Acclaim Games is proud to announce that they've reached a new milestone in their MMO career: they've garnered over one million registered users in just a little over a year after being reborn as a free-to-play publisher!

Acclaim currently has five online games: BOTS!!, 9Dragons, 2Moons, DANCE! Online, and one yet unnamed top secret MMO title that'll reportedly revolutionize the way MMO games are developed. How? By giving players a chance to actively participate in the devving process. The company will then announce one lucky winner who'll get to direct their own game funded by Acclaim. Cool, huh?

Howard Marks, Acclaim Games' CEO, sends his gratis to all the users who have helped them reach this major milestone. Oh, and news also reached our ears that the open beta for DANCE! Online and 2Moons will be announced by the company real soon so make sure you keep an eye (and ear) out for that.

 

Here's good news for all gamers who have grown to love Indy21's MMORPG, 9Dragons: The Open Beta testing for 9Dragons has just started. The pre-Open Beta announced a few months ago gathered a lot of players, so expect that this time around, there will be even more people to interact with in the game.

In the Open Beta, gamers will be able to choose to join one of the game's six starter clans, to get them started. The choices include the Wu-Tang Clan, The League of Beggars, Shaolin, The Brotherhood of Thieves, The Heavenly Demon Clan, and the Sacred Flower Clan (which accepts only female applicants, by the way).

The first three in the list are loyal to the Emperor of China, while the last three oppose him. There will also be three advanced clans to be added in the game as it progresses, and players will have a choice as to whose side these clans will eventually end up fighting with.

If that bit of news isn't enough, we've got one more for you. Acclaim Games has also announced that 9Dragons will have a dedicated European server, meaning players from Europe will have an easier time accessing and playing the game. We're guessing that this may be their response to the slight problem that  occurred last week, which left players from that side of the globe to momentarily lose access to the game.

Another major thing to note about the game is that its storyline, which is based on China's Ming Dynasty, has been remastered and adapted by Steven-Elliot Altman, a Hollywood screenwriter, so that Western players (read: those not very familiar with China's history) will be able to relate to the game.

So those who still aren't in on the free martial arts-themed MMORPG that is 9Dragons, you better sign up for a free account at 9dragonsgame.com.

Sad tidbit right here. If you've been following the progress of MMO titles like 9Dragons and Carpe Diem, then you might have heard that their developer, Persistent Worlds, has gone kaput. In their official website for 9Dragons, the only thing that's left for us to see is this vague and sad statement:

It is with regret that we have to announce that as of Jan 22nd Persistent Worlds has ceased trading. The servers will be shut down in due course.

As for the reason why this happened, nobody knows for now. From what we can see, 9Dragons and Carpe Diem get a lot of attention every time we feature something about it. The Martial Arts MMO 9Dragon indeed offers something different to players while the Fantasy MMO Carpe Diem is also making some noise in the scene. For now, we do not know what's gonna happen to them aside from the servers shutting down.

We'll give you more updates as things become clearer in the coming days.

We do not how you will feel regarding this but MMO developer Acclaim Games recently entered into a partnership with in-game advertising agency IGA Worldwide. The said deal includes titles 2Moons, 9Dragons, DANCE! and BOTS!! aside from two future unannounced projects.

In-game advertisements is one of the issues that has always plagued the industry. Players, in general, do not like this idea as the pop ups and obvious product placements prove to be rather distracting. On the other hand, IGA Worldwide is maintaining a positive stance saying this kind of marketing strategy is actually beneficial for publishers and developers.

Going back to the above mentioned partnership, IGA Worldwide couldn't help but show their delight regarding the matter. The company's CEO Justin Townsend elaborated:

This agreement expands the growth of our advertising network into social gaming. This is the first of a string of announcements in this exciting new space, with well over 20 titles signed and due for launch over the coming quarter, bringing our total available reach in line with that of a TV network.

As much as Acclaim Games' titles are for free, we could only hope that IGA Worldwide do this in a not so blatant manner and with taste. We're pretty sure there are artistic ways, rather than pure money making schemes, around this.

We've been hearing about this MMORPG title from Acclaim for a good while now, and we've featured their weapons items and clans, but we never really actually got to play the game. Yet. Until now.

So folks, start up those video cards as Acclaim has just announced that open beta for the MMORPG 9 Dragons is now up and running. The dev team is, of course, expecting you to report any bugs that you may find in the game so that they may be squished, so keep an eye out.

In the meantime, people who want to try this game out for the first time won't have to worry about being pwned by the ubers just yet as the closed beta characters have been completely wiped out, thus leaving a level playing ground for everyone to enjoy. So go on, get going, don't be shy and pick a clan already.

Over at the MMORPG site, Indy 21 has updated their developer journal for their upcoming game, 9Dragons. This time, they talk all about the combat system, and how you can pull off the deadliest attacks that the game will allow. The journal gives a whole lotta info on this, so join us as we give you some of the nifty info discussed.

First off, you will start the game with no fighting ability at all. As in nil, none, zip, nada. You won't be able to work a saber, or sword, and not even a staff! BUT, the devs say that you could punch and kick a stray dog. But hey if that gives you kicks, then why not, right? Seriously though, you'll need to learn Kung Fu first before you get to wield a sword or use the other weapons. And to learn Kung Fu, you're gonna have to enroll yourself in a Martial Arts school or seek the help of a Sifu (Kung-Fu guru).

You should also know that all of the clans in the game have a unique form of Kung Fu, and each form serves as a compilation of hundreds of moves that you can choose to create your own attack and defense combinations. Now, if you do well in studying Kung-Fu, you can then progress to...*drumroll*... practicing some more. Hahaha, yep, you still won't be able to pull off the wicked moves you learned, so you really have to do well in training before you can execute those moves in a real battle.

