The Derek Smart / David Allen Alganon saga continues, this time over in the comments section of a news story on the whole fiasco over at Gamasutra.

Derek Smart has been quite vocal about the recent developments over at Quest Online, stating that his primary motivation is to get things out there so that other people don't "fill in the blanks" for him.

What has resulted over at Gamasutra is a back and forth between Derek Smart and several former ex-Alganon employees, such as the previously mentioned Jason Blood and Hue Henry.

The back and forth is quite lengthy so I am not going to quote it here, but if you're interested in all the dirty laundry, you can sort through it here.

As far as whether or not employees at Quest Online are happy or not working under Derek Smart, or were unhappy working under David, we can't say for sure, but we were contacted today by Bily Foster in Marketing at Quest Online, who was responding to our own William Murphy's piece on the Alganon situation published today. Mr. Foster has given us the permission to publish his statements, which you can view below:

"I also have to say personally, having Derek Smart come in has been a breath of fresh air. I'm sure you've been at a company during those weird days when the boss it "too busy" to catch up with you. Or "Things are happening behind the scenes that you wouldn't understand," is being thrown your way. No one likes it and you do your best to push through it. But once Derek came in, it was like ice cold water being thrown on our faces. It shocked our system and re-energized us in a way I can't put into words.

Also I'd like to say for the record re:Gamasutra comments, the reason we aren't on the board commenting is because we're busy working to get the game done! I'm commenting because it's my job to stay on top of what's being said about us. :)"

What are your thoughts on the whole Alganon situation? Let us know in the comments below!

[Thanks Kost for the tip!]

Cartoon Network's kids themed MMORPG FusionFall will be going free-to-play come April 19th according to an announcement posted on the game's official website. The game currently makes use of a "Freemium" business model which allows users to play the initial sections of the game free of charge, but requires a subscription to continue further.

Current players who have subscriptions extending past the April 19th changeover date will receive a refund for any unused game time, which will appear on the statement for whichever pay method used to subscribe. In addition, current players will receive the popular Clockwork armor set as a thank you reward.

View the original announcement here.

MMORPG.com's Bill Murphy takes a look at the recent furor over at Quest Online's Alganon and talks about how the game may have tried too hard to look and feel like Blizzard's MMO giant, World of Warcraft.

I feel a little bad for David Allen.

The man tried to create something epic and revolutionary with Horizons: Empire of Istaria, by making a seamless world that was driven by an ongoing story in which players would participate and thereby help direct change in the game world. But the game failed to gain any traction. Allen moved on to create a company called Pharaoh Productions, which had difficulty raising capital to fund his ideas. David shut down the studio in 2004 and left the industry for a while, only to come back recharged and ready to take on all comers with what he thought would be successful reentry into the MMORPG industry. With Gregory Wexler, Allen began the studio Quest Online and started production on Crusade… which would later become the game we now know as Alganon.

The game (soft) launched on December 1st of 2009 with a price-tag for entry, and a subscription attached to keep playing just like most AAA titles out there. On March 1st of this year the game went subscription free… just three months into its life. You still have to buy the client, and there is a free trial available, but there is no longer any subscription required to keep playing for as long as you want. It seemed that while Quest Online’s debut title wasn’t blazing any trails, it was holding its own and beginning to carve itself a nice little slice of the market.

Read Copying WoW - Flowers for Alganon.

The folks at Cabal Online have published their newest developer blog, discussing their game's next update.

It's that time of the year again, as we move ever closer to the next eagerly-awaited update for Cabal Online. This update is shaping up to be a good one as well; where the previous update, Reloaded, refined and polished lower level content Illusion Castle is aimed at more established players, bringing a much-needed UI update, some new dungeons, weapons and other bits and pieces to improve the gameplay experience.

Part 2 of our Illusions Castle update blog focuses on the new user interface and party system.

Read New User Interface and Party System.

Well, that sure came and went quickly! The third and final phase of Closed Beta has begun, according to a press release issued by APB developer Realtime Worlds.

