beta-weekend
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Otherland's first beta weekend begins on August 31st
The few, the proud, the Otherland closed beta testers! Players interested in testing the upcoming free-to-play fantasy and sci-fi mixed MMORPG should keep an eye on their email; Gamigo has announced that the first closed beta test for Otherland will be happening this weekend. From August 31st until September 2nd, select accounts will be given access to the beta. This first test weekend, however, will be kept relatively small. Otherland Product Manager Florian Hörpel stated, "A small, manageable group of accounts will be given access to the servers for the first closed-beta weekend. This is because we want to get a feel for the limits of the systems." Interested players who do not receive an invitation this time around shouldn't despair -- they will have the chance to join in future beta events. Sign-ups to participate are on the official site. [Source: Gamigo press release]
Guild Wars 2 posts online manual, talks economy and art
One of the unsung heroes of MMOs is the economist -- the guy or gal in charge of making sure that supply and demand doesn't get all wonky. Whether you think about in-game economy or not, its function impacts everyone. For ArenaNet, the man in charge of keeping Guild Wars 2's money ship float is John Smith, and he's created an interesting infographic showing the state of the economy from the beta process. From the chart, Smith deduces many interesting trends that may or may not play out in the live game. The largest sources of income during the beta were rewards, followed by dynamic events and tasks, while the most frequently traded items were crafting materials. He notes that an abnormal percentage of players gravitated to jewelcrafting as a profession, although he speculates that this was because of the temporary nature of the beta. Smith even compares the rate of gems to gold to Facebook's recent IPO and finds a similar pattern therein. Keeping up with the information reveals, ArenaNet has released the online manual for Guild Wars 2 that covers everything from "getting started" to "competitive play." If the economy and manual don't interest you, perhaps art does. MSNBC interviewed Art Director Daniel Dociu about the look of Guild Wars 2, and you can watch it right here after the break.
End of Nations second closed beta event scheduled for early August
This cold war... just got hot! Now that we've got cheesy movie poster taglines out of the way, let's talk about End of Nations' upcoming closed beta event. Trion Worlds announced that the event is scheduled for August 3rd, starting at 12:01 a.m. EDT and going until August 5th at 11:59 p.m. EDT. If you don't have a key for the beta yet, don't despair. You can sign up on the End of Nations beta page for a chance to get in, or watch Trion's social media for giveaways. Alternatively, beta access is guaranteed for those who pre-purcase the digital Founder's Edition. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's Legacy of the Foefire
This Guild Wars 2 beta was possibly more exciting for me than any of the previous ones. It was bigger in pretty much every sense -- more areas, more races, more PvP, more people. It was still rife with its fair share of technical issues, but those issues did not seem to really define the norm. And most importantly, it was the last one, which left each experience flavored with the subtle taste of anticipation. What did you get up to? I'd hope some of you who aren't quite as comfortable with structured PvP took this last opportunity to get in and give it a go while the scene is (theoretically) as open and easy to join as possible. If you did, you probably ran into the Legacy of the Foefire map. If you didn't, here's a bit about what you missed.
Excelsior! The cheerful insanity of the Guild Wars 2 Asura
It would have been easy for ArenaNet to make Guild Wars 2's Asura race just another batch of quirky MMO "shorties," playing into the standard fantasy trope. You know how it goes -- what the little guy lacks in brawn he makes up for in quick wit and charm. Throw in some floppy ears, a mischievous grin, and some mechanical gizmos, and you've got yourself a gnome by another name. So did ArenaNet rise to the challenge of porting and updating the Asura? We got a good look at the race and its starting zone in the game's final beta weekend event in the hopes of figuring that out. Follow on for our first impressions!
The Daily Grind: Did you take part in the last Guild Wars 2 beta weekend?
