MicroVolts
Encyclopedia
MicroVolts is a Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) Third Person Shooter (TPS) cartoon-style video game developed by Korean developer, SK iMedia and published by Toronto-based publisher, Rock Hippo Productions for the PC
. MicroVolts released its first Closed Beta phase on August 12, 2010 and launched its second Closed Beta on January 28, 2011. The game’s Open Beta phase began on March 10, 2011. Rock Hippo Productions announced that the Official Release of the game would start on June 9, 2011.
The game was ranked as the Second Most Anticipated MMO of 2010 by MMOSite’s Reader’s Choice Awards. It was also named as MMOGames' Editor's Choice in April 2011.
figure that was created using spare parts from junk yards. He is known for his impatient personality and his charge-forward attitude on the battlefield.
Akira Wakui’s website reveals that there is a possibility that he may have designed some exclusive character customizations for the game, as several of his figures in his Storm Street Zero gallery bear a striking resemblance to the game’s C.H.I.P. character, but this has yet to be announced or introduced into the game.
. The 7 types of weapons include: Melee, Rifle, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Gatling Gun, Bazooka and Grenade Launcher. Each player starts out equipped with a basic weapon of each type and can unlock more weapons as they level-up and purchase them through Micro Points. As of June 9th, 2011 players were able to purchase "Cash-Shop" items via Rock Tokens which can be bought or earned through surveys and tournaments.
Modes to-be-released: A Single player classic "Zombie" mode layout where waves of 'Zombies' attempt to kill you each wave, and it gets exponentially harder each wave. At this time there are not many details on this mode. This mode has been released in the Japanese version of MicroVolts: Toywars.
category of games where the game itself is free to download and play, and where revenue is generated from micropayments
. Players are able to buy the in-game currency, called Rock Tokens (RT), to purchase exclusive items to customize their characters. Hair, face, top, bottom, hands, shoes and accessories for each character can be made to upgrade the character’s abilities such as faster run speed, additional health points and extra weapon bullets. Additional weapons upgrades can also be obtained.
Customizable options, however, can also be purchased through in-game points called Micro Points (MP). Micro Points can be earned by players by playing the game. Within a given match, the amount of Micro Points given to a player is determined by their kill/death ratio, their mission accomplishments, a win or loss and the duration of the match itself. Micro Points are also given for accomplishing certain objectives in their in-game Achievement System, completing objectives in their Battery Charge system or by leveling up their characters.
In the latest update of MicroVolts, (11/11/11) a new "Capsule" icon was added to the lobby, which is generally a gumball machine that you can get all those item metioned beforehand. This is currently only payable through Rock Tokens but is looking up for the future as two other options (MicroPoints and Coins) are there but unavailable at the moment.
Players level-up their characters through gaining experience points within a played match. Experience points are determined by a player’s kill/death ratio in a match, a win/loss of a match, mission accomplishments and the duration of the match. When a player levels-up, additional customizable options also becomes available to a player.
The gaming community welcomed this third-person shooter as something new and different, as most shooter MMOs are from the first-person perspective. The ability for characters to carry 7 weapons at once, freely switching between each, "makes gameplay feel varied and unique".
Reviews have highlighted the game’s larger-than-life environments as giving the game a "different feel and approach to the online-action genre" and having a distinct fast-paced gameplay.
Upon release of MicroVolts, it was also noted by some gamers as baring similarities to Team Fortress 2 as an early trailer for MicroVolts had comparable graphic styles.
August 12, 2010 – First Closed Beta Phase
January 28, 2011 – Second Closed Beta Phase
March 10, 2011 – Open Beta Phase
June 9, 2011 - Official Release
MicroVolter - A player of MicroVolts.
Micro World - The place where MicroVolters and MicroVolts exist.
Micro Points - In-game points earned by players through playing the game.
MicroVolting - The act of playing MicroVolts.
Swapping - The ability to switch from a weapon to another, generally used on explosives, in a way that the reload is ignored.
