The latest patch for the free-to-play MMORPG Secret of the Solstice has something for both new players and battle-hardened veterans alike, including a new starting zone, four new high-level areas, and a brand new quest interface.

Players just starting their Solstice adventure and long-time players creating a new alt to take advantage of the game's branching class tree can now experience an entirely new starting zone. Based on the feedback from the Solstice community, Outspark has implemented a brand new starting zone featuring new quests and a lush jungle environment.

Meanwhile, the evil GM Alastor has fled into the deserts of Xen. Players up to the task must pursue him across four new harsh landscapes - the Emperonie Plateau and the Aserphel, Cretino, and Turmeit deserts - and battle his armies as they come closer to uncovering the secrets of the Solstice Sphere.

Additionally, the new patch also introduces a player-requested overhaul of the game's quest UI. Players can now view all of an NPC's available quests at the same time and choose which mission to undertake.

The latest Secret of the Solstice content patch is available now. For more information, visit the official Secret of the Solstice website.

Who says going back to school has to be boring? Whether you're just starting college, high school, or junior high (or returning for yet another year of teachers, textbooks, and tests), the free MMORPG Fiesta is offering players a chance to take a break from their homework and enjoy new items and fun in-game events.

Head back to school in style with three new items now available in the Fiesta Store. The School Uniform allows players to be the envy of all their friends, while bad boys (and girls!) will feel more comfortable in the Winter Boop Set. Players don't need to be sentenced to pout in the corner to enjoy the Dunce Cap, but they do need to try their luck in the Remi's Rare Finds minigame - it's the only way to get your hands on the new item.

Players can also experience new school-themed events in September and October, including the Get Schooled event, which offers players the chance to get schooled by Fiesta's GMs either on the playground (AKA the Elderine Free Battlezone) or in the classroom (the OX Quiz Field in Elderine). Brush up on your fighting skills (and your reading, writing, and arithmetic) now and prepare to get schooled!

For more information, visit the official Fiesta website now.

Outspark's free MMORPG Fiesta is celebrating its one year anniversary. Released last September, Outspark's first title has already attracted over two million players. Outspark has released multiple major content patches over the past year, including a free expansion last month that raised the level cap, introduced player weddings and an apprentice system.

For the next two weeks (September 4-16) players will be able to participate in a quest to celebrate the one year anniversary. Vietree in Roumen is working on baking a birthday cake and needs your help to gather all the ingredients. Complete the quest and you will earn a Mini Cake. This tasty treat will raise your stats by 10 for a limited time.

For more information check out the official Fiesta website.

Outspark has released exciting new content for its competitive online snowboard racing game, Project Powder, featuring a brand new single player mode, a new race track, and other additions.

Project Powder players looking to improve their snowboarding skills without the embarrassment of defeat can now take to the slopes in a new single player practice mode. Learn all of the secret shortcuts in Race Mode and track down all of those hidden gold coins in Coin Mode to own your friends in your next match.

Boarders can also take on a challenging new course, a mirrored version of Smallpox Part 2, and can race without fear thanks to improvements to Project Powder's X-Trap anticheat software.

For more details and full patch notes, visit the official Project Powder website now.

Fiesta players and aspiring writers looking to get their creative ideas woven into the lore of Isya - the lavish fantasy world of the free MMORPG Fiesta - finally have their shot.

From now until Tuesday, September 2nd, Outspark will be accepting short, Fiesta-themed stories no longer than 1000 words. The three best stories will be revealed next Wednesday, and players will have the chance to vote for their favorite. The story with the most votes will be announced on Friday, September 5th, and will become a part of Fiesta lore forever!

For additional details on the Chronicles of Isya contest, and to get caught up on the story of Fiesta so far, check out the official Fiesta website.

There's no better way to wish a pair of newlyweds luck in their new life together than to present them with a shiny new chrome toaster. To celebrate the release of Fiesta's new player wedding feature, Outspark will be giving away two real life toasters each week for the next five weeks. Every couple that ties the virtual knot in the free MMORPG will automatically be entered for a chance to win a toaster signed by the Outspark staff. Additionally, players that participated in last week's Wedding Costume presale qualify to win one of four separate toasters. That's a total of 14 toasters!

Outspark will begin announcing winners later this week, so players should keep their eyes peeled to their email and the Fiesta website to see if they'll be toasting in style. For more details, visit the official Fiesta website now or check out the Fiesta wedding guide.

New Maps, Apprentice System, Quests, Monsters and More Available Now

The Level 89 Expansion has been launched! Featuring new content including two challenging zones, brand new quests, a new in-game wedding feature, a new Monarch system, an increase in the game's level cap and much more, the expansion is available now for all Fiesta players. Visit the Fiesta website now to experience the new in-game features.

Within the Level 89 Expansion, Fiesta players can now explore the treacherous, scalding expanses of Burning Rock and Flaming Mine—each rife with dangerous denizens and challenging quests. Players will enjoy upgraded player skills to help them move from level 79 to 89 and a brand new Kingdom Quest for characters at level 80 to 89. The expansion also includes an innovative apprentice system called the Monarch System, which lets seasoned gamers form mutually beneficial partnerships with new players. Masters earn a percentage of the in-game currency spent by their apprentices, while apprentices receive special class-specific items every 10 levels.

