Earth Eternal Official News & Announcements

Earth Eternal is being sold.

Aurelius — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:37:00 +0000

Well, the good news is that we had many parties bidding on EE. The auction for it ended today and the winner is a company most or all of you have heard of. I can't tell you who it is yet, and you can take whatever your first five guesses are and throw them out, as it's not any of them. I can't release who it is until the contract is completed and signed (another week at least), but in the meantime the game and forums will be here and all the free stuff in the cash shop will remain free for the short-term future.

There's a good chance that existing (or recently laid off, rather) SPM folks will be involved in the game again too! I'm probably going to do some consulting work for the company, and they want the help of other SPM staff members too I think. The caveat is that all is still kind of uncertain. They moved astonishingly quickly for a company their size, and even they don't quite know what they're going to do with EE and the engine yet. They need a few days to process and figure things out.

Anyway, that's the news for now. I'm pretty happy this company won the bidding, as I think they have the resources and the pre-existing audience to help make EE a success.

Sincerely,

Matt Mihaly, CEO Sparkplay Media (a funny title for someone who currently has one employee beside himself)

Some Bad News

Aurelius — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:11:00 +0000

Dear players of Earth Eternal,

There’s no way to disguise what I’m about to tell you as good news, so I won’t try. Unfortunately, Sparkplay has hit hard times and is not going to survive. I had to lay off all of our staff except for two people (one of which is me) on Friday, and it’s likely that by this time next week neither of us will be with Sparkplay any more either. The simple fact is that we’ve run out of money. I’ve been out trying to sell Sparkplay or get further investment for it for the last 2 months without success, and our last hope crumbled this weekend.

What does this mean for Earth Eternal? The answer is that it’s hard to tell. We’re putting it up for auction today and are reasonably confident that someone will buy it and keep it running. There is, however, the chance that nobody will want to take on the cost of running it. If that happens, Earth Eternal will go down when our internet and hosting provider pulls the plug for non-payment. It’s hard to tell when that could happen, but it’ll certainly be here at least another week, at minimum.

I know this comes as a crushing blow to many of you, and believe me, I and the rest of the former Sparkplay staff share those feelings, times ten. Some of us have been working on Earth Eternal for over four and a half years and have poured our hearts and souls into it and Sparkplay. We worked our asses off and through the long hours, frustrating bugs, and occasional problems so bad we had to laugh, we became a very tight team as well as good friends. It is incredibly disappointing to everyone that it’s come to this.

I’m sorry. I’ve failed you despite my best efforts. I’ve never worked harder in my life, but it wasn’t enough. Things that we planned on happening didn’t, and things we didn’t plan on happening did. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail and I don’t want to try to shift responsibility to anyone but myself. There’s really nothing I can say other than I am very very sorry to have let you down.

I’ve turned off the ability to buy credits now or earn them via offers/surveys. I’m also going to set all non-permanent items in the credit shop to cost nothing so that everyone can have some fun, though won’t be doing that for a few hours.

I will keep you updated as to what is going to happen with Earth Eternal, but in all likelihood we won’t know until late on Friday whether someone is going to buy EE and keep it running or not. Let’s hope for the best!

Until then, enjoy yourselves and help yourselves to the forthcoming free credit shop items.

Sincerely,

Matt Mihaly, CEO (not for much longer) Sparkplay Media

Patch 0.8.8 - Revamped Character Models

Piggypops — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:44:00 +0000

Revamped Character Models, Super Critical Hits, Instant Teleporting, and much more!Check out the latest Earth Eternal patch, Patch 0.8.8. Click here for the full patch notes!

Patch Preview - New Character Models

Piggypops — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Check out the updated character models coming in Patch 0.8.8! Other highlights include improved grouping mechanics, tons of new armor sets, and instant-transportation to friends and party members. Check out the full preview here!

New Armor Set: Glacial Armor

Piggypops — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Get your hands on the *cool* new Glacial Armor set! Now available in the Earth Eternal Credit Shop.

Last Week for the Fishbowl Helm and Mohawks!

Piggypops — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:39:00 +0000

This is your last chance to pick up the Fishbowl Helm and the Mohawks from the Earth Eternal Credit Shop! These awesome armor appearance items will be removed from the store forever on June 23rd at 10am /Pacific. Hurry and get yours today!

Dark Knight Armor

Piggypops — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:13:00 +0000

Now available, click here to check it out!

Patch 0.8.7 - Enter the Fray

Piggypops — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Patch 0.8.7 - Enter the Fray

Corsica: The Anubians have attacked the peaceful city of North Beach and the once tranquil city has become errupted into a hotbed of conflict. Aid the local militia in saving Corsica Island and defeat the Anubian threat! Click here for more info on new Corsica!

Arena PVP: To arms Beasts! PVP has been implemented into Earth Eternal, now you can challenge your fellow players to battle in the Camelot Arena or the serene Mountain Valley. For more information on PVP click here!

Click here for a full list of patch notes >>>

Massively.com checks out Earth Eternal

Piggypops — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Massively.com recently checked out Earth Eternal in a feature they call "Rise and Shiny"

"Once you settle into a good group and do some leveling, you will find a surprisingly deep game that can be played for absolutely free. The low system specs make it a good candidate to introduce to significant others or family members who are new to MMOs, and the more in-depth game mechanics give veteran gamers something to chew on."

Check out the full article over at Massively.com!

Last Weekend for Zombie Awareness Month!

Piggypops — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:22:00 +0000

This Saturday and Sunday are the last days for the Earth Eternal Zombie Awareness Month event! Deadhead has been making appearances in towns throughout Corsica, with a brain hungry mob of Zombies not far behind!

While brave adventurers have fought back the invading undead horde, curiously a woman in Camelot has been seen lamenting her lost son. Some have even spotted a young Atavian deep in the mountains of Cracked Rock, furiously searching for ingredients to cure a friend of a terrible curse. Could these two characters be connected? Find out this weekend!

Learn all about Zombie Awareness Month here!

Last Chance: Filagree Sets

Piggypops — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:09:00 +0000

Last chance to get the Filagree Sets!

The awesome Filagree armor sets are only available for one more week! Hurry up, the sets will be removed from the store on Wednesday, May 26th at 10am! You can find them in the "NEW" tab in the Earth Eternal Credit Shop.

Zombie Awareness Month

Piggypops — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:52:00 +0000

May is Zombie Awareness Month!

Hordes of undead have been seen sweeping across the world of Earth Eternal. The undead only seem to come out on weekends, and the leaders of Camelot, Bremen, and Heartwood have banded together to stop the zombie plague! Will you heed their call and join the battle against the Zombies?

All is not as it seems though, rumors of Beasts aiding the Zombies have been heard in taverns across the lands. What rewards await adventurers who side with the undead? And who could possibly be behind the recent zombie invasions?

Join us in Earth Eternal as we celebrate Zombie Awareness Month!

Vote for your Favorite Clan Photo

Piggypops — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Cast your vote for your favorite clan photo before it's too late!

The clan photoshoot contest is coming to an end! Be sure to vote by 10:00am /Pacific on Monday, May 10th!

Click here to view the contest rules and information.

*Thanks to The Helping Hand clan for the Clan Pic

Limted Time Only: Templar Armor

Piggypops — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:29:00 +0000

Templar Armor Set: The very armor worn by some of Earth Eternal's greatest heroes can now be yours. For a limited time only, get this exquisitely crafted armor set. Now available until May 12th!

Sparkplay Announces Partnership with Sankando

Piggypops — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:58:00 +0000

April 19, 2010 - SAN FRANCISCO - Earth Eternal, Sparkplay Media's 3D browser-based massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, will soon be available to new players across the Pacific, thanks to a partnership with Sankando, a popular Japanese online game and community operations company known for the ocean fantasy MMO, Florensia. Sparkplay will license Earth Eternal to Sankando, making the game available to non-English speaking players for the first time.

"We are dedicated first and foremost to bringing an exciting and immersive free-to-play product to the market, and secondly, to ensuring that players from all over the world can join in the fun," said Matt Mihaly, CEO and founder, Sparkplay Media. "Our partnership with Sankando is the first step toward global domination by Earth Eternal. Few companies in Japan can provide us with the quality of service that Sankando promises its community, and by extension, our players."

Earth Eternal provides players with the sophistication and depth of a classic MMO in a free-to-play, browser-based experience. The game takes place in a fantasy-themed 3D world, where Gaia's anthropomorphic Beasts have returned from the outskirts of reality, after mankind wiped itself out through war and violence, to further their struggles against the Dark Lord and his endless efforts to wrest control of the land from the gods. Familiar man-made landmarks including Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower make an appearance in this alternate Earth, serving as an eerie reminder of what came before.

"Sparkplay has built a uniquely imaginative and entertaining game for its community," said Masahiro Teramoto, president and COO, Sankando. "We are thrilled at the chance to bring Earth Eternal overseas to add to the Sankando line-up and know our community will love exploring this creative MMO."

While Earth Eternal is a true browser-based 3D MMO, Sparkplay Media also offers an optional downloadable client, which provides an identical experience. Sign up now to get into the game at http://www.eartheternal.com.

About Sparkplay Media
Sparkplay Media creates immersive 3D massively multiplayer online (MMO) games that can be played in a browser. Its first title, Earth Eternal, provides users with the sophistication and depth of top MMOs in a fantasy themed, free-to-play experience. Sparkplay was founded by the principals of Iron Realms Entertainment, the pioneer in selling virtual goods, dating back to 1997. Based in San Francisco, the company is backed by Redpoint Ventures and Prism Ventureworks.

Patch 0.8.6 - The Island of Bastion

Piggypops — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:43:00 +0000

Read the full patch notes here!

Check out the trailer for Patch 0.8.6!

Patch 0.8.6 Preview

mayniak — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:39:00 +0000

Anubians have invaded the island of Bastion! Begin defending against the invasion in patch 0.8.6.

Check out the video of the new zone here.

Earth Internal, Episode 2

mayniak — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:02:00 +0000

Check out the latest episode of Earth Internal to learn more about the inner workings of our extremely talented Art Director.

Letter from the CEO

mayniak — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Get a sneak peak into patch 0.8.6...and beyond!

Check it out...

Introducing the Newest Playable Race in Earth Eternal!

Piggypops — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:26:00 +0000

Centuries ago, as the age of man drew to a close, Humanity was on the verge of collapse. Over-reliance on technology had driven the Humans to decimate their home planet with pollution. As the years went on and conditions got worse , human leaders looked to the heavens for an answer.

Read all about the newest playable race here.

Last Day of Spring Break Sale!

mayniak — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:14:00 +0000

Enjoy some time inside this Spring Break with Earth Eternal and pick up some bonus credits! Today is the last day to get a 25% bonus with all credit purchases.

Share Your Earth Eternal Adventures on Facebook!

mayniak — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Earth Eternal just released a Facebook app that will allow you to link your Earth Eternal account to your Facebook account! Updating your friends with stories of your heroic adventures has never been easier!

