OpenBeta
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Test out 'Dragon Ball FighterZ' on Nintendo Switch this August
Bandai Namco announced in June that Dragon Ball FighterZ will arrive on the Nintendo Switch in September. And now the publisher has revealed that an open beta will be available to Switch players starting in August. Bandai Namco didn't share a lot of details about the beta test, so we don't know what types of fighters or modes will be included or how long it will run.
Steam lets game developers customize their homepages
Steam has put its new Creator Homepages into open beta, letting developers and publishers customize their homepages to better show off their game catalogs. There's a lot of flexibility -- publishers can divide their portfolios up however they wish, so they could split them by genre, or fan-favorites, for example. And for new creators, or those without an extensive catalog, the space can be also be used to announce new projects or showcase concept art. Fans can follow their favorite publishers directly from their homepage to get notifications when updates, announcements or new titles are released.
'H1Z1' battle royale arrives fashionably late on PS4
The battle royale genre is certainly all the rage right now, but before Fortnite: Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Daybreak's H1Z1 was challenging players with its zombie survival sandbox. It's been a bumpy ride, however, after three years of early access H1Z1 has not only launched as a full-fledged game, it's also kicking off its PlayStation 4 open beta today.
Adventurous OnePlus 5T owners can try Android Oreo
Were you disappointed that the OnePlus 5T launched with Android Nougat despite Oreo having launched weeks earlier? You can rectify that today, if you're willing to experiment. OnePlus has posted an open OxygenOS beta that brings Oreo's features to the 5T. You now have Android 8.0 staples like picture-in-picture viewing and autofill text. The launcher also has a few tweaks, including the merger of app shortcuts and icon options as well as the option of uploading brag-worthy photos to Shot on OnePlus.
'LawBreakers' open beta runs all weekend on PC and PS4
We've had a few cracks at LawBreakers, the futuristic cops vs. robbers game from Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski and Boss Key Productions, but now anyone can play on PC and PS4. An open beta test runs until 10 AM ET Monday morning, which should be plenty of time to see if it's a worthy competitor to the likes of Overwatch. There are some new wrinkles in this beta test like direct integration with Twitch and the PS4 version is tweaked for better play on the console, so go ahead and dive in (after checking out a few tutorials) before the game officially launches on August 8th.
'Orcs Must Die! Unchained' arrives April 19 with competitive mode
Robot Entertainment is finally ready to launch its latest PC game, Orcs Must Die: Unchained. The title, which has been in an open beta since last year, arrives on April 19th with a new head-to-head mode called "Sabotage." The veteran team of ex-Halo Wars developers foreshadowed the feature last year, after first trialing a MOBA concept with tower-defense elements. "One of the things that's important to me is to maintain our humor and our feel," designer Jerome Jones said at the time.
'Evolve' continues its rebirth with new co-op mode
The asymmetric shooter Evolve is experiencing a renaissance. Reacting to dwindling player number, developer Turtle Rock made Evolve free to play, rebalanced the gameplay and promised more additions down the line. The changes, at least so far, have been a success, and now the developer is introducing a new mode that scraps the core 4-vs-1 dynamic in favor of a more traditional co-op experience. Called "The Deepest Dark," the mode sits alongside the other play options, rather than replacing them.
Play Doom's open beta all weekend on PS4, Xbox One and Steam
As promised, Doom's multiplayer open beta has arrived. It's been available to download the past few days and now you can actually play the thing. Contents include two maps and two play mode (team deathmatch and warpath), while weapons range from plasma rifles, to shotguns, lightning guns and (yes) rocket launchers. The Gauss Cannon also makes an appearance as a power weapon, and you'll even be able to play as a demon, if that's your choice in life. It's live starting today on PS4, Xbox One and Steam. It's going to be a busy month for betas: Overwatch's own is happening right now, while both GOW4 and Mirror's Edge will kick off next week.
'The Division' is getting an open beta next week
If you didn't participate in The Division's recent closed beta, don't worry -- you're going to have another chance to play the game soon. Ubisoft has announced open beta dates for its new Tom Clancy title, which will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Interestingly enough, gamers with a Microsoft console can start playing February 18th, with PS4 and PC support to come the following day. The open beta runs through February 21st, so you better enjoy it while it lasts. As a refresher, The Division launches March 8th, assuming there aren't any more unexpected delays.
GOG's Galaxy platform is one step closer to taking on Steam
It seems like just yesterday Good Old Games was giving away copies of Aliens vs. Predator to get folks to try its (optional) PC gaming service, Galaxy. Times have changed and leading into The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt's release -- the first major title debuting on the storefront -- the platform is moving from closed alpha testing into an open beta. The constant that's carrying over from the alpha is that you aren't required to participate in anything within the software. Not into automatic updates that might fix some of your favorite glitches in a game? That's totally cool; you can opt out and still keep playing. Steam and Origin aren't quite as keen on that.
Xbox One's Project Spark available to everyone starting today in beta mode
Project Spark is pretty, encourages creativity and incorporates Kinect directly. The sandbox/game-creation tool became available for Windows 8.1 users back in December, and today it's entering beta on the Xbox One as well. "Does that mean there's a new, free thing on my Xbox One?" you might be asking. Yes, yes it does. Hot dog! Project Spark isn't in the XB1 store, so how do you get it? The announcement points to a still-active beta sign-up page, so it seems that interested parties still have a few hoops to jump through before getting in. (If you're already in the Windows 8.1 beta, you're in the XB1 version.) Interestingly, there are already several entries on the store for "Spark Tokens" in 500 token increments ($4.99 equals 500); beta or not, it looks like Microsoft's interested in monetizing Spark from the jump. For the full FAQ on the beta, head right here.