The final beta weekend for Guild Wars 2 isn't quite over yet, but if you haven't already started playing odds are low that you're going to pick it up any minute now. And it's a big milestone for the game's development, with the full contingent of races finally available for everyone to enjoy along with new content to test out. In a month, the game is going live, but this is your last chance to form a pre-launch impression. So did you have the opportunity to jump into the game? Did you find it positive if you did? Were you happy with what you saw, either in the entire game if you hadn't played before or just in the new races? Or did you find yourself a bit underwhelmed once you finally got your hands on the game? And if you weren't in the beta, did you just decide you weren't interested or were you not able to pick up an invitation? 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!
Guild Wars 2 holds beta screenshot contest
Those of you partying it up in Guild Wars 2's final beta weekend event might be interested to know that you can win a few prizes if you keep your finger hovering over the print screen key. ArenaNet announced that it's holding a Moment to Moment screenshot contest over the course of the weekend. Participants may submit action and landscape shots in an attempt to net a SteelSeries prize package. The package includes a Guild Wars 2 mouse, headset, and mousepad. Submissions will be taken through Monday, after which players will vote on the best to formulate the top 20 in each category. Finally, ArenaNet will pick the best of these 40 screenshots for the prizes. Since you can submit only one action shot and one landscape picture for the contest, Massively advises you to choose wisely!
ArenaNet releases Guild Wars 2 Asura intro cinematic [Updated]
The Asura are here, and they're not very modest if we're going by Guild Wars 2's latest racial cinematic. "I personify genius," says the narrator before going on to explain how Asurans "exceed expectations in everything we do." ArenaNet has released a two-minute clip that gives us some background on the diminutive race, and the running time is heavy on the firm's one-of-a-kind concept art. Since this is also an intro cinematic, it lets us in on what awaits players who elect to roll as one of the floppy-eared cutelings in this weekend's beta as well as Guild Wars 2's forthcoming launch. See the Asura for yourself after the break. [Thanks to Michael for the tip!] [Update: Anet has released a new blog post that offers a bit of insight into the creation of the Asura cinematic.]
ArenaNet presents WvW improvements and server list for final Guild Wars 2 beta [Updated]
With the final Guild Wars 2 beta just days away, ArenaNet has been putting out scads of information regarding what players can expect over their weekend in-game. We've already told you about the Asura and Sylvari being playable, new areas being opened up, and the new PvP map. Today ArenaNet added to the heap of updates with some information about world vs. world. The last BWE helped the team find some issues and bugs in the WvW matchmaking system, leading to some rather unbalanced matches. As a result, the server standings from that weekend won't be published, but systems designer Mike Ferguson says that those bugs have been patched up and more factors have been added to the formula to improve its accuracy. In answer to some concerns about launch, Ferguson announced that the 24-hour match length that players are familiar with from the betas will be used until servers are consistently being matched properly. At that time, matches will move to the two-week format that WvW is meant to take. In the same post, Ferguson listed the servers available for the final beta, which is noticeably shorter than the previous list. The world population limit has been "greatly increased," due both to the additional areas that will be open for player exploration and to some adjustment in how the team is handling its tech. Players should note that this is the initial list and the team is prepared to launch new worlds should the need arise. Refer to the original blog post for the full world list. [Update] ArenaNet has posted a few extra details on the official forums, world transfers will be free from the start of the beta until 9:00 p.m. EDT on July 21st. Gem cost for transfers after that time will be 1800 gems to transfer to a high-population world, 1000 gems to transfer to a medium-population world, and 500 gems for a low-population world.
Asura and Sylvari races playable in final Guild Wars 2 beta
We know Guild Wars 2's release date. We know when the last beta weekend will take place. Now, the last great mystery has been answered. A blog post scheduled to go live later this morning (link coming soon) details the changes that ArenaNet has in store for the beta schedule for July 20th to 22nd. Spoiler alert: The Sylvari and Asura will be playable! Previous beta weekends gave players access to the home cities and two explorable zones apiece for the Humans, Charr, and Norn, as well Lion's Arch and Gendarran Fields. In the upcoming beta, the last two playable races will also be open for exploration. Like the other races, Sylvari and Asura characters will see personal story content up to level 20 and access to their respective capital cities, the Grove and Rata Sum. In addition, a new Guild-Conquest PvP map will be available for playtesting. If you've always wondered what sort of city snarky magitech geniuses would build or have been waiting for ever to play as a humanoid plant, your time is now. [Edit to add: ArenaNet's blog post has been published, and Gamespot now has a video of Asura gameplay.]
