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Huxley: In-game hyper-active footage from the Korean beta
Huxley is shaping up to be a true to its roots MMOFPS. The second phase of the Korean beta test wrapped up testing focused on the dynamic hyper FPS style gameplay as seen in the footage above provided by Game Videos. During the open beta the testing will focus more on the MMO elements, which are the aspects I'm more interested in because underneath the fancy graphics and hyped up blurbs Huxley is well... Another FPS, but with a tasty grind! Huxley is being developed for the both the PC and Xbox 360 by H-studio under the Webzen flagship. There is still no word on when the non-Korean beta test is planned.
Huxley returns from the abyss with video
We hope this doesn't make us negative people, but we had basically written MMOFPS Huxley off after not hearing much about it for more than a year. Now though, it's made its (semi) triumphant return from the grave with a new video captured in the Korean-developed game's closed beta accompanied by a truly, almost epically excruciating techno soundtrack. What we see so far is a pretty, frenetic shooter in the vein of a Painkiller or Unreal, that seems just a tad bit uninspired. That said, we don't know how the MMO elements are playing into it, as what we have here is straight-up action. What say you? Has your interest been piqued? Or have the last, dying embers of your desire for Huxley been fully doused?
Glimpses of the next-gen HD MMOs
The MMOABC site has a bountiful screenshot buffet, looking at some of the high-definition imagery we'll be enjoying in the 'next generation' of Massive games. They have shots of Blue Mars, Huxley, The Day, The Agency, Stargate Worlds, and Global Agenda. They have descriptions of each game world as well; helpful, since some of these titles are very newly announced. For more info on Blue Mars, check out our sneak preview from E for All, and our screenshot gallery: Gallery: Blue Mars Gallery
Huxley enters second phase of beta, still Korea-only
Webzen announced this week that Huxley, their upcoming MMOFPS aimed at both the PC and the Xbox 360, will be entering the second stage of closed testing next month. Running from December 13th through the 17th, the beta will be limited to local (read: Korean) testers and members from the previous closed beta test. The press release said that this round will focus primarily on the shooter elements of the game, and that the highly-touted MMO elements will be phased in over time in later testing stages. Says CEO of Webzen Nam-Ju Kim, "I'm confident that this unique blend of MMO and twitch-action FPS game design in Huxley will have a dynamic and positive effect on the online gaming market."If online game retailers are to be believed, Huxley is still scheduled for release in April of next year. For a game that is supposed to rely so heavily on the interplay of its shooter and MMO elements; it seems strange that they're only just now starting to put their shooter gameplay through the wringer, never mind the fact that the MMO elements won't appear until "later stages." We don't want to relegate Huxley to the dustbin preemptively, but we're worried about its progress. Keep checking back and we'll keep you posted.
Huxley scored by Gears of War composer
GameDaily reports that Gears of War composer Kevin Riepl has provided the score for the upcoming MMO FPS Huxley. The score reportedly took 2 days to record with the help of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Warner Bros. Studios. Riepl says he's "proud" to have worked on Webzen's Huxley, the varied themes of which demand a "gripping soundtrack" according to the composer. We're quite fond of the Gears of War soundtrack, so we have high hopes for the soundscape of Huxley. Here's hoping the actual game can live up to it. We'll find out when the game hits retailers in 2008.
Video: Huxley has a lot to prove
Let's make one thing clear: I've been pimping Huxley since before I began working for 360 Fanboy. The idea of a massively multiplayer first person shooter is almost too delicious to contemplate. In the intervening months, with the release of several AAA 360 titles, Huxley has been all but forgotten. As fate would have it, a new video of the game popped up on the net today, and Xboxyde was kind enough to create a streaming version of it, as is their wont. Call me jaded, but the video is uninspiring. It's just a generic montage of blasting things with a tiny bit of the actual MMO aspect of the game thrown in. Considering the main selling point of Huxley is its MMO nature, you'd think they'd make more use of it in a promotional video. But, I digress. Check out the video and make your own judgments. Does it look like it can stand up against the likes of Gears, COD3, or Vegas?