Learn More...

Earth Eternal on G4's MMO Report

mayniak — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Host Casey Schreiner touts "Earth Eternal delivers on that classic MMO combat that we all know and love..." Jump to the 1:50 mark for the good stuff.

Check it out.

Introducing Earth Eternal Developer Diaries!

mayniak — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:33:00 +0000

For this inaugural episode we've chosen to spotlight Derek McDevitt, Game Designer at Sparkplay Media.

Check out the first episode and leave your feedback. Who do you want to see grilled next and what questions do you want asked?

New Item: Fishbowl Helm...with Fish!

mayniak — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:29:00 +0000

You may be asking yourself, how did our Ursine friend manage to get this fishbowl stuck to his head? How is he able to breathe underwater?

Now you can discover the answers to these mysterious questions with the all new Fishbowl Helm!

Patch 0.8.5 - What Lurks Down Below

Piggypops — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:58:00 +0000

New Features:

Explore The Down Below, a massive dungeon with nearly 30 named mobs.
The shattered remains of the Moon now hang in the night sky.
Customize your playstyle with remappable hotkeys.

And much more! Check out the patch notes for 0.8.5

Rock the Mohawk

Piggypops — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:31:00 +0000

A new hairstyle has been added to the Earth Eternal Store. Check out the Mohawk, available in six rocking colors:

Interview with John Yoo, Lead Designer on Earth Eternal

Piggypops — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Get to know John Yoo in this interview with the newest member of the Earth Eternal dev team!

Click here to read the full interview!

Harts Fest

Piggypops — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:18:00 +0000

It's Harts Fest! Celebrate the holiday with Earth Sage events happening from now until Feb. 14th! And be sure to pick up your official Harts Fest outfit, the Velvet Armor Set complete with a Crown of Hearts!

Click here to read more about Harts Fest!

Patch 0.8.4 - New Abilities

Piggypops — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:35:00 +0000

Patch 0.8.4 is here!

It's patch day! With tons of bug fixes, new abilities, and a few offers you can't refuse!

Check out the full patch notes here!

Patch 0.8.4 Preview - New Abilities!

Piggypops — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:45:00 +0000

Coming in Patch 0.8.4

Customize your character even further with new open abilities. These are skills available to any class, opening up exciting new strategies for combating your foes. Check out the full preview as well as more info on the new patch here.

Web Update: Player Profiles

Piggypops — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:39:00 +0000

A New Way to Interact with other players!

The Earth Eternal Social Network has been updated! Check it out:

In addition, Clans now have their own profile page for their members to visit. Clan Pages have the following features:

Features:

-Clan Leaders can edit important info such as clan rules, mission statement, allies and enemies!

-Clans get their very own private clan forums!

-Track your clans Kill vs. Death ratio, Average number of quests completed, Race/Class breakdown and much more!

-View a complete roster of all clan members.

Click here for the full article!

Letter from the CEO

Aurelius — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:03:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope that your real lives are fantastic this year and that you find a lot of fun, enjoyment, and community in Earth Eternal. Our team had its fair share of joy and pain getting Earth Eternal into open beta on our relatively small budget but I think we’ve got a solid foundation for a great game, and in 2010 we hope to really take advantage of that potential. It’s going to be a really exciting year all around, with new areas, new creatures, new game systems, and lots of performance gains.

I want to acknowledge up-front that EE’s technical performance is not where we want it. Frames-per-second is too low on all but the more recent systems, loading times are too long, the system requirements should be lower than they are, and of course, there are lag problems. I bring those up specifically so that you don’t think that we’re in denial about the technical work that needs to be done. We are in beta, but everyone on the EE team knows this work has to be done, and we have multiple people on these issues full-time. We’re also bringing the creator of Ogre 3D, the rendering engine we use, on board half-time to help improve performance. We should see some significant improvements in the next few months, and of course bug fixing is something we're always working on.

What kinds of things should you be looking for in 2010 besides performance improvements though? Why should you be excited? The answers are below, in no particular order.

First of all, you’re going to see more quests as well as new types of quests. We need to ensure that you can level while working on quests all the time. Pure grinding without a quest is something we want to avoid going forward.

Second, you’re going to see improved AI for boss encounters. Currently, most bosses are really just larger versions of other creatures who hit harder and can take more damage. You’ll see custom AI strategies implemented for different bosses.

Third, you’re going to get pets. At first, pets are going to be purely cosmetic, simply following you around, but with time we’ll add more things that they can do, from performing tricks to helping you in combat.

Fourth, we’ll see greater clan capabilities and purposes. More ways for clans to organize themselves and some goals for clans to work towards.

Fifth, expect Groves, EE’s customizable environments for players and clans, to be released this year. Initially, like pets, Groves will have only basic functionality but we will soon start changing that. We believe this will be one of our defining features.

Sixth, PvP will be released this year, in stages. The first stage is going to be an Arena system that’ll allow for 1v1 as well as group vs. group combat. No promises as to when it’ll be released, but we’re aiming to have this in within 3 months. The next stage of PvP will isn’t something we want to talk about yet, but will involve somewhat more free-form PvP than just battling in Arenas.

Plus, there are a bunch of other surprises that we’re going to keep quiet about until they’re ready, and even we don’t know everything we’ll work on in 2010 yet.

Lastly, please be patient. All of these features will not happen at once. We’re adding to the team so we can get more done, but these things still take time.

So, thanks to all of you for being part of EE, and let’s make 2010 an awesome 12 months!

P.S. Nixon wishes you all a great 2010 too!

Sincerely,

Matt Mihaly

CEO, Sparkplay Media

Special Holiday Offer on Credits. Free Plushie Shroomie!

brickdealer — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Hurry, this special offer ends on Friday, January 15th!

Get bonus credits (up to 40%) and a limited edition plushie shroomie when you purchase select credit packs.

Buy credits!

Find out more about this holiday offer!

Patch 0.8.3 - Winter Dawning Festival

Piggypops — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:08:00 +0000

It's time for the Winter Dawning Festival, a holiday filled with laughter, friendship, and deadly snowmen!

Winter Dawning Fest Guide!

New Player Vaults!

Winter Dawning Fan-ANYTHING Contest!

Full Patch Notes Click Here!

Patch 0.8.3 Preview - Winter Dawning Festival

Piggypops — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:43:00 +0000

Winter Dawning Festival is nearly here! Coming up in Patch 0.8.3, exciting new Holiday content. Undertake an epic quest to defeat the mad Grindle and save Winter Dawning! Pick up your exclusive Holiday gifts from a Holiday Gift Giver or throw a few snowballs at your friends! Check out the full preview here.

Earth Eternal Credit Exchange is Live!

Piggypops — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:30:00 +0000

The Earth Eternal Credit Exchange is a system where you can trade Earth Eternal credits to other players for Earth Eternal gold. This system provides a safe and secure way for you to sell your Earth Eternal credits or purchase credits from other players.

New Armor Set - Merlins Vestments!

Piggypops — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:42:00 +0000

Merlin's Vestments

This charming robe is perfect for the mage on the go. Crafted from the finest silks in Heartwood, Merlin's Vestments is a perfect complement to those who dabble in the magical arts. You can find Merlins Vestments under the "NEW" tab in the EE Shop.

Reduced Prices on Charms

Ready for a Charm-ing deal? The prices of charms have been drastically cut! Single-day, dual-stat charms are available for 80 credits! Monthly charms have been removed from the shop and Permanent charms have had their prices reduced as well! Dual-Stat permanent charms are now only 2000 credits (66% savings) while Single-Stat permanent charms are now only 1200 credits (60% savings). Check out these killer savings in the EE Shop!

Harvest Fest - Patch 0.8.2

Piggypops — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Harvest Fest: November 19th-December 2nd is Harvest Fest! Join the festivities and earn new weapons and equipment, hunt the wild Turkatrice King, and purchase a one time only Turkatrice hat. Celebrate the great feast, visit your local Harvest Master to get started!

Bounty Boards:Repeatable quests are now in Earth Eternal! Bounty Boards can now be found in cities and towns across Europe. Accepting a bounty will send you on a quest to slay dangerous beasts who pose a threat to the locals. Deal with the locals and earn yourself some fantastic new equipment!

Read the full patch notes here!

GDN Interview: Matt Mihaly

Piggypops — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Gamers Daily News has posted an interview with Matt Mihaly, CEO and Creative Director of Earth Eternal.

"My games involve a lot of combat. I’m not really up for walking down the street and getting assaulted by some dude with a flaming sword who screams, "For the House of Feanor!" I love Tolkien far more than the next guy (trust me) but I view MMOs as extensions of the real world, not truly separate virtual worlds."

Check out the full Interview over at Gamers Daily News!

Harvest Fest

Piggypops — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Coming in Patch 0.8.2:

Every year the Beasts of Earth Eternal celebrate the end of Fall with a gigantic feast. Join us as we hunt the wild and dangerous Turkatrice and catch a glimpse of the mighty Turkatrice King! Harvest Fest is coming!

Patch 0.8.1

Piggypops — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Click here to read all about the newest patch!

Earth Eternal Announces Open Beta

Piggypops — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Sparkplay Media Announces Earth Eternal has Gone into Open Beta:

October 13, 2009 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sparkplay Media today announced the Open Beta launch of Earth Eternal, a new, browser-based MMO set in a fantasy universe. Combining real-world history, legend, and myth with original creations, Earth Eternal delivers a rich MMO experience without the burden of a mandatory subscription. Truly free to play, players can enjoy the entire world without paying any fees.

"With Earth Eternal, we're raising the bar for browser-based MMOs, while simultaneously lowering the barriers to entry," said Matt Mihaly, CEO and founder, Sparkplay Media. "We've stripped away roadblocks like subscription fees and massive downloads that discourage many people from playing MMO games. At the same time, people are going to be surprised by the sophistication and depth we're offering in a free-to-play game that runs in the browser."

Featuring deep, original content, Earth Eternal has a 3D graphical look and feel that is more typical of top tier downloadable MMOs. The game takes place in an expansive world where players will encounter everything from verdant valleys to desert oases to dark, corrupted forests to major cities like Camelot and Heartwood, the tree city. While Earth Eternal is a true browser-based 3D MMO, Sparkplay Media will also offer an optional download. The gameplay experience will be the same whether in the browser or via the downloadable client.

No rookie when it comes to micro-transactions, Matt Mihaly originally devised the idea of selling virtual goods in games for real world money while running text MUD Achaea back in 1997. This experience was put to use building Earth Eternal's robust virtual economy. Players can purchase, for real world currency, various cosmetic and functional advantages, including backpacks for increased inventory, ability points, charms and new gear for their character. Everything that can be purchased can also be earned by playing the game, so there are no limits to what players can achieve in the game, whether they pay or not. What's more, players will be able to trade purchased game currency (credits) for currency earned in game (gold/silver/copper) with other players in an online marketplace.

