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Jagged Alliance Online starts Spanish open beta
Jagged Alliance Online's community has expanded to include our Spanish-speaking gaming brethren, as the open beta has started today for Spanish and Latin American markets. The Spanish beta has been tailored to provide localized translation, community management, and customer service. IDC/Games will be publishing the Spanish version of Jagged Alliance Online. The company reported that 300,000 players "showed interest" in the two-week closed beta period. If this is of interest to you, you can sign up for the open beta on IDC/Games' website. [Source: IDC/Games press release]
Jagged Alliance Online launches
If you're fondling fully-automatic weapons in the dark right now, just wishing that you had a target for your elite skills, then... please don't tell us. Please. We'd be forced to report you. But you might be interested to hear that gamigo has ended the beta for Jagged Alliance Online, which means it's transitioned into an official launch. The turn-based multiplayer strategy title has recently implemented special contracts known as warzones, a crafting system, alliances, and the ability to respec skill points. The company has also released a brand-new website and trailer to commemorate the big occasion. Executive Board Member Patrick Streppel explains the lengthy beta for JAO: "Together with the developers, we have put a huge amount of effort to get the best performance possible in a browser. It pleases me to see that the long open beta testing of more than six months has well and truly paid off. We really wanted to avoid releasing an unfinished game and this has worked out brilliantly for all involved." You have our full permission to relinquish your weapons and watch the launch video after the jump.
Gamigo to bring UFO Online and more to Gamescom 2012
Next month, the eyes of the gaming world will turn toward Cologne, Germany, as developers and fans converge at Gamescom 2012. In preparation, Gamigo has announced the line-up of games it will be presenting at this year's convention. Visitors will be able to try their hands at UFO Online and Jagged Alliance Online in the public area. Folks who can't make it to the convention won't have very long to wait to experience these games for themselves; UFO Online is set for open beta testing on August 23rd, while Jagged Alliance Online is scheduled to leave beta shortly after the convention. Although not open for public play, Otherland, Grimlands, and Black Prophecy Tactics: Nexus Conflict will be available for members of the press to dive into. Keep an eye out for impressions on these titles! [Source: Gamigo press release]
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!
Jagged Alliance Online adds in PvP for testers
If you've been playing in the closed beta of Jagged Alliance Online thus far, the "Online" portion of that name has probably seemed to be something of a misnomer. Beta testers have been exploring the game mechanics from the point of set missions against AI opponents, but that's all about to change. Cliffhanger Productions and gamigo have just unveiled the game's new multiplayers modes, with three different modes and six different maps for players to take up arms against one another. The three modes consist of Deathmatch (self-explanatory), Bounty Hunter (a race to fight to a target and be the first to kill said target), and Search and Destroy (destroy three targets while protecting your own). Players will be matched via a matchmaker system based upon levels and position in the overall rankings, preventing unfair matches (in theory) and giving good players more substantive rewards for success. If you've got a need for some online turn-based strategy, it might be well worth keeping an eye on these features at they develop. [Source: gamigo press release]
First Impressions: Jagged Alliance Online
A short time ago, I posted my thoughts on UFO Online, one of the most exciting titles I found while at E3 this year. While I was there, I was given a tour of Jagged Alliance Online during the same sitting. Both games were thrilling in a "tiny army" sort of way, and both seemed to finally get what makes tabletop gaming and strategy games fun. UFO Online was more complex in some ways, and I found the beta to be further along than Jagged Alliance Online's, but I have had fun in both so far. I'm hoping that gamigo, the publisher of both titles, keeps getting them both right. I still had some issues with Jagged Alliance Online, but it's hard to say whether these will be corrected during one of the following betas. So while it is my duty to report to you these issues, I want you to bear in mind the state of the current game. Fortunately the title seems far enough along that I got a real feel for what is coming. War is coming. Click past the cut and I'll give you the details.
