MechWarrior 4: F2P Coming...Soon (TM)

I keep checking back at MekTek, but it seems that they're still working on upgrading their servers in anticipation of the traffic they expect to receive when they finally do put up MW4 for free. Here's the latest (kinda' old still) news about the process:

Mechwarrior4 FREE Release Update

Posted by Vam, Saturday, 15 August 2009 06:57 Comments(0), Read all Well folks its certainly time for an update regarding the the FREE release of Mechwarrior4 recently announced. I figured it would be worth mentioning considering this is the weekend of GENCON 2009 where all of the major players in the Mechwarrior and BattleTech world are expected to converge on Indianapolis this weekend. We have been receiving a wealth of requests for information regarding this release from gamers both young and old. As a game fan community development site such as MekTek, receiving such honor to release a million dollar product developed by Microsoft may be one thing but delivering on this release successfully is another. Currently, MekTek is working around the clock on pretty much everything in preparation for this free release. There will be a second media blitz when the release is ready as both MekTek and the release partners want to ensure the word travels far and wide regarding the official release. Also expect to see more info regarding partner developments around this time on BattleTech.com.

The reason we did not re-package the ISOs of Mechwarrior4 and release the game as is right after the release of the announcement is because we simply were not prepared. The news and announcement of the FREE release happened very quickly and was dropped in our lap almost as quickly as it was dropped in yours. Since the announcement, we have been diligently preparing for the release of Mechwarrior4 which has all of the digital protection mechanisms removed. Along with this development we have also been working on our MekMatch software. For those of you not familiar, MekMatch is a reverse engineered protocol developed for match making services in Mechwarrior4 by MekTek. This service was developed after Microsoft terminated the Zonematch service which officially supported Mechwarrior4 multiplayer. Our MekMatch software needed a serious overhaul to handle the amount of traffic we expect on our servers when the game is released. MekTek also plans to include MekPak3.1 with the free release of Mechwarrior4 which includes an additional 100+ new battlemechs, dozens of new weapons, maps, and other content developed by MekTek. The distribution will come as a single file self-installable which will be initially downloadable via torrent trackers and later provided in multi part volumes, ISO. Finally, MekTek is also releasing a new application which has been in development since this announcement which provides the community with the latest patches and software from MekTek. This software will greatly simplify the patching process of Mechwarrior4 and allow MekTek to push updates, such as our MekPak4, to the Mechwarrior4 community much easier than in the past.

The unfortunate aspect of all this great news is that all of these new developments could have been ironed out before the announcement but they were not. Our partners felt an initial announcement was necessary and so did we. We plan to release Mechwarrior4 for FREE when developments are completed and considered stable. We are also waiting on legal paper work from lawyers and as anyone out there that has worked in the professional industry knows, something of this magnitude takes time on all fronts. MekTek is not receiving any financial support from the partners regarding this release and obviously no one can quit their daytime job to get the job done faster either. The release has entered beta status and will be delivered to the world very shortly. MekTek is supported through donations from our community and thus far we have received 50% of our goal to cover server infrastructure costs. We hope the community will continue to support us during this very busy time to ensure we have the best possible hardware in place for this release.

Thanks for supporting us folks, while we work hard on something new and shiny, for everyone, for FREE!

So, let us continue to be patient, and if you want, go donate!

MechWarrior 4: Downloads are Incoming!!

According to MekTek:

Server Upgrades and help!

Folks over the course of the next 12 hours you may experience some downtime on mektek.net. We are upgrading our server infrastructure at MekTek in preparation of releasing Mechwarrior4 for FREE. We are building a server cluster at MekTek which basically means multiple simultaneous servers running together serving MekTek's forums, web portal, gallery, downloads, and MekMatch (crucial for online play). Our infrastructure will continue to grow as our community does but not without the support of fans in our community. I'd like to remind both our new and old visitors that MekTek is supported through a donation program which enables us to keep our server infrastructure online. We typically run a donation drive once per year to keep MekTek online. On MekTek's 10th anniversary we are marking this milestone with the release of Mechwarrior4 for FREE, the reboot of the Mechwarrior series by Smith and Tinker, and the return of the Unseens on BattleTech.com. Since there is much more information to follow regarding all of these awesome new developments in both the Mechwarrior and BattleTech world - we are in need of your support more than ever. Our studio is not in the position to foot the bill for the entire community and we rely on the support of our donation drive to keep MekTek alive! This is just a reminder folks that without your support MekTek would not exist. Thanks!

MekTek's total server costs/month are now $513.98 USD/month or $6167.76 USD/year. Our donation drive is the only way we can continue paying for this kind of bandwidth bill! Total donations will cover this increased cost for approximately 2 months. Remember we did not hold a donation drive since last year.

I'll be keeping an eye out!

Halo maker parts from Microsoft

Halo maker parts from Microsoft

Bungie, the developer of the hugely popular Halo series, is to part company with owner Microsoft.

In a statement, the two firms said they would "forge a new long-term partnership" based around new games.

The move will surprise many in the games industry, despite rumours about a split in recent weeks.

Bungie is now a privately held company in which Microsoft holds a minority stake. Recent release Halo 3 racked up $300m in its first week on sale.

The Halo series has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide since the first game was launched in 2001. Halo 3 has become the fastest selling game of all time following its launch on 25 September, with more than three million copies already sold.

Bungie now has a long-term publishing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios for future Halo titles.

Harold Ryan, studio head at Bungie, said Microsoft's platforms would remain the firm's "primary focus" but the move opens up the possibility of the studio developing for other consoles.

"Bungie is like a shark. We have to keep moving to survive," said Jason Jones, Bungie founder and partner.

Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said the company was "supporting Bungie's desire to return to its independent roots".

He said Microsoft would to invest in Halo entertainment property with Bungie and other partners, such as Peter Jackson, on "a new interactive series set in the Halo universe".

"We look forward to great success with Bungie as our long-term relationship continues to evolve through Halo-related titles and new IP (intellectual property) created by Bungie," he added.