Yup, a guide to better online golfing, except it's not written by Tiger Woods, but then again, this isn't exactly his field either. The paperback guide to OnNet Co.'s Shot-Online is written by indie guide publisher Incan Monkey God Studios, Inc., with the full cooperation of OnNet Co. Which was very helpful since this nifty guide to "How to be a better online golfer" instructs you on the various fundamentals of whacking MMO golf balls:

• Characters
• Tutorial and Practice
• Preparation for playing a round of golf
• How to play, with hints
• How to earn experience and money, and what to do with it
• Guilds
• Fan sites
• Map, description and statistics for each hole
• Stats and other details for all standard equipment in the game
• Stats and pictures of all styles of clothes for all characters
• Leaderboard, that details all current course and guild leaders
• Winners in all past tournaments
• Glossary

Caddies not included.

And the price of game-pwning knowledge, or at least a pro holding your hand through the game? US$ 17.99. Granted, a bit steep for a paperback book, and there are free alternatives on the net (ahem), but having OnNet onboard does give this stratguide the extra loft it needs to make that hole in one.

When we first heard about Xiah, the first thing that popped into our heads was "Martial artists! Kick-ass kung-fu!" Then we found out it was free and we were like, "Woohoo! More money for the donut fund!" And then we were told that it wasn't available in the US. Not yet, anyway.

Yeah, we were disappointed, but not anymore because OnNet USA just announced the US launch of Xiah, the free-to-play Asian martial arts fantasy MMORPG. Finally, all that kick-ass kung-fu magic is coming to these shores, and it's gonna be free!

Okay,  let's take a breather first and have a look at what Xiah is all about. Like we said earlier, Xiah is all about the martial arts. The game's setting is a fantasy realm with Asian-based environments and characters, realistic Asian-style scenery and graphics, and an easy-to-play design for beginners.

In Xiah, players get to choose from four different characters. The game also has the nifty option of letting the player choose whether to use a controller or a keyboard, with the controller actually giving players better real-time in-game character control.

Another central element of the game is its community. There are five distinct types of in-game communities in Xiah. Veteran MMORPG players will recognize the Guild and the Party, but Xiah also introduces three new and unique community aspects: Relationship Party, Lover, and Teacher/Student. Yep, lover. We did a double take when we read about that one too.

Anyhoo, Xiah is part of GamesCampus.com, an online website that features games developed and distributed by OnNet USA. With the success of OnNet's other title Shot Online (which is also being hosted by GamesCampus), the day that OnNet decides to bring more MMORPG titles to the US isn't that far off.

Okay, all you Tiger Woods wanna-be's...listen up!

OnNet announced that their new FREE MMO will be celebrating the golf season with several events and updates. Starting with the new "Cadeiger" course, players will find a wide range of greens to play, with a variety of outfits, custom equipment, and the opportunity to create your own unique country club.

The new Cadeiger course gives golfers the chance to tee off with the angels - literally - but it's not without a few demons. Golfers will be playing among the clouds on a celestial green. Good shots will keep it in the clouds, but a misplaced shot - well, let's just say that "out-of-bounds" is a long way down. Cadeiger lends a whole new meaning to the idea of high-altitude golfing.

New options include Mastery Mode, which disables use of the TAB key for seeing where your ball went, and Team-Play modes, allowing you to share the fun. Players also have the use of a guild locker, so you won't have to worry about running out of space for all your equipment.

Although set on modern-day golf courses (and the graphics are beautiful), Shot Online shares many features in common with other MMO's, such as quests and character leveling. While there is no charge to download and play, SO does offer a referral program in which players can earn as much as $10,000 in-game "virtual" currency with which to purchase content items.

SyNET Entertainment recently announced that it will make its retail videogame publishing debut in North America with Shot-Online this August. The game is a full 3D online multiplayer golf game to combine elements of true golf simulation and role playing together in one. Shot-Online will be available at retail outlets nationwide and will have an SRP of $29.99 USD.

The game has enjoyed a year-long beta/stress-testing phase in Korea, Japan, China and Australia with over 1 million community members participating to date. The beta-testers' feedback enabled the game's developer, OnNet, to tweak the game to improve gameplay. Through role playing, players can improve their character's abilities and skill levels by consistently training (characters can level and grow in skill and capability) or by competing (Match/Stroke/Skins gameplay) against players of different skill levels.

Furthermore, players can enhance and enrich their experience when playing the game by participating in a variety of community events and quests, competitions, item exchanging, and the game's buddy management and guild community (team competition) system. Players' gameplay is affected by their skill level, title (this changes as player grows in skill level and experience), handicap, fatigue and experience rates, inventory, shopping activities, item exchanges, and monies deposited to their game account.

A hi-tech physics engine was used in Shot-Online to accurately recreate ball and course dynamics. With that, the golf balls behave as they should over the geography of a course. Combined with motion-captured golf swings from a Korean PGA golfer, players will experience the most spot-on feel golf swings, putting, chip shots, and other golfing actions.

Lastly, as a gallery, players watching a game played on Shot-Online will feel like they are watching a professional golf sportscast on television as the overall presentation offers numerous camera angles and a gallery mode that brings true realism to the game.

Key Shot-Online features include:

• Simple and intuitive game play
• Game currency for purchasing skill-enhancing items
• Gallery mode for reviewing great shots
• Extensive chat support
• Various camera angles for visual realism
• Application of real PGA Tour formality (Tour system marking player's score & ranking)