Turbine Entertainment is certainly a busy bee. The Massachusetts-based developer is continuing to produce a breathtaking amount of content for Lord of the Rings Online, its first MOBA, the upcoming Infinite Crisis, and Dungeons & Dragons Online. The company has even returned to its roots, patching the age old game that put it on the map Asheron’s Call and reviving its sequel.

Today, the company announced that the second expansion for DDO will be heading to servers near you on August 19. Originally announced way back in February, Shadowfell Conspiracy introduces two new Adventure Packs, Wheloon and Stormhorns, bringing a prison city and treacherous mountain passes to the Forgotten Realms.

Players that want Turbine to take their money early can allow the company to do so. If you crack that leather you’ll be rewarded with a collection of bonus items, from an extra character slot to a collection of cosmetic and companion characters.

Oh, and if you’re too excited to wait to head to Epic Level 28 Update 18: Disciplines of Shadow, rthe prequel to Shadowfell Conspiracy, went live today.

Check out the latest screenshots, including images of the pre-purchase items after the cut. The full list of pre-purchase items for Collector’s and Standard editions are keeping those images company behind that dangerous button.

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Yeah, FireFall will be heading to just open beta testing this July. July 9, 2013 to be exact. The game has had the closed beta testing tag applied to it for over a year after Red 5 Studios has gone through three major progression revamps, from dropping levels to eradicating branching battleframe progression. After over a year of closed community feedback and a few Chosen weekends of open beta testing, the firm has applied dozens of changes based upon their suggestions. The company finally feels confident that the open-world MMO shooter is ready for the big time. In just under three months time.

Obviously, the new tag won’t stop Red 5 Studios from continuing development. In the interim the company will continue to hit major milestones in May and June. Many focus on PvE elements.

Upcoming features include:

• City Power Levels: offering players bonuses for aiding in localized missions.

• Melding Exploration: Unlocked by increasing City Power Levels, players will be able to explore the Melding via special dropships.

• Chosen Instances: Strengthening the open world environment will unlock these instanced dungeons.

• Crafting & Progression: Crafting system alterations and ever-improved UIs for the new Battleframe progression system.

For those thinking of joining closed beta testing now via invite or by becoming a Founder, don’t forget that James Macauley already promised an end to character wipes in 2012. Check out the Open Beta FAQ for all the details.

The marketing for Defiance is in full giddy-up mode. The open-world shooter and TV/video game hybrid from Trion Worlds, with Syfy handling the TV shenanigans, will be launching April 2, 2013. That’s 13 days ahead of the show’s debut on Syfy on April 15. But there’s so much to do before then!

First off, you’ll probably want to take a look at the brand-spanking new live action trailer. This flesh-filled trailer is for the game, not the TV show, which is set in St. Louis. The trailer features the post-apocalyptic settings, clothing, vehicles and weaponry we can expect. Heck, even a dynamic event. Not to mention a healthy dose of xenophobia and action. You can catch the 5+ minute trailer it in its HD glory after the cut.

If you can wait that long, then you’ll be happy to know that Advanced Mission Beta 2 launches on Friday, February 8 at 8:00 AM PST and run until Sunday, February 10 at 9:00 PM PST. Beta participants will be trouncing around San Francisco making full use of the new Arkfall code reward system.

Yeap, in-game rewards before it’s even launched. Myll Erik, the Defiance Community Manager, has also updated the forum with an official pre-order FAQ. Continue Reading

Sony Online Entertainment has meet at least one promise for SOE Live 2012, the firm’s yearly convention. To kick off the show the company announced the release date to one of its most anticipated titles, the MMOFPS PlanetSide 2. In beta since July, PS2 will go fully online on November 20, 2012, just before the US holiday of Thanksgiving. Where most of us play a ton of video games.

Creative Director Matt Higby elaborated on the release date and state of the beta. The major features and game mechanics have been completed, allowing the development team to focus on customer feedback and overall polish.

There have not been much additional details stemming from the convention for PS2 yet. When there’s more we’ll have it for you. Until then, feel free to check out our interview with Art Director Tramell Isaac discussing the improvements and new features players can expect from the original PlanetSide.