Jumpgate Evolution Beta hits 250,000 subscriber mark

NetDevil’s Jumpgate Evolution has given the Codemasters Online universe a decent boost according to internal subscriber numbers from Codemasters. The upcoming space combat MMO has reached the 250,000 beta sign up landmark, making it Codemasters Online’s biggest ever beta campaign, the company announced this week.

Jumpgate Evolution, currently in the “Friends and Family” testing phase, is a space adventure that allows players to choose from one of three playable Nations and engage in a myriad of space activities.

Those activities include trade throughout the Jumpgate Evolution galaxy, ship to ship combat as part of intergalactic battles, space exploration and all the drama you’d expect from a game involving thousands of other players. For more information on Jumpgate, or to sign up for beta, visit www.jumpgateevolution.com.

LOGIN 2009 Speakers

Evergreen Events has released the official schedule for the 2009 LOGIN Conference, a week-long event dedicated to the business of online gaming - from multiplayer technology to MMOs and all stops in between. Looking through the speakers list on the conference’s official site, there’s a lot of familar names and companies attending including my former colleague from GameSpy Todd “Tungsten” Northcutt (consider that and official shout out, Todd). The annual event takes place in Seattle, Washington May 11 - 14 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

So who will be at LOGIN? Robin Walker from Valve Software, and reps from such companies as Xbox 360, Atlus Online, Turbine Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, Simutronics, Netdevil, Near Death Studios, 38 Studios, VentureBeat, Bohle Company, Funcom, Divide By Zero, GamerDNA, GGL Global Gaming, Wonacott Communications, Gazillion Entertainment, Flying Lab Software, Cryptic, THQ, Big Fish Games and on and on. Over 85 speakers are expected to attend to give speeches, partake in panels and interact in over 60 sessions across three and a half days.

For more information on LOGIN, hit the link above.

Gazillion Gets Ten Year Marvel MMO Deal

If there’s one golden rule in comic books, it’s got to be that if you don’t see the body (and a lot of times even if you do), they’re not really dead. So, it should come as no surprise to comic fans that the previously canned Marvel Comics MMO game has come back from that dead. And in true comic book fashion, it looks like it’ll be a brand new face under the familiar looking costume.

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LEGO Universe Delayed

The first of its kind online multiplayer LEGO game, LEGO Universe, will not be launched in 2009 and no definitive alternate date has been revealed, according to Kotaku. Speaking to Mark Hansen, director of business development for the LEGO Group, the report reveals that the LEGO Group wants or needs to give developer NetDevil more time to develop the game.

“Within the company we have made a strategic decision within LEGO to make a delay of LEGO Universe. It will not be coming out in 2009,” Hansen told Kotaku’s Brian Crecente this morning. “The reason is, we have a luxury right now, the business is going good. We have products launching that are not digital, the physical products, with them going so well we don’t want to take focus away from them.”

Hansen goes on to say nothing about when the game will see the light of day, shying away from even giving a date in 2010. Still, he says that the company is committed to seeing this game launch and that NetDevil may take the extra time to create new content including stuff that tie-ins with what LEGO has on store shelves. This excludes properties like Batman LEGO and  LEGO Star Wars (for obvious reasons), but Hansen believes that getting that kind of content in the game isn’t “off the table.”

Jumpgate Evolution Beta Signups Live

Beta signup for NetDevil’s new Jumpgate MMO, Jumpgate Evolution, is now live. Players interested in this new chapter in the popular space MMO can sign up for a chance to play the game and help NetDevil stress test it prior to launch. Jumpgate is a space MMO that allows players to explore a massive universe, trade commodities for cold hard cash, take part in intergalactic raids, take on others in ship to ship combat, and shape your reputation as a hero or a pirate.

For more on the beta signup, check out the freshly launched Jumpgate portal at www.jumpgateevolution.com.

Jumpgate: Evolution Connects

Yesterday Codemasters announced that it had picked up the rights to publish and operate NetDevil’’s Jumpgate: Evolution in Europe and that it would help NetDevil with the game here in North America. Today the company announced plans to show it off publicly for the first time in the United Kingdom. Codemasters Online Gaming will showcase the game alongside many of its other MMO properties at its two-day community event, Codemasters Online Connect.

The game will be available to play across 400+ machines, giving fans of the classic space combat game a chance to get some hands-on time with this latest iteration of the series. An exclusive BETA key for Jumpgate will also be given away at the show as part of the gift pack being distributed to all attendees.

If you live in the UK or Europe, you may want to check out www.codemastersconnect.com for more details.

Jumpgate Evolution Announced

Codemasters today announced that it will launch NetDevil’’s Jumpgate Evolution MMO in Europe and North America in late 2008. Jumpgate is a continuation of the online space simulation and combat game inspired by such games as Elite and Wing Commander: Privateer. The online game, which was owned by 3DO and developed by NetDevil, was shut down in 2001 — not too long after it was launched.

The new game takes inspiration from NetDevil’’s creation, bringing what the company promises will be an immersive and accessible space adventure. The game lets players choose one of three nations and head out into space in a free-form environment where they can choose to trade valuable commodities, take part in raids, meet and play with friends and solidify a reputation as a hero or a space pirate.

Codemasters Online will handle publishing and game operations in Europe, and will be working NetDevil to bring the game to the North American market. I assume that NetDevil will handle future content and maintain certain aspects of the game.