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Huxley's closed beta now open to North America

by David Hinkle { Aug 6th 2009 at 7:00PM }

If you've been following the saga of MMOFPS Huxley and anxiously awaiting your chance to play, then here it is, as Fileplanet is offering entrance into the beta for all US and Canadian gamers. The rub is that you must have a Fileplanet account and an account at developer iiji's site, though setting up both takes but a few clicks and keystrokes. So get out there and play, which, to be honest, is a possibility we've long associated with things such as riding on the back of Nessie and playing blackjack with Big Foot.

Gallery: Huxley: The Dystopia

[Via Massively]

E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jun 12th 2009 at 11:45AM }

E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted.

We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.

Continued →

Huxley will not offer cross-platform play, goes free-to-play

by Ben Gilbert { Jun 4th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Speaking with ijji.com earlier today, just before we got a hands-on with upcoming MMOFPS Huxley: The Dystopia, the company confirmed to us that the game is going with the microtransaction model. Furthermore, the once announced cross-platform play between Xbox 360 and PC has been cut from the game.

Boo Won Kim told us during a presentation of ijji.com's upcoming offerings that, "At this point, yes, [Huxley is] microtransaction supported." We then asked whether or not the cross-platform component of the game -- once it's main selling point -- had been cut. Andy Hong confirmed to us the fact, though he added that that's only the case "at this point." Considering how long the game has been in development -- and the heavily twitch-movement focused gameplay -- we're putting our money on the cross-platform functionality never returning.

Joystiq interview: Huxley project manager Andy Hong

by Ben Gilbert { May 14th 2009 at 3:30PM }

You remember Huxley, right? It's that Webzen-developed MMOFPS we first heard about way back in 2005. We even played it ... in 2006. Not ringing any bells?

Huxley was billed as the first MMOFPS to hit the Xbox 360 and PC, and it was to offer cross-platform multiplayer and promised 100-vs-100 online battles. Sounds to good to be true, right? Apparently. The game suddenly disappeared from public eye -- for years! And then, just as sudden, Huxley re-emerged from hiding through a handful of new screens and is now under the (hopefully!) steady hand of ijji.com (owned by NHN America).

We caught up with Andy Hong, project manager for Huxley: The Dystopia, to see where the game has been and where it's going:

How different is Huxley now, as compared to the original coverage (back in 2006)?

There's been a real focus on polish and that really shows in the current version. There haven't been any major changes to the game, but the gameplay has changed a lot, it's a lot faster ...

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Huxley still exists, closed beta accepting entries

by David Hinkle { May 9th 2009 at 2:00AM }

Click for more first-person screenshots

It's been a while since we've been able to talk about Huxley, and now it seems the MMOFPS thing has not been taken out back and shot dead. Indeed, the closed beta for the game is getting into full swing, and players are able to sign up for participation.

But, before you get all excited, know that you can't play the game yet; Huxley's teaser site is only accepting entries at this point in time. You can merely sign up to maybe play it in the future.

Gallery: Huxley: The Dystopia

[Thanks, Paul!]

MMOFPS Huxley not launching in US this year

by Ross Miller { Nov 17th 2008 at 5:30PM }

Acronym-heavy MMOFPS (as in, "Massively Multiplayer Online First-Person Shooter") Huxley will not be making its planned 2008 launch, according to NHN USA (via Big Download). The US publisher had announced in June that it would bring the game (currently in beta in Korea) here late this year, but said more time was needed for localization.

There is no new release date, but given the flood of great titles at the end of the year (not to mention that other MMO Wrath of the Lich King), we're not too bummed about the delay.

Huxley's Xbox 360 fate still in the air

by Xav de Matos { Jun 2nd 2008 at 5:00PM }

One of the first MMOs announced in the new generation of consoles, Huxley, is having a difficult time making its way to consoles. While Huxley developer Webzen has announced that the PC title will finally make its way to North America after signing a new deal with publisher NHN USA, the Xbox 360 version continues its release limbo.

Other items that need to be ironed out of for the Unreal Engine 3 MMO/FPS include the business model approach for the title and a firm release date, as Webzen only specifies an expected PC release in late 2008 for North America and Western Europe.

[via Big Download]

Huxley's character creation in action

by Xav de Matos { Mar 7th 2008 at 7:00PM }

We won't lie when we say Webzen's upcoming first-person MMO Huxley had dropped off our radar, and when new details came out about their Real Time Worlds developed All Points Bulletin (APB) we thought Huxley got the quiet ax. Well, while details are still light on the title we do know that the game is still slated to come out between now and the next leap year. However, the latest news comes to us from a Game Trailers user who swiped some footage of the character creation menus. In the video, the user goes through some of the various options available for those interested in creating a female warrior within Huxley, which is actually comes Stateside in 2009 for the PC and Xbox 360. We were joking about the leap year thing.

[Thanks, Chris]

Huxley's back! You know, Huxley ... that MMOFPS?

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 5th 2008 at 6:00PM }

Ah, the prodigal son returns. IGN reports that long-dormant MMOFPS Huxley has fully popped back up on radar (following a random blip in December) since making a splash at E3 2005 and then flat-out disappearing after E3 2006. Publisher Webzen now plans on releasing Huxley on PC in the US by the end of this year and on Xbox 360 an "expected" six months later.

