IRVINE, Calif. – July 30, 2009 – Get ready world, ijji.com is going global. The premier 8 million-strong portal kicks off the new venture with an overseas trip to showcase its highly anticipated upcoming game titles at the Games Convention Online in Leipzig, Germany from July 31 - Aug. 2, 2009. ijji.com revealed plans to provide the site in additional languages in the coming months.  As part of its international foray, Games Convention Online attendees will be among some of the very first to see three current and soon to be released ijji.com titles in a competitive team tournament setting, including the much anticipated massively multi-player online first-person shooter (MMOFPS), Huxley: The Dystopia.

“As an overseas subsidiary, we understand better than most the need and benefit of expanding our attention globally,” said Philip Yun, CEO, NHN USA, which hosts ijji.com. “Our position as the leading provider of hardcore gaming content puts us in a good situation for international expansion.  It will allow us to serve our community even better and expand to include new ijji.com fans.”

The portal plans to begin expanding its reach by providing several of its games in German and Spanish later this summer.   This ambitious initiative will kick off with select ijji.com titles and expand to include approaching releases, such as Huxley: The Dystopia, in the months to come.

At the Games Convention Online this week, visitors to ijji.com’s booth can get a glimpse of the expanded portal and experience the intense cutthroat action of tournament play scheduled for the following online games:

• Huxley: The Dystopia, the Unreal Engine 3-powered game combines the twitch-based fast-action game play of a first-person shooter (FPS) with the cerebral character development and persistent city of a massively multi-player online game (MMOG)
• KARMA: Operation Barbarossa, a multi-player online first-person shooter (MOFPS) with an alternate World War II storyline
• Soldier Front, the popular modern military MOFPS game, currently available on ijji.com, that requires the distinctive task force strategies found in today’s combat

Executives from NHN USA/ijji.com and project managers for each game will be on hand at Games Convention Online in the company’s booth, inside Hall Two, in the Leipzig Exhibition Centre. ijji.com invites press and prospective business partners to inquire and schedule meetings  during the event.

About ijji.com

ijji.com (www.ijji.com) is the leading portal for hardcore online gaming.  Owned and operated by Irvine, Calif.-based NHN USA, Inc., ijji.com launched in 2006 and now boasts more than 8 million unique registered gamers.  The portal hosts a diverse suite of hardcore, fast action free-to-play online games, each with an optional micro-transaction model. 

ijji.com’s extensive portfolio includes the renowned online games Lunia, GUNZ The Duel®, SOLDIER FRONT™ and DRIFT CITY™.  The portal will soon include the highly-anticipated Unreal Engine 3-powered games Huxley: The Dystopia, a massively multi-player first-person shooter (MMOFPS), and Alliance of Valiant Arms, a multi-player online first-person shooter (MOFPS); in addition to the World War II-era MOFPS KARMA: Operation Barbarossa and the fantasy MMORPG Soul of the Ultimate Nation.

IRVINE, Calif. – July 28, 2009 – Outlaws and bounty hunters will scramble to survive with the recent update to ijji.com’s popular, multi-player online third-person shooting game (MOTPS) GunZ: The Duel. Today the fast and furious action game introduced its latest gameplay mode, called survival mode, giving both loyal players and newcomers to the 8 million-strong hardcore gaming portal a new challenge: The most basic game of survival.

“This highly anticipated update will give even the savviest of GunZ’s players a thrilling and demanding new test of their endurance and skill,” said Philip Yun, CEO, NHN USA, which hosts ijji.com. “We know our community and the brave explorers of GunZ depend on frequent and exciting updates to the portal and its games. After all, where is the challenge in a world or map you know inside out? As gamers ourselves, we get it – we keep things fresh.”

The new survival mode pits players against three novel and ominous bosses who employ creative means to thwart players’ very survival. The mode also features 20 different unpredictable scenarios, each with an impressive 100 rounds, leaving even the savviest and strongest gamer begging for respite. Before a triumphant advance to the next round, players must first defeat the monstrous final boss, which grows stronger and gains skill as the player progresses through proceeding levels.