According to the announcement, Realtime Worlds is "looking forward to welcoming thousands of new players to San Paro in the coming weeks." This certainly adds up with the recent reports of beta keys being received by members of our community.

View Press Release

Putting out an APB for all potential Beta Testers!

Realtime Worlds Ramps Up Closed Beta Signups

DUNDEE, Scotland — March 19th, 2010 –; Realtime Worlds, the leading British independent video game developer behind APB: All Points Bulletin, have today laid down the law to all wannabe Criminals and Enforcers looking to get hands-on with APB during the third and final closed beta session. With the beta test already underway, gamers are required to sign up at www.apb.com/beta-application where lucky applicants will gain early access to the vibrancy and violence of gangland San Paro.

Incorporating frantic third-person action into a persistent online multiplayer world, APB will offer a whole new perspective on MMO gaming: this is ‘Mass Mayhem Online’. Those fortunate enough to gain access to the closed beta will be able to experience the near limitless customisation and brutal urban combat APB has to offer.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of new players to San Paro in the coming weeks.” said Dave Jones, Creative Director at Realtime Worlds, “As APB enters this final stage of closed beta testing, we’re anticipating a huge surge of interest with gamers from all over the world applying to take part and provide invaluable feedback to the development team preparing us for launch.”

APB is set to launch simultaneously in North America and Europe later this year. For more information about APB and to sign up to the beta, log on to www.apb.com.

Go here to sign up for the beta test!

Every week during the month of March, the team from Mytheon will provide us with three new screenshots from their upcoming MMO.

Check out the new images, here.

Part one and two of the Star Trek Online Expanding Universe video series is now available at MMORPG.com. This latest pair of videos give gamers a look at what's coming to Star Trek Online.

Expanding Universe Part One (which you can view below) showcases three new playable races (Tellerites, Rigelians, and Pakleds), new off-duty uniforms, new missions, Tier 5 ships, bridges, and more.

Expanding Universe Part Two (which you can also view below) shows off new Klingon PvE content, the recently announced Special Task Forces, new PvP maps, and Fleet Actions in Deep Space Nine.

Of all the new features coming to Star Trek Online, which excites you most?

This week's Friday Update is another Fan Friday. If you're already groaning, well quit it! What has become increasingly apparent is that the new Developer's Corner feature of the Fan Friday series is living up to its ambitions to really liven things up with some actual The Old Republic development info.

For example, this latest Developer's Corner feature gives us a glimpse at the various force lightning effects that will be at the Sith Inquisitor's disposal. View the clip below:

In addition to the above clip, we're also treated to a deeper look at the game's character customization options. If you recall, a recent Fan Friday gave us a look at some of the game's facial scar options. This week, we're shown some of the available hair styles, skin tones, facial markings, and more:

What do you think of the Developer's Corner feature of the Fan Friday series? Let us know in the comments below!

CCP Games has released the first (teaser) trailer for their upcoming EVE Online free expansion "Tyrannis." The trailer only clocks in at about a minute long, and while it is certainly a bit short on substance (being a teaser after all) it does reveal something everyone has been wanting to know: when's it coming out?!

Well, set your calendars, because "Tyrannis" is set to launch on May 18th!

Watch the trailer here.

[Thanks Cecropia, cosy, Christopher8 and Kost for the tips!]

MMORPG.com Player Perspectives columnist Jaime Skelton returns this week to talk about the concept of sharing in MMOs. Is it a lost art?

Sesame Street taught me a lot of valuable lessons when I was a kid - like how to share licorice with friends, how to group up and pwn a carebear, and how to figure out who stole my bike. Although the cops thought I was crazy when I told them Cookie Monster absconded with my two-wheeler, the show still taught me valuable lessons I would use later when dealing with people in MMOs. And yes, kids, the theme today is SHARING.