Webzen ends Endless Saga
Turns out Endless Saga wasn't so endless after all, although the mystery surrounding the game's development certainly felt neverending. Webzen has pulled the plug on their Unreal 3-powered MMO, which had been scheduled to launch next year for the PlayStation 3 and PC. While this move thins out the PS3's initial MMO offerings, the Korean developer insists they are still committed to Sony's next gen platform. For now, however, Webzen will concentrate on finishing APB, Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation -- the first two projects being Xbox 360 titles.See also: Joystiq E3 hands on with Soul of the Ultimate Nation Joystiq E3 hands on with Huxley
Webzen: a lot of fuss for one release
One MMO company definitely wants to get noticed at this E3. Webzen's booth is big, almost as large as nearby THQ and Activision, and they're putting on a show for the crowds. With dancing booth babes, a loud emcee and armour-clad models -- as well as plastering all the cafeteria tables with ads -- Webzen's attack on the Western world is well and truly here. Of Webzen's three games being shown at E3, only one is out in the near future -- Huxley. Soul of the Ultimate Nation will make its way to the U.S. in 2007 (no word of an European release), and Project Wiki is slated for a Korea-only release at the moment. So why the big fuss? Webzen believe that in Huxley they have the tools to break into the Western market, and make a name for themselves worldwide. The joint Xbox 360/PC release is at once a risk and an adventure for them -- and they want gamers to sit up and pay attention to it.
Hands on with Huxley
Webzen's upcoming MMOFPS Huxley, to be released on both Xbox 360 and PC, combines both fast-paced shooter action with massively multiplayer gameplay. It's essentially a FPS with levels and questing added -- the gameplay is very much the fast, in-your-face style seen in Quake 4 and Painkiller. However, it allows for tactical play too, with territorial defence missions.The game felt more like a standard FPS multiplayer match with a larger number of players than usual than an MMO. It plays like a FPS -- no skill buttons or floating exclamation marks. The game's setting is a fairly standard post-apocalyptic nuclear-mutation scenario. The 360 version will feature a single-player component as well as the massively-multiplayer part, though Webzen are working on the inevitable issue of keyboard-and-mouse versus controller balancing.
Huxley enters brave new world
1Up takes a look at Huxley, the hyper-ambitious multiplayer extravaganza from developer Webzen. The 360 version is a year away, but it will include an exclusive single-player mode and the ability to shoot it out against PC rivals. Goodbye port, hello porthole to a brave new world of cross-platform gaming.Every Xbox 360 owner knows at least one console-dissing gamer who never shuts up up about the supposed superiority of the PC experience, as if enjoying both platforms is a sin. That makes the idea of jumping between video game universes to blow away obnoxious nerds all the more appealing. It'll be very interesting to see how Webzen makes this work.[Via 8-bit Ninja]
New Huxley visuals from Webzen
TeamXbox has some new screenshots from Webzen's Huxley, the futuristic MMORPG-shooter that promises some intense cross-platform battles between PC and Xbox 360 users. The Korean developer (best known for MMOs MU and Soul of the Ultimate Nation) is utilizing the graphical prowess of Epic's Unreal Engine 3, and will attempt to support hundreds of simultaneous online combatants. With Huxley and Gears of War on the horizon, and Halo 3 due next year, will 360 owners even miss Unreal Tournament 2007?
Massive Magazine planned for MMOG coverage this fall
The folks behind Computer Games Magazine have just announced that they'll be starting up a new publication this fall dedicated completely to the purview of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.Massive Magazine is touted as the first print mag of its kind, packaged together with "a free DVD packed with MMO demos and games" when it launches for "a three-month run on September 19, 2006" and then begins as "a stand-alone quarterly publication by January 2007."We can only assume that theglobe.com guys 'n' gals will provide extensive coverage of other MMO genres besides the typical RPG grinds, such as FPS (Huxley), driving (Auto Assault), and puzzle (Puzzle Pirates) themed games. A digital version via Zinio.com is also planned.[Thanks, JamesO and Jonathan]See also: WBIE's original fanzine plans for The Matrix Online More genre-breaking MMOs The year in Second Life [from embedded journalist Wagner James Au]
