Munich-based game publisher burda:ic, a leading provider of free-to-play online games worldwide, today announced the autumn launch of browser-based MMO Forsakia: The Lost Clans for their alaplaya gaming platform. Created by Japanese game developer Gold Sky, Forsakia will be released in parts of Europe, including Russia and Turkey, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“After Land of Chaos Online, this is the next high-quality, free-to-play game that we will be releasing simultaneously in Europe and North America as a western publisher,” said Ingo Griebl, managing director of burda:ic.

“Forsakia is our first browser-only game. It provides players with an easy-to-access online RPG that is not only graphically impressive, but also includes complex features that have typically been limited to client-based games,” said Achim Kaspers, also a managing director of burda:ic.

Forsakia: The Lost Clans is set in Jianghu, a fabled land once governed by mighty clans that fell victim to a great tragedy. It is still unknown who or what caused their demise, but Jianghu has been immersed in chaos ever since. Now, it is up to the players to restore hope to this world by facing the powers of darkness, defeating monsters, and proving themselves as heroes.

Forsakia offers everything an RPG fan’s heart desires: player vs. player (PvP) combat, a pet system, six unique classes to choose from, guilds, individual houses for players to furnish, and much more. The huge, mysterious game world is brought to life with colorfully detailed graphics and experienced from an overhead, isometric perspective.

The upcoming launches of Land of Chaos Online and Forsakia are a key part of burda:ic’s plans to expand their alaplaya gaming portal. They hope to provide a targeted ten million users worldwide with up to ten high-quality MMO titles by 2011.

About burda:ic & alaplaya

burda:ic GmbH is a leading free-to-play PC online games publisher headquartered in Munich, Germany. burda:ic markets and distributes massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) such as Avalon Heroes, S4League, and Florensia. Its innovative alaplaya Gaming platform has continued to grow rapidly since its launch in summer 2007, with an expected 10 million registered users by end of 2010. More information about burda:ic is available at www.burda-ic.com.

So what is it that truly makes these Facebook mmo games so darn addictive?  The answer is simple my friend – they cater to your gaming “wants”.  For example, there are gamers out there who are just not into the World of Warcraft thing.  They don’t want to pay to play a game, yet they still want the mmo feel and ability to interact with other gamers.  Plus, they could care less about elves, orcs, and magic.  Throw out those things that they could care less about and give them something that they can get into – such as creating their own Mafia – and BAM!  Instant addiction.

Plus, these Facebook MMO games give you something that other mmo games don’t – the ability to get free stuff, free help – AND you don’t have to listen to all that annoying chat all the time… of course, that is great free entertainment.  Now you have an mmo game that everyone can play, yet they can get as deep into it as they want without drowning themselves in other people.  For me, this is great as it means that I can show off my gaming skills – yet not talk to anyone that day if I don’t feel like it.  I don’t even have to check my Facebook page if I don’t feel like “sharing” how I feel or what I’m doing.  But, if I feel the need, I can ask for goodies, send them to friends and so on.

Then you add in the fact that there are hundreds of different Facebook games out there that you can play, everything from fantasy games to building games to strategy games to goofy games, and you have at least one game that every single Facebook user will enjoy.  There is no shortage of things you can do with this.

Facebook games are easy to play, fun, and since they are played to your liking, in your own time frames, you can choose how well you do.  If you only want to play once a week, great.  Time your in-game items to only produce things that you can get when you login (such as using a two-day recipe in Cafe World or planting seeds that take 3 days to harvest).  It gives you so much freedom to be who you really want to be and still gives you the ability to chat it up with all of your friends.  You can’t beat that.

Plus, they are all browser-based mmo games, which means you can sneak them in at work and no one will know!  What could be better?!

So I can easily see why so many millions of people are addicted to Facebook games of all types.  I know that I surely am, and it’s much worse than any hold that World of Warcraft had on me.

Anyone that has played Evony will be comfortable right off with Empire Craft.  The basic game play is the same – build your city up to defend yourself against other hostile cities.  You can build a wealth of different buildings, from your tavern to iron mines to stores to city walls.  While it is a simple game to play, as you progress through the levels it will take longer to build and longer to get resources that you need to build.  I personally like these type of strategy games, combines a sim city building game with military strategy.

