The Chronicles of Spellborn only launched a few months ago, but they've already announced that they're going to "re-develop" the game as a free-to-play title. Acclaim Games stated on Monday: "The development is planned to carry into 2010 and will include several enhancements and changes to the current game. The enhancements and development of the new model will be carried through a joint venture between Spellborn NV and the development studio of Frogster Asia Co. Ltd based in Seoul, the Korean studio bringing its expertise in the field of free-to-play and micro-transactions."

Once this re-development is complete The Chronicles of Spellborn will cease to be a subscription game and will switch over to the free-to-play model. We're not sure if there will be any further development on TCOS as it exists now, but a post on the game's EU forums by community manager Kelas stated, "For now, the servers and system (subscription) will remain the way it is. There are still people available for running the daily work and systems."

My first trip off of Parliament led me to Atheneum, home of The Consanguineous Vaults or just The Vaults. The ever increasingly difficult Vaults are were young adventurers go to hone their skills to become the heroes of tomorrow. This game features arguably the best combat system ever, The best way to handle death via Pep levels and a refreshing theme that breaks away from the oh so common style of fantasy MMORPGs.

If you're traveling in a world we don't see often - or haven't really seen at all - then we want to see some screenshots from you! Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description - or your thoughts on why your favorite MMO is awesome! We'll post them out here and give you the nod for sending the image and note in.

Worst part of freemium games is really getting into the game and then running head long into the free area's level cap. You just got started, just got into getting a nice pace, and you suddenly can't go any further until you buy a new zone or pay for a subscription.

Chronicles of Spellborn seems to understand that problem and have taken a step to delay the inevitable. With the last patch, "Paragraph of Timed Strike," they've raised the free to play level cap from 7.6 to 9.9. This is going to allow new players or former free to play users the ability to level further and access more quests in the starting areas of Hawksmouth and Aldenvault.

Of course at level 9.9 you're still going to need a subscription if you want to continue on with Spellborn, but hey, now you have 2.3 more levels to enjoy before you need to grab some Acclaim coins.

The newly launched fantasy game The Chronicles of Spellborn is a (air quote) freemium massively multiplayer online title from Acclaim, where three areas of the game are available for free, while subscriptions truly open the game up for its players. Those gamers in the EU who jump into The Chronicles of Spellborn are able to buy the title as a boxed product and thus get the art book which accompanies the box release, but no such luck for North American players. That is, until now.

Acclaim has opted to release the art book as a free PDF file, which you can find over at MMORPG.com. It's a nice, in-depth look at the game spanning 151 pages of art content and lore. The High Houses, the game's myriad Inhabitants, and of course weapons and armor are all included in The Chronicles of Spellborn art book. If you're already into TCoS or are just curious about it, be sure to grab your free download at MMORPG.com.

Acclaim has officially launched The Chronicles of Spellborn in North America, and to mark the occasion, premium subscriptions are totally free for people registering before the 7th of May (and for existing accounts). The issue of needing "Acclaim Coins" to purchase subscriptions has been fixed in time for the launch, and when the free subscriptions run out, players will be able to keep them going using their credit cards directly.

As we had confirmed for us last month, Spellborn will be using a monthly paid subscription business model, however, a small portion (three areas) of the game's content will be available for free in perpetuity. Upon reaching a certain level, all further character progression is blocked. This is really more of a free trial than an actual "free-to-play with premium for-pay bits", so to see what the full game is really like, the best option would be to try it out now while the flood gates are opened all the way. If you decide to give it a go, be sure to let us know what you think about it.

Recently, we had the chance to sit in as part of an open-community conversation with some of the creators of The Chronicles of Spellborn. Many people were thrilled just to hear that they've recently opened up the beta for those who want to check the game out. (Tip: Check early in the morning, it seems to be a limited daily amount.) Among some of the basic details discussed were the reiteration that yes, absolutely, Chronicles of Spellborn will be a "freemium" game. The free areas will offer players three areas to try, including the new tutorial, before you are required to subscribe to progress. Subscriptions will be approximately $15 monthly at first, potentially jumping to $18. They are working on what they call a 'set it and forget it' monthly billing option like other MMOs have, but for now you have to purchase Acclaim Coins either by buying cards at stores (Target, etc) or via the Acclaim website.

Beyond that, the Spellborn team feels that the beta is moving along at a good pace. Most of the balance issues were largely due to bugs in the system, and should be worked out very soon. Since the US client is trailing the EU client, things that are being found by players on the EU servers are being patched in the US game well before players here hit those issues. Also, due to the fact that the game is skill-based, they explained they've stumbled across an unintended bonus; it appears to be harder for bots to play effectively under this system. Further, they stated that they are working to ensure that gold spammers won't be an annoyance for players after launch. Finally, they also touched on a few aspects of PvP, such as not allowing polymorphs or complete blocks that take players out of the action as they feel that's not very fun, and hinted at more changes to come in the next meeting.

In all, it sounds like an interesting set of updates, and with the ability to chat with 1,000 people in each Webinar, we suspect we'll be hearing about more of these open meetings for Spellborn as the beta progresses. For now, enjoy some behind-the-scenes looks at some of the armor art we'll be seeing!

The European free to play MMO Chronicles of Spellborn has unleashed patch 1.02, entitled "Scroll of the Second Path," bringing some brand new fixes and changes into their world.

One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a brand new tutorial that better introduces their combat system. One of the many problems that many players were facing with Spellborn was that it does not play like a traditional MMO. In fact, playing it like a traditional MMO would usually get you killed. This new tutorial better explains how to avoid getting hit, while still dealing damage of your own to the targets around you.

