space-battles
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Taikodom pops into open beta
Are you itching for some fast-and-furious space warfare? Missing your fix after Black Prophecy shutdown? Then you're prime to experience Taikodom: Living Universe, which has leaped into open beta. The sci-fi shooter is now being distributed through GamersFirst. Reloaded Games' CMO Rahul Sandil says he's "stoked" to include Taikodom into the company's roster and promises dozens of additional titles in the coming year. Taikodom is also offering three founder's packages. These packages range from $9 to $49 and include benefits such as in-game items, unique achievements, and lifetime VIP status. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
Taikodom: Living Universe kicks off closed beta
Taikodom: Living Universe is not a game in which you pilot a mining spaceship, nor is it a game in which you work through ornate political structures to accomplish your goals. It's a game in which you pilot a spaceship at high speeds and blow things up. It's the newest title from GamersFirst, and it's just entered its first wave of closed beta testing as of today. Players in the game will be pushed into one of two factions, the Consortium or the Renegades, as they battle for control of the 61 Cygni star system. While the thrust of the game is (obviously) space battles, the game features both PvE and PvP combat as well as a crafting system and advanced character progression options. Take a glance at the gallery below for a look at the game, and if you'd like to have a shot at taking part in a future round of testing, register at the official site. [Source: GamersFirst press release] %Gallery-161761%
Details on event zones in Jumpgate Evolution
There's something about the massive span of space that lends itself to large-scale PvP, and Jumpgate Evolution is certainly heading down the road to having big and meaningful faction battles. This is the core of the game's Event Sectors, hotspots of activity between both players and NPCs in which everyone takes part in a truly epic struggle. In a recent diary on MMORPG.com, Joe Grubb explains the design philosophy behind the sectors and how they're shaping up as the game continues in development. Grubb explains that one of the first goals the team had with these sectors was that they had to feel meaningful in context -- rather than just featuring good gameplay, it had to make sense why the battle was taking place from a lore standpoint. He goes on to explain how the team began testing and then revising the way content was set up to improve the feel of immersion and realism in each given sector. Take a look at the full diary for a preview of what promises to be one of the most interesting features in Jumpgate Evolution -- and really, who doesn't like epic space battles?
Galcon Labs in the App Store now
Galcon (App Store link) was one of the most popular games of last year -- it presented a fascinating mix of strategy and real-time arcade gameplay onto the iPhone just as it was starting out, and along with games like Fieldrunners and Flight Control, really cemented a place for the platform in the gamer's arsenal. It's been described as "real-time Risk in space." The basic premise is that you can drag little ships around from planet to planet, conquering planets of various sizes and thus producing more and more ships to take over with. And now it's back. Galcon Labs is available now on the App Store, and it's pretty much exactly what you want in a sequel to a game you love: updated graphics and sound, more game modes, more online multiplayer, and just generally more of the same great gameplay, in a nice new package. So yes, odds are that if you sunk quite a few hours into Galcon, Galcon Labs is a no-brainer. Just in case you don't want to make any financial commitment at all, there is a trial available for the original game, but given that Labs is just 99 cents right now, if you have any interest at all in dragging little ships around to fight wars between planets, it's probably worth the buck. %Gallery-74558%
