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Star Conflict launches September 4th
Sci-fi space sim MMO Star Conflict has today announced its official launch date: September 4th. The EVE-like soft-launched as an open beta title on Steam last year; this formal release will include a special invasion mode still currently in closed beta. What's invasion mode? Invasion Mode features an underlying story in which an alien race that disappeared into another dimension of space and time has now returned to invade and conquer. Players must team up in parties of four to explore the new 'Open Space' area and combine forces as they take on new quests and engage in PvP and PvE battles. These new activities provide new loot, which players can use to construct unique armament options and protection for their spaceships. While the game is ostensibly free-to-play, it offers half a dozen purchaseable DLC packs running from $19.99 to $79.99. [Source: Press release]
Star Conflict adds Invasion and Observer modes
Gaijin Entertainment's Star Conflict was updated recently with a new Invasion and Observer mode, as well as several UI and bug fixes as the game continues its beta testing (but is technically launched on Steam) this month. The space-based MMO's Invasion mode is described as a PvE and PvP game feature that allows players to join up against alien invaders. This includes quests, resource gathering, and crafting to work toward certain goals. Be sure to check out the video embedded after the cut below as well as the official patch notes for more information. [Thanks to Simon for the tip!]
Star Conflict adds a fleet of tier five ships
While it soft launched on Steam a while back, Star Conflict is still in technical beta, awaiting a technical kiss from a technical prince to become an officially released game. The strategic space sim hasn't been biding its time doing nothing, however; Star Conflict just released patch 0.9.0, and with it, a new tier of ships. Players can check out the new tier five ships, which include 27 fun varieties and complementing implants. All ships are less expensive and will be easier to visually customize now, with cheaper prices for decals and colors. Other improvements rolled out in patch 0.9.0 include a redesigned weapons system, a better PvE menu, new hangers, and a cool PvE mission that challenges pilots to attack a pirate space station and rescue a few scientists.
Ask Massively: A new era of soft launches
Neverwinter soft launched this week. What's a soft launch? It's when a game really shouldn't be launching yet and knows it and yet has to launch anyway for reasons probably involving money. Soft launches are incredibly confusing to old school gamers who are used to a certain kind of testing and release cycle, the uncomplicated kind that involves, you know, some testing and a release. Soft launches make games writers uncomfortable too. Why won't your weird special snowflake of a game launch fit into our perfectly planned box? Massively reader zmeul expressed his annoyance with us thusly: "I can't understand why some games get this 'soft launch' from you and others do not, even if the criteria are met." It's a brave new world out there, zmeul!
Star Conflict launches on Steam
It's been a while since we've heard from Star Conflict, the free-to-play PvP-based space sim that entered beta last year. But it didn't completely fall off the face of the, uh, galaxy -- folks who want to take command of a battleship and seek fame and fortune in space can now access the game on Steam. In a setting 3,000 years after colonists left Earth, pilots in Star Conflict take part in an interplanetary skirmish as they vie for their piece of the pie in a remote corner of the galaxy called Sector 1337. According to Steam, the game has full audio support for both English and Russian and offers three different DLC packs starting at $14.99. Star Conflict can be played on PC or Mac. [Thanks to Bartillo for the tip!]
Star Conflict blasts into beta
Star Conflict may not be the MMO on everyone's tongue right now, but give it time -- it might just catch on. The gestating title from Star Gem Inc. has passed through the beta barrier and is looking for testers to help take it to the cosmos and beyond. Star Conflict is a free-to-play PvP-based game in which players team up to launch fully armed spaceships at each other in the hopes of winning a game of galactic chicken. It's set over 3,000 years from now, when factions battle over a discovered planet containing important ancient technology. Players begin their careers as wealthy mercs who have enough money to buy a few ships and outfit them the way they want. From there, players will join one of six factions and engage in instanced PvP maps. Star Conflict has several game modes in which factions look to extend dominion over each other. You can sign up for Star Conflict's beta today, and be sure to check out the first teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think! [Thanks to our tipster for the heads-up!]
