Three New MMOs Challenge World of Warcraft
June 6th, 2008 by valentine“Three new massively multiplayer online games are throwing down the gauntlet in 2008. These titles, more than any other game since World of Warcraft’s 2004 release, stand an excellent chance of dethroning Blizzard Entertainment’s mighty MMO as the king of an extremely lucrative market. All three of the new games — Age of Conan, Pirates of the Burning Sea and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning — have their strengths. But each brings something fresh to the rapidly growing MMO genre, which has attracted millions of gamers, according to unofficial estimates, and now includes everything from Tabula Rasa’s sci-fi escapism to the Webkinz virtual world for children. Here’s a sneak peek at what the new games offer: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Screenshot: Courtesy of FuncomAge of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Release date: March 25 Set in the world of Robert E. Howard’s Cimmerian novels (the universe of 1982’s Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Conan the Barbarian), Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures brings with it almost 80 years of fiction for developer Funcom to draw upon for its backstory. In order to appease the built-in fan base that this wealth of lore has developed, Funcom is focusing heavily on the title’s combat system. While previous MMOs allowed players to click a few buttons and watch actions unfold, Age of Conan employs a “”real combat”" system that allows players to not only control the direction of their attacks, but also focus on various body parts in real time. As a result, the game will not only stick close to its source material’s penchant for almost cartoonish ultraviolence, it also bucks the something-for-everyone trend started by World of Warcraft. By foregoing the family-friendly angle, Funcom is risking the loss of a large section of the player base, but the general feeling among longtime online gamers — particularly the player-versus-player demographic — is that Age of Conan is poised to be the Halo of the massively multiplayer genre.
In a period when these games are just gaining mass market appeal, this title brings something for the adults to enjoy in an adult setting. Pirates of the Burning Sea Screenshot: Courtesy of Flying Lab SoftwarePirates of the Burning Sea Release date: Jan. 22 If the success of Johnny Depp’s turn for the scurrilous in the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy has proven anything, it’s that people are enamored with adventure on the high seas. Not content to simply give gamers a ship and a parrot, Flying Lab Software has created a fully realized world in which players can live the adventure as they see fit. If you’d prefer the quiet life of a shipbuilder to raiding galleys, that option is available. And of course, there is always the draw of helming a gigantic ship of the line. wow gold Despite its numerous character options, each player in World of Warcraft lives essentially the same life. Pirates of the Burning Sea’s greatest strength is that it allows for radically different play styles, each contributing in some way to a faction’s success in the game’s vaguely fictionalized 1720s-era Caribbean setting. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Screenshot: Mythic EntertainmentWarhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Release date: Quarter 2 ” “Auctioneer NPCs can be found in in Orgrimmar, Undercity, and Thunder Bluff for Horde player-created auctions and are a part of the same Auction House. wow gold Alliance players will find Auction Houses in Ironforge, Stormwind City, and Darnassus. These Auction Houses are linked together for each faction. Horde and Alliance players cannot buy or sell items to each other unless they use the neutral Auction Houses listed below. mp3 Ask a guard for directions. Some non-faction based Auction Houses are located in Tanaris, Everlook, and Booty Bay. These Auctioneer NPCs have the same functionality as the aforementioned faction based Auction Houses, with the additional capability of allowing trade between Horde and Alliance characters.
wow gold Sellers are able to place items up for auction, set a starting price, set the auction duration, and include a buyout price by speaking with an Auctioneer. All auctions will be initially charged a deposit fee. The deposit fee is refunded upon the successful sale of the item. buy wow gold All successful sales are charged an auction consignment fee which is extracted directly from the final sale price. All fees are higher at neutral auction houses. Buyers are able to search through items up for auction, place bids, and purchase items that include buyout prices by speaking with the Auctioneer. wow gold Players are not able to place bids on items being sold by a character on their own account. All items won at an Auction House will be delivered through the in-game mail system. RELATED LINKS:Â http://blog.enet.com.cn/blog.php?uid=5459
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