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Fable Legends multiplayer beta set for October [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
The multiplayer beta for Fable Legends will be available on October 16, Microsoft announced during its Gamescom 2014 press conference in Cologne, Germany. Microsoft first announced the beta phase of the game at E3. Fable Legends has players completing quests in Albion, the land featured throughout the series. Unlike past games, up to four players can team up to tackle missions, or players can split off to play as a villain, influencing quests themselves to slow the progress of the heroic group. Microsoft revealed Fable Legends at last year's Gamescom event in August 2013 as an Xbox One-exclusive game. [Image: Microsoft]
Killzone: Mercenary closed beta open for sign-ups
The Killzone: Mercenary closed multiplayer beta program is just around the corner, as players can sign up to join it now. Sign-ups are open until 2:00pm PDT on Wednesday, July 17. The Vita game's multiplayer offerings include six maps and three modes for up to eight people to play simultaneously. Killzone: Mercenary is due out on September 10 for Vita.
Crysis 3 open multiplayer beta uncloaks on Jan. 29
On January 29, Crytek will issue an open invitation to sample the multiplayer side of Crysis 3. This two-week affair will conclude on February 12, giving PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 players a chance to sample two modes and two maps ahead of Crysis 3's February 19 launch.The game modes in question are Crash Site, a team-based mode where players fight to capture and defend specifically marked location on the map for points, and Hunter, an asymmetrical mode where two cloaked guys with bows stalk and kill visible CELL soldiers – once a CELL soldier is killed, he respawns on the other team as a Hunter.EA says the beta will be available to all players, though we should note that does not override the need for a Gold subscription on Xbox Live.
God of War: Ascension PS Plus beta takes a stab at January 8 launch
That PlayStation Plus-exclusive multiplayer beta for God of War: Ascension has been dated for January 8. Those who participated in the Rise of the Warrior social game and were on the winning Spartan team for the game's first team challenge can check out the beta starting today. Losers on the Trojan team can check out the beta starting on December 16.The multiplayer beta for God of War: Ascension is composed of two modes: team Favor of the Gods and free-for-all Favor of the Gods. These modes task teams and individuals with reaching a certain requisite number of points, "earning points via kills, bonus brutal kills, opening chests, capturing domination points, and, if you're skillful enough, performing executions using the Spear of Olympus," the PlayStation Blog reports. The map featured in the beta will be the Desert of Lost Souls, seen above.
God of War: Ascension beta seeks vengeance this winter; new social game offers early access
Sony has finally revealed that this winter will be when PlayStation Plus users will be able to get their hands on the God of War: Ascension beta. Plus subscribers will be able to sample the multiplayer side of God of War: Ascension gratis, but frugal fans still have an option: early access through a new social game called Rise of the Warrior.Rise of the Warrior is not available at the moment, but playing the social game between its launch and March 2013 offers rewards of in-game unlocks, exclusive items, early beta access and 30-day subscriptions to PlayStation Plus. And, hey, if there's one thing an angry man on a path of vengeance can't deny, it's the smile-inducing power of free stuff.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter beta ships out on Xbox 360 October 5
This Friday, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can download a free Medal of Honor: Warfighter beta. The Xbox 360 exclusive beta will feature multiplayer mode Hotspot, which tasks players with attacking and defending randomly chosen locations.Twelve of the total 72 Tier 1 Operators can be unlocked in the multiplayer demo, ranging from the British SAS, to the German KSK and US Navy SEAL. The particular map available in this Medal of Honor: Warfighter multiplayer demo is Bosnia's Sarajevo Stadium, known for hosting such festivities as murder and the annual Sarajevo Saucejam. So many sauces!
PSA: Resistance 3 multiplayer beta level cap increasing, adding mysterious 'new stuff'
Insomniac is raising the Resistance 3 multiplayer beta level cap from 20 to 30 this weekend, and promises some "new stuff" to play with, Senior Community Manager James Stevenson tweeted. Stevenson hasn't offered any details about what "stuff" is coming for us, so if a roller-skating grizzly bear spawns next to you on Seaside this weekend, don't say we didn't warn you.
Sorry, we're all out of Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta codes (again)
[Update: Yet again, the beta codes were snapped up faster than you can say "Victor Sullivan has the world's finest moustache." For those who didn't luck out, just remember that everyone will be able to get into the beta beginning July 5. Hang in there!] Alright, our Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception beta code delivery system isn't quite perfect. In order to pull out a PSN code from our replenished supply, you'll have to click on that blue button below ... and then click on another button once you reach the next page. You see that demolished plane in the image above? That's basically the state of our user interface. We trust you'll endure the incredibly painful process (reminder: TWO CLICKS) and let us know what you think of Naughty Dog's explosive test run. In the meantime, we'll get to work on Code Delivery System 2.0: Printing out every beta code and slipping them into semi-delicious fortune cookies.
