So as most people know by now, as long as they receive occasional news from Sony Online Entertainment in their inbox, that They announced Pirates of the Burning Sea (PotBS) is switching to a Free to Play model, with Premium and Captain's Club subscription plans. Sound familiar? Lord of the Rings Online switched to a very similar model and went live a couple months ago.
But why should you care? They cut so much content for Freebie members. But alas, so far, This is not the case with PotBS. You can check what Free accounts get vs Premium vs Captain's Club Here . As you can see, you get quite a bit with a free account in comparison... 2 Characters Per Nation, that's 8 Character slots, Plenty of storage and dock space... If you Bought the game new way back, or subscribed at least once using a credit card or a game card, you automatically get Premium access as well
The Free to Play model was decided on late last year and the tech to make it happen is completed and in testing. You can expect to pillage and sail the open seas on or around November 22
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Lionhead Makes Fable 2 FREE On Xbox Marketplace
Over at Lionhead's Twitter, they've announced that Fable 2 is FREE of its $20 Price Tag on the Xbox Live Marketplace website in anticipation of their upcoming title Fable 3. This is either generosity on a whole new level, the likes of which are very rarely ever seen from game companies, or a genius marketing gimmick to push Fable 3 sales. Either way you shouldn't complain and head on over to Download to your Xbox.
On a bad note though, it does not work for everyone, but they ARE in the process of fixing that, But head on over regardless and give it a try, if it doesn't work then give it a while and try again
Click for Fable 2 on Xbox Live marketplace
UPDATE
It looks as though it was just a glitch and Microsoft has fixed it.
A Microsoft representative sent along this response, which suggests that this whole ordeal was an unfortunate (yet, for some, beneficial) mistake:
"We have seen reports that an Xbox.com page listed Fable II as being free to download. While getting the entire game for 'free' would be (and was for a short time) an amazing deal, it is now available at the intended Xbox Platinum Hits price of $19.99 . A perfect way to warm up the skills for Fable III which launches on October 26!"
On a bad note though, it does not work for everyone, but they ARE in the process of fixing that, But head on over regardless and give it a try, if it doesn't work then give it a while and try again
Click for Fable 2 on Xbox Live marketplace
UPDATE
It looks as though it was just a glitch and Microsoft has fixed it.
A Microsoft representative sent along this response, which suggests that this whole ordeal was an unfortunate (yet, for some, beneficial) mistake:
"We have seen reports that an Xbox.com page listed Fable II as being free to download. While getting the entire game for 'free' would be (and was for a short time) an amazing deal, it is now available at the intended Xbox Platinum Hits price of $19.99 . A perfect way to warm up the skills for Fable III which launches on October 26!"
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Medal of Honor PC recruiting for open beta
Ordinarily, when a Medal of Honor is awarded, it's not going to be taken away. Next month will see an exception of sorts, as Electronic Arts will be giving PC gamers an open beta for its first-person shooter Medal of Honor but will be pulling the plug on the testing period after four days.
Starting October 4 and running through 11:59 p.m. on October 7, the Medal of Honor PC beta will let players around the world test out two of the game's multiplayer modes on two separate maps. The two modes will be Sector Control (capture and hold strategic points) and Combat Mission (one team is charged with completing five separate objectives, the other with stopping them).
The open beta will also give PC gamers a chance to see the cause of the recent controversy surrounding the game: the ability to play as insurgent forces in Afghanistan fighting against US-led coalition troops. EA defended the game by pointing out the frequency with which other shooters allow gamers to play as Nazis or terrorists in their multiplayer modes.
In a statement announcing the open beta, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said, "We also hope that by offering the multiplayer open beta, we can clear up any misunderstanding about the patriotism and respect that are the foundation of this game. The Medal of Honor franchise has always shown extraordinary reverence for American and Allied soldiers--this game is no exception."
Relocated from World War II to post-9/11 Afghanistan, the new Medal of Honor will take on Modern Warfare with its own approach to contemporary combat when it launches on October 12. The game focuses on a member of the most elite group inside the modern-day US Special Operations Command, the Tier 1 Operators.
Instructions on downloading the beta will be available from the game's official site.
Starting October 4 and running through 11:59 p.m. on October 7, the Medal of Honor PC beta will let players around the world test out two of the game's multiplayer modes on two separate maps. The two modes will be Sector Control (capture and hold strategic points) and Combat Mission (one team is charged with completing five separate objectives, the other with stopping them).
The open beta will also give PC gamers a chance to see the cause of the recent controversy surrounding the game: the ability to play as insurgent forces in Afghanistan fighting against US-led coalition troops. EA defended the game by pointing out the frequency with which other shooters allow gamers to play as Nazis or terrorists in their multiplayer modes.
