TABULA RASA OPEN BETA INVITES AVAILABLE AT FILEPLANET

Those of you who are burned out on World of Warcraft and the other available MMOGs and have been hoping that NCSoft’s upcoming Tabula Rasa (designed by Richard “Lord British” Garriott of Ultima series fame) will rekindle your interest in the genre should be aware that Fileplanet still has a limited number of keys left for the open beta test running through October 26th. If you want to give it a shot and see if it’s for you, be sure to grab one as soon as possible.

I’ve followed this one a bit over the last few months, and did grab a beta invite from Fileplanet, so if I get a chance to put some time in with it and it’s something worth talking about, I’ll throw up a post sometime after the 26th… or before that if it’s really amazing.

• Tabula Rasa – Official website
• Tabula Rasa: Fileplanet Beta Event – Fileplanet

PC BETA DEMO OF UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 NOW AVAILABLE

Yes, I’m a little behind with this update, but a PC BETA demo of Epic Games’ Unreal Tournament 3 is now available for download from most of your favorite PC file download sites. Download package is approximately 741MB.

Please note: as stated above, this is a BETA demo, and as such may contain numerous bugs and glitches as well as some instability. There have been quite a few reports of the game not running properly or causing other system problems after installation. While I can’t vouch for the system stability issues, I will say that I never managed to get the demo to run acceptably.

• Unreal Tournament 3 – Official website

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA UPDATE

In a post on his blog, Infinity Ward’s Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling confirmed that the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will be ending on September 30th at 11:59PM. To cushion the blow of that news, Bowling also reported that on September 28th at 10:00AM PST, Infinity Ward will be raising the level cap to 25, unlocking all non-classified items listed in the weapons and perks menus.

"Friday Sept. 28th, (first thing aka 10 am PST) we’re going to be maxing out the level cap for the beta at Rank 25. This is going to allow you to rank up and unlock everything that’s not marked Classified including new weapons, perks, and challenges such as:

Assault Rifles:
> G3

Light Machine Guns:
> M60E4

Sniper Rifles:
> Dragunov

Perk 1:
> Claymore X2

Perk 2:
> Slight of Hand

Perk 3:
> Martyrdom

Next weekend (Friday 28th / Sunday 30th) is going to be a mad rush to level 25 as it’s official, come 11:59pm on Sunday the 30th the beta will be coming to a close. I know, I know… but don’t worry. It’ll only be a little over a month from that point that you’ll be able to get your hands on the full version of the game on November 5th." – Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling

While I’m absolutely thrilled about the level cap being raised, I really am not looking forward to having to go without CoD4 for a whole month. Beyond a few annoying bugs and exploits, which will hopefully be addressed in the retail release, the beta has been an absolute blast to play. Based on the multiplayer aspect alone, Call of Duty 4 is shaping up to be a must-buy title.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official site
• Gold Like Your Mom’s Bridesmaid – FourZeroTwo

MORE XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA TOKENS AVAILABLE TODAY

Those of you who missed out on the first run of invite tokens for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will get a second chance at glory starting today. Gamespot will be distributing a limited number of tokens via their website to those that sign up starting today at noon EST.

There’s no word on how they plan on handling the distribution of the tokens, so don’t be surprised if this turns into another server outage fiasco. Still, those of you who desperately want to get into the beta should give it a shot.

"A hundred thousand may seem like a lot of keys. But we expect them to go fast. After all, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year.

So if you’re a registered GameSpot user who is also a Xbox Live Gold Member in North America over the age of 17, then come back on Monday, Sept 10th at 9:00 am PT to enter the beta test.

How it works is quite simple: Our big stockpile of tokens will be broken up into five stashes. Each day we will release one of those stashes. If you get a beta token, great. If you don’t, try again the next day. Once you sign up, you’ll get a token code and a confirmation email. You’ll use your Token Code to download the Beta from Xbox Live Marketplace." – Gamespot

Having played the beta for the better part of two weeks now, let me tell you that if you have a 360 and meet the above listed criteria, you really should try to get a hold of a token. The game is that good. Expect demand for these tokens to be extremely heavy.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Gamespot beta invite page – Gamespot

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA TO INCREASE LEVEL CAP

According to a post over at Destructoid, Infinity Ward has sent out an e-mail notice advising testers that starting today at 1pm EST, they will be raising the level cap in the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta from eleven to sixteen. This of course means new features, weapons and fun.

"Friday morning at 10 am PDT (1 pm EST) we’re going to be increasing the Rank level cap to Level 16. This is going to allow you to rank up and unlock more weapons, more perks, and more features; including Clan Tags (lv. 12). This is the first of several level increases we’re going to do throughout the beta, so keep playing, and we’ll keep you informed of incoming updates. Thanks to everyone currently playing for the tremendous amount of feedback we’ve been receiving; Keep sending it, and we’ll see you online!" – Infinity Ward (as per Destructoid)

This is welcome news indeed. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t stop playing this game – it’s actually delayed. my progress in BioShock – and that’s saying something.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
• Call of Duty 4 beta level cap to be increased this Friday – Destructoid

CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA UPDATE

Many of you may be feeling a “small” amount of frustration with the way the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare beta registration was handled yesterday. If you’re like me, all you got when you tried to register the site was problem after problem. You would think by now that companies would know it’s impossible to really survive any kind of a “first come, first serve” web registration system. Basically, the thing was doomed from the start…

