We have here the first in a series of Dev Journal entries from IGG for their Greek Mythology-based MMORPG, GodsWar Online. For this first iteration, Ethan Pan, the game designer of GodsWar Online, is sharing his thoughts on the development of the new pet system for GodsWar. He also brings us cute screenshots to ogle out, so check it out right after the jump.

When an MMORPG developer launches a website for an upcoming game, you can bet that the game's beta testing isn't that far off. In fact, that's what Zyon Games has done with the launch of the Secret Online official website. Turn to the full article after the jump and we'll tell you more about it.

When the mother of all MMORPGs is set to release its 14th massive expansion, you know that they aren't going to slow down any time soon. Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer marks the continuation to one of the longest standing MMORPGs to hit the online community.

Due to the success of EverQuest, it's no surprise that the rich mythology behind the game has driven many players to continue its legacy today. The expansion itself takes a look at the unexplored lands of Faydwer and its many denizens inhabiting it.

Taking a look at the new screenshots and artwork for the game, it's pretty clear that the developers at Sony have taken care to make the game still look fresh even though the game is nearly a decade old.

Either way, if you're thinking of getting into the groove of this phenomenal MMORPG, take in the scenery of Faydwer and the creatures residing in it through these wonderful screenshots and artworks we've provided.

The rest of the MMORPG's screenshots await after the jump!

 

Legendary Pictures chairman and producer of 300 Thomas Tull and game publisher Brash Entertainment CEO Mitch Davis recently delivered the Hollywood & Games keynote entitled Driving Mythology Forward. They gave a very riveting speech on the difficulties in crossing over from one medium to the next, but what might interest most people though is Tull's references to the up and coming movie based on Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

He addressed the community of gamers who have grown to become rather wary of movies based on video games and why the World of Warcraft movie would be different. He cited 300 as an example of a medium which has traversed the boundaries of media.

We’re doing World of Warcraft, and making it into a movie. I have very strong feelings -- from the movie side -- that making movies based on games just because they sold well is a really bad idea. There’ve been some like that that weren’t up to snuff just out of the gate.

It doesn’t matter to us if it’s based on a graphic novel like [Frank Miller's] 300, or a TV show – if there’s a great universe and story, that’s what’s interesting to us. Sure, there are 8 million people playing WoW, but even if all of those people saw the movie multiple times, we’d still be screwed. It’s a jumping off point and we see it as larger than that. World of Warcraft has the right stuff to make it happen.

Those are very interesting statements coming from the man who created a movie very faithful to the source material, yet entertaining enough for those who haven't read the graphic novel.

Will he be working his magic with this movie and bringing the game to the big screen with the amount of accuracy that gamers will be looking for and at the same time providing a memorable experience for those who have never played a single Warcraft game?

If you want to read more on this, click on the full article.

Internet Gaming Gate (IGG) has announced the birth of their latest title, GodsWar Online. This new MMORPG from the people behind Myth War Online and Voyage Century is a fantasy-themed game at its core, drawing inspiration from Greek mythology.

Players will be treated to a 3D Hellenistic world in GodsWar Online, populated by gods, demigods and monsters from the Greek pantheon. A number of top-class artists have lent their talents to the game and its user interface, giving Gods War some great visuals.

The game also features some popular locations familiar to those with at least a passing knowledge of the many Greek myths and stories that we come across from time to time. Players can go visit the Parthenon and majestic Sparta. With access to the gods' territory, players can also meet legendary heroes such as Heracles, not to mention the gods themselves.

For more on GodsWar Online, you can check out the game's official website by clicking on the "read" link below.

Codemasters has just announced the release of the ArchLord graphic novel. You've played the game, so why not read all about it as well? Created in collaboration with TOKYOPOP, the graphic novel is based exclusively on ArchLord's lore and set in Chantra’s past. Readers will get to follow the adventures of Leon, a descendant of the legendary Nathan Manas, the founder of human civilization in Chantra and renowned for mastering the power of the legendary Archons.

"The manga is an incredible compliment to the game, delving into the personal lives of characters that exist in the backdrop of the multi-player world," said TOKYOPOP Editor Luis Reyes. "It examines the mythology of ArchLord in a way that draws game enthusiasts closer to the overall story."

"The partnership with TOKYOPOP and the creation of the ArchLord graphic novel just goes to show that ArchLord's popularity is growing outside the normal boundaries of the MMO gaming audience," said Adam McGowan, Product Marketing Manager for Codemasters Online Gaming. "This is a testament to the depth of game play offered and means that ArchLord will continue to capture the imagination of both gamers and manga comic fans in the future."

The ArchLord graphic novel is already out in North America. You can grab one from most major book stores in the U.S. for US$ 9.99. A European launch is also in the works.

   

More images from the graphic novel after the jump!

