Topps' Speed Racer Candy Tracks Game [Topps]

NCsoft Launches Chunk 2, Adding Advertising, New Content to Dungeon Runners Game

AUSTIN, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—NCsoft® today announced the release of Chunk 2, the second content update for its successful free-to-download and play game, Dungeon Runners™. This update includes in-game advertising in non-member worlds, more bank space for members, item trading, increased access to prime loot, and overall Player versus Environment (PvE) and Player versus Player (PvP) balance refinements.

Dungeon Runners is a free to download and play online multiplayer role playing game in a satirical, fast-paced sword-and-shield setting, where defeating monsters and evil enemies results in piles of loot, treasure, and non-stop fun.

The hallmark of Chunk 2 is in-game advertising which will help fund future development of the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) and keep it free for players. The in-game advertising will be visible to non-members in loading screens and in a banner that sits on top of the game window during play. Dungeon Runners members, who can subscribe to the game for only $4.99 per month, will not see any of the advertising.

Advertising in Dungeon Runners will open up new content and functionality for all players. Non-member players will gain access to new content previously unavailable to them, including dungeons and valuable items. Also, non-members will now have access to one page of bank slots, enabling them to store more items. Members will increase their bank storage space from one to three pages.

Also, by popular demand, a secure trade system has been added to Dungeon Runners. This new feature allows everyone to easily trade items (with the exception of gold) with other players through a simple interface.

"Chunk 2 unlocks an enormous amount of playable content for non-members that they didn't have access to before thanks to the addition of in-game advertising," said Stephen Nichols, NCsoft's producer and lead programmer for Dungeon Runners. "Our non-member players are very happy they can now use what was previously members-only loot, and our members are really excited about receiving additional bank slots to hold their items. These changes, plus our new secure trade system, make this update a win-win for everyone!"

Further enhancements include increased rare item drops and stackable potions for members and non-members alike, which lead to more success in this hack-and-slash game.

Dungeon Runners can be downloaded for free at http://www.dungeonrunners.com/join.html. Players can play for free or subscribe to the members version at any point for $4.99 a month. Members have access to such benefits as log-in queue priority, members-only servers, and the most powerful items, weapons and armor. Membership status also includes three bank pages for hundreds of loot items and the ability to stack potions in one inventory slot to save room for even more loot.

To find out more please visit the Dungeon Runners web site at: www.dungeonrunners.com.

The game is rated Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

HIs core message was "in game ads will make you rich, make you famous and make you better." Cohen drove home that product placement in movies reached $1.5 billion in the US alone last year ("10% of the gross revenue of the game industry"), that Casino Royale had made $70 million before it even opened in theaters, that developers and publishers need to "take the money."

Obviously, one of the bigger concerns for in-game ads was gamer backlash. But that's exactly why Kotaku is up on the big screen. Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Vegas advertising Easter egg, sponsored by AXE, got them tons of positive press from mainstream media and hardcore gaming outlets and, yep, even Kotaku. Michael McWhertor

I'm not sure how I feel about this video. On the one hand it's in-your-face in-game advertising for Axe. On the other hand, it's pretty damn funny and not really that intrusive. Brian Crecente