The other big change is the introduction of "menaces" -- new elite monsters that wander around outdoor areas. These guys are big and hard to kill, but their existences are also tied into special wanted posters in towns. These wanted posters trigger new quests to take down the menaces, giving players incentive to take on these new challenges.

The game is still awaiting a closed beta in the US, but those readers in the UK, France, or Germany will be happy to hop on the Spellborn wagon and give the game a try. The full patch notes for 1.02 are available on the Chronicles of Spellborn forums.

[Via A Ding World]

Although the US is still waiting for The Chronicles of Spellborn to finish up its beta phases, the European version of the game has already been released. As is usually the case with an MMO launch, the developers didn't just flip the switch and then wash their hands of the project, and have been pushing out patches and hotfixes to their live servers as needed. Now we've been given an idea of where they hope to take the game over the coming year, via a post on the official forums.

In the short term, a big patch is expected to be ready for the end of January, which will include some new monsters as well as a tutorial that comes in response to feedback from the community and press. A bit later in the year, the plan is to roll out the market, and an arena match-up system that will allow 2v2 and 4v4 PvP games. Longer term development goals include mounts and guild alliances, but when we're looking at this time-frame, it's highly likely that more ideas will come about. So, who is already on board with Spellborn?

Over at The Vault, they've put up an exhaustive list of all the MMO titles you should have your eye on throughout the new year. While they sort of term it as thought it's a big list of games coming out this year, we think they know it's unlikely all of those games are going to be released in the next twelve months. With that in mind, if you aren't sure what games you should have on your radar (and you haven't clicked our handy "upcoming MMOs" widget above), this massive list will bring you up to date.

Here at Massively, of course, we've been doing our own level best to keep you updated on a lot of these titles, be they AAA superhero games like Champions Online or DC Universe Online. We've talked fervently about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and given you the skinny on under-the-radar titles like Aion, FreeRealms, and Jumpgate Evolution. We've even walked away from our precious fantasy to talk about games like APB or The Agency. The Vault's list is a great one to run down - check it out to see what game you should be obsessing over today!

You've got to admit it - Chronicles of Spellborn has some seriously amazing graphics. And to prove that's true, Tipa at West Karana has posted a great selection of screenies. They include some of the High Houses, cityscapes, temples, and yes, the gratuitous undressed character shot.

As if having Within Temptation do the music for it wasn't enough to tempt you (pun fully intended) into the game, these screen shots provide the additional visual stimulus needed to point you to the beta sign-up. If you're in the EU, you can download the client for free. So hop over, take a look, and commence the ooh-ing... and eagerly awaiting launch day in the States.

Since the launch of open beta in Europe and removal of the NDA this weekend, The Chronicles of Spellborn has now entered the public eye on a much larger scale. MMORPG has been providing some in-depth coverage of the game recently, including one of the first extensive looks at the character creation process.

However, sometimes it's good to get a "regular-guy" perspective on these first impressions, so we're particularly interested in a recent run-down from the A Ding World blog. In this thorough look at the current state of open beta, Sente runs through character creation, control, user interface, questing and much more. It's a great read if you're interested in learning more about this upcoming MMO, set to launch on November 27th in Europe and in January for the US.

So we heard a couple months ago that The Chronicles of Spellborn would be released in North America and the United Kingdom on November 27th, coinciding with the continental European launch. Turns out it's been pushed back -- kinda. The European launch will still commence on the 27th, but the North American closed beta will begin on that day, with the actual, final launch occurring sometime in January.

Sure, we're a bit disappointed, but chances are we'll still get to play the game soon. Acclaim, the game's publisher in the region, went out of its way in the press release it sent us to stress the "Freemium" business model -- a newbie trial area will be available to all players, who can reach level seven before they have to upgrade to a premium subscription at the usual $15/month rate.

The idea of an unlimited free trial area with a level cap isn't fresh -- both Meridian 59 and EverQuest II have done that, but it's not a bad way to sample a game to decide if you want to invest your hard-earned cash in it. Might be worth trying just for Jesper Kyd's soundtrack

The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.

Ankama Games launches new Dofus Heroic Server; includes permadeath
As of September 23rd, there's a new server dedicated to Ankama Games' Dofus. Called the Heroic Server, its most notable feature is permanent death for all characters. Once dead, the player's opponent is allowed to take the character's items, and the deceased becomes interred in the Cemetery of Heroes, a worldwide ranking that can be consulted via a dedicated website. To offset the permadeath penalty, all skill and professions leveling will be much easier, allowing players to rise in rank much more quickly. To the brave and the bold: the Heroic Server calls!

Atlantica Online begins open beta; offers prizes
For their open beta launch, Atlantica Online's NDOORS is offering players of its Free Leagues -- the PvP system -- a variety of prizes, including a Nintendo Wii, an iPod Nano, or $10,000 in cash. Interestingly, these prizes become available only once the player population hits certain landmarks: 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; and 30,000. "NDOORS created something unique in the MMO world when we designed the deep turn-based, strategic world of Atlantica Online. So we decided we needed something just as original for our open beta," said Peter Kang, CEO, NDOORS Interactive. "This is going to be unlike anything anyone has seen before."

In fact, the PR Manager for The Chronicles of Spellborn is quite insistent on the that point. 'TCoS is NOT a Free2Play game,' says PR manager, Mirage. And then again, only in ALL CAPS. Mirage is correct, of course. The Chronicles of Spellborn basically has a starting zone that you can play in for free. Think of it as a free trial, if you like. If you want to play the rest of this MMOG, you'll need to upgrade your free account for the regular subscription kind.

'Second, there are NO item malls, there is NO item selling,' adds Mirage. By the time we got halfway through we had to fan the air a little, as the stench of those nasty free-to-play models had pervaded the corners of the room. We hear that a box of sodium bicarbonate left open behind the sofa will eliminate those nasty odors.