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Global Agenda closed beta kicks off tomorrow, July 24
Global Agenda fans... it's almost here. The game's closed beta kicks off tomorrow, but a few lucky gamers in Hi-Rez's neighborhood actually got a head start today. Hi-Rez Studios Associate Producer Michal Adam just put up a dev blog over on MMORPG.com about the beta, and how some lucky gamers got first crack at the 'spy-fi' title. She explains the Hi-Rez Studios tradition of N00b day "New Tester Day", where some players are invited out to the game studio to test out Global Agenda. It's part of the company's outreach to high schools and universities in the area. Michal writes, "Today's 'noob' group comprises individuals who live nearby and register through the Global Agenda website for today's testing session. I'm not sure when they signed up they knew they'd be the first to get onto Global Agenda's beta, and I guess I should stop calling them 'noobs' because they are the highest ranked players on our beta server!"
Preparing for beta: A video tour of Hi-Rez Studios
Last week, we made the trek down to Hi-Rez Studios in Atlanta, Georgia to get a look at how Global Agenda is shaping up just before the closed beta goes live. As you may remember, we were one of the first MMO news sites to visit the studio in October of last year, and we're happy to see the popularity that the game has enjoyed since then.In the video embedded just after the jump, you'll see a bit of the inner-workings of the studio, as well as a few interviews with members of the Hi-Rez team, asking the question, "How are you preparing for the closed beta?"
Mortal Online's beta testing starts today
In a world where 2,000 people have entered, one man will... actually, I don't think I need the epic movie voice opening for this post. I think I'll go with the Kermit the Frog style opener. Mortal Online's closed beta has started today, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!This first block, beta block A, welcomes the initial wave of players into a cut-down version of the game to make sure that the back-end systems are working properly. Of these 2,000 players, 999 of them holders of the limited edition copies of the game, and one of them is the guy who paid 5,100 dollars for the first copy of the game to be made. The other 1,000 players are pre-order players according to the "first come, first serve" schedule.However, the sales of MO didn't go off without a hitch, as the overwhelming demand crushed their professional sales partner, GlobalCollect. GlobalCollect's servers were struggling over all of the intense pressure from buyers, causing the store to be temporarily closed while Star Vault collects the first sales information from GlobalCollect.But, for those of you who have gotten into the beta, enjoy the game while the rest of us sit outside, waiting for the shop to re-open.
CrimeCraft's box art unveiled
The box art for the gang warfare MMO CrimeCraft has been revealed, showing an interesting blend of the game's art style and in-game screenshots on the front of the box. The top of the box is dominated by this image, while the bottom blends in a screenshot of the game's gang based action.What we have above is just a small sampling of the game's front cover, but if you're intrigued by the thought of seeing the full version then go on ahead and jump over to the picture at MMORPG.com.CrimeCraft's action packed gameplay will be unleashed on the masses next month on August 25th, but you can certainly pre-order the game over at Best Buy or apply for the closed beta to keep your destructive tendencies in check until then.
Win a closed beta key for Global Agenda!
Interested in the upcoming Spy-fi MMO Global Agenda? We have 10 closed beta keys to give away in a random drawing, courtesy of AgendaSource.com. If you're interested, simply make a comment on this post and you'll be entered in the drawing. Winners will be chosen at random and notified on Saturday, July 11th at 9am EST, so get your comment in before then!Keep in mind that the Global Agenda closed beta does not start until July 24th, and these keys are simply a way to gain priority in their closed beta queue. This means that it puts you higher on their beta entry list, but you may not get in immediately. So best of luck in the drawing, and thanks to our friends over at AgendaSource.com for these keys![Update: Eligibility is now closed. Thanks for participating!]
Massively's Cities XL beta key giveaway: Round Two
If you missed out on our whirlwind giveaway from the last set of Cities XL closed beta keys, you'll be pleased to hear that we're doing it again today. That's right, we're giving away another set of beta keys for the newest closed testing phase, and you have a chance to win!To participate, all you need to do is leave a comment to this post telling us what Cities XL feature you're looking forward to the most. All participants will then be contacted by Monte Cristo with their unique key and instructions on downloading the client. Eligibility for this giveaway will close on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 8pm EST or when all keys have been given away. If you'd like to find out more on our impressions of the game, check out our latest coverage and a hands-on with the closed beta. Good luck![Update: Thank you to all who commented! Eligibility is now closed and you can expect your keys to arrive within the next few days.]
Global Agenda entering phase one of closed beta July 24th
Okay, so this one is slightly confusing. Hi-Rez Studios, creators of the upcoming Global Agenda, have said that on July 24th they'll be entering the first phase of closed beta. Now that's exciting news, to be sure, but this isn't your standard beta process.What does that mean exactly? The current plan calls for focused testing windows that occur over weekends -- much like what we've seen with Aion recently. As of right now, CBT-1A will begin on Friday, July 24th and will continue until Monday, July 27th. Each of the successive testing windows will be known as CBT-1B, CBT-1C and on down the alphabet until -- we're assuming -- phase two is reached. It's a method that's worked for both Guild Wars and Aion, so we're not too surprised to see it happening with another game.Invites will be sent out in groups and you can check out the game's answer center for additional details. It's a little confusing, but the important thing to glean from all this is that beta testing is about to begin. Good luck on getting those keys!
