Fantasy Earth Zero Open Beta!

BETA DETAILS: 
GamepotUSA is pleased to announce that the Fantasy Earth Zero Beta will begin on 3/3/10 at 3:00 pm PST and end on 3/10/10 at 3:00 pm PST.

For the uninformed, Fantasy Earth Zero is Square-Enix's upcoming F2P MMO that is just now being localized in the US. The game originally came out in 2006 in Japan, so naturally we're going to see quite a few people complaining about the older graphics... but they're missing the point. This game boasts numerous gameplay features and is quite ground-breaking for the Free-to-Play MMO market. The combat system is completely different from standard "point-click-attack" schemes found in other MMOs, and you'll even be able to use a Xbox360 controller for Windows.

FEZ is being localized by Gamepot USA, a fairly recent entry into the F2P market here in the US. Gamepot USA launched Bright Shadow late last year. They have been working hard to bring us a localized version of Fantasy Earth Zero, and I'm willing to bet that it will be a huge success considering the Square-Enix branding that comes with the game. The music is composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. He worked has worked on the compositions for many different Square games including: Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Vagrant Story.

Gamepot USA just brought us big news (from their Facebook page) and released the client yesterday, along with a date for the first Open Beta: March 3rd. 

What makes it even more awesome is the level of involvement they will be having with the game. They will be holding a Beta Bash whereby players have the chance to earn some rare items! These items will be distributed (via code sent to your email) at the start of the 2nd Open Beta and will be permanent from thereon.

http://fez.gamepotusa.com/event/betabash

IMPORTANT: There will be a character wipe at the end of Open Beta 1. That means all of your character data will be erased when Open Beta 1 ends. Gamepot has told us that there will not be a wipe after Open Beta 2, and that we will be able to keep our Limited Edition weapons.

Gamepot has stated on their Facebook page that the primary purpose of Open Beta 1 is to test stability, client performance, etc. Do not go into the game expecting a finished product. They are relying on us to help them test the game and report bugs. It's in your best interest to report bugs as well, because the 10 best bug reports will receive a prize. Details:

"3 winners will receive $30 in potcash and a special Venomous Head
7 winners will receive a special Venomous Head
*All winners will be selected by the Gamepot USA staff and prizes will be awarded once the game goes live."

If you're ready and willing to test the game, then have a look at the system requirements (from the official site):

Prepare yourselves for Final Fantasy-esque war!
Download the client now.  (This link is safe and came from the official site.)

Last note: After successfully installing the game and trying to run the Launcher, you will see "Contacting Update Server" and then you will get an "Update failed" message. This is normal because the servers are not online yet. They open on March 3rd at 3:00pm PST.