Hamburg-based gamigo AG, one of the leading publishers of MMORPGs in Europe, gave two big announcements today which show a serious intention of growing into a global publisher.  First, they have officially entered the world of social media games. The first step was made with the recent release of Jade Tales, a fantasy RPG developed by Crafty, which can now be played in its entirety on Facebook and already has an active community of followers. 

I played this new facebook game and have to admit that I don't have high hopes for it.  Of course, just because I don't find it enjoyable, does not mean it won't break out into a hit.  However, I find it unlikely that a game with almost zero animation and terribly slow progression will do well with the very long load times of the pages.  The graphics are amazing, but they are static.  The gameplay is very 2008 and does not have any groundbreaking features.  If it were not for the long load times, it would be a much better game.

They are committed to competing in the space and I am sure we will see a much better presence for them on facebook in the months to come.  Patrick Streppel, member of the executive board, said "With more than 6.7 million users in Germany alone, Facebook is of course also extremely important for the gaming industry. Naturally, it is only logical for gamigo, as one of the most successful gaming brands in Europe, to enter the realm of social media networks. The first step has been made successfully with Jade Tales; more games will follow in the near future.”

Lastly, Gamigo has crossed the regional boundries of Germany and has opened an office in the U.S. This is a great success for gamers as it will certainly add alot more titles for them to choose, but publishers may not be so happy.  Gamigo currently operates versions of games already provided by other companies in North America, specifically: Fiesta, and Project Powder from Outspark, and NeoSteam from ijji. 

Here is the official announcement on Gamigo's Venture into the NA market.

In anticipation of the Game Developers Conference, to be held in San Francisco from the 9th to 13th of March, gamigo has announced that it will enter the North American online gaming market in the second quarter of 2010. The company will open its first foreign office in New York City. From there, gamigo will be able to contact and collaborate with business and media partners directly.

Patrick Streppel, executive member of the board, said "This New York office is a continuation of our international expansion. Thanks to the experience we have gained over the past few years in Europe, we are
very well-equipped to tackle the North American market. Top-quality products planned for global publication will be announced and presented at the GDC."

2009 was a hugely successful year for Hamburg-based gamigo AG. In the past twelve months, gamigo has more than tripled its employees.  Meanwhile, sales have risen by an impressive 233%. This makes gamigo
one of the fastest-growing corporations in the booming online gaming market, firmly among the Top 3 in its market segment.
 

Iron Will Innovations and S2 Games today announced a partnership to bring the Peregrine gaming glove to players of the highly anticipated action RPG Heroes of Newerth (HoN). I tested the gaming glove last year and, while a bit awkward at first, it really provided a comfortable way to maintain game control. 

Here are the official details:

The partnership will result in a variety of bonuses for HoN players and Peregrine owners alike – kicking off with exclusive discount deals:

• Gamers who purchase HoN will receive a special offer to pick up the Peregrine at $20 off the retail price of $149.99.
• Customers who buy the Peregrine will be given an exclusive discount of $5 off their purchase of HoN.

“We’ve spent a great deal of time testing and refining the Peregrine to make it the best way to play PC games – and one of the games we’ve been testing with extensively is HoN,” said Brent Baier, CEO of Iron Will Innovations, the think tank founded to bring revolutionary products like The Peregrine to life. “Since HoN entered beta, we’ve been playing it non-stop – and discovered that the Peregrine is indeed the best way to play this awesome game.”

“As an independent game developer/publisher, we love seeing new and innovative creations that help evolve gameplay to the next level,” said Marc DeForest, President of S2 Games. “A partnership with Iron Will is a great example of two products that truly complement each other.”

Designed with real-time strategy (RTS) and massively multiplayer online (MMO) gamers in mind, The Peregrine is an intuitive, powerful way to gain an edge over the competition. Constructed of military grade flexible sensors, with a magnetically detachable USB connector, The Peregrine comfortably replaces the keyboard in any gamer’s command center. Gamers who add The Peregrine to their arsenal will gain access to more than 30 instantly accessible actions performed by simply tapping their fingers or palm to maneuver, strike or cast spells.

In Heroes of Newerth, two teams of up to five players each take on the role of special Hero units. With the assistance of AI-controlled armies, each team sets out with the sole objective of destroying the other team’s base. As a match progresses, players can earn experience and gold which can be used to upgrade skills or purchase items to make their character more powerful. The team-oriented design of HoN coupled with unprecedented in-game Voice-Over-IP controls and Clan Support allow for an incredibly deep, tactical team-based experience.

To pre-order the Peregrine or find out more, visit http://www.ThePeregrine.com.

Heroes of Newerth is currently in closed beta and is set to launch in Spring of this year. Gamers can pre-order the game now and receive instant access to the beta by visiting http://www.heroesofnewerth.com.

Uforia, Inc., announced today that it will launch a closed beta test for its upcoming Trading Card MMORPG, Camon Hero. The closed beta test will launch tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2nd and will run through Friday, March 5th. To register, players can visit http://camonhero.uforia.com.

While we certainly think the game will be a fun experience for players, the publisher is taking a risky approach to localization here.  In addition to the traditional beta events, Uforia is boldly hosting a spelling check event.  That is right, the "Search for Incorrect Spelling and Grammar Event" challenges players to help find any errors in the game and the top 3 players who submit the most spelling and grammar corrections for the game client first, will win a large amount of Meso (in game currency) that they can use at launch.

While we give them an A for effort, this kind of advertises that they are not 100% confident in their ability to localize a game that is free of spelling mistakes.  This may not seem like a major issue to the average person, but when you consider how important your hardcore gamer considers proper spelling, it is kind of a big deal.

So what is the game all about?  Camon Hero is the latest multi-control MMORPG which focuses on strategy and micromanagement as players lead their army of summons into battle (think Atlantica or Sword of the New world). The game, set to launch this spring, uses a unique card system that allows players to create their own unique play style.

With over 12 trillion unique summon hand combinations, players will always have new strategies to try. Players can also enter into PVP battles, try on various costumes and hats, and engage in a countless number of exciting events. But, the fun does not stop there! Players can explore the dangerous new world as they hunt for companions to aide them as they battle to save the land from darkness!

"Camon Hero manages to blend the best elements of Trading Card Games with MMORPGs giving players a unique gameplay experience in an MMORPG," said JK Kim, CEO of Uforia. "We are eager to open the game up to players during the closed beta and look forward to their insightful feedback."

In celebration of the closed beta test, Aside from the spelling one, Uforia will offer several events up for players. The first will be a leveling event where players who reach level 25 during the Beta Test will be given the Private Store Guard Card (30days), an item that will offered in the item mall at launch.

The "Keep Your Name" event will give players who reach at least level 12 the opportunity to keep their chosen character names at launch, while the "Survey Event" gives players who participate in the Closed Beta survey, a chance to win a Special Wing Item which will be awarded in open beta.

Finally, the "GM Guerrilla Events" will take place during the closed beta test. The GMs will make a number of special events to be announced throughout the Beta Test with some great in-game items as prizes! Events can include anything from games of Special Monster Summon, Hide and Seek to random Pop Quizzes, with special gifts handed out to the lucky winners!