The Secret World nets 1.3 million beta testers
If Funcom were a recruiting agency for a real-world secret society, it might be the most successful one of all time. The studio announced that it's topped all of its previous MMO beta records, as it has roped in 1.3 million registered testers for The Secret World. Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas says this could be the start of something big: "We are very encouraged by both the numbers of beta registrations and the positive feedback we are getting from our testers. The fact that so many gamers want to play The Secret World combined with the high purchase intent among testers is something we consider a very positive indicator." This news comes right before The Secret World's third beta weekend. Funcom also announced that the title has gone gold and is on track for June 29th's early access and July 3rd's launch.
The Secret World's third beta weekend begins June 15th
While The Secret World's conspiracy theorists have their hands full with the game's latest ARG hook, fans who just want to get their hands on the game again won't have to wait much longer. Funcom has announced that TSW's third beta weekend, subtitled Hell Raised (after the dungeon of the same name), will begin on June 15th. This time around, players will be cut loose from the confines of Kingsmouth to run wild in the appropriately named Savage Coast, where the gates of Hell have been flung open to allow all sorts of nasty beasties to make their way into our world. Players will have the opportunity to delve into the mystery of the infernal invasion by taking on the newly added Hell Raised instance. According to Funcom, The Secret World "has received significant enhancements since the last beta weekend, with improved content, gameplay mechanics, and performance." To top it all off, this beta weekend will mark players' first look at the updated combat system. If you haven't already received a beta key and want to get into the beta weekend, all you have to do is throw down a pre-order on TSW and you'll be guaranteed entry. So remember: June 15th. Savage Coast. Be there.
Guild Wars 2 increasing population limits for the beta weekend
The Guild Wars 2 beta is getting hammered. No, it's not slipping off to the bar to order shots until it can't drive home, but it is getting filled with people eager to try out the game. To compensate, ArenaNet has just announced that world population limits are being increased for the beta event, meaning that several worlds previously listed as being full are now open to more characters. This may not fix the issue, but it should help alleviate some of the stress from the rush. Of course, the game is still in beta, and that means that not everything in the game is fully polished. Want to make sure that there's actually a problem and not just an issue with your computer? Check the updated known issues thread, which has an extensive set of understood issues. Perhaps most globally relevant is the fact that the game is apparently very heavily bottlenecked by the CPU; if you're having performance issues, lowering the video settings may not help you for this round of testing.
ArenaNet shares world and gem store details for Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event
Unless some crazy Asura experiments are playing havoc with the timestream, the much-anticipated second Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event is getting closer all the time! In preparation for that, the ArenaNet blog is now sporting a new dose of information about worlds and world transfers in this beta weekend. One of the big changes for this BWE is the inclusion of dedicated French and German servers. A number of the European servers have been marked specifically for French and German, two of the officially supported languages. New players will be able to pick any of the 96 servers (that's 48 US-based servers and 48 European) to be their home world. Players from the previous BWE will have a 30-hour window from 3:00 p.m. EDT on Friday to 9:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday during which they can transfer between worlds without spending any gems. After that time-frame, transfers will cost the normal 1,800 gems. Each account will be credited with 500 free gems automatically. Players will also be able to get an additional 2,000 gems; you won't actually be charged for the transaction, but you'll have to enter valid credit card details in the Gem Store. Check out the exhaustive server list on the the official post.