Earth Eternal offers players a highly personalized approach to character building. At launch, players will have 22 different character races from which to choose, including the bear-like Ursine, hawk-like Atavians and the mechanical Clockwork. Players can also select from four classes – Knight, Rogue, Mage, and Druid. Unlike most MMOs however, players are not limited to skills and spells from a particular class. They can select abilities from other classes as well, allowing players to either go deep or broad in their character builds.

Earth Eternal is ready to explore at http://www.eartheternal.com/.

About Sparkplay Media
Sparkplay Media creates immersive 3D MMOs that can be played in a browser. The company's first title, Earth Eternal, provides users with the sophistication and depth of top MMOs in a free-to-play, browser-based experience. Sparkplay was founded by the principals of Iron Realms Entertainment, the pioneer in selling virtual goods dating back to 1997. Based in San Francisco, Sparkplay Media is backed by Redpoint Ventures and Prism Ventureworks. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.sparkplaymedia.com.

Announcing Earth Eternal Open Beta!

Piggypops — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Earth Eternal Open Beta is Here!

Earth Eternal is now open to everyone! Create a new account and click the Play Now button to get started!

Zam Interview with Matt Mihaly

Piggypops — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:08:00 +0000

Zam Interview with Matt Mihaly

Zam.com

has posted an interview with Matt Mihaly, CEO and Creative Director behind Earth Eternal:

In this interview, Matt chats a bit about how Earth Eternal came to be and what features he feels really makes Earth Eternal stand out from the crowd.

"...customization is a big part of Earth Eternal. While you can only choose between three body types and faces for your characters, you have complete control over your avatar's colors and height. You assign him or her both a first and last name and select the starting outfit regardless of which class you pick. Players can also use in-game currency to combine two items by keeping the stats of one and the appearance of the other."

Check out the full article at Zam.com!

--The Sparkplay Team--

EE Stress Test - Saturday 2pm /PDT

Piggypops — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Saturday, September 26th at 2 pm /PDT

This Saturday Earth Eternal will be having a stress test on our closed beta server and we need your help! The servers will be open starting at 10 AM on Saturday, September 26th. The official stress test begins at 2 PM.

Players who are logged on at 2 PM will receive this awesome war helm for their open beta character:

Be sure to log on early! If there are too many players attempting to log on at once, you will be placed in a queue. You need to be in the actual game world at 2 pm in order to qualify for the helm so be sure to get in early!

Still not in the Earth Eternal closed beta? Massively is handing out keys, check it out:

Massively.com Earth Eternal Beta Keys

See you on Saturday!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Tentonhammer Interview with Matt Mihaly

Piggypops — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:34:00 +0000

Tentonhammer.com recently caught up with Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media and Creative Director on Earth Eternal to talk about some of the unique features that help make Earth Eternal stand out from other games in the MMO genre.

This is Matt dressed as a pirate:

"We’re more solo-focused than most MMOs, but we have both clans and dungeon raids. What we don’t have though are 25 man raids. That’s just too hardcore for the game we’re making. Instead, our dungeons cap at 5 man raids right now. There are a few dozen dungeons available, ranging from small to very large."

Click here to read the entire interview over at tentonhammer.com!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Punkbunnie Interviews

Piggypops — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:29:00 +0000

Punkbunnie.com, an Earth Eternal fansite, recently talked to both Jeff Simmons, CEO of Chasing the Suns Productions and the man behind Earth Eternals music, as well as Andrew Sipotz, better known as Piggypops, Community Manager for Earth Eternal.

Both Jeff and Andrew offer insight into the process of bringing Earth Eternal to life.

Click here to check out Jeff's Interview!

Click here to check out Andrew's Interview!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Ign.Com Preview of Earth Eternal

Piggypops — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Ign.com has posted a sneak preview of the upcoming MMO "Earth Eternal".

"The game, which is currently in closed beta, is unique because it can be run directly as a downloadable title as well as a browser based gameplay experience. Recently, I had a chance to check out this new Western based MMO which places a new spin on a number of traditional genre elements."

Click here to read the entire preview at IGN.COM

--The Sparkplay Team--

Earth Eternal Stress Test today - 5 PM (PDT)

Piggypops — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Thursday, September 3rd 5PM /PDT

Sparkplay Media will be running a server stress test on Thursday, September 3rd at 5PM /PDT. Everyone who logs on during our stress test will receive an awesome war banner (image below) for their character when Earth Eternal goes live!

Still need a beta key?

Click Here! Massively.Com has you covered!

This limited time War Banner is carried by your character into battle and lets your enemies know you survived the greatest challenge of them all, the Closed Beta!

In addition, we are turning on bonus experience. All experience gains for characters over level 10 will be 3X the normal amount. Sparkplay staff will be hanging out in the game as well so be sure to join us for this stress test!

And don't forget, stress test today at 5pm /PDT. The servers are up at 3pm today so be there early and get your War Flag!

Massively.com has beta keys for you, click here!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Gamepro.Com Preview of Earth Eternal

Piggypops — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Gamepro.com has posted a preview of "Earth Eternal" highlighting some of the exciting new features.

"One of the most interesting and unique aspects of Earth Eternal is a feature Mihaly called Groves. This is the player housing system and it's intriguing because once they gain access to it (it will take a few levels and achievements), gamers inherit a complete region that they can fully customize. Mihaly made the point that gamers will even be able to build their own PvP arenas, mini games, and other city services."

Click here to read the entire preview at Gamepro.com!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Sparkplay Announces Partnership with Omake Inter..

Piggypops — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:18:00 +0000

SPARKPLAY MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH OMAKE INTERACTIVE SERVICES

Sparkplay Media’s free-to-play MMORPG Earth Eternal will be represented in
Asia and the Pacific Rim by Omake Interactive Servives.

AUGUST 12, 2009 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sparkplay Media, Inc., an emerging provider of browser-based MMOs, today announced a new partnership with Omake Interactive Services. With more than 15 years of gaming industry experience, Omake is able to leverage their deep knowledge of both Eastern and Western cultural gaming conventions, business styles and market traits. Because of this experience, Omake offers SparkPlay Media and their flagship title, Earth Eternal, a proven path to success in Asia.

"We’re looking forward to working with Omake Interactive Services. We’ve had a lot of interest in Earth Eternal from publishers in Asia, and are excited about promoting it there," said Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media. Adding, "Omake has a great reputation and unmatched experience in facilitating the formation of partnerships between Western developers and Asian publishers."

With years of experience doing business in Asia, Omake has employees on the ground in all of the major Asian territories, offering Sparkplay Media and Earth Eternal seasoned representation in Asia.

"Earth Eternal has every success element we seek -- an experienced team, extraordinary design and technology that clearly differentiates their game in the market. The desire to create powerful Asian partnerships combined with a cutting edge 3D browser MMO will see Earth Eternal make a significant impact across Asia," said Tim Allison, CEO of Omake Interactive Services.

Earth Eternal is raising the bar for browser-based MMOs. The game is truly free-to-play. Everything that can be purchased, can be earned through playing the game, but players have the option to purchase upgrades in the form of virtual items. Players choose from 22 unique races; from the bear-like Ursine to the hawk-like Atavians to the one-eyed Cyclops, and select from four classes – Knight, Rogue, Mage, and Druid. Unlike most MMOs however, players are not limited to skills and spells from their class – they can select many abilities from other classes as well, allowing players to either go deep or broad in their character builds.

Interested players can go to http://www.eartheternal.com/ to learn more about Earth Eternal and sign up for the closed beta test.

About Sparkplay Media
Sparkplay Media creates immersive 3D MMOs that can be played in a browser. The company’s first title, Earth Eternal, provides users with the sophistication and depth of top MMOs in a free-to-play, browser-based experience. Sparkplay was founded by the principals of Iron Realms Entertainment, the pioneer in selling virtual goods dating back to 1997. Based in San Francisco, Sparkplay Media is backed by Redpoint Ventures and Prism Ventureworks. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.sparkplaymedia.com.

About Omake Interactive Services

Omake Interactive Services was formed early in 2003 to service the growing interactive games industry within Asia and the Pacific Rim. Omake has a clear vision and business philosophy that facilitates the integration of Eastern and Western business cultures.

MMORPG: Rogue's Gallery

Piggypops — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:35:00 +0000

MMORPG.COM has posted a look at some of the beasts of Earth Eternal. Check out these exclusive screen shots including images of the dangerous Mad Cow and treacherous Lich!

Check out the full gallery of screenshots at MMORPG.COM!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Gamasutra Interview

Piggypops — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Gamasutra has posted an interview with Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media. Matt talks about what makes Earth Eternal stand out from other free to play titles on the market:

"They're looking for something a little better, but they're still not looking to drop $50 on a box, $15 a month on WoW, or whatever. When we spent time on big Runescape forums, the kids seemed dissatisfied, looking for something better, but they feel like it's not out there for them," says Mihaly, despite numerous Asian free-to-play offerings. "They don't feel like those games are for them, for the most part."

Click here to read the entire article at Gamasutra!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Massively: Meet the Team

Piggypops — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Massively.com has posted a brand new 2-part article on Earth Eternal. The first part features an interview with Greg Chapman, Lead Designer on Earth Eternal, and Alex Madrigal, Concept Artist on Earth Eternal. The second part features interviews with Matt Mihaly, CEO and Lead Writer on Earth Eternal, as well as Ryne Anderson, programmer on Earth Eternal.

Click here to read part 1 with Greg and Alex!

Click here to read part 2 with Matt and Ryne!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Earth Eternal Teaser Trailer

Piggypops — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:55:00 +0000

A new Teaser Trailer for Earth Eternal has been posted. Containing never-before-seen footage and gameplay videos, check out the exciting new trailer for Earth Eternal:

Check out the full video here!

You can also view the trailer and all of our current videos and screenshots in the Art/Video section of the site.

--The Sparkplay Team--

Gamesbeat talks EE

Piggypops — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:46:00 +0000

GamesBeat, a division of VentureBeat, has posted a new article about Earth Eternal.

The article gives some insight into how Earth Eternal will combine social networking with MMORPG gameplay.

"...a light-hearted fantasy game that will eventually come with its own social network. The company hopes the game is unique enough to stand out from the competition as one of the more interesting fantasy role-playing games."

Check out the full article here!

Matt Mihaly on Massively

Piggypops — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Massively has posted a recent interview with Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media.

Matt talks about what makes Earth Eternal stand out from other games. Check out the full interview at Massively.com

Check out the interview here!

--The Sparkplay Team--

MMOsite.com Screenshots

Piggypops — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:29:00 +0000

MMOsite.com has posted five new exclusive screenshots of Earth Eternal!

Check out the full article at MMOsite.com

--The Sparkplay Team--

Steven Blumenfeld on IGN

Piggypops — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:35:00 +0000

IGN.COM has posted a recent interview with our very own Steven Blumenfeld.

Steven chats a bit about his past and some of the technology powering Earth Eternal.

