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Microsoft Flight accepting beta applications, fasten seatbelt sign on
Microsoft Flight, a revamped, streamlined flight simulator-slash-game, is accepting applications for its beta program right now. The Microsoft Flight beta is scheduled to begin in January, and the dev team is accepting applications via Microsoft Connect for some brave pilots to try it before everyone else rides it. Applications sent to the Microsoft Flight email will not be reviewed for the beta, so do it right, or don't do it at all. Remember, when you're handling a 100-foot steel tube 32,000 feet above the earth, you only get one chance to get it perfect.
Gamescom 2011: The Secret World launching April 2012 [Updated]
The secret is out: Funcom announced today at Gamescom that it will launch The Secret World in April 2012. The highly anticipated title revolves around secret societies, real-world conspiracies, urban legends, and tricky mysteries. This launch will put the title in a head-to-head battle with TERA, which releases next spring as well. Funcom also said that it will be inviting players to register starting August 26th for the upcoming beta. The invitation process will be made through "an interactive social media campaign," keeping with the title's fondness for ARGs and viral campaigning. We'll be keeping an eye on Funcom this week to see what the company has to say about its launch plans. [Updated: Hit the jump to watch the newest trailer for The Secret World!] %Gallery-118804%
Drakensang Online moving into closed beta
If game development had trending topics a la Twitter, "play in your browser" would be at the top of the list. After all, a game you can play in your browser takes all of the slow download and install times out of the equation. Drakensang Online is the latest such game in development heading for a release, with the closed beta having just begun. If you've never heard of the game before now, don't fret -- applications for testers are still being accepted. How much social interaction will be present in the game remains to be seen, although the game's page boasts that players can engage in battle with and against other players around the world. There's a definite Diablo vibe to the screenshots and the trailers, so if that's up your alley, it might well be worth taking a look at the game during its beta testing phase. [Thanks to B1GG1N for the tip!]
APB blog talks beta applications, information security
Welcome back to the weekly APB Reloaded update. This time around, GamersFirst has a followup to last week's beta application deadline announcement. APB's beta application process is a bit different than the norm, and GamersFirst producer Jon "Neume" Merriex has penned a lengthy blog entry that aims to fill in the gaps. In addition to reviewing the game's beta key redemption process, the entry touches on the time-honored tradition of fudging your beta app in the hope of presenting a more appealing tester profile (and thus increasing your selection chances). "In the end, if you do fill out the form accurately and completely, we expect that the vast majority of beta applicants will in fact get closed beta access well before the roll out of the open beta," Merriex writes. Finally, this week's post spends a bit of time on your personal information, and more specifically, the sharing of it with third parties. In a nutshell, GamersFirst pledges to keep your email address, phone number, credit card number, and other valuable bits of data both secret and safe. Information sharing from beta participants "is always aggregated, such as '85% of our players are male between the ages of 18 and 25,'" Merriex says. Head to the official APB Reloaded blog for more specifics.
Rift's closed beta to start December 3rd
Been holding your breath waiting for Rift: Planes of Telara -- now renamed just Rift -- to announce the much-anticipated closed beta phase? Well, pass out no longer, for Trion Worlds has announced that Rift's next phase of testing will commence on December 3rd. Rift's closed beta will take the form of limited duration events, in which select players will be allowed to get their hands on the title and hopefully report bugs as faithful playtesters. You may recall that there are a few different pools of beta applicants that Trion is choosing from, up to and including the coveted VIP key-holders who will be invited to every beta event. If selected from the pools for testing, players will be notified a few days in advance with setup instructions. The first beta event will be called "Rise of the Defiant" and will include the first 20 levels of content, the Defiant beginner zone and the land of Freemarch. Trion's Scott Hartsman is celebrating the move from alpha to beta testing: "This is a momentous event for the entire Trion team, as well as the fans that have been following Rift since we first announced the game. We've created this deep, vibrant world that's just waiting to be populated with enthusiastic players, and our hope is that gamers will enjoy playing the game as much as we've enjoyed building it." As we can attest, Rift is shaping up nicely so far. If you want to be considered for the closed beta events, head on over to Rift's website to apply.
Final Fantasy XIV beta applications now open
There's something to shout about if you're looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV -- the game is now accepting applicants for its beta testing. We've heard that the game is slated for release some time next year, but this is one of the obvious indicators that it's closer than we might have thought. So if you're as excited about the prospect of getting to play the game as some of us, you probably clicked that link before you read any further. Anyone still reading, of course, should be apprised of some minor conditionals first. The test is only open to those 18 years of age or older capable of submitting reports in fluent Japanese, English, French, or German. (Luckily it's not in all four at once.) You'll also need to be connected to the Internet and capable of downloading large amounts of data, but that's de riguer for MMOs, so it merits less of a mention. There will be multiple rounds of testing, with each one adding further testers, and the official page states that testers will be evaluated based on their application rather than order in which they applied. That doesn't mean that Final Fantasy XIV fans shouldn't hurry on over -- but you've probably already done that back in the first paragraph.
APB accepting beta applicants, looking for soundtrack contributions
In our minds, there are three types of people in the world -- folks who want to get their hands on Realtime Worlds' cops-and-robbers MMO APB with all available haste, folks who couldn't care less about the game, and, of course, folks who are members of self-promoting indie bands. We've got great news for the first group -- you can now sign-up for the APB beta on the game's official site. The application is a bit ... thorough (ethnicity? Marital status? Income range?), but confidentiality is assured. Fret not, second group -- it's not like it's mandatory or anything.Look lively, third group -- the recently updated APB site also has a section where you can license your music for the game's soundtrack. It has to be an original composition, however -- we're afraid you'll have to save your hardcore Postal Service covers for your throngs of MySpace fans.[Thanks, XIII!]
Earthrise beta signups begin
Fans of massively multiplayer online games who think fantasy settings are getting a bit stale are looking at other genres to explore -- namely the upcoming sci-fi MMO titles soon to arrive. One such game that we've been keeping tabs on at Massively is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMO currently in development. We recently mentioned that Earthrise would be taking beta signups at the end of 2008, and the team at Masthead Studios kept their promise: Earthrise beta signups have begun. Earthrise's Community Manager, Moll, let prospective players know the details about the stages of beta on the game's official forums. If you're excited about getting an early hands-on with Earthrise, you'll want to check out the Q&A there before going ahead and filling out the beta application, which could get you into the fray on Enterra Island soon.[Thanks Aron]
