Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising officially launched almost two weeks ago, and Heatwave Interactive CEO Anthony Castoro has already written a new State of the Republic address to keep an open line of communication with players. He emphasized that the game has a loyal grassroots following, saying that "within a year, our village should be one of the strongest communities in the world."

So what's next for Gods & Heroes? Here is an overview of the team's development priorities:

• Polish – Such as improvements to existing content/features, bugs (weekly)
• Content – For example, new levels, classes, animations, dungeons etc. (monthly)
• New game systems – Which may include crafting, Politics, PvP (quarterly)

Keep an eye on the game's official site in the near future for more details on Heatwave's plans for Gods & Heroes. "We believe this level of transparency is critical to a healthy community and honestly, we enjoy the dialogue!" Castoro said.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising officially launched last week, and Heatwave Interactive is bringing the game's Roman mythology to life with an impressive collectible. See that helmet over there? It's now available for pre-order exclusively on Amazon, and it's limited to only 200 pieces!

The helmet costs $219, but it weighs six pounds and is fully wearable. Whether you're looking to add it to your cosplay outfit or simply want to display it in your home, this helmet would be a worthwhile gift for any Roman aficionado. It will be available for purchase on July 21.

Getting back to the MMO, Heatwave Interactive worked hard to bring this game back to life after the project was abandoned by a different game company. We recently sat down with Heatwave CEO Anthony Castoro to learn the history behind Gods & Heroes, and it's definitely a fascinating story.

Today marks the launch of Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising! All players who purchase the game are now welcome to explore the epic mythology of Rome circa 300 BC will the help of a squad of minions. They can also customize their own property as part of the massive estate system, which also allows players to complete goals and create resources through different buildings and constructions.

Heatwave Interactive worked hard to bring this game back to life after the project was abandoned by a different game company. We sat down with Heatwave CEO Anthony Castoro last week to learn the history behind Gods & Heroes, and it's definitely a fascinating story.

If you'd like to see the game in action, Mike B. aka Fony dove into ancient Rome in a recent BFF Report. Just keep in mind that he played during the closed beta, and Heatwave has added numerous fixes and new content to Gods & Heroes leading up to the game's launch.

The standard retail edition and collector’s edition of Gods & Heroes: Romes Rising sell for $49.99 and $79.99, respectively. A digital version of the game is also available for $39.99. Following 30 days of free gameplay, Heatwave is offering a one-month subscription for an introductory price of $9.99. The game will be available at retail in Europe on June 24.

Gods & Heroes will be hosting a Live Dev Chat on Ustream on June 23, 2011. The Dev Chat will begin at 6:00pm CST on the Gods & Heroes website or chat directly with our development team LIVE on the Gods & Heroes Ustream page!

Do you have questions for the Devs? Ask away in their community forums, the game's Twitter page and on Facebook. The team will compile all your questions so they get answered live on Ustream!

Don't forget that Gods & Heroes officially launches tomorrow, June 21. For details on the game's history, check out our recent interview with Heatwave Interactive CEO Anthony Castoro.

When it comes to any industry where a strong sense of creativity is integral to succeeding, sometimes the most difficult task isn’t about finding the greatest idea; rather, it’s about having the discipline and vision to carry that idea to the end. Take, for example, the story of Perpetual Entertainment, a company best known for developing two MMORPGs: Star Trek Online and Gods & Heroes. Unfortunately, these two games would never make it to launch under their original developer, and while the Star Trek license would be quickly scooped up by Cryptic Entertainment, it seemed that Perpetual Entertainment’s Gods & Heroes, a more thematically unique MMO set in Ancient Rome, was doomed to the realms of vaporware for good.

That is, until Heatwave Interactive, a small development studio based out of Austin, Texas, picked up the rights to Gods & Heroes last year and decided to give this game a new life. Now, after taking up the monumental task of creating something unique out of the abandoned foundation of a six-year-old project, not only has Heatwave Interactive managed to bring Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising into reality, but in just one short year of development, it’s managed to add a style that is distinctively its own. I decided to sit down with Anthony Castoro, CEO of Heatwave Interactive and executive producer of Gods & Heroes, to talk about the things they’ve done to make this MMO their own as they gear up for the game's official launch on June 21.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising is heading to Germany! THQ announced today that it will be distributing the game in Germany when the MMO launches in Europe on June 24.

Gods & Heroes' pre-order head start is currently under way in North America and kicks off tomorrow, June 17, in Europe. The game officially launches on June 21 in North America, and subscription prices range from $9.99 for a one-month subscription to $199.99 for a lifetime subscription. Check out the purchasing FAQ for details on where you can pick up the game.

The pre-order head start for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising kicked off on June 14 and runs through June 21, and Heatwave Interactive just posted its first batch of head start patch notes. They've squashed some bugs regarding estates, combat, quests and more. You can read the patch notes after the jump and submit your feedback in this thread on the official forms.

Gods & Heroes officially launches on June 21. Subscription prices range from $9.99 for a one-month subscription to $199.99 for a lifetime subscription. Check out the purchasing FAQ for details on where you can pick up the game.

In preparation for the June 21 launch of Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, Heatwave Interactive has released a live-action trailer for the game that's aptly titled "Nerd Rising." Yes, you read that right. Get your nerd on and check out the video below.

Gods & Heroes is in open beta until June 12, so you have the entire weekend to try out the game for free. Players who pre-order the game will get in a week early on June 14, as well as receive a marble statue for their estate and a tunic blessed by the Gods that grants a 5% XP bonus. Subscription prices range from $9.99 for a one-month subscription to $199.99 for a lifetime subscription.

UPDATE: Heatwave just released a purchasing FAQ regarding the launch of Gods & Heroes.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising's open beta kicks off today, June 6, which means all players are welcome to try out the game for free through June 12. To participate, all you need to do is register for the open beta and you'll soon be trying out four character classes, personal estates, the minions system and the first 14 levels of gameplay.

Gods & Heroes will launch in North America on June 21. Players who pre-order the game will get in a week early on June 14, as well as receive a marble statue for their estate and a tunic blessed by the Gods that grants a 5% XP bonus. Subscription prices range from $9.99 for a one-month subscription to $199.99 for a lifetime subscription.

Do you want to see the game in action before diving into the open beta? Then watch the latest Gods & Heroes gameplay trailer below!

Heatwave Interactive just announced that the Gods & Heroes closed beta will end on Tuesday, May 31 at 11 a.m. EDT so the team can prepare for the open beta. More details on the open beta phase will be released next week.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising will launch in North America on June 21. Players who pre-order the game will get in a week early on June 14, as well as receive a marble statue for their estate and a tunic blessed by the Gods that grants a 5% XP bonus.