Free PC Gaming Blog

Burda:ic Announces the Start of Christmas Festivities for Fantasy Tennis Season 2

December Update and Christmas Event Bring Costumes, Stockings, and Snow to the Fantasy Sports MMORPG

MUNICH - December 10, 2009

Burda:ic, a leading publisher of online games worldwide, today announced the start of the Christmas event in the sports MMORPG Fantasy Tennis Season 2. Players who want to join in the fun can now fish and forage for Christmas stockings, hunt down ingredients for building the ultimate snowman, and give their in-game house a holiday makeover with red, gold, and green decor.

During the event, both fishing and picking fruit will randomly earn players a “Santa’s Bag.” If they collect ten of these stockings, they’ll be able to trade them in for one, limited-edition Christmas Gacha Set coin. Potential presents include miniature trees, Santa beards, reindeer antlers, and festive party hats.

Fantasy Tennis players in the Christmas spirit should also check out the new clothing sets which have just been added to the item shop as part of the December update. The Snowman, Rudolph, and Santa outfits really make a seasonal statement, while the Fairy Tale Prince and Princess Gacha Sets help turn the courts into a true winter wonderland.
For additional information about the Christmas event and the December Update, visit http://ft.alaplaya.net

FreeStyle: This Year’s Last Update To Be Launched On December 16

Public Mode Enables Users to Watch Tournaments and League Matches

Replay Mode Makes Mastering Various Tactics Easier

Seoul, December 11 - Online Game Portal Site GameKiss announced this year’s last massive system update for FreeStyle Street Basketball Game which will be launched on December 16. This system update features the “public mode” and “replay mode” while another update with a new character ‘Sachi’, 51 new items and 12 skill motions has already been announced.

For an online sports free download game, the most distinct system update would be the public mode which enables anyone accessing the game to watch a match by simply pressing the mode’s button.

Many users who wanted to watch important tournaments have complained about the lack of the public mode. Some users recorded game playing with their own recording program and uploaded their clips on YouTube. Other users then could see the matches. FreeStyle users will now be able to watch major matches between well-known clubs or teams or a dramatic come-from-behind victory in real time.

The replay mode, newly added after many FreeStyle users’ requests, would be essential for gamers who aim to improve their performance through analyzing previous games and team tactics. Gamers can save their game-play into a replay file. By watching past matches, gamers can understand opponents’ tactics and develop their own play patterns, boosting their game skills.

“Thanks to the pubic mode, users from all over the world will be able to watch all sorts of tournaments and league matches in real time. I’m very looking forward to that. The replay mode, too, will hopefully help users to master teamwork and various tactics,” said RomaN, Chief GM of FreeStyle Street Basketball Online Game.

“As this is a massive patch as the year 2009’s last update, I hope it is a big Christmas present to our users.”

Registration, download and playing of Freestyle Street Basketball are provided worldwide, and can be enjoyed free of charge. More details can be found on the official website: http://freestyle.gamekiss.com.

OGPlanet Launches Lost Saga

Massively Multiplayer Online Fighting Game Includes Heroes from Fantasy, Science Fiction, History

El Segundo, Calif.-Nov. 17, 2009- OGPlanet, an innovative provider of high-quality, free-to-play massively multiplayer online games, today announced the launch of Lost Saga.

Lost Saga pits players against one another in a battle for the ages. Players face off with heroes from fantasy, science-fiction and history, including everything from boxing champs to iron knights, pirates to ninjas, and even cowboys to dark shamans. Each hero comes with unique skills and abilities, and as players hone their battle skills and gain experience, their characters’ powers will grow.

“We’re proud to add Lost Saga to our OGPlanet family of games,” said Sangchul Park, CEO of OGPlanet. “With a constantly growing selection of heroes and a great variety of battle modes, there’s never a dull moment in Lost Saga. Our current OGPlanet fans as well as players new to our community will find hours of free, action-packed entertainment in our latest game.”

Lost Saga includes a number of battle modes that challenge players to compete individually or on teams to gain skill and power. Mid-battle hero swaps, and weapons and armor that can be claimed and equipped, keep the duels fresh and unpredictable. No two battles are the same, and players must stay on their toes to emerge victorious.

Like all of OGPlanet’s games, Lost Saga provides a high-quality, completely free-to-play experience. The entire game can be enjoyed without spending a dime!

For more information on Lost Saga, please visit http://lostsaga.ogplanet.com.