Now, all these info are just primers on the whole combat thingamajig, and it doesn't even touch on the real "delving" into the nitty gritty of kicks and stances, hack and slash action you'll eventually get to do in the game. We strongly suggest you check out the rest of the journal to find out more about 9Dragons' combat system. See the "read" link down there? Just click on it and you're all set.  9Dragons is still currently in beta testing mode but is expected to be released late 2006.

Steven-Elliot Altman, lead writer and loremaster of the Acclaim Martial Arts MMO, 9Dragons, had some interesting things to share about what's up with the game and just what we could expect come its release date. Yup, that developer journal was sure oozing with info and we are sure that this Altman interview is info-ridden too.

When asked of how historically-accurate the game will be, the lead writer mentioned that the Korean design team was given instructions that if it didn't exist in China's Ming Dynasty, it wouldn't have any room in the game. Every detail - the music, design of the cities, clothes, and weapons - are all historically based.

As for the writing part of the game-making process, he promises to bring ancient Chinese wisdom in English, but then again the writing team will balance familiar storytelling elements with historically accurate visuals. So don't expect this game to be your guide through that Asian History subject of yours.

Altman also says that beta-testing is virtually essential to them since community should be their strongest asset. He says that it is always fun and inspiring to see them testers discuss game details or report bugs. He also says that 9Dragons aims to be the world's best free-to-play game, supported solely by in-game ads. Which may be a bit confusing because if post-modern ads get mixed up with a Ming Dynasty setting, well, the game just wouldn't work. But as Altman said, they are working on it. They'll be asking what their players think and might even let their players create their own ads.

And since there are no live, fire-breathing dragons during the Ming Dynasty, you shouldn't expect for rideable mounts/ dragons here. But, he divulges that three advanced clans (The Union of Noble Families, Black Dragon Clan, and The Disciples of Iron Fist) will be user-controlled. As for physical representations, their "Epithet" system will get you covered. It is basically a title above your character's avatar that will tell others who you are and will also raise your stats.

If you want to read the word-per-word interview, click on the 'Read' link below.

If you've been keeping track of the latest developments in 9Dragons, you'd know how the developers churn out interesting tidbits about the game. So far, we've been introduced to the clans, the reputation system, fighting styles, and the list of weapons we can use.

Persistent Worlds CEO Ken Johnston keeps us updated by bringing us the lowdown on the in-game items we'll find when we enter the world of 9Dragons.

When you start off as a wandering vagabond, you'll be immersed in the breathtaking sites of ancient China. In between interactions with villagers, traders, and warriors, you're sure to find fabulous riches. But before it falls into your hands, you'd have to find the items that will turn them into a great treasure - one that would be desired by others, even the Imperial Emperor.  

The items you find and carry will also change your stats as you continue to explore the lands of China. They may increase your strength or raise your dexterity. The effects may be temporary or permanent, but either way, they will give you an edge in battle. Countless items are scattered throughout the land, it's up to you to find them and make use of them to enhance your skills and abilities.

You probably want a hefty serving of 9Dragons screenshots to go with that items, don't you? Say no more, here are the freshest screens for your viewing pleasure.

   

   

  

The Martial Arts MMORPG, 9Dragons, is still pretty much in its beta state. This fact though doesn't prevent us from dishing out some of the things you should expect from it so you won't be caught off-guard come its release (which will be during the last quarter of this year). This time, we're going to talk about a new developer journal from the people who are slaving to bring it to the West. By now, you already know that you'll begin your journey as a peasant armed only with big dreams. Often being picked on by the village bullies, you often daydream of ways to fight back.

According to the journal, this is a different twist in MMO land as you don't just grab the biggest weapon around and start punishing the bullies. In 9Dragons, before you become a Kung Fu legend, you must first train your inner "Chi" or energy flow. How do you do that? Through mini-games. Hard part's over? Nah, now that your Chi is finely tuned you must find a trainer and then hopefully a clan might let you join.

Teachers could be good or bad. Some will build you up, others will pull you down. But in this game, what your Sifu (teacher) teaches you depends on the choices you make in developing your character. If you chance upon a really good clan, its leader might even show and teach you some exclusive abilities which will prove to your advantage during quests. Each of the skills you develop belongs to one of the following categories: Active, Smashing, Charged, Finishing, Casting, Rounding, Channelling and Mind techniques.

Now comes the harder part of mastering those learned skills - practice, practice, and even more practice. Each clan has extensive training grounds where you can hone your talents before you leave to follow your quests, again a mentor is there to guide you along the way.

The journal also divulged two of the most important skills you'd have to master- meditation and Lightfoot. Meditation enables you, Kung Fu phenom-in-waiting, to recover your life and Chi after battles. The Lightfoot skill makes your body lighter enabling you to attack or retreat faster.

Truly, this game is for the patient. For the one willing to sacrifice lots of hours to learn, practice, and obtain new Kung Fu skills. It may not be for everybody, but it's interesting plot and gameplay make it stand out among the collective.

The MMORPG created by Acclaim set in the Ming Dynasty has been updated with spanking new screens. 9Dragons allows players to choose from several clans like the Clan of Secret Shadows, the Clan of Death Valley, The Sacred Flower Clan and a League of Beggars, to name a few. Each clan has unique characteristics like as to their choice of weapons, fighting skills and mystical abilities. After entering a clan, a player must be able to survive the rigorous training from the great masters. 9Dragons has a reputation system and it is your duty to protect and uphold your reputation as it enhances your abilities in the game.

Boasting a cutting edge 3D graphics with scenic background of several distinct landmarks in China such as The Great Wall, this much-anticipated MMO will offer 450 quests and an additional 20-40 new quests every month. The game is expected sometime this fall, so for the meantime check out the new screenshots we have promised you by clicking the Full Article after the jump!