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Prius Online changes up servers, entices players with contests
Big changes are in store for Prius Online this month, particularly in regard to the fledgling game's servers. The dev team announced that the two existing PvP servers -- Requiem and Aurora -- will be merged into a single PvP server called Raven and that players will have their Karma reset. In addition, gPotato is launching a PvE-only server for the game: Primus. The team hopes that this move will accommodate both types of players in what they're seeking. To celebrate the server restructuring, gPotato is throwing a few fun events for Prius players. On the Raven server, players who hit level 50 by October 4th will be entered into a special raffle for spiffy prizes. Other prize packages are avilable for those who amass the most Karma points and teams that succeed in the Coliseum Tournament. Over on Primus, gPotato is rewarding the first player who tames 11 specific Pero with a Special Event Pero. More rewards are in store for adventurers who complete specific dungeon quests and take screenshots to prove it (remember kids: screenshots or it didn't happen!), players who cultivate certain items, and outfitters who complete the Yellow Tulip set for their Anima. All players can benefit from a bonus event in the in-game store, where spending $10 or $50 will net the purchaser additional items. This promotion will continue until October 4th.
Hands-on with Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid (video)
Yesterday we attended Toyota's Green Drive Expo where we were given the opportunity to take the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV) -- and its smorgasbord of technology -- for a spin. We spent a couple hours driving interfacing with the computers aboard the Advanced model, which besides being outlet-friendly, includes some unique features within the Prius lineup. Explore our gallery below, and hit the break for our impressions and hands-on videos with the latest incarnation of Toyota's iconic vehicle.%Gallery-134091%
Plug-in Prius pulling into American driveways in February or March of 2012
Good new PHV fans, the plug-in Prius you've been promised should start pulling into American driveways in February or March of 2012 -- at least according to a startup date chart at Donlen. The fleet management firm claims initial orders will be taken on November 10th of this year, with the vehicle scheduled to into production in January. An Autoblog tipster also claims to have some rather vague details about trim and color options, as well as its estimated MSRP, which should be below $30,000. Now we've just got to figure out how many extension cords it'll take to reach from our apartment window to the street below.
Prius Online launches with a spiffy Alienware giveaway
It's a really good day for fans of Prius Online. First up, gPotato has officially launched the title worldwide with no regional restrictions whatsoever. On top of that, Prius has beefed up with a major day one patch that includes an increased level cap to 60, new skills, a pair of additional zones, five virgin dungeons, and castle siege warfare, where guilds can engage in PvP skirmishes to take over one of three castles that will bestow special benefits for the victors. The last reason why this is such a stellar day is that to celebrate the launch, gPotato got together with Alienware to host an awesome giveaway for the game. Starting today, players can loot special Alienware tokens from mobs, and after two weeks, the person who's accumulated the biggest collection will win a souped up Alienware MX11 laptop! All players will enjoy double XP and drop rates during "peak gaming hours" and other random giveaways, such as the chance to win an HD video camera, during this period. We've also added five new screenshots to our Prius Online gallery, so check 'em out! %Gallery-122493%
Prius Online goes worldwide
IP restrictions are about as much fun as any sort of restriction -- but they're also a sometimes necessary reality in the world of free-to-play games, where licensing companies frequently only accept players from a limited range of national IPs. But as Prius Online continues its open beta, the development team has decided to go the opposite route and fling the doors wide open, allowing players worldwide to access the game with no restrictions on regions. While that alone would be cause for celebration in some circles, the game has also added five new dungeons worth of content for beta testers to enjoy. There's no word on an official launch date just yet, so Prius Online's open beta testers will have to console themselves with the fact that the game is still in the testing stage even though the item shop is open. But you can log in from anywhere, and isn't that worth something? %Gallery-122493%
Toyota Prius Project's concept bike lets you shift gears with your mind
Got mind control on the mind? Check out this new concept bike from Deeplocal -- a Pittsburgh-based design house that's adding a neurological twist to the art of cycling. As part of Toyota Prius Project No. 11, the company outfitted the seat post of a Parlee PXP aero road bike with a wireless transmitter, allowing users to remotely shift gears with a smartphone. Deeplocal's designers then added a set of neuron transmitters to a helmet and re-programmed the PXP to communicate with them -- meaning, in theory, that riders could control the bike's gears by simply thinking about it. Theory, of course, isn't the same thing as practice, but perhaps the concept will become a reality if we think really hard about it.