Pirate Galaxy – gamigo announces player vs. player competition

Hamburg, 20 November 2009 – gamigo’s 3D sci-fi MMOG has sounded the starting signal on its new player vs. player competition. Every Saturday for the rest of the year, players will have a chance to participate in special events and be showered with points as a reward.

The player who earns the most points by the end will be rewarded with a credit on their gold account of one thousand times as many points as they earned. Second and third place will be rewarded with 500 times and 300 times the points they earned, respectively. Even for those who don’t end up in the ribbons, there is still the chance to win exclusive Pirate Galaxy T-shirts every week.

Pirate Galaxy is a browser-based online game of the next generation. As a daring space pirate, players explore faraway planets, set out on quests for valuable crystals and other artefacts, and battle with other players against evil alien creatures. The game captivates with its enormous in-game universe and its phenomenal three-dimensional graphics, which are unparalleled in the world of browser-based games.

For more information, game rules, and the chance to prove your own skills, head to http://pirate-galaxy.gamigo.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REALITY GAP ANNOUNCES THE COMMERCIAL LAUNCH OF BATTLESWARMTM: FIELD OF HONORTM

The Highly Anticipated Commercial Launch Commences with a Sweepstakes Celebration: Players Can Register to Win Thousands of In-game Prizes and an Alienware m15x Gaming Laptop

SEATTLE, WA – November 17, 2009 – After a successful Beta testing period, Reality Gap, Inc. in association with developer Gameworld Tech Co, LTD, has announced the Commercial Launch of their highly anticipated new online first-person shooter (FPS) vs. real-time strategy (RTS) game Battleswarm™: Field of Honor™ this coming Thursday, November 19th. To celebrate the launch, Reality Gap will be giving away a high-powered Alienware M15x hardcore gaming laptop powered by a 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M graphics card and thousands of in-game Gift Boxes in an exclusive sweepstakes event. Fans can register for the Commercial Launch of Battleswarm, and find more information about the sweepstakes this Thursday at http://www.battleswarm.net.

“We are thrilled to offer online gamers a completely new experience that pits tactical first-person shooters against real-time strategy players,” said J. Mark Hood, COO of Reality Gap, Inc. “Players can now choose from an amazing assortment of upgraded weapons, items and armor in the in-game store, or participate in tournaments on new maps with a wide range of game types including Capture The Flag, PvP and several others.”

The commercial launch of Battleswarm now adds cash stores both in-game and on the web to allow players to quickly and securely acquire the best weapons, armor, eggs and other items. Players can now choose to purchase items with in-game gold or MetaTIX™, and can even use the consignment store to sell items to other players for in-game gold.

In addition to the laptop sweepstakes, Reality Gap has also announced a special weekend tournament where new and existing Battleswarm players can enter to get a chance to win additional in-game prizes, power-ups, MetaTIX and more. Details about the tournament and the sweepstakes will be available at http://www.battleswarm.net.

Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit Eclipses 50,000 Users in One Week

Users in over 100 Countries Embrace Free Unreal Engine 3 Toolset

CARY, N.C. (November 12, 2009) – Epic Games, Inc. announces the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), a free software release that provides uncompromised access to the award-winning Unreal Engine 3 toolset, has exceeded 50,000 users worldwide since its launch on Nov. 5. This rapid adoption of Unreal Engine 3 technology extends to approximately 130 countries and 4,500 cities across the globe.

Epic plans the imminent release of updates for the UDK beta version. UDK is available for download at www.udk.com, where product features, licensing terms, frequently asked questions, support resources and more are also available.

UDK is available to anyone interested in using 3D game engine technology, from game developers to students, hobbyists to researchers, and creators of architectural walkthroughs to digital filmmakers. Use of UDK is free for all schools and students, and anyone can release free UDK-powered games.

“We are very excited to see the uptake of UDK cross over the 50,000 mark in only one week, and we’re looking forward to seeing amazing games and applications come out of it,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “We’re also thrilled to finally be able to offer UDK free for schools and students so they can work with the same awesome Unreal Engine 3 tools used by many of the top game developers and publishers around the world.”

Extensive UDK technical documentation is available at the Unreal Developer Network (udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitHome.html), and community members can share ideas, show off projects and learn from UDK developers like Psyonix and The Prometheus Team at www.udk.com/forums.

