Outspark : outspark

Secret of the Solstice Patch Adds New Zones, Quest Inte

Outspark — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:51 GMT

The latest patch for the free-to-play MMORPG Secret of the Solstice has something for both new players and battle-hardened veterans alike, including a new starting zone, four new high-level areas, and a brand new quest interface.

Players just starting their Solstice adventure and long-time players creating a new alt to take advantage of the game's branching class tree can now experience an entirely new starting zone. Based on the feedback from the Solstice community, Outspark has implemented a brand new starting zone featuring new quests and a lush jungle environment.

Meanwhile, the evil GM Alastor has fled into the deserts of Xen. Players up to the task must pursue him across four new harsh landscapes - the Emperonie Plateau and the Aserphel, Cretino, and Turmeit deserts - and battle his armies as they come closer to uncovering the secrets of the Solstice Sphere.

Additionally, the new patch also introduces a player-requested overhaul of the game's quest UI. Players can now view all of an NPC's available quests at the same time and choose which mission to undertake.

The latest Secret of the Solstice content patch is available now. For more information, visit the official Secret of the Solstice website.

Fiesta Celebrates One Year Anniversary

Outspark — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:27:33 GMT

Outspark's free MMORPG Fiesta is celebrating its one year anniversary. Released last September, Outspark's first title has already attracted over two million players. Outspark has released multiple major content patches over the past year, including a free expansion last month that raised the level cap, introduced player weddings and an apprentice system.

For the next two weeks (September 4-16) players will be able to participate in a quest to celebrate the one year anniversary. Vietree in Roumen is working on baking a birthday cake and needs your help to gather all the ingredients. Complete the quest and you will earn a Mini Cake. This tasty treat will raise your stats by 10 for a limited time.

For more information check out the official Fiesta website.

New Single Player Mode, Race Track in Project Powder

Outspark — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:32:02 GMT

Outspark has released exciting new content for its competitive online snowboard racing game, Project Powder, featuring a brand new single player mode, a new race track, and other additions.

Project Powder players looking to improve their snowboarding skills without the embarrassment of defeat can now take to the slopes in a new single player practice mode. Learn all of the secret shortcuts in Race Mode and track down all of those hidden gold coins in Coin Mode to own your friends in your next match.

Boarders can also take on a challenging new course, a mirrored version of Smallpox Part 2, and can race without fear thanks to improvements to Project Powder's X-Trap anticheat software.

For more details and full patch notes, visit the official Project Powder website now.

Chronicles of Isya contest: Become part of Fiesta lore

Outspark — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:53:39 GMT

Fiesta players and aspiring writers looking to get their creative ideas woven into the lore of Isya - the lavish fantasy world of the free MMORPG Fiesta - finally have their shot.

From now until Tuesday, September 2nd, Outspark will be accepting short, Fiesta-themed stories no longer than 1000 words. The three best stories will be revealed next Wednesday, and players will have the chance to vote for their favorite. The story with the most votes will be announced on Friday, September 5th, and will become a part of Fiesta lore forever!

For additional details on the Chronicles of Isya contest, and to get caught up on the story of Fiesta so far, check out the official Fiesta website.

Celebrate GM's Birthday with New Items in Fiesta, Secre

Outspark — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:05:48 GMT

GM Cretz has leveled up IRL and is now one year older. To celebrate this special occasion, Outspark is releasing new items in its two popular MMORPGs Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice.

If you're feeling lucky, check out the new Pink and Purple Lucky Balls in the Secret of the Solstice store. Both items allow you to risk your SparkCash for a chance at powerful consumables, permanent versions of premium items, and other rare goodies. Fiesta players can also get crazy on Cretz' birthday on the back of a wild piñata mount, returning from the Fiesta Item Vault for a limited time at a special discounted price. Additionally, all other Lucky Balls in Secret of the Solstice and sunglasses in Fiesta will be on sale for the next 24 hours in celebration of Cretz' b-day, so even if you don't get any cake and ice cream, at least you can save some SparkCash and get cool items at the same time.

