Arma 3′s Alpha Testing Starts March 5th
Arma 3‘s alpha testing will begin on March 5th.
To find out more about the alpha testing and how you can join it, head on over here. The alpha will feature four missions, Infantry, Vehicles, SCUBA, and Helicopter, a sampling of weapons and vehicles, two multiplayer scenarios, the scenario editor, and mod support all on the large island of Stratis.
The alpha testing will be continuing until the beta launches in Q3, 2013.
Arma 3 Planned as Steam Exclusive
Arma 3 will be Steam exclusive, Bohemia Interactive announced in a blog post.
The project leader of the game, Joris-Jan van ‘t Land also decided to explain why the game is not only PC-exclusive, but now also Steam exclusive. Apparently he realizes this will upset the fans, and has tried his best to explain why the decision was taken.
Basically the platform is better for the company since they can more easily update and patch the game without any middlemen. Furthermore the company’s relationship with Steam is good. Along with easier updating, the less distribution channels the company has, the more time and money can be spent on the actual game. Steam also offers features which would have taken time to develop by themselves, inevitably slowing down the release. Lastly, even though the company do not want to put DRM on the game, they feel like they have to in order to stop piracy. However, you will still be able to play the game in offline mode, excluding the multiplayer and online service portions.
For players, however, this will mean a smoother experience without the hassle of having to install new patches directly after installing the game. Any patches and updates are handled automatically. Steam also offers workshops which will benefit modders and players. Lastly, the game would not be able to launch in 2013 without Steam.
Arma 3 Changes Location to New Island
Arma 3 will be changing the game’s main location due to the legal issues we previously reported about. The new location will apparently be on a nonexistent island called “Altis”. At least this time they can’t get arrested for espionage.
“As part of the creative process, our virtual environments are often rooted in real-life locations and, during development, they evolve and grow along with our design, said project lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land. “The resulting fictional environment is often close to its inspiration, but it’s never exactly the same – nor would we want it to be. For us, ‘Altis’ echoes the Mediterranean heart of our island, but differentiates it from any undesired real-life connotations.”
Arma Developers Free on Bail
The Arma developers that were caught in Greece and suspected for “espionage”, have finally been released on bail.
Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar from Bohemia Interactive are free on bail, and will return to the Czech Republic after having spent 128 days in Greek prison. Apparently the two developers were taking images of army compounds on the island of Lemnos. The first story was that they were taking photos to use for their upcoming Arma game. However, afterwards the official story was they were simply there on vacation.
Regardless of which, the two men are now free to go home. The bails were 5,000 Euros each. That being said, they’re still not “free” per say. They will most likely be tried at a later date for the charges of espionage, but at least they can return home to their families.
DayZ Won’t Be Sold in Physical Form
In an interview with VG247, the creator of the mod-turned-standalone-game revealed that he doesn’t plan on selling DayZ in a physical form.
The creator, Dean Hall, stated this:
“We don’t see our product at retail. We don’t need money. So then we don’t need marketing. People don’t want to see ‘DayZ: brought to you by x-brand.’ These publishers are in danger of being irrelevant, but at the same time they can provide a lot of specialist assistance, or technology assistance.”
Do you think that retail stores are becoming obsolete?
Arma Developers Arrested for Espionage
Recently two developers employed by Bohemia Interactive were arrested under the suspicion of spying. The alleged spying apparently took place on the Greek island of Lemnos. The gaming company has chosen not to go into further detail with what actually happened.
The developers were apparently found in possession of photographs and video footage of the army compounds located on the island. The two are apparently claiming they were collecting reference material for their upcoming shooter Arma III. The title will take place on the island, so it seems likely they were just searching for reference material.
An update was later on posted by Game Spot. In the update, Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Spanel claimed that the two developers were merely visiting the island to experience “the island’s beautiful surroundings”.
“Since its establishment in 1999, Bohemia Interactive has created games based only upon publicly available information,” Spanel said. “We always respect the law and we’ve never instructed anybody to violate the laws of any country. The same is true for Arma III.”
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