3D Buzz (www.3dbuzz.com), the leading provider of Unreal Engine 3 training, will soon release dozens of free video tutorials specific to UDK to complement the company’s existing Unreal Engine 3 video training modules. Over 100 Unreal Technology videos are viewable at the 3D Buzz web site free of charge.

“Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3” and “Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume II: Advanced Level Design Concepts with Unreal Engine 3” are the recommended textbooks for learning Unreal Engine 3 tools and technology. 3D Buzz authored both reference texts, published by Sams, and each come bundled with a free, downloadable copy of “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC.

Individuals and companies wishing to develop software for commercial purposes should refer to licensing terms at www.udk.com/licensing. Commercial terms have been structured to make it easy for independent developers, start-up firms and seasoned professionals to use UDK with minimal financial barrier from concept to deployment.

Flyff V14, The Lost Continent, Goes Live November 11th!

Sunnyvale, CA—November 10th, 2009 Gala-Net, Inc. is pleased to announce Flyff V14 The Lost Continent’s launch on November 11th.

The wait is over—Flyff V14, The Lost Continent, has finally arrived. Starting November 11th, Flyff players can officially begin exploring the newest continent on Flyff, Shaduwar. The Lost Continent brings out the darker side to Flyff, with sinister dungeons and forgotten treasures. Players will also rejoice in Flyff’s new flying system which incorporates wings for the first time ever. Players will be able to fly around Madrigal with wings of all shapes, sizes, colors, and speeds!

To celebrate V14, Flyff will be hosting multiple in-game events with unbelievable prizes. Most notably, players will reap considerable rewards during Flyff’s Play for Rewards Event. Players only need to play at least one hour of Flyff every day for a 35-day gameplay marathon. At each milestone (5 days, 10 days, etc…), players will be handsomely rewarded for participating! Prizes include in-game goodies as well as physical game gear. Included in the prizes are the highly coveted Black Feather Wings, a new addition to Flyff in V14!

All players who reach the 35-day milestone in Flyff’s Play for Rewards Event will automatically be entered into a drawing to win one of four 50” HDTVs! Other Flyff V14 prizes include Flyff Branded Merchandise, Flip Camcorders, a PS3 Slim, and Razer Gaming Mice!

This is also a great opportunity for new players to try out Flyff. New players who join Flyff from November 11th through December 1st will receive a free starter pack full of all the essential items to brave the world of Flyff.

To join in Flyff V14’s celebration, visit http://flyff.gpotato.com/v14.

Here are a few free to play game press releases on Halloween events going on now:

PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRATES HALLOWEEN IN ETHER SAGA ONLINE

New Decorations and Two New Seasonal Quest Events Added

Oct. 28, 2009 – Redwood City, CA - Perfect World Entertainment Inc. (“PWE” or the “Company”), a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), is embracing the spirit of Halloween and is celebrating with two events in Ether Saga Online. The Halloween events will run from Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

The first event is a monster invasion called “Restless Spirits,” which pits players against ghostly enemies. The second event gives players a chance to “Trick or Treat” to win an assortment of items as a treat or turned into a monster as a trick.

“Halloween is a time of the year where you can dress up and have fun, so we wanted to design events that would incorporate this spirit of the holiday for our players,” said Craig Beers, product manager for Ether Saga Online. “Players will get a kick out of the decorations and these events—they reward well too!”

A prequel to Chinese literary classic, “Journey to the West”, Ether Saga Online features a bright, anime style graphics and an in-depth pet system for every player, entirely free of charge.

To learn more, please visit the official Ether Saga Online website at: http://eso.perfectworld.com/

GodsWar Online: Halloween Events Array

Halloween is fast approaching and the GodsWar team has prepared an amazing array of horrifyingly brutal events to celebrate!

Event I: Creepy Night
Players need to go through a series of designated quests for Toffees, which they can then exchange for Exp and various rewards.

Event II: Exorcizing
1 NPC of a young female Halloween Envoy, dressed in a Halloween suit, will be introduced at the center of the main city. Level 20+ players will get a Halloween suit and a Halloween Wand from the Envoy. Use the magic Wand on the Halloween Devils and you will be in for a heck of a night! Tap them with the wand and the Halloween Devils return to the Pumpkin Candy they used to be! Exchange Pumpkin Candy for cool rewards - character Exp, character Talent, Pet Exp, Zodiac energy and more, just by visiting the Halloween Envoy.

Event III: Trick or Treat
The GM will appear randomly in the main city during the event. Players must find the GM and yell Trick or Treat. If the GM is impressed, the GM will give you a gift.

