Filed under: Betas

Allods Online set to enter open beta on February 16th

by Rubi Bayer Feb 9th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Allods Online

Allods Online surprised us last November, seeming to come out of nowhere and offering an extensive, polished game even in beta. The game has been cycling through several rounds of closed beta since then, adding more content with each round and allowing beta testers to further explore their world.

Fans of the game who didn't manage to score a closed beta key during that time have something to be happy about today: open beta for Allods Online in Europe and North America will begin next Tuesday, February 16th. Not only that, but all characters created during the open beta will not be deleted.

If you're curious about the game, check out our previous coverage and prepare yourself for the awesomeness the right way.

[Thanks Kane!]

LEGO Universe begins beta signups

by Rubi Bayer Feb 9th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, LEGO Universe

It was a bit quiet on the LEGO Universe front for most of 2009, with a reveal of screenshots, and a bit of development news here and there, but not much else.

January 2010 changed all of that, with a big reveal at CES that gave us a trailer full of zombie pirate awesome, and some actual alpha footage of the game. This quick progression from screenshots and interviews to trailers and gameplay footage led to the natural assumption that more was going to come quickly, and we were right: signups for the LEGO Universe beta began today, just a short while ago.

Don't tell us that it's a kids game and you're entirely too grown-up for it -- we know better. Nobody outgrows LEGO. Now go sign up for the beta, you know you want to. Signups can be made here, and we hope to see you in the beta. (Yes, we're signing up too. We told you: nobody outgrows LEGO.)

[Thanks to Dennis for the tip!]

Zodiac Online enters open beta February 10th

by Rubi Bayer Feb 7th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play, Zodiac Online

Zodiac Online, the free-to-play offering from Ingle Games, entered closed beta early last November. Since then the folks at Ingle Games have been hard at work refining things, fixing bugs, and just generally preparing to move to the next phase.

That next phase will arrive in just a few short days: open beta begins February tenth. The game predictably revolves around the Chinese zodiac, challenging you to assist the twelve creatures of the zodiac to defeat the forces of evil.

If you fall in the "make love, not war" camp, never fear. There is another side to Zodiac Online that says "give fate a chance and let it turn into a romance." This game has a fate system based on astrology that will give you a heads up when a player is nearby that you are particularly compatible with -- or particularly incompatible with -- so you can follow up if you're so inclined.

Check out the Zodiac Online site for more information and to register for open beta!

Aika launches PvP Domination tournament in closed beta

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 7th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Contests, PvP, Aika

If you were one of the people lucky enough to get into one of our two Aika beta key giveaways, you've probably been enjoying the chance to see what the most recently announced title from gPotato has to offer. The promise of large-scale PvP always gets people excited, after all, and it doesn't hurt that the game has a very polished and stylish look to it. But the real question is how the PvP will play out... which is why it should come as no surprise that the developers are taking the opportunity during the closed beta to host a domination tournament for the players. Four guilds from each nation will be set against their fellows in a winner-take all elimination match.

The process is simple -- players should send a private message to the GM Lingo with their guild name and the number of members. The four largest guilds will be notified and set to begin the tournament on Monday, February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (8:00 PM EST). Each guild will pick out six of its finest members to be sent out as champions, and the tournament will last through both Monday and Tuesday evening. If you're in Aika's closed beta, there's still time to enter, so get your guild together and get ready for the event!

Massively's mystery beta key giveaway

by Shawn Schuster Feb 6th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, New titles, Giveaways

A mystery beta? How does that work?

We've been given 100 keys for the early closed beta on an upcoming game that hasn't even been officially announced yet. As excited as we are about this, we still have to tiptoe around any hints that might give it away. So let's just call this the first in a projected series of games that includes both single-player and online aspects. It's described as both cooperative and competitive, covering a new genre for games.

Sound like something you might want to help test? Simply leave a comment to this post before Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 7pm EST and 100 random winners will be chosen from the entries. You'll then be contacted with further instructions on how to download and access the game. Best of luck!