Looking for a relatively new (and not as mainstream as WoW) game with a taste of Norse mythos? The Norron MMORPG/RTS game has gone Public Beta, and players are invited to sign up for free accounts.  The game's going to be played from your PC's browser, so there's no need to download any sort of software to get started.

Norron's based on Norse mythology, with players choosing one of 15 Norse gods for their city to worship, and one of four hero classes for the hero to lead them in the game's battles. There's also the plentiful assortment of quests, weapons, armor, and unique research areas for the guys to try out, so this could prove to be an interesting game.

For further details, check out the Norron main site through our read link below. They're also hosting tutorials, so take your time before you register.

It's the question many will ask when they try out a new MMORPG, or any other gamer for that matter - what makes this so special? What makes this hack-'n-slash deal so different and special compared to the other guy's hack-'n-slash deal?

And so began GamersInfo's interview with Gods and Heroes' Stieg Hedlund, a veteran of titles like Diablo II. The interview began with Hedlund's view on the game's unique trait - that it followed mythology rather than fantasy. As Hedlund explains on the difference of these terms:

Certainly, the fantasy settings borrow considerably from mythology, but what we’ve created is a world that distinctly embodies the Roman mythos as well as their history. Of course we've made some changes for the sake of entertainment, such as the marrying of myth and history and a few anachronisms, but at the same time we’ve done a tremendous amount of research and remain quite faithful to our source material.

Moving on with the interview, Hedlund also explained in depth the game's specific strengths such as its immersive PvP system. That, and the the squad system that - among other things - is a historical reference to Rome's reliance on team tactics to beat the odds (Read: Testudo). These two feature were the highlights that Hedlund hopes to make the game's immersion unique.

On that note, Hedlund promises that there's something to do for every level for this game. For the low-level guys, that means a whole lot of quests and battle for their tier. For mid-level gamers, a little bit of PvP'ing and levelling. And for the guys who hit the end-game mark, the game shifts to a more story-oriented setting, their days now geared for building up the game's central story.

As expansions, players can expect each to be something in the lines of "Who're we declaring war against next?" with the expansion meant to expand to new civilizations and cultures to help move the game' immersiveness forward. Also expect new treats for the PvP-savvy, though there are no details on this yet.

For now, a toast to the game's release, and as for a beverage, Hedlund makes this choice, as did the devs:

Caecuban wine, clearly—Falernian wine is not as smooth and it’s more full-bodied than Alban wine—but that vintage is pretty hard to find these days. You could simulate it with a modern wine from the slopes of Vesuvius such as Lacryma Cristi Mastroberardino—2001 is a good year.

With the open beta just around the corner for Rappelz, we certainly can not turn a blind eye on the updates being made on this promising MMORPG. That is why we are sharing you this recent interview with the game's head, Game Master Tanda. Before anything else though, we remind everyone that the open beta begins October 2 and the game goes officially online in November.

This new fantasy MMORPG from Gala-net is loosely based from the Hindu mythology. God of Extinction Asura and God of Creation Deva believe that humans (Gaia) are too ignorant for their own good, that's why they sent their hordes to destroy them. Basically, all three races have a Warrior class, Mage class and Summoner class.

According to Tanda ,the most appealing facet of Rappelz is the pet system. "There are many types of pets. Some pets do melee damage, some cast healing spells, some are tanks, etc. Pets level up with players and can learn skills. You can also equip your pets with equipment to boost their stats." Also Tanda reveals that this feature is geared to draw in more female gamers.

Playing in different servers have varied implications as well. Experience loss will be suffered if killed by a monster in both PvE and PvP servers. However, being killed by player incurs no experience loss in a PvE server but it is otherwise in a PVP environment. Also, PK-ing someone gains you immorality points. Too much of these result to reduced movement and attack speed and other stat losses.

Tanda then commented on how other MMORPGs are beginning to feel like work already. "The game should be fun enough and advancement quick enough so playing does not feel like work. We believe the gameplay and the quest and stamina systems will help alleviate the grind." The stamina system helps more casual players keep up with more hard core players.

Finally, Rappelz is free to play and Tanda promises that it will remain that way..

The upcoming MMO, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising is really something to watch out for, specially for those history and mythology buffs out there.

According to Stieg Hedlund, Design Director of Gods and Heroes, this game fuses history and fun. In it you will see the Colosseum, as well as the infamous Medusa. In fact, developers even made an effort to make the map as accurate as possible. Neat, eh? It's like going on a Roman history tour, with a twist.

In this game, players get to have a lot of freedom with character customization feature. According to Hedlund, "In our game, when you equip a breastplate for example, the asset first checks to see if it's for a male or female and then it checks your body type. After this, it then displays the asset depending on those characteristics, thus the male and female equipment, while similar in looks, is actually two different assets!"

Hedlund adds that Gods and Heroes runs on SLI-based machine, so we could expect a one-of-a kind gaming experience with that kind of horsepower.