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Yogventures gives Landmark keys as additional consolation gifts
Supporters of Yogventures have another consolation gift to go in take the edge off of the loss of their dream game: a key for Landmark. Massively readers might remember that Yogventures was a Kickstarter campaign that over-funded, was mismanaged, and then imploded, taking over almost $570,000 from 13,000 backers with it. Owner Yogcast then partnered itself with TUG, providing free TUG Steam keys for those backers and transferring all Yogventures assets to Nerd Kingdom. It looks as though Landmark has some sort of alliance with Yogcast, as the official site encourages gamers to play with the Yogcast crew. Further compensation for Yogventures backers may be forthcoming.
Albion Online founder's packs available for purchase
Let's cut to the chase: You want to know how much it'll cost you to get into Albion Online alpha program in September? Fifty bucks. Thirty dollars if you're willing to wait for next year's beta. Now that your curiosity is sated, let's talk about the trio of founder's packs that Albion Online has just made available to buy. The least expensive tier is the veteran pack at $29.95, which comes with beta access in Q1 2015, in-game currency, and 30 days of premium access. The epic and legendary packs are $49.95 and $99.95 respectively, and include (among other goodies) access to the summer and winter alpha program, special nametags, cosmetic outfits, and even (in the case of the lgendary pack) mounts. Various questions about the founder's packs have been answered on a separate FAQ page. [Thanks to Laurence for the tip!]
PAX East beta invites now active
Players who attended PAX East earlier this year and played Warlords of Draenor also found themselves in possession of beta keys for the new expansion. However, the keys were not immediately available for use, as the beta hadn't launched. Now that beta has officially rolled out, those keys are fully functional, according to a tweet made yesterday on the official Twitter account. Those who received a #Warlords beta key from us at PAX East can now claim them! Those who claimed them before should be flagged for access.- World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) June 27, 2014 If you immediately used your key when you got home from the convention, your account should now be properly flagged for beta access. If you have not used your key, you may log into your Battle.net account and use it to gain access to the beta. This is in addition to the beta invites that rolled out yesterday -- so if you happened to attend PAX East and pick up a key, be sure to claim it now that you can.
ZeniMax sends out more Elder Scrolls Online beta invites
Curious about Elder Scrolls Online but stuck in the dark because the game is still, for some reason, blocked by a ridiculously limiting NDA despite being less than three months from launch? Today might be your lucky day. ZeniMax Online has announced that another round of Elder Scrolls Online beta keys have been sent out, so take a look at your email inbox to see if you've earned yourself a ticket into the party. If you didn't get an invite, don't fret; ZeniMax will be sending out more in the near future. Don't forget to check your spam folder and Gmail's "Promotions" tab, just to be sure. [Thanks to Mortis13th and Balsbigbrother for the tip!]
Massively Giveaway: Inferno Legend VIP bundle
If you ever wanted to play the bad guys in Diablo instead of the good guys, then Gamebox's Inferno Legend might just be for you. The isometric, turn-based action-MMO launched its open beta yesterday and allows gamers to play as everything from evil faeries to samurai because why not? So let's get some free stuff to go with our evil faeries. Gamebox has given Massively a slew of VIP keys for a bundle of free items in Inferno legend, including 150 Diamonds, 20,000 Gold, 200 Power of Faith, 200 Power of Lineage, 100 Wickedness (*wink*), and an exclusive pair of shoes called Pilgrim's Trail, which when equipped increase the character's speed based on his or her level. The bundle also includes beta access. To apply your key to your account, login to your Gamebox account or create a new one, click "code," input your gift code, and then click "claim." This is a worldwide giveaway open to everyone everywhere (yay!). The keys are set to work right now and will last until we run out. Enjoy!
Starbound beta starts today
Starbound developer Chucklefish began sending out beta keys for the PC, Mac and Linux game today. Those who backed the space-faring exploration game should see a Steam key in their inboxes momentarily, and the developer says a direct download version of the game will be available "as soon as we are able to efficiently provide it." The Terraria-like game's official site reveals that over $2.6 million was raised by 124,176 backers in the developer's ongoing crowdfunding efforts. Starbound features procedurally-generated worlds in which players must gather supplies to take on quests. The "story in a sandbox" game received a new trailer to commemorate the launch of its beta version, which features some of its side-scrolling action.
Final Chinese Blade and Soul beta begins October 29th
Blade and Soul is moving ever closer to release, at least in China. Tencent has confirmed that the final closed beta test for the game will go live on October 29th. The beta will roll out in two steps that should be familiar to weary MMO beta warriors. First, early access codes will be required to enter the beta. After an unspecified period of time, everyone else can join up. Accounts created during this last closed beta test will not be deleted; progress will remain when open beta launches a few weeks/months later. According to Tencent, all characters will be kept unless there is a "major" change to the game. If you're not in China but are hoping to join the closed beta test, you can earn a chance to win a code by visiting the official Chinese site and voting for your favorite character.