One of the things I noticed right off the bat is that it has a World of Warcraft feel to it.  You get to choose your race when you start: Human, Dwarf (that look like the Night Elves from WoW) and Orcs.  Then, you choose your name and you’re ready to rock.  You’ll go through quests to gain rewards of experience, resources, and more, and the beginning quests will help you learn what you need to do to get further in the game and protect yourself.

Those that are looking for the RPG feel in this will find that there is a great RPG base here.  Take into account the fact that the whole game is based in a fantasy feel, then add in that the players that love this game and play it regularly are into the role-playing aspect of building their own fantasy city.  The graphics only play into the overall feel of the game.  The players also offer a great deal of the RPG feel as well, even if most don’t seem to be hard core role players – they still play their part.  And, you will easily find that there are a ton of players that do take the game seriously, and take their parts seriously as well.  They play in clans/guilds that take their positions, their cities, and more as serious role play, even if this is a casual Facebook game.

While I really like Evony, Empire Craft is more my style as it’s more of a fantasy based game instead of just medeval style.  Same principle behind the game style, just different graphics.  And, there are also wandering monsters that you can take out as well.  I do have to build up a bit more before I can head out with my armies and heroes and take out any wandering monsters or take over any resources that are close to my city, but I’m sure that I will.

Although I just started playing Empire Craft, I will probably continue to play it for a while as I really like the fact that it’s browser based (nothing to download) and it’s a completely free mmo game.  Those out there that are looking for a new free mmo game to try out might check Empire Craft out on Facebook when you get a chance.

Included in the box are the game client on DVD and several exclusive collector’s items. Players will have access to a Manticore pet, to accompany them on their journeys, a printed manual and a poster-sized world map of Taborea. buyers will also have a time-limited mount at their disposal: a Thunder Wartiger.

To help players during their first steps in the game’s world, a starter kit worth more than 10 Euros is also included in the box. The experience potion, for example, will help players level faster for a period of time, a special carpet will enable them to decorate their in-game house, or they can use the materials included in the starter kit to improve their weapons and armor.

In August, Frogster will release the first set of features and content to the live servers and with the box, Frogster will finalize the multi-phase launch of Runes of Magic ‘Chapter II – The Elven Prophecy’.

Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
The German and English versions of Runes of Magic were released on March 19th, 2009. Anyone can download the online role-playing game for free at: www.runesofmagic.com and can plunge into the game world after a short registration process.

With an extensive range of features, and more than 1.6 Million registered players in North America and Europe, Runes of Magic is redefining the standard for free-to-play titles. Runes of Magic features an absorbing story through more than 1,600 quests, in a vibrant fantasy world. Players can choose from six main classes, combined with a secondary class, presenting 30 individual combinations of character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts like war horses and more.

A particularly attractive feature is the ability for players and guilds to arrange and furnish their virtual homes. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, exciting PvP, and demanding dungeons and boss monsters, there is something for everyone.

Taiwanese developer Runewaker developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards over three years. The studio is providing new challenges for players every four to five months with free add-ons and updates. You can find more information, pictures, videos, and the game available for free download via the official website: www.runesofmagic.com.

Features

• Free-to-play: no monthly fees, free download
• Extensive dual class system (six primary and secondary classes)
• Versatile spell and attack combinations
• Enthralling background story
• More than 1,600 quests and quest series
• No zone boundaries thanks to seamless architecture
• Dungeons: Instanced, tile based, and persistent
• Individually developable skills and spells
• Armor sets with special bonuses
• Dynamic item system with hundreds of runes for upgrading
• Optional PvP system with arena battles
• Ranking system with player-ranking lists
• Multitude of unique mounts
• Epic crafting system with the ability to improve existing items
• Personalization of player houses through individual furnishing
• Reputation system
• Customizable user interface with the option to use Add-Ons
• Map and radar system to easily find dealers, resources and quests
• In-game auction houses for trading items
• Teleport-Runes for instant travel
• Mouse and keyboard controls for movement
• Regular updates with new content
• Guild castles in special zones
• Cross-server fights in three-server-battle and guild wars in development

When I started playing Evony, I did so because I was bored.  (Yes, even I get bored of World of Warcraft even with a level 80… or two.)  While I play several other free browser based mmo games as well, I don’t play any that are Sim building games – which I absolutely love.  So, when I saw that Evony was a type of Sim building game, well, I had to give it a shot.