In a statement announcing the open beta, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said, "We also hope that by offering the multiplayer open beta, we can clear up any misunderstanding about the patriotism and respect that are the foundation of this game. The Medal of Honor franchise has always shown extraordinary reverence for American and Allied soldiers--this game is no exception."
Relocated from World War II to post-9/11 Afghanistan, the new Medal of Honor will take on Modern Warfare with its own approach to contemporary combat when it launches on October 12. The game focuses on a member of the most elite group inside the modern-day US Special Operations Command, the Tier 1 Operators.
Instructions on downloading the beta will be available from the game's official site.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
All Points Bulletin Cancelled – Game Shutting Down
The news arrived a couple days ago on the APB forums from the game’s community rep Ben Batemen, the game is shutting down. While Realtime Worlds made an impact with Crackdown and there was a lot of hope surrounding the GTAA-style MMO during its development, the post-launch picture has been pretty bleak.
APB launched June 29, 2010 to mostly negative reviews. While the developers claim the game has a player base of 130,000 users and Realtime Worlds hoped to find a buyer, the end has come to this game quickly. APB suffered from a number fo bugs at launch that were never fully addressed and also suffered from some press backlash when the developer tried to enact a review embargo to keep word of the game’s state out to players right prior to launch.
Realtime Worlds itself went into administration a few weeks ago, so this is not an end that was unforseen but Bateman posted the following statement on the games’ forums:
“APB has been a fantastic journey, but unfortunately that journey has come to a premature end. Today we are sad to announce that despite everyone’s best efforts to keep the service running; APB is coming to a close. It’s been a pleasure working on APB and with all its players. Together we were building an absolutely amazing game, and for that, we thank you. You guys are awesome! From all of the Realtime World staff we thank you for your continued support.”
The game servers continue to run with no announced shutdown date, but it’s only a matter of time.
APB launched June 29, 2010 to mostly negative reviews. While the developers claim the game has a player base of 130,000 users and Realtime Worlds hoped to find a buyer, the end has come to this game quickly. APB suffered from a number fo bugs at launch that were never fully addressed and also suffered from some press backlash when the developer tried to enact a review embargo to keep word of the game’s state out to players right prior to launch.
Realtime Worlds itself went into administration a few weeks ago, so this is not an end that was unforseen but Bateman posted the following statement on the games’ forums:
“APB has been a fantastic journey, but unfortunately that journey has come to a premature end. Today we are sad to announce that despite everyone’s best efforts to keep the service running; APB is coming to a close. It’s been a pleasure working on APB and with all its players. Together we were building an absolutely amazing game, and for that, we thank you. You guys are awesome! From all of the Realtime World staff we thank you for your continued support.”
The game servers continue to run with no announced shutdown date, but it’s only a matter of time.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Acclaim games down and out
Acclaim is apparently dead again. Barely three months after the free-to-play online game publisher was acquired by Playdom, the social gaming company has pulled the plug on Acclaim's entire catalog.
On what used to be the official Acclaim Web site, visitors are given a short message saying that Acclaim games will no longer be in service, effective yesterday. The site also contains instructions on how customers can be reimbursed for unused Acclaim Coins (the in-game currency that drove the company's microtransactions) and plugs for Playdom's lineup of Facebook games. The site gives no indication that the Acclaim name will continue in any form.
Originally founded in 1987 as a publisher for consoles, PCs, and arcades, Acclaim enjoyed mixed success until its filing for bankruptcy in 2004. The company published critically lauded titles, such as Turok and Burnout 1 and 2, as well as less warmly received titles, such as BMX XXX, Batman Forever, and Space Jam.
Following the breakup of the company, Throwback Entertainment purchased many of Acclaim's key intellectual properties, while former Activision executive Howard Marks purchased the brand name. Marks went on to reboot Acclaim Games as a free-to-play games portal and had some success with titles like Bots, 9Dragons, and the rhythm action game RockFree, which at one point boasted 15 million registered players.
On what used to be the official Acclaim Web site, visitors are given a short message saying that Acclaim games will no longer be in service, effective yesterday. The site also contains instructions on how customers can be reimbursed for unused Acclaim Coins (the in-game currency that drove the company's microtransactions) and plugs for Playdom's lineup of Facebook games. The site gives no indication that the Acclaim name will continue in any form.
Originally founded in 1987 as a publisher for consoles, PCs, and arcades, Acclaim enjoyed mixed success until its filing for bankruptcy in 2004. The company published critically lauded titles, such as Turok and Burnout 1 and 2, as well as less warmly received titles, such as BMX XXX, Batman Forever, and Space Jam.
Following the breakup of the company, Throwback Entertainment purchased many of Acclaim's key intellectual properties, while former Activision executive Howard Marks purchased the brand name. Marks went on to reboot Acclaim Games as a free-to-play games portal and had some success with titles like Bots, 9Dragons, and the rhythm action game RockFree, which at one point boasted 15 million registered players.
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