Atlus preps Demon’s Souls for late 2009 release

Atlus U.S.A. has secured the North American publishing rights for Demon’s Souls, an interesting action RPG for the PS3. Atlus U.S.A. is billing the game as the hardcore RPG experience PS3 system owners have been waiting for since the platform’s launch. The story revolves around a power hungry king who releases an ancient evil - and hordes of demons that devour men’s souls and leave his kingdom in shambles. Summoned by a mysterious maiden, it is up to the player to save the world from the horrible demon army and bring peace and light back into the world.

In addition to a hardcore action RPG experience, Atlus is promising seamless three-player co-op play, and open ended world with multiple paths to follow, a skills and character development system that promises open ended customization, multiplayer features that promises to redefine the single player experience through some novel hint system (allows players to leave hints for other players - including the ability to replay another player’s death scene to avoid the same mistakes) and a whole lot more.

The game is set for a fall release.

Eight Virtues in a Duffel Bag: The Richard Garriott Interview, Part II

In part II of our interview with Ultima series creator Richard Garriott we talk more about the “rooms full of killing children,” the dark nature of The Black Gate, creative ways to kill Lord British, fan mail, and the possibility of a new Ultima game from Garriott in the future. Read it after the break, and check out Part I if you haven’t already done so.

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Eight Virtues in a Duffel Bag: The Richard Garriott Interview

Richard Garriott, who is now spending more time thinking about space travel than virtual worlds, was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about the darker side of the Ultima series of role-playing games. This interview is a companion piece to The Black Gate Murders, an alternate playthrough of Ultima VII: The Black Gate that involves killing everyone in the game.

In Part I of our interview, the creator of Ultima reveals some little-known facts about Ultima VII, the origins of a room full of crazy children that caused a memorable family feud, and his feelings on selling Origin to EA so many years ago.

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Geneforge 5: Overthrow Released

The conclusion to the Geneforge role-playing game series has been released and is available for Mac and Windows, according to a note from Spiderweb Software. Geneforge 5: Overthrow, the final game in the long-running series from Spiderweb and creator Jeff Vogel, wraps up the story arc of the Shaper, a world where a secret sect of wizards use the ability to create new life to serve themselves.

When their servants rebelled against them and fought the wizards the world suffered for it, ravaged by the battle and the struggle for power. The story of Overthrow plays out the final chapter in the series with one lone warrior (you) having the power to tip the balance of power to one side or the other.

Like previous games in the series, Overthrow features an open storyline that is affected directly by what the player does, leading to a dozen different endings. Players can help the rebels or the wizards to beat the game, use brute force to accomplish their goals, be diplomatic, or cast off responsibility altogether and earn their fortunes anyway they see fit..

Key features include five different factions to interact with, 80 different areas to explore, lots of magic spells and skills to customize your character, unique items and weapons to collect, and plenty of other options to choose from as you play.

Geneforge 5: Overthrow is available for both Mac and PC and a playable demo of both versions is available on the game’s official web site.

NetDragon to Launch Disney Fantasy Online

NetDragon Websoft Inc., one of China’s leading online game developers and operators, has decided that to celebrate its success, it’s going to Disneyland. The company, together with The Walt Disney Company’s Interactive Media Group announced yesterday that they are currently developing their first Massively Multiplayer Online RPG, “Disney Fantasy Online”, with a projected Spring 2009 launch.

Gamers who dive into Disney Fantasy Online will be dropped mouse ears first into a unique Disney-themed central world, created based on themes of the Magic Kingdom, playing alongside non-player Disney character hosts such as Mickey and Friends, preparing and training the gamers for the vast adventures that lie ahead. As gamers explore, complete quests, and level-up, they have the opportunity to acquire virtual items to personalize the gaming experience and enable them to explore additional worlds more extensively. Expansion packs with new adventures and maps will be constantly added to the game, providing endless opportunities for gamers to uncover new content and secrets.

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