MapleStory will be updated with the new content tonight at 9PM Pacific, with the whole process taking about 9 hours, which means getting the kids to bed tonight will be that much easier. The adult players will just have to suffer. Hit the jump for screens and more info!

Nexon America Unleashes Massive MapleStory Expansion

North America’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG begins new epic storyline and adds original maps, enemies, story-focused quests and weapons

Los Angeles, CA – August 13 2008 – Nexon America Inc. unveils one of the largest expansions in the history of MapleStory, adding to the continent of Masteria and delivering a truly new gaming experience to one of the most beloved games in North America, with over 5.9 million players.

The “Crimsonwood Keep” expansion delivers a wealth of new content including 31 new maps, 11 unique enemies, 12 extensive, story-focused quests and a collection of new weapons and objects. The update will also give pets an additional skill and improve the user interface with language filter updates and additional platforming features.

MapleStory has amassed over 87 million users worldwide by creating a fantastical online world. One of the most popular places in the MapleWorld is the continent of Masteria. Here players will get a chance to explore the expanded Phantom Forest, which is filled with leprechauns, wraiths, the Headless Horseman and a new boss monster, Bigfoot.

Players who navigate their way through the forest will reach the Crimsonwood Mountain, featuring numerous new enemies and challenging platform-style game play.

MapleStory’s popularity has also led to the opening of a new server—Yellonde. To celebrate the new opening, Nexon will award the top 75 ranked players across the first month with prizes!

In addition to all the new content, MapleStory delivers the second part of its Summer Break Events, including two exciting video events. Participants can win a wide range of prizes and learn more about the events – and expansion – at http://maplestory.nexon.net.

Puzzle Quest Expansion Pack hits Xbox LIVE® Arcade on July 23rd

D3Publisher of Europe Ltd (D3PE), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, has announced that expansion pack Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ - Revenge of the Plague Lord, its latest Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™ offering, will launch on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on July 23, 2008.

The expansion pack will be available for play as an addition to fan favorite game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and includes four new hero professions, scores of new spells to cast and items to collect, challenging new quests, monsters and bosses, and the introduction of a new archenemy. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord will be available on Xbox LIVE marketplace for 700 Microsoft Points.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord will offer fans hours of additional gameplay with four brand new Hero Professions: Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock. Players will adventure with new or existing Heroes to explore an expansive new area on the Southern Map containing more than 25 challenging quests, cast more than 50 new spells and collect more than 40 new magical items as they’re immersed into the compelling story of Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother to the infamous Lord Bane. New monsters, bosses and more will challenge veteran and casual fans alike for hours of compelling entertainment. The expansion pack further increases the full Puzzle Quest experience by adding three new Achievements and raising the character Level Cap to 60. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord was initially code-named “Puzzle Quest: 1.5” to reflect its tremendous amount of content.

For more information about the story and features of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord and other Puzzle Quest properties, please visit www.puzzle-quest.com.

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented, "We are pleased to be able to set out our exciting new expansion plans for ArchLord. As recently announced ArchLord is now more popular than ever with thousands of new players taking up the challenge every day to compete to become the games all-ruling leader!

Episode 3 is due to go live "in the coming weeks".

Codemasters Online Reveal Expansion Plans for ArchLord MMO

ArchLord, the popular subscription-free MMORPG readies for all-new free game content.

Friday, 20th June (2pm GMT) – Codemasters Online are pleased to reveal that their popular free MMORPG ArchLord will be receiving an overhaul in the shape of the all-new, FREE Expansion Episode 3: Spirits Awakening. Due to go live in the coming weeks, Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds up to 30% new game content to the existing game when this free update goes live.

ArchLord Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds a number of new features & free game content including:
• New game content – Up to 30% all-new game content
• All new zones – 3 new game zones for players to challenge
• New class skills – Over 80 new skills
• ArchLord abilities – New ruling ArchLord skills and abilities
• New armour & items – New collectible armour sets with unique stats
• New monsters & enemies – New monsters and zone bosses

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented, "We are pleased to be able to set out our exciting new expansion plans for ArchLord. As recently announced ArchLord is now more popular than ever with thousands of new players taking up the challenge every day to compete to become the games all-ruling leader! Episode 3 adds a significant amount of new content to what is already a leading free MMORPG and we look forward to delivering this free expansion to our players in the coming weeks."

ArchLord is a premier free online role-playing game allowing players to download and play the game for free with no monthly subscriptions or commitments. The online game challenges thousands of players each month to raise an army, to compete to become the game's all-ruling ArchLord and with it control of the entire game world impacting on the lives of thousands of players online.

Along with all of the healthy player killing comes an entirely new region called Black Rise, which contains 49 new star systems and 40 new stations, many of which are already sworn to a specific faction.

It sounds to me like folks hungry for some ship-on-ship PVP might want to sign up for their umpteenth free trial of EVE Online.

Empyrean Age Features Page [EVE Online]

Meanwhile on the DS you'll find an apartment-based pet sim, complete with a snake charming mini-game that involves blowing into the DS microphone. Both games are due out in August around the globe.

As a guy who has lived in apartments for the majority of his life, I fail to see the charm here. Will my Sim be able to keep his pets secret from the apartment management? Can my interactions with my Sims neighbors be confined to peeking out the blinds to make sure they aren't breaking into my car again? Now that's apartment living right there.