Gameplay:
Basically in Evony, you are building your own city on a massive map.  While there are open areas around you to conquer for materials, you will start off with enough area to build up your town and gather the materials that you need.  You have a wealth of different buildings available to you right from the start, and you can choose to either follow the quest lines (which basically gather you up a ton of materials and goods) or you can just build how you want to.  Personally, I do a bit of both in Evony.  There is a great in-game chat system as well, and I’ve found that many players are pretty helpful and won’t make fun of you too bad – even if you are a noob.

Graphics:
The graphics in Evony are really good for a free browser based mmo.  As you can see from my screen shots here in this free mmo game review, they are very detailed and nicely done.  I like how the designers gave everything the smallest detail to make the game believable – instead of a cartoonist aspect or graphics that aren’t as detailed as they should be – which happens a lot.

Building:
You start off with a level 1 town hall and a very small wall around your city.  You have to build up your cottages in town to get people to move in, then you have to work on materials – especially food.  As you play, you will develop your own pace for building different categories of buildings and the quests in Evony can help you as well with what to build next and what you really need or don’t need.  With the wealth of different buildings available to you in this free mmo game, it can seem a little overwhelming – but don’t worry.  It’s really not.

Why I Like This Free MMO: Evony:
Why do I like this free browser based mmo game, Evony?  Easy.  It’s fun.  It’s like a great mix of Age of Empires and a free mmo game.  So, instead of trying to figure everything out for yourself, you actually have people that will help you – real people that you can actually talk to, not just a computer generated answer that doesn’t mean squat.  And, there are alliances in Evony that you can take advantage of – especially for those newer players that aren’t ready when their 7-day protection is up.  (Yes, this happens after your first 7 days in the game.  Then, other cities and players can attack you without warning.)

But overall, this is just a super concept, a fun little free mmo game, and I really enjoy it.  For those of you that think this might be an mmo game you’d like – head over to Evony.com and try it out.  I mean, it’s not like it will cost you anything – which is good.  And, I promise that you’ll have a good time with this little building mmo game.  Hey, if you come to play, look me up on World 42…

CyberAgent America, Inc., a publisher of free-to-play online games, today announced the availability of NinjaGold for purchase in NinjaTrick, the free-to-play multiplayer action game for everyone. Special and rare items can only be obtained in exchange for the new currency, which aspiring ninjas can purchase using any major credit card and pre-paid card through PayPal and PayByCash.

“We’ve received priceless feedback during the NinjaTrick open beta thus far, and that’s helped us make it fun, stable and solid – the game is now at a point where we’re very comfortable inviting ninjas who want that extra edge on the battlefield to purchase NinjaGold,” said Toshimichi Namba, CEO of CyberAgent America, Inc. “We’re confident that NinjaTrick’s unique blend of action-oriented gameplay with MMO elements will continue to stand out in the free-to-play market.”

For more information about NinjaTrick, or to purchase NinjaGold, visit: http://ninjatrick.com/

About CyberAgent America, Inc.

CyberAgent America, Inc. was established in February 2008 as a fully-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based CyberAgent. With our extensive networks and over 11 years of experience in the Japanese internet industry, CyberAgent America is in a position to bring Japanese internet services to the international market, taking advantage of shared resources across the CyberAgent group.

Adventurers resourceful enough to reach the summit will find themselves face-to-beak with the ancient king of the Rocs, a monstrous, crimson bird that stands nearly 100 feet tall. His anger at the humans who disturb his rest knows no bounds, so those who wish to steal his treasures should be prepared for an epic battle. Of course, he has collected some incredibly powerful items over the centuries, so that reward might just be worth the risk!

To find out more about the Legend IV Plus update, including details about the new dungeon, visit the teaser site at http://www.joymax.com/silkroad/.

About Silkroad Online

Silkroad Online is a massively multiplayer online RPG that puts the player deep into historical fantasy, joining the Chinese and European civilizations along the Silk Road trade route. Traveling across Jangan, from China to Constantinople, players can make their fortunes as merchants, prey on the rich as thieves, or be protection-for-hire as hunters. The most recent expansion, Legend IV: Tomb of the Qin-Shi Emperor, added new territory, quests, weapons, and an increased level cap for adventurers. With over 18 million registered users and 170,000 concurrent players worldwide, the triangular conflict of Silkroad Online has never been more exciting. More information about Silkroad Online is available at http://www.joymax.com/silkroad/.