The Xbox 360 version of Huxley will also be different from what PC players experience. Beyond the obvious changes in interface, the PC version will focus on a story about the missing Dr. Huxley, while the console story will take place 50 years later and center around a terrorist group. Despite the different times, there will be "cross-platform interaction" according to the developer. As for the pricing structure of the MMOFPS? That still hasn't been determined. Expect the Huxley info to slowly drip from here on in.

Huxley is still alive! Screenshots, video and more

by Dustin Burg { Mar 5th 2008 at 3:00PM }

For those of you who (including us) who questioned whether Webzen would ever release their MMOFPS Huxley or if it'd be forgotten vaporware know that it's real, it's alive and it's coming. Who knew?

IGN posted their in-depth Huxley Progress Report which features a bunch of new screenshots, some new video footage and interesting Huxley factoids. Webzen is promising a lot, allowing 5000 players being able to interact at once, intense 100 versus 100 battles on each server, Unreal Tournament style gameplay and a substantial MMO following. They also dropped a nega-bomb confirming that Huxley will release to the Xbox 360 6 months after its PC debut which means no MMOFPS for 360 fanboys until at least 2009. But things aren't all that bad for 360 owners as the 360 version of Huxley will take place in a different world / time and allow for cross platform battling and trading of items. It's good to hear that Huxley hasn't turned into a Duke Nukem Forever, but the overly long development time sort of killed a lot of the game's hype. Here's to seeing Huxley by 2011.

Huxley returns from the abyss with video

by Justin McElroy { Dec 17th 2007 at 3:40PM }

We hope this doesn't make us negative people, but we had basically written MMOFPS Huxley off after not hearing much about it for more than a year. Now though, it's made its (semi) triumphant return from the grave with a new video captured in the Korean-developed game's closed beta accompanied by a truly, almost epically excruciating techno soundtrack.

What we see so far is a pretty, frenetic shooter in the vein of a Painkiller or Unreal, that seems just a tad bit uninspired. That said, we don't know how the MMO elements are playing into it, as what we have here is straight-up action. What say you? Has your interest been piqued? Or have the last, dying embers of your desire for Huxley been fully doused?

Huxley scored by Gears of War composer

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 3rd 2007 at 7:00PM }

GameDaily reports that Gears of War composer Kevin Riepl has provided the score for the upcoming MMO FPS Huxley. The score reportedly took 2 days to record with the help of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Warner Bros. Studios. Riepl says he's "proud" to have worked on Webzen's Huxley, the varied themes of which demand a "gripping soundtrack" according to the composer. We're quite fond of the Gears of War soundtrack, so we have high hopes for the soundscape of Huxley. Here's hoping the actual game can live up to it. We'll find out when the game hits retailers in 2008.

Video: Huxley has a lot to prove

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 10th 2006 at 5:30PM }

Let's make one thing clear: I've been pimping Huxley since before I began working for 360 Fanboy. The idea of a massively multiplayer first person shooter is almost too delicious to contemplate. In the intervening months, with the release of several AAA 360 titles, Huxley has been all but forgotten. As fate would have it, a new video of the game popped up on the net today, and Xboxyde was kind enough to create a streaming version of it, as is their wont. Call me jaded, but the video is uninspiring. It's just a generic montage of blasting things with a tiny bit of the actual MMO aspect of the game thrown in. Considering the main selling point of Huxley is its MMO nature, you'd think they'd make more use of it in a promotional video. But, I digress. Check out the video and make your own judgments. Does it look like it can stand up against the likes of Gears, COD3, or Vegas?

Webzen ends Endless Saga

by Alan Rose { Jul 25th 2006 at 1:00PM }

Turns out Endless Saga wasn't so endless after all, although the mystery surrounding the game's development certainly felt neverending. Webzen has pulled the plug on their Unreal 3-powered MMO, which had been scheduled to launch next year for the PlayStation 3 and PC. While this move thins out the PS3's initial MMO offerings, the Korean developer insists they are still committed to Sony's next gen platform. For now, however, Webzen will concentrate on finishing APB, Huxley and Soul of the Ultimate Nation -- the first two projects being Xbox 360 titles.

See also:

Webzen: a lot of fuss for one release

by Jennie Lees { May 10th 2006 at 10:29PM }

One MMO company definitely wants to get noticed at this E3. Webzen's booth is big, almost as large as nearby THQ and Activision, and they're putting on a show for the crowds. With dancing booth babes, a loud emcee and armour-clad models -- as well as plastering all the cafeteria tables with ads -- Webzen's attack on the Western world is well and truly here.

Of Webzen's three games being shown at E3, only one is out in the near future -- Huxley. Soul of the Ultimate Nation will make its way to the U.S. in 2007 (no word of an European release), and Project Wiki is slated for a Korea-only release at the moment. So why the big fuss?

Webzen believe that in Huxley they have the tools to break into the Western market, and make a name for themselves worldwide. The joint Xbox 360/PC release is at once a risk and an adventure for them -- and they want gamers to sit up and pay attention to it.