[Comment are now closed, winners to be contacted by Monday]

Betawatch: January 29 - February 5, 2010

by Rubi Bayer Feb 5th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch

Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.

It was a quieter week on Betawatch, with only a few games making changes on our list. Mortal Online entered open beta February first, while Allods Online kicked off their fourth round of closed beta, which will last until the tenth. Aika's first closed beta test began as well, and will run until the ninth.

Click below for the complete list, updated weekly.

Massively's Aika closed beta key giveaway: Round two

by Shawn Schuster Feb 5th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, PvP, Giveaways, Aika

With the speed at which our beta keys vanished in last week's giveaway, the good people at Aika Online were happy to give us 5,000 more keys for the Massively readers to get their hands on. As we mentioned last week, Aika is a large-scale PvP-centric MMO where nations fight against each other with castle sieges and customized battlegrounds. All of this while supporting 2,000 players in the same battle.

If you didn't get your chance to grab a key last week, head on over to our giveaway page for a shiny new code. From there, you can register at aika.gpotato.com and download the client straight from the website. At the rate this game is gaining popularity, you can bet we'll be checking this one out ourselves, with our first impressions coming soon.

Battle of the Immortals explains mounts and pets

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 5th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Battle of the Immortals

The pace of information released about the upcoming Battle of the Immortals is increasing, no doubt to raise anticipation for the game's swift-approaching beta. The most recent post on the official Perfect World Entertainment blog offers more details on the game's mounts and pets, which look to be an integral part of the game's structure and offer a few interesting twists on the features. Mounts, for instance, can be upgraded for increased speed... but each upgrade also allows the mount to learn new skills. The example given was of a mount that learned to teleport short distances as well as running, a helpful trick to be sure.

Pets, on the other hand, can be almost any monster encountered in Battle of the Immortals. Players will have the opportunity to turn a defeated enemy into a pet "every now and then," which is a bit light on details but suggests either a long cooldown or a limited-supply item. Each pet can apparently have their skills slotted for a variety of roles, allowing them to be viable in both PvP and PvE combat. There's a week left before the closed beta begins, so if you're interested, take a look at our closed beta key giveaway to start out early.

Community Q&A: Ask Allods Online

by Shawn Schuster Feb 4th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Free-to-play, Allods Online, Community Q&A

Allods Online has just announced an extension to its fourth closed beta testing, with an open beta looming on the horizon. We've been giving the game some healthy coverage since it entered the early beta stages, and we're always excited to interact with the developers and publishers whenever we can. But now it's your turn!

As with our previous Community Q&As, we want to hear from our readers on the pressing questions you have for the developers. Whether you've been enjoying your time in the game or not, we want to know what you'd like answered. So if you'd like your question considered, simply leave a question as a comment on this post by Monday, February 8th at 8am EST. Or, if you'd feel more comfortable with email, send one off to me at shawn at massively dot com. We'll gather up the questions and send the best off to the Allods team for the answers. Once we get the answers back, we'll post them here for all to see. Please remember to keep your questions respectful and your criticisms constructive. Beyond that, have at it!

EverQuest II to host live tour of Sentinel's Fate

by Rubi Bayer Feb 3rd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest II, Expansions

Sentinel's Fate is the upcoming expansion to Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest II, and fans are looking forward to exploring Odus, checking out all the new dungeons, and learning more about the Erudites and their fate.

Sony Online Entertainment has been giving us peeks into Sentinel's Fate for quite a while now. We've seen the screenshots, read up on the lore, and heard behind the scenes tales from the creators, and now it's time for a guided tour!

The end of this week will bring Sony Online Entertainment's first Ustream Beta Tour. Senior Producer Alan "Brenlo" Crosby will be the host, taking players through the world of Sentinel's Fate and giving them a producer's-eye view of the expansion.

The tour will begin this Friday, February 5th, at 4:00 PM PST on the SOE Ustream channel. There's no need to register or log in, just visit the site Friday and enjoy the tour!

