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Black Prophecy stress testing U.S. servers this weekend
Black Prophecy may have debuted in Europe a couple of months back, but the free-to-play sci-fi title is still sitting on the launch pad here in the States. The date is drawing closer, though, as gamigo is gearing up to stress test the game's American servers beginning Thursday, May 26th. The publisher is also offering an unspecified launch-day gift to players who log in and test from May 26th through May 29th. If you were part of the recent closed beta events, you're cordially invited to help break the servers this weekend, and you should be receiving an official email summons if you haven't already. You'll need your closed beta account credentials, which can be looked up under your gamigo master account if you've forgotten. You'll also want to grab the American beta client and have a look at what's changed via the official forums.
EVE invites everyone to come Mass Test
Every time we hear of a massive battle in EVE Online, we are reminded of how incredible the game is. EVE has continued to separate itself from the other MMOs by being able to handle an exorbitant number of players in a single area. This unbelievable feat is most likely attributed to the rigorous testing from the Q&A team and dedication of the EVE fans. This week, you can help out the CCP development team by participating in Mass Testing. Mass Testing is CCP's way of gathering a multitude of players in one area to grade server performance before launching new content to the live server. The team checks trend-data, streamlines high-priority changes, and gains critical player feedback. This week's test focuses on the Carbon UI and server remapping. If you would like to take part in this week's Mass Testing, hop on Singularity at 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday 28th. Remember, this is a stress test, so invite everyone you know! Your grandma has an EVE account, right?
TERA community play event coming in March
After a brief sojourn to celebrate the Korean launch of Bluehole Studio's TERA, it's back to the grind for the En Masse Entertainment team tasked with bringing the fantasy action MMO to western shores. January saw En Masse achieve a significant milestone in relation to the game's final server hardware configuration, and the focus is now shifting towards a community play event tentatively scheduled for March. The event will serve two purposes: a test of the new hardware and an opportunity for players and people flitting about the periphery of the TERA community to get an updated look at the game. Event participants will be noticeably free of NDAs, so we're expecting a good bit of new TERA info and impressions over the next little while. En Masse will host a second event "a couple of months later," this time focusing on account management and support systems, with the North American beta to follow. Said beta will be "a multi-part odyssey" according to the official TERA website.
Lego bot built to test Kno's tablet textbook, human overlords watch gleefully (video)
Just because the first few tablet textbooks have shipped doesn't mean that members of Kno's development team are resting on their laurels. Product testing on the Kno tablet continues -- and it looks like Lego is doing the heavy lifting. They've put our favorite plastic building blocks to work by constructing a Kno stress tester out of Lego Technic parts. The robot checks both the Kno's ambient light sensor and the ability of its touchscreen to accurately track the system's pen swipes and flicks. Though not as intricate as a Lego replica of a 2000+ year old mechanical computer, the robot -- with its hypnotic pendulum-like motion -- is still a sight to behold. Check the video after the break.
Mythos begins 'Hack and Crash' beta stress test Dec. 28
We would be hard-pressed to think of two things on this planet we love more than Mythos (the Flagship Studios-developed MMO which was acquired by Frogster and HanbitSoft last year) and pure, unrestrained candor. That's why we're psyched by the announcement for Mythos' upcoming "Hack and Crash" beta stress test event, which will fling open its doors to new waves of testers, in order to (according to a Frogster press release), "test the capacity of the servers, which may well crash as a result." So up-front! So honest! So forthright! You can still sign up for the beta if you want to be part of the server apocalypse -- or, you know, if you want to see how the game has changed under its new ownership. So long as there's still hacking and/or slashing, we think we'll be okay with the other adjustments.
Attend Gods & Heroes stress test, shave a CEO's head
How committed are you to your projects? Will you stay up late at night working? Give up weekends? Shave your head? Well, that's just how dedicated the Gods & Heroes CEO Anthony Castoro is to the upcoming stress test for the mythological MMORPG. The Heatwave Interactive chief offered a challenge to the fans and staff: If they are able to get 3000 concurrent players in the stress test, he would shave his head bald. (An artist's rendering is above -- oh, wait, that's a screenshot, never mind.) The stress test will take place this Saturday, December 18th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST. This MMO pits Roman warriors against the wicked Telchine gods to gain renown with the gods of Olympus. And if you're looking to get in on the beta action or just like to see people shave their heads, you can rush over to the Gods & Heroes official website to sign up. Email invites to the stress test are still being sent. Also, don't miss the Massively hosted chat with key member of this development team on Tuesday, December 21st 7 p.m. EST via Ustream.
