During GDC 2009, Fallen Earth producer Lee Hammock provided a preview of Fallen Earth. For those not hip on the latest, Fallen Earth is a subscription based action MMO that allows gamers to fight in both 1st and 3rd person. It is set in a post-apocalyptic (a viral outbreak wiped out most of humanity) area around the Grand Canyon.

Check out the vid at: 

 http://g4tv.com/xplay/videos/37462/GDC-09-A-First-Look-at-Fallen-Earth.html

Starting now, Fallen Earth has entered into closed beta testing. Fallen Earth is a post-Apocolyptic MMO set in the Grand Canyon area. Recent updates that come with this announcement are a new user tutorial and some balancing made to the in-game crafting system.

Beta keys will be handed out indiscriminately and on a first come first serve basis- provided NDA rules are accepted. There haven't been any announced caps to the key handouts, should they reach one, periodic key distributions will be conducted as needed. In any case, if you have been anxious to get in the game- now's your chance. So hurry up and get in line!   

Read the official press release below:  

CARY, N.C. – February 4, 2009 – Fallen Earth, LLC, developer of the self-titled post-Apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth, is excited to announce that the game has now transitioned into closed beta testing. Interested testers can sign up for the opportunity to receive a closed beta key at www.fallenearth.com and join thousands of fellow Fallen Earth players each week as the online community expands to accommodate more closed beta testers.

“This is a critical milestone for our team and an opportunity to showcase updated content and features,” said Colin Dwan, project manager for Fallen Earth. “We are excited to see how players progress through all three sectors without any interference, and anxious to see where we can improve the overall experience.”

 The Fallen Earth team has been working very hard to improve and polish all aspects of the game. Recent updates include the creation of a comprehensive user tutorial and continued enhancements to balance the in-game crafting system.  With the move to closed beta, players will have the opportunity to piece together aspects of the storyline, play freely through all three sectors, and gain a better understanding of how the game will look and feel at launch. Closed beta testing also allows the development team to better observe overall game play, perform system stress tests, and ultimately perfect the Fallen Earth game experience.

Set in the Grand Canyon in 2156 after a lethal disease destroyed most of mankind, the game features a classless advancement system, six factions and a unique crafting feature in which players can make 95 percent of game items. With 70 towns, real-time settings and interesting character modifications, all taking place within a post-Apocalyptic plot, Fallen Earth provides the ultimate player experience.

Fallen Earth will be released in Q2 2009. An exact launch date is forthcoming.

Cary, N.C. - January 28, 2009 – Icarus Studios, a leading provider of white-label massively multi-player online games, virtual worlds, and serious games for major entertainment, corporate, and government clients, will be hosting the Triangle assembly of the Global Game Jam (GGJ) this weekend in its state-of-the-art motion capture studio.
 
From 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 through 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, more than 1000 college students, faculty and industry members from around the world will be participating online and join together for a 48-hour game building marathon popularly known as a Game Jam.   The Triangle gathering will consist of 40-45 local game developers, all communicating and competing with gamers worldwide.
 
“We are very excited to be hosting the Triangle’s physical headquarters for first ever Global Game Jam in our facilities,” said Jim Hettinger, chief executive officer of Icarus Studios. “Never before have game developers around the world been able to collaborate and come together creatively on such a massive scale, and we are proud to add several members of our team to participate in the local gathering.”
This is the first time the Triangle game development community has been a part of such an event. While individual and regional Game Jams have been held in the last few years, never has there been one of such massive size and scope as the Global Game Jam. Fallen Earth, LLC, creator of the self-titled post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth, will also be sponsoring the event.

GGJ was the brainstorm of Susan Gold, director of Game Program Review and chair of the Education Special Interest Group of the International Game Developers Association. “It is all about the games and the ideas that form them. I was looking for a project that explored the incredible innovative and collaborative nature of video games,” says Gold. "I wanted to create the Global Game Jam as a unique idea space and an amazing experiment in creativity.”
 
After the Game Jam occurs this weekend, the GGJ Web site will host all of the games for free download and play. Players and developers will also have the ability to rate each other’s games. The site will allow viewers to look at the source code of the games as an educational tool. All intellectual property created during the GGJ will be protected under a Create Commons license. During the upcoming Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco, held March 23-27, 2009, the GGJ will share the most innovative games at the education summit.

For more information on the Global Game Jam, including a list of locations, and a sample schedule for the three days at each site, visit at http://globalgamejam.org.