Crispy Gamer News

Simutronics and BioWare announced that its first MMO title, Star Wars: The Old Republic, is being developed Simutronics’ HeroEngine middleware technology. BioWare Austin, the developers behind the game, said that it selected the Simutronics because it wanted to partner with a good track record of developing technology that is squarely focused on MMO design and deployment.

HeroEngine is described as an “integrated, collaborative, and realtime platform for full life-cycle development, deployment, and maintenance of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games and virtual worlds.” Licensees include ZeniMax Online, and many more around the world. More information is available at heroengine.com.

More detail on BioWare’s MMO can be found at www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com.

Funcom has released a brand new update for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures this week, delivering what the company calls “the largest gameplay content addition since launch.” The update brings a new location, a new outdoor area of Ymir’s Pass where players will now be able to find new quests to solve, new characters to meet, new monsters to slay and a new storyline to unravel. The update also includes a new dungeon – The Amphitheater – home to an epic and memorable monster encounter.

But beyond new content, this latest update promises to address players’ concerns about the game including a major update to the player-versus-player part of the game, allowing players to become criminals based on their actions when battling other players. New armor, weapons and other content have also been added, and major improvements in stability and performance.

Find out more about the latest update by visiting www.ageofconan.com.

Electronic Arts has tapped NHN’s Hangame, one of Korea’s largest game portals, to bring Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning to the region. Developed by Mythic Entertainment, and based on the popular tabletop games from Games workshop, WAR launched in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceanic territories in September and has managed to attract more than 800,000 registered users since launch. Not a bad start for Mythic’s game, though nowhere near the level of World of Warcraft..

The game will be launched in Korea in 2009. Korean gamers looking forward to WAR in their region can check out www.warhammer-online.co.kr.

True Games Interactive has revealed the first details on its upcoming online action MMORPG, Warrior Epic. Developed by Austin-based studio Possibility Space, Warrior Epic is an online, action role-playing game set in an original fantasy universe. In the game, players assume command of a Warrior Hall from which they manage their characters’ adventures. They can recruit from a a number of Warrior Classes, each with its own style of play. The Classes and the Hall itself can be upgraded and players can adventure together in multiplayer campaigns, adventure mode, solo quests and PVP.

One of the most unique aspects of Warrior Epic is that death does not mean the end of a warrior. Instead, it opens up more options for players. The game’s Warrior Spirits System enables fallen warriors to not only be revived at any time at their hall, but also to be transformed into Spirits that can be bound to weapons to increase and open weapon abilities and skills.

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Paul Barnett, creative director for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, will be giving a talk on Mythic’s game during Comic-Con. The presentation is this Saturday, July 26 at the San Diego Convention Center. Barnett will try to explain how they have used Game Workshop’s Warhammer universe to maximum effect, and how the company has balanced satisfying Warhammer fans while providing an MMO experience that everyone will want to play.

The talk will take place Saturday, July 26 from 2:00pm - 3:00pm in Room 2 at the San Diego Convention Center.