Free-to-play Asian MMO Xiah has announced several new content offerings for its martial arts combat-based online world. A series of press releases received by Worlds in Motion describe, firstly, a new map called "Blood Devil Island" -- and it's only for the hardcore, accessible only at level 60 and higher with the use of "special beads."

Another current event in the Xiah world is the "Double FEMA Experience" period, running from August 14th to September 9th. No, not the Federal Office of Emergency Management -- it stands for "Five Element Martial Arts," a skill acquired by accumulating and reading special books in-game. During the time period, XP gains from combating monsters with that technique will result in double experience gains for characters.

Finally, nine new in-game "pet" items that add special character enhancements are now available through the game's store. These are all good examples of participatory rewards in free-to-play MMOs; all of the content announced in the releases require some sort of special involvement to obtain, thereby encouraging players to keep returning and building in the world. It's a valuable trend for games that earn revenue from the ads-and-RMT model -- these sort of unlockables and upgrades keep the site sticky.

Another neat thing about Xiah -- which features both solo and multiplayer modes -- is that it can be played either with a keyboard or a game controller, emulating the vibe of a console fighting game with the added element of continuous upgrades, item and stat gains.