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Otherland plans a second closed beta test for February
After hints and rumors, the Otherland dev team is finally prepared to confirm that a second closed beta test is indeed on the way -- and it will be happening next month. "Otherland is starting into the second CBT in February. We don't have an exact date yet and it can be delayed, but we don't want to tease you anymore. We polished a lot of stuff and put a lot of effort in it to provide you with more content, more quests and new features," the team said on the forums. The next closed beta test will include crafting, the auction house, storage, and vendors. Those who didn't get in the first time around can take heart in knowing the team will be handing out more beta keys than the last round.
The Otherland MMO has returned from the dead
It appears that the Tad Williams-inspired cyberpunk Otherland MMO has a new lease on life. The first version of Otherland was still in production back in March 2013, when developer RealU laid off most of its staff and work on the title ground to a halt. Now it seems Drago-Entertainment, a Polish outfit, has taken over the project and its assets, having launched a new website and Facebook page earlier in October with the declaration, "Otherland the MMO is back!" Drago-Entertainment was last in MMO news in April 2013 when it, perhaps not coincidentally, canceled its Kickstarter for a Grimlands MMO in favor of working with other investors. Both games were set to be published by Gamigo at the time. According to posts on the forums, Otherland's closed beta has not yet begun, though a registration link is prominently displayed on the website. [Many thanks to tipster Joe.]
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding February 9 - 22, 2014
In the world of MMOs, no news is not necessarily good news -- especially when it comes to crowdfunding. Silence often denotes a lack of progress on a game, and that can certainly make investors nervous. Thankfully, many games provide players with updates that we, in turn, provide for you here. If no news is bad, then news is good, right? Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true. In the case of Star Rider and Hot Rod Hustle, the news is that neither met its funding goals. So we say farewell to these two games from Make My MMO. And Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen's campaign was chock-full of news, but in the end, its Kickstarter didn't succeed either; Pantheon, however, is continuing the fundraising effort on its official site. At least some news is good! War of Omens also leaves this round up, but for different reasons: Players can hop in and play the game! Likewise, HEX: Shards of Fate and StarCraft Universe move on now that both have moved into testing. Another sandbox, Terrayn, also joins the Kickstarter ranks. To hear other good news, keep reading.
Otherland developer RealU lays off 'most of its staff'
Otherland developer RealU has laid off "most of its staff," according to a community manager's post on the game's official forums from earlier this month. The upcoming sci-fi cyberpunk title based on the works of author Tad Williams was set to be published by free-to-play giant gamigo. According to the post, gamigo "had and has very limited influence on this decision." RealU is a subsidiary of German publisher dtp, which "is currently in insolvency." The post indicates that RealU continues to hold the rights to Otherland in both Europe and North America, and it is currently looking into opportunities to finish the title "at another location." [Thanks Ainilome!]
Otherland enters phase two of closed beta testing this Friday
Gamigo has announced that the upcoming Otherland MMO, based on the popular cyberpunk series of the same name, is about to enter phase two of beta testing. The new phase of testing is bringing with it a number of improvements and fixes for testers to enjoy. The new beta build includes a revamped tutorial, a new starter zone, a "refined" combat system, and more. If you're in the Otherland beta and can't wait to check it out, you'll have your opportunity when a "short preview and feedback round" begins Friday, December 14th at 4:00 a.m. Eastern time. The testing period will run until Monday, December 17th, so you've got all weekend to see what the new build has to offer. For all the delicious beta details, check out the game's official site.
GDC Online 2012: Gamigo showcases Otherland and Grimlands
This week at GDC Online, Gamigo showed off the progress in not one but two of its upcoming titles. Otherland, based on the novels by Tad Williams, has begun to pick up pace lately, with a series of closed beta events in Europe. Meanwhile, Grimlands has also made quite a bit of progress and is working out the finer details as it nears release. Massively sat down with Gamigo CEO Patrick Streppel to get a firsthand look at both games. Read on for highlights from both the Otherland and Grimlands demos!
Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer
Today's a big day if you're an Otherland tester, as this marks the kick-off of the first closed beta weekend. It's a smaller test, however, so if you're not one of the lucky few, then you might be stewing in mild envy. Envy not, fair fellow gamers, for gamigo has an exciting new trailer to give everyone a taste of the multiverse of Otherland. The trailer begins with a grumpy angel going around a fantasy village and destroying the crud out of it. This prompts a youngster to take up a sword and join the fight against... something. Following that, it's a huge montage across the many genres of Otherland, from sci-fi to Asian-themed worlds. But who needs a description when you can watch it for yourself? Buckle up because you're going for a ride after the jump. [Source: gamigo press release]
Otherland's first beta weekend begins on August 31st
The few, the proud, the Otherland closed beta testers! Players interested in testing the upcoming free-to-play fantasy and sci-fi mixed MMORPG should keep an eye on their email; Gamigo has announced that the first closed beta test for Otherland will be happening this weekend. From August 31st until September 2nd, select accounts will be given access to the beta. This first test weekend, however, will be kept relatively small. Otherland Product Manager Florian Hörpel stated, "A small, manageable group of accounts will be given access to the servers for the first closed-beta weekend. This is because we want to get a feel for the limits of the systems." Interested players who do not receive an invitation this time around shouldn't despair -- they will have the chance to join in future beta events. Sign-ups to participate are on the official site. [Source: Gamigo press release]
New Otherland making-of video shows off Five Isle, Tad Williams
RealU and gamigo have released a new making-of video update for Otherland. The clip focuses on the in-game world of Five Isle, so named for the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal that feature in Chinese mythology. Interestingly, Five Isle is a new invention created specifically for the MMO and does not appear in Tad Williams' series of Otherland novels. Williams himself does appear in the new video along with a handful of game developers. See what they have to say after the break. [Source: gamigo press release]
Otherland alpha sign-ups begin
Fancy getting an early peek at the MMO version of Tad Williams' Otherland? Head to gamigo's official forum, then, because the company is seeking a few good alpha testers. This isn't your typical marketing beta, at least according to the sign-up verbiage. "As an alpha tester, you will be asked to focus-test specific game elements, document your user experience, and fill out in-depth surveys each week. Alpha testing is hard work," gamigo says. It's also unpaid work, so only die-hard Otherland fans need apply. If you're not a die-hard but are still interested in the game, check out our GDC impressions as well as this handy post that collects all of the publicly known information in one place.
Check and mate: A look at Otherland's EightSquared simulation
Fans of Tad Williams' deliciously cyberpunk book series Otherland are almost certainly waiting with bated breath for gamigo and RealU's upcoming MMO adaptation of the universe. In hopes of making the wait just a tad easier, gamigo has released a new developer diary video focusing on the EightSquared universe of Otherland. EightSquared, as you may have surmised from the name, is a simulation in which an entire medieval countryside has sprung forth from a gargantuan chess board on which the Red and White armies are locked in an eternal war/game. But something has gone wrong with the simulation: The armies are no longer following the rules of warfare (i.e., rules of chess), and it's up to players to find out where the problem lies before things get too far out of hand and cause the destruction of the simulation itself. The full dev diary also provides a look at the game's Lifecycle AI, which breathes life into the world by providing NPCs who follow their own day-to-day schedules. So what are you waiting for? Log in to the Net and go take a look for yourself. [Source: gamigo press release]
Otherland info collected in a single post
We got our first real glimpse of Otherland at last week's GDC, and if you're hungry for more info on the upcoming MMORPG from gamigo, a fansite called Otherland Net Feed has you covered. The Tad Williams-inspired title might be available as early as the third quarter of 2012, according to the site, and to whet your appetite, the admin has collected just about every known game factoid in a single sprawling post. There is plenty of verbiage relating to the title's simulations (that's Otherland-speak for zones) as well as a ton of images from the game's different locales. There are several trailer embeds too, along with concise reviews of combat, crafting, questing, and travel. [Thanks to Travis for the tip!]
