perfect-world posts

The US PC-video game trade group the Entertainment Software Association has confirmed to Big Download that it has added two new companies as members. Both the graphics chip company Nvidia and the MMO game publisher Perfect World Entertainment are now listed as members on the ESA's web site. ESA PR rep Dan Hewitt confirmed to Big Download today that Nvidia and Perfect World came aboard officially as members in the latter half in 2010.

The ESA currently shows 36 member companies on its official web site. However two of the members listed, Eidos Interactive and Realtime Worlds, are no longer active companies. Eidos merged with Square Enix in 2009 and Realtime Worlds shut down operations in 2010 following the disastrous launch and later shut down of its FPSMMO game APB.

The ESA, which owns the annual E3 trade show event as well as the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, lost a number of high profile members in 2008 including Activision, LucasArts and id Software. Hewitt told Big Download today that the ESA has a constant dialog with the industry about bringing in new members as well as perhaps bringing back older ones.

The biggest new feature in Torchlight II, compared to the original game in the action-RPG series, is multiplayer support. In a new interview at VG247.com Max Schaefer, the co-founder of the game's developer Runic Games, says that co-op mode will be included, adding, "The sweet spot, just from playing in the office, is 1-4 players.

That doesn't mean the game can't handle more than four players, however. Schaefer admits, "There's no technological reason why we can't increase that, but once you get up to, like, eight players, it gets ridiculously crowded if you're at all in the same area." Schaefer says the team hasn't yet decided on what the final version will support saying, "It'll probably be between four and eight." Torchlight II, due out this spring, will also have a PvP mode but he says it's mainly just for kicks, saying, "We're not going to spend any time trying to really balance it very well [laughs], or make particular games for it."

Torchlight was one of our favorite games of 2009, and a contender for game of the year as well. An independent title made by refugees from the Diablo development team, it blew us away with its visual charm and gameplay depth. However, it lacked multiplayer, which was the only crippling omission in such a brilliant hack'n'slash title. Developer Runic Games is correcting that with Torchlight 2, as this trailer shows so plainly.

There are two really interesting bits in this Gamescom trailer. First is that Runic Games actually read the criticism directed at the original game, both from fans and professionals. It's always good to know your opinions are getting heard. While this part of the trailer is hardly flashy, it's still satisfying. The other important part is the display of all the new features they've packed into Torchlight 2, such as outdoor environments, multiplayer co-op, and all those flashy graphics you know and love.

Download HD Torchlight 2 Gamescom Trailer (25 MB)
Check out all Torchlight 2 downloads

Hot on the heels on the news that Runic Games' fantasy action-RPG Torchlight has now sold over 500,000 copies comes word that the game's publisher Perfect World has now bought a majority stake in Runic Games. The news came as part of Perfect World's latest financial results but the specifics of the Runic Games deal were not revealed.

Perfect World, which is based in China, said its decision to acquire the majority of Runic Games was to "combine their creativity and expertise in game development with our deep understanding of the online game market to create global titles." Runic Games, formed by former members of the Diablo development team, is known to be developing an unnamed MMO game based on the Torchlight universe.

Devin Grayson may be a name familiar to some of you who read comics regularly. Grayson was extremely busy in the first half of the decade writing tons of comics, mostly for DC Comics. Much of her work centered on the Batman family of comics including a five year run on Nightwing.

Since 2006, Grayson has been absent from the comic book industry but that's changing with the announcement that she will participate in Marvel Comic's Girl Comics anthology that's due out in early 2010. More importantly, Grayson has entered the game industry for the first time helping to write and localize Kung Foo!. It's a satirical look at MMO games that's being brought to the states by Perfect World International.

Big Download got a chance to ask Grayson some questions about her work on Kung Foo, her love of MMO game titles and more.

Runic Games' downloadable action-RPG Torchlight continues to get more media attention ahead of its October 27 release date. Now the game's publisher Perfect World International has decided to sweeten the pre-order deal on their Torchlight web site with a special contest.

Every pre-order of the $19.99 game from that site is eligible to win a limited edition Torchlight poster that's signed by Runic Games' co-founders Max and Erich Schaefer. This contest is just for pre-orders on the Perfect World web site. However other outlets like Steam, GamersGate and other download sites are offering a 10 percent discount on the game before its release.

When we last wrote about the upcoming action-RPG Torchlight from PAX, we reported that the Runic Games-developed title would be released via the game's web site and the Perfect World web site first on October 27. Today, Runic Games officially announced some good news as they have sealed a deal to make the game available via Steam on that same date.

Obviously the team at Runic Games wants to make sure their first release has as big of a launch as possible for a PC downloadable game and having Torchlight made available via Steam should ensure that. By the way, look for a lot more about Torchlight in the very near future at Big Download.

A little over a week ago, the Torchlight Destroyer melee class was shown at PAX 2009, but now it's time for the ranged Vanquisher class to get some spotlight time. The Destroyer and Vanquisher make up two of the three base classes that will be included in the game, with the Alchemist expected to be featured next. Torchlight is an action role-playing game being developed by Runic Games (made up of former Diablo developers). The full single player game is scheduled to release on October 27th and will sell via digital download for $19.99. An online multiplayer version of Torchlight will launch later on currently unannounced date. Continue reading after the jump to watch the Destroyer gameplay video.

"Part of an ancient order dedicated to justice and bringing balance to the world, the Vanquisher was sent out to Torchlight to investigate the mysterious slayings and missing town folks. Unknown to her, the darkness below the small town of Torchlight runs far deeper than the mines beneath. As an expert marksman, the Vanquisher is able to take enemies from afar as well as use traps to confuse and deliberate her foes from all directions."

Download HD Torchlight 'Vanquisher' Gameplay Trailer (54 MB)
Download HD Torchlight 'Destroyer' Gameplay Trailer (48 MB)
Check out all Torchlight downloads

How do you create an action-RPG in 10 months from scratch? Ask the folks at Runic Games. That's what the Seattle-based developer did with Torchlight, their first title that is scheduled to be released in a little over a month from publisher Perfect World via digital download for just 20 bucks. The developer was showing off the game and talking about it at PAX 2009 this weekend at their booth

Torchlight's development team comes mostly from the now shut down Flagship Studios where the team worked on the casual MMO game Mythos. That game's development was shut down with Flagship's dissolution (it is supposedly being continued by another dev team at Habitsoft) but many of the original Mythos team members banded together to form Runic Games and make the single player-only game Torchlight.

The game itself takes place in the fantasy world surrounding the town Torchlight (hence the title). You can pick one of three character classes in the game; the heavy-class Destroyer, the magic-based Alchemist and the scout-like Vanquisher. Some of the team members at Runic Games helped to design the first two Diablo games and it shows in the game's final look. Its a 3D based game with randomly created levels and from a top-down isometric viewpoint and seven different tile sets which should add a lot of variety to the game.

Keep reading after the jump for more info on Torchlight:

In the wake of the shut down of Flagship Studios last year, members of the team's Seattle branch reformed last August to create Runic Games. The team members all worked on Flagship's free-to-play MMO Mythos that went into beta testing but shut down alongside the company before it could officially launch.

Today it was announced that Chin-based publisher Perfect World has signed on to publish Runic Games's first project. Not surprisingly it's an MMO game with the title Torchlight. The game itself is described as being an "Action-MMORPG" with characters that are " in search of the magic ore that imbues their equipment with power, yet imperils their very existence." No release date for the game was announced.