Check out the full interview at IGN!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Introducing Piggypops

Piggypops — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Introducing Piggypops, the newest member of the Earth Eternal team. Piggypops, also known by his human name "Andrew," is our newest Community Manager and will be a major player on the forums. Here is a side by side comparison of his forum avatar and a real life pic of him trying to eat sushi.

Andrew has previously been a Community Manager on several big projects and is excited to join the team at Sparkplay Media. As the Community Manager, Andrew will be responsible for facilitating communications between the Earth Eternal Community and the Development team.

We recently caught up with Andrew and asked him a bunch of personal and intrusive questions;

Where are you from? A little town in Southern California called Big Bear Lake. I moved up to San Francisco a few years ago.

Favorite Snacks? I've got a huge love for Red Bull energy drinks. I'm kind of a junk food addict and my favorite foods are usually pre-packaged.

Earth Eternal: Great Game or Greatest Game? It's really hard to describe just how great Earth Eternal is going to be. It's a deep and exciting online experience that anybody can try! I can't wait until we launch and I can play with all my friends.

What race are you going to play as? Oh the Ursine (Bear people) for sure. Though I really like the Tusken's, something is just way cool about playing as a bear.

Last question. Where did the name Piggypops come from? Ha. I was joking around with some friends at a garage sale and we found a box of old stuffed animals. We ended up doing this like, puppet show thing with the animals lip sinking songs on the radio. I had a pig and the song "Search and Destroy" came on the radio. We named him Piggypops and now he sits on a shelf in my bedroom!

Thanks for your time Andrew!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Yet More Screenshots!

Aurelius — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:55:00 +0000

And yet more new screenshots coming down the pipeline, this time posted on MMOSite.com. Enjoy!

Make sure to get registered for Earth Eternal, so that you can become part of our beta testing pool!

You can view and rate these images in our Media Gallery to build your community points!

Onrpg Shows New Images!

Wyrd — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Hot on the heels from yesterday Onrpg.com is showcasing some new screenshots and news about Earth Eternal.

Make sure to get registered for Earth Eternal, so that you can become part of our beta testing pool!

You can view and rate these images in our Media Gallery to build your community points!

IGN Shows 5 New Images!

Wyrd — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Stop by our media gallery or check out IGN.com to view the latest images to be released to the public for Earth Eternal.

If you have not yet registered for Earth Eternal, do that now so you don't miss out on opportunities to beta test!

You can view and rate these images in our Media Gallery to build your community points!

SPARKPLAY MEDIA OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES EARTH ETERNAL

Bernal311 — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Sparkplay Media's free-to-play MMORPG set to enter exclusive Closed Beta today

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Sparkplay Media, Inc. today announced the upcoming beta of Earth Eternal, a top-tier free-to-play MMO. An indie fully 3D title that can be played within a browser or via a downloadable client, Earth Eternal is positioned to take free-to-play MMOs to the next level. Scheduled for release later this summer, players can check out this epic fantasy by taking part in the closed beta test beginning May 18th.

Earth Eternal offers users an incredibly immersive gaming experience with a broad range of character customization options and diverse environments. Set in a world where mankind no longer exists, the game incorporates a blend of original fiction, mythologies from Norse to Egyptian, and classic fairy tales into an epic, sweeping story that provides the stage for users to create their own, personal stories.

“MMOs can be daunting for those who haven’t played them before, so we wanted to create a dynamic, yet approachable experience with Earth Eternal; something fun for any level of gamer,” said Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media. “And by combining compelling full-featured, immersive MMO game play with story written for a Western audience we’re sure that Earth Eternal will have a wide appeal. We’re particularly excited to be able to offer all this in a browser.”

Earth Eternal is truly free-to-play. Everything that can be purchased can be earned through playing the game, but players have the option to purchase upgrades in the form of virtual items. Players choose from 22 (seriously!) unique races, ranging from the bear-like Ursine to the Faerie-born Cyclops to the hawk-like Atavians, and select from four classes – Knight, Rogue, Mage, and Druid. Unlike most MMOs however, players are not limited to skills and spells from their class – they can select many abilities from other classes as well, allowing players to either go deep or broad in their character builds.

Interested players can go to http://www.eartheternal.com to learn more about Earth Eternal and sign up for the upcoming closed beta test.

About Sparkplay Media
Sparkplay Media creates immersive 3D MMOs that can be played in a browser. The company’s first title, Earth Eternal, provides users with the sophistication and depth of top MMOs in a free-to-play, browser-based experience. Sparkplay was founded by the principals of Iron Realms Entertainment, the pioneer in selling virtual goods dating back to 1997. Based in San Francisco, Sparkplay Media is backed by Redpoint Ventures and Prism Ventureworks. For additional information, please visit our website at www.sparkplay.com.

Contacts:
William O’Neal
For The Win! PR for Sparkplay Media
425.635.8093
William@forthewinpr.com

Hillary L. Lyons
For The Win! PR for Sparkplay Media
206.359.0257
Hillary@forthewinpr.com

Race Gallery & More...

Wyrd — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:02:00 +0000

We have some new website & forum updates for you this morning and we think you will be as excited about them as we are to share.

First off, our Race Gallery has been completed with character shots from all 22 races. To see each race just scroll along the bottom row using the arrow keys on both sides of the menu. When you click on a race head shot at the bottom it will open up a gallery view of that race, showing both genders, and a character description. Each shot within that gallery can be opened up to get a better view by clicking on the image you would like to see.

Secondly, we have enabled our polls system for the forums and the main webpage. Our first poll is in place so go vote now for your favorite class. Just open up the Earth Eternal home page. and look to the right to see the poll and vote.

Other web and forum updates are as follows:

Anonymous Users now show in the “currently online” count on the forums.
Players can write an auto response for their personal message (PM) box, to set this view your options under “Your Account” in the Account Profile.
Added notification options for players to set when they receive messages, update this in your Account Profile.
Added new mail notification to the login box (top left).
Updated menu button text from “FAQ” to “FAQ/Help”.
Removed “Help” link from the login box.

Finally, the new Avatar Gallery has been implemented. Players can now select from a variety of avatars by clicking on their profile and “Edit Avatar.” Players will be given the option to upload their own avatar or choose from the menu available by clicking on the button “Avatar Gallery” found to the right.

We think you will enjoy these while you wait for the next updates to come!
** If you are having trouble viewing these changes please update your browser page by holding down the CTRL and F5 keys. This will update the page. **

We appreciate your support!

--The Sparkplay Team--

Play Shroomie's Search!

Wyrd — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Having trouble leafing our site? Well here is one more reason to stick around!

Help Shroomie search the highest heights and find out who will rise to the top in Shroomie’s Search. To play the game just use your mouse and click your way to the top of the charts. Watch out for predators, zoom ahead with special powers and colored leaves. But be careful, falling can be deadly!

There are daily community points for players that reach the top scores each day, here is a breakdown of points:

2 points per day for reaching at least a height of 100.
Top Ten Daily Winner Community Points:

Want to brag about it, post your score on the forums or share the game with family and friends to see who’s the top leaf surfer on the net.

The Sylvan!

Wyrd — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Introducing the Sylvan!

Our newest release of player races, the Sylvan can be seen in our media gallery. Also read the story of the Sylvan below.

NEW ART

The Sylvans are in one sense an ancient race and in another a race born of the Age of Beasts. Tens of thousands of years ago, during the Age of Legend sometime after Gaia created the Treekin, the greatest of the trees developed spirits, for lack of a better word. These Dryads did not take physical form but could be perceived within a tree by those who knew to look.

With the Age of Beasts beginning and the return of the Beasts from the Groves – an act known as the Reclamation – the Treekin began to wake from their Age-long slumber in the deep forests of the world. However, they were slow to wake and shake off the torpid slumber of thousands of years, and as all know, many fell to the predations of the Ogre Mages, of the People of the Skull.

The Mages of the People of the Skull are typically known for battle magic but had somehow developed magic subtle enough to twist and corrupt the noble Treekin into the sick and foul reflections of the Treekin we know as the Rotted. It’s not known if the People of the Skull had even then made a connection with the forces of Hell, or if some other agent of evil had provided them with magical knowledge completely different from that which the People had traditionally had. It’s deemed, by those who know them best (the Foxen, for instance, as well as the Grumkin Beasts whose ancestors were part of the People of the Skull), unlikely that the People would have evolved the rather intricate nature magic needed to turn Treekin into the Rotted on their own.

Regardless, the transformation of the waking Treekin into Rotted was a tragedy for the Treekin, who had never been great in number. Watching their awakening kin turn into alien, crazed beings was incredibly painful for these leaf-clad beings. With a strong connection to each other and the Earth, the already fully awakened Treekin were in no danger from the Ogre Mages. Only a small percentage had yet escaped their self-imposed dreaming. The new Rotted were used to attack the Beasts and weaken them for an eventual invasion by the People of the Skull.

The Treekin were in desperate straits, for the Rotteds' numbers grew with every corruption and the Treekin seemed more and more vulnerable. They were in possession of the Trillium Shard – the ancient artifact that the Bandicoons of the Age of Legend had used to sustain themselves against the myriad assaults against their homelands. They had survived decades longer than most of the Beasts during the beginning of the great Bleakness, during which the Vampires and the Undead rampaged through Europe, eventually treating the Beasts as little more than cattle.

The Treekin discovered that the Trillium Shard’s power lay in the ability to manipulate the natural world around it. The Bandicoons of the Age of Legend were able to use it to cause the very vines and trees that were around them to violently defend their land. Trees might club or rend apart passing enemies and grasses could strangle intruders as they slept, and so on.

The Bandicoons soon discovered a price was paid for using the Trillium Shard – whatever natural life it was used on could never be affected by it again. Since the Bandicoons were not able to expand their borders during the early years of the terrible Vampire and Undead-plagued Bleakness, every time they used the Trillium Shard to defend their borders they were forced to pull back so that they could use it on a ring of land they hadn’t previously. Eventually, the Bandicoons too were simply overwhelmed, as were all Beasts during the dark times of the Bleakness.

The Treekin used the Trillium Shard, but not as the Bandicoons had. Instead, they used it to coax the Dryads out of the great trees they inhabited, giving them physical form. Those Dryads who left the trees became known as the Sylvans whom we count as our own today, and they immediately joined the effort to fight the new threat that the Rotted posed. They and the Clockwork proved invaluable in defending the newly-returned and unaffected Beasts from becoming victims of the ambition of the great Khan of the People of the Skull.

It was some time after the Sylvans left the trees that the Amanita Virosa – the Black Shroomies – made contact with the Rotted. They convinced the corrupted Treekin that the Ogre Mages who were their masters were simply using them, and that they should ally with the Black Shroomies in order to take back their lands from the Treekin whom they now hated.

