Wasteland 2 beta open to backers; Steam Early Access arrives tomorrow
If you threw at least $55 at inXile Entertainment's heavily-anticipated, crowdfunded Wasteland 2, your generosity is paying off: As of this morning, you have access to a playable beta test of the post-apocalyptic roleplaying game.
Entering the beta is easy. If you backed Wasteland 2 to the tune of $55 or greater, you should have received log-in credentials for the Wasteland 2 Ranger Center. Visit that site, enter your information, and suddenly you're the owner of a Steam key redeemable for the beta. Keep in mind, though, this is only a limited portion of the game, including "the first four major areas ... and related minor maps, along with character creation, world map travel, and random encounters." Developer inXile Entertainment claims that new areas will be added to the beta as time goes by, but in the meantime it has offered a handy guide to all there is to see in the game's current incarnation.
Those who didn't fund Wasteland 2 aren't going to be left out in the dusty, irradiated cold, however. Today's announcement also brings word that the Wasteland 2 beta will hit Steam Early Access on December 13. Access to the Steam Early Access beta won't be free, though by paying for the chance to play Wasteland 2 before its public release, you're helping to fund the game's development. That said, there's currently no word on the price point attached to the Wasteland 2 Steam Early Access beta.
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After 20 Years,
We Welcome You Back to The Wasteland
Wasteland 2 Beta Out for Backers, Steam Early Access Friday
Newport Beach, CA – December 12, 2013 – For the first time, gamers are getting the chance to play inXile entertainment's Wasteland 2, which was successfully crowdfunded through Kickstarter in April 2012. More than ten thousand backers entered the backer beta on Wednesday, through their Kickstarter or late pledges to the project. Wasteland 2 will also be entering Steam Early Access on Friday, to allow late backers to purchase and jump on immediately.
Wasteland 2 is a post-apocalyptic RPG with old-school sensibilities, with a heavy focus on tactical turn-based combat, a deep and open world and reactivity to player choices. It is the sequel to 1988's Wasteland, with the player taking control of a party of Desert Rangers striving to bring peace to the wastes. Set 15 years after the original, the game does not require familiarity with the original's plot but does follow up on the original's story in many ways.
The Wasteland 2 beta consists of the first four major areas of the game and related minor maps, along with character creation, world map travel, and random encounters. More areas will be added as the beta progresses. Beta backers and early access gamers will get exactly the same content here.
"It is hard to believe that after 20 years we're finally at a place where we can get Wasteland 2 into the hands of our backers," says Brian Fargo, inXile CEO. "It is has been quite a road to get here. The possibility of Wasteland 2 even entering production looked like it was over until Kickstarter appeared and allowed us to finally make this game together with our fans. And now we'll continue the process of making the game with them."
http://wasteland.inxile-entertainment.com/
About inXile Entertainment:
Founded by long-time industry veteran @BrianFargo in 2002, inXile Entertainment develops interactive entertainment software for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. The most current projects under development are Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera, both financed by its fans via @Kickstarter. For more information about inXile Entertainment visit: www.inxile-entertainment.com.
Wasteland is a registered trademark of inXile Entertainment.
