A kinder, gentler Warhammer Online trial

Today Mythic Entertainment announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, its popular MMO based on the Games Workshop universe, has introduced a new “endless” free trial program for new users. The free trial will allow players to try as many characters as they like through the first tier of the game or to level 10. Along with the endless trial, a brand new streaming trial client has also been introduced which will allow new users to download a smaller file where backgrounds will be streamed continuously in as players progress through the game.

Endless free trial players will partake in the recently introduced New User Journey, which features enhanced tutorials and new community elements, such as a “new player” guild, to streamline the transition of new players into WAR and its community of players. The new WAR endless free trial replaces the original 10-day time-limited trial program. This introduction comes after the major performance upgrade and revamped New User Journey in the 1.3.2 patch released in mid-October.

Find out more about this brand new trial version of the game by checking out www.warhammeronline.com/trial.

Fallen Earth MMO getting an iPhone app

FALLEN EARTH and Icarus Studios, developers of the self-titled massively multiplayer online game (MMO), Fallen Earth, announced today the development of a cross-platform iPhone application, which allows players to connect into the live game server and interact with the game remotely via their iPhone.

Through the new iPhone application, players will have access to Fallen Earth, and allow Fallen Earth players to view their in-game character stats, mutations and trade skills as well as provide access to equipped and stored items. Players will also have be able to view maps for each of the three sectors in the 1,000 square kilometers of the game’s landscape.

The app is scheduled for release in Q1 2010, and will feature real-time management of several key in-game systems like players’ crafting queues, recipes, craft items, commerce at the Auction House as well as the ability to interact with friends, Clan members and other online players through multiple chat channels, mail and private messaging.

Find out more about this app and the game by visiting www.fallenearth.com.

Chinese government cracks down on World of Warcraft

Activision Blizzard and top Chinese online gaming company NetEase continue to have problems in China as government regulators put the squeeze on the duo related to World of Warcraft. NetEase announced this week that the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) has returned its application to operate the latest version of Activision World of Warcraft in the region due to “gross violations” of regulations.

The Chinese government run agency emphasized the point by posting a statement on its Web site demanding that NetEase suspend charging users to play the game, and started rejecting new account registrations. This news certainly puts into question World of Warcraft’s future in the lucrative region and also didn’t help both companies’ stock prices, which took slight hits.

Analysts familiar with the region believe that this is tantamount to a turf war, after Blizzard walked away from a contract with another Chinese online games provider The9, which the Chinse government apparently favors. While that is certainly a factor, the Chinese government has been cracking down on game content that it sees as undesirable. It especially enjoys cracking down on companies that have foreign investment; in Oct. the government banned many forms of foreign investment into the country’s online games industry.

And the news certainly isn’t hurting NetEase’s competitors; Shanda Games saw a bump of 3.1 percent, while The9 closed at 4.3 percent yesterday on the news. But it does hurt Western companies like Activision and EA, who want to crack the market and take some of the profits being generated there; the Chinese gaming market is projected to grow by 30 - 50 percent this year to $4 billion.

Champions Online free play weekend

To celebrate Halloween Cryptic Studios will be offering a free weekend of its super hero powered MMO, Champions Online. From Friday, October 30th, until Monday, November 2nd, anyone that wants to can play Champions Online for free and check out all the changes to the game, including new missions, new powers and the free Blood Moon content update.

Players that have walked away from Champions Online and haven’t played a character since September 24th, you will still have a free Retcon remaining, which resets a character’s power purchases. Also new to the game is the Celestial powerset which adds a new play style to the game; healer. Celestial powers change based on the target selected, so if you target a friend you give them much needed aid and if you target a foe you deal dimensional damage.

Finally, Champions Online is offering the new Halloween-themed content: Blood Moon. Play as a werewolf or a hunter during the Bite event, join four friends in an all-out struggle for survival in the Zombie Apocalypse PvP map or die during that event and become a super powered Zombie.

Find out more at www.champions-online.com.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Jedi Knights

The official site for Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare and LucasArts’ upcoming MMO set in the early days of the Star Wars Universe, offers a deeper look at the Jedi Knight. For countless ages the Knights of the Jedi Order have been the guardians of peace and justice in The Old Republic using disciplined training and meditation, to achieve a perfect union of body and mind.

Strengthened by the Force, they are able to turn this training into lightsaber combat that is unmatched in the universe. The latest HoloNet entry on the official Old Republic web site now offers a full profile of the Jedi Knights, including videos showing them in action The media section is also offering downloadable screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers!

Find out more at www.swtor.com.

Free-to-Play DDO Unlimited gets first major update

Turbine has launched the first major content update for Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited (DDO Unlimited) since it went to free to play earlier this year. The new update offers several new features, a new Epic Difficulty setting, as well as over 100 new items to purchase in the DDO Store

In addition, Turbine has released a new DDO video, which gives a glimpse into the Vale of Twilight adventure pack, now available for purchase in the DDO store. The video can be found after the jump.

The update includes a new adventure pack called Path of Inspiration, a new Veteran Status system that rewards who by earn 1000 favor (unlocks the ability to create characters which enter the game at level four), a new Epic Difficulty setting and new DDO Store goods like 32-point build characters, a size upgrade to the shared account bank, new hair styles, Reincarnation items and more. Get all the details by checking out www.ddo.com.

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Warhammer Online now available on Macs

Warhammer Online has officially been released for Mac computer systems. WAR on Mac is available to current subscribers for free and can be downloaded by new users and Mac gamers for $19.95 at Gametreeonline.com. The releases follows the recent 1.3.2 patch which has introduced a redesigned user experience which helps better guide and teach new players how to play and get the most out of their Warhammer experience.

Current subscribers can download the Mac version free of charge at www.warhammeronline.com/download.

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