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Bungie enlisting beta testers with chance to get in on secret project
Look, it's likely that Bungie's next game is going to be a casual, monster-collecting/kart-racing/trivia/MMA fighting game. Don't you want to get in on that -- on the ground floor? You could be among the first to try Bungie's upcoming, unannounced opus by signing up to become a "Bungie Beta Tester" on the studio's forums. Enlisting in this manner makes you eligible to participate in playtests, surveys and -- as the title suggests -- alpha and beta tests, but Bungie notes, "Not all who enlist will be selected." Signing up for a chance to participate in a beta test for a game that hasn't even been announced yet may sound kinda odd, but it's a much saner idea than becoming a "Bungee Beta Tester," which is better suited for crash test dummies and other human-shaped things.
Heroes to test Champions Online free-to-play
Defender, the greatest hero of all time in Champions Online, has begun choosing a select group of players to test out the new free-to-play version of Cryptic's superhero MMO. Would you like to get in on the action saving Millennium City from Doctor Destroyer while helping the developers mold the F2P experience? Well, don't worry: If you are already a subscriber to CO, then you are in the pool of potential participants. Be sure to periodically peruse your inbox for an invite. Beta testing is set to begin tomorrow, November 9th. For those who have not heard the news from last week, Champions Online has joined the growing number of MMOs that are going free-to-play. Cryptic has announced a new payment model as well as a new structure for skill building. The developers assure us you will be able to play the game to max-level as well as encounter your nemesis without paying a dime. For full details about what the "Play Your Way" model has to offer, be sure to check out the Champions official site. F2P Champions is set to launch at the beginning of next year. The next free champion is you!
Ultima Online's high seas move into open beta
It's difficult for an MMO to be any longer in the tooth than the venerable Ultima Online, a game whose presence and launch has defined much of the genre for years. But the game hasn't stopped updating or running through its long history -- in fact, the game is expanding yet again in the near future. The High Seas booster pack, a mini-expansion for the game, has just gone into open beta, complete with a new dedicated forum and FAQ for players looking forward to an array of nautical adventures. When the booster goes live, every Ultima Online player will benefit from enhanced boat movement. Players who purchase the $15 expansion, however, will also receive a plethora of oceanic improvements, including improved ship combat, paintable boats, fish markets, and NPC ship combat allowing you to attack both pirates and merchant vessels. Add in new ship types, and players will be well-served on their nautical ventures by the expansion. You can take part in the open beta now, or just keep your eye on the main forums for discussion of the experience.
Is Microsoft quietly opening up a Kinect beta program?
Well what do we have here? It appears our friends over at Joystiq have received word from diligent tipsters that Microsoft's Connect customer feedback service is sending out Kinect beta program invites. Details are predictably sparse, but naming ironies aside, the note does specify that chat will be limited only to those involved in the preview program. While this isn't really surprising given the context, Joystiq surmises that this choice clarification could hint invitees will have the chance to sample the video chat app available through the Kinect's new dashboard, which was shown off at E3. Unfortunately, Ballmer and crew have yet to lend any official credence to these murmurs, though apparently the email address behind these notes is valid. It's also not that outrageous to imagine Microsoft wanting to spin Kinect's wheels in the wild before releasing it to the unwashed gaming masses on its official November 4th launch date. Considering the program would have to put hardware in the hands of testers though to pull something like this off, we're counting on more than a few overly excited gamers shining additional light on the situation should things get serious.
The Mog Log: What we know we don't know
All of the information we've been getting about the Final Fantasy XIV beta has us spoiled beyond belief. Really, it'd be best if we just stopped looking for a while, because we're in knee-deep, and we aren't getting a clear picture any longer. Which would be bad enough if not for the fact that we're all pretty sure we know exactly what's going on in the game. I found it interesting from the beginning that Square-Enix told players outright that the beta testing was going to be neutered, for lack of a better term. There are huge chunks of stuff that we know are meant for the game eventually but don't presently exist in the actual test client... stuff that we know nothing about aside from its promised existence. So it's not really fair to judge Final Fantasy XIV just on what we know without considering what we know we don't know. And thus, we're writing this column to let everyone know what we know we don't know. You know?