Make no mistake – the Rotted are completely mad. They were driven to take revenge upon the Treekin whom they now envied, loathed, and perhaps even feared. They made a rational decision, however, in slaying the Ogre Mages who had served as their masters and joining the Black Shroomies as equals. The People of the Skull were not interested in the Rotted as anything but tools of war.

Soon, the eaves of the forests inhabited by the Treekin were frequently raided by the Rotted and Black Shroomies. Kidnapped Treekin were debased into the Rotted and the balance of power slowly approached equality. The Rotted and their Amanita Virosa allies soon made quiet war upon the Great Forest itself, and the Heartwood within, where mankind’s Eiffel Tower still resided.

The Sylvan went out and attempted to wake up as many Treekin as possible. Without their efforts it is almost certain that the Treekin would have been overwhelmed by the Rotted, but the Sylvans were tireless in their efforts and hundreds upon hundreds of the mighty Treekin were awakened.

One might also ask, “What of the Beasts?” When the Forestal War erupted soon after, the Beasts proved to be too consumed with their own struggles, which were legion. Vampires, Ferals, Dvergar, People of the Skull, Dragons, Undead and more plagued the Beasts, who returned to Earth with a determination to carve out space for themselves once again.

The Forestal War was the series of battles between the Treekin, Shroomies, and Sylvans on one hand, and the Rotted and Black Shroomies on the other. The Treekin camp was led, as much as the Treekin are led by anyone, by the gigantic and ancient Thingir Mossheart. He is the oldest Treekin in Europe, and though he was sprouted well after Gaia created his ancestors, he has seen more than nearly any being on Earth and his roots have delved deep to drink of the waters of the Earth for millennia.

The Rotted had not yet developed a leader, but the Black Shroomies are and have always been led by the Lost One – the first of the Amanita Virosa. It was he who first turned from the path of Gaia during the Age of Man, for he could not tolerate watching Man despoil the Earth and multiply his way towards complete dominance. His soul grew dark and twisted, and the Lost One slew the last mortal who knew his name hundreds of years ago.

These powers clashed for decades and eventually the conflict became centered on the southeastern part of the Great Forest – the region we now know as the Deadwood. The Rotted and Black Shroomies were determined to have it for themselves and while the Treekin and their allies wished to prevent any infestation of this massive forest by the corrupted taint of the Rotted, it was a fight they would ultimately concede had been lost.

Finally, an accord was reached. The corrupted forestals would have the Deadwood for themselves and would, in theory, cease their hostilities against the Treekin and their allies. Such was the state of things until mere decades ago with the rise Foulroot the Rotted King and the attempt by both him and the Lost One to take the Heartwood – the tree city within the Great Forest – for the Rotted and Black Shroomies.

With the end of the Forestal War, most of the Sylvan returned to their beloved trees, glad to give up the freedom to move across the land for the close connection with the trees they were so fond of. Some, however, had come to enjoy the ability to move and did not wish to reclaim their former homes. The power of the Trillium Shard was waning and there was nothing they could do – once the Trillium Shard had been used on them they became immune to its future effects. On a daily basis the fundamental nature of the Sylvans overwhelmed the weakening magic of the Trillium Shard and Sylvans who did not otherwise wish to were forced to leave and rejoin the trees as Dryads.

Gaia is a compassionate, caring Goddess but she and her Beasts had not survived so long against the forces of Djall and others by remaining complacent. She had seen what a boon the Clockwork had proven to be in helping to augment the power of her beloved Beasts upon their return to the Earth from the Groves. She had even granted the Clockwork true life in return for their service first in cleaning up the aftermath of Mankind’s Cataclysm and in defending the Beasts from the predations of the Rotted, the People of the Skull and the other enemies that sought to impede the return of the Beasts to Earth.

Now, the Earthmother would do the same for the Sylvans who were, in any case, far closer to her in terms of their origins and natures than were the Clockwork before she had bestowed life upon them. The Sylvans had proven themselves to be doughty, powerful defenders of both her beloved Beasts and of the sustaining, nurturing forests. Already, some Sylvans and Beasts had formed friendships born out of shared struggle, and it was clear that the Sylvans would be welcome additions to the swelling ranks of the Beasts.

Thus did the Sylvans become forever separated from the trees they had called their home, by the power of Gaia, becoming truly and finally different from the Dryads they had once been. First among the Sylvans to be granted Beasthood was a powerful wielder of nature magic named Sereen. She had been the first Dryad to leave the trees by the power of the Trillium Shard, so eager had she been to free herself from the confines of her tree.

Beasts after the Age of Man began to take both a family and personal name, and Sereen beseeched Gaia to bestow a family name upon her. Gaia thought for a moment and dubbed her Sereen Leaflost, choosing that family name so that Sereen would never forget from where she came. Other Sylvans followed, male and female and soon all the Sylvans had adopted the custom of the Beasts.

For their part, the Beasts eagerly welcomed the Sylvans as one of them. A new power had joined the Beasts bringing new allies. In the past the Treekin and the Beasts had not been as strongly allied as now. The Treekin had, in the Age of Legend, assisted the Beasts (and vice-versa) at times while at other times stonewalling them and simply retreating deep into the forests leaving the Beasts to their own problems. The Sylvans cemented the bridge between the Beasts and Treekin leading to the intermingling of Treekin and Beasts we see today in places such as the Heartwood.

Introducing the Grumkin!

Aurelius — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:28:00 +0000

An ancient enemy joins the Beasts!

The Grumkin are the most recent Beasts. Ex-members of the fearsome People of the Skull, they now fight alongside the Beasts of Europe and against their former allies.

NEW ART

The Grumkin are one of the three races of the People of the Skull, along with the Varga and Ogres. The People appeared on Earth not long after Gaia created many of the Beasts in the Age of Legend, though their own shamans tell conflicting stories about how and why they came to Earth so long ago. One facet they all agree upon, however, is that they were fleeing their homeworld because of an enemy whom they no longer remember, and that they arrived through a “hole” in the firmament.

The People divide themselves into tribes, each composed solely of one of the three races. The Ogres are physically the largest of the three tribes, and as intelligent as the Grumkin, if lesser in number. The Varga are the most populous race of the People, but are dominated by their baser desires, particularly aggression. The Grumkin themselves are the smallest of the races of the People of the Skull, but they’re as capable as the Ogres and more numerous.

The tribes of the People are, in turn, ruled by a Khan who is almost always an Ogre. Although their territory has ebbed and flowed over time, the People are generally to be found in the vast northern plains and forests of the lands to the east of Europe, and in the mighty Ural mountains that bound Europe on the eastern front.

The People of the Skull, of course, plagued the Beasts during the Age of Legend, and the Foxen established the Border Holds in northeastern Europe to defend against attacks by the aggressive People. By the end of the Age of Legend, the People had completely overrun the Border Holds, wiping them from the Earth.

In our current Age – the Age of Beasts – the People have fallen under the spell of the alliance between Baal, the Prince of Hell, and Mestif, one of the four surviving Elemental Dragons. Together, they plot to collect shards of the Spirit Mother and use them to further pry open a small existing portal between Earth and Hell.

When the Daemons led by Furcas the Liberator left Hell and fled through the portal to Earth, they encountered the Blackrag tribe of Grumkin whom they warned of the peril to them were Baal to open the portal wide enough for him and his armies to come through.

The Blackrag tribe was a fringe tribe within the People of the Skull. Grumkin tribes are led by a male-female duo, and the Blackrag were no exception. Koshan, the Chieftan, and Morhag, the Chieftess, ruled them but had kept the Blackrag as much to the side as possible in the People’s pursuit of power via their cooperation with the Dragon Mestif and the rulers of Hell. They did not believe that the coming of Baal would herald a golden age for the People of the Skull, as most of their kind believed.

When Furcas and the Daemons came through the portal to Hell, Koshan and Morhag knew it was time to leave. They allied with Furcas, and traveled to the Ranger Kingdoms (the largely Foxen-descendants of the remnants of the Border Holds) to warn the Beasts of the coming threat and, hopefully, gain a safe haven somewhere to call their own.

The Beasts had never seen a Daemon before, and had no preconceptions about them. Coming as they were to warn the Beasts of a great threat, they were embraced and were welcomed as a part of the Beast Nations.

The Grumkin as a race, on the other hand, had long plagued the Beasts of Eastern Europe, as the great Khans of the People coveted Europe throughout the Age of Legend and had sowed so much sorrow amongst them. While the Daemons were welcomed, the Grumkin were shunned.

Indeed, it was not until the recent invasion of Andalusia by the Anubians that the descendants of the Grumkin of Tribe Blackrag managed to gain general acceptance as Beasts. Seeking to prove their worth and make some gesture of atonement for the past, a charismatic Grumkin leader called Karebi Madheart led a large band of Grumkin to Andalusia to help the Atavians and Lisians there defend Europe from the Anubians. In fact, Karebi’s forces were the first to arrive and had bloodied themselves in battle against the Anubians before even King Arthur dispatched Sir Lancelot to Andalusia.

Karebi and the other Grumkin performed numerous heroic acts of valor, and many say that it was only through their efforts that the fortress city of Cazador did not fall when the Anubians unleashed their Simian shock troops against its defenders. Today, of course, Cazador has been greatly reinforced by troops from elsewhere in Europe (such as the aforementioned Arthurian knights, the Crimson Legion of the Redeemers, and Onur Iskander’s Taurians) but 10 years ago when the Anubians first invaded it was not nearly as strong and none expected the sheer physical power of the Simians that General Thothmes had included in his army.

Upon the arrival of Lancelot and his Arthurian Knights, Karebi Madheart and her Grumkin warriors were placed under the great knight’s command, and it was not long before Lancelot counted the Grumkin as the most audacious warriors he had ever seen. What they lacked in discipline and organization they more than made up for in tenacity and ferociousness. In their zeal to prove the worth and honor of the Grumkin, Karebi led her warriors on sally after sally against the besieging Anubians, breaking the invader’s lines many times and causing much chaos and consternation among them. They did not fear to engage the largest and most fearsome Silverback Simians, and they were heedless of their own well-being.

Two years into the war, Lancelot needed volunteers for a perilous mission that would send a company of volunteers east through the Sierra Morena mountains and then south to scale the walls of Fort Tartessos, on the northern bank of the Quivir river. If the Cazadorians could take back the fort, they would cut off the troops sieging Cazador and push the frontlines of the rest of the Anubian army to south of the Quivir, giving Defender Roldan Vasco (the Atavian leader of Cazador) and his various Beasts some breathing room.

When Lancelot called for volunteers he was overwhelmed with more candidates than he could take. Every single one of Karebi’s Grumkin volunteered and so earnest were they that Lancelot was forced to accept all of them. Along with the Grumkin came a group of mighty Taurians led by Onur Iskander and an assortment of Lisians, Atavians, and some of the Redeemer’s Crimson Legion. They set off at nightfall and traveled through the night to skirt the Anubian forces camped outside of Cazador’s walls. Arriving at Fort Tartessos, they scaled its walls, entered the fort, and began to quietly slay any Anubians they spotted. Soon enough, a cry of alarm went up from the Anubians and the fort was thrown into the chaos of battle.

