NCSoft’s Team Bloodlust posted a few pieces of new concept art on their Korean website recently, which revealed some of their ideas and inspirations for environments in their upcoming MMORPG, Blade & Soul. The fansite “Blade & Soul Dojo” posted a translation of the original article on their website.
Ghost-town, Blade & Soul concept art
The deserted city-scape is the first concept image, depicting what a unique high-rise city in ruins, overrun with monsters and turned into a veritable ghost-town.
"Death Star" inspired fortress, Blade & Soul concept art
The second image depicts a super-dungeon: a floating oriental fortress/city very much in the same vein as the “Death Star” from the Star Wars movies.
Rotting dead sea, Blade & Soul concept art
A rotting, polluted sea is the next concept image, suggesting that Team Bloodlust is considering an under-water dungeon, and perhaps even under-water exploration in Blade & Soul.
Frozen cavern ruins, Blade & Soul concept art
Frozen ruins are the last concept image discussed in the article, revealing a frozen dungeon of some kind where players can walk over the surface of the frozen water and explore ships and structures trapped in the ice.
Beautiful shrine and fanservice, Blade & Soul concept art
The final concept art is a bonus image, with the promise of playing in the beautiful and rich world in the near-future.
Not very much has been revealed about Blade & Soul since the release of the G-Star 2009 trailer several months back:
- An extended trailer was released shortly after the G-Star event, with Blade & Soul producer James Bae and art director Hyung Tae Kim providing details about the game.
- Back in February we have learned that a console version of Blade & Soul is under steady development alongside the PC version.
- We have learned from a conference call between NCsoft and stockholders that an internal test has been conducted for Blade & Soul. Confidence was expressed from NCsoft regarding the title’s quality.
- A recent interview with NCsoft’s chief financial officer Lee Jae Ho has revealed that closed beta testing is not likely to be conducted during the first half of 2010 as was originally predicted. CBT is now scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010 (October, November, and December).
We also know that NCsoft will be attending the Comic-Con at San Diego this year, according to the exhibitor listing. Whether this means more Blade & Soul information during the event remains to be seen.
JCPENNEY AFTERSCHOOL FUND AWARDS $1.5 MILLION GRANT TO HELP YMCAS REACH MORE YOUTH DURING AFTERSCHOOL HOURS.
States News Service September 10, 2009 CHICAGO, Ill. — The following information was released by the YMCA of the USA:
As the school year begins, parents searching for safe, quality afterschool programs will soon get some much needed assistance. Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, more children will have the opportunity to participate in life-enriching afterschool programs at their community YMCA.
Grants will help YMCAs provide financial support to new and previously enrolled students (grades K-12) who cannot afford to participate in afterschool programs because of financial circumstances. Through the JCPenney Afterschool Fund’s generous gift, nearly 290 YMCAs have received $5,000 grants to provide afterschool scholarships for young people in their community during the 2009-2010 academic year.
“The JCPenney Afterschool Fund is firmly committed to supporting youth-serving organizations, like the YMCA, that are dedicated to providing safe, meaningful programs during the crucial hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., when studies show that youth are at a greater risk of involvement in crime, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors,” said Jodi Gibson, president of the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. “By collaborating with the YMCA, we can ensure that more at-risk children across the nation have access to afterschool programs that will inspire them to be smart, strong and socially responsible.” The JCPenney Afterschool Fund will also contribute additional resources to more than 500 YMCAs through proceeds from the 2009 JCPenney Afterschool Round-Up initiative, which provides JCPenney customers the opportunity to make donations at the cash register by “rounding up” their purchase total to the next whole dollar. The JCPenney Afterschool Fund, in turn, will donate the store’s Round-Up collections to a local afterschool program in the store’s community. this web site jcpenney printable coupons this web site jcpenney printable coupons
“This generous support from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund strengthens our efforts to give working parents peace of mind, and their child a place to thrive,” says Neil Nicoll, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. “YMCAs have a longstanding commitment to youth development, and to providing a safe enriching place for young people to go afterschool.” The nation’s YMCAs have been engaging children in afterschool programs for more than 50 years. Today, YMCAs impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth at afterschool programs across the country. YMCA afterschool programs focus on the holistic development of youth, which include elements that promote health and well-being, social skill development, emotional development, artistry, character development, sports and service.
JCPenney and the JCPenney Afterschool Fund have supported YMCA afterschool programming since 1999.
