Acclaim readies martial arts MMO

9Dragons headed to North America; rebuilt publisher plans to release Korean online RPG for the PC later this year.

When Howard Marks announced that he had acquired the Acclaim Games name to get back into the gaming business late last year, it was revealed that the bulk of Acclaim's new titles would be imported games from the Asian market. One game in particular caught Marks' eye--the martial arts-centric 9Dragons, developed by Indy21.

American gamers looking to do some of their own kung-fu fighting online will now get their chance. Acclaim is bringing the PC massively multiplayer online role-playing game 9Dragons to the North American market. The game is currently planned for release later this year.

9Dragons will take place during the Ming Dynasty in China, but, in a Jade Empire-like twist, will be mixed with fantasy elements. Martial arts will be at the core of the gameplay, and several styles will be represented. More details are available at the game's official Web site.

This is the second title announced by the resurgent Acclaim. BOTS, an MMOG featuring robots with interchangeable parts, is currently in closed beta testing.

33 Comments

  • baby_eater413

    Posted Jan 6, 2007 4:26 pm PT

    I've been beta testing this game and I'm really impressed. I can't really compare it to any other MMORPG, but I think it's alot of fun. The gameplay well compinsates for the graphics. I think its a game to buy.

  • gwdtjuh

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 11:19 pm PT

    I'm currently in the CB of this game and its really different from most MMORPG's and i don't mean that in a bad way, graphics could be a little better, but it's a real addictive game with a good balance between questing and grinding. I like league of beggers Drunken Fist style most.
    Just wanna say dont judge this game if you haven't even tried it !!

  • fluffebunnie

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 8:15 am PT

    Bla bla bla MMO crap.

    Try making a good single player game.

  • timts

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 6:22 am PT

    the images look horrible, it doesnt even look as good as the free "silkroad" game.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 4:52 am PT

    i don't see this doing so well in america.

  • Jazic

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 10:53 pm PT

    :sigh: another failed MMO already. The US market just cannot support 25 MMO's right now, the genre is still to young to have so many options.

  • drollia

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 9:29 pm PT

    Looks interesting, but i think that I still am going to pass

  • DrKill09

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 6:16 pm PT

    Umm... Acclaim is DEAD! Don't they know what dead is?!

  • Skelitor

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 5:55 pm PT

    The trailer for this game was AWESOME!!! I really do hope that it comes state side and we all get to play it. HIGH HOPES

  • Jedi_Osborn

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 5:33 pm PT

    cool sounding idea, but I doubt I'll play.

  • raymond_online

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 5:31 pm PT

    Interesting..

  • alberto2045

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 3:45 pm PT

    NICE!!!

  • MHKnights

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 3:13 pm PT

    Why do companies insist on bringing over all these generic Korean MMOs? They all look the same, play the same, and have the same problems. The big problem is that they are all just big level grinds with little else. All these games are flaunted as having epic and involved stories that amount to a bunch of towns that you grind through before PvP. And the PvP is unbalanced and not all that great in most of them.

    The whole MMO genre needs to get over its level grind centric ways and start something new before I start playing and paying for one again.

    While a martials arts MMO would be cool I would only play it if it had a real time combat system that actuall took skill to master.

  • master_shan99

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    Looks cool

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 3:08 pm PT

    THis sounds like the ideas would make a great MMO but wonder how well it really will do.

    I think it would do better on a console.But has no chance going that way.

  • Blazer88

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 3:03 pm PT

    Hmm,.yeah the MMO market is pretty crowded most poeple can see that and theres like a ton more on the way so it's gonna get worse.it's s shame becuase theres alot of other genres that other gamers might want to play.

  • chri5-b

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:57 pm PT

    @Tranceplant

    lol, they already have a Shenmue online, my friend.

    @ Acclaim

    lol, they already have a SilkRoad online, my friend.

  • Snoop_trizzle

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:40 pm PT

    Oh Jeez...Acclaims back

  • F1sTDaCuffS

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:27 pm PT

    im buying it

  • mkeopong

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:19 pm PT

    FallenAngel: I don't think the MMO market can be compared to the RTS market. In the wake of StarCraft and Command & Conquer, any company who looked to make a quick buck could have developed an average and unoriginal RTS thus oversaturating the market. However, with MMOs, it is a much costlier venture and a huge undertaking. Sure, many companies would like to create their own cash cow in the form of a MMO, but not every company has the means or sheer know-how to do so. An MMO requires a long and costly development, a very capable staff to sustain the game, more than modest support from consumers, periodically new content to keep the game fresh and exciting, and the list goes on. It is because of this that MMO projects which lack sincerity and commitment will eventually find themselves going belly up, as several MMOs already have (e.g. Asheron's Call 2). Other MMOs which fall short of emulating World of Warcraft's success and support will be forced to resort to lowering or omitting subscription fees in hopes of attracting a larger player base in order to turn a profit or simply cut their losses (e.g. Anarchy Online, Shadowbane). Therefore, I do not believe the MMO market could ever be saturated to the point where the consumer finds disdain in it. Darwin's survival of the fittest. The weak MMOs will be weeded out on their own.

  • AlexWills

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:14 pm PT

    What? no swords or dragons? They must be crazy.

  • valgear

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 2:00 pm PT

    Didnt acclaim go under?

  • bioniccommando1

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:49 pm PT

    Not much on MMO's. Sounds kinda cool though.

  • dongface

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:45 pm PT

    Except Fung Wan Online stinks. Too bad they couldn't capture the feel of the comics in the game, but oh well. This might be cool, but could also go HORRIBLEY wrong.

  • DuffGuy

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:39 pm PT

    Looks like Fung Wan Online or whatever it was.

  • Tranceplant

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:34 pm PT

    Father's heaven! ---> NINE DRAGONS

  • Paganstar

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:34 pm PT

    I don' t think that the MMO market is oversaturated but everyone is sticking to the same "safe" formula. Meridian59, EQ1 & 2, WoW, and pretty much all the others out there have the same general framework and just tweak the details different. I beleive there is still quite a bit that can be done with MMOs but some one just has to be willing to take the chance and break the shallow, grinding, treadmill mold.

  • Donkeljohn

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    I hope it turns out better than the Matrix MMO.

  • MiKaNoH

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:26 pm PT

    Since when koreans know to make a video game?
    cmon, even Brazil make better games than korea...

  • FallenAngel

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:22 pm PT

    Awesome, let's have one more MMO come out. With an oversaturation of MMOs imminent, very soon MMOs will stop being the flavor of the month too. Think what happened to RTSs back in the mid 90s, when C&C and Warcraft/Starcraft reigned supreme and a host of vastly inferior imitators kept being released until a jaded public decided enough was enough. Hopefully just like we've seen with RTSs in recent years, soon MMOs will also start concentrating on quality and not quantity.

  • Bruin4ev3r1520

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:19 pm PT

    count me on the fence

  • Icekxg

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:19 pm PT

    count me out of this one

  • Krypton36

    Posted Apr 10, 2006 1:16 pm PT

    Sounds like it could be cool, but with so many MMO's out or coming out I wounder how well it'll do.

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