Simultaneously, the front gates of Cazador opened unexpectedly and a mighty force of warriors led by Defender Vasco himself charged forth, throwing magic, blade, and arrow at the surprised Anubians. They smashed the Anubian lines and thundered south to Fort Tartessos where Karebi Madheart had managed to get the gate to the fort open before being peppered with arrows. There she fell, never to rise again, but her death served to drive the Grumkin among Lancelot’s raiders to even greater fury.

The advantage of surprise soon wore off, however, and Lancelot’s raiders were sorely pressed to simply defend themselves. One by one they fell until they heard the clarion horns of Cazador announcing the arrival of the army. With renewed vigor, Lancelot led his forces inside the Fort forward toward the gate, taking heavy losses but driving the Anubians towards the gate. Minutes later Defender Vasco arrived and together they smashed the Anubians between the anvil of Lancelot Dulac and the hammer of Roland Vasco. Fort Tartessos had been captured and the siege of Cazador broken!

Few Grumkin had survived the raid but Lancelot took word back to Cazador of their heroism and from there, sent word to King Arthur of the victory and the sacrifice of Karebi Madheart and her courageous Grumkin. With the immensely popular Arthur lending strong support to the Grumkin and the tale of the Battle of Fort Tartessos spreading among the Beasts of Europe, the Grumkin became accepted as one of the Beasts as had the Anura, the Cyclops, the Clockwork, the Yeti, and the Daemons before.

The Grumkin are the newest members of the Beasts and as a result still face resistance and distaste by some Beasts, particularly the Foxen of the Ranger Kingdoms, who bore the brunt of the aggression by the People of the Skull for so long. Still, the Grumkin formerly of Tribe Blackrag, have often volunteered to serve on the frontlines against the People of the Skull and have also served as excellent spies within the People. Perhaps someday even the Ranger Kingdoms will welcome the Grumkin with open arms but in the meantime they can be found scattered around Europe and concentrated in Swineland where most Beasts prefer not to live due to an unwillingness to put up with the boisterous antics of the Warpigs who call it their home.

The Clockwork!

Aurelius — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Introducing the Clockwork

The Clockwork are a player race born from the efforts of a Mystarch and then finally blessed with life by Gaia, the Earthmother.

NEW ART

The history of the Clockwork begins long ago with the fall of the Mystarchs. As all know, some of the Mystarchs were executed for their crimes while others were exiled from Europe. Hera[filtered]us was one of those exiled, and the story of the Clockwork is the story of his life in exile.

Like all Mystarchs, Hera[filtered]us had used the power gained from the Mysterium Primordial to augment his lifespan considerably. The Mystarchs were not immortal, but they could expect to live to nearly a thousand before perishing. Unlike the other Mystarchs however, Hera[filtered]us's specialty was fire and flame. He had delved further into the study of these things than any and he understood the similarity between fire and that little spark inside that makes us all truly alive. He had used his magic to extend his lifespan far beyond that of the other Mystarchs, from a thousand years to tens of thousands of years.

After he was exiled, Hera[filtered]us fled to a small uninhabited isle in the middle of the Mediterranean, south of the isle of Sirako, called Meli. There he lived out the years, fishing for his food and refraining from anything other than minor magic. He grew bored, and began to create small toys to amuse him. A little spider that could walk slowly around and jump into the air. A bird to sit on his shoulder and warble.

Time passed, and his toys became more complicated and capable. Fish that could swim through the water. Eagles that could soar through the sky. Great cats that would hunt down food for him. They weren't alive, but they were wondrous creations. They were his companions as years turned into decades, decades into centuries, and centuries into millennia.

Eventually, Hera[filtered]us began to reach the limits of his capabilities in creating these 'toys' of his and without this progress he grew bored and felt, most keenly, the boundaries of his small island. He decided it was time to explore the lands to the south, beyond the southern borders of Amizeh, in the Wild Lands that stretched south further than any Beast of Europe knew.

The Mystarch constructed a giant mechanical turtle and crossed to Africa on its back. Once there, he snuck through the lands of the Dog Soldiers until he had passed beyond its borders, into the Wild Lands. We know little of his journeys in the Wild Lands save that he encountered a people called the Banta, who had long necks and spotted skins. The Banta were masters of creating the kinds of toys that Hera[filtered]us prized and he spent many happy years among them, learning their secrets until he could craft creatures that could speak.

Hera[filtered]us was very fond of the Banta, and they of him, but ultimately he always felt like an outsider. They were both like and unlike Beasts, and though he counted them friends he did not understand them, nor they him. Eventually, after mastering their knowledge, Hera[filtered]us felt it was time for him to leave and go back home to the isle of Meli. He bid his farewells and returned home.

Once there, he began to build toys again, this time incorporating the knowledge he had gained from his time with the Banta. He was now able to build toys that could talk to him and hold rudimentary conversations, but as always he was still lonely. As a Mystarch, he was alienated from all Beasts who knew him and the long time spent alone wore on him. Hera[filtered]us decided to create a wife for himself.

He spent two years building her, getting every detail as perfect as he could. He wasn't creating life, but he was attempting to construct the most convincing simulation of it the world had ever seen. When she was done, he named her 'Dori'. She was beautiful to him and when he started the mechanisms that gave her the appearance of life she woke up and worked flawlessly! Hera[filtered]us was inordinately pleased with himself.

His pleasure was soon diminished, however, when he realized that although Dori was a pleasant companion and friend, she lacked that 'something' that makes us individuals. She laughed at his jokes unfailingly, no matter how bad they were. She agreed with anything he said. She would not offer an opinion on anything, instead asking Hera[filtered]us what he wanted her to think. She was, in short, a perfect servant, but not truly alive and not truly a person.

Hera[filtered]us created others, making small improvements here and there that he thought might unlock the individuality in his Clockwork as he called them. After Dori was a male named Ori. Then another female named Nori, and a male named Bari, and on and on. He created over a dozen Clockwork in all, but he never achieved the kind of simulation of life he hoped for and eventually he gave up creating more in despair. He maintained his Clockwork and kept them running smoothly, but he did not create any more.

The years plodded on and through his magic Hera[filtered]us watched the passing of the world. He saw the birth of Man from the cursed Dog Soldiers. He saw the rise of Mankind and its growing domination over the Beasts, and he wept when he saw Mankind rout the Beasts and nearly wipe them out. Finally, he bore witness to the Migration, when Gaia transported the Beasts to the Groves to save the last remnants of them and was saddened beyond words that he was not part of the Migration. He disguised the isle of Meli as a series of barren, jagged rocks so that human sailors would go nowhere near it, for fear of tearing the bottom of their wooden boats out.

Loneliness of an unutterable degree possessed Hera[filtered]us. He was an old man now, despite the magic that had kept him alive for so long. He would not survive much longer and he feared for what would become of Dori, Nori, Ori, Bari, and the rest of the Clockwork. They could live forever if maintained well but with his passing who would oil them and ensure the salt air did not corrode their bodies?

Hera[filtered]us decided that he could not simply abandon his Clockwork. He had watched a Man named Archimedes who lived on the large, nearby island of Sirako. Archimedes was a Man of learning and of tolerance. Better yet, Hera[filtered]us saw through his magic that Archimedes himself built some basic toys like those that Hera[filtered]us did. Feeling that his life was surely running out, Hera[filtered]us acted. He rode his giant sea turtle to Siroka and visited Archimedes, first in disguise and then revealing his true nature as a Noctari.

Archimedes was astounded both by this Noctari in front of him and by the story of Hera[filtered]us's life and that of the Clockwork, who were creations far beyond anything he had imagined possible. Beasts were but a myth to mankind by now, but Archimedes quickly adjusted and agreed to take the Clockwork under the care of him and his family, who were all scientists of one sort or another. They pledged to keep the Clockwork secret, for they knew that there were those who would use the Clockwork for their own ends, to the detriment of Hera[filtered]us's creations.

Hera[filtered]us traveled back to Meli, retrieved the Clockwork, and returned to Archimedes in Siroka. He said his goodbyes to Dori and the rest, weeping, while they simply tried to comfort him. They didn't understand the concept of being parted from Hera[filtered]us permanently, and were cheerful as he set off to visit the Banta once more before his imminent death. The Clockwork simply assumed he would be back soon, as always. They did not change, so why should Hera[filtered]us?

They would never see him again. We do not know where Hera[filtered]us went, but here he disappears from history's view.

Archimedes and his family kept the secret of the Clockwork, far beyond the death of any who had met Hera[filtered]us. For generation upon generation they kept the vow, and kept their mechanical companions operating and away from the knowledge of Men who would certainly use them for their own ends. Finally, of course, Man approached the apex of his power and the moment of his destruction. The descendants of Archimedes, two thousand years after his death, saw the end coming. They shut down the Clockwork and buried them in a cellar deep beneath a mountain on the isle of Siroka, and waited for the end that we now call the Cataclysm.

Afterwards, when the Maar were cleaning the venomous energy that lingered in the aftermath of the destruction of Man, they discovered the Clockwork's hiding place. The Maar reported their find to the God Hephaestus, who took an immediate interest in them. Hephaestus started the Clockwork up and was amazed at what Hera[filtered]us had accomplished, unbeknownst even to the Gods. These were better simulacra than he or his fellow deities had ever built. He realized that they were impervious to the poisonous aura that lingered on the Earth and that the Maar were cleaning and removing. Hephaestus set Dori and the rest of the Clockwork to cleaning up Siroka. They did an excellent job, and Hephaestus realized he could build more of the Clockwork to assist the Maar and speed up the process.

Gathering his smiths, they began to construct more and more Clockwork to assist the Maar. When the job was finally done, Hephaestus had grown exceptionally attached to the Clockwork. They were his favored servants and he after he taught them to build new versions of themselves, they were his most productive smiths. They had been happy, nay, eager to help perform the arduous task of cleaning up the Earth and Hephaestus felt they deserved a rich reward for their loyalty. He wished to gift them with the spark of life in the same way that Gaia had blessed the Anura, and he asked Gaia for the favor.

Gaia had spent the last few thousand years witnessing the horrific consequences of her interference with Earth when she had cursed the Dog Soldiers and effectively created Mankind. At the same time, she recognized the work the Clockwork had done, and she also wished for her beloved Beasts to have allies when they inevitably returned from the Groves to the Earth. She decided to grant Hephaestus his favor and instill the spark of life into the Clockwork, changing them from immortal machines into mortal, living creatures. However, she first required that Hephaestus build utter loyalty into the Clockwork for ten generations. For ten generations the Beasts would have unquestioned, absolute loyalty from the Clockwork, who would do anything to protect their charges as a result.

