I’ll miss you, beta!

It’s been a real privilege to be involved in the beta testing for Mythos, the forthcoming free-to-play MMO from Flagship Studios. This game has just as much love that went into it as Hellgate: London, and is a ridiculously addictive and fun update of the model that made Diablo II so successful. As the commercialization date approaches for the game, I’m getting wistful about the process of beta testing this fun, beautiful handcrafted game.

When you’ve watched something grow up and mature, you get kind of attached, so I was worried that some of the haters would bash Mythos. But luckily my fears were unfounded. Beta testers can’t stop talking about how much fun it is to play, and the game is getting glowing reviews from IGN, GameSpy and 1UP.

What I’ll really miss are the characters I’ve built up and led through this world as the graphics matured, the loot got better, the colors got more vibrant, and the armor got more and more badass. I know, I know. When the full version goes live, I’ll be able to make all new characters and get even more amazing loot. But still . . . I’ve had a lot of good times running around slaughtering evil monsters with my characters, and I’ll do everything I can to re-create them when the game goes live to the public.

I can’t wait for the launch, and I think the business model Flagship’s decided to go with is a smart move. Pay-as-you-go is a lot more fair than flat rate subscription, which is really only worth it for heavy users. This flexible model has worked great in Asia, and could really do a lot to revitalize the sagging PC gaming market in the West. So good job, Mythos. You’re the little game that could.