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Stone Age 2 knuckle-drags to closed beta
We talked about Aeria Games' Stone Age 2 before, with its interesting pet system, access to pet information via cell phone, and possibility of viewing in-game events through fixed video cameras, and now it's time to see if any of those things made the cut. SA2 has hit closed beta, and our sister site Big Download is hosting the client!To get into the beta, point your browser to the game site to register, then hie thee to the host page to get the client. C'mon, who wouldn't love a cute, cuddly-wuddly li'l dino following them around? Well, except people made of meat, which we all are ... hmm. Note to self: first train dino to become a vegetarian.
Warrior Epic's closed beta contests
The Warrior Epic closed beta keeps chugging along, adding gameplay updates and winning converts with its unique presentation. Those of you who may have missed out on the initial chance to get into the beta have another opportunity with the new contest. Essentially, all you have to do to get a place is to drop a line in the forums -- a movie or book quote, something original and silly, what have you -- and if you're one of the first 150 respondents, you're in!There are a couple of other contests as well, offering the winners in-game cash for items in the official public build, which release date hasn't been announced yet. Warrior Epic is shaping up quite nicely; now would be a great time to help shape the public release. Good luck, contesters![Thanks, Brice!]
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Stargate Worlds reaches 100,000 signups for closed beta
There are plenty of people standing in a secret government lab eagerly awaiting the chance to waltz through a stargate. In fact, around 100,000 eager explorers have signed up for the Stargate Worlds' closed beta. 100,000 players is an improvement on the number reported earlier this month and registrations continue to climb. The closed beta registration has only been open for about half of a month, so the developers at Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment are pretty happy. So happy, in fact, that they actually shouted out with joy in their press release.Overall, the news is exciting since the Sci-Fi genre is well on the way to getting a nice, shiny, new game. The beloved series is coming to a computer screen near you and there is still time to get in on the action. Stargate Worlds is accepting closed beta applications and the sooner folks sign up, the better. Make sure you bring plenty of ammo and clean socks for the trip into this unexplored world!
One million signed up for AoC beta by the end
Age of Conan's beta test has concluded, and the retail launch is only a few days away, so it's a perfect time for Funcom to start (or rather, continue) hyping the game to the Nth degree. What better way to convince people to play it that than to make the argument: "everyone else is doing it!" Funcom announced on the AoC community website that the AoC beta has surpassed 1,000,000 sign-ups.A little over a month ago we reported that Warhammer Online had hit the same landmark, and our readers had some interesting comments about how much this landmark really matters. Now is an especially good time to ask that question -- some players might not be buying AoC because of performance and stability issues in the IGN open beta event. It's not a stretch to bring into question the true function of a beta (is it marketing, or technical testing?), as well.Does it matter? We don't know, but we'll find out soon enough.
Aion Closed Beta Test 2 Q&A
The second closed beta for Aion is over, and all eyes are now on Korean Closed Beta Test 3. But recently, some members of the Aion Source forums were able to answer some questions on the game from fans of the upcoming NCsoft MMO.Overall, the beta testers were much happier about Closed Beta Test 2 than Closed Beta Test 1. There were many complaints about class balance and respawn timers in CBT1, but that all seems to be fixed currently, showing that NCsoft is listening. These testers also cite some of their favorite parts of the game, namely the gorgeous graphics and flowing animations, which tend to be focus points on many of these Korean-based MMOs. Be sure to check out the complete Q&A as well as some exciting videos of Aion so far.
A Battlefield Heroes closed beta clarification
Some of you may have been patiently (or not so patiently, if you're like us) awaiting the closed beta for Battlefield Heroes. Unfortunately, there seems to have been a bit of miscommunication between developer DICE and the community that has formed around Battlefield Heroes. The closed beta -- that started yesterday, May 6th -- is invite only for the time being.DICE is quick to point out that this is for the first phase of the beta only and that eventually everyone will be able to apply for it. What's a bit surprising is that so many people apparently hit the official site yesterday it actually went down for a while. Seems like DICE may be onto something with Battlefield Heroes, but only time will tell.[via Blues News]
AoC beta: a tale of two clients
Frustrated with the Age of Conan open beta's serious performance problems? Worried that the game won't be ready for retail in just a couple of weeks? Don't worry too much; not it is all as it seems. Word on the virtual street is that the open beta client is an old build with issues long since resolved in the closed beta version.When the IGN beta event finally began on Thursday, thousands of excited gamers ended up more frustrated than entertained. The experience has been marred by low framerates, stuttering, and frequent hard crashes. Admittedly, it's a beta; some of that is to be expected. But it's bad, and since the game's retail release is less than three weeks away, there's an air of concern that Age of Conan will hit retail in an unplayable state. The reality is more complex than that.