2012 plug-in Prius to include selectable EV mode, full battery regeneration
We already know to expect Toyota's Entune infotainment system in the dash of the 2012 Prius, but the hybrid's monster EV batteries will be powering much more than a touchscreen and apps. According to ConsumerSearch, next year's plug-in vehicle will include two new features aimed at improving the car's electric-only range for local driving, especially when your commute also includes a trip down the freeway. The first improvement comes in the form of an EV mode button, allowing you to turn off EV for highway driving, which tends to drain those batts faster than a Thunderbolt in Hotspot mode. The Prius will also offer full battery regeneration, so power-off activities like braking and driving downhill will restore the hybrid's EV-only range -- especially helpful if you live in a hilly area or tend to make frequent stops. Both new features should have a fairly significant impact on efficiency, so you'll soon be able to drive further in the city without tapping a single drop of crude.
Do the shopping cart: Prius Online opens item shop
Prius Online has taken another step toward full-fledged release, as gPotato opened the doors to an in-game item shop today. As with many free-to-play titles, Prius Online will chug along under the power of microtransactions from shop purchases. The item shop will hold an attractive array of fun and useful goods, ranging from costumes to mounts to all manner of helpful trinkets. To celebrate the shop's opening, Prius Online is handing out a free Leaf of Oblivion to players who log in between June 15th and 19th. The Leaf is capable of resetting your skill points, including your initial job choice, so that you can respec into a better build. Prius Online went into open beta earlier this month, and any interested parties can check the game out by visiting the website and signing up!
Prius Online open beta starts today
Set your alarm clocks for 5:00 p.m. EDT, Prius fans, as today marks the start of the title's open beta. gPotato has issued a press release detailing what players can expect during the final testing phase. First up is a level cap increase from 25 to 50, followed by the introduction of second classes for all races and finally the new female Ayin race. New dungeons are coming, too, as are the bounty system and the ability to summon Gigas at level 30. Explorer types will be happy to note the lifting of various regional access restrictions, and PvP fiends can check out the two new unions in the Coliseum Battle System as well as take part in week-long guild battles. You can learn more about Prius, and download the client, via the official website. Be sure to check out our in-depth coverage from this year's GDC as well.
All 2014 Prius hybrids to roll with plug-in and 2011 pricing, Hoitz and Gamble rejoice (update: not true)
Hybrid cars are sleek, efficient, and even occasionally sexy. Cheap they are not, however, though Toyota hopes to stir up the market in 2014, with affordable plug-in models that also boast much-improved mileage ratings. That year's Prii will ship standard with plug-in, and will quietly conquer at least 90 highway miles per gallon (compared to about 50 mpg for current models), according to Autoblog. The 2014 Prius will also be priced comparably to current non-plug-in models -- around $25,000 -- assuming Toyota can successfully reduce the cost of batteries and other key components. We can only hope that fuel prices aren't any higher three years from now, but even if they are, at least you'll still be able to afford to commute in something larger than a Vespa. Update: Oops! Toyota responded to this report saying "there is no formal plan to make all Priuses [sic] plug-in by 2014." Not even a possibility, Autoblog was told. Ah well.
Prius Online hits closed beta testing
If you're feeling a little beside yourself these days, Prius Online is right there with you. The vibrant anime MMO that features the ability to play three characters at once has finally entered the closed beta stage today. It's a big day for publisher gPotato, which transported Prius Online over from Korea for the North American audiences as a premier free-to-play title. Closed beta testing will take place from April 28th through May 8th and includes six classes that can be played up to level 25. Prius Online promises a special experience as your character travels with two steadfast companions, forging a permanent party of sorts. Both FilePlanet and Big Download have the beta client available to snag right away. To celebrate this special period of the game's development cycle, Prius Online is holding several in-game contests, such as a race to the level cap, and is handing out rewards to all beta testers. Catch up on this title with our overview from GDC! %Gallery-122493%
Toyota and WiTricity team up for OTA car charging
Some day you'll charge everything wirelessly -- phones, cars, graphing calculators, all using the same basic technology. That's the sort of utopian vision Toyota had in mind when it formed the Wireless Battery-charging Alliance with WiTricity. The young Massachusetts-based company is pushing "resonance" technology, which charges electronics without contact and is supposedly more efficient than induction-based charging -- a category that includes the popular Qi standard. This new partnership ups the ante, adding electric vehicles to the list of chargeable devices, a vision of the future where Prius batteries can be filled wirelessly, while sitting in driveways and parking garages. Exxon's engineers are no doubt working to perfect the hose-free gasoline transfer as we speak. PR after the break. [Thanks, Paul]
Toyota Entune and Prius V hands-on
This year at CES we got our first glimpse of the Toyota Entune infotainment system, and then a week later at the North American International Auto Show we got our first close-up look at the bigger, hatchbackier Prius V. Now, here at the New York International Auto Show, the two pieces have come together into one five-door package. The car and the infotainment suite are slated to hit dealerships this summer and we sat down in one to try out the other. See if you can figure out which is which before clicking on through to check out our impressions. %Gallery-121672%
Toyota sells one million Prii in US alone
Thank you Toyota, for teaching us the plural of Prius, because somehow, "Toyota sells one million Priuples" just doesn't jive. That's right, the Japanese automaker announced Wednesday that it has officially sold its one millionth Prius on American soil. It's reportedly also reached a couple of other sales milestones in the last six months, with worldwide Prius sales reaching two million in October and overall Toyota hybrid sales exceeding three million in March. Now that's a whole lot of Prii. Full PR after the break.