Who wants to be in a seekret beta test? [Updated, closed]
Normally on Massively we love offering you giveaways and beta keys and all sorts of goodies for reading our site. And, normally, we tell you where all of these fantastic prizes and keys are coming from. Companies love that we, essentially, promote their games, and you guys love having the chance to check out new games. It's a win/win. Today's beta opportunity is a bit different. Very different, in fact! Today's post is regarding a super seekret beta test that we're not allowed to name in public. Shhhhh. What we can tell you, though, is that the game is from a prominent game developer, and the company is looking for 100 volunteers to provide feedback on the game during a focused testing phase this weekend. Currently, gamers from the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany are eligible to volunteer. If you're interested in playing a mysterious game this weekend, send an email to sera@massively.com with the subject "Beta Test Volunteer." If you're one of the first 100 people to mail me, I'll respond back to you with a key to the test and instructions on how to download and play the game. Remember though: This is a serious test! The devs at this company are looking for feedback on their game, and they're hoping you're willing to give it to them! So if you're up for it, mail away! [Update: Bolded the e-mail address and the subject line, because apparently many of you did not see the requested subject line. I love you all, even when you send me e-mails with crazy subjects. ~Sera] [Update 2: Holy heck guys! I hit over 500 e-mails in 20 minutes. Looks like I have my 100 participants! Thank you for your interest!]
Phase 2 arrives tonight for Final Fantasy XIV's testers
Whether you're playing to find potentially game-breaking bugs or just to get a sense of the game before it launches, betas are a magical time for all involved. Specifically, the magic of Final Fantasy XIV's beta has been the sort of magic that ends the world every so often. But luckily for everyone involved in the testing, tonight is the start of phase 2 of the testing, and that marks an important change in the nature of the tests. Prior to this point, testing was only available when the servers were up, which was not constant. Starting tonight at 7:00 PM PDT (or 10:00 PM EDT), the servers will be up at all times for the second phase of testing. That's according to an official tweet on the game's Twitter feed, which is good news for any and all testers of Final Fantasy XIV. No word yet on whether or not phase 3 involves profit, but the increased availability should be profitable to the players.
We've got your key for The Lord of the Rings Online F2P beta test!
Step right up here friends, I said step right up! How would you, yes you, like to try out the title that has been 'causin a ruckus among us? That's right, friend, I'm talking about the one, the only, the hobbittastic Lord of the Rings Online™! But I'm not talkin' about the one that's already out there, friend! I'm talkin' about the one that's coming -- the free to play version! Are you gamer enough to take it on? All right, circus barker speech aside, our friends over at Turbine have supplied us with a special code for those of you who want to get in on the Lord of the Rings Online beta! However, there is a catch to this code -- it can only be used for 500 Massively readers who will be invited to the beta when the next wave of invites goes out. Want more information, as well as the code you'll need to enter when you sign up for the beta? Not a problem, just skip past the break for all of the information you'll need!
Cataclysm Beta: Mage talents and specializations
Let me begin by telling you I had an Arcane Brilliance column about halfway done last week before a family health emergency intervened, preventing me from finishing it. The column was going to be all about predicting what the new revamped talent trees were going to be like. Now that Cataclysm beta build 12479 has dropped upon us like manna in the desert, the entirety of that now-ancient text is so outdated as to be worthless. Let me assure you that it was witty, and brilliant, and possibly mankind's greatest written work -- art of such singular value that small children would have been taught of it from textbooks with my picture upon their covers. But, alas, now it is gone, relegated forever to a remote corner of my hard drive, never to be seen by human eyes. The literary world mourns. Still, I was able to salvage one small fragment of it. It is but one of a batch of haiku I wrote about Improved Polymorph. I will reprint it here, because whatever else this monumental beta build has altered, my passion for this new talent remains. improved polymorph flaming warlock sheep corpses snuffleupagus On second thought, perhaps it's best that no more of that sees the light of day. Anyway, let's move on the rest of the awesomeness.