Mythos bids farewell to Bangladesh
Farewell, Bangladesh. The Mythos closed beta was not made for you. And best wishes to Japan. Really, though, the Mythos closed beta was meant for North American audiences, and we have discovered that North America is not where you are. So we must say ciao to China as well. We're about to open up the beta to far more people, and those of you in Eastern Europe and Asia just won't be getting the kind of localized experience we really want to provide. Even though English is your official administrative language, we must say so long, Singapore. We can't have you on American servers when we're shopping Mythos to overseas partners, and thus, we are leaving Lithuania.While the news that Flagship Studios' Mythos is drawing very near to open beta is good news, the reaction on the Mythos forums has been muted disappointment. Some wonder why the non-English speaking countries of Western Europe were allowed to remain in the beta; others wonder if this decision had something to do with the gold farmers who flocked to Mythos as they flock to all MMOs. We prefer to feel that their last listed reason, that they are looking for a publisher in these regions, is the real one, and that there will be news of localized versions of Mythos in the near future.
Sony's Home delayed yet again, open beta starts fall '08
Being that the Home service plans to tie into every facet of the Playstation Network -- such as games, downloads, etc -- we're not entirely unsurprised about news of yet another delay. Especially since this time, the delay is for further refinement of Home. The closed beta has been extended into summer and more invites are apparently being sent out soon. Meanwhile, fall 08 is now the time to expect an open beta event.We follow a lot of different MMOs and virtual worlds here at Massively, but most of them -- in fact about all of them -- are specific to personal computers. One of the more interesting virtual worlds in development has been Sony's Home service, which is of course being developed for the Playstation 3 exclusively. Because of this we have to admit our curiosity is somewhat piqued.So while the full official launch may be delayed into uncertainty, it looks like PS3 owners can expect to be trying out Home this fall one way or another. Hopefully all the delays are worth the wait. We have to admit to being overly curious as to how Home will eventually turn out.[via Joystiq]
Hello Kitty Online enters closed beta on the 23rd of April
Thy doom draws nearer, O Learned Readers, for with each passing day, Hello Kitty Online becomes more and more a reality! The latest information is that those of you fortunate enough to have gotten access to the closed beta will finally find out what it will be like to inhabit the world of Sanrio. The test runs from the 23rd of April to the 7th of May, and interestingly enough, testers will have a DVD of content sent to them, which will include at least a folder of video tutorials, though nothing else has been confirmed at this time.This MMO has excited a ton of interest in age ranges well beyond the pre-pubescent that one might expect -- expect a First Impressions before too long!
mmolecule offers sexier AoC keys
Hey, remember when we posted that the Age of Conan closed beta was arriving on the first of May? Yeah, good times. Bet you thought nothing could beat that bit of news, huh? Hold onto your claymore, kids -- mmolecule is giving away 500 closed beta keys too, but these keys will be free of the level 13 cap that the FilePlanet keys will have.We're not sure exactly what that means in terms of the discrepancy. The keys are all coming from the same place, presumably: Funcom. So why hobble the FilePlanet players? Of course, it might just be a way to keep track of which players get to test higher-level content, but one would think that that honor would go to those with a paid FP account, as opposed to the free account holders at mmolecule. Regardless, the mmolecule contest is live right now for members only; if you're not already a member, sign up immediately and follow the instructions on the site for your chance to win![Thanks, Dekun!]
New screens from the Requiem: Bloodymare closed beta
When Gravity Interactive said it was making a horror title, they weren't kidding around, and these new screenshots from the Requiem: Bloodymare closed beta prove it. In these pictures you can see just a few of the shambling horrors that populate this terrifying world. For those who have been following along, one of these shots showcases a player during Beast Possession, and it's likely at least one of the others depicts the Nightmare mode, when the tougher monsters come out to play. Closed beta ends on the 17th of April; the final release date is still to be released. Enjoy -- once you've managed to peek through your fingers, that is.%Gallery-20417%[Thanks, Luis!]
Magic World Online to enter closed beta
Magic World Online is an MMO that's set to enter a second round of its closed beta on April 6th. Shot in an isometric view, it's not immediately compelling, but a closer look reveals some interesting, forward-looking features.First, and perhaps uniquely, MWO offers in-game video chat. Now, aside from the dubious wisdom of covering up precious screen real estate with a cam feed, you have to admit: that's pretty cool. Furthermore, the site makes allusions to an advanced AI that can handle certain repetitive tasks, such as traveling and leveling up. But wait, what's left for the player to do?Additionally, one can have a pretty sweet-looking house, and your own 'moving castle' (sorry, Howl) once you've joined a guild. If any of this sounds interesting to you, the game is downloadable now, but April 26 is when the actual closed beta begins.
