Back from E3
In our last post we talked about our path toward E3 - our purpose at the show being purely to let people walk-up and actually PLAY Global Agenda. No booth babes, no scripted demos, no velvet rope waiting lines. Our booth was mainly a bunch of PCs so anyone at the show could come by and play! …OK, for the sake of full disclosure I’ll admit that we also put out a bowl of candy on day #2. (Michal’s idea). Maybe next year we’ll have a celebrity appearance but this year we had byte-sized Snickers.
And the whole hands-on thing worked out quite well for us. Our dev team certainly feels the game is fun because we’ve been playing it every day for the past 3 years. But it was still incredibly satisfying to see E3 attendees instantly enjoying Global Agenda and sharing their positive reviews. Our favorite form of marketing - friends escorting other friends to the booth to try out the game for themselves!
A BIG thank you to the folks at MMORPG.COM, who awarded us “Game of The Show” after their own E3 hands-on experience with Global Agenda! We're both thrilled and humbled by this honor, especially given the other highly anticipated games that were considered. We're doing all we can to live up to growing expectations.
OK, so Global Agenda is fun, I’ll grant you that … but is it an MMO?
We hear this question a lot.
And it is perhaps understandable since so far we have ONLY exposed our mission-based combat. From the beginning our first priority has been to ensure that our combat – based upon shooter mechanics but also incorporating very distinct roles for each class, a large number of specialty devices, close-ranged melee, and jetpacks – all comes together to yield game play that rivals any team-based shooter.
So all our Alpha testing to date, culminating in the public showing at E3, has been primarily focused on combat mechanics. We have not yet exposed the many systems relating to character progression or end-game. But that is about to change…
Onward to Closed Beta
We plan to have two major phases of Closed Beta Testing (CBT1 and CBT2). And with each phase we will introduce significant features that MMO players have been anticipating:
During CBT1 we will introduce Character Progression. So, you will interact with vendors, mission-givers and other players within Dome City, level your character thru missions against the Commonwealth (PvE) &/or other players (PvP), earn and allocate skill-points into talent trees, acquire new high-tech gear, customize your appearance with new suits and dyes, enhance your character thru technology implants that are player-crafted and available thru the auction house, and earn personal achievements.
During CBT2 we will introduce Alliance vs. Alliance Campaigns. With this feature set, players within a major geographic region, for example ALL North American players, compete in a single integrated end-game. Unlike the typical MMO convention where you need to pick a server, for Global Agenda we do not want a server-choice to get in the way of player-driven politics and strategy on a massive scale. It is truly a massive, persistent world within which players create their own agencies, form alliances, and compete to acquire resources and capture territory.
Our Goal:
Fun, mission-based Combat + meaningful Character progression + massive Campaign for territory control
We are now working hard to launch CBT1 in July!
More on that in our next blog post…
- todd
Awesome, I can't wait to play.
There isn't any released MMO that I can have fun in, I'm so BORED!
Wed Jul 01 2009 7:46PM ReportAwesome to read the plans for beta.
Thu Jul 02 2009 11:28AM ReportA combination of the rave reviews from EVERYONE and the fact that I got a beta referall makes me a little ansy these days.
I like how you are setting up the beta, not just throwing it all out at once. Giving time to test everything. Game sounds amazing, can't wait to play!
Thu Jul 02 2009 11:48AM ReportAwesomesauce, cannot wait for this game.
Thu Jul 02 2009 5:43PM ReportAhhh, I can't wait!
Thu Jul 02 2009 6:48PM ReportGiddy Giddy
Thu Jul 02 2009 6:55PM ReportCould be a darkhorse in 2009. Still a wait and see.
Thu Jul 02 2009 7:04PM ReportGood luck with the release!
Thu Jul 02 2009 8:39PM Reporti havent even played the game yet and i think its bad ass lol.
Thu Jul 02 2009 9:24PM ReportI'm liking how they are going through the beta as well, good Q&A to provide the best possible live version at launch. Keep it up Hirez.
Thu Jul 02 2009 9:48PM ReportI hope that I can get into closed beta. This game has a ton of potential and people who have tried it at E3 say that it's super fun to play. I can't wait to see for myself and maybe even help to squash bugs.
Thu Jul 02 2009 11:23PM ReportBeta medic to save ur asses is here :p Can't wait for that !
Even if the batch of incoming games (FE, MO, GA, TAG) seem quite interresting and bringing new ideas ! There should be room for at least 2 of em, until SW : TOR :p
Fri Jul 03 2009 1:33AM ReportI want to play this... badly.
Fri Jul 03 2009 1:51AM ReportIt looks good
Fri Jul 03 2009 3:36AM Report*sits on edge of seat in anticipation*
When's the Beta cominggggg?
=(((((
I'm probably gonna go the robotic... when I get the game (or Beta)
Fri Jul 03 2009 5:05AM ReportIts awesome to have a game to consider the playings. Most games are programmed for quick cash. Also, it won't be like a list like most mmorpg games.
Go kill 300 goblins
Continue to do this over to gain experience.
What happens after that? Game get uninstalll.
This is why most mmorpg games are consider boring toward players.
Fri Jul 03 2009 5:37AM ReportYou better accept me to closed beta :D
Fri Jul 03 2009 7:55AM Reporthey where do i go to download it
Fri Jul 03 2009 7:50PM ReportThis game is awesome just so you all know ;]
I'm in the current alpha and have 5 referral codes for closed beta message me if you want one :D
Fri Jul 03 2009 8:53PM ReportWill be looking foward to it. Haven't been able to sind a decent sci-fi shooter MMO since Tabula Rasa went down the crapper
Sat Jul 04 2009 3:44AM ReportI will reserve the whole "Global Agenda is fun" comment until I play it. Not to sound like a donkey but hey...
I am TOTALLY looking forwardf to this game...
Sun Jul 05 2009 3:50AM ReportHey guyz, i tink taht tas gme is aewsome!
Seriously people, learn to spell.
Anyways, I've been registered for about 6 months now and haven't gotten in...I better get into the closed beta -.-
Sun Jul 05 2009 10:35PM ReportIts still not an "mmo". maybe "mo", but never fighting more than 12 people at a time is hardly massive. If steam linked all of its private servers together and then allowed for "clan/guild/community" battles between servers for "control" of them it would be the same extent of GA's massive multiplayer online. That being said its a bit of massive in a odd and indirect way. (as it does have a persistant world, making it more of an mmo than Guild wars).
But the no server selections is great (see it in eve, its a must for all new games).
And well i fear that character development will be too small (after playing for 6 months a new toons shouldn't beable to walk in and snipe me dead, however, that is the format of this game, so i would not call it an rpg as well.)
Its an PMOFPS - persistant multiplayer online first person shooter. (Mods to hl2 like sourcecraft have more character development that i have seen in GA and more of an impact on a characters abilities).
Still I have not seen everything so lets hope, that we have not seen all GA has to offer.
This is my number 1 hope for a good game being released in the next two years so... Great job.
Mon Jul 06 2009 9:24PM ReportI'm signed on with everyone here that can't wait to play this game =)
Wed Jul 08 2009 7:22AM ReportI cant wait to play this game. I hope it is as good as what I have been hearing! I have played some bad games and i need something to restore my faith!!!!
Wed Jul 08 2009 10:18AM ReportMMORPG.com writes:
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