The Matrix Online Learns from NCSoft

[Morfiend]

From www.ebgame.com:

Pre-order and receive: Access to The Matrix Online Beta Test, An exclusive Matrix Online ability or game item (TBD), and Jack in to The Matrix Online live game three days before the official launch! If you choose In-Store Pickup for this game, please contact the store for bonus item availability.

Customers who pre-order The Matrix Online will receive beta instructions via e-mail when they become available.

The Matrix Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Game where you will jack into the Matrix world and take an active role in continuing the saga of The Matrix movie trilogy. Gameplay includes exciting wire-fu combat, an extensive mission structure, ongoing story development by the Wachowski brothers and a completely customizable skill and ability system.

Paid beta, and a 3 day head start are a really good idea. And I think more MMOGs should do this, as it worked REALLY well for COH. Avoiding launch day crush in the newbie area is worth it all by its self.

[TripleDES]

I've preordered, even tho the beta access details are like, well, non-existant. A headstart is nice, I just hope after the headstart they'll be giving a grace period to the preorder folks until the gamebox is there, especially since mine for instance has to wander over the atlantic. How was this handled in COH anyway?

[schild]

I've preordered, even tho the beta access details are like, well, non-existant. A headstart is nice, I just hope after the headstart they'll be giving a grace period to the preorder folks until the gamebox is there, especially since mine for instance has to wander over the atlantic. How was this handled in COH anyway?

You just patched on the first day from the beta install. You could then use that patched version to play the live game.

[TripleDES]

Yah, but did the account freeze after the three days? Or was there a grace period of like another three days for your gamebox to arrive? And jokes like that.

[schild]

Yah, but did the account freeze after the three days? Or was there a grace period of like another three days for your gamebox to arrive? And jokes like that.

The account freezed at midnight the day the boxes were supposed to hit the shelves. But they offered the ability to buy the copy online. Which is nice. Didn't have any duplicate cd key problems. And I'm able to download the client whenever necessary. I plan on buying all NCSoft games like that if possible.

Edit: Doesn't look like they offer the games online anymore. Thought they brought it back - guess not.

[Alluvian]

How much is the preorder?  5 or 10 bucks?  If they ship out prerelease boxes I might look around and see if anyone will let me put less down on it just so I can see the beta, laugh and then cancel.  Or if it turns out good, so much the better.

[shiznitz]

If you don't get the box on day 1 of live, your 3-day headstart becomes worthless. I ended up buying a key from NCSoft. If MO doesn't offer that, then you will be better served cancelling your pre-order at the last possible moment and buying a box from a retailer. I tried to do this, but EBGames.com replied "Here is your box, fucker!" So, I gave the extra to my brother.

[Alluvian]

The right way to do this is the way NCsoft SAID they would do it up front and then backed away from that statement while mumbling incoherently.

Originally it was stated that beta players on their headstart would have a 2 week grace period to enter their retail account IDs before account freezing.  They then changed that to about 12 hours.

[schild]

If you don't get the box on day 1 of live, your 3-day headstart becomes worthless. I ended up buying a key from NCSoft. If MO doesn't offer that, then you will be better served cancelling your pre-order at the last possible moment and buying a box from a retailer. I tried to do this, but EBGames.com replied "Here is your box, fucker!" So, I gave the extra to my brother.

Heh, I cancel stuff post release at EB Games all the time. There's no contract you sign. Force the boxes back down their throats.

[sinij]

Strange, nobody seems to have problems paying to test potentially POS game that has a potential to get canceled without knowing a thing about it. They could just shit in a box, sprinkle some sugar on top, take your money and ship it for you to test.

[Furiously]

Do you ever ask yourself...What is the point of a matrix game? What is the reality of a matrix game? Every pixel you see, every key you press, every movemont of you mouse is so carefully coreographed you don't even see it for what it is.

The answers are all right in front of you. Do you want to follow the white rabbit down the hole or do you want to go back to your mundane existance and forget I ever left this stupid, insipid little message mocking morpheous? Well do you Neo?

[HaemishM]

I want to kill the rabbit and eat the little motherfucker with a glass of Chianti.

[MrHat]

I want to kill the rabbit and eat the little motherfucker with a glass of Chianti.

 VS.  


Quit trying to eat me, and eat me!

[TripleDES]

MXO is pretty much COH with more stuff to do than just whack-a-mole. At least potentially, that is if they don't fuck up the hacking and crafting shit, nor the combat.

Also you dont get preorder boxes. It seems you just place the preorder, at some point you get instructions emailed (when WB decides to) about how to download the beta client. I suppose once you're in the beta and disgusted enough, you can cancel the preorder without having ever paid anything.