Yes, Cryptic and FilePlanet have teamed up to help streamline the beta testing process. There are now two ways to get beta keys, either by actually preordering the game at select retails, or going through FilePlanet. Either way, FilePlanet will be your source for the game client, with paying subscribers to the service getting their hands on the client on August 5th, nearly two weeks before the beta kicks off on August 17th. As I understand it, those not subscribing to the service will have to wait until the beta test is live.

FilePlanet will have 50,000 codes to give away for players in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, so if you aren't planning on preordering you might want to keep an eye on their Champions page to make sure you secure a spot.

As part of Mythic's plan to draw new players to Warhammer Online in the face of their Call to Arms live expansion, the company has launched a free 10-day trial through Fileplanet, allowing players to give the game a very limited test drive. How limited? Aside from the time constraints, trial players are limited to the game's lowest level content and capital cities. trial players are also limited in what severs they can play on, so if they wish to party with their friends, said friends will have to use their daily free sever transfer to move to one of the trial-assigned servers. Boo.

Did I mention the offer is only available to Fileplanet subscribers?

While I don't understand why Mythic couldn't just let the trail players run wild for 10 days, they must have had their reasons for making the decision. Perhaps they want to keep populations from exploding, degrading the experience of the higher-level paying customers? I just would have thought making it easy for new players to join their friends online would have been a priority.

Still, free is free, and seeing as trials have been limited to the recruit-a-friend program up until now, at least they're finally allowing the friendless among us a chance to see what we've been missing, as long as we're willing to sign up for Fileplanet. At least the download will be quick.

Fileplanet Exclusive 10 Day Warhammer Online Trial [Fileplanet via Massively]

Metal Gear Online at FilePlanet [FilePlanet - Thanks Abel!]

"The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta," says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger.

Heads Will Roll as Age of Conan Moves into Open Beta - Open Beta exclusively available through FilePlanet.com and partner IGN sites -

- 50,000 aspiring barbarians may enter Hyboria on May 1st -

DURHAM, N.C.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Funcom, Eidos and IGN are proud to announce that Open Beta for Age of Conan will start on May 1. The Open Beta will be hosted exclusively by IGN's popular game download site, FilePlanet.com, as well as being offered through partner IGN sites such as Gamespy.com, Tentonhammer.com and Warcry.com. The application pages at FilePlanet.com are now open for registrations, and gamers from across the world can sign up. As 50,000 gamers prepare their Hyborian assault, rivers of blood are about to flow, and it's exclusively available through FilePlanet and IGN partner sites.

"When we started development of Age of Conan four and a half years ago we truly wanted to move away from the standards of the MMO genre. We wanted to bring something new, exciting and fresh to the gamers," said Gaute Godager, Game Director on Age of Conan. "As we get ready to show everyone what Conan's savage world is all about, we need final stress testing. Teaming up with the Beta Masters at IGN was a perfect opportunity for us! We simply couldn't ask for a better partner for this crucial stage of our Beta."

"The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta," says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger. "The Funcom team has developed a truly unique, visceral gaming experience that players will have to see to believe."

Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the Open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. This means that Funcom will not make the entire game available to the Open Beta testers, and a level 13 cap will be applied. The Beta experience will still give hours and hours of entertainment, and complete class and culture variety, while at the same time giving Funcom the needed focus for an Open Beta.

You are required to be a FilePlanet member in order to sign up for the Open Beta. Preloading of the client will start prior to the launch of the Open Beta, and applicants will receive more information should they receive a beta key. The Open Beta will start on the 1st of May at 1500 GMT / 0900 EDT.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty-five covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.

For more information on Age of Conan - either in English, German, French or Spanish - visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.

Crysis Beta [FilePlanet]

Raving Rabbids on FilePlanet
Far Cry on FilePlanet
Prince of Persia on Fileplanet - Thanks to Mascott for finding these, and if they go away, blame him!

As previously stated, you need not be a FilePlanet subscriber to take part in the public beta. However, if you're desperate to join and want to ensure that you're one of the lucky 60,000 a membership will certainly help your chances. Michael McWhertor

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Beta [FilePlanet]

While there's nothing Fileplanet could ever offer that would get me to sign up for their service, the forthcoming Dark Messiah of Might and Magic demo — a FilePlanet World Demo Premiere! — is mildly tempting, if not for the fact that it'll be up on BitTorrent within moments.

Still, I'm excited about the demo: Arx Fatalis screamed more potential than it exhibited, and I'm fascinated by the prospect of what the imaginative Arkane guys can do with a budget and the Source engine.

The demo will be released on August 8th to FilePlanet subscribers, and you can sign up to an email list to be informed within seconds of its download availability. Florian Eckhardt

Edit: Andrew Burnes of Voodoo Extreme wrote in to point out that I don't know what I'm talking about. It's not an exclusive of Fileplanet: they are simply debuting it, and then it'll be available everywhere else. Thanks for the correction, Andrew!

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Demo [File Planet]

I've long since learned that the games I have the fondest memories of have been rendered nigh unplayable thanks to the evolutionary jumps of the spawn that game inspired. Still, the Half-Life demo is still worth playing, as it's essentially a lost chapter of the retail game. Knee Deep in the Dead remains a justifiable classic. It's surprising to note just how much game you got from your free download in the old days; it's hard not to feel cheated by a 600 meg, 15 second demo when Duke 3D Shareware is longer than most modern retail games. FLORIAN ECKHARDT

FilePlanet Old School Games

Fileplanet is currently hosting a 20 minute walkthrough of the upcoming Battlefield 2142, provided by Dice during E3 2006. We wish there was more to say about it except cyborg power armor exoskeletons! But while there is more to say about it, our inner geek just can't stop shrieking that over and over within the perpetual E3 of our soul.

Battlefield 2142 - 20 Minute Walkthrough Info