Fiesta players looking to "engage" even more with the community should check out the in-game wedding feature. Love-struck gamers can now purchase premium wedding dresses or tuxedos, and can purchase the Wedding Application in order to virtually tie the knot in a special ceremony at the game's scenic, remote Chapel in the Sky.

New Fiesta players will also find it easier to level up, as monsters between levels 1 and 30 now award 20% more experience. The game's quest system has also been overhauled with updated text and descriptions.

For more details and screenshots regarding the new content, check out the Fiesta Website.

GM Cretz has leveled up IRL and is now one year older. To celebrate this special occasion, Outspark is releasing new items in its two popular MMORPGs Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice.

If you're feeling lucky, check out the new Pink and Purple Lucky Balls in the Secret of the Solstice store. Both items allow you to risk your SparkCash for a chance at powerful consumables, permanent versions of premium items, and other rare goodies. Fiesta players can also get crazy on Cretz' birthday on the back of a wild piñata mount, returning from the Fiesta Item Vault for a limited time at a special discounted price. Additionally, all other Lucky Balls in Secret of the Solstice and sunglasses in Fiesta will be on sale for the next 24 hours in celebration of Cretz' b-day, so even if you don't get any cake and ice cream, at least you can save some SparkCash and get cool items at the same time.

For for information, check out Outspark.com.

Can't make it to Beijing? Compete for the gold in the first annual Outspark Games!

Over the next two weeks (August 8-24), Outspark will be offering 16 new in-game events across its three most popular titles. Team up with friends for a relay race in Fiesta, face off in epic player versus player arena battles in Secret of the Solstice, or strive to reach the top of Project Powder's online leaderboards. Be sure to tune in for the opening and closing ceremonies too!

Top players will be awarded bronze, silver, and gold medals, and players can keep up-to-date on the latest rankings by checking the Outspark forums. If you can't make it to the Outspark Games, Outspark will be streaming live video of each event at their website (requires Dyyno plug-in).

For more information, visit the 2008 Outspark Games event page.

It's not summer until you spend some time hanging out in the water with your friends in a cool new swimsuit. Secret of the Solstice has summer covered with a batch of new swimsuit items, including swim caps, snorkel masks, and other stylish beachwear. Visit the Secret of the Solstice store for the latest swimsuit gear and spend these hot August days lounging around by the pool and escaping the (virtual) heat.

For more information and detailed stats on the new items, check out the Secret of the Solstice forums.

There's no better way to escape the summer heat than relaxing on a sandy beach in a stylish new swimsuit. Fiesta players can now stay cool in one of four new swimsuits introduced in Tuesday's patch, and can keep the sun's glare from spoiling a perfect summer day by sporting a pair of new Dizzy Glasses.

Get together with your friends and start a wild beach party or just hangout out on the sand in your new swimwear. Summer may be drawing to a close, but there's still plenty of time to hit the beach before school starts and winter chases the warm days away.

The new swimsuits - available in both black and Hawaiian varieties - and the Dizzy Glasses are now available in the Fiesta Store.

Outspark is the latest Free to Play publisher to get into the Free to Play shooter genre with their announcement of Blackshot, a militaristic shooter that the press release claims is “loaded with powerful weapons, lifelike characters and gritty environments.”

How will Blackshot differ from two recent games to enter into live production -- Combat Arms and WarRock? It's hard to say at this point, as the only information available is a CG trailer. As screenshots are released, we'll be sure to provide them, but for now you can sign up to be notified when Beta begins by heading over to the Blackshot website.

The trailer and press release suggest that players take on the role of a mercenary in an urban environment, similar to Combat Arms, but with so little information or even media available to find out what the game looks like, it's hard to be a judge of how different it will truly be. At any rate, we've added it to our games list, so if you're excited about Blackshot, head over to its microsite and add it to your games!

Worlds in Motion has an interesting Q&A up with Susan Choe and Nick Foster of Outspark, a company that has imported games like Fiesta and Secret of the Solstice for US audiences. Outspark has managed to secure $11 million USD in funding from various sources to "help PC-based online games find the same market in North America as they currently enjoy in Asia," and Choe and Foster talk about everything from importing Korean games wholesale, how they put together the project in the first place, and the carpal tunnel inducing process of picking what games to bring over:

We all played games, to a point where I needed acupuncture for my wrist! And we played games, from MMORPGs, to first-person shooters, to racing games ....

But, in a sense, we were really looking for games that everybody can play, even the thirty-five year old women, without a lot of complications. But there are certain specific criteria we also look for in the game developers: 1. They believe in the North American, Western market. 2. They have the capacity to work with us, because -- as you guys know -- these games, once they're launched, that's the beginning of your work, not the end, unlike the console games.

It's an interesting look at one company who is trying to bring over some fresh blood while still appealing to a wide audience (and has the funding to back up their effort) - well worth a read through if you have the time.