Outspark Blog

First to fall victim to Alastor’s forces during the sibling war, the icy city of Jotunnheim was left in ruins until the recent arrival of warriors brave and strong enough to rid its streets of monsters. The city now symbolizes the unity and staunch resolution of the inhabitants of Xen as they come together to wage a new war against Alastor and his henchmen.

Jotunnheim will be available after tonight’s server maintenance, scheduled for 12:00 midnight PST (GMT - 8:00). We look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, check out these images:

Is Asia the New Hollywood? It’s an interesting question, given the region’s expertise in online gaming and growing influence on the future of connected entertainment. Next month Outspark will spend some time discussing that very topic as part of the inaugural Worlds in Motion Summit at the 2008 Game Developers Conference.

CEO Susan Choe will join Tencent’s David Wallerstein, Bryan Pelz from VinaGame and Daniel James from Three Rings for a panel discussion. If you plan on attending GDC, feel free to stop by!

Date: Monday, February 18, 2008
Time: 3:15-4pm

Click here for more information about the Worlds in Motion Summit.

We hope to see you there!

Please join me in congratulating the winners of our holiday screenshot contest! There were many great entries that made the judging process difficult, but in the end some really great ones came out on top. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Link - Fiesta screenshot winners

Solstice screenshot winners

Visitors to gaming site GameBorder recently voted Fiesta one of the best games of the year! We’re flattered to be given such an honor alongside some other great games. Check out the winners page for more information.

Thanks, GameBorder!

Today’s a big day for Outspark, as we’re proud to finally announce our Series B round and a new partner, Tencent. There’s already a lot of coverage out there including this lengthy interview with the folks at Gamasutra, during which Outspark founder/CEO Susan Choe and Chief Studio Officer Nick Foster discuss the formation of the company, Outspark’s goals and why it’s a good time to build a virtual playground and deliver the kind of games we currently offer.

A few other links for those who might be interested:

GameDaily - Outspark Receives $11 Million in Financing

VentureBeat - Outspark out to change online game culture

So what does it all mean? We’re in an even better position than before to build the “virtual playground” we keep talking about, filled with plenty of free entertainment that lets you express yourself, make friends, hang out and have lots of fun. It’s an exciting time for both Outspark and the larger entertainment industry, and we’re happy to have all of you experience this adventure with us.