Nexon is inviting everyone to Dungeon Fighter Online for a 2009 Halloween party this year.

A free-to-play arcade fighting MMO is gonna have a series of quests ready to challenging players for rewards. Seria will give you Halloween-themed gifts and candies. Also, any players who deplete all 156 Fatigue Points will have chance to win all five Dungeon Fighter Online figurines! There will be total of ten winners.

Looks like we might have to force our editors back to their sweatshop desks to level up.

I’m sure you’ll agree that Dungeon Fighter Online is an awesome free-to-play 2D arcade fighter with MMORPG elements, but aren’t you gosh darn curious how they make money to keep up that quality?

Microtransactions.
Such a new word that even dictionaries aren’t familiar with the term yet.

Micro..wha?

Microtranscation means that gamers can spend their money to purchase items and such to use in game. These payments help with development costs, while helping gamers as well, avoiding monthly subscriptions fee for an MMO. Dungeon Fighter Online is one of them.

Nexon announced it yesterday (sorry fellas, we couldn’t update it soon enough) that Cash Shop for Dungeon Fighter Online has opened. Players can now spend money for extra stuff here and there, such as avatar, stat boosting potions, storage area and Life Tokens.

At PAX 2009, Nexon told us that gamers planning to not spend money won’t fall behind on items and playing experiences at all. The items in the Cash Shop usually help those players who don’t have enough time to invest hours into the game, allowing them to enjoy the game with a little  boost here and there. It also has avatar appearance upgrades.

For now, you can visit Hendon Myre Lane for in-game item shop. But we believe that Nexon will work on it and make them available on website as well in the near future. The Cash Shop opens October 8th, 2009.

Nexon’s free-to-play MMO with 2D arcade fighter style game, Dungeon Online Fighter is now open to the public.

Well, sort of.

That's right!

It is open to the limited public; anyone who has an Early Access Beta Key. The special note about this beta is that you get to keep all of your progress on Dungeon Fighter Online, including the phase changes to open beta AND public release. You can now get ahead of everyone else who didn’t get the code, and scream “NOOB!” at them.

And we here at GamersRoute.com have plenty of Early Access Beta Keys for Dungeon Fighter Online.
You can ask for the keys here on our forum.

The official opening date to the public begins around Q4 2009.

Dungeon Fighter Online website has a makeover.

Best known for “awesome swag bag of the PAX 2009″, Nexon America updated their Dungeon Fighter Online website – http://dungeonfighter.nexon.net

Nexon told us that though it may look similar, they actually updated with a bunch of content.  Stuff like “DFO Magazine – in-depth articles from the developers” and new screenshots, vidoes, etc. And players can also participate on upcoming polls to have their voices heard. Another interesting update is that Nexon will create a team called “DFO Corps.” which will feature DFO articles by actual fans.

Just in case you missed our PAX 2009 and preview articles, Dungeon Fighter Online is a mix of arcade style 2D fighter with a MMORPG system. And looks like people who got into the closed-beta weeks ago are praising this game.

You can get the early access beta keys from our forum here.
The early access starts on September 15th, 2009.

This year’s swag bag winner has gotta be Nexon.
The thickest, largest paper swag bags that can fit about 20 of Paris Hilton’s puppies.

But enough with the swags, Nexon was also very kind enough to give us a tour of the upcoming games ready to be released in North America soon. And as we got more into their games, we could sense their aggressive yet ambitious plans.

Many people assumed that the PC gaming market is dying, but MMOs are no doubt one of the most popular genres in the world right now. Maybe too popular because out of games that we previewed, all, and we mean ALL of their games were employed with the Free-to-Play system. If you want to try any of their games that we covered today, it’ll be totally free of charge by the time it releases to the public; no restrictions on gameplay whatsoever. And better yet, many of the games we’ve checked out are medium-end PC friendly. You don’t need to buy two of the fastest video cards that sound like jet engines. Looks like Nexon wants to get in touch with as many PC gamers as they can. Free-to-play without taxing too much PC resources. Nice plan.

Enough with the teasing; let’s dig in to what we saw at Nexon’s booth:

Dungeon Fighter Online

Game Info:

• The game has been released in Korea for a little while now.  For the US release, besides the obvious stuff like language, Nexon is changing small things like skills and balancing, and also adding content just for the North American audience.  For example, region-specified holiday events are planned for the US.

• They are putting a lot of focus into PvP in the game; they are hoping players will spend perhaps as much as 50% of their time doing it.  The PvP duels however will remain locked until each character has reached level 10, forcing people to get a handle on playing their character before jumping into PvP.

• The game is FREE-TO-PLAY!  It is monetized through microtransactions; players can buy certain items that will simply make their in-game lives a bit easier or save a bit of time.  There won’t be any game-breaking guns or swords that are only available through microtransactions. Most everything can be found in the world if you are willing to put the time into it.  Cosmetic items are also a large part of the microtransactions; stuff that makes your character look cool or super unique, but does nothing for their in-game prowess.