Event IV: Ghost Invasion
On Halloween, ghoulish beings of all sorts come out to play. They aren’t used to being around people though, and some of them may get a bit out of hand – they only get to come out once a year after all. Take up arms against all the scary and dangerous creatures roaming the land, and you’ll receive some spooky rewards. You must defeat the Boogeyman to get the Sheepskin Scroll. Collect Sheepskin Scroll 1- Sheepskin Scroll 6, and then you can redeem them for a Common Pumpkin from a GM in the event.

Event V: Fashion Contest
Show us your customized Halloween costume! Let’s see who has the creative talent to design the most awesome Halloween costume of them all. Participants must model their Halloween-themed costumes on one of the GWO characters. We will reward the top 4 costumes with cool prizes after a careful evaluation.

Please visit the event page at http://gw.igg.com/event/halloween/

Patch ‘2.1.2 – Storming of the Acropolis’ Expands Runes of Magic

Elite District Presents Some Thrilling Challenges for Players

Berlin, 28th October 2009: Today’s patch for Runes of Magic paves the way for brave groups of adventurers to journey into the heart of the Naga Empire. Patch ‘2.1.2 – Storming of the Acropolis’ also adds the Halloween Pumpkin Festival into the online role-playing game, together with some long-awaited elite skills for the Elf classes and a territory expansion for the ‘Aotulia Volcano’ zone.

Until now, the huge Naga Acropolis in the volcanic territory has been inaccessible. With ‘2.1.2 – Storming of the Acropolis’, the gates of the fortress are now open and so is a special district inside the zone which will challenge players. Countless elite henchmen occupy the walls and trenches around the Acropolis – Naga troops have set up their camps all around. Solo players don’t have a chance here; only well-equipped groups will ultimately get to face off against the leader of the Naga army: King ‘Sharleedah’ will provide a tough battle for adventurers and can only be toppled by extreme force.

In addition to the new district, patch ‘2.1.2 – Storming of the Acropolis’ offers Elven players some new elite skills for their dual class combination. Minor changes in the interface, new titles for their avatars as well as fixing a few bugs have all been included in today’s update.

More information is available at the official Runes of Magic website. www.runesofmagic.com

Runes of Magic – A world full of magic and adventure
Runes of Magic has redefined the standard for free-to-play MMORPGs in terms of gameplay, fun and quality. The online role play game carries an exciting, multi-layered story, driven by more than 2,300 quests set in the atmospheric fantasy world of Taborea. To date, Runes of Magic has attracted more than 2 million registered users, making it one of the most successful titles in the free-to-play segment, and a must play game for all fans of MMOs and RPGs.

Runes of Magic features a unique dual class system enabling players to combine one of eight primary classes with a secondary class. The result is a deep player experience that expands upon the game’s deep customization offering. There are two different playable races, Elves and Humans, from which players can choose. Each dual class combination produces its own powerful elite skills. Another popular feature is the opportunity to furnish your own completely individual virtual home, and guilds can construct guild castles, which can be expanded with additional buildings. Thanks to comprehensive crafting and reputation systems, gripping PvP features, deep customization and demanding dungeons, Runes of Magic has something for everyone.

Taiwanese developer Runewaker regularly expands the game world with new free content and challenges.

Runes of Magic Features
- Dual class system with eight classes and unique elite skills
- Individual furnishing of player housing and guild castles
- In-depth story experienced through above 2,000 quests laced with epic quest-lines
- Gripping Player-versus-Player duels in arenas and on the battlefield
- Easy travel using portal stones and a wide range of rideable animals
- Challenging boss-combat in dangerous and extensive dungeons with up to 36 simultaneous players
- Entertaining mini-games offering variety to the hero’s routine
- Dynamic crafting and customization of items
- Regular comprehensive free updates with new game content
- Free-to-Play: No monthly subscriptions, free to download the game

Nexon America supplies Halloween tricks and treats in all its games

Nexon America is presenting a candy sack full of fun Halloween content for its free-to-play games. Combat Arms, Dungeon Fighter Online , Mabinogi,and MapleStory have added unique features for the Halloween season by providing fun rewards and exciting events.

Combat Arms
Mercenaries will get in touch with their spooky side this Halloween in Combat Arms. Coffin backpacks, sickle melee weapons, pumpkin head masks and Infected masks will be available in the Black Market and for those who take part in the different events planned for the holiday. More details on the events are available at combatarms.nexon.net.

