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MapleStory 2 shows off a new trailer for G-Star 2014
MapleStory 2 looks pretty different from its predecessor, but it still has its heart in the right place. You can see some of that on display in the game's latest trailer, released as part of the G-Star 2014 festivities going on right now in South Korea. The are ducklings to ride, walls to climb, and boss monsters for huge numbers of players to desperately thwack at until they die. Nature of the beast and all. The game's next beta test has also been confirmed for January of next year, although it will not be a global test at this time. This new test will include 32 new areas for players to explore, more classes to play, and a new Shadow World with open PvP. More player customization and creation options will be unlocked as well. While you might not be able to participate in the test yourself, it'll at least help to know it's hurtling toward completion.
Firefall beta weekend schedule released [Updated]
If you've been watching Firefall from afar, salivating over news tidbits and dreaming of one day getting to actually play the game yourself, today is a very special day. Not because you get into the game today, of course, but because there's finally a schedule for when you can expect to play. No, there isn't a release date. There is, however, a beta weekend schedule! Starting on November 9th, November 30th, and December 7th, the betas will run for 48 hours. During each of those weekends, there'll be a specific theme to the testing. You'll have a chance to call down thumpers like a lunatic, wage war against indigenous wildlife, and beat back the Chosen. Get more information or sign up on the beta page on the official site. Note that not everyone who signs up is guaranteed access; the team will be sending out invites to registered players in batches throughout the beta weekends. [Update: We've clarified that not everyone who signs up is guaranteed a spot in the beta, though with the planned stress tests, your chances look pretty good!]
MechWarrior Online celebrates open beta with a new trailer
MechWarrior Online has been in open beta testing for a week now. What better way to celebrate than with a snazzy new trailer? (There is no better way.) If you're a fan of MWO and its franchise, you're probably part of the open beta already. If you're not already partaking, consider this your official reminder that this is likely the best way to get a sample of the game -- and you'll be helping the team make the game better at the same time! And if you're not a fan, perhaps this trailer can entice you. Skip below the cut to see the video in all its mech-on-mech glory.
RIFT's Storm Legion beta open to all Trion account holders
The time for RIFT's Storm Legion expansion is almost upon us. The expansion goes live for keeps on the 13th of November, but if that's too long to wait, you're in luck! The latest and greatest beta test is open to all Trion account holders. We're guessing you're probably one of those if you're interested in the RIFT expansion. The open beta test runs from 1:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the 2nd until 11:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday the 7th. All of the expansion's seven dungeons are available for testing, as are all the leveling zones and a battle with Crucia herself. Full details (and a link to download the beta client) can be found on the official beta page. What are you waiting for, hero?
CCP's DUST 514 will stay in closed beta into 2013
CCP's DUST 514, the console shooter that connects to and extends the scope of EVE Online, is staying in closed beta at least through the end of the year. During a recent media and developer play session, Chief Marketing Officer David Reid mentioned that while the team doesn't yet have a start date for open beta, he's "confident that it won't be much longer after year end." Reid stated that the team wants to take its time with the beta. Nobody has ever really attempted this sort of connection between a console game and long-standing PC MMO before, and Reid says that the testing process will take time to ensure the kind of quality that CCP and fans expect of the game. This is, of course, terrible news for anyone who isn't a PlayStation Plus member (and is therefore unable to access the closed beta), since we all know that the world is going to end in late December. CCP's belief that the world will persist long enough for DUST 514 to go into open beta is noble, if ultimately foolish.
Steam Big Picture beta hands-on
Been keeping up with Steam's Big Picture interface? Then you probably know it's already in beta. The 10-foot UI hopes to help Valve's content distribution portal get comfortable in front of your couch, offering gamers access to their favorite PC titles from a gamepad-friendly interface. We piped the beta out to our own living room to take a look, and weren't surprised to find a sleek attractive UI with a heap of polish. That said, we were glad we didn't leave our mouse and keyboard at the office.
NYT: Steam's Big Picture public beta begins Monday
Can't wait to use Steam's forthcoming Big Picture mode to game from the comfort of your couch? Well, you're in luck, because it might be ready for a test drive tomorrow. According to The New York Times, the living room-friendly user interface is getting the public beta treatment starting Monday. Gabe Newell let loose last month that both the TV-geared view and Steam for Linux betas would be "out there fairly quickly," but there's still no word on when the Ubuntu-bound preview will land. In the meantime, we'll keep busy by gawking at Valve's augmented reality headset, which the NYT got a glimpse of during a trip to the firm's headquarters, at the source link below.
Would we want content that hasn't been tested?
