I’ve been fiddling about with Valve’s first iPhone app, Steam Mobile . Normally when a developer makes a leap to the mobile world, we wouldn’t give it a second thought, but Valve’s iPhone and Android app is Steam without the games and can affect what’s on your PC, so it’s worth talking about. That and I just tapped out a chat to Alec while I was on the toilet, using Steam. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posts Tagged ‘beta’
Impressions: Steam Mobile
By Craig Pearson on January 30th, 2012.
Come on, Fido. War keys!
Hands On – Warlock: Master Of The Arcane
By Adam Smith on January 23rd, 2012.
When I was a much younger person, I rarely stopped playing Enemy Unknown and Jagged Alliance. If I did put them to one side, it was usually because I was playing Master of Magic instead. There were other games, of course, but in terms of the amount of time devoted to them, those three were probably the dominant forces for at least a few years. UFO and Jagged Alliance are both receiving new versions this year and, lo and behold, Warlock: Master of the Arcane is the best attempt to emulate Master of Magic’s best features as anything I’ve played in the sixteen years since I bought it. It’s more than a clone though, with plenty to say for itself.
Blizzard Respeccing The Diablo 3 Beta
By Craig Pearson on January 20th, 2012.
“The game’s done, just release it already! Gentlemen: prepare the Onager!” That’s my impression of the angry mob outside Blizzard’s studios, waiting for news of a Diablo 3 release. They want it, but like a monkey gripping a tree in a hurricane, Blizzard are holding tightly onto the beta. They still have a lot to change. A lot. According to game director Jay Wilson’s ‘System Changes’ post on the Diablo 3 site: “We trust in our ability to put out a great game, but we’re not quite there yet.”
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Brick-Force Is Also Made Of Cubes
By John Walker on January 17th, 2012.
I dare someone to make a game not out of cubes. Not taking me up on that dare is Infernum, who have just announced their online buildy-shooter Brick-Force is taking sign-ups for its closed beta. Just what in Horace’s shiny toenails is Brick-Force? A trailer below will reveal.
TERA Accepting Closed Beta Applications
By Adam Smith on January 12th, 2012.
TERA is an “action MMO” with a relatively complex political system, which allows players to gain control of resources through democracy or violent monster-bashing. It’s an accepted but little spoken truth that our own Nick Clegg only elevated himself to the position he fails to enjoy today by grinding rats for hours on end. Forget all that though and ask yourself one simple question: do you want the chance to join TERA’s upcoming closed beta? Applications are now open and anyone registering before 11:30 CET, 13th January will have a chance to be one of the first 1,000 entrants. That’s 10:30 in Blightlyland by my reckoning. More passes will be given out as the beta progresses. Europeans, sign up here. Americans here. Video below.
See you, crater
Impressions: Lunar Flight Beta
By Adam Smith on January 9th, 2012.
I am responsible for many of the smaller craters that mark the moon’s surface. It’s true! I’ve been playing Lunar Flight, the modern take on Lunar Lander that I first spotted way back in 2011. Turns out it’s a simulation of me panicking as I hurtle toward the ground, upside down, beginning to rotate wildly in the hope that the motion will somehow cause me to skim off the rocks and bounce to safety. It doesn’t. It’s not an intimidatingly hardcore simulation but it is a lot less arcadey than I expected it to be. The beta, which feels remarkably complete, is available to those who donate $5 or more. More thoughts follow.
Lo! Warlock: Master of the Arcane Closed Beta
By Jim Rossignol on December 7th, 2011.
Hey, you look ripe for some testing of a turn-based fantasy strategy game with RPG-elements. Yes, I knew you would be, and that’s why you’re going to click over here and apply for the Warlock: Master of the Arcane beta, which has just been announced by the Paradoxes. They explain: “Set in the Majesty series’ fantastical world of Ardania, players have to manage cities, muster armies and enlist the help of three unique races without neglecting their wizardly training- dedicated scholars will find that a new spell combinations or powerful enchantments can be as dangerous as an army.” If you need more convincing there’s a baffling teaser trailer below, voiced by someone pretending to the Sean Connery. I wish I knew who to blame.
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Up And At ‘Em: Tribes Ascend
By Adam Smith on December 6th, 2011.
Are you playing Tribes: Ascend? There’s a surefire method of entering the beta but it involves parting with cash: anyone who pays for a preorder receives automatic access, but simply registering at the site also provides a chance to receive a code. Along with Firefall, Tribes is one of the few upcoming online man-shooters I have a real interest in and it’s not entirely because of my unhealthy jetpack fetish. Ascend, in particular, appears to reward good old-fashioned weapon skills, as highlighted by this new trailer.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Beta Begins
By John Walker on November 30th, 2011.
If you were lucky enough to receive a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive beta invite (and we weren’t) then you’ll be pleased to learn the beta has just begun. We don’t care, because we don’t have an invite, so it’s pretty irrelevant to us. The beta, that arrived via Valve Time a touch late, will scale up (when perhaps we’ll be invited, maybe), aiming for a release “early 2012″. Which could mean any time between now and the eventual entropic destruction of the universe. Apparently it’s only a teeny weeny bit of the game, so doesn’t even require a pre-load for excited people who are able to play it, which we aren’t.
APB Reloaded’s Live Action Nonsense
By John Walker on November 15th, 2011.
Oh, this spate of live action trailers the world is currently suffering from will surely end soon? Beyond giving the message, “we don’t think our in-game graphics are impressive”, I’m not sure what else they’re supposed to convey. But fortunately, this latest for APB Reloaded does occasionally switch to in-game footage. Which, of course, ends up looking (slightly) unfairly lame having just been watching its real-world equivalent shot on high-def film.
A Beta Tomorrow: Tribes Ascend
By Adam Smith on November 3rd, 2011.
Jim told you all about the beginning of the signup period for the Tribes Ascend beta back when the news was fresh, but now that it’s stale I’m here with a friendly reminder that you only have one day left to apply/pay if you want in. One piece of potentially pertinent information is that no beta wipes will be performed between now and the game’s launch, so you can progress straight through the closed and open betas racking up unlockables. Jetpack antics await. Sign up here and leave fate to decide, or purchase the Tribes: Ascend VIP Starter Bundle for guaranteed access and a heap of in-game currency.
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