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Hero of the Obelisk enters open beta November 28
Does the thought of sitting around the dinner table and making small talk with your distant family members this Thanksgiving make you want to barricade yourself into a vault and never come out? If so, take your computer with you and hop in on the Hero of the Obelisk open beta, which launches November 28th -- just in time to help you dodge your loved ones. Hero of the Obelisk is a free-to-play dungeon-crawler MMO developed by GBE Games that offers both PvE and PvP encounters, guild-on-guild skirmishes, and will launch with three classes and "hundreds of dungeons." Our own Beau Hindman will be taking a closer look at it next month; in the meantime, you can register for open beta yourself via the game's official website. [Source: GBE Games press release]
Blade & Soul opens the beta doors in China November 28th
The final closed beta for the Chinese version of Blade & Soul got rolling just over three weeks ago, but Tencent is already preparing to throw the beta doors wide open to any and all who want to check the free-to-play fantasy game out. Steparu.com discovered that open beta, scheduled to launch next week on November 28th, will not have an IP block, meaning folks from other areas can also get in on the martial-arts action. The client is available for download starting today, which is helpful to all those who want to get a head start by participating in the special character creation event on November 23rd and November 24th. While you wait for your download, take a look at some in-game emotes courtesy this video from Steparu:
Blade and Soul adds servers in China
Blade and Soul's closed beta appears to be going quite well in China; Tencent has just expanded the number of live servers from 19 to 33. Additionally, rumors indicate that the Chinese version of the game will be entering open beta sometime in early December. No new info is available for western gamers waiting for Blade and Soul. The last update on the official site is dated December 5th, 2012 and claims that details will be delivered "when the time is right." NCSoft and Team Bloodlust are working on the western version of the title.
Actual Sunlight, a game about depression, goes 3D with open beta
Having a good day? Turn that smile upside-down in a hurry with Actual Sunlight, a game about love and depression, which is now available in an open beta, 3D form for Windows, Mac and Linux. The game, which was originally built in 2D using RPG Maker VX ACE, is a potentially disturbing tale that follows the life of would-be writer Evan Winter as he tries to navigate life. A warning on the game's download page reads, "[Actual Sunlight] deals with extremely mature themes, including depression and thoughts of suicide. Similar to other forms of art that tackle these issues, Actual Sunlight can be an extremely powerful emotional experience – before downloading it, please first consider what your reaction to a book, film or piece of music in a similar vein might be." Seriously, and we can't stress this enough, the game is dark. If you should download the game and expect to have an intense reaction, feel free to take note of the numbers and information located at the International Suicide Prevention Wiki.
Hands-on with Darkfall's Japanese open beta
I'm not very good at aiming. I prefer third person to first person view. Nintendo consoles and games are my drug of choice when I'm not on a PC. I hate duels and arenas. I tend to spend my time gathering resources or crafting and want to kill only mobs or players if I must. On the Bartle test of gamer psychology, I'm 60% Explorer/Socializer and 40% Achiever/Killer. And I loved Darkfall Online. Aside from Aventurine's little, ah, "delays," Darkfall was always a lot of fun for me, even though the guild I joined was established years before I met its members. However, when I moved to Japan, I was region-locked out of the game and unable to check out the revamped Dark Fall: Unholy Wars until recently when the Asian open beta began. I've done my best to keep up to date on the game, but reading information and playing the game are two different things. This was not so much a welcome home for me as it was a returning to my hometown after a few years to find that the buildings and local language have changed. That may sound negative to some people, and it could be, but for me, it was an adventure, which has always been something DF offers me that other games struggle to match.
World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition welcomes all to open beta weekend
Listen up, tank commanders: If you have any hankering at all to try out the beta World of Tanks' Xbox 360 Edition, you better do so this weekend. Wargaming has kicked off an open beta weekend today that will continue through Sunday, November 10th, and it will be the last chance for anyone to get in on the beta as registrations will be closed afterward. To smooth the entry process, Wargaming will ensure that players don't have to sign up for a beta key but can simply download the client and boot up the game. To sweeten the entry process, the studio is giving a free premium USA T14 tier III heavy tank to beta testers and a premium USA Ram II tier V medium tank to those who fight at least five battles. World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition will also feature double XP during the beta weekend. [Source: Wargaming press release]
Heva Clonia Online begins open beta today, hosts Halloween events
Last week we gave you the heads-up that Heva Clonia Online was moving into open beta testing today. And as part of the transition, OGPlanet assures players that there will be no more wipes between now and launch. So now players can jump in and enjoy guild PvP battles, two-man dungeon challenges, cloning monsters as pets, and a number of mini-games without losing any of the goodies or progress accumulated while playing. In celebration of the start of open beta, Heva Clonia Online will be hosting a number of Halloween events offering players different ways to get a hold of some prizes. These prizes can be won simply by attending (with the Halloween Attendance Event), by hunting (the Kill Monster and Earn Items event), and even by playing Halloween bingo! To play, sign up on the official site. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
Heva Clonia Online moves into open beta on October 17th
The first Heva Clonia Online beta test went well. Quite well, in fact. So well that the team has decided that it's time to move straight into open beta. It's a bit like having a good date and then volunteering to move into the other person's home at the end of the evening. On October 17th, the game opens up to everyone who signs up for another round of testing, with no date announced for the close of testing. If you've been holding off for the usual fear of having none of your progress matter, you can take heart that no further progress will be wiped between now and the conclusion of testing. Whether or not this will be the final test phase or an interim step is not announced. But test away, knowing that the only difference between now and launch will be the addition of the cash shop. And presumably some bugfixes along the way. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
Dragon Ball Online has reached its final form
Dragon Ball Online is officially on its way to the other world, as NetMarble has announced that the game will be shutting down in its two remaining territories. Korea's Dragon Ball Online server went offline September 26th and the Taiwan server is set for closure on October 31st. Once Taiwan goes dark, the Dragon Ball MMO will officially be no more. Dragon Ball Online launched in Korea in 2010, followed by releases in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2011. The game took place 216 years after the Dragon Ball manga series and was under the creative control of original Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.