Dungeon Fighter Online
A series of quests have been added to Dungeon Fighter Online’s open beta for Halloween. Players who succeed in helping Seria find her Halloween Decorations will receive Halloween-themed gifts and candies! Additionally, on October 31st, Players who depleteall 156 Fatigue Points will earn their way into a drawing (10 winners will be chosen at random) for all five Dungeon Fighter Online figurines!.

Mabinogi
Zombies invade Nexon’s fantasy MMOG and players need to fight them off. In this event, players fend off the attacking zombies from over-running the player camp and taking down the camp flag. This marathon wave of brain-eating zombies should be a fun and oozy challenge for Mabinogi players. Also included for the Halloween season are flying Broom Pets that can transport players on air and the ground, as well as skeleton costume character cards that will help players fit into the scary season.

MapleStory
Who doesn’t love scary sequels? MapleStory is reprising the extremely popular Haunted House feature this year. Haunted House II has a story line quest, which includes two side quests, that picks up from 2007’s Haunted House story where players discovered the mysteries of Jonas the Toymaker, and his daughter. Complete the Haunted House II fright fest for spooktacular rewards! And no Halloween is complete without costumes - which will be available in the game’s item shop.

For more information about all of Nexon’s Halloween events, go to: www.nexon.net.

gamigo Scores: Slapshot Now Available In English

Hamburg, 6th October 2009 - gamigo AG, a leading European free to play massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) publisher, today released the English version of its top hockey MMOG, Slapshot. English speaking players can now experience Slapshot’s large online street and ice hockey community. They’ll join the existing German players in the unique mix of fast-paced hockey action and MMORPG-based character development.

The best just got better

Slapshot launched in April to critical acclaim, online underground street hockey proved an exciting combination for German users. From today, however, both German and English-speaking players can now experience the „Iceworld? – fans of both ice hockey and regular hockey will feel right at home. The new patch also brings Slapshot?s graphics in line with the latest in PC gaming.

The game play is action-packed, the community is supportive but competitive – Slapshot has something for everyone. Players start the game with a choice of 3 character classes – wing, defender or centre. From then on, it?s up to the player; they can customise their look, train up their skills or just leap into the ice-cold action.

Take on the Germans

“We?re pleased to introduce this game to our traditional sporting rivals, the British, as well as the whole English-speaking world. This will certainly lead to some of the most exciting matches Slapshot has seen,” says Florian Hörpel, Slapshot?s Product Manager at gamigo. “gamigo is taking Slapshot to the next level, and we?re incredibly excited by this – a great game.”

Players can register, download and play for free right now by visiting slapshot.gamigo.com.

Requiem: Memento Mori Launches successfully with over 700,000 users!

Marina Del Rey - Sept 30, 2009

Gravity Interactive, a world renowned massively multiplayer online game publisher, has launched Requiem: Memento Mori the third title in Gravity’s Requiem franchise. Over 700,000 Requiem users and community members are experiencing the newly enhanced world of Requiem through the release of Memento Mori. Gravity proudly announced that the game’s official name is “Requiem: Memento Mori”, a term generated from Requiem’s active community. In development since 2008, Requiem: Memento Mori was just released on September 24th and gives the community new ways to play, socialize, interact and explore the world of Requiem.

“Were really excited about the new content that Requiem: Memento Mori provides our users…”said Mario Fernandez Jr., community manager of Requiem: Memento Mori at Gravity Interactive. “…they are really going to enjoy these new features and I’m really excited that were able to provide them! ”

Designed with a horror theme, players will interact in Requiem: Memento Mori by engaging in quests, battling monsters, exploring the worlds and socializing with friends. As an extension of the Requiem world, Memento Mori enhances game play by offering user controlled PVP and Clan combat systems, enhanced item upgrading systems, more customizable stats and characters, a new pet system, and numerous events and community outlets.

Visit www.playrequiem.com for more information about Requiem: Memento Mori.

About Requiem!
Requiem: Memento Mori is one of the world’s first Horror MMORPG’s for mature audiences. Be transported to a horror-filled, violent and bloodstained world of Ethergia where the world is devastated by generations of warfare and the misuse of science and magic. Discover this unique world, engage in combat with monsters, experience a unique storyline and characters, interact and play with friends, and more in this horror massively multiplayer game. Designed for the PC as a free to play game, the MMO is accessible and easy to navigate for everyone. For more information, visit www.playrequiem.com.