May 11, 2006

PlayNC is the new effort by NCsoft to lure new gamers to the MMO market 

Free to download, free to play – that was the mantra of the NCsoft team demonstrating the halo title of PlayNC, a new concept that is designed to pull players into the online gaming space. 

NCsoft unveiled the PlayNC concept during E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles Thursday. Four titles were shown, with the overriding concept that the games were free to download and free to play – at least initially. There may be fees and costs tied to the idea later on, but for now the titles will be ... well, you have heard it. 

The meeting was short in length, but four titles were shown during the event. 

Dungeon Runners: 

An online-action role-playing game, slated for release in 2006, All adventure areas will be procedurally generated, which means that all monster placements will be random and the zone will adjust for a single player or parties of multiple players. Obelisks act as waypoints and once an obelisk is unlocked, players can teleport to them at any time. 

As the dev team stated, the idea is to maximize fun and minimize down time. To that end, there will be no death penalty. Players will not lose experience points, and won’t drop items.  

The game looks terrific with lush environments and characters, and the animation was solid as well. The loot system is dynamically generated, and the combat system will include the ability to dodge attacks.  

eXteel: 

It’s a third-person shooter; it’s a mech-combat game; it’s both and it is invading the massively multiplayer space. eXteel will allow players to customize robots and then fight head-to-head with other players. Up to 16 players will be supported in multiplayer mode.  

There are a wide variety of combat modes, and not only will players be able to adjust the look of the mech for purely aesthetic purposes, but will also be able to equip the giant robots with weapons.  

Sporting a variety of combat modes, from a free-for-all style melee to a strategic team battle, the game has a strong visual look and promises fast-paced action. 

Soccer Fury: 

It’s street soccer in an urban setting, but unlike a game like FIFA Street, Soccer Fury is three-on-three action that combines soccer and combat. Players will be able to skill up in offensive, defensive or combat skills. The environments are dynamic, the avatars are customizable, and the game will offer tournaments and ladder modes.  

Smash Star: 

That is the title of the game currently in beta in Korea. Whether it will be the same in North America has yet to be determined. Somewhat cartoony, the game is “bright, colorful fun” featuring power-ups that pop up on the court, as more gear and equipment options as the players level. The game will have a ranking system and varied game environments. It’s about playing tennis but with a decidedly arcade feel. 

While not a lot of details were revealed, these games will all be offered as stand-alone downloads through the PlayNC hub. Fun, imaginative and visually compelling, NCsoft appears poised to, once again, expand the MMO space in a new way.

del.icio.us | Digg This | Glink It

---