Jagged Alliance Online and UFO Online entering closed beta testing
Double your turn-based strategy and double your fun with gamigo's upcoming UFO Online and Jagged Alliance Online. Both browser-based titles are gearing up to enter closed beta very soon. UFO Online, which focuses on defending territory from opposing factions and aliens (the extraterrestrial kind), begins its open beta today, while Jagged Alliance Online -- a squad-building, mercenary-themed title -- will follow in the next few days. To sign up to be a part of the testing, head on over to the games' official sites. [Source: gamigo press release]
Jagged Alliance Online closed beta registration now open
In a press release today, gamigo announced that its MMO resurrection of the Jagged Alliance franchise, Jagged Alliance Online, will be beginning its closed beta test sometime before the end of this year. For those who can't wait to get in on the action, beta sign-ups are now available over at the game's official site. Until the beta begins, though, check out the gallery below for four new screenshots from the title. [Source: gamigo press release] %Gallery-136999%
Introducing Shadowrun Online
Cliffhanger Productions, the makers of the upcoming Jagged Alliance Online, has announced another title in progress: Shadowrun Online. Based on the popular pen-and-paper game, Shadowrun will share a similar top-down strategy format with Jagged Alliance. Shadowrun takes place in a dystopian 2070 where magic and technology clash, and where hackers and street samurai are commonplace. Shadowrun Online players will split their game time between prepping missions and carrying them out. While some of the maps will require all-out action efforts, others will require stealth, hacking, and even magic. Between fights, players will seek out contacts, prepare spells, and purchase gear to improve their odds when the time comes. Shadowrun Online is in pre-production and the team hopes to get it into full development by November. It is planned to be a browser-based title, and Cliffhanger is drawing from Shadowrun alumni efforts to keep the game in line with the franchise. The company is still looking for partners to help with publishing and distributing.
MMObility: The rise of the browser
Over the last week I have been obsessing over Glitch, the new browser-based MMORPG brought to us by Tiny Speck. I will go into details of why in my Rise and Shiny column, but for now, let's just say that I think it is one of the greatest things I have come across in a long time. For the record, I was talking about Glitch before it was popular (that hipster cred should get my a free pair of glasses in Glitch!) and was excited about starting this column because of games like Glitch. In short, I knew that the browser market was huge, and I knew it was only going to grow bigger. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and yes I am claiming that we are starting to see the end of the heavy-duty client and demand for expensive hardware and upgrades. It's a big prediction, but click past the cut and let me explain.
Free for All: The 'fall' of free-to-play
Here in Texas we have been suffering from one of the worst heat waves in the history of the state. It's the type of constant heat that makes you mad at something, perhaps the sky or the sun. It's not logical, but you start to get mad at the state for being where it is. Then you start to get angry because your lawn is dying off or because your electricity bill is almost double what it was the year before. The next logical thing is to dream of colder times. I have already begun to fantasize about wrapping myself up for a crisp, cold winter's walk with the dogs. Hot cider, the holidays... it's all coming soon. I hope. The next several months will also be the time to keep an eye on a bunch of developing titles. Click past the cut and let's look at what makes me so excited for this fall!
Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011
If you've never been to Gamescom before, let's simply put it this way: It's big. Really, really big. Forget most any convention you've attended; this is likely to be even bigger. Billing itself as the world's largest games event, Gamescom sees well over a quarter-million fans, journalists and exhibitors crowd into the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany to check out hundreds of games and companies. Due to its size and worldwide prominence, Gamescom is a significant event for anyone following the MMO genre (and video games in general). There are plenty of MMO studios gearing up to share first looks, exclusive reveals, detailed Q&A sessions, and exciting hands-on demos for attendees. Naturally, Massively will be paying close attention to all of the news coming out of Gamescom this week. For those attending the convention or merely looking to keep abreast of all of the games, studios, and information forthcoming, we've compiled a guide to the hottest tickets at Gamescom as well as a comprehensive exhibitor list of MMO studios after the break.