Sorry, we're all out of Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta codes
[Update: That didn't take long! We're all out of codes. If you didn't get one, don't despair! Remember, the beta will be open to the public on July 5 ... or just get that free PlayStation Plus membership and download the beta through there. See, it's not so bad.] If you signed up for that free PlayStation Plus account (thanks, Welcome Back program!) or snagged a copy of inFamous 2, you may already be waist-deep in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer beta goodness. Oh, you were waiting for someone to hand you a free beta key, in exchange for very little to no effort on your part? Well friend, we like the cut of your jib and, just because you were honest with us, we're going to repay your lethargy with a free beta code. Click that blue button below and be whisked away to our incredible key distribution experience. Okay, confession time: There's a second button you'll have to click there, then you'll need to write down the key that Sony generously provided, and take it to your PlayStation 3 where you'll punch it in on the top right of the PlayStation Store and, voila, Bob's your uncle.
Here's what you'll be doing in the Uncharted 3 beta
All you probably need to know about the Uncharted 3 beta is that it's more Uncharted -- and therefore you want it right the hell now. Thinking about it that way, the article full of details posted by IGN is extraneous. But on the other hand, new info! The beta includes two multiplayer maps: Chateau and the Airstrip (described here), both with "dynamic events" occurring during play, like planes flying in. Players can choose from nine modes including Team Deathmatch, 3-Team Deathmatch, Team Objective, Free For All, Plunder, High Stakes, and three unrevealed co-op modes that IGN mercilessly teased for a later reveal. Players will choose either a Drake/Sully/"treasure hunter" Hero team or a bad-guy team made up of customizable pirates. Four of the new "Power Play" events will also feature in the beta. These one-minute events change the rules (like "marking" one person on the winning team to be worth three points) to turn the game around at critical moments. Check IGN for the full rundown of beta components. The beta launches officially on July 4, but will be accessible early, on June 28, for Infamous 2 owners and PlayStation Plus members. Which, thanks to one of Sony's acts of contrition, will be everybody! As long as the store is back up by then, that is. The beta is set to end July 13.
Gears of War 3 gold Retro Lancer to be exclusive multiplayer beta unlock
Aside from the opportunity to test out Gears of War 3's multiplayer before its retail release, the forthcoming beta will feature at least one additional incentive for Gears heads to enter: an unlockable, gold-plated version of the Retro Lancer (modeled above by Cole Train). This new (old) rifle, with bayonet, made a cameo appearance in Gears 2 and will feature in the new game. Epic hasn't decided exactly how the gold Retro Lancer will be unlocked in the beta for use in the retail version of Gears 3, but, during a press event this week, producer Rod Fergusson offered a rough idea of what it might take. "If you play -- right now, we're still fiddling with the numbers -- but right now we're talking like 90 matches," Fergusson said. "If you play 90 matches and get, say, 100 kills with [the Retro Lancer] weapon, [the gold version is] yours. There's no other place to get it." Fergusson also promised there would be additional unlockables in the beta, though he didn't go into specifics. The Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta will launch in mid-April, when early access opens to owners of the limited-run, "Epic Edition" of Bulletstorm, available now.
