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Another day closer to release, another Guild Wars 2 stress test
If you're strained to the limit of your patience while you wait for the release of Guild Wars 2, you can alleviate the pressure just a little bit tomorrow. ArenaNet is running another stress test on the game on August 15th, open to all players who have pre-purchased the game and are eagerly anticipating the launch. Best of all, character information will not be wiped from the previous stress test, saving you the trouble of making a whole new batch of characters. The test will run from 3:00 p.m. EDT until 7:00 p.m. EDT. Development teams will be actively working on the game and the servers during the event, which may result in disconnections or login difficulties. The announcement emphasizes that these issues are indicative of the state of the stress test rather than the presumed state of the game on launch. So if you've got some free time tomorrow evening, you may want to get a nice little dose of Guild Wars 2 before the main event in two weeks.
The Daily Grind: What game have you waited past launch to play?
I'd be lying if I said I'm not interested in The Secret World. What little time I got with the game on the floor at PAX East was promising, and I do like the ideas on display. But I haven't taken part in the betas, and I haven't focused on getting into the game right now. As interested as I am, I'd prefer to see how the game shakes out after launch and then make that decision. There are a lot of games that I've wanted to play on launch day if not sooner, but I'm sure I'm not alone in having waited on some titles so that I could see what the launch and subsequent support looks like. So what about you? Are there games that you have waited on in the past, even if you were interested in them before launch? Did they meet your expectations, exceed them, or fall short? Or are there games on the horizon now that meet these criteria? 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!
The Secret World lowers UK sub fee, details pre-order access times [Updated]
It's two days and counting until The Secret World's early access period. As such, Funcom is ramping up the publicity in a number of spots around the web. First up is a new interview with creative director Ragnar Tornquist at Gamespot. He talks about the title's contemporary setting as well as the crunch of last-minute adjustments before the user floodgates open on Friday. Gamespot is also showing a six-minute preview video of the Savage Coast, Transylvania, and Egypt, which we've embedded for you below after the break. There have also been a couple of noteworthy updates on the official Secret World forums regarding the early release period. Firstly, Funcom notes that everyone who pre-ordered will get access on June 29th at noon EDT. However, early pre-orders and those who have purchased the Grand Master Pack will be able to log in "even earlier." Finally, Funcom has dropped the monthly subscription fee "to make it more in line with pricing in Europe." The new number is £11.49 including VAT. [Update: Funcom has also posted server names and designations for Friday's early access launch as well as an explanation for how the game's single-server technology will impact players. Thanks to Varrakys and Acidbaron for the tip!]
The Secret World begins early access this Friday
If you haven't settled on a faction yet for Funcom's intrigued-laced MMO The Secret World, you might want to consider shifting your decision-making into a higher gear or investing in a three-sided coin -- the time of the Templars, Illuminati, and Dragons is at hand. The three-way faction PvP will commence this Friday, June 29th for those who have pre-ordered the game. Players who have opted not to pre-order will find the game in stores starting June 3rd and can join the world on that date. If you'd like to take advantage of the early access (and possibly kiss your weekend goodbye), there is still time to pre-order via the official site.
MechWarrior Online announces closed beta and founder's program
Turn over the engine and light up the jet thrusters because MechWarrior Online is stomping into closed beta this week. Anyone who registers on the official site has a chance to check out the hot 'mech action before the rest of the crowd. While the beta is currently limited to North America, there is no IP blocking, so anyone can jump in as long as he or she doesn't mind a little lag. Perhaps of more interest is Piranha Games' announcement of its founder's program, code-named Operation Inception. Yes, we guess the devs saw the movie too. While MWO will be free-to-play with optional microtransactions, Operation Inception lets players invest their money up-front to get special goodies and an early start to the game. Players can buy into the founder's program starting June 19th. It will come in two tiers: a $30 veteran package and a $60 elite package. The veteran package includes $40 of in-game currency, a month of premium account status, a founder's tag, and early access. The elite package includes $80 of in-game currency, two months of premium status, the founder's tag, early access, and an exclusive BattleMech. Early access for MechWarrior Online begins July 17th.
