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Gamescom 2011: The Secret World launching April 2012 [Updated]

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:35:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Launches, MMO industry, The Secret World

The secret is out: Funcom announced today at Gamescom that it will launch The Secret World in April 2012.

The highly anticipated title revolves around secret societies, real-world conspiracies, urban legends, and tricky mysteries. This launch will put the title in a head-to-head battle with TERA, which releases next spring as well.

Funcom also said that it will be inviting players to register starting August 26th for the upcoming beta. The invitation process will be made through "an interactive social media campaign," keeping with the title's fondness for ARGs and viral campaigning.

We'll be keeping an eye on Funcom this week to see what the company has to say about its launch plans.

[Updated: Hit the jump to watch the newest trailer for The Secret World!]

Gallery: The Secret World: GDC 2011

Continue reading Gamescom 2011: The Secret World launching April 2012 [Updated]

Gamescom 2011: The Secret World launching April 2012 [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drakensang Online moving into closed beta

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST

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

If game development had trending topics a la Twitter, "play in your browser" would be at the top of the list. After all, a game you can play in your browser takes all of the slow download and install times out of the equation. Drakensang Online is the latest such game in development heading for a release, with the closed beta having just begun. If you've never heard of the game before now, don't fret -- applications for testers are still being accepted.

How much social interaction will be present in the game remains to be seen, although the game's page boasts that players can engage in battle with and against other players around the world. There's a definite Diablo vibe to the screenshots and the trailers, so if that's up your alley, it might well be worth taking a look at the game during its beta testing phase.

[Thanks to B1GG1N for the tip!]

Drakensang Online moving into closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB blog talks beta applications, information security

Jef Reahard — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, All Points Bulletin, Crime, Dev Diaries

Welcome back to the weekly APB Reloaded update. This time around, GamersFirst has a followup to last week's beta application deadline announcement. APB's beta application process is a bit different than the norm, and GamersFirst producer Jon "Neume" Merriex has penned a lengthy blog entry that aims to fill in the gaps.

In addition to reviewing the game's beta key redemption process, the entry touches on the time-honored tradition of fudging your beta app in the hope of presenting a more appealing tester profile (and thus increasing your selection chances). "In the end, if you do fill out the form accurately and completely, we expect that the vast majority of beta applicants will in fact get closed beta access well before the roll out of the open beta," Merriex writes.

Finally, this week's post spends a bit of time on your personal information, and more specifically, the sharing of it with third parties. In a nutshell, GamersFirst pledges to keep your email address, phone number, credit card number, and other valuable bits of data both secret and safe. Information sharing from beta participants "is always aggregated, such as '85% of our players are male between the ages of 18 and 25,'" Merriex says. Head to the official APB Reloaded blog for more specifics.

APB blog talks beta applications, information security originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rift's closed beta to start December 3rd

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, RIFT

Been holding your breath waiting for Rift: Planes of Telara -- now renamed just Rift -- to announce the much-anticipated closed beta phase? Well, pass out no longer, for Trion Worlds has announced that Rift's next phase of testing will commence on December 3rd.

Rift's closed beta will take the form of limited duration events, in which select players will be allowed to get their hands on the title and hopefully report bugs as faithful playtesters. You may recall that there are a few different pools of beta applicants that Trion is choosing from, up to and including the coveted VIP key-holders who will be invited to every beta event. If selected from the pools for testing, players will be notified a few days in advance with setup instructions.

The first beta event will be called "Rise of the Defiant" and will include the first 20 levels of content, the Defiant beginner zone and the land of Freemarch.

Trion's Scott Hartsman is celebrating the move from alpha to beta testing: "This is a momentous event for the entire Trion team, as well as the fans that have been following Rift since we first announced the game. We've created this deep, vibrant world that's just waiting to be populated with enthusiastic players, and our hope is that gamers will enjoy playing the game as much as we've enjoyed building it."

As we can attest, Rift is shaping up nicely so far. If you want to be considered for the closed beta events, head on over to Rift's website to apply.

Rift's closed beta to start December 3rd originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV beta applications now open

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

There's something to shout about if you're looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV -- the game is now accepting applicants for its beta testing. We've heard that the game is slated for release some time next year, but this is one of the obvious indicators that it's closer than we might have thought. So if you're as excited about the prospect of getting to play the game as some of us, you probably clicked that link before you read any further.

Anyone still reading, of course, should be apprised of some minor conditionals first. The test is only open to those 18 years of age or older capable of submitting reports in fluent Japanese, English, French, or German. (Luckily it's not in all four at once.) You'll also need to be connected to the Internet and capable of downloading large amounts of data, but that's de riguer for MMOs, so it merits less of a mention. There will be multiple rounds of testing, with each one adding further testers, and the official page states that testers will be evaluated based on their application rather than order in which they applied. That doesn't mean that Final Fantasy XIV fans shouldn't hurry on over -- but you've probably already done that back in the first paragraph.

Final Fantasy XIV beta applications now open originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earthrise beta signups begin

James Egan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Earthrise

Fans of massively multiplayer online games who think fantasy settings are getting a bit stale are looking at other genres to explore -- namely the upcoming sci-fi MMO titles soon to arrive. One such game that we've been keeping tabs on at Massively is Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMO currently in development. We recently mentioned that Earthrise would be taking beta signups at the end of 2008, and the team at Masthead Studios kept their promise: Earthrise beta signups have begun.

Earthrise's Community Manager, Moll, let prospective players know the details about the stages of beta on the game's official forums. If you're excited about getting an early hands-on with Earthrise, you'll want to check out the Q&A there before going ahead and filling out the beta application, which could get you into the fray on Enterra Island soon.

[Thanks Aron]

Earthrise beta signups begin originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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