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New Battle.net desktop client datamined
MMO-Champion have been very busy datamining, as is their way, and have happened upon some files that indicate that a new launcher may well be appearing before too long. What they have found indicates that there is a battle.net launcher coming that will shift away from separate game-by-game launchers, towards an integrated launcher for all Blizzard games. Looking at the background files which have been datamined, it looks like WoW, Diablo, and Starcraft will be included, but also the older Warcraft RTS games. Each major game group appears to have its own section, which itself includes breaking news, general information, and links to things like patch notes, guides, account management, help and support and more. There is also a news section which encompasses the news across all the games you have installed. It is important to note that this currently appears to be datamined information and should be treated appropriately. It is always best not to pass judgement on such things until an official position on the veracity of early reports is released. But, that being said, whatever this turns out to be looks great.
Troy Online releases official open beta schedule
A few weeks ago we brought you Troy Online's open beta announcement. Today ALT1 Games has released the free-to-play fantasy title's official beta schedule, and new players can get their hands on the game for the first time on August 12th at 11:00 a.m. PDT. The testing period will last for one week, culminating in Troy's launch on August 19th. If you're an existing beta tester, you'll need to download the new open beta client due to the substantial graphical tweaks as well as changes to class balance and PvP battlefields. Troy is based on traditional Trojan War mythology, with some creative license involving the god Apollo and a second round of conflict thrown into the mix. The official Troy website is your gateway to acquiring the game client, and you might also want to stop by the beta announcement page as well as the technical forum (particularly if you're a previous tester looking for manual uninstall info).
APB Reloaded blog talks new client, closed beta date
Anxiously awaiting the (re)launch of the new free-to-play version of All Points Bulletin? You're not alone, as the folks at GamersFirst are as well. To that end, how does a projected late February closed beta date grab you? Bjorn Book-Larsson drops that particular hint in the latest APB Reloaded dev blog, and also says that the beta application details will be forthcoming in the next week. Book-Larsson goes on to talk about why it's taking GamersFirst a bit of time to turn the lights back on for the resurrected MMO crime opus, and two of those reasons boil down to a new game client and a new company network. While this week's blog is a little light on client details, Book-Larsson does indicate that more info is forthcoming. "The exact config of the client will be the focus for each update in each of the next several weeks, so at the moment all I will say is that the closed beta client will be a little bit smaller than the original shipping client. It will have a basic premium system built in, various balance fixes, and we might be able to turn on the chaos rule-set," he writes. The remainder of the lengthy blog entry focuses on techie details relating to GamersFirst's new network, and for those of you who are prone to glazed eyes at the thought of techno babble, Book-Larsson invites you to tune in next week when the discussion will turn to in-game features.
Xsyon beta update adds architecture skills, revamps terrain
Yep, Xsyon's still around, and the post-apocalyptic sandbox MMORPG from Notorious Games continues its beta testing phase with a full client and server update this week. The patch has also wiped all your beta characters as well as the world terrain, making way for smoother texture revisions that should be visible as you read this. Other significant patch details include the architecture skill (which allows players to create walls and buildings), the masonry skill (designed to complement architecture), and various tweaks to combat and characters. Among these is a revision to the alignment system that flags both defenders and attackers. Finally, the new client boasts several bug fixes related to collision detection, memory leaks, and animation fixes. Check out the full list of improvements on the official Xsyon forums.
EVE Online on the Mac next Tuesday
The Weblogs, Inc. network of blogs (of which TUAW is a part) announced its newest member today, Massively (covering news about MMO games, and co-lead by yours truly), and right there on the launch page was great news for Mac MMO fans. CCP, the company that makes the great EVE Online, has announced the release of a Mac client for the game next week.The update will come in the form of a new patch for the client (called Trinity), which will also feature new ingame ships, lots of new items, and updated graphics textures. I've only just recently gotten into EVE Online, but it's a good time for a space-based MMO-- really complex economy, harsh PvP, and excellent skill system. I know some Mac users have already been playing it with Boot Camp and Parallels, but it'll be nice to finally have a native Mac client.The patch is supposed to drop next Tuesday, so the Mac client should be available on the site sometime soon after that. Get ready to head into low sec space on your Mac, but be careful-- the rats are out in force.
