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MechWarrior Online celebrates open beta with a new trailer
MechWarrior Online has been in open beta testing for a week now. What better way to celebrate than with a snazzy new trailer? (There is no better way.) If you're a fan of MWO and its franchise, you're probably part of the open beta already. If you're not already partaking, consider this your official reminder that this is likely the best way to get a sample of the game -- and you'll be helping the team make the game better at the same time! And if you're not a fan, perhaps this trailer can entice you. Skip below the cut to see the video in all its mech-on-mech glory.
MechWarrior Online: The story of how one MMO got crowd-funded without Kickstarter
Kickstarter is kind of A Thing now. Oodles of companies are turning to it for all their crowd-funding needs, to varying levels of success. MechWarrior Online has distinguished itself by raising over $5 million in crowd-funding without touching Kickstarter. If not Kickstarter, where could all that money have come from? Fans, of course! MWO has the advantage of belonging to an existing franchise with fans, and those fans bought over 70,000 of the game's Founder's packages. The Founder's program allowed fans to buy in at any of three price levels ($30, $60, and $120) with varying perks at each level. Nick Foster, CEO of Infinite Game Publishing's parent company 7G Entertainment, explained some of the rationale behind this approach to funding. "The product will be a lot better for players because of the crowdfunding. It's allowed us to maintain a higher level of ongoing development in the product than if we were waiting for momentum to build immediately after going live. In the next few months, we'll be able to release a lot more features." MWO hit open beta today, which means you have the perfect opportunity to see for yourself whether they put fans' funds to good use. To read more about MWO's road to funding, check out Gamasutra's full article.
MechWarrior Online launches open beta on Monday
After a bit of a delay last week, MechWarrior Online has announced that it will be entering open beta -- for real this time -- on October 29th. The delay decision was made after beta player feedback presented concerns for the studio. Lag issues, new player tutorials, balance tweaks, and more have been improved for this open beta launch. To help boost the game's production, over $5M was raised through the game's pre-order Founder's program since July. MechWarrior Online is set to launch in Q1 2013. [Source: Infinite Game Publishing press release]
Mechwarrior Online secures over $5M in funding from preorders
Despite the fact that Mechwarrior Online's open beta has been pushed back, the teams at Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing are still showering us with new info to keep us excited about the game until we can get our hands on it. One exciting bit of news released today revolves around the game's Founder's Program, which allows eager fans to preorder the game at different reward tiers. Since the program launched in July, the game has earned over $5M through Founders' preorders, with 500,000 registrations in the closed beta alone, according to the studio. Interestingly enough, the top tier, Legendary, had the highest number of registrations with over 26,000 players dishing out $120 each. The Founder's program has closed this last weekend in anticipation of the pending open beta, but it's important to note that Founders will be able to choose exactly when their rewarded premium time will start. Check out our impressions of Mechwarrior Online for more info. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
MechWarrior Online open beta delayed
Looking forward to jumping into MechWarrior Online's open beta tomorrow? You might want to rein in those expectations. Citing issues with MWO's stability, Piranha Games announced that there will be a "short push back" for the start of the open beta until a better build is released. The devs cited feedback from current beta testers in making this call, and addressed other concerns that players have expressed. The team said that it is working on lag issues, a better match making system, new player tutorials, and general balance tweaks. Players who have paid for a premium account will also have the option to decide when they want to start using the benefits from the bonus. There is no word as to when the open beta for MWO will commence. [Thanks to John for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online open beta starts October 16th
Thanking fans who have helped test MechWarrior Online, president of Piranha Games Russ Bullock stated that the high-quality feedback during its closed beta run has helped bring the game to the point that beta can be opened up to all fans. Commencing October 16th, the open beta period will put all interested players in the pilot seat of giant war machines and pit them against each other in PvP battles. The Founder's program will officially end on October 14th, two days prior to the start of the open beta. Details about the Founder's packages can be found on the official site. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Lips are unsealed as NDA drops for MechWarrior Online
Folks eager to hear about MechWarrior Online but who were unable to nab a beta spot can now tackle any friends who did to get the scoop! Pirahna Games has obliterated the NDA, allowing players to share their experiences piloting large mechanized warriors through various landscapes in this sci-fi PvP game. Players can also show off their mad skillz in a video and screenshot contest -- devs will pick their favorite submissions to highlight on the front page of the official site. Entries should be sent to submissions@infinitegamepublishing.com before 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 10th. More contest details can be found on the game's official website. So now that the NDA has been blasted away, tell us what you think about the game!
