Right on time, Namco Bandai pulled the plug on the United States and European servers for "Hellgate London" just like they previously said they would.

So what was it like witnessing the end of a virtual world? Scott from the Pumping Irony blog writes: "The last few lines of chat that came across my screen were:

'Take care all, let's kick ass wherever we go!'

'love u all'

'dang this really SUX'

'bye everyone'"

Scott continued. "Seconds after that final goodbye, there was a sudden jolt of lag as we were all sent back to the 'Hellgate' title screen and greeted with the message of a virtual world that no longer exists."

As depressing as you might find this to be, "The End" may not really mean the end. As we reported last week, "Hellgate" servers in Asia were not shut down due to Hanbitsoft owning the rights in that region. However unlikely it may be, Hanbitsoft could somehow wrestle the U.S. and European rights away from Namco Bandai and flip those servers back on. If and when that happens, we'll be sure to let you know.

Nexon's "Maple Story" is a multimillion-dollar success, so it's bound to inspire a few look-a-likes. At first glance, "Wind Slayer," developed by Outspark, appears to be one of those clones.

Beginning on February 4th at approximately 3:00pm PST, "Wind Slayer" will enter open beta, allowing users to explore three "stunning regions," nine "massive cities," six "dynamic character ****s," and "robust gathering and crafting systems." Since it'll still be in beta form, we won't exactly be able to decide if it's a ripoff of "Maple Story" or not, but that doesn't mean we can't develop an idea.

As usual, once a final release strolls our way, expect a full review from the MMOhub staff. Until then, feel free to post your impressions of the open beta in the comments section below.

Right now, if a young teenager from the US walks into a US army-recruiting center he receives a copy of the military MMO, "America's Army 2." The US's way of upping the recruitment rates by giving players an opportunity to see what life in the US military is like, the game takes you from the training stages of a young recruit right up to Special Forces level with Airborne and medic training in between. Alongside the news of a new US President, President Barrack Obama, the US Army has announced that they will be launching the latest version of their game, "America's Army 3," later this year.

Developers promise current players of the game and those who intend to play the new version an updated and revamped version of what is already a brilliant free-to-play FPS. The developers will be using Unreal Engine 3 and will incorporate all the good aspects of "AA2," such as realistic weapons, ballistics and vehicles into the new version. They have also pledged that the game will be easier to play, download and install.

"In 'AA3′ we've taken all of the best features in 'AA2,' incorporated feedback from the 'AA' community and added the latest technology to develop a high-tech game that can be customized by the player to create a much more detailed interactive experience," said Michael Bode, executive producer of "America's Army." "One of our key design philosophies is to make the game easily accessible to a new player, while at the same time keeping a deeper layer of complexity for the more advanced players to discover and take advantage of."

The game's use of Rules of Engagement has also been praised as giving gamers a realistic approach to combat. Instead of just firing off whenever you feel like it, players are encouraged to fire when fired upon, and to only use items like grenades in intense combat. Failure to comply with the RoE will lead to an overall diminished final score, or even being "booted" from the game.

Other than a vague "in 2009″ timetable, no further release information has been revealed.

This month, Jagex revealed the details of a new "RuneScape" quest — the first since the Christmas-themed quests in mid-December.

The quest, which has the attention-grabbing name "In Pyre Need," is aimed at mid-level characters that may have completed most of the quests in their immediate area. The details of the quest involve helping a damsel in the distress in her "hour of need"; unless of course, in the words of the developers "you're chicken."

"The phoenix, an ancient creature from 'RuneScape's' distant past, is in need of your help," says the official post on the "RuneScape" website. "While flying to her roost she was injured, and now she lies wounded and dying in the depths of her fiery cave. By chance, a knowledgeable priest has discovered her home, and now he waits for an adventurer with the necessary skill and courage to aid the phoenix in her 'hour of need.'"

The news post goes on to say that, once you have completed the perilous quest, you may return to the cave and receive a special reward along with the ability to summon a dragon during battle.

After looking around, I discovered that many have discussed the new release in a few online forums (including the official "RuneScape" forums) and so far, it has received the thumbs up from the "RuneScape" player base.

YNK Interactive has announced a new dungeon for their MMORPG, "Rohan: Blood Feud." Titled "The Fire Temple Garden," the dungeon is designed for high-level characters level 80 and up, and is the first of many treats in store for players over the course of 2009 according to the game's developer.

The Fire Temple Garden is split into four regions: The Blazing Temple, The Ring of Flames, The Lamp of Flames, and Kasa's Tower. To get into the areas, you'll need to complete some new quests. In total, 16 new quests are now available to players.

Want to get a guaranteed spot in the upcoming "Star Trek Online" beta? If so, head on over to the official "STO" website, where they have a new "Planet Exploration" contest underway.