GunZ is a MOTPS set in a world where fantasy and magic meet the progress of the industrial revolution. Treasure seekers, bounty hunters and rogue explorers use stealth, magic and cunning as they face notorious outlaws and bounty hunters in non-stop adventures across the Empire and the Republic, two previously warring nations. In a world enjoying a rare and recent emergence of peace, players engage in a wide range of game modes – including intense deathmatch, berserker deathmatch, team deathmatch, assassination, duel and survival mode – and story-heavy quests and missions. GunZ offers players non-stop action in a community-centric environment highlighted with deep character customization and progression.

To sign up and join the action, visit http://gunz.ijji.com.

LOS ANGELES – July 20, 2009 – VirtuePlay, the producer of responsible virtual reality programming for children and adults, today revealed Lunar Racing Championship, a multi-player online (MMO) racing simulation game set on the surface of the moon. Using NASA’s actual topography and environmental data from the moon, Lunar Racing Championship provides a realistic, scientifically accurate experience combined with the fun of a multi-player racing videogame in what VirtuePlay is terming “NASA meets NASCAR.” Designed with its proprietary physics engine, RADE, this innovative new racing sim will launch into stores in Fall 2009 for PCs and Mac® download, as well as coin-operated arcade games.

“Lunar Racing Championship is an industry-changing look at gaming,” said Mary Duda, CEO and president, VirtuePlay. “Not only is it a realistic depiction of the elements involved with a ride on the moon, the game maintains a positive, educational gaming experience. For those who want to learn more about space, and can’t travel there – yet – we give them the moon.”

Lunar Racing Championship incorporates high-resolution, infrared photos of the moon and other data from NASA’s Clementine satellite. Players compete on virtual racetracks that project ultraviolet images onto solar speedways. VirtuePlay also synthesized and hand-created detailed maps from areas such as the Apollo landing site and the poles of the moon to make this title not only an immersive experience, but an edifying one. The RADE engine allows VirtuePlay to accurately simulate rigid bodies on the lunar surface and its Reaction Control System will give users the ability to maintain control of their lunar buggies in the moon’s unique gravitational pull.

For more information and available assets, please visit www.virtueplay.com.

ABOUT VIRTUEPLAY

VirtuePlay aims to produce responsible virtual reality programming that inspires the imagination of children and young adults. Through the publishing of positive interactive games, its goal is to enable individual expression and creative collaboration through its games. VirtuePlay produces games based on art, science and creative adventure with engaging characters that explore, challenge and make children think. Simulated mentoring is a key focus in all of its games.

IRVINE, Calif. – July 20, 2009 – ijji.com’s popular modern military multi-player online first-person shooter (MOFPS) game, Soldier Front™, unveiled its latest all-female character class, in addition to a fresh map that will take players through the streets – and canals – of Venice, Italy. These recent updates are available now on the premier 8 million-strong hardcore gaming portal for members eager for a heart-pumping challenge.

“Guerrilla tactics and feminine wiles find their way into Soldier Front’s latest map, Venice, Italy,” said Philip Yun, CEO, NHN USA, which hosts ijji.com. “ijji.com knows how important it is for our community to keep things fresh.  Game updates are just one way we fulfill that expectation and keep our members endlessly entertained.”

Enemies speculate that the Mulan Special Forces, a band of armed female commandos, operate out of a hidden base somewhere in the Yunnan province of China.  Fortified with ominous weapons and savvy guerrilla tactics, 11 founding members took on the world’s most dangerous drug lords in a victorious campaign taking place at the converging boarders of Thailand, Myanmar, formerly Burma, and Laos.  Since their inaugural showing, the Mulan Special Forces won over the attention of female recruits across the globe, and are growing at a breakneck speed. 

In addition to the new female Special Forces, Soldier Front’s latest update boasts feverish combat in a newly added map, a representation of the city of Venice, Italy.  Within the half-submerged streets and alleys of this ancient city, players are tasked with breaking through enemy defenses to destroy the centers of dubious operations.  Once the nemesis’ domain is breached, and secured by friendly troops, the mission is considered successful and player move on to the next tantalizing operation.

Soldier Front is ijji.com’s action packed answer to the modern warfare FPS.  Players take on the likeness of various Special Forces unit leaders, such as SAS, Seal, Delta Force, among others, and implement distinctive task force strategies found in today’s modern combat.  Additional information about Soldier Front is available at http://sfront.ijji.com/.