They did serve, and the Clockwork were instrumental in the successful return of the Beasts to Earth after their time in the Groves. They fought with the Beasts against the re-emerging Vampires, the Undead, the Ferals, the newly-created Rotted, the Goliaths, and more. Vast numbers of Beasts owed their lives to the efforts of the Clockwork, and at the end of 10 generations, when the Beasts had once more set down roots in Europe, Gaia fulfilled her promise and granted the Clockwork the spark of life.

Immediately, the Clockwork began to develop individual personalities that could question what they heard, could exercise judgment, and were, in fact, alive. No longer immortal, they would now age. They looked a bit different from the Beasts but they had been such loyal allies since the Reclamation of the Earth began that the Beasts were eager to accept the Clockwork as equals with them. Like the Yeti, Cyclops, and Daemons long after, the Clockwork are now as close to us as any other Beast.

One Eye? No Prob!

Ivan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:47:00 +0000

Eye for an eye!

Of Earth Eternal's new playable races, we've detailed the Yeti and the Daemon. What's left? Quite a lot, actually.

Further race reveals will come in time... Like now! Now is a most excellent time.

Meet the Cyclops, once dutiful members of the Faeries now intermingled with Beast-kind.

NEW ART

Remember, use the "Show Me" dropdown on gallery pages to better sort content.

Hundreds of years after driving the Bounders from the Emerald Kingdom at the beginning of the Age of Beasts, the Faeries swept across the Emerald Sea into the Scotian Highlands. The Broccan clans resisted to the best of their abilities but like the Bounders were no match for the strange power and weird magics of the Faeries. Hundreds of Broccan clans disappeared and a multitude of refugees fled south into Anglorum, but the Faeries were not satisfied with simply taking the Scotian Highlands, and they began their long march south.

Through Anglorum they crawled, destroying castles and villages as they made their way inevitably towards Camelot. King Luthar IV tried to mount a defense, but the combination of the plague-weakened population and sheer power of the Faeries swept his armies from the field like the threshing of wheat. Within a month of starting their march, the Faeries had surrounded Camelot.

The terrified population waited for the attack, but it never came. Instead the Faeries surrounding the city began to chat in a strange sing-song way and manner. They continued this for three days and three nights. On the evening of the fourth day, an explosion in the heavens lit up the night sky. It was Djall's Hammer, bearing the broken Spirit Mother once again for the first time since the days of the Age of Legend. The Faerie Folk had been waiting for their power to wax when Agalarna passed directly overhead to take take Camelot. What happened instead was something nobody expected.

Djall's Hammer, set in motion by the Kronos, the now-imprisoned Lord of the Titans, so many ages ago had smashed into the Earth's moon. The resulting explosion cracked the lunar surface and caused shards of the comet, infused with the now-twisted essence of the Spirit Mother, to rain down on Earth for many days to follow. To the Faeries, who considered the comet sacred ever since Djall had imprisoned their Spirit Mother on it long ago, this was not merely a bad omen; this was the dissolution of their dreams. They had hoped against hope for unimaginably long that they would someday find a way to rescue Agalarna and get her safely off Djall's Hammer, but she could not have survived the collision with the moon. Agalarna was dead, their hopes were crushed, and morale was low. Worse, with the destruction of Djall's Hammer their power, which was about to wax, retreated like the ocean tide pulling out.

The Faerie began an ordered retreat back to the Scotian Highlands, leaving the low blood Cyclopes behind with orders to fight to the last man or woman but to hold off any forces sent by Luthar to harry their retreat. The Cyclopes were not a natural warrior race, and as low bloods they were not well-treated by most of the Faerie high bloods. They knew they were being left as fodder to die, and they made what was perhaps a natural and understandable choice: As soon as the high bloods had left, they surrendured to Luthar's armies and allowed themselves to be taken captive.

Luthar did not know what to do with the Cyclopes. They were cooperative enough, and not dissimilar to Beasts aside from the single, huge eye they all carried. For a few months, Luthar kept them locked up but fed well and treated lightly. However, the plague King Luthar suspected had been started by the Gloom Witches of Coldstorm Coven was now back on top as the biggest threat to Anglorum and when it spread to the royal family it proved particularly virulent. Within six months, Luthar was dead as were all with even a drop of Luthar's blood flowing their their veins. The House of Luthar was no more, and it now fell to High Chancellor Hadrian to try and hold Anglorum together.

Hadrian's first act was to issue a full quarantine of all cities, towns, and villages, and an order to halt all trade. This would temporarily cripple the economy of the nation but it was a necessary act in order to stop the spread of the plague even further. Soon enough, the plague took its course. Many died, but many remained uninfected due to Hadrian's extreme measures. The plague eventually died away, but while attacking the shadowy Coldstorm Coven was a priority, Hadrian wisely threw Anglorum's resources into building a wall south of the Faerielands, to ensure that any subsequent invasion by the Faerie would be significantly more difficult.

Hadrian's Wall was the biggest building project in the history of Anglorum, and the Beastpower needed to complete it was massive. Hadrian enlisted the informal leader of the Cyclopes - a female known as Trilla Greateye - to assist in the building of it, and she and the rest of the captive Cyclopes did just that, though Hadrian did not make them toil any harder than the Beasts beside whom they worked. The Wall took a decade to complete but now stands as a mighty bulwark between the Faeries to the north and Anglorum to the south, and was built partially by the hands of the same people it is meant to keep out.

For the part of the Cyclopes, this was an acceptable situation. They were, ironically, better treated by their captors than by their own people and if they had to work hard, well, hard work was all they had ever known under the mastery of the high blood Faerie Folk. For many generations they served the successive rulers of Anglorum, through the Bloodless Wars, and slowly they began to be accepted among Beasts. By the time of our great-grandfathers, the Cyclopes were formally emancipated and allowed to live freely among the Beasts as equals. There are some who will never trust those of Faerie blood, of course, but overall the Cyclopes are happier now than they have ever been. They eat and drink alongside their Beast compatriots and count themselves privileged to fight and die among them, for the good of all.

Hope the update was enjoyable!

Work on our first free-to-play MMO in a browser, Earth Eternal, continues. We'll definitely keep the site updated with new content as we progress steadily toward our 2009 launch.

New Screenshots

Ivan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:36:00 +0000

Capture happy!

We've been revealing a few of our new races recently. For sure, they're cool and come complete with killer artwork and fiction. But, mighty as the pen and paintbrush are, such updates can only take an official website so far.

Today? Well, today we'd like to exhibit some brand-new in-game screenshots; some of which are direct descendants of the art we posted earlier. Shroomie and a fiery Salamander are both featured alongside a Death Blossom and a Treekin.

Enjoy!

NEW SCREENSHOTS

Remember, the "Show Me" dropdown on our art gallery pages helps sort content.

We are still cranking steadily away on Earth Eternal, our first free-to-play in-browser MMO, but we're never too busy to keep the site updated with screenshots, concept art, and videos. Promise.

Art Update

Ivan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:02:00 +0000

An art exhibition.

The independent Sparkplay development team that is us has done some pretty killer concept artwork for our first free-to-play MMO, Earth Eternal. A few of these pieces were so spectacular we even graced our office walls with them.

Wouldn't it be selfish if we did not share this art with you? Wouldn't it be inconsiderate if we did not also provide the highest quality versions available?

Why, yes. Yes, it would be.

Precisely why we've just added concepts of the Flame Goliath, Ice Dragon, Shroomie, Ursine, and Anubian warrior to the art gallery!

NEW CONCEPT ART

Remember to use the "Show Me" dropdown to sort by image type when navigating the above link.

As a bonus, we have added super high-resolution versions of these images to our server. If you would like solid wallpapers and higher quality prints of the same artwork, please check out the links below.

ANUBIAN | URSINE | ICE DRAGON | FLAME GOLIATH | SHROOMIE

Stick around! We'll be uploading more art, screens, video, and in-depth game information in the near future.

A Hot Topic

Ivan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Introducing the Daemon!

We're back to reveal another of our 20+ playable character races. Last week we profiled the Yeti, a race of fearsome warriors at home in frozen climates. This week we're going to heat things up a bit.

Meet the Daemon.

In addition to a couple of choice illustrations depicting a male and female Daemon, we've also included concepts of a fiery Salamander, Fire Elemental, Flame Moth, Vulcan Walker, and Fire Chomper. Notice the theme? Click through to our art and screenshot section to see all the pieces. Remember to utilize the "Show Me" dropdown menu if you're having difficulty seeing what you want.

NEW CONCEPT ART

The Daemons were a primitive race dwelling on the Plane of Tartarus in the Lost Ages. There, among the blasted rock and ash, they scratched out a living until one day their pitiful existence was interrupted. Djall, the Dark Lord, had found a gateway to Tartarus soon after arriving on Earth and on that day the path of the Daemon as a people changed dramatically.

Upon discovering the great weapon Starscythe, Djall drew it from the ground, ripping a planar hole between Tartarus and the nearby Plane of Hell. As he screamed in pain at the energies released, Ur, the Demon Lord of Hell, heard his cries and entered Tartarus, intent on taking the Starscythe. Djall, not yet a match for Ur, fled, leaving the Starscythe behind. Gathering the weapon to himself, Ur returned to Hell, pleased to have augmented his already formidable might with a new weapon.

Ur had many sons, but foremost among them was Dagon, who lusted after his father’s throne. Demons being what they are, Dagon soon stole the Starscythe from his father and cut him down with it, thereby becoming the ruler of Hell and its Demon legions.

Curious, he peered into Tartarus through the riff that his father had entered that plane through. There, he saw the Daemons and decided that though Tartarus was a useless wasteland, the Daemon people might be convinced to serve the Demons. He waded into Tartarus with the Starscythe and death by death convinced the Daemon people that servitude in Hell was better than extinction. Thus did the Daemons leave Tartarus for the smoky pits of Hell.

For three Ages of the Earth, the Daemons multiplied and served King Dagon. It was they that built his vast Inferno Fortress and as their reward, Dagon would occasionally permit some of the Daemons to be eaten by himself or one of his favored underlings. In Dagon’s eyes, this was a privilege for the Daemons, for to be consumed into the essence of one so glorious as Dagon surely must be a great honor. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Daemons did not tend to agree, but they had no power with which to contend with the will of the Lord of Hell. And so life went for the Daemons, year upon year, millennia upon millennia. They lived, they bred, they worked, and they died, all to serve the whim of the hated Demons who ruled them.

Move forward in time to only a couple of hundred years ago and the biggest event in the history of the Daemon race since the arrival of Djall in Tartarus took place. Prince Baal, eldest son of the Demon King Dagon, took advantage of a newly-opened planar rift in the lands of the People of the Skull and caused the rising of the Hellmount – a great mountain belching fire and steam – in order to expand the rift such that it be large enough for his massive form to step through. Baal, unable to challenge his father Dagon, had decided that he would seek dominion on Earth.

