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From the Relic website, they posted that the open beta for Opposing Fronts will be tomorrow, the 29th. You can enter the beta if you have a fileplanet account (doesn’t have to be the paid one). The beta will include 6 maps and will feature all four armies to play around with.

Opposing Fronts open beta

Thanks to Corsix for the heads up.

Update: Buggo explained that the open beta will begin on the 30th because of issues with the installer.

Beta delay

Update: It is up and running

Update from Elorran (a moderator on the Sierra forums). The Homeworld and Cataclysm WON servers are down and techs are working on them. No ETA on their return.

Edit 8/26/2007 - Looks like they’re back up!

Opposing Fronts beta sign ups are now available to Fileplanet subscribers. Remember you need to have a subscription to apply for a beta key.

Fileplanet

No worries, there will be an open beta sometime after the Closed Beta.

Got word from Chris @ Gamereplays.org that they've posted an article by Tae Yeon (David) Kim AKA dayvie. Here's what you have to look forward to if you go and read it.

Competitive gaming and game balance are related, but are not the same things. To be a successful professional/competitive gamer, one must have the talent for understanding RTS games, dedication to improve, as well as the desire to win. Talent is needed to succeed as a competitive gamer, but is definitely not the most important factor. The reason I say this is because when a game is first released, there are many players that “play at the top level,” and then disappear from the competitive gaming scene shortly after. Personally, I wouldn’t consider these players to be true professional gamers. The reason is simple; playing a game at the professional level is not about learning to play a game to a certain skill level faster, but about mastering the game. On the other hand, practice alone is sometimes not enough. This can easily be seen by the many gamers that spend so much time playing and practicing a certain RTS game day after day, but just can’t compete at the top level. In other words, mastering a game cannot be done by talent alone, but must be supported by the gamer’s dedication and effort to practice.

Check the article out here.

Gamasutra interviewed Stephen Dinehart, the Narrative Designer on Company of Heroes, on how he got into the industry, what was his motivations, and touching on the subject of violence. It’s a pretty good read and provides some insight on his line of work. Here is a quick snip from the article,

We have a team of 60 plus people working under Shane Neville and his production staff. The scope is epic. I have been able to work with this incredibly talented team to craft a custom cast of characters for each campaign. We have been able to create a level of emotional drama that would not be seen in a smaller student game, like Cloud.

Narrative Design For Company Of Heroes: Stephen Dinehart On Writing For Games (via Kotaku)

PS, this guy co-designed Cloud, the flying around game :D

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