Without falling too much into the "back in the day" trap, it's safe to say that there was at one time an inclination for collaboration in open worlds. Players adventuring in the Guk dungeons in EverQuest, for instance, kept detailed lists of groups for each boss and arranged rotation schedules. More experienced groups even helped less equipped groups get to more difficult areas. That isn't to say that open-world dungeons worked with Marxist idealism; there were plenty of conflicts, lots of name-calling, and guerrilla tactics used between rival factions that didn't get along. The greater attitude, however, was one of cooperation, of an attitude that everyone had a right to get what they wanted and that the community would work as a whole to that end.

Read What's Mine Isn't Yours.

MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller recently had the opportunity to interview Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka and Bioware VP Greg Zeschuk a little bit about Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age and a lot about the highly anticipated upcoming MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic.

MMORPG.com:

Can you talk about the end game ideas you have for Star Wars: The Old Republic? We are seeing end game become more critical in MMO retention, what plans do you have?

Ray Muzyka:

We're trying to do some innovative different things, while also doing some things that are standard expectations for MMO players. We look at the best features for combat, exploration, progression and try to emulate and build on those as well as innovate on those features. We're innovating story, we're also innovating some things around end game with re-playability trying to encourage players to continue to play, all those things.

Read the Muzyka and Zeschuk Interview.

This week’s Community Spotlight focuses on the thread “Means-Based Game Design” by SirBenedict. The post is SirBenedict’s first post, so he has certainly gotten off to a good start! While it’s still early, and there are not many responses at the moment, I found the content of the original post to be quite thought provoking and I’d like to highlight it this week.

In the thread, SirBenedict wonders why we don’t see more “means based” game design, I.E. design based around enjoying the ride, instead of rushing to the destination:

“What if there were a game about means rather than ends, the experience rather than the completion. It appears to me that "leveling up" "beating the game" or "killing the monster" are not the inherently rewarding components of a game. Take sports as an example. People don't play sports just because they want to win. Rather, they play sports because the mere experience of engaging in them is rewarding on a level far below the abstractions of status and hierarchy. Sipping hot chocolate or smelling a frangrant flower are engaged in because the experiences themselves are rewarding, not because once you've drunk the cocoa you get "cocoa xp" or because you "leveled up your flower-smelling ability." In short, I think that the whole concept of designing games around "success" or "end" should be exchanged for games which focus on the experience of the game or means to its "end".”

Read this week's Community Spotlight here.

This breathtaking new trailer for Reakktor Media's free-to-play space faring MMOG Black Prophecy gives us a look at the game's combat, gorgeous environments, and even interiors!

Watch the trailer here!

Check out this latest pair of trailers available exclusively at MMORPG.com which show off the new Pegasus, Pony, T-Rex, and Dragon mounts that have been recently added to Sony Online Entertainment's kids MMOG Free Realms.

View the Pegasus & Pony trailer here, and the T-Rex & Dragon trailer here.

For more information on the new rides, check out our recently updated Free Realms developer blog.

Kotaku is reporting on some comments by BioWare's Ray Muzyka during their interview at this year's GDC regarding The Old Republic's pricing situation.  When asked about the game's pricing plan (which has yet to be announced), Dr. Muzyka replied that it will "be more of the traditional business model with maybe some twists as well."

Twists? Hm, this would make sense, especially given the story we reported on last year, uncovering evidence of potential microtransactions in the TOR Game Testing application's Terms of Service agreement. Unfortunately, Dr. Muzyka wouldn't elaborate much further on these "twists" other than to explain what EA's high-level goals are for The Old Republic's pricing:

"With Star Wars: The Old Republic, we haven't announced anything yet. But what we're striving to do, to clarify what I said earlier, is to make sure the fans and the audience that we're trying to reach feel they are getting something they understand and feel that it is a good value for their money — and feel that there is a way they actually want to engage in the experience, both in how they play it and how they pay for it. That's our high-level goal."

Via Kotaku.

If The Old Republic turned out to be a bit of a hybrid subscription/micro MMO a'la DDO Unlimited, would you still be interested in playing it? Or would such an implementation be a deal breaker for you? Let us know in the comments below!