TERA announces open beta and head start schedules
TERA's May 1st launch date is just around the corner, and we all know what that means: open beta testing and head start events ahoy! En Masse Entertainment has released a full schedule for the events leading up to the game's launch, so players can go ahead and plan when to call in sick to work. Players who have pre-ordered the game will be able to log in between April 13th and April 17th in order to create their first characters, thereby ensuring that they get the names they want. The game's open beta test will begin shortly after, and pre-order customers will once again get a one-day jump on the competition as they will be able to log in beginning on April 19th. On April 20th, the beta will open to the public, and it will run for three days until April 23rd. And finally, pre-order customers will get one final head start on April 28th, allowing them three days to explore the world of Arborea before the floodgates open to everyone on May 1st. So hone your blades, string your bows, and ready your spells, Arboreans. We'll see you on the other side.
The Daily Grind: What would make you cancel a pre-order?
These days, MMO pre-orders are commonplace. They're used to allow early access to the game so you can grab that Legolas or Lord Stark name before anyone else. Throwing your money down is a risk we must take in order to secure that early status, and the developers usually mix in some extra goodies to sweeten the deal. But sometimes we get word of a before-the-bell game mechanic or design implementation that ruins the game for us and makes us cancel the pre-order on the spot without giving the game a chance to speak for itself when we've finally gotten our hands on it. So let's get specific here. What could a game developer do to ruin a game for you before it launches? And have you ever canceled a pre-order? Why or why not? 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!
Former subscribers get an early engagement to Star Trek Online's free-to-play model
In the universe of Star Trek Online, it's the 24th century and humans no longer make use of money. Here in the 21st century, however, you've still got a bit more time until you can play Star Trek Online without the use of said money. Or do you? Starting tomorrow, January 5th, the doors will open for players to start enjoying the game for free before the full free-to-play launch on January 17th. So what do you need to do to get this early access? Well, if you're asking now, you're a bit too late; the privilege is being extended to lapsed former subscribers, who can come back and play the game for free as Silver members. That means certain features will be restricted, but if you had played in the past and haven't had a chance to catch up with the newer features of the game, tomorrow will be your chance to log in and start trekking across the universe for free.
BioWare taking SWTOR queues 'seriously'
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Hugely anticipated MMO struggles to balance lengthy launch queues with long-term server and community stability. Yes, BioWare is slogging down the same slippery supply and demand slope that many AAA MMOs have trod before, and a report at Eurogamer suggests that the lines have only just begun. There were 140 servers open for business this past weekend (a pre-launch period in which BioWare staggered waves of invites to legions of early release customers), and more are being added due to queue times approaching two hours. With Star Wars: The Old Republic's actual launch day looming tomorrow, BioWare's Jeff Hickman did his best to deflect criticism and soothe the impatient rumblings of disgruntled players. "While we can't promise that there won't ever be queues, we can promise you that we are taking this matter seriously and constantly reviewing them to make sure that they are manageable and reasonable," he said.
BioWare announces SWTOR grace period, scheduled maintenance windows
Put down your torches and pitchforks, Star Wars: The Old Republic early access players. Greg Zeschuk stopped by the official SWTOR forums today in order to announce that the team has listened to the cries for a grace period from those who may not have access to their boxed copies of the game come launch day. In response, BioWare has granted players a two-day grace period from launch. What this means is that players have from the beginning of launch on December 20th until 12:01 a.m. EST on December 22nd to enter their game registration codes. It's also worth noting that the team has announced three scheduled maintenance windows spanning from tomorrow until December 22nd. The first maintenance period will take place on Friday, December 16th, beginning at 3:00 a.m. EST, and it is "expected to take no more than two hours." The second window will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST on December 19th and will mark the end of early access. The final scheduled maintenance window will take place on December 22nd at 3:00 a.m. EST. So keep that in mind, TOR players, as you plan your play times. For the full details, head on over to the SWTOR official site.
