You can join the Beta Test Drive here.

A new social network that promises to combine high-quality console level games to easy, social matchmaking is gaining buzz around the web.  The service is called GFace, and they’ve just recently opened up to a closed beta.  We take a look at some of GFace’s features below.

GFace is a gamer’s social network where players are enabled to talk about games, share games and actually play games with one another with great ease. It is a fully featured social network with profiles, profile photos, a central news feed, user groups (similar to Google+ circles), but it has a cherry on top: actual high quality games. Using a cloud gaming technology similar to OnLive or Gaikai, GFace allows players to easily start a game between each other, and because of the technology those games can be fully featured games.

The reason this service may have legs is that it is being developed by Crytek, the famous developers of the Crysis game engine. They have a very strong technical background as evidenced by their cutting edge graphics technology, and this ensures that GFace will continue to evolve and may in fact provide a cloud gaming service superior to competitors like OnLive. In addition, there will be features like live video feeds of your game, which is something that OnLive uses well right now — you can jump into any public game and watch a player as they play.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Developers indicate that several “closed phases” will be held with players attending by invitation only.

Everyone who signs up for beta testing will be invited to the open beta when it’s ready to get underway.

• Sign up for the NA beta on the TERA-En Masse website.
• Sign up for the EU beta on the TERA-Frogster website. (GameForge)

Tera on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TeraEurope

By InnoGames Beta Testers

The Closed Beta of Bounty Hounds Online has come to an end. And even though Open Beta will start on August 2, with so many new players and all the updates that were considered beneficial by us, the beta testers, I cannot help but feel a little sentimental…

A little jump back in time: Dennis, Sarah and I have slayed countless enemies, crossed dystopian environments, visited magnificent cities and bravely climbed down to the deepest, most alien-infested sewers. We fought giant boss monsters and teamed up with groups of other players. Our characters have grown stronger and learned new abilities. When we walk down the streets of Sunshine City, people can admire our shiny armor and our impressive weaponry.

Now that the Closed Beta is almost over, Dennis and I decide to leave the world of BHO the “manliest” way possible. Sarah thinks we are pathetic and exaggerate our one-month absence a bit – she is actually very excited about starting with a new character, getting new features and seeing tons of new players in the game world. But we are bound and determined! We will finish BHO with a series of duels that bring eternal glory to the winner and utter shame to the loser…until Open Beta starts at least  We choose the center of the Shadow Canals as our final battleground. As I step out of the teleporter, Dennis is already waiting for me – and makes full use of the advantages of a ranged class. In other words, he throws a rocket in my face. Wretched Heavy Gunner! I try to make up for it and close in on him, but the sneaky bastard runs away and attempts to hide in the tunnels. He even uses his AntiGrav Board to escape (Yes, we finally got some of those. And they are awe-some!!).

Luckily, my Shock Trooper’s speed is unmatched. My favourite move, the light-guided charger, catapults me right in front of Dennis. With a few slices, I inflict heavy damage and force him to retreat again…but there is no escape. As his character sinks down, Dennis shouts and curses behind his computer and instantly seeks revenge. Seconds after his resurrection, he resumes firing at me. But this time, he cleverly uses the wide space and the boulders in the middle to keep his distance from me. Nuke after nuke rains down on me, and after a dramatic chase, Dennis finishes me with his twin glaive exactly the moment I finally reach him. Our office becomes a madhouse! Dennis jumps up and taunts me cheerfully, I call him a coward. Sarah, who is super busy (with real work stuff) gets visibly irritated, but keeps her cool. Both Dennis and I are eager for the third round. But as we storm towards each other, our connection breaks off and the Closed Beta finally comes to an end – the duel will have to wait until Open Beta. For now, we reminisce about our time in the world of BHO. And one thing remains clear to us: We will be back on August 2!

Simply put, Beta is a development status given to a program or application that contains most of the major features, but is not yet complete.

Sometimes these versions are released only to a select group of people (Closed Beta), or to the general public (Open Beta).