• Level Cap at 40, with an intention to raise it very soon after release.  To get through 40 levels will take most players quite a while; even the hardcore players will have to play for about 2 weeks at 8-9 hours a day to hit level 40.  When the player hits the max level, it was suggested to us that they go back and try a different class because they play so differently.

• Up to 4 players can play together during PvE and 8 players of PvP at the same time, and there are all sorts of ways to split up the fighting. For example, Brawl mode is mayhem with an 8-person free-for-all.  There are also team-based modes.

• Focused on big maps with low system spec requirements.

• Gamepad support will be in the game at launch.  They are currently testing this now and the game seems like it will lend itself very well to this.

• Target release is soon!  Nexon will definitely have the game out well before the end of the year, and are hoping to do so before November. The early access beta starts at September 15th, 2009.

• This is the biggest piece of news – NO CHARACTER WIPE IN THE WEEK-LONG EARLY ACCESS BETA!

ClassicMoments: The first thing I noticed about DFO is that everything is in dotted-art 2D. It brings back so many memories as you play through, and now you can replay that with a touch of MMO. The controls are real easy, and DFO doesn’t require a mouse to control your characters. Easy to get used to with simple and intuitive controls. The controls can be easily translated to a gamepad controller which is currently in test with the developers. For each session you can have upto 8 players and I can totally see the chaotic fun that will ensue. My one complaint would be the non-HD resolution but it supports windowed mode.

Spencer: Remember those beat-em-up arcade games you would play for hours and hours, stuffing quarters into a machine?  Dungeon Fighter Online plays like those, but is a bit more sophisticated with a whole RPG back-end supporting it.  I suppose I’m outdated, but I somehow expected the game to be  kinda crappy as it is offered free-to-play.  Today Nexon totally changed my mind. DFO was good fun and really felt like a game I could spend tons of hours playing with some friends on Ventrilo.  Of course then I’d sneak on and play a bit more when they logged off, just so I could kick their asses in PvP the next time we played together.  If you’ve never ventured into the free-to-play genre before, I would strongly recommend that you keep an eye on this game, cause it’s going to be tons of fun.

Dragon Nest

• Earlier in development than DFO, it’s a 3-D action RPG.  Very fast paced with focus on action and fun.

• Slightly left centered 3rd-person point of view allows you to see enemies and environment easily.

• 4 character classes: Archer / Warrior / Sorceress / Cleric

• WSAD-Mouse control scheme.

ClassicMoments: With many games pushing graphics but deteriorating in design, Dragon Nest feels like the exact opposite. Technically, this game should run just fine with a well-equipped Pentium 4 PC. The design is awesome compared to the graphic level. The skill combos are fun and the characters are well designed. The only real downside I saw was the repetitive animation between the characters and the enemies. But today was the first day Dragon Nest was displayed in a public place and I would expect higher quality as the public release nears. When I heard about the slightly-left-centered 3rd-person POV, I was little skeptical, but it actually added a very different dynamic to the gameplay. I liked it.

Spencer: This game is super fast paced and was enjoyable to play; getting a big combo while playing as the archer was satisfying.  I managed to destroy all the enemies in my path throwing them back with a series of attacks and it was super satisfying.  Like DFO it will be free-to-play, and will probably be monetized with a similar microtransaction scheme.  It reminded me of a twitchier version of 3D beat-em-ups like Devil May Cry, if DMC was on a PC.  This one may not be out for a while, but if you enjoy this style of gameplay you should keep an eye on it.
Combat Arms

• Free FPS for lower end PC’s.

• Rank up and earn guns and unlock more abilities

• Already released!  Learn more at http://combatarms.nexon.net

ClassicMoments: This is a cool concept for an FPS game. Unfortunately, many hardcore FPS fans out there might not be too fond with this; details of the game itself look a bit outdated. But if you enjoy old-fashioned, fast-paced multiplayer FPS for free, this game might be the one for you. With over 100 customizable weapons to unlock, this can keep you busy for a good time.

Spencer: If there was one thing at Nexon’s booth I wasn’t particularly impressed with, it would have to be Combat Arms.  They were showcasing a new expansion that had just been released called Quarantine mode.  It felt very much like a zombie mod for the original Counter-Strike, and seemed somewhat outdated.  Then again, it is free! It won’t cost you a dime to head over to their website and check it out for yourself, but this did feel closer to the normal style of free-to-play games I have seen in the past.

You can visit our forum and see if you can still grab the Dungeon Fighter Online beta key.

Nexon America today announced Quarantine Mode, a new content update for its popular multiplayer online first-person shooter (FPS), Combat Arms. The new play mode introduces player-versus-zombie combat where players compete as soldiers or as infected zombies. The mission for players: to either survive and destroy the infected or infect as many humans as possible. Players can acquire the updated game now at http://combatarms.nexon.net.