To enter, send Cryptic an email with information on the new planet pictured below. You can tell them about the planet's history, make a scientific log, or even come up with what daily life for its inhabitants is like. Entries can be no more than 500 words, and need to be emailed to contest@crypticstudios.com by January 29, 2009 to be eligible. One first-prize winner will receive a guaranteed spot in the "STO" beta, a special title for his forum profile, and get his entry in the game. Two runner-ups will get the special forum title … but unfortunately no guaranteed spot in beta.

There's less than two weeks left until the contest ends, so what are you waiting for?

Gala Incorporated has recently announced that they will be launching the first-ever Arabic language MMO, localizing the Korean hit "Rappelz" for an Arabic audience. They have said that the Arabic version will be available across North African territories and in the Middle East, areas that have been highlighted as future hotspots for online gaming.

The translation is launching today and is expected to reach record amounts of Internet activity from the territories mentioned below. The game has also had various last minute modifications so that it will fit in better with the culture of Islam. These modifications include changes to the sound effects, to monsters, and alterations to the costumes of females so that they are less revealing.

Some of the countries where the Arabic version of the MMO will be made available include: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, and Somalia.

In a recent press release, the company said that The Gala Group will continue to strive to expand its online businesses in order to provide superior games to players around the world. However, the Group does not publish business forecasts for our new games and new overseas business areas.

This game is just the latest push by many developers in a rush to cover the markets in countries where Internet culture is slowly taking prominence. For the most part, these countries are in mid stages of development and include former USSR states and countries recovering from war such as Iraq.

by Dean Sherwin
January 18, 2009

For most of us, Christmas has come and gone and the world enters 2009 in the midst of a new US president, Middle-East conflict and a European gas crisis. However, the big game publishers have been busy doing their sums to tally how much they managed to haul in during the Christmas rush. The result? Video games are among the top five presents bought for 12-25 year olds. The Christmas period has always been a traditional time for developers and publishers to receive a massive boost in sales, however with such a vast selection of consoles, games and perishables now available, sales of the Wii and games like "World of Warcraft" were higher than expected this year as the world travels further into recession.

In the US alone, the month of December saw sales of video games rise to a massive $5 Billion. Total sales figures for the year are around $21.33 billion, a 19% rise over 2007.

Sales for PC games were also quite promising, as many now claim that the PC as a gaming platform is making a substantial comeback. However, what does all this mean for the MMO game developers and publishers?

This is actually quite good news. More and more people are logging on now than ever before. With many receiving RPGs like "WoW" and "Warhammer Online" as Christmas gifts, millions of gamers will renew their subscriptions on or around the 25th of this month, as free 30 day periods expire. This will mean a rush of cash into the pockets of the developers, which will ease the blow as sales figures go into a slight recline during the summer months due to people venturing outside and the lack of a present-giving holiday.

Game developer Hi-Rez Studios has announced their plan to offer gamers a chance to participate in the closed beta testing for their new game "Global Agenda," a massively multiplayer online game scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2009. You can apply for the beta at http://www.globalagendagame.com.

The game has been constructed using Unreal Engine 3, and is set in a near-future world of advanced technology and player-driven conflict. According to Hi-Rez, alpha testing has gone very well both in terms of stability and feedback from the play testers. The company is therefore excited about aggressively growing their player community during the beta testing.

Several features will be introduced during the beta, such as the ability to develop your agent. You can create, extensively customize, and improve your character throughout your career, and complement your FPS skills with an RPG-type progression and new, high-tech gear.

Players can join with other agents in cooperative missions and refine both individual and team tactics. You can also join a player-created agency and compete in technology races for advanced equipment, capture crucial locations and thereby increase your influence in the world, or compete in player-versus-player combat and raid scenarios.

Acclaim Games has announced their newest title, "Muniz Online." The game merges the best aspects of both online worlds and online communities to provide a rich multimedia experience for teens. "Muniz Online" is a free-to-play browser game and is designed for teens aged 13 to 17 years. It is also a social hub with exciting features, including custom avatars, the ability to pimp out your pad, social networking, interactive chat ability, built in mini-games, engaging quests and in-game items.

By MMOhub Staff

Players can venture out on quests, and chat with their friends online. They can also collect votes. The more votes they get the closer they will be to becoming the King of "Muniz Online."

There are plenty of mini-games built into this site's game side of things that players can compete in. Some of them include spin-offs of arcade ****cs, such as "Asteroids" and "Snake," but with a "Muniz" spin. The mini-games range from casual twitch-based titles to games relying on memory and brainpower, and player scores are tracked on "Muniz" leaderboards.

This new multi-purpose online teen site is ready for the world, according to its developers. "Muniz Online" is a different take on MMO gaming, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out in the long-term.