Mortal Online releases new game trailer

by Rubi Bayer Feb 2nd 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, New titles, News items, Mortal Online

Mortal Online's open beta began yesterday, but closed beta players have been enjoying the game for a while now, right along with the development team.

The Mortal Online team has been collecting game footage from closed beta and working on a game trailer for the past few weeks. They're drawing the suspense out by showing it to fans in parts, and part one was released today. They do warn us that it's not super polished, as it was created using the then-current build of the game, but it's still a great look at the world of Nave.

You'll see a fair amount of players, as the video is composed entirely of in-game footage from beta, and Mortal Online sent out a big thank you to all the players who participated in the production. Take a look at part one of the trailer after the jump, and we'll keep an eye out for the next two parts!

Altis Gates closed beta download available

by Rubi Bayer Feb 1st 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play

IGG.com recently introduced their latest MMO, Altis Gates. Altis Gates is a turn-based fantasy game in which players battle in the continuing aftermath of a 300-year war, long after it was thought to be over and forgotten.

The game will begin closed beta at 8:00 pm EST February 2nd, and if you're interested in giving it a try, our sister site Big Download is ready and willing to help you out. Big Download has partnered with IGG to offer closed beta keys. Just head over to their site to read up on Altis Gates, then download the special beta client provided. The file includes a unique "Closed Beta Activation Key" text file. Follow the instructions found in the file and you're all set.

The offer is available to anyone who would like to try the Altis Online closed beta, so visit Big Download, get your activation key, and have fun!

Mortal Online's open beta starts February 1st

by Eliot Lefebvre Jan 31st 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Mortal Online

The upcoming sandbox MMO from Star Vault, Mortal Online, is finally entering its awaited open beta on February 1st. While the game has been in testing for quite some time, getting beta access meant pre-ordering a copy of the game, which turned several people off from the idea. But not only is the game going to become easier to take part in testing starting on Monday, there are two carrots thrown in to help entice players.

First off, any existing beta characters will not be wiped upon the commencement of open beta. That means anyone already playing, whether in the closed beta or as part of the game's recent stress test, will get to keep their character that they've worked on. Second, while in open beta the game's price will be dropped by five euros (about $7), which means that if you like the game, it's even easier to decide to make it a full-time home.

Downsides? Only one - as community manager Maerlyn points out, the testing will be based on a single server cluster in Stockholm, so their may be server caps or slight connection issues depending on distance. But that's hardly enough to take away from the good news. If you've been waiting for Mortal Online, your day is almost here.

[ Thanks to Bartillo and David for the tip! ]

Betawatch: January 22-29, 2010

by Rubi Bayer Jan 29th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch

Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.

We bid farewell to WonderKing and MAG this week as they celebrate their launch, and wish them the best of luck. Kung Foo! headed into their second round of closed beta, and Perfect World International cranked out yet another title for closed beta: Battle of Immortals. Global Agenda and Star Trek Online also graduate from the list this week as their betas have ended and launch preparation begins for next week.

Click below for the complete list, updated weekly.

Massively's Aika Online closed beta key giveaway

by Shawn Schuster Jan 29th 2010 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, PvP, News items, Giveaways

Today we're happy to present a brand new closed beta key giveaway for the upcoming fantasy MMO Aika Online. Developed by the makers of Neo Steam and published by Gala-Net, Inc., Aika Online is described as a PvP-centric, large-scale MMO where nations fight against each other with castle sieges and customized battlegrounds. The game engine has been developed to support 2,000 simultaneous players (1,000 vs. 1,000) in a single, real-time battlefield, which Gala-Net describes as a remarkable technical achievement.

If Aika Online sounds like something you'd like to check out, head on over to our giveaway page to grab yourself one of our 5,000 closed beta keys we have available. From there, you can register at aika.gpotato.com and download the client later today from the website. Keep in mind that this North American closed beta doesn't begin until February 3rd, when you'll be able to enjoy five nations, all six classes and levels 1 through 30.