Lately, the EU forums have been on my must-read list due to posts like this one. Poster Ask (no sign of Embla) posed the question, as it is right and appropriate that Ask should do, of whether or not Blizzard could or should release new content without there being a PTR or beta for it. I wasn't even done sputtering yet when CM Takralus pretty much said what I would have, were I not busy sputtering. Takralus - "New" content and an idea New content must be tested. Many, many players enjoy being able to test and give their feedback on upcoming new content, and we put that feedback to good use. But, many more people do not test it, and first experience it when the content is actually released. The simple truth is that if you do not want to see maps and tactics for upcoming content, it's not too hard to avoid. Neither of those are things that will burn into your mind, never to be forgotten. The day WoW launched, even that had first been through an alpha and then beta test, where people could play and give feedback for months :P source Even with beta tests, bugs get through. Anyone remember Sinestra? At the time Paragon killed her, they talked about the fight and its issues. One of those issues was that Paragon was one of the first guilds to really see Sinestra, and as a result, the fight had bugs that were not discovered until after Paragon began seriously pushing for the kill. In other words, not testing Sinestra on the PTR had consequences that may be acceptable with a single fight that only a few players will even see while it is current and that will be fixed by the time other guilds go back while outgearing it. These consequences would absolutely be ruinous if they were felt by everyone attempting to do normal-mode raiding content. To a degree, not running a PTR or beta test is irresponsible on Blizzard's part, especially with content meant for the majority of players. I really think the responsibility for walking into a raid fresh, unspoiled by tips or beta testers, is on the players. Better we have some spoilers than untested content. And yes, we had both an alpha and a beta for World of Warcraft. They didn't translate to having everyone know everything when it went live. Heck, half the time, it just confused you because stuff changed so much. I really fall on the side of those who appreciate beta testing. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Ask Massively: Overwhelming changes edition
I have to be honest, the Caitian Carrier for Star Trek Online kind of makes me want to give the game a shot again. I liked it when I played it before, but I just had no time to play it on top of everything else. But then I think about all the work I'd need to do just to get caught up to normal, and... yeah, that's about the point when my gumption evaporates. Still, though. Carrier. In other and far more relevant news, it's time for this week's installment of Ask Massively, which talks about the cycle of game announcement and subsequent disappointment. (Apropos of the recent beta weekends for The Secret World, naturally.) If you've got a question you would like to see answered in a future installment of the column, send it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Next beta weekend for The Secret World announced
If you enjoyed the first peek into the secrets of Funcom's upcoming game, you'll be happy to know that The Secret World's second beta event has already been announced. The next weekend event starts on May 18th at noon EDT and runs until May 21st at 3:00 a.m. EDT. Several European sites will be giving away keys for this particular beta, but players who have pre-ordered the game beforehand will automatically have access to this event. The new event will feature a number of new areas, quests, and storylines. Players can learn more about the residents of Kingsmouth who have held out despite the town's current state as well as meet representatives of the Orochi Corporation observing the dark occurrences. Plus, all of the previous weekend's content will be available, so if you didn't get a chance to take part in the last test, you'll have plenty to explore within the horror-filled world.
The Daily Grind: What do you forgive in a beta?
If you've logged into the Guild Wars 2 beta this weekend, you've gotten an experience that's very different from what the final game will look like. For starters, the final game will probably not have several hundred people clustering around every single event like rabid concert attendees at all hours. It's easy to forgive that as a fluke and a byproduct of the fact that this is the first time many players have gotten to play the game at all. Of course, for some players, that experience in beta is going to define their impression of the game all around. Similarly, some players are going to assume that a buggy beta will have a buggy launch, even if by the time launch rolls around, most of the bugs have been ruthlessly squashed. So what do you forgive in a beta? Do you turn a blind eye to the community or population issues? Do you grin and bear missing objectives or unclear quests? Or do you offer no respite to a game no matter how early in the testing you might be? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Lichborne: Testing notes and goals for death knights in the Mists of Pandaria beta
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. With the Mists of Pandaria beta test under way, I'm reminded of an interesting discussion I've seen going around the death knight community. Coming out of Wrath, we were most definitely seen as overpowered, and starting a few patches later, we started off on a balance roller coaster we've never quite disembarked from, getting nerfs, de-nerfs, tweaks, and even the removal or redesign of entire spells and systems. Some argue that we could have avoided this by being more thorough and honest while beta testing in Wrath. By not only advocating for what we needed but being honest that some stuff (such as, say, the stun effect on Death and Decay) was overpowered, we might have avoided a lot of heartache down the road. Whether you believe this is true or not, it does highlight the importance of beta testing. Blizzard certainly has its own internal numbers and testing methods, but for those of us lucky enough to get hands on in the beta, this is our chance to help make sure our class gets through this great period of balancing. This week, let's look at a few things we'll need to focus on when we finally get those invites and get to beta test our death knights.
Massively Exclusive: ArcheAge's Jake Song on consensual PvP, inflation, and more
ArcheAge news has been a bit sporadic of late, and it's also been quite some time since we talked to the devs or took a spin through one of the game's closed beta phases. Like many of you, we're dying to know more about XL Games' forthcoming fantasy sandpark, so we went straight to the source to see if we could drum up anything new. Lead designer Jake Song was kind enough to field a few of our burning questions, and we're pleased to present you with another Massively ArcheAge exclusive that touches on everything from localization and story to consensual PvP and item decay. Join us after the break for that and more.