Check out Prius Online with our closed beta key giveaway!
Good things come to those who wait: Gala-Net has been working on the NA version of Prius Online since last August, and we are finally in the home stretch for closed beta testing. The first round of closed beta will begin later this month, but we've got plenty of beta keys to share now so you can be ready! You can visit our giveaway page now to get your key, then register for a gPotato account if you haven't already. Closed beta starts on April 28th, but you can download the client beginning on the 22nd, so keep an eye on the Prius Online site for the download and beta key redemption links. In the meantime, check out the game's forum and our complete rundown of some of the most exciting features of Prius Online!
American Prius V to get old-school batteries, Japanese version to get fancy Li-ion ones
We'd rather see a more interesting Prius before we see a bigger one, but it's the bigger one that comes first. The taller Prius V that was unveiled in Detroit is said to begin hitting Japanese showrooms next month, priced at ¥3 million (about $37,000) and packing an all-new Li-ion battery in the floor. This is different than the nickel metal hydride pack found in the current Prius, a smaller and lighter design that leaves room for a third row of seats. When the car hits the US, though, we'll get a bigger set of cells like the one in the current Prius, meaning the American version won't have those seats in the back. Irritating? A little, but the version we'll be getting will also be available in Japan, where it will sell for almost $10,000 less than the Li-ion version. For ten grand in savings we'd probably skip the rear seats too.
Toyota unveils its Global Vision, pledges 10 new electrified cars by 2015
Toyota's getting serious with this plural Prius stuff. If you still don't buy that Prii is the correct term you'd better hurry up and get over it, as the company just announced its "Toyota Global Vision," including a plan to launch 10 more hybrid vehicles by 2015. Surely that counts the new models unveiled in Detroit, the taller Prius V and the funkier Prius C, but it remains to be seen exactly what else the company will use to build up those numbers. Toyota also says that more fuel cell and fully electric cars are coming, along with numerous "genuinely exciting models," so maybe if we're really good over the next four years one of those Prii will actually be fun to drive.
GDC 2011: Prius Online and the evolution of MMORPG pets
The closed beta countdown for Prius Online is in full swing, and the new MMORPG from gPotato is targeting a spring 2011 North American launch window. Prius is a new free-to-play fantasy game (new to the American market, at any rate), and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Toyota automobiles. We recently sat down with the guys from gPotato to talk about how they've spent the last little while working hard to localize Prius and how it differs from your average F2P MMO. The game has been out in Korea for a couple of years now and was one of the more unique titles we saw at this year's GDC on account of its three-character control system and an unusually elaborate narrative focus and pet mechanic. Join us after the cut for the full scoop on Gigas, Animas, and all things Prius.
Toyota to start selling home battery chargers in 2012, sate the electrical appetites of the Prii
We've seen the plug-in Prius (a few times, actually), but what we hadn't seen was how Toyota planned to get the juice from the grid to its car until now. Turns out, the automaker plans to sell home battery chargers starting in 2012 so that buyers of PHEV Prii can fully take advantage of that plug in the front fender. The chargers come in two flavors: one for the garage and one for the exterior of your home, and will cost upwards of ¥200,000 ($2411) fully installed, making it quite a bit more than GM's $2000 Voltec charging station. The good news for us all is that Toyota's charger uses the same SAE J1772 plug found in the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, so we're hopefully just weeks away from the first-ever EV charger price wars. Popcorn grabbing seems a must given the circumstances.
Toyota decrees the plural of 'Prius' is 'Prii,' your Latin teacher looks on admonishingly
The world faces many challenges and concerns when it comes to the future of transportation, but one of the biggest hurdles to a utopian future has finally been overcome. Toyota, using the might of its international team of engineers and wordsmiths, has finally decided what you should say when you see multiples of the company's hybrids parked together. They are to be called Prii -- not Priuses, not Priuples, not Boring Cars. Just Prii. Remember it.