Hearthstone beta key sweepstakes
If you're still looking for a Hearthstone beta key, you may find your luck lies with the official Hearthstone Facebook page beta key sweepstakes. Follow Hearthstone on Facebook, fill out the form, and enter for your chance to win. There will be two drawings of 500 winners each, one on August 27th and one on September 3rd. That's a grand total of 1,000 winners from this particular giveaway -- not too shabby! So click that link and throw your metaphorical hat in the ring; and good luck! We hope to run into you in the beta!
Get your Origins of Malu beta key from Alienware
If you're interested in beta testing Burning Dog's Origins of Malu sci-fantasy sandbox, you'll want to hurry over to the key giveaway currently happening on Alienware's website. As of press time there were just over 2,200 keys remaining. Origins of Malu is an open-world title with no class restrictions, player-controlled factions, and a deep crafting system that impacts the world both physically and economically. [Thanks Bartillo!]
Amazon and GameStop offer free beta keys with Mists preorders
So you want to preorder Mists of Pandaria but can't wait for more than a month to feast your eyes on the new continent, races and class? Well, the good folks at Amazon and GameStop are offering free beta keys with all preorders! With Amazon, if you buy either the standard or the collector's edition, you will be emailed your beta key within five business days of your purchase. The offer will be extended to all existing preorders and will expire Sept. 17. It's only valid on products shipped and sold by Amazon.com. GameStop offers a very similar promotion, but if you buy the game in-store, your beta key will be printed straight onto your store receipt when you place your preorder. If you buy online from GameStop.com, the code will be emailed to you within two business days of your purchase. Just like Amazon, this offer is valid for either the standard or the collector's edition. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, it doesn't look like Amazon has rolled out this offer to stores in the EU, and GameStop U.K. doesn't even seem to have Mists in stock. If we hear word that this changes, we will of course let you know! [Thanks for the tip, Kamaron!]
Blizzard giving away even more MoP beta keys on Facebook
With today's news of Mists of Pandaria's Sept. 25 release date, there's sure to be a surge of interest in the expansion, and Blizzard is giving you the opportunity to get into the beta before it ends with a new sweepstakes. All you have to do is follow Warcraft on Facebook and complete the entry form, and you're good to go. They'll draw 2,000 names a week, and half of those will receive another key to give to a friend, for a grand total of 15,000 keys. Check out the full Blizzard summary below, and get crackin' if you're not in the beta yet! Mists of Pandaria Beta Key Sweepstakes We've just launched a Mists of Pandaria Beta Key Sweepstakes! Starting July 31, we'll be randomly selecting 2,000 winners each week to receive a key to our exclusive World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria beta test. In addition, every other winner chosen will receive a second key to share with a friend! Drawings will occur every Tuesday for five weeks for a total of 15,000 keys. To enter participants simply need to follow Warcraft on Facebook and complete our official entry form between now and August 27 for a chance to win. For more information about how to participate, check out the sweepstakes rules and eligibility page and our sweepstakes FAQ. source It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
More chances to win a Mists of Pandaria beta key coming soon
At this time tomorrow, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, we will be giving away 450 Mists of Pandaria beta keys. We're offering an early warning because the keys will be distributed in an automated first-come, first-serve method, with each claimant being limited to one beta key. We expect the keys to go very quickly and want everybody to have as fair a chance to claim one as possible. If you aren't enough of a Quick Draw McGraw to get your hands on one of the initial 450, don't worry. You may still have a chance to acquire a beta key. Blizzard gave us a total of 500 beta keys in our latest batch. Fifty of them are being set aside to give away on our social media outlets over the course of the next week. If you want to participate in those opportunities in the coming days, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Until tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen. Good luck! It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Win a DUST 514 beta key in the Event Horizon competition
If you've been dying to get into the closed beta for upcoming PS3 exclusive MMOFPS DUST 514, your chance to win a key has arrived. The beta is currently underway for this revolutionary MMO that will link a persistent console FPS to popular space MMO EVE Online. DUST 514 players will take on the role of ground troops in real wars fought across the EVE universe and can even join EVE corporations. Developer CCP Games announced its Event Horizon special event today, offering fans the chance to win a DUST 514 closed beta key by playing matches of its new multiplayer strategy game, Slay. To be in for a chance to win, log in PlayStation Home on your PS3 and navigate to the DUST 514 Home space. Once there, play a game of Slay and watch the intro videos for each of the four races to be entered into the beta key draw. If you're already in the beta, you'll receive a free piece of gear on completing a game of Slay. For full details of the event and a helpful guide to playing Slay, head over to the official DUST 514 blog.
DUST 514 handing out first beta keys tomorrow [Updated]
Did you drop your name into CCP Games' hat as a potential tester for DUST 514? Then tomorrow might be a lovely day for you, as the studio is emailing out the first round of closed beta keys for registered participants after a short delay from its original key-handing-out schedule. It is unknown how many keys will be sent out and to whom. Last month, CCP told Fanfest attendees that they would be among the first to test the anticipated MMOFPS. The DUST 514 website states that the studio is sending out Fanfest keys first and keys to standard registered players "soon after." To celebrate the release of the closed beta keys, CCP is holding a "special event" over the weekend. The details of this event are forthcoming. [Update: CCP has confirmed that beta registration has begun today and that EVE players and Fanfest attendees will get first pick.]