Wavestepping - Technique which uses Swapping in mid-air, by shooting on land, switching to melee, jumping, and then switching to another weapon to shoot.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. MicroVolts released its first Closed Beta phase on August 12, 2010 and launched its second Closed Beta on January 28, 2011. The game’s Open Beta phase began on March 10, 2011. Rock Hippo Productions announced that the Official Release of the game would start on June 9, 2011.
The game was ranked as the Second Most Anticipated MMO of 2010 by MMOSite’s Reader’s Choice Awards. It was also named as MMOGames' Editor's Choice in April 2011.
Story
The game in set in the real world where toys have come to life behind closed doors. A secret battle began between four original limited edition figures, code-named MicroVolts. Naomi, Knox, Pandora and C.H.I.P. were the names of the original prototypes, but they were soon joined by other modified versions. The toys now battle it out in an all out war for valuable battery resources and ultimate supremacy of their Micro World.Characters
The game has four main characters that are said to be the original, limited-edition toy prototypes- Knox, Naomi, Pandora and C.H.I.P.Knox
Knox is a hip hop action figure. He is known for his jokester ways and his seemingly tough guy appearance.Naomi
Naomi is the first female doll in the Micro World. She is a friendly high school girl but uses her approachable appearance to mislead her enemies.Pandora
Pandora is named after a figure in Greek mythology. She uses her seductive appeal to lure her targets before destroying them. Her nemesis is Naomi.C.H.I.P.
C.H.I.P. stands for “Complex Humanoid Interchangeable Parts’’. He is a mechanized StikfasSTIKFAS
STIKFAS are 3.25 inch model assembly figures/toys made by Stikfas Pte. Ltd is based in Singapore. Once built they can be customized with stickers and different pieces...
figure that was created using spare parts from junk yards. He is known for his impatient personality and his charge-forward attitude on the battlefield.
Akira Wakui’s website reveals that there is a possibility that he may have designed some exclusive character customizations for the game, as several of his figures in his Storm Street Zero gallery bear a striking resemblance to the game’s C.H.I.P. character, but this has yet to be announced or introduced into the game.
Weapons
Unique to MicroVolts is the fact that players have access to all 7 types of weapons within a given match, unrestricted by classCharacter class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
. The 7 types of weapons include: Melee, Rifle, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Gatling Gun, Bazooka and Grenade Launcher. Each player starts out equipped with a basic weapon of each type and can unlock more weapons as they level-up and purchase them through Micro Points. As of June 9th, 2011 players were able to purchase "Cash-Shop" items via Rock Tokens which can be bought or earned through surveys and tournaments.
Game Modes
There are currently 8 game modes in MicroVolts: Team Death Match, Free For All, Item Match, Capture the Battery, Close Combat, Elimination, Zombie Mode and Arms Race. Each different mode requires the player to use different skills in order to succeed. While some of the modes rely on team play and cooperation such as Team Death Match and Elimination, other modes require a player to play offensively such as in Free For All and Close Combat and Arms Race.Modes to-be-released: A Single player classic "Zombie" mode layout where waves of 'Zombies' attempt to kill you each wave, and it gets exponentially harder each wave. At this time there are not many details on this mode. This mode has been released in the Japanese version of MicroVolts: Toywars.