Runes of Magic opens closed beta for French and Spanish users
Runas de Magica y el pollo es muy delicioso para la cena! Ok, so our Spanish is a little rusty, we're missing some accent marks, and we probably just said that Runes of Magic tastes good with chicken, but what we mean to say is that the closed beta for Runes of Magic in Spain and France has begun.Now anyone from those two countries, or anyone who wants to have their client in French or Spanish, can enjoy Runes of Magic in those languages. With the closed beta comes the launch of the French and Spanish Runes of Magic websites as well, so feel free to scurry on over and register.The final date for launch for these two countries hasn't been confirmed yet, but the game will be shipping out with The Elven Prophecy, giving their launches a timeframe of either launching with the new expansion or shortly thereafter.
Massively hands-on with Cities XL
As the Cities XL closed beta continues to run strong, we got word that the beta's NDA has lifted [Edit: for press] and we can spill the beans on our first impressions of the game so far. Now, two very important points to be made here include the fact that this is not a review (MMO reviews are bad, mmkay), and this is still in early closed beta stage.With that in mind, we're here to give you some facts on how the game stands now, with a bit of healthy opinion thrown in for good measure. If you're at all curious about how this city-builder MMO can possibly work, follow along below.
Global Agenda closed beta to begin in July
Hi-Rez Studios just updated their Answer Center with new Global Agenda beta information. The game is expected to move to a Closed Beta phase this July. Global Agenda has been in Alpha testing for a number of months now.It looks like they're sub-phasing their Closed Beta Test as well (e.g., CBT-1, CBT-2, etc.), an approach that seems more common in MMOs these days. Warhammer Online did a series of closed beta phases, and more currently, Aion is doing the same. Each phase focuses on a different area of the MMO that needs testing and each successive phase usually brings more testers to the mix.There are pros and cons when taking this phased approach. On one hand you really get to hammer down on your areas of concern but on the other you're only testing the individual parts and not the whole. Players always seem to play a game differently when unleashed upon the full experience.In the end though, it probably won't matter to all the people who want a taste of what Global Agenda has to offer. Winning E3 Editor's Choice awards like "Best of Show 2009" is definitely building anticipation and raising expectations for this title.
Massively's WonderKing beta key giveaway
It's Friday, and you know what that means! Well, lately it's meant that we at Massively are giving something away, and today is no exception. Today's key code giveaway will get you into the WonderKing closed beta, and we have a metric ton of these things to give away, courtesy of the fine folks at NDOORS. Of course you remember WonderKing from our recent interview with the game's developers, but now you'll have your chance to actually play the game.To claim your code, simply leave a comment on this post telling us why you'd like to get into the closed beta. From there you'll get an email with the key code and instructions on how to redeem the code (so make sure your registered email is correct!). All comment entries must be in by Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 9am EST when eligibility will close. Only one prize per person. Good luck![Update: We've just been told that the WonderKing closed beta will begin on July 16th, not the 9th as previously announced.]
Win your very own Cities XL beta key through Massively! [Updated]
We first announced information on the upcoming Cities XL closed beta back in April, as readers were given the chance to participate in a special exclusive lottery promotion. Since then, many of you have shown interest in the game as we've continued to bring you the latest news and interviews about the game.Today, we're happy to announce our involvement with the closed beta and your chance to win a key of your very own. To participate, all you need to do is leave a comment to this post telling us what Cities XL feature you're looking forward to the most. All participants will then be contacted with their unique key and instructions on downloading the client. We have 500 keys to give away total, so it's first come, first serve. Eligibility for this giveaway will close on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 7am EST. Good luck![Edit: Wow! All keys are now taken in the very first day. Comments will now be closed on the post, but look for more on the progression of Cities XL coming soon!]
