Otherland

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.

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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!]

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.

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In coming up with a follow-up list to my previous Upcoming MMO Contenders list, I found myself almost paralyzed by more choices than I could shake a wireless mouse at. Pointing at the sure bets is one thing, but narrowing down a field of dozens and dozens of interesting -- yet more far-flung -- prospects is far more difficult. It's one thing to have a good idea; it's another to say whether or not this game will actually make it to launch, and if it does, that it'll pull the idea off well.

That said, I've lost some hair and two pounds sweating out this list, and I feel sleeker for it. Today's Perfect Ten is all about the long-shots, the titles that may not have the huge budget, big name studios, or anything solid to show for it, but could still become contenders in their own right if everything is played just right.

Deep breath -- let's give it a go!

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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.

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MMORPGs based on pre-existing intellectual properties are a tricky business, and for every Lord of the Rings Online -- which at least makes an attempt at remaining faithful to its source material -- there's a Star Wars Galaxies or a Star Trek Online that sacrifices canonical authenticity on the altar of gameplay.

Then there's Otherland, gamigo's ambitious MMO based on Tad Williams' famous sci-fi cycle. A new interview with gamigo CEO Patrick Streppel sheds a bit of light on the title's timeline and canon and teases fans with glimpses of what they'll see and do when they plug in to what amounts to a virtual world set in a virtual world.

"Tad [Williams] has been very involved in the project from the beginning and provided lots of input to the development team on top of the source material. He is truly passionate about his vision being turned into a game," Streppel says. How will the game present that vision? It is "essentially a sequel" to the novels, and as a result of the dramatic conclusion at the end of the fourth and final book, it will now "be up to the players to get [Otherland] back online." The interview also delves briefly into gameplay topics, character creation, and more, so head to MPOGD.com to have a look.