Need For Speed World races its last warm-up lap in a stress test
Need For Speed World is preparing for starting flag! Today and tomorrow, the developers of this highly anticipated action MMO are rounding the final lap with a stress test. And you are invited! This free-to-play action-racing persistent world closed its beta last week with high marks among fans, and, per the norm, developers need to test the server capacity. The race to stress EA's servers begins July 13th at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT), and the checkered flag flies on July 14th at 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT). To celebrate this special event, all rental restrictions have been lifted. That means even at level 1 you can rent any car you would like. This is your chance to test drive that Porsche that you could only ogle during beta testing. As an added bonus, each player will receive 8000 SpeedBoost power-ups. Also, if you are one of the top five racers in the Community Sprint Race Competition for car tiers 1, 2 and 3, the starter pack is yours for free. This packaged upgrade to your account sells for $19.95 in the EA Store and allows you to progress beyond level 10 and obtain a Toyota Corolla AE86. Drive on over to world.needforspeed.com now for your last chance to feed your Need For Speed before the game's official launch!
Vindictus enters closed beta
Blood, guts, and shiny graphics -- if you've been waiting to see more of Nexon's upcoming gritty MMO, Vindictus, then we've got good news for you. Or, potentially good news if you're quick! According to a message that just recently went out from the Vindictus Facebook page, Nexon is now accepting applicants for the first round of closed beta testing! However, before you charge over to their site, be warned -- this isn't your typical free-to-play closed beta sign-up. Once you've logged into your Nexon account and hit the shiny button to apply, you will actually be taken to a short application form that will ask you not only about your gaming history, but what you're looking forward to in Vindictus, and what you expect to gain from being on the front line of beta testers. If we had to guess, it sounds like they're actually looking for testers as opposed to people who would simply like to use closed beta as an early free trial -- something they seem to be discouraging if that form is any indication. Nonetheless, if you're interested in slaying bugs while slaying monsters, then head on over to the Vindictus site and get signed up for the closed beta before July 19th. From there, you'll have to check back on the 22nd to see if you got in. [Note: We are told that the signups are being restricted to the US & Canada only at this time.] [Thanks, Adam!] [Updated]
Cataclysm beta testing: Choosing to opt out
This article has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that puts your words on WoW.com. Burning with desire to slip into the Cataclysm beta test, grab a goblin or worgen and run wild? Not these players. We asked readers to tell us why they do or do not want to participate in Cataclysm beta testing -- and while plenty affirmed their beta aspirations with desperately ardent pleas, we found ourselves more intrigued by the reasoning of those who said they weren't interested. Why would they pass up this opportunity of a gaming lifetime? What could they possibly hope to be doing for fun, instead? Read on to hear the opinions of three players on why, when it comes to Cataclysm beta testing, they will be opting out.
Call for submissions: Do you want to be in the Cataclysm beta?
Are you pining for a Cataclysm beta invitation? Do you love testing new encounters? Is your guild eager to "practice" as many raid encounters as possible? Are you in a hurry to see everything the expansion can offer? ... Or do you want to wait until everything is completely ready, pure as driven snow? Are you shunning the very topic of beta testing, waiting patiently until Cataclysm goes live? WoW.com is looking for a guest article featuring your best arguments for or against participating in the beta of the game you already know and love. Why do you want to -- or not want to -- be a Cataclysm beta tester? Explain your position thoroughly, pro or con, in 500 words or less. As with all guest post call-outs, only the best submissions will be accepted. Here's what to do: read up about the Seed guest writer program, sign up (we won't accept submissions under pen names or character names), and then submit your article (you can't see the article page unless you have a Seed account). Unfortunately, we are currently only able to take submissions from individuals living in the United States; we hope to be able to accept international submissions in the future. We'll accept submissions for this call-out until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 20. If you have questions, you can email seed (at) wow (dot) com.
Grab some keys for the closed beta test of Martial Empires!