MechWarrior Online shows off the Catapault
Picture this scene: You log into MechWarrior Online and you're in the most beautiful map. You don't even want to fight, just enjoy the world around you. Birds are singing, the sun is shining, and there are more than two dozen missiles screaming through the air directly into your 'Mech's head. As your machine detonates, you'll know that you just got served an express load of missiles by the Catapault, a heavy 'Mech designed solely for delivering missiles at long range. Even at 65 tons, the Catapault packs on only 10 tons of armor. That's to conserve weight for its powerful jump jets and twin LRM-15 launchers. If you're not quite down on the game slang, that means this beast of a machine can jump and then unload long-range missiles on targets all across the map at will. Want to see it in action? Click on past the break to view the preview trailer.
MechWarrior Online invites you to River City
It's important to remember that for every shell-shocked city that you're rampaging through with your 40-ton 'Mech, there are families who have lost everything in the destruction. But enough about them -- more pew pew! Welcome to MechWarrior Online's River City, where the fun never stops and the human suffering is drowned out by cheers of "PWNED!" In a new video, Piranha Games shows off the urban battlefield of River City. It's a high-tech metropolis on fire, with hazy smoke and broken highways abounding. In the middle of River City is a fortified building, which is the high ground. Holding this will help players achieve their two objectives: a space port and an industrial port facility. And yes, the narrator actually uses the words "River City" and "ransom" in the same sentence. There's a strange video game crossover going on here. You can visit River City after the jump, but you probably won't want to move there.
MechWarrior Online shows off the Hunchback
The Hunchback is not the prettiest machine in MechWarrior Online. It's not meant to be, and quite frankly, it doesn't need to be. This little 50-ton machine is all about taking hits and giving back as good as it gets. It's a classic design for showing off what a medium 'Mech can do, and it's also the subject of the newest video from the staff at Piranha Games. Solidly in the middle of the spectrum of weights, the Hunchback boasts a sizable amount of armor for its frame and a respectable speed as well. Its armaments might seem light at first, but the AC/20 mounted in its shoulder provides a great deal of punch, and the lasers on its arm and head can carve opponents up in short-range engagements. Take a look at the trailer just after the break to see the machine in action -- even if it's not pretty in stills, its performance more than makes up for looking a little ungainly.
MechWarrior Online dev diary gives handy piloting tips
If you think you're ready to hop into the cockpit of a giant robot in MechWarrior Online and go out there all guns a-blazing, think again. You first need to learn how to pilot such a machine, which the developers say is quite unlike your traditional MMO avatar or vehicle. For one thing, you need to consider that parts of the 'Mech work independently of each other. You can be going in one direction, have your torso twisted to face another, and have your arms moving in yet another. Plus, there is the issue of heat generation -- and shutdown -- to consider. So take a moment to brush up on these basics with a developer video on the subject after the jump. Your life may just depend on it.
MechWarrior Online developer blog discusses beta stages and launching
The term "open beta" has kind of been kicked around in the world of free-to-play MMOs, with several games entering open beta and essentially remaining there for eternity. MechWarrior Online's latest developer blog leads off by describing this problem, pointing out that terms like "launch" and "beta" don't have the same meaning when applied to a free-to-play game. But the game is still progressing toward open testing and a launched state, and the timeline for both is outlined in the blog. Starting on August 7th, all Founders will have full access to the closed beta, complete with currency to purchase items. All funds spent on purchasing items during closed beta will be refunded with each major patch and refunded again when the game switches to open beta. If you still haven't quite grabbed the Founder's Package yet, you've still got some time, as the package is being extended past the initial cut-off date of August 7th. For more details on the testing schedule and what's next for the game, look through the full rundown of the testing phases and the road to launch.
MechWarrior Online showcases the Atlas [Updated]
Last week we showed you MechWarrior Online's light-weight Jenner model, which is available as part of the MWO Founder Package. This week it's the Atlas' turn in the spotlight. The Atlas weighs in at 100 tons, roughly three times the weight of the more agile Jenner, and has a deadly combination of long- and short-range missiles, four medium lasers, and an autocannon. Because of the weight and weaponry that make it deadly, the Atlas isn't known for being light on its feet. Anyone driving an Atlas will have to have a keen understanding of the battlefield in order to not get caught from behind before being able to bring the mech's technological terror to bear. Skip below the cut to witness the power of this fully armed and operational battlemech! [Edit: Took out the word "exclusively" for the Jenner in the Founder's package as non-Founders can also earn this mech.]