GDC 2012: A look at Otherland and Grimlands with Gamigo
Do you prefer a post-apocalyptic world or Tad Williams' vision of the internet of the future? Luckily, you can have them both by the end of the year because Gamigo is working busy at work preparing to launch two new titles. Massively had a chance to talk with Anthony Guzzardo, Gamigo's North American Publicity Manager, as well as PR Manager Dennis Hartmann as they showed off Otherland, based on the works of Tad Williams, and Grimlands, a post-apocalyptic vision in the desert.
See Otherland's Lambda Mall in new developer video
It's been several months since we saw the first installment of RealU's making-of video series on the new Otherland MMO. Today the firm has released part two, and while the earlier clip was focused on the game's action elements, the latest one centers around Lambda Mall. Lambda Mall is basically a futuristic version of the internet, and in the game it functions as a social and questing hub complete with shops, bars, and plenty of space for your avatars to mix and mingle. The video shows off quite a few locations throughout the sprawling space, as well as plenty of sci-fantasy cyberpunk visuals. There's also a little preview of Otherland's character customization options toward the end of the clip. Feast your eyes after the cut.
Otherland dev video talks design and going off the rails
What's happening in the world of Otherland? How about a new making-of video, for starters. RealU and gamigo, the developer and publisher responsible for bringing Tad Williams' sci-fi novels into the MMORPG realm, are offering up a new five-minute clip that takes fans behind the scenes for a brief look at the development process inside the game's Singapore studio. The clip is full of quick glimpses of devs at work as well as a few talking head soundbytes. In terms of how the game plays, the most revealing quote comes from lead designer Nic Cusworth. "What we've been trying to do is bring those skills from a console game background into an MMO and give players something that's a little bit more immediate, more fast-paced to play. But at the same time, it has the scope and range of an MMO," he says. How will that scope and range manifest itself in the finished game? That's still speculation at this point, but the devs seem united in their desire to highlight Otherland's openness and its willingness to deviate from MMO norms. "We all like online games, but I find it quite frustrating how people's conceptions and ideas are so railed," says art director Holger Liebnitz. Check out the full clip after the cut.
New interview highlights the development of Otherland
Otherland was an ambitious project that had fallen off the radar for quite some time, but it looks like the project is back on track. Based on the novel series of the same name, the game is set to place players in the eponymous multi-world simulation, a surreal network of virtual worlds filled with inhabitants that believe themselves to be people. Players will not only interact with the otherworldly environments, they'll be tasked with trying to uncover the powers attempting to manipulate the simulation behind the scenes. A new interview sheds some light on what developer RealU is hoping to achieve within the universe. As fits the setting of the book, Otherland is a game with a great deal of player customization, ranging from customizing the appearance of a player's individual simuloid to customizing one's own space on the virtual web. Fans of the books will also be happy to learn that the game continues the storyline of its predecessors, with the offspring of the Grail Brotherhood working behind the scenes to regain control of the unearthly fantasy worlds. The game is currently aimed for a 2012 release, but it looks as if the foundations are being laid solid to start.
Five MMOs that have gone MIA
Unlike Chuck Norris, who seems to hang on as an MMO meme with insane tenacity (perhaps it's that extra fist under his beard), there are a handful of MMOs that appear to have dropped off the radar in the last several months -- if not years. Admittedly, this was originally to be a top 10 list of missing MMOs, but in the last half of this year, several developers have seen fit to thwart our plans by actually releasing information about their games. Shock! Horror! Nevertheless, I've armed myself with an enormous cup of coffee and plundered the archives of Massively and general press releases for MMOGs that seem to have dropped off the radar. Are they still under development? Will we see some movement on them in 2011? Will it take a Chuck Norris-level feat-of-strength and all-around badassery to pull them back from the developmental abyss they appear to be in? Join me behind the break as I run down some of the MMOs we're still waiting for word on.
