Tyranny of Heaven [ToH]

Well, I've been playing EVE and WAR even less lately. And it's entirely because I finally got into the Champions Online closed beta. But it's not like they invited me, despite being registered over a year ago. I just managed to snag a beta code at a gaming site.

Anyway, I'm still under NDA and I can't say much. But before August, I really didn't know much about CO. Then I started doing research, watching videos, etc. and it got me really interested. Then Cryptic began offering 6-month/lifetime subs. Though every fiber of my being screamed "don't do it!", I went ahead got a lifetime sub the very next day. (My last experience with a lifetime sub — Hellgate: London — didn't go so well.)

Having put down $200 on a game I haven't even tried out yet (yeah, foolish, I know), I just had to try it out. And so began my quest to get into closed beta. (I've had the game pre-ordered for like 6 months though and was sure I would get into open beta... but I wanted to try it out earlier than the 17th!) After missing two beta opportunities, I finally got lucky and grabbed a code from an Italian gaming site. Thanks GameSource! :)

After trying out the last few beta sessions, I don't regret getting a lifetime sub at all. I'm really, really looking forward to it, actually. Sadly, this will mean finally giving up City of Heroes, but I got to that party late anyway. (And hence, one of my biggest peeves — not getting the name I want for my character — was especially bad. Thankfully, CO solves that problem nicely.)

Anyway, Aion will also be releasing next month. There's one final closed beta test for it this weekend. I'm giving it another go, but it just doesn't seem all that interesting. I'll definitely hop on the live launch if there are people I know who will be trying it. But otherwise... I might just wait it out and see, like I did with Tabula Rasa (which was great a year afterwards, but unfortunately was far too late to save).

Jumpgate Evolution, I learned through Gamestop, was delayed yet again til early next year. Who knows what the actual release date is.

For the time being, it looks like my trinity of MMOs will be relatively unchanged — EVE Online for space, Warhammer Online for fantasy, and the new replacement, Champions Online for superheroes.