Maps
There are currently 11 different maps in-game each featuring a different theme, layout and size. The 11 toy-like environment maps include: Junk Yard, Castle, Neighbourhood, House Top, Model Ship, PVC Factory, Chess, Battle Mine, Toy Garden, Magic Paper Land, The Studio, and Toy Fleet. Some maps are exclusive to certain game modes.Battery Charge
Battery Charge is the game’s reward system. By completing certain activities, players are able to unlock new rewards in the form of Micro Points, forum signature, image/video posting privileges, Poll creation, and for a 25% charge earn a "RockHippo" set playable for the Knox character.Achievement System
By completing certain objectives in-game, players unlock achievements. Completing achievements allows players to gain Micro Points to spend in-game.Community Events & Forum
MicroVolts regularly hosts game tournaments, social media and forum events for their players to participate in. Past events have included a Splash of Colour Event, which invited players to colour-in a wallpaper design and submitted as an official MicroVolts wallpaper and a CrossVolt Contest which quizzed players on their MicroVolts game IQ. The game also hosts large scale game tournaments periodically.Competitive & Social Features
It is apparent that MicroVolts aims to cater to both competitive and social gamers. The game engages with players through their social networks on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace. Their website also features a Club House area which grants players access to unique community features. A Clan Feature was introduced to the game upon its Official Release. Players are able to create, manage and challenge other clans in-game for domination of the Micro World. At one breif point RockHippo had a bargain that you could get a free lollipop melee weapon for connecting your Facebook to Microvolts.Free-To-Play
MicroVolts is released under the “Free To Play’’Free-to-play
Free-to-play refers to any video game that has the option of allowing its players to play without paying. The model was first popularly used in early massively multiplayer online games targeted towards casual gamers, before finding wider adoption among games released by major video game...
category of games where the game itself is free to download and play, and where revenue is generated from micropayments
Micropayment
A micropayment is a financial transaction involving a very small sum of money and usually one that occurs online. PayPal defines a micropayment as a transaction of less than 12 USD while Visa prefers transactions under 20 Australian dollars, and though micropayments were originally envisioned to...
. Players are able to buy the in-game currency, called Rock Tokens (RT), to purchase exclusive items to customize their characters. Hair, face, top, bottom, hands, shoes and accessories for each character can be made to upgrade the character’s abilities such as faster run speed, additional health points and extra weapon bullets. Additional weapons upgrades can also be obtained.
Customizable options, however, can also be purchased through in-game points called Micro Points (MP). Micro Points can be earned by players by playing the game. Within a given match, the amount of Micro Points given to a player is determined by their kill/death ratio, their mission accomplishments, a win or loss and the duration of the match itself. Micro Points are also given for accomplishing certain objectives in their in-game Achievement System, completing objectives in their Battery Charge system or by leveling up their characters.
In the latest update of MicroVolts, (11/11/11) a new "Capsule" icon was added to the lobby, which is generally a gumball machine that you can get all those item metioned beforehand. This is currently only payable through Rock Tokens but is looking up for the future as two other options (MicroPoints and Coins) are there but unavailable at the moment.
Players level-up their characters through gaining experience points within a played match. Experience points are determined by a player’s kill/death ratio in a match, a win/loss of a match, mission accomplishments and the duration of the match. When a player levels-up, additional customizable options also becomes available to a player.
Reception & Recognitions
MicroVolts was awarded Second Place in MMOSite’s Reader’s Choices for the Most Anticipated MMO of 2010 and was MMOGames' Editor's Choice in April 2011.The gaming community welcomed this third-person shooter as something new and different, as most shooter MMOs are from the first-person perspective. The ability for characters to carry 7 weapons at once, freely switching between each, "makes gameplay feel varied and unique".
Reviews have highlighted the game’s larger-than-life environments as giving the game a "different feel and approach to the online-action genre" and having a distinct fast-paced gameplay.
Upon release of MicroVolts, it was also noted by some gamers as baring similarities to Team Fortress 2 as an early trailer for MicroVolts had comparable graphic styles.
History
May 9, 2010 - Forum DevelopmentAugust 12, 2010 – First Closed Beta Phase
January 28, 2011 – Second Closed Beta Phase
March 10, 2011 – Open Beta Phase
June 9, 2011 - Official Release
Terminology
MicroVolts - Code-name of the original four toy prototypes.MicroVolter - A player of MicroVolts.
Micro World - The place where MicroVolters and MicroVolts exist.
Micro Points - In-game points earned by players through playing the game.
MicroVolting - The act of playing MicroVolts.
Swapping - The ability to switch from a weapon to another, generally used on explosives, in a way that the reload is ignored.
Wavestepping - Technique which uses Swapping in mid-air, by shooting on land, switching to melee, jumping, and then switching to another weapon to shoot.