Ask Massively: The order of all the things
This week in Ask Massively, we're fielding two queries about how we position games in some of our weekly roundup columns. As an obsessive list-maker, I understand the need to make sense of list chaos, believe me. I actually have lists of my lists. I'm not kidding. Our first question is from Siphaed, who wondered about the entries in our Week in Review: I'm a bit confused why The Elder Scrolls Online and Star Citizen got above FFXIV. Don't get me wrong, I honestly don't like either game and still prefer the one above all three (Guild Wars 2). However, I see that FFXIV has four key articles dedicated to it this past week and the other two have only three each. I would think that it would get a slight priority in the pecking order based on that. If not, what are the credentials for one game getting priority over the others in the article listing? I love that you guys think we're sitting around steepling our fingers trying to decide which game should go on top and get the golden star sticker for the week, but unfortunately, it's nowhere near that much fun!
Prime World patch slips you some skins
Call out "New skins! New skins!" to the MOBA crowd and just watch as they come a-runnin'. Nival's added a bunch of new skins for Prime World with its patch 9.10, giving additional looks (and gender options) to familiar heroes. Patch 9.10 has a ton of changes beyond just the cosmetic. There are talent and skill changes, of course, as well as a search feature for co-op challenges, challenge quests, and new monsters. The team also explained a rather major change to the battle start UI: "In the future, we plan to add new features, like playing against bots in other modes, as well as new modes. The interface in its recent state was overloaded, and it was not wise to load it even more with new elements. The new interface, however, will spare us many troubles in the future." [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Battlefield 4 Open Beta launches October 1
Battlefield 4's Open Beta is set to detonate on the PC, 360 and PS3 on October 1, EA revealed on Friday. The game's next-gen counterparts have also been given street dates: November 12 for PlayStation 4 and November 19 for Xbox One, three days before the console's release on November 22. EA noted in the announcement that beta players will be able to "learn maps, unlock items and build stats" for use in the October 29 release of Battlefield 4. Players can also carry over stats, unlocks and awards from the 360 and PS3 to the Xbox One or PS4 versions once they launch in November. Those looking to upgrade should check into the programs that offer deals towards buying the next-gen version of games they already own. Those that sign up for Battlefield 4 Premium, pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe or that have purchased Medal of Honor: Warfighter's deluxe or limited editions will be granted access to the "Exclusive" Battlefield 4 beta. The Beta's FAQ lists that the Exclusive Beta will also begin in early October - meanwhile this EA help article says that the Open Beta comes after the Exclusive one. We've reached out to EA for more information. Update: The text of this article has been adjusted for clarity, and to reflect that further information may be forthcoming.
Open beta is in the cards for Kickstarted CasinoRPG
There are fantasy and sci-fi MMORPGs galore, but how many gambling ones have you come across? The answer is very few. Like, only one. But GoldFire Studios is here to change that: Successfully kickstarted in early 2013, CasinoRPG is ready to enter open beta after a year of development and closed testing. A free-to-play browser-based title, CasinoRPG combines roleplaying and city-building elements with gambling; players can take their virtual winnings from games like poker, blackjack, and slots and use them to create casino empires, design luxury apartments, and basically build and manage the cities within the game. Why an RPG? With the increased popularity of social casino gambling on various platforms, James Simpson, founder and CEO of GoldFire Studios, explained his project by saying, "Innovation has stalled, and we wanted to do something new." To get into beta, sign up on the official site. For a look at other projects in the crowdfunding arena, check out Make My MMO. [Source: GoldFire Studios press release]
The Mog Log: Returning to your Final Fantasy XIV friends
Despite my best efforts, I was unable to throw open the doors and start demonstrating the wonders of Arcanist with my time in Final Fantasy XIV's open beta. I know, I'm disappointed too. I can offer a summary of what I saw from a glance at the abilities of the class, sure, but that's a little more speculation than I want to lay on people in lieu of real playtime. (The short version is that it looks interesting, and yes, there's a cure in there.) Instead, I'm going to offer some advice to my fellow players coming back into the game with older characters. Think of these not as strict guidelines but as suggestions, tips to make the path through beta and early access just a wee bit easier. I spent most of phase 3 preparing for the launch along these lines, and it might make the transition a bit more gentle for everyone.