PSA: Bulletstorm disc required for Gears of War 3 beta access
Tomorrow (or midnight tonight, depending on your level of enthusiasm), Bulletstorm will launch across the country. For a select group of Xbox 360 owners, this purchase will be partially driven by the desire to play Gears of War 3 early -- specifically, the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta that's included with Bulletstorm's "Epic Edition." Epic's Rod Fergusson warned Twitter users that a code alone wouldn't secure early entry in the multiplayer beta. Entering the code actually adds an option to Bulletstorm's main menu, which will grant access to the multiplayer beta when it becomes available. Just like Crackdown hosted the Halo 3 beta, the Bulletstorm disc is needed to play the Gears 3 beta. While we're on the topic, Fergusson has also promised more news on the multiplayer beta will be available later this week. Keep your eyes on the 'Stiq for it.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood beta detailed
When the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood beta launches October 4, who will you play? The corrupt doctor? The deceptive courtesan? The always terrifying jester (it's so much like a clown!)? Ubisoft revealed this morning that you'll be able to choose from nine different characters across two modes and three maps in the forthcoming PS3 pre-order exclusive beta. The first mode, "Wanted," is the scenario we previewed in June -- you're tasked with assassinating one of the other players, assigned as your target, before you're eliminated by the player hunting you. The second, "Alliance," pits three teams of two players against each other in a similar fashion (instead of individual targets, you and a partner work to take down the other teams). Both modes can be played on the beta's two initial maps, Rome and Castel Gandolfo; though when the beta launches, only Wanted will be available. Alliance and a third map, Siena, will be unlocked by the community by as yet unspecified means.%Gallery-102553%
Blur multiplayer beta slams on the brakes
Ladies and gentlemen ... turn off your engines. Take the keys out of the ignition, and place them calmly on your living room end table. The Blur multiplayer beta has come to a full stop in anticipation of the game's May 25 release. We know you're worried about your sharpened driving skills dulling within the 14-day interim. Might we suggest driving recklessly while shooting devastating power-ups at other cars ... in real life? Sure, that might be physically impossible (not to mention illegal), but that's the price you pay to stay on top of the leaderboard.
Halo: Reach beta update: chugging along, but still needs a little work
If you were trying to get your Halo: Reach on last night, you probably remember that crucial point in time when it just plain stopped working. It was a dark time, to say the least, but Bungie is working hard to get things in order. A recent post on its forums states that while you should still expect "suboptimal performance," you can at least get into some games now. While we'd certainly appreciate a fully functional beta, we're not complaining -- playing a few matches is better than playing no matches, after all.
Halo: Reach 'Pre-Beta' video walkthroughs, gameplay footage
Note: This footage is best viewed in high definition. Click 'HD' to enable it. Halo fanatics will finally get their hands on Halo: Reach when the multiplayer beta, included with the purchase of Halo 3: ODST, is activated next week. You've already read our impressions but now you get to see some of the action, with hours of Halo: Reach Pre-Beta footage carefully trimmed down to the essentials. By showing the new armor customization options, control changes, comparisons to Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST and full gameplay matches in high definition, we're hoping to answer as many of your questions as we can before you get your own quality time with Reach on May 3.
Halo: Reach beta maps revealed, detailed
[IGN] If you haven't been following along with the minutiae Halo: Reach development over at Bungie's website, you probably didn't know that the upcoming beta will feature four maps from the final product's full list. Today we finally got a look at what those maps will be -- "Swordbase" and "Powerhouse" (intended for "party game types"), "Overlook" (featuring the "Generator Defense" game type), and the sparsely detailed sandbox design of "Boneyard" (intended for the "Invasion" game type) -- as well as a smattering of new deets on the jetpack-enhanced Halo game. For instance, we probably won't be finding out too many major campaign secrets during the beta that we didn't already know. The devs at Bungie have only included human-themed maps in the beta as to ensure the secrecy of plot points, actually. "Several of the other maps have different themes that I think are really cool [outside of the beta]," says Bungie's Chris Carney. "I don't really want to talk about them because it would talk about things that are happening in the single-player story." There's a ton more really, really specific stuff (as well as several new screens) over on IGN, if you're into that kind of thing (and let's be honest, if you've made it this far in the post, you probably are).
Play Uncharted 2 beta, win Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter edition
You know what you really need? Like, really, really need, and you don't even know it? One of our kidneys. That's what we're putting on the table on the off chance that you're the winner of Naughty Dog's latest contest -- the prize for which is one of the limited, sexy, leather-bound, dagger-infested copies of Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition. All you have to do to be eligible is play in the Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Beta this weekend, and you'll automatically be entered. They're handing out 10 copies of the special edition every day until the game's released, meaning our chances of receiving one are slim. Hence, we offer one of our kidneys as an exchange to any potential winner under the sound of our voice. They're fresh, they regulate the balance of our electrolytes superbly, and, best of all, they're ours! Don't you want to put a bit of Joystiq inside you?
More Killzone multiplayer beta invites sent out
Reader Szs315 shot us an e-mail to let us know that Sony is now widening the Killzone multiplayer beta. I actually got an invite to sign up for the beta and so I did. Now I just have to wait and see if Sony loves me enough to allow me to participate. If they snub me on this, they better let me in on that Home beta. Readers who want to partake can go to http://pspbeta.us.playstation.com on their PSP's browser. Then cross your fingers, wear a rabbit foot and write a 7 on your forehead in hopes to boost your chances of getting into the beta. [ Thanks Szs315 ]