Jagged Alliance Online premieres new Gamescom trailer
"They gave us a mission. They never told us what it was about." So begins the newest trailer for Jagged Alliance Online, gamigo's turn-based tactical RPG that features mercenaries, guns, and plenty of strategy. The trailer begins with your typical action movie setup: Rugged heroes get involved in a mission gone bad and are hung out to dry by their superiors. Rather than to roll over to die, they pick up a few thousand rounds of ammunition and head out seeking a little revenge. After the introduction, the trailer does show a few seconds of in-game footage from Jagged Alliance Online, as bodies fly when hit with bullets and explosions rule supreme. Jagged Alliance Online will be at this month's Gamescom, and get a preview of the game's convention trailer after the jump.
Grimlands to debut at Gamescom
If bright 'n shiny sci-fi titles or valiant fantasy MMOs are too pristine for you liking, then you're most likely the sort that's looking for the next big post-apocalyptic game to grab with gusto. Grimlands looks to be a promising entry into the genre, with third-person shooter mayhem and dynamic content, and players will be able to get their first glimpse of the title at Gamescom next month in Germany. Grimlands has a number of intriguing concepts, including a learn-as-you-go skill system and player-controlled cities. Like many of gamigo's titles, Grimlands will be free-to-play, which should lower the barrier of entry for this scrappy little go-getter. Gamescom will take place from August 17th through the 21st. Along with Grimlands, gamigo will be showcasing Jagged Alliance Online and UFO Online. You can read up on gamigo's hot new lineup in our first look article. %Gallery-118860%
MMObility: Just how mobile was E3?
E3 is a massive, loud conglomeration of lights, people, and stress. I spent most of my time there walking from one end to another, trying to find a certain booth or meeting room. Luckily for me, I am in pretty good shape and felt just fine the entire time, despite the fact that I had little to eat, and worse yet, little water. At home I drink water non-stop... no soda, no coffee. Still, it was a blast. Working like that really makes a tiny reporter like yours truly feel wonderful. Conversations with developers can be very, very interesting if games are what you love. And there were games. A ton of games. A bunch. A lot. Even then, I knew the feeling that was coming over me, the familiar feeling of stumbling into a toy store or comic shop to look for goodies. I was in hog heaven but needed to find my particular fix. I needed indie, tiny or strange games. Games that ran on a toaster but worked well, browser games that would impress me, or phone games that would continue to destroy the idea that immersive, fun gameplay cannot be done on a portable device. Did I find what I was looking for? Oh, hell yes I did. Click past the cut and I will tell you all about it.
E3 2011: Gamigo goes turn-based with UFO Online and Jagged Alliance Online
Free-to-play developer gamigo, known best for titles like the up-and-coming Black Prophecy, wants to get further into the browser market... and in a big way. Later this year, the company will be releasing two new titles, both tactical, squad-based, turn-based, and browser-based and both in the Unity engine. And while both games do have some similarities, they feel very different from each other. UFO Online is set in a gloomy future of alien invasion, but players will also have to contend with defeating their fellow humans in an effort for world domination. If you like to take your turn-based gaming with a cold shot of stat- and skill-management, then you'll love UFO Online. Jagged Alliance Online plays in similar ways but is more straightforward. We sat down with gamigo at E3 for an exclusive look at the two titles, so click past the cut to read more! %Gallery-125873%
Jagged Alliance returning as an MMO
Gamigo and bitComposer Games announced today that they'll be working together to bring the classic title Jagged Alliance into the world of MMOs. Jagged Alliance Online will be a browser-based MMO, and should hold a familiar feel to those who know the game. The developers will be "keeping a popular mixture of tactics, strategy, role-play and management and transferring it to a modern MMO world," according to Gamigo's press release. Players will train and equip mercenaries, form alliances with others, accept timed mission arcs, and more within the game. The official JAO site is in German, and the developers have established a Facebook page as well so English-speaking players can keep up on the game's progression. Jagged Alliance Online is set for launch in 2011.
