First you build, then you shoot.

Brick-Force’s closed beta test is set to start on February 28, Infernum has announced. Gamers taking part in the closed beta will be rewarded with exclusive in-game helmets when the game’s open beta starts, according to the publisher.

Co-developed by EXE Games and Inferum, Brick Force is a free-to-play sandbox shooter that lets players create their own maps and share them online.

Brick-Force is developed using the Unity engine, and one of the perks of this engine is that it allows you to port your game to multiple platforms with relative ease. This means that you can play Brick Force almost anywhere, ranging from browsers, tablets to smartphones. Though for tablets and smartphones, only the “sandbox mode” (which is basically a map editor) is playable.

Brick Force is scheduled for a spring 2012 release. For more information, check out the official website.

More TERA details revealed.

En Masse and Frogster have revealed the beta test schedules and pre-order details for their upcoming action MMORPG TERA. The game will begin its closed beta test on February 10 and open beta test on April 19 in North America, and begin its closed beta test on February 17 and open beta test on April 19 in Europe.

Full schedule:
North America:
• Closed Beta Test 1: February 10 – 12
• Closed Beta Test 2: February 24 – 26
• Closed Beta Test 3: March 9 – 11
• Closed Beta Test 4: March 23 – 25
• Closed Beta Test 5: April 6 – 8
• Open Beta Test: April 19 – 22
• Head Start: April 28 – May 1
• Launch: May 1

Europe:
• Closed Beta Test 1: February 17 – 19
• Closed Beta Test 2: March 3 – 4
• Closed Beta Test 3: March 9 – 11
• Closed Beta Test 4: March 16 – 18
• Closed Beta Test 5: April 13 – 15
• Open Beta Test: April 19 – 24
• Head Start: April 28 – May 2
• Launch: May 3

The game is also up for pre-order at En Masse and Frogster’s websites. For more information, check out the official announcements below:
TERA pre-order details (North America)
TERA pre-order details (Europe)

Classic MMORPG turning 13 and going free-to-play.

Sony Online Entertainment’s long-running fantasy MMORPG EverQuest is going free-to-play in early March, according to a news article on the game’s official website.

“We’re excited to be expanding the EverQuest experience by making the game more accessible to every type of player so that you can choose to play the game in a way that suits you best.” EverQuest Producer Thom Terrazas writes. “Anyone who wishes to start, return or continue to play one of the ‘Best Games of All-Time’ can simply download and play EverQuest on their terms – think of it as Free to Play, Your Way.”

The free-to-play update will land close to the game’s 13th birthday, which is on March 16, and will bring with it some new items, events and improvements to the map system.

The game will feature a multi-tier freemium model similar to its younger sibling EverQuest II. A breakdown of the membership types is available at the game’s new free-to-play FAQ page.

For more information on EverQuest’s free-to-play transition, check out the official announcement.

What you’ll get in the booster pack:
• Manta X (7-Day)
• Torch Pack (7-Day)
• EMP Grenades (1-Day)

The war spreads to South-East Asia.

Shanda Games International is kicking off Gundam Capsule Fighter Online SEA’s closed beta this Valentine’s day, according to the game’s official website. The closed beta test will run from February 14 – 20, and 10,000 lucky players will be invited to the test.

You can get a beta key by either signing up at the official website and hope you get lucky, or by participating in the game’s Facebook contest and invite 20 friends to “like” the official SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online SEA page.

Originally launched in 2007 in South Korea, SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online is an MMOTPS developed by Softmax based on the Gundam anime series. The game also launched in North America last December via OGPlanet.

Publishing SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online in South-East Asia is Shanda Games International, which also handles the publishing duties for Dragon Nest in the same region.

Check out the game’s official website for more information.

ArenaNet greets the year of the dragon with a beta announcement.

ArenaNet President Mike O’Brien revealed in a blog post yesterday that Guild Wars 2 will open its doors to select press in February, and to the general public in the following months of March and April.

“In February we’ll invite select press to participate in beta testing,” ArenaNet’s Mike O’Brien writes. “And in March and April we’ll aggressively ramp up the size of our beta test events so that many of you will have a chance to participate. And of course, this all leads to the release of Guild Wars 2 later this year.”

Read the full blog post here.