Massively's hosting a live chat with Gods & Heroes developers
Gods & Heroes is the MMORPG based on Roman mythology being developed by Heatwave Interactive. This exciting MMO pits you against the Telchine gods, who have started a heavenly war with the Olympic gods. While defending Rome against this crushing fallout, you attempt to gain favor with the gods of Olympus. Highlight Tuesday, December 21st at 7 p.m. EST on your calendar. Massively is helping to host a developers chat on Ustream. Key members of the Gods & Heroes development team will be there to answer your questions. They only have an hour to talk, so we would like to give you an opportunity to submit your question ahead of time. There are a few ways to get your question in early so it is more likely to get answered: post on the forums, send a tweet via Twitter, comment on the G&H Facebook page, or simply comment below. For more information on the game itself or to sign up for beta testing opportunities, be sure to visit the official website, and we will see you on Tuesday!
G-Star 2010: Bluehole devs talk TERA payment model, launch date
If you're a TERA fan, chances are you're anxiously awaiting the smorgasbord of news sure to come out of this week's G-Star convention in Korea. Bluehole Studio has a large presence there of course, and thanks to the TERAfans website, we have an interesting translation of an interview with Bluehole CEO Kang-Suk Kim and developer Hyung-Kyu Park. The duo discusses everything from TERA's pending stress test (happening soon after G-Star) and upcoming open beta, to the decision to steer clear of the free-to-play payment model. "We can't say that TERA was made specifically for a subscription-based model, but we thought a lot about what the game was worth to players. We came to the conclusion that a monthly subscription would allow players to enjoy the game most easily. We are not interested in cash shops or partially making the game a pay model like some MMORPGs out there," Kim said. The interview also sheds a tiny bit of light on the game's political system, a feature that has been hinted at over the past several months but has, so far, lacked any definitive explanation. "The political system will be added in the [open beta test]. The political system is actually end game content so it won't really be active until the game's launch," Park said. Check out the full interview at TERAfans, and also bear in mind that this is a fan-made translation.
Gods & Heroes stress test this Saturday
Development on the resurrected Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising MMORPG is moving right along, as Heatwave Interactive has announced a stress test for the beta client this Saturday (November 6th) from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm CST. If you haven't already, head to the official website to apply for the beta and your chance to get a sneak peek at the game as well as contribute feedback to the developers. Gods & Heroes puts players in the role of an ancient Roman hero tasked with braving monsters and directing minions in a colossal battle to save Rome from the nefarious Telchine gods. Minotaurs, cyclops, and other classic mythological monsters will test your mettle as you build a legendary heroic character and seek favor with the Olympian gods.
Need For Speed World races its last warm-up lap in a stress test
Need For Speed World is preparing for starting flag! Today and tomorrow, the developers of this highly anticipated action MMO are rounding the final lap with a stress test. And you are invited! This free-to-play action-racing persistent world closed its beta last week with high marks among fans, and, per the norm, developers need to test the server capacity. The race to stress EA's servers begins July 13th at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT), and the checkered flag flies on July 14th at 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT). To celebrate this special event, all rental restrictions have been lifted. That means even at level 1 you can rent any car you would like. This is your chance to test drive that Porsche that you could only ogle during beta testing. As an added bonus, each player will receive 8000 SpeedBoost power-ups. Also, if you are one of the top five racers in the Community Sprint Race Competition for car tiers 1, 2 and 3, the starter pack is yours for free. This packaged upgrade to your account sells for $19.95 in the EA Store and allows you to progress beyond level 10 and obtain a Toyota Corolla AE86. Drive on over to world.needforspeed.com now for your last chance to feed your Need For Speed before the game's official launch!