Aion summer beta schedule revealed
Renewed speculation about Aion's North American release date began swirling when a couple online retailers listed it at September 1, 2009. We have now come across some interesting information in the July issue of Beckett Massive Online Gamer that suggests NCsoft may indeed meet the target. The magazine lists these key dates: June 19-21: Asmodian closed beta capped at level 10 July 3-5: Asmodian level cap increases July 17-19: Abyss only with unrestricted flight and hopefully a lot of PvP August 14-17: First open beta August 19-23: Second open beta The dates are listed as "accurate as of press time" and may be subject to change, but we can confirm the Asmodian beta will commence this weekend and that it will be capped at level 10. You can definitely be sure of one thing: Massively will be there to cover each and every Aion beta event from now until release.[Via: Keen and Graev]
Cities XL releases new screenshots in preparation for beta
Monte Cristo has just released a few new screenshots for their upcoming city-builder MMO, Cities XL. Of course, we've talked about Cities XL in the past, including a few interviews with the team, and we're very excited to see the game progressing so well.With a closed beta coming soon, and a launch later this year in France and Germany (crossing our fingers for the global release soon after!), all city-builder fans should be ramping up their excitement levels just a bit. These seven new screenshots included in our gallery below might help with that. Check them out, as well as our previous coverage of the game for more information.%Gallery-50213%
YS Online wants you to bomb botters
Botters can be a hassle. Trust us, we know. We too have felt the sting of automatic programming when waiting for that quest monster to spawn, or for that rare monster pops up on the battlefield. Sure, we can report the problem to Game Masters for them to fix, but that's not even a full guarantee that the problem will be taken care of. Plus, don't you always love the satisifaction of dealing with botters yourself?Now you can take matters into your own hands in YS Online, the currently Europe only MMO based off of the popular YS series of RPGs. YS offers all players the ability to carry items known as Auto Bombs, which are available from all vendors for 1 copper a piece. All one has to do is simply take the bomb and throw it at the supposed botter. Once it hits, they'll have a small window to complete a simple captcha -- a word shown in picture format that they have to type into the box below the picture. If they fail to complete the captcha, they'll gain a debuff where they can't do anything for 30 minutes. Painful, no?
Steampunk MMO Gatheryn opens closed beta registration
The developers at Mindfuse have been hard at work on Gatheryn, a steampunk MMO that Massively got a preview of at GDC 2009. The HeroEngine-powered Gatheryn will incorporate casual and minigame elements in addition to standard MMO game mechanics. Now gamers will have a chance to see what the title has to offer in the Gatheryn closed beta, for which Mindfuse has announced they're taking registrations. Closed beta applicants accepted in this first wave of invites will get the first glimpses of Gatheryn offered to the gaming community, but getting your info submitted early puts you in the pool Mindfuse will draw from with future beta invitations. If you're interested in checking out the steampunk MMO, you can sign up on the Gatheryn beta registration page.%Gallery-48546%
Earth Eternal opens sign ups for closed beta test
Interested in running around a browser-based MMO fantasy world filled with over 22 races? Yes? Then you need to get over to Earth Eternal's website and sign up for their recently announced closed beta test!Earth Eternal is an an MMO that's all about what happens when humanity ceases to exist and the Earth is roamed by beasts of myth once more. It's also free to play and will run on almost any computer thanks to a client that runs inside of the browser, similar to Cartoon Network's FusionFall. Players will find a wide variety of features available, including multi-classing abilities, customizable housing in the form of "groves," and a design emphasis on small groups rather than huge raids.There's still no release date announced for Earth Eternal, but we're guessing that with the closed beta happening so soon, there can't be much time left before the release date is fully confirmed.
Dragonica's closed beta test isn't closed anymore
Europe's cute side-scrolling MMO isn't hiding behind a closed beta test anymore! Now the entire Dragonica fanbase can jump into the game with no beta key required as the game moves into stress testing until May 22nd, the original scheduled end of the beta test.To go along with the influx of community members, the game's GMs have announced that they will be hosting PvP rooms on the 19th and the 20th so they can "meet" more members of the community. Why shake hands when a lightning bolt would do instead, right?All that's now required for the Dragonica beta test is simply an account with gPotato, the overseeing game portal that is hosting Dragonica. Once you've acquired one of those, you can hop in to download the game without any difficult barriers blocking your way.Dragonica's official release is still planned for June 2009, and it looks like they're certainly going to meet their deadline with this quick shift into the next phase of beta.
CrimeCraft enters closed beta
Massively has been looking at the upcoming shooter/MMO hybrids that are on the way, namely Global Agenda, Huxley: The Dystopia, and Fallen Earth. But there will soon be another 'MMOFPS' option for gamers with the first such title to release for the urban crime genre: CrimeCraft, in development at Vogster Entertainment. CrimeCraft entered closed beta this week and Vogster is, of course, very serious about the NDA. 'What happens in CrimeCraft stays in CrimeCraft'; they've said they'll unceremoniously revoke beta access for players who spill details of the game. But those lucky people who were accepted have a closed beta forum available to them as of today, where they can talk about the game to their heart's content without getting themselves banhammered from the streets of CrimeCraft. We were fortunate enough to speak with Vogster Entertainment about the game recently at GDC 2009, but we're hoping there will be more news about the title in the coming months. We'll be sure to keep our readers informed when we hear more about this game. Are you excited about urban crime titles like CrimeCraft and All Points Bulletin making their way into the MMO space?
Massively introduces: Betawatch!
Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's newest weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.This week, being our inaugural article, we tried to get together a simple list of as many known betas we could find. Look for the complete list after the jump below, and please feel free to let us know if we missed any!