If you're big on splling the blood of your enemies with flashy moves, then we might have the beta key giveaway for you! Our friends over at Gamigo recently gave us 1,000 beta test keys for their newest MMO, Martial Empires! Martial Empires is their new free-to-play MMO, sporting PvPvE content like Aion crossed with an odd little gambling mechanism called "jackpot." Jackpot allows you to bet special points gained through questing and mob hunting on a mini-game that pays out with special prizes for use in the game. It's luck crossed with the blood of your enemies, so why not give it a go? If you're looking to jump into this closed beta, then follow this link over to our key giveaway page and follow the instructions there. Soon enough, you'll have a Martial Empires account set up and you'll be wreaking havoc like the best of them! But remember, we only have 1,000 keys, so act fast!
Marketcircle announces Billings Pro, needs beta testers
Marketcircle, the Canadian software firm that brought you Daylite, Daylite Touch, Billings, and Billings Touch has just announced the next generation of their time-tracking and billing solution. Billings Pro takes advantage of many of the features built into other Marketcircle products and takes Billings to a new level as a multi-user application. The new application will include a server piece (like Daylite), a way to use the application offline and then sync to the server (once again built upon Daylite), over-the-air sync (as with Daylite Touch), and Marketcircle's expertise in desktop and mobile user interfaces. The application is still in development, and beta testing won't begin for a few months yet. If you're an existing Billings user and would like to receive consideration as a possible beta tester, fill out this online form and you may hear from Marketcircle in a few months. At this time, no ship date or price has been determined for Billings Pro.
Love counts down to the launch of beta, account holders play free
While everyone's off enjoying the holidays, there's no rest for Eskil Steenberg. The one man of the one-man-MMO team is working hard though the holidays, putting together 26 major new features for the introduction of the Love beta test. While the features are secret, Eskil is updating his Twitter account with information on the new features as he completes them. Once all 26 items are done, Eskil will be updating Love and sending the game into beta. Currently the features look quite interesting -- such as new specialized settlements, sound pathing for the game, letting the game's AI use teleporter guns, a new building type (prisons), and something that is only referred to as "armageddon." Whatever the heck armageddeon is, it sounds awesome.
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.
Closed beta test for Mabinogi in Europe has begun
Hey Europe! Did you guys feel left out of the fun when we talked about Mabinogi? Well worry no more, as the free-to-play multi-faceted game is coming to your shores finally! (Which is kinda funny when you think about it, as Mabinogi is a Celtic-based game and is just now getting released in Europe.) If you're looking for a beta key to jump into the test with, you can find the complete list of sites that are offering keys over on the Mabinogi EU website. To accompany the game's launch, Nexon EU is hosting the first event of the game, the Mabinogi Fan Club. The most dedicated beta testers will win this event, as those who submit the most bug reports with significance will find themselves rewarded with a three month subscription to Mabinogi's "Fantasy Life" service package. The beta testing ends on December 30th with a huge fireworks blowout, so enjoy the closed beta test while you can!
Over 8,000 updates and bug fixes in latest MAG beta update
Looks like a certain beta testing community hasn't neglected its duties as a stalwart lookout for bugs, errors and other unsavory in-game snafus. This morning, Zipper Interactive launched a patch for the MAG beta client which includes over 8,000 updates and bug fixes. The patch will be automatically downloaded and installed next time you hop into the Shadow War. A brief synopsis of the important changes can be found after the jump. We elected to not include the full list of 8,000 updates, as it would have delayed this post until mid-April, at which point it would have been fairly useless to you.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation starts beta, blink and you'll miss it
Have you ever felt like a game or expansion is languishing forever in beta? Soul of the Ultimate Nation, the upcoming free-to-play MMORPG from developer WEBZEN, has an interesting approach to this particular problem -- they're running a short beta. A very short beta. A beta so short that it's easy to miss it until it's almost over. A three-day beta, specifically. That might sound like a recipe for disaster, but it might not be. According to the official press release, the game has already been running for quite some time in Asia, and the beta is primarily for the global version of the game which is going live at the end of the month. In order to appeal to more players, the developers are giving away free items to players who take part in the beta test, including those which are normally part of the game's microtransaction system. If you're interested in checking out Soul of the Ultimate Nation and want to get your hands on these items, of course, you'd better hurry -- the beta is ending October 16th, with the global version officially launching at the end of October.