Dreamlords sequel enters closed beta
Dreamlord's highly anticipated sequel The Reawakening has now entered the closed beta stage. What does this mean for us? It means the game is closer to release, of course! Initially the beta test will be open exclusively to the registered users of FilePlanet, but will be made public later next week.If you're not familiar with Dreamlords: The Reawakening, you may be pleasantly surprised by a few of it's features. The game will not only be free to play, but will also offer upgrades, items and gear that will boost your Dreamlord (for money). The best feature of all? There will be a simplified rule system! Yay! It just wouldn't be a current MMO if it didn't have simplified rules. Sigh.%Gallery-20017%
CoX Issue 12 to enter closed beta
Starting next week, NCsoft's City of Heroes and City of Villains will be entering closed beta for Issue 12:Midnight Hour. This does mean that the Test Server will be unavailable for standard use; however, if you're interested in testing out the new Character Creator, the server will allow you to log in and try out the application. Unfortunately, unless you're part of the closed beta, you won't be able to play with the character you create. One other item of note: the Real Numbers feature is being disabled in character creator for the closed beta, as they're still working on refining the new powers. Still, this should give you a feel for the application, and for how it may look during both open beta and the final release. And, as usual, if you have any questions, concerns, or issues to be raised, please feel free to bring them up in the official forums.
Requiem: Bloodymare closed beta period extended
It looks like the closed beta for Requiem: Bloodymare did not in fact end on the 26th of March as was originally planned -- it's still been going on. A post on the official forums informs us that the closed beta period has been extended until the 17th of April, so that the game can be tidied up before the unwashed masses join the fray in stress testing. Those keen to get in on the gory action will need to wait just a bit longer for this next phase to begin.[Via MMORPG.com]
Warrior Epic now in closed beta; accepting applications
We've been excited for this MMO for a while now, and now Possibility Space have announced that Warrior Epic is finally in closed beta. All you need to do to submit your application for inclusion is to go to their homepage and choose 'Apply for CB' in the control panel.There's also a new wallpaper available showcasing a new, previously-unreleased warrior class; check it out in the wallpaper section. Possibility Space is limiting this closed beta to 500 users, so if you want in, you'd better sign up right away. And speaking of possibilities, there might be an opportunity for a few lucky Massively readers to join the fun ... stay tuned to this channel for further developments!
Pray your way into the Age of Conan beta
Many of you will have already been praying for access to Age of Conan's exclusive closed beta. Now, Funcom has announced that the Gods are feeling generous enough to grant a select few of these prayers -- provided they're good enough.Visit this thread to get all the details, and view the terms and conditions. Essentially, you'll need to address a prayer, asking for beta access, to one of the Hyborean deities (examples of which are listed in the post), and the "funniest/best/most creative/outstanding entries" will be given general beta keys for AoC. Only one entry is allowed per user, and the winners will not be published due to the NDA. So what are you waiting for? Slap your palms together and get praying!
Requiem: Bloodymare closed beta officially begins February 29th
Despite what we were told at GDC and mentioned in our previous coverage, Requiem: Bloodymare isn't entering closed beta in a month's time -- it does so at the end of this week! I don't mind a little chicanery from time to time, especially if the payoff is an earlier-than-expected gift. Regardless, to play this title you'll need to obtain an access code, which you'll be able to get in the following ways:Registered users of FilePlanet have access to a limited number of beta codes as of Tuesday, and what's more, these users can access the closed beta immediately, days ahead of schedule. The day of closed beta launch, both MMORPG.com and MMOSITE.com will have codes available. Wednesday, March 26th at 10 AM PST marks the end of the closed beta. FilePlanet users, time to see if there's anything left.[Thanks, Colin!]
Hello Kitty Online: I have no mouth, and I must scream [Updated]
Some of you have anticipated it. Some of you have dreaded it. Some of us have been threatened with it, when we've been naughty bloggers ('Follow the style guidelines or we'll make you play it!'). Whatever your reaction to the news, it's finally happening: Hello Kitty Online is currently in closed beta, and will launch sometime in the latter half of 2008.So, what can we expect from HKO? Appearances from other Sanrio characters: check. Cute explorable zones like the Flower Kingdom: check. Combat system: che -- wait, what? Combat system, guilds, extensive crafting system ... this is an actual MMORPG, not just another cutesy virtual world like Club Penguin or Webkinz!Color me curious; I've already signed up for the beta. More news as it comes. Keep an eye on Massively for all your superdeformed, facial orifice-less, kawaii character needs.[Updated: Closed beta actually begins on April 23rd.]