HTML5 speed test finds IE9, Firefox 3.7 lead the pack in Windows, Chrome a distant last
Curious to see how the latest preview release of Internet Explorer 9 stacks up against the competition when it comes to HTML5 performance in Windows? So was Download Squad, and it's now revealed its findings in some vivid, if not entirely scientific tests. The end result is that Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 3.7 were well ahead of the pack in the 1,000-fish stress test (with Firefox about 5 or 10 percent ahead of IE), while Opera was stuck somewhere in the middle, and Chrome placed a distant last (and maxed out the CPU) -- all with hardware acceleration enabled, of course, although that had to be done via command line switches in the case of Chrome. Head on past the break to check out the four-way showdown for yourself, as well as an earlier test with just IE9 and Chrome.
ThinkPad Edge beats Vostro V13 in LCD stress test (video)
They might officially be targeting the lower end of business budgets, but a quick peek at the attractive stylings of Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge and Dell's Vostro V13 would suggest that both have no shortage of consumer market appeal. So, for the sake of differentiating between these two thin-and-light machines, Lenovo has provided us with one of its torture test videos. Subjecting the V13 and Edge to (hopefully identical) pressure at varying points across the LCD lid, this procedure assesses the robustness of each machine's screen design. In spite of lacking all the fancy metals present in its elder ThinkPad siblings, the Edge comes through the test unscathed and begging for more, whereas the V13 ... well, it doesn't. Skip past the break to see the hideously disfigured LCD that resulted from its visit to the Lenovo labs.
Mortal Online gearing up for stress test
The last bit of news we heard about the upcoming Mortal Online was the sad news that the launch had been pushed back to early this year. Luckily, today's news is significantly happier for fans of the game, even if you're not currently in the beta. The official word from community manager Maerlyn is that they're beginning a limited open beta early next week: specifically, a stress test of the game's servers. They want to get as many people online as humanly possible, and that means anyone with an account set up can log in -- beta tester or not. Maerlyn emphasizes that the event is not meant as an "entertainment" event, although it still promises to be fun -- most likely meaning that those of you hoping to run around unrestrained will be slightly curtailed. The stress test will follow the deployment of a brand new patch to the game, although the content and updates of that patch are as of yet undisclosed. Still, any Mortal Online fans looking forward to the open beta -- or to the release of the game -- should be more than a little excited. Keep a close watch on the official forums for the announcement of exact dates and times. [ Thanks to George for the tip! ]
Please hammer, don't hurt Samsung's flexible OLED prototype (video)
Surely by now you've seen pictures or videos of flexible OLEDs -- many from Samsung. Did you ever wonder just how durable the things are? The video after the break should answer that question. In it, one of the Hammer Bros. from the Super Mario games, apparently frustrated about Polyphony Digital's endless delays, is attempting to destroy a screen looping a Gran Turismo 5 clip. A traditional LCD shatters like so much porcelain, while the 2.8-inch, 20 micrometer thick OLED display is completely unaffected, even when folded. Impressive, and apparently just the thing to wear when exploring the Mushroom Kingdom.
Come test Earth Eternal tonight, get a special beta gift
There's nothing we love here at Massively more than giving our devoted readers the chance to get into betas whenever we can. That's why when Sparkplay Media contacted us today to ask if we could help them fill their servers to bursting with gamers who were interested in their upcoming anthropomorphic fantasy game Earth Eternal, we knew just what to do. So, we asked for a bunch of beta keys to give out! They were all too glad to give us a large bundle, which we've now set up on our beta key server for you to grab.But if free beta keys weren't fun enough, Sparkplay decided to make the deal even more interesting by offering a very special beta item available to any and all testers who log in tonight at 5PM Pacific (8PM Eastern). All you have to do is play some Earth Eternal and help them push the servers hard. Testers who show up and give them a hand during that time-frame will get a special "Beta Beast" Earth Eternal banner to display. So if you've been curious about this casual-friendly fantasy MMO, then be sure to go snag one of the beta codes and pop by tonight at 5PM Pacific to lend a hand.