Quarantine Mode is introduced as “Operation: Overdose,” on a new map to Combat Arms. On this map, players are randomly selected at the start of each match to become a zombie. Players chosen for the “infected” team must try to infect anyone that crosses their path. Zombie players will use a melee attack to infect other players. Infect all players and zombies win. Humans have two ways to win – survive the mission timer or destroy all of the infected.

For the uninfected, it won’t be easy to fight off the zombies, who are immune to poison, extremely resistant to bullets and moderately resistant to fire, explosives and melee attacks. Zombies are also not affected by critical hits. Infected players have double the normal stamina and have an increased amount of health. Players will need to use their weapons to keep the zombies away with the weapon knockback feature and work with teammates to use strategy to defeat the hordes of walking dead.

“This isn’t the usual zombies invading, eating your brains type of scenario,” said Min Kim, Nexon America’s vice president of marketing. “In Quarantine Mode, the fun doesn’t end with fending off zombies.  Even if you get infected, you can continue playing as a zombie and spread the zombie bug to your friends and other soldiers.  This makes for a messy, gooey fun fight with only the stoutest soldier able to avoid becoming a chew toy.”

The new Combat Arms update also includes a variety of new deadly weapons including a flame thrower, new assault rifles and shotguns to its roster of deadly armaments. Quarantine Mode is the latest major update Nexon America added to Combat Arms, which has seen more than three billion kills since launching last summer.

Go to http://combatarms.nexon.net for more information.

Summer is officially here and MapleStory rolled out its latest update with a sunny new set of features to provide its players more fun and adventures. The update offers an exciting new title system, time travel to battle the game’s biggest challenge, Pink Bean, work as a secret agent and the opportunity to be a hero as part of a party quest to save the polluted Ellin Forest.

Here are more details on these exciting updates:

Time Temple – Players travel through time via the ‘Time Temple,’ to stop Kirston from reviving the Black Wizard. There are numerous new monsters to battle, including the toughest boss ever, Pink Bean. This undefeated monster champ of the world might look cuddly but is so deadly, it has yet to experience defeat.

Title System – Players complete special challenge quests and earn medals that display below their characters names in game.

Title medals include:

• Diligent Explorer: Log in for three hours every day for a set number of days.
• Veteran Hunter: Kill 100,000 monsters your level or above.
• Party Quest Mania: Achieve the S rank on eight party quests.
• Quest Specialist: Complete 800 quests.
• Celebrity: Acquire 20,000 fame points.
• Ultimate Warrior, Magician, Thief, Bowman, or Pirate: Reach level 200

Some titles can only be held by one Mapler at a time and will be replaced if another player tops their record. These titles are:

• Donation King: Donate the most mesos to any one town.
• Maple Idol Star: Be the most famed person in MapleStory.
• Legendary Hunter: Kill the most monsters of any type your level or above

Finding Master M – Look out for secret agents, who have invaded the Maple World. Players can join them on exciting missions to uncover the true identity of Master M. Event quests give players the chance to gather clues which assist in unveiling Master M’s identity. Players who complete this mission will be rewarded with an Agent Equipment set. This event runs through August 25.

Agent Training Program – Players will test their combat skills in this new program, which pits an individual player or team of players against boss monsters for the ultimate monster battle. Players must defeat each monster to advance to the next stage and do not see their EXP suffer if defeated.

Ellin Forest Party Quest – Three to five players rally together in this party quest to save the polluted Ellin Forest. Players travel back in time and battle their way through the poisoned forest to uncover the cause of the pollution.

All these new features are now available for free in MapleStory. For more information about MapleStory’s “Summer Warm-Up,” please visit: http://maplestory.nexon.net/

Mabinogi has released a slew of sunshiny features to kick off its “Summer of Fun” which includes the release of Hawaiian-style shirts, shaved ice snacks, and an Independence Day event which will add rewards and fun to Mabinogi players’ adventures.

With the purchase of an Aloha Card, players can rebirth their characters (or start new characters) complete with weather appropriate clothing. This clothing includes beach print shirts and shorts as well as sandals. The Aloha Card is currently available.

Once appropriately attired, players can travel to Emain Macha to visit the NPC Gordon to receive sweet treats as part of the Mabinogi “Summer of Fun Shaved Ice Event.” Players can give Gordon fruit juices and he’ll make a shaved ice treat, which will bring refreshment to the players if they choose to eat it. However, to earn rewards and prizes, players can race with their shaved ice to Qilla Base Camp where an overheated Ethna is trading rewards for the cooling effects of the shaved ice. This event is underway and runs through July 9.

More rewards are available to players via the Independence Day event where general stores are selling Red, White and Blue Fireworks. When players shoot off their fireworks, rewards can come to those whose fireworks go especially high. Players will earn a box decorated with the American flag as a reward for their achievement. This event is underway and runs through July 9.

For more information about the Summer of Fun event or the free-to-play and download game, Mabinogi, go to: http://mabinogi.nexon.net/