Guild Wars 2 briefs players on next weekend's beta event
Excited about next weekend's Guild Wars 2 beta event? We're right there with you, which is why we uttered a sigh of relief to hear some concrete details about the hows and whys of the nitty-gritty details from ArenaNet's mouth. The event will take place from Friday, April 27th, at 3:00 p.m. EDT until Monday, April 30, at 3:00 a.m. While there are various ways to obtain a key for the weekend (such as having gone to PAX East), the only 100% surefire way of getting in the event is to have pre-purchased the game. All event attendees will be emailed next week with instructions about the client download. The beta event will allow players to choose from three races (Charr, Human, and Norn) and all eight classes, to experience PvP and PvE content, and to see Lion's Arch for the very first time. ArenaNet assured us that this will not be the final beta weekend prior to launch and delivered the good news that this event will not be hampered by an NDA of any sort.
The Daily Grind: Would you ever pay to beta test?
You might have read the title of today's Daily Grind and found yourself laughing uproariously, startling any small children or cats in the area. "Me? Pay for beta?" you chortle. "Why, that's the most ludicrous thing I've heard all day, and I've already been to The Onion!" But I'd like you to stop and actually consider it for a moment. Historically, people have paid for beta access; back in the late '90s, players shelled out a few bucks to get a copy of the Ultima Online beta CD. Even today, many pre-purchases and pre-orders involve exchanges of funds so that a beta key might be reserved. But what if MMO studios today came right out and blatantly started charging you to be a part of the beta process? Would you do it? What game would need to be involved, and for what price would you capitulate? Let us know in the comments, and please leave all "I'm already paying for a beta; it's called [Name of Launched Game]" snark at the door! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Reminder: Watch out for Mists of Pandaria beta invite scams
Email notifications for the Mists of Pandaria beta have started arriving in people's inboxes -- and this means that we'll likely see an upswing in beta invite scams, as well. If you have received an email stating that you've been invited to participate in the Mists beta, be aware of the following: Don't click any link in the email. Blizzard will never ask you for your account information via email, nor will it usually provide any kind of link to click on. Do head to Battle.net. Type the URL into your browser (don't follow a search or email link) and use the secure login on that page to log into your account. If you have been invited for the first round of Mists beta, you will see your normal World of Warcraft: Cataclysm account listed under your game accounts -- and underneath that, you will see a listing for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Beta. If you do not see a link to the Mists of Pandaria beta under your game accounts, you are not in this round of testing, and the email you were sent was a fake. The same applies with beta keys as well. If you receive a notification with a beta key, do not click on any links in the email. Go to your Battle.net account as listed above, head to Manage My Games, choose Add or Upgrade a Game, and manually enter the beta key. If the beta key works, you're in; if it doesn't work, you may have been the recipient of a fake key. Remember, any time there is a beta or a trial period for a new game, there will usually be an upswing in attempts to nab accounts, too. Keep your account safe -- and if you made it in the beta, have fun! It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Grab a closed beta key for Jagged Alliance Online
The closed beta for Jagged Alliance Online is coming along nicely, and gamigo is ready to bring in another wave of beta testers. Would you like to be part of that wave? You're in luck because the Jagged Alliance Online team has given us 5,000 closed beta keys to hand out. Just visit our giveaway page to get your key, and if you haven't already created an account at JAO, do so at the official site. Once you've gone through account creation, log into the gamigo account system, scroll down to Jagged Alliance Online, and enter your beta key. That's all there is to it. Now you're ready to jump into closed beta testing -- squash those bugs and have fun!
Eligium enters closed beta today -- get your key from Massively!
Did you participate in our exclusive early access to Eligium last weekend? If you loved the game and can't wait to log some more playtime, you're in luck. Eligium's closed beta is starting at 8:00 p.m. EST today. We've got you covered on beta entry -- Frogster has given us 250 closed beta keys to share with you, our readers. Just head to our giveaway page and pick up your key. Register on the Eligium home page if you haven't done so yet, and then you can go to the redemption page to enter your key. That's all there is to it; you're set for download and launch! You'll have plenty of time to play and content to experience, as the closed beta lasts until January 18th and has a level cap of 45. Make sure you take some time while you're installing to check out the closed beta forum, and have fun in Eligium!
We've got your key to the Rosh Online closed beta!
Rosh Online may be a new title, but it'll have a familiar feeling to a lot of gamers thanks to its secondary title: The Return of Karos. A new game with familiar overtones will be attractive to those already familiar with Karos Online, but even if you didn't play in the first round, Ignited Games promises plenty of fun in this one. Rosh Online has entered closed beta and will finish off this round of testing in the middle of next week, so if you want to check it out, Massively's here for you. We've got 500 closed beta keys for the game, so head to our giveaway page to pick up your key. Register at Rosh Online, enter your key at the "redeem beta key" page, and you're all set! Have fun, and join us in thanking Ignited Games for the keys!