Hands-on with Darkfall's Japanese open beta
I'm not very good at aiming. I prefer third person to first person view. Nintendo consoles and games are my drug of choice when I'm not on a PC. I hate duels and arenas. I tend to spend my time gathering resources or crafting and want to kill only mobs or players if I must. On the Bartle test of gamer psychology, I'm 60% Explorer/Socializer and 40% Achiever/Killer. And I loved Darkfall Online. Aside from Aventurine's little, ah, "delays," Darkfall was always a lot of fun for me, even though the guild I joined was established years before I met its members. However, when I moved to Japan, I was region-locked out of the game and unable to check out the revamped Dark Fall: Unholy Wars until recently when the Asian open beta began. I've done my best to keep up to date on the game, but reading information and playing the game are two different things. This was not so much a welcome home for me as it was a returning to my hometown after a few years to find that the buildings and local language have changed. That may sound negative to some people, and it could be, but for me, it was an adventure, which has always been something DF offers me that other games struggle to match.
LogMeIn's Cubby cloud storage service enters 'Open Beta' phase, welcomes new signups
It's been quite a few months since LogMeIn decided to explore the relatively crowded cloud-based storage space, but after months of existing as a private beta only, today the company's Cubby is finally reaching a more open stage. Essentially, this novel "Open Beta" will allow new folks to see what the fresh service is all about -- which includes 5GB of free storage space (up to 20GB more if you introduce people to the interestingly-named offering) and what Cubby's calling its "signature" DirectSync feature, one that allows for unlimited file syncing across Mac and PCs. Needless to say, with services like Dropbox, Box and Google Drive having been around for some time now, LogMeIn's Cubby certainly has its work cut out for it -- that said, it never hurts to have one too many options. Right?
PlayStation Suite's 'open beta' SDK available to download now
As promised last month, Sony has launched its PlayStation Suite SDK on open beta. Machinations have continued since November behind closed beta doors, but the free SDK is now available for anyone to download. Developers will be able to make content accessible for all PlayStation-certified devices, from the PS Vita to Sony's batch of Android phones and tablets. The official version is still pegged for launch later in 2012 and will demand an annual subscription for access. During the open beta, users can create games that use both physical buttons and touchscreen input with a PC-based simulator, test and debug those creations on willing Sony devices and debate away in the dedicated developer forum. Those with lofty game-making dreams for the PlayStation Suite can download the open beta at the source link below, but expect to sign a new contract when the full SDK goes official.
Gaikai beta goes live, brings Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, Sims 3 and Second Life demos to your browser window
Remember Gaikai, the cloud computing service that lets you demo video games in your browser window without downloading a thing? It's live, meaning it's no longer just us tech journalists that get to give it a thorough try. Provided you have a blazing fast internet connection and both Flash and Java installed, four streaming game demos are a just a click (and possibly a survey, or a short wait) away, including three EA titles (Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, The Sims 3) and Second Life. As we discovered in our initial hands-on, it's not a flawless experience even with a fantastic internet connection, but it's not meant to be -- the entire point is to allow you to adequately sample a game right before making a purchase decision. It's also a free taste of the future, and you don't see those every day.
iPhone gets UberTwitter client, BlackBerrys have one less reason to exist
If the name UberTwitter sounds familiar, that'll be because it's one of the more popular mobile Twitter clients, accounting for 10 million tweets each day from BlackBerry users around the globe. And now it's also available on the iPhone. Citing the "growing dominance" of Apple's one-device-to-rule-them-all mobile platform, the UberTwitter crew has decided to expand its offering with a new open beta, which is available to download now. The major distinguishing feature being touted is something called UberView, which allows access to links within tweets without exiting the app or opening up a new window within it. Looks a pretty slick idea, but there are still some early issues to be ironed out -- as with all beta iterations -- and a final v1.0 should be ready to do battle with Twitter's official app by the middle of December.
How to sign up for Halo 3 European beta
Xbox London Community Manager AceyBongos has amassed a list of websites where you can sign up for the Halo 3 multiplayer open beta. Fourteen countries, alphabetized from Austria to the United Kingdom, now (or will soon) have their chance to sign up for a chance to play a new-gen Master Chief before a vast majority of the world. The list has been reprinted below for your convenience.See Also: Today's hottest game video: Halo 3 "Starry Night" ad dissected [Via 1UP]
Phantasy Star Universe beta is Live
The much ballyhooed Phantasy Star Universe open beta is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Now you can slay rappies to your heart's content until October 18th. But not on the 17th. We'll let you all know how wonderful/awful it is just as soon as possible. Perhaps an impromptu Xbox 360 Fanboy clan (X360FanClan?) is in order.
No Open Beta for Burning Crusade
Lucipher from Burning Blade asks on the forums if there will be an open beta for Burning Crusade, and Eyonix says, pretty unequivocally: Nope.Well that's kind of a bummer. If you haven't got a beta key from Blizzcon, aren't rich enough to buy one, and don't know anyone who works at Blizzard, you're pretty much out of luck. In one sense, it's not really a bad thing-- playing in an open beta, especially for an expansion, is like reading a gigantic spoiler of a movie you can't wait to see. But as Lucipher says, it does mean no demo for the Burning Crusade. Either you'll be paying full price to check out the new talents, dungeons, and races, or you won't be playing them at all. Then again, are there still people out there who haven't decided whether they're getting the expansion or not? I would guess that by now you know what you're going to do once that box hits stores.Of course, you could go the cynical route. Tyrus from Executus points out (not uninsightfully), that "open beta will be the 6 months after BC goes retail of course." It's funny-- because it's probably true.