Killzone Mercenary multiplayer open beta starts August 20
Killzone: Mercenary's open beta program is right around the corner, opening August 20 for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Vita owners without a PlayStation Plus subscription will have to wait until August 27 for their turn with the game's multiplayer mode. The beta program closes on September 3, ahead of the game's September 10 launch. Killzone: Mercenary's multiplayer offerings allow up to eight players to do battle in three modes and six maps. It also features a "valor card" system that ranks players on a daily basis, with each card representing a player's "earning ability." Players drop their valor cards upon dying in the game, offering greater rewards to the victor if the card is of a higher valor level.
Hearthstone begins closed beta testing
Shuffle the deck of your hopes and dreams because Hearthstone has just started its closed beta testing and sent out the first wave of invites from the applicant pool. To make matters more interesting, Blizzard is not holding an NDA for the duration of the beta process, so expect to hear a lot of feedback from people trying out this online card game as the beta progresses. To get into the beta, you'll need to have a Battle.net account and choose to opt in to the test from there or through the website. Blizzard will be notifying beta participants via email, but cautions players to watch out for scams. The studio said that it will invite more waves of players as needed and confirmed that it will be wiping all collections and progress partway through the beta period. Blizzard does not expect to do another wipe after this one, however.
Final Fantasy brings version 1.0 characters into beta
Returning players who log into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta phase four will be given the option to import their version 1.0 characters for the first time since the game went offline in November 2012. The Lodestone reports that players will not only see their old characters once more, but also any items that they had on them at the time of the apocalypse. Players will have a one-time opportunity to alter that character's look, gender, race, and name, and these changes will carry over to live. Square-Enix is also handing out the legacy chocobo whistles with phase 4 for those that earned them through the legacy campaign. This will add a special mount to your character's stable. And if you've never played an MMO before and need a beginner's guide to partying up for dungeon runs, check out the following video (protip: Tell everyone you're a noob!).
StarCraft Universe appeals to Kickstarter audience for help
Remember StarCraft Universe, the fan-made mod that turned the RTS into an MMO? The project is still going strong after two years, but its development team is in dire need of funds to push it over the hill and into open beta testing. The solution? Kickstarter, of course. Upheaval Arts hopes to raise $80,000 or more to finish the first act of the game and get it into public testing. Currently there are two races in the game (Terran and Protoss), although with stretch goals the Zerg are a possibility. The team has some respectable names attached to the project, including Composer David Orr and voice actors Danielle McRae and Eric Dieter. StarCraft Universe will require Battle.net to play and will be completely free to all. If you're concerned about Blizzard finally lowering the boom on this mod, well, don't. The team says that it's gotten the studio's approval: "While Blizzard is not directly affiliated with this project's production, we do communicate with them to submit bug reports and make technical requests. They have given their blessing/permission for us to launch this Kickstarter, and they are supporting our efforts by featuring SCU as an arcade highlight."
Firefall open beta weekend includes dev-hosted missons
Been dying to try out Firefall but have had the worst luck obtaining a beta key? Sir or madam, this weekend is for you (and everyone else). Red 5 is kicking off the first of Firefall's open beta events with a weekend packed full of activities and specials. The open beta weekend begins today at 8:00 p.m. EDT and continues until Sunday at the same time. During the weekend, players will enjoy a 2X bonus to all Crystite drops, easier access to Firefall's newer zones, and discounts on battleframe unlocks. Red 5's devs will also be hosting missions through the five-man Blackwater Anomaly. If you're able to get in on one of these instance runs, you'll be treated to special rewards and be able to tell your jealous friends and family that you rubbed shoulders with developer royalty. [Source: Red 5 press release]
Hearthstone preps for beta
While it's not quite beta time for Hearthstone, Blizzard's wild and crazy crew (above) announced that it has finished all of the major features that will be present for testing. However, there's still some more work to be done before the team opens the beta valve; bug fixes and infrastructure building are taking priority prior to any large-scale testing. "What that means is that we're not days away from launching the beta, but we're not months away either," the devs wrote. "At the Hearthstone announcement we committed to going into beta testing before the summer was over, and the team has been pulling out all the stops to make that happen." The upcoming beta will begin in North America, but the team assures residents of Europe, Korea, and Taiwan that their time will come shortly thereafter. While the initial influx of testers will be small, Blizzard will continually expand the testing pool until everyone can join in. The team revealed a special gold card that will be given to any testers who spend money in the beta and said that a recent test of cross-platform gaming between a PC and an iPad went smoothly.