The Sims Label Announces The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack and The Sims 2 Apartment Pets Exclusively for Nintendo DS

In August, The Apartment Is Where It’s All Happening!

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The Sims™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) Label, today announced the first details for The Sims 2 Apartment Life for the PC, and The Sims 2 Apartment Pets exclusively for the Nintendo DSTM. The Sims 2 Apartment Life brings the adventure, fun and drama of close quarters of apartment living to your Sims. Launching simultaneously, The Sims 2 Apartment Pets places your Sims in their very own apartment with a variety of pets. Also, just downstairs from your Sims apartment is their own pet spa where they must take good care of a variety of visiting animals, including their own personal pets. Both titles are slated for launch on August 26 in North America and August 22 in European and Asia-Pacific regions.

The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack(a) for the PC

This expansion pack for The Sims 2 takes your Sims out of the suburbs and into a brand new busy apartment building! Adventure, fun, and drama await them as they explore their new neighborhood, mingle in coffee shops, visit a playground, meet new friends, and much more. Because there is now the ability to control multiple households in The Sims 2 Apartment Life, your Sims can live in happy harmony, or comical conflict.

New social networks and character types, including artsy bohemians, sports jocks, gadget-loving techies, and edgy gearheads spice up your Sims life. And, with a new reputation meter, your Sims can build up the respect they deserve from other Sims to be the most admired – or least-desired – Sim in the neighborhood. The better the reputation, the easier for your Sims to find the right friends to help them achieve their goals.

Make your Sims’ space look great in The Sims 2 Apartment Life! Five new building types that range from converted lofts to roomy and posh studios or luxury apartments with their own butler add to the creative and customized adventure. Enjoy a myriad of new decor options, including spiral staircases and lofty, high ceilings. Your Sims will get a whole new kind of experience through the drama of close quarters living!

The Sims 2 Apartment Pets for Nintendo DS™

In your Sim’s new apartment adventure on the Nintendo DS, care for a variety of local pets, including loveable cats and dogs, slithery snakes, hamsters, colorful birds, and cuddly rabbits to make sure they receive the right treatment so that they stay happy, healthy and good looking. Simoleans earned can be used to furnish the perfect apartment and buy fun pet accessories like hats, shoes and toys. Players can use the Nintendo DS touch screen and stylus to play cool mini games and unlock new objects for their Sim and their pets. And in one mini game you can charm a snake by blowing into the Nintendo DS microphone, which serves as your musical instrument.

“The Sims 2 Apartment Life and The Sims 2 Apartment Pets are two new entertainment experiences that put your Sims in the midst of all the drama and humor of busy apartment life,” said Rod Humble, Head of Studio for The Sims Label. “These two games reflect an aspect of real life that players can relate to, and now for the first time, their Sims can explore that same lifestyle in The Sims 2 Apartment Life on the PC and make pets part of the fun in The Sims 2 Apartment Pets for the Nintendo DS.”

Bring on the night and celebrate with your Sims! Also shipping in August, is The Sims™ 2 Apartment Life Limited Collection, which includes The Sims 2 Apartment Life and The Sims 2 Double Deluxe (which consists of The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion Pack, The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff and a video DVD with a host of tips and tricks). A great value to get your apartment life started, coming in August, 2008!

"I think that Dungeon Runners players will find these new features, especially the snowmen as being pretty cool...literally," said Stephen Nichols, Dungeon Runners' producer.

NCsoft heaves out Dungeon Runners content update

NCsoft's Dungeon Runners team is keeping things cool for its players by launching a new content update that provides some frosty surprises including snowmen, a new dungeon, new items and improvements to the waypoint system.

The content update, which is considered more of a "Heave" than a full-blown expansion "Chunk," introduces a new dungeon called Balzack's Burrow for player levels 55 and up. Balzack's Burrow is loaded with loot, monsters and a final boss-battle that will require more than just mind-numbing violence in order to claim victory.

Chill Bill, a formidable snowman and the first NPC that players can summon in Dungeon Runners, is available at level 30 and can help players fight enemies. He has several specialized moves, such as the head butt, where Bill removes his head and bashes an opponent. Chill Bill is a low maintenance snowman that can be healed by hitting him with ice projectile spells.

Chill Bill also comes with several cool skills including "On the Rocks" which freezes Bill in a solid bock of ice, slowing down nearby enemies; "Snow Globe" which stuffs Chill Bill into a globe where he receives a major maximum health increase, and "Nippy Twigs" a skill buff which dramatically increases Bill's attack damage and slows enemies.

Closing out wintertime for Dungeon Runners is a visit by Shivery the Incorrigible Snowman who is quickly melting in Townston, so his stay in the game will be short yet filled with bitterness. Shivery, who is a victim of dungeon warming, will provide players with a loot-filled quest, but not without delivering a few pleasantries such as "...your parents didn't love you," and "...you are adopted."

Additionally, the Heave includes 51 new quests, two new fighter armor sets, new mythic items, a two-handed rifle for rangers and improvements to the user interface and the waypoints system.

"I think that Dungeon Runners players will find these new features, especially the snowmen as being pretty cool...literally," said Stephen Nichols, Dungeon Runners' producer. "We are always looking to create more ways for players to have fun while keeping the challenge compelling. Sometimes features can be a bit silly, but that is what makes Dungeon Runners so special."

For more information, or to download and play the game for free, go to www.dungeonrunners.com.

Shivering Isles now available on Playstation Network [Bethesda Blog]