InsideSocialGames is a respected source of industry news on social gaming, making it a clear target for our client, Moblyng Games.  Moblyng Games just released its latest cross-platform game for Facebook and smartphones.  Here’s some of Inside Social Games’ take:

Though there are mobile games using elements such as Facebook Connect already, m:Vampire will be one of the first games to run on this many platforms and still have players interacting together. Currently, Vampire is only available on Facebook and Android, but according to the company, it is utilizing the software used in previous titles such as Dungeon Quest and m:Mafia. This means that porting this particular game only really takes a couple of days.

You can check out the entire article here.

IRVINE, Calif. – July 15, 2009 – Adventurers journey to a long-lost island in search of riches and new challenges! Atlus Online’s fantasy-steampunk massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, has unveiled the elusive Rope Isle, an island wracked by war. Thanks to the clamor of Atlus Online’s members and a successful petition, the new map destination was opened, furthering the turbulent lore of the shattered continent.

“Our community spoke, and we always strive to listen,” says Alice Ly, Online Marketing and Portal Manager, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. “Rope Isle is an integral part of the game’s history. It was the epicenter of change and later became a key point of contention in the war to harness Neo Steam. We agree with our fans that this map marks a powerful addition to Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent.”

Rope Isle, once known as Acydia, was the source of the catastrophic earthquake that split the continent of Chrysalis. As the landmasses began to drift apart, desperate inhabitants instinctively fashioned cables to keep their world together. Alas, the attempt was futile and left Acydia a tangle of ropes and chains – resulting in its fitting nickname. Rope Isle remains a central part of the struggle in the new world, as it houses vast amounts of the ore used to harvest Neo Steam, a precious resource necessary to fuel most progress, travel, and industry across the nations.

The battle over Neo Steam takes place between two warring states – the Kingdom of Elerd and the Republic of Rogwel. From the onset, customization is key to each player’s experience, as they pledge allegiance to their homeland of choice and select from a number of specialized classes. As players battle to expand their nation’s resources and protect their borders from invasion, they must learn to harness steam technology to upgrade their equipment, learn new abilities, and progress in their chosen class. Adding to the immersive aspect of the fantasy-steampunk world in Atlus Online’s first MMO, the game also features various forms of steam-based machines and vehicles for faster in-game traveling.

Gamers, Atlus Online fans, and those eager to learn more about the addition of Rope Isle can visit http://neosteam.atlusonline.com/ for more information.

WComms secured two trade magazines, CRM Buyer and E-Commerce Times, to publish a bylined article by Automation Anywhere’s CEO, Mihir Shukla.   Both trade publications contribute directly to Automation Anywhere’s audience, as well as IT professionals alike.  Read below to see what Shukla’s expert advice is regarding automation in a struggling economy.  His advice helps communicate the automation upside in an economic downturn.

EXPERT ADVICE
Automation: A Lube Job for a Sluggish Economy

By Mihir Shukla
CRM Buyer & E-Commerce Times
Companies are breathing a little easier now that it seems the worst of the recession is over. That doesn’t mean they’re any less interested in achieving greater efficiencies. In fact, cutting costs and streamlining operations are efforts that are now viewed as essential, rather than as extreme, temporary measures. Automating a slew of cumbersome processes is key to long-term success.

Companies are now in the third stage of “economic downturn syndrome.” Having passed through Panic and Denial, they’re firmly in Acceptance. Panicky knee-jerk responses such as cost-cutting, layoffs , tightening budgets and resources are a thing of the past. Most companies have had a quick breather and segued to the stage of a more carefully considered response: monitoring processes and taking steps to improve efficiencies and productivity.

The pings and misses in the old economic engine are more noticeable, now that the flurry of Panic has subsided. It’s time to tune the system, clean out redundant processes, and make the machine run more efficiently and smoothly. So long as we’re at it, why not also gear up for the rebound, and be ahead of the curve when the economy rises?

Automation technology offers practical ways to reduce costs, at a price that’s surprisingly well-tuned to the times.

Please click here to read the full article.

IRVINE, Calif. – July 13, 2009 – NHN USA’s popular anime-influenced massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG), Lunia, presents an entertaining new upgrade for players, now available on the premier ijji.com hardcore gaming portal. The current Lunia reveal features a melodic character, Kali, an intrepid demon who masquerades as a human, enchanting the unknowing with her song, to hide her true identity.

