By Relly Carpio
INQUIRER.net
IP E-GAMES has announced its acquisition of the exclusive rights to publish and distribute Cabal Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from Korea-based game developer EST Soft, here in the Philippines. Cabal Online will be officially introduced publicly in the coming Domination II event that will be held at SMX convention hall on April 6. Representatives from EST Soft will be present at the event to support the launch of their product.
“The success of Cabal Online in other regions convinced us to bring it here as part of our commitment to bring the best games for the Filipino gamer,” said Heidi Mendita, IP e-Games group product manager.
Cabal Online is a unique third-person MMORPG that combines futuristic, fantasy and medieval themes into an action-packed, sophisticated role-playing adventure. The game has been successfully launched in Asia, Europe, and North America (including the US and Canada), gathering 20,000,000 registrations across the globe. In Vietnam, Cabal Online recorded a maximum of 75,000 concurrent users at any given time according to a press release from IP e-Games.
Filipino players were first exposed to Cabal Online during the European Server Closed Beta. Mark Ng, product manager for Cabal Online, said: “We believe that Cabal is the only free-to-play MMORPG out there that can break the barriers between online and console gaming. With Cabal Online, we expect to increase our existing user base by appealing to console and hardcore gamers.”
Cabal Online is a quest-based MMORPG that boasts of elaborately detailed three-dimensional graphics, beautiful costumes and characters, and stimulating storyline. Staged hundreds of years in the future, the story is staged in the kingdom of Nevareth, where a conspiracy threatens to destroy the stability and peace of the colonies. The players are entrusted with the task of facing the invaders of Nevareth and uncover the plot to destroy the world. The game boasts of six playable characters, namely: Warrior, Blader, Wizard, Force Archer, Force Sheilder, and Force Blader.
Game features include a global positioning system that shows the player’s current location as well as party members, NPC and quest dungeons, warp gates as well as hunting field and difficulty level of monsters. The skill points (used to improve battle skills) and character stats (strength, dexterity, and intelligence) develop separately so they can freely schedule their leveling activities according to their target level or skills.
Battle experience is also intensified by a combo system that allows users to continuously execute multiple skill attacks. Players can undergo quests that will give them the privilege of owning a futuristic core-driven hover bike called Astral Bike. Nation Battles involve the allying of players to a nation (Capella or Procyon) by undergoing a nation quest. Players can kill other characters of opposing nations in this feature.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
every single asian game ive seen is horrible. They all try to mimic some american game. After time they fail anyway. The only game i’ve ever seen that grows and gets better in time is eve online.
March 29th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Man, until people understand the dangers of software piracy and fight it so that game development companies are free to sell their products, WoW isn’t coming here.
At least there’s local EVE and Habbo.
March 27th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
There’s good marketing and then there’s bad marketing… The latter by the way is called hype. I don’t believe “such marketing words.” (You might have coined that phrase BTW so you might want to put a copyright on it.)
I’m just jaded that I have yet to see a local MMORPG deliver the goods (i.e. gameplay mechanics, quests that truly incorporate RPG elements, jaw-dropping graphics and not some dated 2D, 3D graphics engine). Until then I’ll stick with WOW. Gimme a game like that or something close to it and make it available here and I’ll happily lap it up.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
You do not know the term marketing?
It is a shame that you easily believe such marketing words.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:53 am
This sounds interesting but I have my reservations. I’ve heard this kind of drivel being shoved to us before and frankly I’m tired of these online game publishers who don’t deliver their promise of “the most rewarding game experience on the planet.” Everyone’s touting that they have the baddest, baddest, it-will-completely-blow-your-rocks-off, I-will-own-your-ass online games but fail utterly. Still, I’m crossing my fingers (while uttering a silent prayer to the local gaming gods) that this game truly rocks.