Jumpgate recently announced they they have been online for over 1000 days!  They issued the following press release:

Louisville, CO - June 20, 2004 - NetDevil Ltd., today announced that massively multiplayer space combat and trading simulation Jumpgate has passed the milestone of 1000 days of operation in the US. "Jumpgate broke new ground in online gaming when it released in 2001," commented Steve "Istvan" Hartmeyer, Jumpgate Programmer, "and even today no other game offers simulated spaceflight and combat with anything like the same degrees of skill and excitement." Join up with the enigmatic Quantar, the warlike Octavians or the mercantilist Solrain as they work to defeat the alien Conflux menace and rebuild civilization following the great collapse. Create an account by visiting www.jossh.com. Jumpgate features a free seven-day trial and is $9.95 per month thereafter. Jumpgate is an online-only, massively multiplayer space simulation. As the owner and pilot of a spacecraft, pilots acquire wealth and status by engaging in trade, mining, or combat with both the AI-controlled factions and other TRI pilots. Features include: Unique DANCER near-true-physics flight engine Customizable, upgradeable player-owned stations 3 playable factions with unique ships, equipment, and space stations 48 ships in 16 different hull classifications Over 130 sectors to explore across two galaxies, including hostile alien space 27 alien opponents of varying difficulty Faction and squad-based PvP space combat Dynamic supply/demand driven economy Over 250 different pieces of equipment created from over 100 material types Over 100 medals to collect, and 20 unique titles to earn Powerful artifacts found only through exploration Specialized mining vessels and equipment - refine ore into raw materials Random mission generator - trade, combat, or the standard delivery Registry system allows pilots to fly as civilians, pirates, and honor guards Realtime web statistics on JOSSH.com

For more information you can visit the official site at this link.

- MMORPG.COM Staff -

 I have played JumpGate for a long time . It is a cool RPG space sim. I like the feeling of being the pilot of my on space ship and being in control. The AI's are fun, they blow up real nice. The small community is great. Helpful & Friendly. We have alot of different things to do. Mining, Transports ,cargo missions, combat, patrols. There are many different kinda squads. Are GM's get in the game and spend time with us and that is really cool.

   Don't take my word for it , come on by and check us out. You might like what you see. Flying your ship takes practice and any of us vets would be happy to jump into sim are come fly with you till you fill comfortable flying your ship. We have a section on our boards set up to help you .

   Hope to see you soon 

Jumpgate is a unique game -- space simulation (unequalled because of the physics of the flight engine and joystick compatibility), GM and player driven RP, and the variety of roles one can play.

It's truly a skill-based game since you do not acquire skills, you use your own skills to fight, make money, build squads, form alliances and so forth.

Jumpgate got off to a rocky start when 3DO, probably due to its financial woes, really dropped the ball.  Netdevil scrapped to hold things together and has now really picked up some momentum in upgrading and improving  the features of the game.

If you've never played Jumpgate, you should really give it a try.  The client download is free and there's a free 10-day trial -- though I would say you've to give it at least a month or two to get a real feel for the game.  But at only $9.95 a month, it's worth the $20 investment to give it a goo try.  There's also a "commissioned pilot" program that lets you skip right to the bigger ships, though I (and most other vets of the game I know) recommend the learning experience of working your way up.  There are usually people ready to help out with advice, credits and donated equipment.

It really is the best game no one plays.  Hope to see you in space.

P.S.  No, I'm not employed or paid by NetDevil -- just someone who has enjoyed the game for nearly four years now.  The developers are doing their part in improving the game -- but we need PLAYERS to make it really "cook."