The assertive and unabashed demon Kali hides behind her youthful human-like façade protecting her secret identity from others. The wiles of her elusive identity are only overshadowed by her magical melodic power. She possesses the unique attack ability to emit destructive sound waves caused by her sweet sounding song. This scheming demon can use her power of music to transform back to her true demon self at will, restore and rejuvenate fellow party member’s mana or manipulate and confuse the enemy.

“Lunia’s mischievous character Kali is a perfect fit for the game and will quickly win her way into the hearts of fans,” said Philip Yun, CEO, NHN USA, which hosts ijji.com. “Our dedication to our faithful supporters and potential newcomers is renowned and evidenced by our tireless commitment to bringing significant and regular updates to all our games. See for yourself, and meet the new tuneful villainess.”

The story of Lunia revolves around an intricate plot of various episodes and regularly added content is continually adding fresh facets to the storyline. The game possesses a unique anime-influence, with cell shaded animation in the style of Japanese Manga comics. Players battle monsters and each other over the course of multiple, increasingly difficult episodes, making their way through the mystical tale. Players must often accomplish specific missions in order to advance to the next level.

Additional information about Lunia is available at http://lunia.ijji.com.

Creative Kingdom, the world’s leading designer of themed design architecture and destinations, unveiled plans for a new mixed-use development in Chiang Mai, Thailand anchored by a movie studio and residential developments. As a leading global entertainment publication, here’s Variety’s take:

Creative Kingdom getting creative

Studio unveils plans for mixed-use lot

By Bashirah Muttalib

If soundstages are built, will film production follow?

Creative Kingdom unveiled plans last month for Chiang Mai Wood (CNX-Wood), a 175-acre, mixed-use movie studio and residential development in Chiang Mai, Thailand. With an expected 2014 completion date, the complex will house CNX Movie World studios, as well as residential neighborhoods, entertainment and cultural venues and restaurants.

Creative Kingdom, creator of themed design architecture and destinations such as Dubai’s Palm Island and World Island, also conducts cutting-edge work with CGI 3-D architectural video animation; 2-D/3-D cartoon animation; and video, film and music production. The company integrates its expertise in architecture, design, entertainment and leisure development when designing themed projects.

The CNX Movie World Studios will feature a series of film production studios, animation facilities and special effects laboratories complete with the most advanced tools and technologies for developing and producing domestic and international movies.

The development includes multiple residential neighborhoods, including villa and luxury housing, that will be connected to the film facilities via a network of bike and walking paths.

A variety of entertainment will be available in nine specially themed areas in the complex. Movie theaters, a water park, theme parks, a beach club, a man-made lagoon and a Japanese-themed amusement center will all be built.

The complex will be equipped to host corporate gatherings, conferences, events and product launches and will offer businesses corporate office buildings for international headquarters or regional bureaus.

Creative Kingdom’s global headquarters are in Los Angeles, with offices in Dubai, U.A.E.; Beijing; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Pasig City, Philippines.

The full article can be read here.

Automation Anywhere released a Server edition of its namesake software that allows for accessible IT automating anywhere.  WComms recently secured an in-depth product review with Mark Gibbs, a writer for Computer World.  Gibbs was more than satisfied with his experience using Automation Anywhere Server.  The story was picked up on multiple sites around the world within the IDG family.  See below for some highlights from his product review of Automation Anywhere’s unique software capabilities. 

I tested Automation Anywhere Server 6.0.3 (priced at $6,000) and was very impressed. Amongst its huge feature list Automation Anywhere Server can send and receive e-mail, run tasks on schedules or launched via events or “triggers”, run and track the use of VBS and JavaScript scripts, and attempt to resolve platform differences with SMART technology so that tasks execute correctly on different Windows versions and different individual PCs.  This SMART technology appears to mostly work, though a file creation operation that worked fine on Windows 2008 Server failed on Windows Vista Ultimate because of Vista’s enhanced security. An additional problem that you have to work around is that in this case the failure didn’t get reported (this will be addressed in a future release).

To create an automation task there’s the Web Recorder, which monitors your browser’s interactions with a Web site and creates a task that can be edited and run. The only situation where this recording technology doesn’t work is when a Web page contains ActiveX controls. Then you have to manually add to the script specific mouse actions (e.g. “go to these coordinates in this window and click”).

The full review can be read here.