Path of Exile gets an open beta date
When you ask me what's the closest Free MMO that resembles a Diablo experience the answer is simple, Path of Exile. The more Diablo-2-then-3 action MMO has been in some form of beta for a long time now, with initial closed beta access beginning way back in August 2011.
Originally the developers had hoped for a December 2012 launch date, but as we all know, dates are always subject to change. In the case of Path of Exile the game's open beta has been delayed, but not by much. The new open beta date is scheduled for January 23rd, 2013. So about a month delayed depending on how you slice it. Perhaps the developers just wanted to see how this whole Mayan apocalypse thing played out first.
A more realistic reason came from Path of Exile's lead designer Chris Wilson, who explained on the game's forum that the developers "want the first few months of Open Beta to set the precedent" in terms of reacting quickly to feedback on the game and the ability to "add features/content the players want." Chris went on say that the developers "do not want everyone’s first experience with the game to be that nothing changes for a month. If any unexpected problems arose or the game became very popular in December, the support team wouldn't be at full strength to service the needs of all players"
In an age of developers rushing their titles into open beta, only to be faced with numerous bugs and player complaints, it is refreshing to see developers know their limitations on what they can deliver in a timely manner so as to not impede on players' experiences. To that I silently tip my hat to you Grinding Gear.
If you would like to know more about Path of Exile you can check out our First Look above. Are you looking forward to playing Path of Exile?
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Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play MMO title since 2009.
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Everything from weapons to events gets a nod in the new post.
As long as there’s one new or returning player in a group, everyone is rewarded.
They aren't giving up on early access development, but this can't be good in the long-term for the title.
I mean, you can't respec without paying, and when you are new to the game, you have no knowledge going into it, and will have problems down the line.
Kind of a dick move that you have to pay to respec, should be obtainable ingame.
It is good to see that they're not rushing the game. I haven't found many issues with it, its run well on my system. It'll be interesting to see what changes they do and if they add anything. So far the game is great! I think everyone should at least try it when it comes out.