WeMade Entertainment has announced that the Open Beta test for the Digimon MMO, Digimon Battle, has begun. To kick things off, WeMade has also announced a series of events called the Triple Play Event Bundle, which will run from March 17th through April 7th.

Details on the events below:

To commemorate the launch of the Digimon Battle open beta, WeMade is hosting a Triple Play Event Bundle, which includes three individual events running from March 17 to April 7. Now is the time for players to get in the game and get a head start! The first event called “Mega Mission” is where players are encouraged to “digivolute” their partners to the Mega Stage for a chance to win up to 500 WeCash, plus Gold Drills, Excalibur Swords and one week of Deva Aura! In the second event called “Check In and Cash In,” players are encouraged to check in to the game every day in order to achieve a 100% attendance record and cash in for the Mysterious DigiEgg! In the final event called “DB Happy Hour,” players can receive 30% EXP Buff for free when they log in on March 20 and 21 from 11:00am – 2:00pm Server Time.

Digmon Battle is based on Seasons 1-4 of the original Digimon TV series, and players can select from several of the series' tamers as their own characters including: Takato Matsuki, Henry Wong, Rika Nonaka, or Jeri Katou.  The game also features three types of Digimon Partners as well as seven types of Captured Digimon for players to tame.

Players will be able to progress from Rookie Tamers all the way up to Brave Grade in the full game, however, the open beta will limit testers to the Normal Digivolution system as well as a level cap of 50.

Go here to sign up for the open beta!

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood talks about the benefit of having three distinct factions in a game by referencing the new FPS title, Aliens vs. Predator.

When I got home from this year's Game Developers Conference, I decided that I was going to treat myself to a new FPS. Now, I was a fan of FPS before I'd even heard of an MMORPG and part of my gaming heart will always lay with classics like DOOM, Wolfenstein, Hexen and their slew of sequels.

I wasn't sure what to get. I'd already burnt out on Left 4 Dead 2, and I could hear the siren call of Modern Warfare 2, a game that I feel like a lapsed gamer for not picking up on day one. Then I got a phone call from one of my gaming friends. He and I had killed a lot of hours in Battlefield 2142, a game that he recommended to me, so when he started telling me how I "absolutely HAD to get Aliens vs. Predator," I put thoughts of Call of Duty out of my head and went for the less conventional choice. I'm glad I did.

Read Three Distinct Factions.

MMORPG.com was on hand for the Age of Conan Rise of the Godslayer expansion presentation at this year's Game Developers Conference.

We got the chance to sit down with Funcom at GDC to check out the Age of Conan expansion. If you are a Conan fan you will appreciate the story they put into it, plus some of the features that are on the way. Funcom has really brought Conan up from its rough beginnings and Rise of the God Slayer looks to add some fun elements for both players and fans alike.

The story of the expansion begins with the Tower of the Elephant. If you have not read the story go do it now. Conan as a thief meets a creature from another dimension with the head of an elephant. The creature has great power and is held captive by a wizard. In the end Conan frees the creature back to its realm where it kills the wizard. The Heart of the Elephant, which Conan wins, soon crumbles to dust. We learn that Yog Kosha, the creature had great influence in Khitai, the Hyborian equivalent of China. That is where the story leads us and where the expansion takes place.

Read the Rise of the Godslayer Preview.

We recently reported on a recent comment by EA CFO Eric Brown on how Star Wars: The Old Republic was EA's "largest development project ever."

Today, we've learned that EA management believes two million subscribers (or more) are possible for The Old Republic, and that in order to break even The Old Republic will require a little over one million subscribers, which, by the way, is pretty indicative of how large a budget The Old Republic has. This is all according to Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia who had recently attended a meeting with EA.

Bhatia on the EA meeting:

"earnings are somewhat depressed due to ongoing expenses of the Star Wars MMO, management has high hopes for this and believes 2M+ subs is possible."

Via IndustryGamers.