After one month of beta testing, we have come a very long way in terms of ensuring client and server stability. Our beta testing community have been an invaluable aid in this development, and we thank you for all the help you have provided.

However, even with the speedy progress so far, it is becoming evident that we will not be able to bring you a solid game we would feel good about charging for April 3rd, so we have decided to prolong the beta testing phase with an extra month. Seed will be released at May 2nd 2006.

We consider this good news: It gives us more time to add and test content of the game, and it gives us more time to learn from the beta test: Both about technical issues (which have so far been the almost exclusive focus) and gameplay/content issues which will increasingly become the main focus for the remaining beta test period.

Having constantly approved our server uptime, we recently added the first NPCs to the Beta. They have rather limited functionality at the moment, as we want to nail any basic issues first. For now, you can emote to the NPCs who will react according to their personalities, which might change their moods. In addition you may trade objects with them.

Beta-wise we have completed our first preliminary stress test, and we were able to identify and subsequently address various lag issues. A rather limited number of testers took part in the test, which might be due to unfortunate timing from us – a stress test during Danish working hours means Europeans at work/school and Americans asleep. We plan to do more of these on a regular basis at a more convenient time for the testers. This will mean overtime for us, but we might as well get used to it, as launch draws closer :).

It is also time to let in another batch of Beta testers. Tomorrow, Wednesday March 15th, at 14:00 CET (8:00 AM EST) another 1,000 testers will get invited, bringing the total number of Beta testers to 2,000. Our plan is to bring in new batches of testers on an ongoing basis, ending with an open Beta the last 14 days of April 2006.

After Seed is released at May 2nd, one of our first promotion tasks will be going to the E3 exhibition in Los Angeles, May 9th-11th. We will be part of a Nordic Booth located in the West Hall, in case any of you happen to drop by :).

Kind regards,
Morten
Community Manager