Over the last few years, cloud computing has become a marvel of the business world. By being able to order computing power on demand, IT departments have been able to eliminate the costs associated with commissioning servers and kitting out data centers. It also provides flexibility, supporting firms like Netflix, Spotify and Pinterest as their user base grows.

Can cloud computing support a full-fledged MMO while still providing a stable, low latency experience to gamers? The developer behind sci-fi shooter MMO FireFall believed that it could, going on to convincingly prove it during an evolving, long-term beta that started earlier in 2012. You can even judge the fruits of their endeavour yourself this weekend, as Red 5 Studios are holding an open beta from February 22nd to 25th.

For those of you itching at a chance to get your hands on some open world jet-pack flying action this weekend, well you may be in luck. The team at Red 5 Studios has just announced their second "FireFall Beta Weekend event".

If the thought of flying through the air and flaying your enemies didn't get you pumped already, this "Verticality Trailer" that was released with the beta announcement just might do the trick.

Red 5 Studios announced today that the goal for the Founders Rewards program has been achieved. These exclusive rewards included Virtual Camouflage Goggles, the "Locust," Warpaint, and a Custom Thumper. To top it off FireFall's latest feature has been launched: integrated Twitch broadcasting. It is still possible to pick up a Founders pack and get in on the rewards.

Red5 Studios, the studio behind Firefall, has announced that they have finalized enough of the design decisions behind the battleframe and tier changes to outline the changes and why they were needed. "It is not possible to provide a balanced and entertaining experience in both PvE and PvP," the recent blog post states, "if both realms use the same gear."

"Players can, through time and crafting, gain a significant advantage over other players – this is not desirable in PvP.  The outcome of a PvP battle should be determined by skill and teamwork, not by which team spent more time and/or got luckiest in the open world."

If you've been itching to strap on your jump jets and try out the fast paced combat of FireFall, you now have an ideal opportunity.

As the first of three Public Beta Events in the next few months, this weekend, January 25 to January 28 you can pit your reflexes and wits against other players and NPCs without the need for a beta key.

FireFall is also getting cheaper! For the holiday season, why not buy yourself a Founder's Package? The Ensign, Lieutenant, and Commander packages ($20, $50, and $100 kits) are now $15, $37, and $75. Each upgraded kit brings you more stuff, including permanent experience increases, name reserves for the live game, access to the beta, real-world swag, and the Commander kit even snags you a personal transport. 

Julian "Mirai" Williams

FireFall has been generating a profound amount of interest for a long time now. Red 5 Studios is building a game that stands apart from the rest of the MMO scene.

Eschewing the typical Sci-Fi, post-apocalyptic feel, FireFall's setting, art style and fast, action-packed gameplay have won a lot of admirers.

If you are one of the many people who have been eager to jump in and try the game yourself, ZAM and Red 5 are going to give you just that chance.

FireFall is getting European servers. Everyone in Europe who wanted to play FireFall, it's time to party. And just in time for the beta too! It apparently was a grind to get it to happen.

“We’ve been working hard to get these servers up and running for our European fans and it’s great that we were able to launch them in time for the Beta Weekends,” said Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5. “We still expect some kinks as the stress-testing continues, but overall, performance should be significantly improved with less lag for European players.”

Julian "Mirai" Williams

Firefall developers Red 5 have been hitting the livestream hard lately, and this man - Red 5 developer James "Thrasher" Macauley - has made a guest appearance on the stream. Did you see it?

Oh, we didn't warn you in time. Well, that's okay, because they planned for that - the livestream session with him was recorded and they have the full hour-plus right here for your viewing pleasure. Needless to say, if they ran a contest when this ran, you probably won't win if you enter now.

Julian "Mirai" Williams

It was a big patch day for Firefall, adding a whole slew of new content for all beta players. Included is a boatload of new content, including new missions such as Patrol Drone, Bounty Terminal, or Signal Scanning, new achievements for PvP, PvE, and exploration, warpaint patterns have been added, a ton of new class and weapon changes, and bunches of bugfixes. 

Julian "Mirai" Williams