Dragon Pals Alpha Starts Today

Today in gaming: Reality Squared Games (developers of Yitien Chronicles) has announced that the alpha testing for it's newest title Dragon Pals will begin at 8AM PST. No word on what percentage of the quests, monsters, and events will be active during the alpha, but it's a great chance to get a first look at the English version of this title -- which has been hugely successful in China, attracting over five million players.

Like most of their games, Dragon Pals is entirely browser based. The storyline asks you to, one by one, reawaken a lounge of dragons that has exiled itself into hiding to keep from falling into the hands of the evil that has befallen your land.

The game is mostly a side-scrolling platformer, but there's also a player-vs-player arena called the Cage Match where players who join are randomly thrown together and forced to do battle. They also have pet dragons that you can customize.

• [LINK] Dragon Pals Home Page

theHunter Simulation to Go Multiplayer?

Today in gaming: Starting this Monday, April 8, 2013, registered players of the Expansive Worlds online hunting title theHunter [sic] will have an opportunity to sign up for an alpha test of their new co-op version of the game. This multiplayer feature will allow gamers to go out together in hunting parties to bag deer and such.

Of course, there is also the possibility that theHunt could devolve into the greatest hardcore shooter in the history of gaming, with hunters actively stalking each other through the woods and building hides in trees just trying to keep alive. We'll see how it all plays out. I for one would gladly play this game if could go all Dick Chaney on the hunter next to me for making noise while I'm hunting grouse.

Expansive Worlds is an independent subsidiary of Avalanche Studios.

• [LINK] theHunter Home Page