BioWare updates fans on staggered SWTOR launch
If you're still not in Star Wars: The Old Republic's early access phase, you're not alone. In fact, BioWare's Stephen Reid took to the forums today to update impatient fans on just how the staggered pre-launch will continue to roll out over the next few days: Today, we invited people who had pre-ordered up to the very beginning of October (roughly). Tomorrow, we're going to be inviting the same number of people again; that will take us up to the last week or so of November. On Friday, we'll be inviting even more, and we'll give you an update on that tomorrow. You'll see more servers coming online tomorrow, and almost certainly there will be some queuing. That was always expected. As a reminder, our plan here is to maintain healthy server populations post launch, and during the excitement of launch that will mean queues. That said, we'll be working hard to keep those queues reasonable. That's good news for those who pre-ordered late and who otherwise might have thought they'd have a much longer wait.
Massively Exclusive: The Force ghosts of past, present, and future with SWTOR's James Ohlen [Updated]
Fans have been sitting on pins and needles, waiting for their blessed early access emails for Star Wars: The Old Republic. What can you do while we wait to reserve your character names before the noobie rush on December 20th? You could check out the awesome guide Massively released on Monday to scout out which class you want to play before you play it. You could read the Hyperspace Beacon that came out yesterday; it may take the edge off the anticipation. Or maybe you could have a chat with SWTOR Creative Director James Ohlen about the current state of the game and what's coming down the bend. We went with the last one. After the break, find out what Ohlen had to say about SWTOR's legacy system, customizable ships, and other future content.
Star Wars: The Old Republic early access starts today
It's time to put your regimented dragon-killing schedule on hold for a while, replacing it completely with an all new Jedi-killing routine -- early access for Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up today. If you pre-ordered the game through a traditional retailer or virtually through Origin, you'll be able to hop into the game today; assuming you're lucky enough to be a part of one of the waves of entrants BioWare is letting in, periodically, until the game's official December 20 launch. The game can't allow everyone in all at once, probably because it would crush the servers like the windpipe of a Death Star insubordinate. Persistence should win you your prize, though. Well, persistence, and a pre-order code, and a monthly subscription.
BioWare co-founder and live producer get SWTOR launch day tattoos
How do you know if a game studio is committed to a title? What if the studio co-founder gets a big ol' tattoo inked on his bicep? Words are cheap, after all; tattoos show you mean business. This is exactly what BioWare's Greg Zeschuk did recently, and he hopped onto Twitter to show off his new Star Wars: The Old Republic "launch beard and tattoo" to the populace. The tattoo is the hybrid Republic-Empire logo, and was done in full color. Not to be outdone, Live Producer Cory Butler also took the plunge and got the tattoo as well. Star Wars: The Old Republic's early access begins today, with the game's official launch slated for December 20th. Don't forget to read up on the game with Massively's SWTOR Launch Guide! Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally here, and the Force is with Massively! We've prepared a Hutt-sized feast of class introductions, gameplay guides, lore roundups, and hands-on previews to help you navigate the launch period and beyond. And don't forget our weekly SWTOR column, the Hyperspace Beacon!
The Daily Grind: What plans have you made for SWTOR early access?
Today is the big day: Early access for Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally here. In unrelated news, a large percentage of the Massively staff members have been stricken by a mysterious virus that renders them unable to write. Most of them have said they expect to be back... Ah, whom are we kidding? They're playing SWTOR, and so are you. We're curious to hear what sort of adjustments you've made in your life to make the most of your playing time. While we know people aren't going completely overboard by quitting their jobs and sending their children to the neighbor's house, we've heard plenty of tales already of people doing class work ahead of time or completing work projects early, clearing the decks for extra leisure time. Are you one of those planning ahead? Have you taken care of work early, warned the family that you'll be indulging in some extra gaming, or made other plans to ensure you get the most from early access? Tell us about it in the comments! 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!
Star Wars: The Old Republic preps for guild imports, server list takes shape
At 7:00 a.m. EST tomorrow morning, the coveted early access invitations will be sent out for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Some of them, anyway. (Some players will have to wait a little bit longer.) If you're in one of the many guilds that prepared and recruited prior to the game's launch via the on-site recruitment feature, you're also in line to start in on the early guild deployment, which is outlined in detail on the official site. Long story short, you'll be given your guild's server assignment, and if you're unhappy with it, you're going to have to start up on a different server rather than using the automated joining. Unfortunately, players aren't being given a full preview of servers ahead of time, but based on the deployment messages, a list is taking shape over on Ask a Jedi. The list is, of course, not absolute -- it's simply what servers are known that have been passed along -- but it's certainly extensive, with several different PvE, PvP, and RP servers for both US coasts and Europe. Keep checking back for more information, and keep your eyes on your mailbox early tomorrow morning. Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally here, and the Force is with Massively! We've prepared a Hutt-sized feast of class introductions, gameplay guides, lore roundups, and hands-on previews to help you navigate the launch period and beyond. And don't forget our weekly SWTOR column, the Hyperspace Beacon!
Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated]
It's almost the time that many players have been waiting for -- the opening of the gates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. According to the most recent news posts, mail will be sent out starting on December 13th to notify players of when their early access period will begin. But why wait that long when you can download the client now, making sure that you're patched up and ready to go when your early access goes live? The pre-order page for player accounts now includes a link to download and install the client, assuming that you've entered the code you received when you ordered. Curiously, this latest announcement says that players can receive up to seven days of early access, although that may well be a typo. If you'd missed previous announcements, players who took part in a beta weekend prior to November 24th will need to reinstall the game, so go ahead and download the updated client and get ready for the early launch in a few days. [Update: Darth Hater has collected several forum and Twitter posts that confirm the December 13th date is not a typo and is "different from previously advertised." Early-early-access, here we come!]
Lock and (re)load: BioWare preps us for The Old Republic's launch
With 15 days to go before Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch, it doesn't seem like there's much time to get everything stocked and ready before the year's biggest release happens. Fortunately, BioWare's helping us to run down the preparation list with a series of informative forum posts. First on the list is to make sure that SWTOR players have the latest version of the client installed on their computers. BioWare says that if you played the game prior to November 25th, you'll probably need to install a completely new client; if you played since, you should be good. There are instructions on the forums as to how you can check which version you have. Pre-orders are wondering about early access, which BioWare says is the same between the three editions of the game -- it only matters when you added your pre-order code, not which edition you purchased. More information about the early access program is coming later this week. Finally, BioWare is preparing to make major changes to SWTOR's forums following a December 10th outage, during which all posts and PMs will be erased (as will infractions!). New forums, including those covering crew skills, story, lore and PvP, will be added, and guild forums will be expanded significantly. Those just starting to learn about the game will appreciate the new player help forum and community blog that's coming with the update.
SWTOR launch day questions answered
The community team at BioWare told us that we would know when the train was coming, but it came crashing through our house when half of us were still sleeping. As we reported earlier, Star Wars: The Old Republic set its launch day for December 20th for North America and December 22nd for Europe. All the fans exhaled in relief, then promptly started asking more questions. First off, the Australian and New Zealand launch dates have not been set, and BioWare cannot commit to a launch day yet for that region. However, back in August, Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid posted on the official forums that "There are no plans to 'region lock' or 'IP block' players from the game. You may experience some latency issues if you're not playing in a launch territory." This still holds true today. To prevent signup issues on launch day, log-ins will be throttled. However, pre-order customers will still gain early access to the game. Senior Community Coordinator Allison Berryman reported on the official forum: "The beginning of Early Game Access will depend on a number of factors, including results from our Game Testing Program and Pre-Orders, but there will be multiple days of access." Lastly, in case you missed it earlier, BioWare did announce the subscription costs. It comes as no surprise to most MMO gamers that the first month is free with the purchase of the game. After that it's $14.99 per month (£8.99 or €12.99), $41.97 for 3 months (£25.17 or €35.97), or $77.94 for six months (£46.14 or €65.94). There have been no lifetime subscription announcements as of yet, but we will let you know if we hear anything.
PBS screens the cultural eye-candy early to Apple devices, ushers iOS users past the public velvet rope
If you're a fan of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, you'll probably want to tune in to PBS' new Prohibition-era doc -- on your iOS device. That's right, the federally-funded public network's hip to our digital distributing times, and is giving an early access viewing window to users of its PBS app across Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The high-brow art'll get its stream on September 23rd, with the full series to air on broadcast from October 2nd through the 4th. While the doc's two subsequent episodes will also stream live day and date on PBS' video hub, your mobile apps won't get the visual goods until the day after air. Of course, if that bevy of options doesn't jive with your busy schedule, you can always download the show direct from PBS or iTunes. Official PR awaits you after the break.