Guild Wars 2 devs answer anything, including launch date speculation
ArenaNet President Mike O'Brien and his motley crew of pirates, flibbertigibbets, and developers just stormed the seas of Reddit and fought valiantly through a dynamic event of Q&As concerning Guild Wars 2. No topic was off-limits, although the team didn't necessarily address all of the hundreds of queries put forth. Some of the questions answered included confirmation that there will be a way for guilds to raise their membership cap, word on bug fixes, a detailed explanation of the new trait system, and excitement for the upcoming beta weekend event. For those hoping to hear word on playable Asura or Sylvari, however, the rote response throughout the Q&A was, "Watch this space." What bug will the team actually miss? "Sit jumping," Mike Ferguson replied. "I don't know why, but it seems like everybody loves it (except the guy that introduced it). I'll actually be sad to see it go." O'Brien did directly address the rampant curiosity surrounding the game's launch date: "The fundamental issue here is that we just don't have a release date right now. We're using beta testing in the traditional sense. When beta testing shows that the game is where we want it to be, we'll lock in a release date. We're not that far off. We're obviously going to release in 2012, and any statements to the contrary are absurd."
ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien heading to Reddit for AMA
Guild Wars 2 fans, do you have some deep, profound questions gnawing away at your brain that will simply drive you to the depths of madness if you don't get an answer? Well, we probably can't help you there, but if you've got any questions regarding Guild Wars 2 or its upcoming beta weekend event, there is a solution: Head over to Reddit's /r/gaming subreddit at 3:00 p.m. EDT to catch ArenaNet's latest Reddit Ask Me Anything. Join ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien and other members of the ArenaNet staff who will be on-hand to answer your pressing Guild Wars 2 questions. As we've seen in the previous AMAs with Jon Peters and Mike Ferguson, these events tend to get hectic quickly, so if you've got something you want answered, get yourself over to /r/gaming and prepare your interrogation.
E3 2012: DUST 514 announces Home Space, Vita companion app
The firefight's only begun between DUST 514 and the competition, as CCP Games is showing off the many subsidiary features of its upcoming PlayStation 3 MMOFPS at E3 this week. The studio used the Expo as a platform to announce that DUST 514 will have its own dedicated Home Space on the console as well as a tie-in app with the portable PlayStation Vita. DUST 514's Home Space is intended to be a hangout for up-and-coming mercenaries, and CCP invites all interested players to check out the thematic virtual place over the summer. It will also be one of the best places to snag a beta key: CCP is kicking off DUST 514's Home Space by giving away 10,000 all access keys to the first people who visit. The studio's also developed a companion app for the PlayStation Vita called DUST 514: Neocom. While the app does not let players fight in the game, it does allow them to experiment with loadouts, customization, market exchanges, and social features. The premiere beta weekend event for DUST 514 will kick off on June 29th. CCP's released a new trailer for E3 that showcases the game in action, including several in-game shots of tanks, ships, and soldiers blowing stuff up -- check it out after the jump! [Source: CCP Games press release]
ArenaNet doubles servers for beta weekend event
The folks over at ArenaNet are gearing up for yet another Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event, and this time they mean business. In an official blog post today, the team announced that it has doubled the number of servers available to BWE players, which should help provide a smoother and more accessible experience for everyone involved. Remember folks, the beta weekend event is this weekend, from June 8th to June 10th, so if you're one of the lucky folks taking part, be sure to get your client downloaded and updated before Friday. We'll see you in Tyria.
The Secret World launch delayed to July 3rd
The Dragons, Templars, and Illuminati will have to wait two more weeks to dive into their organizations: Originally slated for June 19th, The Secret World's release is delayed until July 3rd. Early access will open on June 29th. Funcom also announced the final two beta weekends. The first, titled "Hell Raised,'" will run from June 15th until June 17th and will include the Illuminati and Dragon starter experiences as well as allow players to leave Kingsmouth for the Savage Coast. The final beta weekend will be from June 22nd to June 24th; during this event players will participate in the game's PvP in both the warzone gameplay and the Eldorado battlefield.
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.
