norrath players can truly test their strategic skills and throw down in the Legends of Norrath Championship Qualifier tournaments. Running monthly, each of these events will have no entry fee and will feature a prize pool of approximately $5,000 USD. Winners of these monthly qualifier events will receive an automatic entry into the Legends of Norrath Championships at Gen Con Indy 2008 in Indianapolis, IN where they will compete for cash and prizes in excess of $100,000 USD.

On Demand Tournaments
Starting November 17th, Legends of Norrath players can also start their own tournaments or enter other player-initiated tournaments 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. These 8-player events feature a variety of play formats including Constructed Deck and Booster Draft formats. In Booster Draft, players can open several packs of cards and only play with the cards drafted for their deck– a pure test of calculated skill! Scheduled tournaments for larger numbers of players are set to run each week so that players can compete in tournaments with several hundred players at a time.

Loot Tournaments
Monthly loot tournaments pit individual player skill against each other as they compete for promotional cards, sealed packs and loot to be used in EQ and EQII. Just for entering, players will receive a special loot and promo card that can only be obtained through such Loot Tournament events. Players who place well can win additional prizes such as packs, promotional cards and/or loot.

To get started on the fun, players can download the client for free, test their skills against AI and real opponents, and then head over to the tournament lobby to play. Tournament eligibility limited and subject to official rules. Residents of certain territories are ineligible to participate in LoN tournament play. Please see the EULA for details. For a schedule of events, rules and further details see the LoN Events Page or the LoN Tournaments webpage. For more information on Legends of Norrath, visit the website at www.legendsofnorrath.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, Los Angeles, CA and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development. SOE is owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

RF Online is expanding it’s capacity to allow for the growing audience getting in on the free to play MMORPG:

RF Online Opens New World as Demand Reaches Unprecedented Levels!

Unprecedented demand sees Codemasters Online open another new world due to huge popularity for this free-to-play MMORPG.

Thursday, 8th November (2pm GMT) – Codemasters Online are thrilled to announce the opening of another new world for their hugely popular 100% free MMORPG RF Online. The new world known as “Solus” will open its gates as a surge of new players join the RF Online service.

Since the switch to free to play two weeks ago, RF Online has achieved unprecedented levels of success as players come from far and wide to declare their allegiance and battle it out for control of Novus.

“To open our 2nd new world in the space of two weeks is a tremendous success and testament to the ever increasing player base and their loyalty to the game. The current demand for RF Online is far exceeding our own expectations and the active player base continues to increase week upon week.” commented Adam McGowan, Global Product Marketing Manager, Codemasters Online.”

Following the opening of “Solus”, Codemasters Online are now preparing for the games next free update due to launch in the coming months currently named “Planet Wars”. This completely free expansion will see players take to the skies in fast paced action space combat as they pilot their ships through space and venture to all new planets and systems.

RF Online, the completely free MMORPG is an epic mix of traditional fantasy and futuristic Sci-Fi set in the deep space galaxy of Novus where three races compete in an ultimate struggle for power and resource.

To download RF Online now visit www.rf-onlinegame.com

Now that the Halloween event’s are over in the world of free to play MMOs, it’s time to look to our next big holiday Thanksgiving. Voyage Century Online, described as a free to play strategy, trade and role play 3D Nautical MMO game set in the 17th century, has announced an event to celebrate the Thanksgiving season:

Voyage Century: Happy Moments Commemoration

Thanksgiving Day is coming. Voyage Century Online (http://vc.igg.com) will hold a “Remember the Happy Moments” activity in the forum for players to remember their joyful time during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Event Duration: Nov 6th – Nov 21st
Event Venue: The Event Zone of the VCO Forum
Event Contents: Players can send pictures with their best wishes and hopes to people they care about the most.
Rewards Information:
1. Participation Rewards: 1 Gift Brochure
2. Lucky Rewards: 1 Diamond Safe
Every participant will obtain a reward; in addition, two players will be selected as the lucky players from each page and gain extra rewards.

To get more details, please visit the official website: http://vc.igg.com/content.php?news_id=706