For for information, check out Outspark.com.

Let the Outspark Games Begin!

Outspark — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:42:09 GMT

Can't make it to Beijing? Compete for the gold in the first annual Outspark Games!

Over the next two weeks (August 8-24), Outspark will be offering 16 new in-game events across its three most popular titles. Team up with friends for a relay race in Fiesta, face off in epic player versus player arena battles in Secret of the Solstice, or strive to reach the top of Project Powder's online leaderboards. Be sure to tune in for the opening and closing ceremonies too!

Top players will be awarded bronze, silver, and gold medals, and players can keep up-to-date on the latest rankings by checking the Outspark forums. If you can't make it to the Outspark Games, Outspark will be streaming live video of each event at their website (requires Dyyno plug-in).

For more information, visit the 2008 Outspark Games event page.

New Swimsuits Make a Splash in Secret of the Solstice

Outspark — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:10:31 GMT

It's not summer until you spend some time hanging out in the water with your friends in a cool new swimsuit. Secret of the Solstice has summer covered with a batch of new swimsuit items, including swim caps, snorkel masks, and other stylish beachwear. Visit the Secret of the Solstice store for the latest swimsuit gear and spend these hot August days lounging around by the pool and escaping the (virtual) heat.

For more information and detailed stats on the new items, check out the Secret of the Solstice forums.

Cool Off at the Beach in New Fiesta Swimsuits

Outspark — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:49:40 GMT

There's no better way to escape the summer heat than relaxing on a sandy beach in a stylish new swimsuit. Fiesta players can now stay cool in one of four new swimsuits introduced in Tuesday's patch, and can keep the sun's glare from spoiling a perfect summer day by sporting a pair of new Dizzy Glasses.

Get together with your friends and start a wild beach party or just hangout out on the sand in your new swimwear. Summer may be drawing to a close, but there's still plenty of time to hit the beach before school starts and winter chases the warm days away.

The new swimsuits - available in both black and Hawaiian varieties - and the Dizzy Glasses are now available in the Fiesta Store.

Outspark Announces F2P First-person Shooter

Kody — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:40:04 GMT

Outspark is the latest Free to Play publisher to get into the Free to Play shooter genre with their announcement of Blackshot, a militaristic shooter that the press release claims is “loaded with powerful weapons, lifelike characters and gritty environments.”

How will Blackshot differ from two recent games to enter into live production -- Combat Arms and WarRock? It's hard to say at this point, as the only information available is a CG trailer. As screenshots are released, we'll be sure to provide them, but for now you can sign up to be notified when Beta begins by heading over to the Blackshot website.

The trailer and press release suggest that players take on the role of a mercenary in an urban environment, similar to Combat Arms, but with so little information or even media available to find out what the game looks like, it's hard to be a judge of how different it will truly be. At any rate, we've added it to our games list, so if you're excited about Blackshot, head over to its microsite and add it to your games!

Outspark Gets Lots of Funding, Talks Asian MMO in US

meteo — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:30:42 GMT

Worlds in Motion has an interesting Q&A up with Susan Choe and Nick Foster of Outspark, a company that has imported games like Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice for US audiences. Outspark has managed to secure $11 million USD in funding from various sources to "help PC-based online games find the same market in North America as they currently enjoy in Asia," and Choe and Foster talk about everything from importing Korean games wholesale, how they put together the project in the first place, and the carpal tunnel inducing process of picking what games to bring over:

We all played games, to a point where I needed acupuncture for my wrist! And we played games, from MMORPGs, to first-person shooters, to racing games ....

But, in a sense, we were really looking for games that everybody can play, even the thirty-five year old women, without a lot of complications. But there are certain specific criteria we also look for in the game developers: 1. They believe in the North American, Western market. 2. They have the capacity to work with us, because -- as you guys know -- these games, once they're launched, that's the beginning of your work, not the end, unlike the console games.

It's an interesting look at one company who is trying to bring over some fresh blood while still appealing to a wide audience (and has the funding to back up their effort) - well worth a read through if you have the time.