Massively^™

Non-disclosure agreements or NDAs have traditionally been thought of as a burden that gamers have only begrudgingly borne because they want early access to a game. For a variety of reasons, developers often don't want people going around and blabbing about their new titles, either because the game is still in a very unfinished state and the comments wouldn't be generally positive, or for marketing reasons having to do with hype and release timing.

So when we read one blogger suggest that a developer actually extend the NDA indefinitely post-release, at first we weren't really sure what to make of the idea. He suggests that it would give developers the leverage to eliminate game guides and third-party sources of information that really marginalize the difficulty of content by letting players gain knowledge of encounters before they've experienced them. He suggests that it would have the benefit of strengthening inter-personal bonds and information sharing within the game. While this is true, we can only imagine the explosive legal battles that would precede this sort of system. Still, it's a novel idea to think about.

[Via Mythical Blog]

More specifically, active players of LotRO: Shadows of Angmar are eligible to participate in testing new and revised content well in advance of any of it appearing on public servers! This is the Isengard Programme, named after the tower in which Saruman consolidated his power (yes, lore fans, I know its history goes much further back, but if I type it all out, I'll never get this post completed).

The requirements for acceptance as a tester are:

• Must be age 18 or older
• Agreement to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• A solid grasp of the English language
  

If you're one of those people who keep checking the 'Net for news of updates and new content, this position is perfect for you! If you're interested in participating, please send an e-mail to isengardeurope@codemasters.com and tell them a little bit about your LotRO experience. You should include the following in this e-mail:

Name:
Date of birth:
Forum name:
Best forum post / bug submission:
Your own LOTRO experience:

Here's the originating link, for you purists out there. Seats are limited, so get cracking on this ASAP!

[Thanks, Boltar!]

When I was growing up, Sid Meier's Pirates! was one of my favorite games. Released in 1987, you could choose your own destiny by being a dirty swashbuckler, or serving your King. Pirates of the Burning Sea brings me back to those simpler days, when the biggest dilemma was whether to use a rapier or a cutlass in battles of honor. Alas, I went for the Leisure Suit Larry style of MMO, otherwise known as Second Life. Oh, how things could have been if PotBS had come out sooner ...

During a recent conversation with an SL friend, Bebop Vox, of Natural Selection Studios, he mentioned that he was in the closed-beta program. When asked about the Machinima capabilities, he admitted that they were a bit rough around the edges. However, when the NDA lifted today and he showed me this video, I wasn't expecting that kind of quality at all!

As you can see from this short clip, you can sail the gorgeous seas and engage in gun fights with a rival crew. At the end of the day, you can relax with a brew in the local bar. I'm sure you can even meet a real lusty wench or two, although you could do that in SL as well. There's no doubt about it - PotBS is the action-packed MMO that we've been waiting for, and Massively has all the dirt you're looking for on it!

Have you read our in-depth mission preview and crafting hands-on for Pirates of the Burning Sea, and discovered a burning inner desire to try your hand (or hook) at life on the open sea? Well today may just be your lucky day. Beginning December 7th, closed beta testers and members of FilePlanet's Founders Club will gain access to the PotBS open beta, and the general public will follow four days afterwards on December 11th, a day on which we anticipate many businesses shutting down to a sudden and unforeseen outbreak of scurvy. In the meantime, the non-disclosure agreement signed by closed beta testers has been lifted, so those among us who were fortunate enough to have been playing the game in quiet anonymity will finally be able to share our experiences on forums and the like. So chat it up!

Not wanting to leave Australian and European fans behind, the Flying Lab Software folks also reaffirmed their commitment to finding publishing partners in those territories. There's no news (and subsequently no pre-orders) in this respect as of today, but they wanted gamers abroad to know that they have not been forgotten.

We're not sure how we let this one slip past us. NCsoft announced last week that Exteel, their third-person mech shooter set in a persistent universe, would be moving to the open phase of beta testing starting this Wednesday at 2PM CST. Effectively, this means that whoever wants to try their hand at the game will be free to download the client, and the silence that has been enforced on beta testers through the NDA will be lifted.

Some have questioned whether Exteel really qualifies as an MMO to the degree that NCsoft has been claiming it does in their press and marketing materials. While it has certain elements on the check-list, like persistent characters who retain experience, gear, and abilities from game to game, it is fundamentally a third-person shooter. Perhaps it falls under the category of pseudo-MMO? I guess we'll find out for sure this Wednesday.

[Thanks Kevin]

The NDA for the closed beta of EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark has finally been lifted. Expect to see a lot of new information about the new expansion in the coming days. The first wave has already begun. For example, MMO blogger Ogrebear unleashed several outstanding screenshots of the Fens of Nathsar and The Kylong Plains. These zones are looking fantastic.

The Kylong Plains were covered in our own tour of the Rise of Kunark beta if you want some more information. The expansion is expected to go live next week, so sit tight.

Yes, my friends, it is Friday, happy Friday, and that means that this beautiful site you're reading is one week old! Happy birthday to us! It also means that it's time for the debut (though you had a little teaser earlier) of our weekly WRUP feature-- every Friday, we're going to ask, "What aRe yoU Playing?"

This weekend, many of you will probably be heading to the battlegrounds in World of Warcraft, working your hardest to farm up honor and marks for the items coming in patch 2.3 on Tuesday. Or maybe if you're a Mac or Linux user, you might be finding your way in EVE Online with the brand new client for the game. And if you're a DDO player, you might be headed to Sorrowdusk Isle for tonight's live events.

Personally, I'll be playing lots more EVE Online. Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money!

To celebrate the launch of Massively, Sony Online Entertainment has graced us with 15 beta keys for their upcoming expansion, EverQuest II: The Rise of Kunark. Unlike those other sites giving away beta keys, we're not even going to make you work for it.

That's right, no creative writing contests or screenshot submissions or badly cut machinima efforts to apply. Just post below in the comments section before Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 11:59pm. We'll choose among them randomly and send the winners a beta key with instructions on getting into Kunark.

Though we are free-wheeling with the beta key love, there are two restrictions that you should know about. First, you will need to have a paid subscription to EverQuest II. The beta key doesn't work if you're not already paying for the game. Second, you will have to agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This means no talking about what you see or posting screenshots until the NDA is lifted.

If you wanted to try out the new Sarnak playable race before everyone else, this is your chance. What are you waiting for? Get to commenting!

EDIT: Give-away is over! E-mails are all out to the winners. For those who didn't get in, keep an eye on Massively for, well, massive coverage of EQ2. First with our beta walkthrough feature. Then, when the NDA lifts.