Dungeons and Dragons Online stress test tonight
If the cry of, "Stress test this evening!" isn't enough to get you into the servers, how about, "Free Dungeons and Dragons Online!" Does that work for everyone? No? How about, "Win ATI Radeon HD 4890 cards!" Now do I have your attention?This evening, starting at 8 PM Eastern time and going until 11 PM, will be the DDO stress test party! Turbine has some new hardware that they're looking to push to the limits, and to do that you need people. Lots of people.The stress test will be occuring on the new Lamannia server, which requires a different client than the usual one. This also requires that you be enrolled in the Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited beta test. The full instructions on what all of that means can be found over at the DDO forums, however, so you're not left entirely in the dark.Staying online gives you more chances to win one of the five ATI cards, or perhaps one of the ten DDO posters signed by the development team. Even if you don't win, there's still going to be sneak peeks at some of the new stuff coming to DDO and you can have a fun night with friends. Many friends. Lots and lots of friends. All packed into one server. Fun times!
Fallen Earth hosting Texas invasion in-game event
Come Saturday, July 25th, we hope those of you in the Fallen Earth beta (or looking to get in by then) have some spare time. The Fallen Earth team is planning to host an atypical stress test in the shape of an in-game event -- Texas Invasion: A Clan Challenge. Here's the hook: Players have been asked to help fortify the Grand Canyon Province and raise up arms against invading Texans. This can be done by seeking out Texan encampments, where players can scavenge for valuables, kill invaders or craft to earn points.Doing any and all of these things earn players points, and the player with the most points will earn the title Defender of the Province. Aside from sounding cool, this title also comes with a prize pack consisting of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 videocard, a Fallen Earth messenger bag and a Fallen Earth t-shirt. The prizes aren't solely individual, however, as clans will be tallying up points during the event. Clan points come from individual players and the most successful clan gets to claim in-game notoriety via a commemorative -- and we're assuming in-game -- monument, complete with the name and date of the event.Oh, and apparently this winning clan will also earn a week-long takeover of the Fallen Earth website. Talk about an ego boost! Check out the official announcement for further details -- such as the scheduled hours for the event and how clans not already in the beta can join up now and compete as well.
Fallen Earth stress test now open to all
The Fallen Earth stress test that is being run through Fileplanet (which we reported on a few days ago) has had the "subscriber-only" restriction lifted. Because of this, those that were on the fence about paying for the beta will now only need to register for a regular Fileplanet account to get into the game -- a much easier decision to make, we're sure you'll all agree. If you do want to give the Fallen Earth stress test a go at the new bargain price of 'free', sooner is better than later, as there is a limited amount of promotional keys to be given away (you can get them here). Check out the Fallen Earth Stress Test FAQ for more information about this phase of testing.[Thanks, Aetrix.]
Video: Nokia N97 gets a torture testing, goes great with milk
If the opinions of two star-crossed bloggers weren't enough to sway you firmly into either the "yea" or "nay" column regarding a Nokia N97 purchase, perhaps seeing how it fares after being dunked into a bowl of corn flakes will help you make up your mind. N97Geeks.com has gone the 'ol torture test route, including of a series of scratch attempts for the screen and the body as well, plus the aforementioned test where it became a part of "this complete breakfast." The result was an almost fully functional if slightly scuffed up handset that now has a non-working menu key and a wee bit of internal condensation, meaning you can probably get by without a screen protector or case if you hate buying accessories. But, for best results, keep this one clear of your Kellogg's.
Fallen Earth stress test begins this Tuesday, June 23rd
A stress test for Fallen Earth will begin on Tuesday the 23rd of June, giving the masses a chance to get into the game -- that is, if they're Fileplanet subscribers. Participation is only available to Fileplanet subscribers and subscribing does cost money, so it's not exactly an "open" test, but it should let a lot more people into the game than the closed beta before it.The game client can be pre-loaded ahead of the stress test launch, and computer specification info has been provided so that you can make sure that your rig is up to scratch:Minimum Specifications: CPU: Intel P4 2.8 GHz or equivalent RAM: 1 GB for XP, 2 GB for Vista Video Card*: nVidia GeForce 6600/ATI Radeon X1300 RAM (dedicated): 256 MB Recommended: CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz or equivalent RAM: 2 GB for XP, 3 GB for Vista Video Card*: nVidia GeForce 8800GTS/ ATI Radeon 3870 RAM (dedicated): 512 MB Now the question remains for those who aren't already Fileplanet subscribers but want to try out Fallen Earth: are you willing to fork up the cash?[Thanks Brian!]