The mighty Kuratas gets assembled on video
It'll cost you $1.35 million to own one, but putting together a Kuratas isn't any easier. The latest video of the monstrous mech shows it being transported and assembled. That means flatbeds, cranes and a whole lot of socket wrenches. Of course, at the end of the day, you've got a 13-foot tall robot you can climb inside. Certainly puts that Ikea bookshelf project into perspective, huh?
Hands-on with MechWarrior Online
Last week, we sent San Francisco freelancer Emil Vazquez to the MechWarrior Online Community Day event to get some hands-on time with the game. This article reflects his opinion of his experiences! The MechWarrior franchise is, unsurprisingly, one that centers on giant mechanical battle-beasts beating the un-living daylights out of each other. Like a lot of mech games, MechWarrior Online makes "big" its modus operandi: You pilot a giant mech with colossal weaponry that unleashes biblical levels of destruction on its surroundings. It really should be obvious what you're getting into when you slip behind the controls of your own insanely customized mechanical soulmate, and for the most part, the surprises are few. But there are a few things that I came to appreciate during my time with the hands-on demo of MechWarrior Online, and it's the little things that make MechWarrior Online (and the MechWarrior franchise in general) more than just a mech simulation.
MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status
If you can't wait for the chance to stomp around the battlefield in your very own BattleMech, you probably gave the fine people behind MechWarrior Online your money for the Founder Package as soon as it was available. But perhaps you waited a little longer and have discovered that you still have none of the promised beta access, or perhaps you weren't even sure when the beta access would begin. Fear not, as Piranha Games has posted a brief update clarifying these matters. Founders should already have access to the game's closed beta, with any recent purchasers receiving it shortly after the transaction clears. However, there was a glitch on the servers last weekend that resulted in some purchasers not being granted beta access as intended. Founders without access should contact customer support for help in resolving that matter, but most everyone affected should be free to log in to the test servers now and start blasting away.
The $1.35 million mech (and how to insure it)
Mechs aren't just for video games, anime and tabletop gaming anymore. Suidobashi Heavy Industries now has a mobile suit named Kuratas available for – and, let's be honest, you'd pay anything to have this – the reasonable asking price of $1.35 million. That doesn't include extras like cup holder, in-cockpit phone adapter or pleather interior.As you would expect, the robot does come with a weapons system – albeit a non-lethal one. Using "The Smile Shot," a smile-activated facial recognition weapons system, the mech can fire water bottle rockets or use its twin gatling guns to shoot 6,000 BB bullets a minute. That may not be lethal, but it sure sounds like it smarts.We contacted State Farm to find out how much the insurance on this bad boy would cost us, but it wasn't able to give us a quote over the phone, passing us on to the Insurance Information Institute (III).
Kuratas, the 13-foot mech: unleashes your inner Ripley, costs $1.35 million (video)
Suidobashi Heavy Industries has put the finishing touches to its latest project, the 4.4-ton Kuratas. Mobile suit obsessives around the world can thank artist Kogoro Kurata and robotics expert Wataru Yoshizaki for the robot frame, which has space to house a pilot inside. The mech's touchscreen UI even includes a Kinect-based movement interface and the shudder-inducing "smile-activated" twin BB gatling guns. You can customize your own diesel-powered beast in the dystopian gang colors of your choosing, but be advised: the $1.35 million price tag doesn't include further customization options like a faux leather interior, cup holder or phone cubby. The Kuratas does, however, come with the ability to make phone calls direct from the cockpit, so you can tell your enemies that you're coming for them.
MechWarrior Online introduces the Jenner
What good's a battlemech without jumpjets on its legs and a whole bunch of exclusives on the side? Meet the Jenner, a light-armor battlemech that comes as part of the legendary founders package for MechWarrior Online. The MWO early closed beta access, which is bundled into every founders package, starts soon, which makes this the perfect time for the Jenner to strut its stuff. The Jenner mech is based on speed, with a top speed of 118 km/h and jumpjets to add it its maneuverability.With a short range missile and four medium lasers, it's a mech designed to get into the fight, rip its enemies apart, and get away quickly. Skip below the cut for a video preview of this intimidating little mech.
Piranha reveals MechWarrior Online's Caustic Valley
Up for another MechWarrior Online video reveal? Good, because we've got a look at the game's Caustic Valley map embedded after the break. As it turns out, the valley is aptly named. It's "a land of acidic haze and caustic heat," which provides a fine contrast to the sexy mechs striding through the landscape and raining fiery hot death down on one another. Caustic Valley also plays havoc with heat-based weapons. As Piranha Games says in its latest blog update, the heavy dust and brutal heat "greatly affects your ability to use heat-producing weapons such as lasers, as they will quickly spike to very high levels." See for yourself after the cut.