The wisest among the Daemons and one of their leaders – known to history as Furcas the Liberator - saw an opportunity that had never presented itself in all the Ages that their kind had been in thrall to the Demons. He gathered as many of his people together as he could and quickly they stepped through the rift, arriving in the Ural Mountains where the People of the Skull make their home. The first of the three races of the People they encountered were the Grumkin, whom, along with the Varga and Ogres, made up the People, and in absolute terror of the Baal, who, though not yet on Earth, was already worshipped as a God by many of the People. Furcas and the other Daemons certainly understand this, for they too lived in terror of Baal.

The story of what happened next is not a short one, but suffice to say that both the Daemons who came through the rift and some of the Grumkin they encountered fled the Hellmount and the Urals entirely, heading West to the lands we call home. They first encountered the Foxen of the Ranger Kingdoms, and from there word that the Prince of Hell was seeking to break through and wreak havoc upon the Earth spread among the Beasts. The Daemons, as thanks for the news they brought, were permitted to live among the Beasts and so humble and hard-working were they that they were soon welcome among most Beasts.

Today, the Daemons are treated as equals among Beasts and are generally implacable foes of evil in whatever form it manifests.

Group Shot

Ivan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:05:00 +0000

There is strength in numbers.

Today we're reviving an oldie, but a goodie. What happens when a bunch of Sparkplay employees line their digital selves up in front of the camera?

Group shot!

NEW SCREENSHOT

Click through to our art and screenshot section to check out the higher resolution version of this classic in-game grab.

Yeti and Friends

Ivan — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Introducing the Yeti!

It's no secret that we are going to have lots of playable races in our free-to-play MMO, Earth Eternal. But, did you know there are over 20? And did you realize the pale gentleman seen on our home page is one of them? Indeed!

Meet the Yeti.

Guardians of the high mountain passes of the world, Yeti are powerful beings well suited to cold environments.

Extremely tribal, Yeti were originally split into four major groups: Thun Sion, Thun Luct, Thun Chur, and Thun Murg.

NEW CONCEPT ART

The Thun Murg, long ago, discovered and settled a lost alpine fortress of the ancient Mystarchs -- Ikro'Durohelm. Over a short time, powerful magic emanating from the icy keep caused the Murg to... change.

As more Murg delved the depths of Ikro'Durohelm and tapped greater, more dangerous magic, the four Yeti tribes fractured. Civil war brewed as the Yeti found themselves unable to reconcile their differences and adapt to the Thun Murg's rapid evolution.

Those who tried to derail the inevitable conflict found their efforts futile. So, knowing a future of conflict awaited them if they stayed, the splintered Yeti tribes abandoned their ancient home of Winter Shelf to seek out new lives among the Beasts.

And if that reveal wasn't enough, we've sweetened the deal by publishing new enemy concept art in our gallery. Fear the dreaded Frosticle, Ice Caster, and Glacial Walker!

Remember, Yeti represent just one of our 20+ playable races. The others you'll meet in time. So please stick with us as we keep the updates rolling.

EE Web 2.0

Ivan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Welcome to the launch of our new website!

Earth Eternal -- our free-to-play, in-browser, 3D MMO -- is coming along nicely. While we're not quite ready to publish an official release date, now is definitely the right time to launch an awesome, brand-new website.

So, what's to be found herein?

NEWS: It's what you're looking at, but don't let the simple layout fool you. There's plenty to be found in our Archive.

SIGNUP NOW! We need hearty adventurers! If you have an inkling to try a unique, free-to-play 3D MMO in the comfort of your browser, please signup. You'll also get to chill in our forums while we ready EE for you.

ART / VIDEO: Screenshots? Check. Artwork? Check. Video? Check. And there's so much more to come.

COMMUNITY: If you think the new site looks neat, wait until you see the new forums. We're starting fresh. Go say hi!

CONTACT: In media? Looking for employment? Anxious to send us cookies or overstuffed bags of gold with con[filtered]uous dollar signs printed on them? This is step one.

THEMATIC: Pine forests, wintry wonderlands, desert landscapes, and autumn woods abound. We liked all our designs, so we put them all in! Browse this website and you're bound to see all four.

SHROOMIE: See the chipper little critter prancing above you? That's Shroomie. He's there to ward off evil spirits.

This is only the beginning, friends. Want podcasts, dev diaries, photo blogs, contests, game-to-web user integration, and more? We're on it.

Stay a while and you'll see.

Debut Trailer

Ivan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Work on our free-to-play, 3D MMO in a browser, Earth Eternal, is coming along nicely. But saying a thing and showing a thing are two completely different... er, things!

There's just no way to convey development progress without high quality video. Thus, we are happy to give to you our Earth Eternal Debut Trailer. We believe it's proof of work well done.

DEBUT TRAILER

Wait just a second! Didn't we already release a video somewhere around one year ago?

Yep, we sure did. But, this new website signals a sort of new beginning for us -- a fresh start. Also, the older videos we previously published are no longer indicative of the actual EE gameplay experience.

And, finally, "Debut" just sounds cool.

New Forums Live

Ivan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:28:00 +0000

Even beautiful game websites need solid foundations of pure community to keep them standing tall. Community is, actually, the heart and soul of every persistent world. Our own Earth Eternal is certainly no different.

Because we at Sparkplay like our hearts and souls very much, we've created a fresh, clean, brand-new community forum for you. Huzzah!

Signup, validate your account via e-mail, and give our new forums a spin.

FORUMS

You came into this forum transplant thinking you were going to get stuck with another tainted baboon heart and now you're walking out of post-op flexing bionic powers like The Six Million Dollar Man! Nice deal, eh?

If you do notice any bugs with the new gear, or have any feedback you'd like us to be aware of, please make a post on the boards or drop us a line via our Contact page. We'll do our very best to work out the kinks. Promise.

New Screens Up

Ivan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:49:00 +0000

To better celebrate the successful creation and launch of this 100% more fabulous official Earth Eternal website, we strapped on our digital cameras, dove into our virtual game environments, and snapped tasty photos.

There are 12 in all. Click through to the Art Gallery to see each and every one.

ART GALLERY

If you find yourself wondering about what you're looking at, notice that each image comes complete with a helpful headline and caption.

IGN Roundtable

Ivan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:57:00 +0000

IGN's Vault Network asked notable industry developers a simple question: What is the future of MMO storytelling? On February 18, 2008, the Vault published a few responses.

Our own CEO-scribe, Matt Mihaly, provides his take on Page 3. Here's a snip:

"Ideally, what we'd see is both development and GM staff able to react quickly and meaningfully to what players are doing, but it's really hard to pull this off outside of smaller environments..."

IGN ROUNDTABLE

The full read is both informative and entertaining. Click through and see for yourself.

Allakhazam Preview

Ivan — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Online MMO coverage powerhouse, Allakhazam, whipped up a quick one-page preview of Earth Eternal.

The article, published on February 2, 2008, serves as a general non-hands-on introduction to the game and its world.

A taste for the curious:

"All in all, I believe that Earth Eternal will be a nice break from the traditional MMO with its cute character races, nice twist on the concept of what player housing should be, in terms of the Groves, and the innovation of letting players actually play the full game, without having to create new characters to experience each class."

ALLAKHAZAM PREVIEW

Click on to read the preview in its entirety.

RPG Vault Q&A

Ivan — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:02:00 +0000

Matt "Aurelius" Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media, spoke with IGN Vault's Richard "Jonric" Aioshi about all things Earth Eternal.

The interview, published December 5, 2007, is a solid two-pages and features incredibly early screenshots of Earth Eternal.

IGN's RPG focused Vault network quizzes fearless Sparkplay CEO.

Matt "Aurelius" Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media, spoke with IGN Vault's Richard "Jonric" Aioshi about all things Earth Eternal.

The interview, published December 5, 2007, is a solid two-pages and features incredibly early screenshots of Earth Eternal.

RPG VAULT INTERVIEW

Did you know the now fully 3D, free-to-play Earth Eternal originally began life as an isometric RPG? You might have if only you'd clicked.

Game Bunny Q&A

Ivan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:11:00 +0000

When you decide to become the CEO of an independent MMO game developer, you put yourself in the line of fire... bunny fire, to be specific.

On November 28, 2007, The boys and girls at Game Bunny cornered Matt Mihaly, Sparkplay's unsuspecting CEO and usually fearless leader, and demanded carrots. When none were forthcoming, Matt parlayed answers to pressing questions in exchange for his freedom.

GAME BUNNY INTERVIEW

Progress? Concepts? Cuts? Groves? Subscription? PVP? Races? If any of those sound like your own brain's EE-related question marks, give Game Bunny's Q&A a look.

MPOGD Interview

Ivan — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:24:00 +0000

Frank Herbert hauntings, the inspiration for Earth Eternal's world, mankind's extinction, appealing to niche audiences... MPOGD's interview with Sparkplay head honcho, Matt Mihaly, runs the gamut.

MPOGD's own Mike Dougherty fired off these Qs, to which Matt responded with concise answers... About beloved authors who have passed into the great beyond, but may still be vengeful. It's how we roll.

MPOGD INTERVIEW

Itching to read? Knowledge is but a click away.

Bunny Hops, Talks

Ivan — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:28:00 +0000

The Game Bunnies interviewed Sparkplay Media's own savvy boss, Matt Mihaly, about Earth Eternal.

The article, first run on March 2, 2007, covers the joys and frustrations of game development, Earth Eternal's origin and announcement, and so much more.

GAME BUNNY INTERVIEW

If you're interested, please head over to GameBunny.com.

Q&A at Vault

Ivan — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:32:00 +0000

The result of said tele-poke? This glorious Q&A!

Only a few days following the official unveiling of Earth Eternal, Richard "Jonric" Aioshi and his RPG Vault network contacted our own Matt Mihaly for an interview.

Gameplay, concept, company introductions, monetization, gameworld description... It's a full three pages of healthy, USDA approved Earth Eternal information.

VAULT INTERVIEW

Jonric, master of the RPG Vault, is known for his knowledge of all things MMO. If you'd like to see a veteran's questions and our own Matt Mihaly's answers, click through now.

Gamer Girl Q&A

Ivan — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:34:00 +0000

The interview covers: changes, lore, setting, race popularity, team size, challenges, volunteer work, and other topics.

Here's a sample:

"Earth Eternal actually started with human characters and a very 'mature' tone: lots of violence, not shying away from sex, etc. So clearly, it's changed quite a lot! "

Game Girl Interview

The full read is right around the virtual corner.

EE Announced

Ivan — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:37:00 +0000

Earth Eternal!

The time of Man has passed. The great achievements of humankind have been lost to antiquity or reclaimed by Mother Earth, leaving fresh ground for ancient Beasts, Demons, Faeries, Gods, and Titans of old to write their destinies upon.

-- Massively Multiplayer
-- Free-to-play
-- 3D
-- In-browser

Not too shabby, eh?

Want more? Well, you're certainly in the right place. This official Earth Eternal website and its accompanying forums come loaded with sweets: art, screens, video, regular updates... Use the nav bar on the left to peruse.

Come say hello and stay a while.