The testers are usually expected to report any bugs they encounter or any changes they would like to see before the final release.

This is the second major stage of development following the alpha version, and comes before the release candidate (final game, official release).

An open Beta means that the Beta version of the game is available to the general public for testing. Essentially, this means that all players are then considered Testers.

What does being in Beta mean for players?

Since a Beta is an incomplete version of the game, there will be numerous bugs and issues that occur along the way.

Such things are expected, as the purpose of a Beta is to allow users to find as many issues as possible to ensure the game is ready for its official release.

In addition, during the Beta Test period, many changes are made while the developers fine tune the game’s features and functionality.

These changes are not necessarily permanent; however, they will occur quite frequently. During this time, Community Managers will do their best to keep beta test players updated as to what is going on.

Game developers often  encourage feedback from all of their users as beta testing progresses.

If you find that you are not a fan of some of the alterations made to the beta game you test,  you should share your feelings with them.

During a beta, the game will be a long way from perfect. Things will go wrong. Bugs will occur. This is the nature and purpose of a Beta.

Just hang tight, be patient, and wait to see if the final product is something you want to be part of.

InnoGames designed 2 new desktop wallpapers for their upcoming release of Bounty Hounds Online (BHO).

Desktop Wallpapers

Shock Trooper

• Download
• 1024×768
• 1152×864
• 1280×800
• 1280×1024
• 1440×900
• 1600×1200
• 1680×1050
• 1920×1200

WasteLands

• Download
• 1024×768
• 1152×864
• 1280×800
• 1280×1024
• 1440×900
• 1600×1200
• 1680×1050
• 1920×1200

To join the closed beta of Bounty Hounds online check here.

InnoGames has announced the starting date for the Closed Beta of the upcoming free-to-play Sci-Fi game Bounty Hounds Online (BHO).

From May 25 on, 1,000 users will get the chance to be the first players of the MMORPG and conquer the extraterrestrial world on the Clear Sky Planet. Amongst other places, the keys are given away in lotteries on the BHO homepage and its fan page on facebook.

Bounty Hounds Online Concept Art

Bounty Hounds Online Concept Art

You can sign up for the closed beta here.

Civilization World, better known as CivWorld, may be the most anticipated Facebook game to date.

Civilization World Alpha Testing . To participate check the signup page here and fill out the fields on it and review and accept the Alpha Test Agreement to be considered for the upcoming Alpha testing.

Please carefully review the Alpha Tester Agreement and its confidentiality provisions. As this is a very limited development exercise, confidentiality is of utmost importance. You may not play in public places (e.g. airplanes, public libraries, internet cafes, etc), and may not discuss the game or your participation in the test with others. Screenshots, posts, comments, reviews or summaries, etc on blogs, websites, profile pages/walls, etc are not allowed. Please do not chat or send messages about the game outside the game itself. Any of these activities comprise a breach of your contractual obligations under the ALPHA TESTER AGREEMENT and will result in ejection from the Alpha testing.

Game Info

At first CivWorld appears to be a fairly standard facebook city-building game similar to Zynga’s CityVille. You build homes and other buildings, and depending on how you place them different things will happen bit like the placement importance of buildings at Lord of Ultima.

But, as the name implies, it’s Civilization so it’s about building a civilization, not just a city.

City View

A notable change is that CivWorld lets you play simultaneously with players who don’t have to be on your friends list. There’s a live chat (similar as in Lord of Ultima) so that you can co-ordinate with other players, and you can join forces with others by forming a civilization.

This allows you to pool some resources so that you can build wonders, which unlock special bonuses. You can also choose to invade other civilizations and your chances of victory depends on the overall strength of your entire team.

Tech Tree

Still interested, why not signup as alpha tester, who knows you might be one of the few elite that join this game before anyone else has seen it.

Alpha tester signup page at: http://www.2kgames.com/civworld/alpha/

What do you think of turning one of the best games ever made into a social game ? Will you play CivWorld ?