Now before you think I’m going to go off on a rant, I’m not. You see, I was all ready to write an article about poor planning, the frustration and the ill will that problems like this cause, when Infinity Ward stepped up to the plate and decided to fix things. It all started with a post at Infinity Ward employee FourZeroTwo’s blog… (Please note: FourZeroTwo’s post is potentially NSFW due to language)

In a post that explained just how bothered the folks at Infinity Ward were about how the situation turned out – and more importantly, how they planned to remedy the situation, FourZeroTwo announced that the Call of Duty 4 website would be taken down for maintenance and that when it came back online, the company would take beta test applications for the next 24 hours before randomly selecting those lucky gamers who would get into the beta test.

Well, the Call of Duty 4 website is back online and, as promised, beta applications are being accepted once more. According to Infinity Ward, they will continue accepting applications until 10pm EST today, at which time they’ll begin the process of randomly selecting who gets into the beta and setting up a schedule of when those people will be getting their invites.

Let me say to any companies that may be reading this, this is how you handle customer service. Admit the problem, assure your customers you’re going to fix the issue, make sure that your customers are treated fairly and then keep them informed on the status of the problem. Initially, the whole experience left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. While I was still going to buy Call of Duty 4, I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste my time filling out surveys or looking into other contests if this was going to be what I could expect. With one simple fix, Infinity Ward took that negative experience and boosted their reputation with many gamers.

Well done Infinity Ward, well done.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Public Beta Headquarters – CharlieOscarDelta.com
• Infinity Ward – Company website
• Madness? This is BETA!!! – I am FourZeroTwo (Possibly NSFW)

CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS TODAY

This is going to be your last reminder on the subject, so pay attention! Registration for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will be opening this afternoon. There’s still some confusion regarding the exact time applications will start to be accepted as the countdown timer indicates that registration will open at 12pm EST, while the text on the site states registration will be opening at 3pm EST (12pm PST).

According to the beta site, you will now if your application was processed successfully immediately, but an actual invite to the beta may take a few weeks. Keep that in mind before shooting off a million e-mails, ok?

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: Public Beta Headquarters – CharlieOscarDelta.com

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY

Okay gang, it’s almost time for Activision to start taking applicants for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta test. Registration is scheduled to open on Monday, August 27th at approximately 12:00pm EST via the game’s website at http://www.charlieoscardelta.com. I’m not sure how accurate the countdown timer at the site is, so be sure to check the site often so you don’t wind up missing out.

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Official website

I’VE JOINED THE PLAYSTATION HOME BETA TEST

I’m in a bit of a rush this morning to get these posts up as I wound up working late yesterday, caught up on some much needed sleep and, most importantly, received my invite to the PlayStation Home beta. Unfortunately, due to the non-disclosure agreement included with the beta, I can’t discuss anything about the service at this time. Rest assured I am keeping notes, so once the NDA is lifted, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.

• PlayStation Home – Press release at PlayStation.com
• PlayStation Home – Wikipedia entry

HOW TO GET INTO THE SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE BETA TEST

The folks over at Stardock & Ironclad Games have announced that anyone who pre-orders their upcoming space RTS game, Sins of a Solar Empire, through the TotalGaming.net store will be given access to the initial beta test of the game starting on March 27th;

"Sins of a Solar Empire represents the birth of the RT4X genre, seamlessly blending spectacular tactical combat with grand-scale space strategy. Players must conquer worlds, engage in diplomacy and trade with other civilizations, and use the resources at their disposal to enhance their economy, develop new technology and increase military power. They must then test their mettle on a 3D tactical battlefield, where their ships will fight it out in stunning visual glory."

“We’re thrilled to finally give loyal Stardock and Ironclad fans the opportunity to experience Sins of a Solar Empire themselves” said Brian Clair, Director of Games Publishing for Stardock Entertainment. “Their input and gameplay feedback will ultimately help us deliver an incredibly fun, balanced and stable game later this year.” – Sins of a Solar Empire press release

The initial test will only contain one playable civilization and will not support multiplayer modes, but for those out there who have been breathlessly awaiting this one, I’m quite sure that any taste of Sins will be more than welcome.

I originally planned on pre-ordering this one this weekend to take full advantage of the offer, but those PC issues I mentioned yesterday have basically eaten up my entertainment money for the next week or two, so I guess I’ll just have to wait a bit longer to fool around with this one. If you do happen to pre-order the game, feel free to let me know what you think of the beta – inquiring minds want to know!

• Sins of a Solar Empire Beta Plans Unveiled – Sins of a Solar Empire forums
• Sins of a Solar Empire – Official site

PLAYSTATION UNDERGROUND G.A.P. MEMBERS – CHECK YOUR E-MAIL

Sony has sent out invites for the public beta test of Gran Turismo Online. If you’re a Playstation Underground Gamer’s Advisory Panel (G.A.P.) member, you may have received the invite via e-mail, and if so you need to hurry up and grab your spot as it’s limited to the first 3,000 people to sign up. The invite I got seemed to be directed only to G.A.P. members, so I’d love to hear if regular Playstation Underground members are being offered the chance to join in as well. The usual Non-Disclosure Agreements apply.