Wildstar MMOG Launches Open Beta

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

Here's a chance to sample Wildstar.

Look out Blizzard. NCSoft and Carbine Studios are looking to rain on your World of Warcraft parade with the open beta launch of Wildstar, an upcoming action-adventure sci-fi MMOG. The game doesn't officially open its doors for business until June 3, giving potential customers ten days to get acquainted with the new landscape and lore.

"Set on the legendary planet Nexus, WildStar is a sci-fi MMO that has gained popularity for its wildly entertaining personality," reads the game's description. "The game gives players the freedom to play the way they want to play via the game's unique Path system, while mixing humor and whimsy with a novel approach to combat."

Senior sales manager Simon Cowley recently told MCV that based on the feedback from the pre-orders and closed beta, the game should sell extremely well. He even went so far as to say Wildstar will be one of the biggest games of 2014 -- one of the pillar PC releases this year.

"It's a key release for the summer period. Guild Wars 2 showed there is great passion for high quality MMOs from UK consumers, both online and in stores and we expect WildStar to continue that trend," Cowley said.

Over on GameSpot, Wildstar producer Stephan Frost called the game "one of the most feature-complete MMOs" in the last decade, and defended the need to have a monthly subscription. He says that Wildstar is a triple-A game, and even compares the MMOG with HBO, which is a premium channel that costs cable subscribers a little extra each month.

"HBO, for example, is premium content. It has great shows like Game of Thrones and True Detective. They don't charge extra for those things; they're just charging that sub fee and people gladly pay it because it's good. If it wasn't good, they wouldn't pay for it," Frost said.

According to the press release, the level cap has been raised from 25 to 30. There are also exclusive goodies that are only claimed in the open beta such as an exclusive costume and "free boxes full of awesome" when logging in each day. Potential customers who pre-purchase the game will also receive a special Rocket House, an exclusive in-game title and an exclusive housing trophy.

Wildstar can be purchased here at $59.99 for the Standard Edition, $74.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition, and $15.00 for the Deluxe Upgrade. To get into the open beta, head here.

Kevin Parrish
23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Sakkura
    The Open Beta started on May 8th, so you're a bit late.
    Reply
  • kyle382
    this game looks absolutely abysmal. I give it 3 months. Would rather play euro truck simulator...and i hate trucks. :D
    Reply
  • spartanmk2
    Another year, another poser game and author suggesting it will "rain in on WoW's parade". Hardly.
    Reply
  • Novuake
    Look at it this way. WHY would anyone move with an established list of characters with WEEKS of gameplay and progress from one subcription MMO, like WoW, to a different one where they need to start all over again?
    The "new" MMO would need to have one hell of a pull for that to happen, and to be honest, Wildstar is not publicised enough nor innovative enough that I am aware of, which amounts to not existing in hardened MMO minds.

    Reply
  • digitalzom-b
    Lots of WoW fan boys afraid of a little competition it seems. The game was made by the original WoW devs that left blizzard, it shows, and it's quality. The combat is also very unique and skill-based, something MMO players seem to be afraid of these days.
    Reply
  • digitalzom-b
    Lots of WoW fan boys afraid of a little competition it seems. The game was made by the original WoW devs that left blizzard, it shows, and it's quality. The combat is also very unique and skill-based, something MMO players seem to be afraid of these days.
    Reply
  • NaGromOne
    Watch out Carbine, NCsoft partnered with Paragon, raked in as much as they could from CoH then tipped them out with the garbage. Their past actions suggest they can't be trusted so I'm not investing time or effort into Wildstar. Might be a great game, probably built on quicksand.
    Reply
  • razor512
    From the gameplay footage, it looks like a crappy game that will become boring very quickly. The gameplay is repetitive, grind intensive, and is not very balanced.

    whats worst, is that they want $15 a month on top of the insane initial purchase price, all for what is essentially poorly thought out quests, and lots of grinding.
    Reply
  • johnsonma
    Played the beta, so far its the most fun I've had playing an MMO in awhile. The combat is actually fun and the story is pretty good. Quests are average though, pretty much run of the mill with a few good ones thrown in. Basically the Path quests are the ones that are fun IMO.

    Graphics are nothing great but the zones are well designed.
    Reply
  • viliu24
    "Look out Blizzard" , after 10 years there is going to be a.... . Wth is that mean? wow won't have a competitor , after 10 years there is no way that you can say that a game will have a competitor.It is like counter strike, there are so many alternative , but what makes it popular , keeps it popular. There is not going to be any wow killer or wow alternative . To be a an alternative it has to offer similar or better gameplay and features on the same period of time.The only thing that wow is going to die , is going to be by the old age. Yeah , i completly agree that will be a new and super and innovative and amazing and... but that doesnt mean is going to be a threat to wow. Wow has its own comunity and there is less and less chances to get new players, so they wont loose much. The wow players isnt going to migrate to another game if blizzard will come out with new features and quality expansions...
    ps:when some game publisher/developer will think that they will have a way to get blizzard customers , blizzard will throw out on the table Titan.
    So dont worry, Blizzard knows how to keep their pockets full...
    Reply