Candydream is a facebook game currently in closed beta developed and published by game studio Toy Studio

To join the closed beta follow the instructions here

Sneak peek screenshots (click the images for full screen)

World Map

Warehouse Coming Soon

Unlocking Ideas for New Recipes

Unlocking Another Idea

Peppermint Mountain Street

Peppermint Mountain Store

New Avatar Edit

Mining Meteors

Leveling Up

Inventory

Fame Increased

Factory with Many Buildings

Factory Progress

Decorations

Clearing Withered Candy

Chopping Trees

Chocolate Recipes

Candy Crops

What do you think of this new social game ? Will you play it ? What do you think of the concept ? Let us know in a reply.

Toy Studio has officially sent out Golden Ticket invitations to play the closed beta of their new social game, Candy Dream, on Facebook.

Candy Dream is a game that allows players to live out sugary dreams without adding so much as a single calorie. Candy Dream is a world where the impossible is possible. Chocolate grows in the form of trees and pools of caramel are waiting to be tapped just below the ground. Once all the ingredients are combined together, players will then take their confections to virtual towns where they sell their finished recipes for a tidy profit within the fluctuating candy economy based on player actions.

Following the conclusion of the closed beta session, Toy Studio will continue to add more users to Candy Dream until a full, public launch announcement is made.

“One of the exciting elements, that is entirely shaped by the players, is the dynamic candy economy,” said Christian Arca, Studio Director for Toy Studio. “Making candy might be easy with a bit of magic, but only the savviest entrepreneurs will be able to climb the ranks and be one of the top candy makers.”

Game Info

Explosive Ingredients
Tired of the old boring crops and plants? Then you’ve never seen a lemon drops, peanut butter cups, fireballs and fruit bites like this! Experience a game unlike any other where every interaction has new twists and turns right down to the crops!

Magical Candy Machines
Create hundreds of recipes by using your chocolate, sour, hard, and gummy machines. Armed with a super secret ingredient you’ll bring happiness to the world.

Dress it Up!
With 1,000′s of options to choose from you can customize your character from the size of your nose to the color of your hair. Not to mention the hundreds of clothing combinations you can put together. Chose your look to mach your personality as you play Candy Dream!

Master the Candy Economy!
With a real-time economy from the beach to the city and even a touch of Vegas flair you can become the master of candy. Corner the market as you make your way to the top of the leaderboards by making the most coin!

Big Help!
Always wanted to have a helping hand? Maybe someone that knows how to make chocolate better then anyone on the planet? These Maguffins should do the trick. Reach level 10+ and these guys will be helping you at every corner. Don’t underestimate their size and the mischief that unfolds.

Golden Ticket – Get Early Access

Follow these instructions how to get early access to the closed beta of Candy Dream

About Toy Studio

Founded in 2009, Toy Studio is an independent developer for Facebook and Mobile games based in Chicago, Illinois. Toy Studio’s vision is to connect people through games that encourage meaningful social interactions, the key ingredient to fun. Core to Toy Studio are three values: Quality, Innovation and Community.

as I our Beta slots, again, ran out quite quickly due to high demand I am happy to inform you
that we can offer you specific Closed Beta keys that ensure another 1000 players access to
EA’s Lord of Ultima.

· The key is not functional before Wednesday the 3rd of March 09:00 AM GMT +1.
· The key is a multiple use key that allows 1000 players to enter the Beta.
· After the number of usages has been consumed the key will stop functioning.
(make sure to sign up for our Twitter for the next round of keys http://twitter.com/OfficialLoU)

A34P-WTKE-BB5C-N7UN

Please feel free to make the key available to the visitors of your site together with the specifications on its usage
and information on the ongoing Beta.

Of course we will keep you posted on any further developments on the Lord of Ultima Beta in the future
and will provide more material as soon as it can be made available.

Best regards and thank you for your cooperation.

Michael Krach
Producer

DICE
EA Digital Illusions CE AB
Katarinavägen 15
P.O. Box 20068
SE-104 60 Stockholm, Sweden
www.dice.se