About Joymax

Since its establishment in April, 1997, Joymax has been developing and publishing quality games for the emerging game industry of the 21st century. Based in Seoul, Korea, the company has published numerous titles for the PC platform, and its first MMORPG, Silkroad Online, has grown to offer service in 200 countries since its 2004 launch. Joymax is to become a global entertainment company providing multimedia content. For more information, please visit www.joymax.co.kr/eng/.

Story Line: Basically, the game is set in the old west.  You start off as a basic toon, only getting to choose male or female characters, and you quest to work your way up to level 10 where you can choose the type of character you want to be – i.e. adventurer, trader, and so on.  The quests that you will do mainly come from four NPC’s in the saloon that are available at any area of the game.  You do things that you would have done in the old west, such as build fences, tan deer hides, hunt turkeys, and guard the forts.  The quests increase in difficulty, and you have to spend your talent points as you level to gain the different skills that you need to complete certain quest jobs.  You have to pay attention to your skill points and spend them wisely to get the quests done that you need to.  So, this is not just a point and click to play type of browser based MMO game, you actually have to put some thought into this one and try to get your questing done right.

Graphics: the graphics are good on this browser-based mmo game.  While they aren’t super duper knock you over great, they are really good for a free to play mmo game of this type.  The details are clear, and you can easily see where things are on the map, which is interactive so that you can search out the jobs you need to find, towns, your toon, and more.  I think that InnoGames did a great job here on the graphics when it comes to a great interface.

Game Interface: For a free to play mmo game, and a browser based one at that, I think that the game interface is superb.  It is well laid out, and extremely easy to learn and use.  I was really impressed at how well the interface was laid out, as there are some browser based mmo games out there that really can confuse gamers, especially those new to the game. So, props to InnoGames for creating one that is so easy to use.

Overall: I would recommend this browser based mmo game to anyone that I know.  I love it, and continue to play it daily.  I love that you can’t just blow through the levels, that you have to plan a strategy for your skill points to get to that next questing level.  I also love that this game makes you actually work for a level, as in you have to actually wait the 2 hours or whatnot to get that job done.  Your character also has to sleep sometime, and you’ll have to sleep it off at a local hotel, which is normally for 8 hours.  So, this browser based free mmo is a great way to play a game constantly without being wrapped up in it for hours on end, getting no where.

As you can tell from the screenshots, my character’s name is Kirsttheworst, and I play on World 7.  So, when you’re ready to check out the great game play and story that InnoGame offers in The West, head over to my neck of the woods and say Hi.  I promise you won’t be sorry you did.

Later this year, the Titan cross-server will feature an entirely new continent, unlike any current game location, where players will have the chance to compete against each other for control over regions in this new and unexplored territory. Before the Titan Server, players could only communicate with users on their same server, but more updates coming later this year will allow Atlantians to interact regardless of their server, enabling players to meet more friends (and enemies) in Atlantica Online.

“The developers wanted to create an all-inclusive server that would give users from the separate servers a chance to finally meet and battle against one another, to determine who the best of the best really is,” said Peter Kang, NDOORS Interactive, CEO. “The Titan Server encourages additional community interaction and player participation, and will continue to do so as new features are added in the future.”

Additionally, the Titan Server will offer a “Grand Championship Tournament” where players can battle it out for glorious rewards, beginning each Sunday at 3am and 3pm PDT. Players will earn Gold Coins just for participating – more if they are the winner of the first battle, and participants who win more than one battle will receive EXP for their main character and mercenaries. The top 30 players will receive 4 Platinum Coins, Observation Rewards and 200 Fame/Battle points, but the overall winner of this tournament will reign supreme, receiving the Barbarian Lord’s Black Tiger, Platinum Coins, Observation Rewards and 1,000 Fame/Battle Points. The Grand Championship Tournament winners will be the very best of the best, earning rewards and bragging rights galore.

Upon traveling to the Titan Server, initials of the players’ original server will be added to their character names to prevent any conflicts. Currently, only basic user information will be copied over to the Titan Server, but in the coming updates all player details, including communities, friends and guild members will be available on the Titan Server. Cross-server trade, chat and whisper features will also be implemented in the near future.

Recognized as one of the best MMORPGs of 2008, Atlantica Onlinehas received critical acclaim for its quality, accessibility, and entertainment value. The Titan Server is only one of many exciting content updates scheduled for Atlantica on April 21, 2009. With new massive features already in development, the implementation of the Titan Server promises exciting things to the world of Atlantis. Preparation for in-game events is already underway, so players should check back often to participate in the cross-server excitement.

For more information on Atlantica Online, please visit:www.playatlantica.com.

About NDOORS Interactive

NDOORS Interactive is the U.S. subsidiary of Korea-based NDOORS Corp., which develops and publishes online games. NDOORS’ other popular online games include the political and economic MMORPG ‘Luminary: Rise of the Goonzu’ and the time traveling strategic RPG ‘Time N Tales.’ More information is available athttp://www.ndoors.com.

This is a story of a land you know…and a land you do not know. 

The Land where Martial arts chivalry was born. 

A story of Nine Clans … Nine lost Heroes … and Nine Heroes yet to be found. 

This is the Ming Dynasty – The Era of Nine Dragons. 

This Land holds many adventures, many wonders, and many secrets, some horrible and others beyond belief. Acts of heroism, romance, and fierce combat will unfold before you, like lotus petals, to nourish… 

The seeds of The Dragon within you. 

“What is 9Dragons you ask, my friend?” - 9Dragons is the first authentic martial arts massively multiplayer online role-playing game. That means you shall not be alone in The Land – you shall journey alongside many friends, enemies, teachers, and fellow disciples. The Land itself will be constantly evolving around you as new cities, quests, and special events are continuously added and updated. To help you immerse yourself in the true spirit of The Land, our design team has paid meticulous attention to the period authenticity of all the available cities, weapons, moves, costumes, and locations used in 9 Dragons. With this in mind, we invite you to venture forth and… 

“Enter The Land of Martial Arts Chivalry” - Once you have downloaded the game and created your own unique character, you will soon find yourself wandering the dusty streets of ancient China during the Ming Dynasty. Talk with people you meet and you will begin to understand the lay of The Land, and the mighty forces that dwell within it. 

“Learn some Kung Fu” - There are many basic necessities you will require as you travel, among them eating, drinking, lodging, and meditation… but perhaps nothing is more essential in this dangerous world then learning some strong Kung Fu. You are urged to find a local trainer and begin your study of Martial Arts as quickly as possible. Mastering Kung Fu is the only way for you to survive the harsh realities of The Land. 

“Enroll as a pupil of a Major Clan” - Once you have learned some Kung Fu, it is time to join a clan, seek a master, and begin your real training. There are nine major clans in The Land, each based on actual historical clans, including six that new disciples can join, which include: The League of Beggars, Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan, Heavenly Demon, The Brotherhood of Thieves and Sacred Flower. Disciples who have achieved a certain level of mastery can later seek to join three advanced clans, which include: The Union of Noble Families, The Disciples of Iron Fist and Black Dragon Clan.  

Once you’ve joined a clan, you have set your foot upon the Road To The Dragon, and the whole world of martial arts chivalry opens up to you through a series of noble quests. In 9Dragons, the historic codes of martial arts chivalry form the basis for an unlimited number of adventures where you will meet unique characters, ponder noble truths, attempt perilous quests, and encounter terrifying monsters… the likes of which you have never seen before. 

“Test yourself in Battle” - If your thirst for combat is not quenched by fighting through the thousands of beasts, monsters, and opponents that The Land has to offer, there are still more opportunities to test your skills… You can engage with your fellow disciples in Clan Wars, which are grand scale battles that pit your clan against the minions of other clans. Or, to settle more personal disputes, you can make full use of our Dueling Facilities and go head to head with other players. We also offer two options for general play: Pleasant Servers where combat between players must be proposed and accepted, and Player Kill Servers, where the dangers of The Land are greatly increased in an anything goes atmosphere. 

“Follow The Road To The Dragon” - As you journey, your clan’s adversaries will defend their hidden treasures from you with their secret arts, as one might expect… but unlike other games that have no final agenda, the elusive secrets of the lost Nine Dragons shall be discovered by those who seek them. 

May the seeds of The Dragon thrive and blossom within you.

Play 9 Dragons here