The Warhammer Online "open" is in full swing (sorry about the mess, Europe), though while getting an early look at the game is certainly nice and all, the retail head start is where the real action is at. Mythic Entertainment today reveals that folks who pre-ordered Warhammer Online will get a chance to start building their characters come September 14th, four days before the retail launch. Oh wait, did I say folks who pre-ordered? I meant folks who pre-ordered the Collector's Edition. Those who opted to reserve the standard edition will get access on Tuesday, September 16th, which is only a two-day head start. It's Mythic's way of showing their scalable appreciation for your interest in their product.

Some of you might say this is paying extra for an advantage over other players, which is not true. This is paying extra for a box of cool stuff *and* an advantage over other players. Silly.

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Most of the Rock, Paper, Shotgun guys recently posted their thoughts on the Warhammer Online closed beta; they were descended upon by WAR supporters (some rabid, some a little more even-tempered) for drawing more comparisons between WoW and WAR. After this little display of MMO chest thumping, Alec Meer put up a thoughtful piece on why it is that WoW has become a dirty word, both in and out of the industry, and why people are so quick to leap to vociferous defence of their games:

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It's a press release twofer! Mythic Entertainment has announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has gone gold, with the game shipping to stores in time for servers to go live on September 18th, and the gold farmers are ready for it! "Internet gaming service" SwagVault has announced that they'll be giving away 50 beta keys for the game via randomly selected email entries received between now and September 5th, giving players a chance to experience the game for themselves before deciding to buy. They'll also be giving out beta access to folks whose order numbers contain the number sequence 8907, which coincides with the open beta date of September 7th, 2008.

So how exactly does a gold seller wind up with 50 beta keys for an MMO from Mythic Entertainment, a company that has gone after such enterprises legally in the past and won? I'm going to go ahead an assume they used bots.

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There are a ton of former Warhammer Online developers who haven't made it into the game's final credits. And they are not happy. And understandably so! That's months, sometimes years of work, going totally unrecognised. Well, the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) are on the case, calling the snub "disrespectful" and using it as the latest example as to why the industry should adopt their idea for a set of universal crediting guidelines.

IGDA's MacLean: Missing Warhammer Credits 'Disrespectful' [Gamasutra]

Earlier today we showed you the Opening cinematic for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King now you get to see the cinematic trailer for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. As we said this morning whether you are a fan of these two games or not, it's pretty hard to under appreciate how incredible their cinematic sequences are. Expect the game for PC in mid-September.

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Warhammer Online has been in development for years now. And as a project has seen its fair share of ups and downs. Contributing to both those ups and downs have been literally hundreds of staffers who have worked with developers Mythic over the years, from the game's announcement in 2005 through their acquisition by EA through to today. But in a move that's sure to reignite the controversy over crediting in the videogame industry, only those currently employed at Mythic will be recognised in the game's credits. A former Mythic dev has told Shacknews:

This has been an ongoing problem in this industry for many years. I spent three years on WAR and I, including many other people who spent just as much if not close to the same amount of time, will NOT be credited in the game.

I was told they made SURE to not include anyone in the list who was not at the office the day of the credit list creation. This is wrong on many levels and should not go unnoticed.

Sure, many will point to the film business, and say the exact same thing happens there, particularly with screenplays. But you know what? That doesn't make it right.

Warhammer Online Not Crediting All Developers [Shacknews]

EA has announced that the open beta for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning begins on September 7th. Do you want in? All you have to do is pre-order a copy of the game! However, you can only do so at "select retail partners" and yes, this includes Gamestop. But you can also per-order at a variety of other stores, including Fry's and good ol' Best Buy, too. If you're currently in the closed beta, you'll automatically be given open beta access as well, so don't sweat. Hit the jump for full details.

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A release date and the opening of the Oceanic beta? Surely that's enough great news, right? Well, it would be, if you didn't pick up on this tidbit. From the announcement:

Thousands from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore have been invited to join us in bringing WAR to the other side of the world.

They will play on servers located on mainland Australia and will pave the way for the simultaneous launch of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning across North America, Europe, and the Oceanic region on September 18th.

Now might be a good time to check out the Collector's Edition and the exclusive preorder deal.

Beta Goes Down Under [Mythic Entertainment]

Three years in development later, and EA has finally announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will launch worldwide on September 18th. Says Mythic Entertainment founder Mark Jackobs:

The countdown has officially begun. Mark your calendars! September 18th is the Day of Reckoning. For the last three years, the entire team at Mythic has poured their hearts into making Warhammer Online the next great MMORPG. We are so excited to open up this world and share it with the fans that will live in it, quest in it, go to war in it and make it come alive.

The game will launch its North American, European and Oceanic servers simultaneously, a MMORPG first. Subscription options include: US$US 14.99 for a month subscription, $US 41.97 for a three-month subscription and $US 77.94 for a six-month subscription.

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Electronic Arts' own Web site sure says so. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector's Edition will drop Sept. 23, even though there's been no official word yet. Quick, run look at it before they change their minds. Massively has reported that several retail sites have updated with the Sept. 23 date, too, so there ya go.

Rumour: Warhammer Online Set to Release Sept. 23 [Massively, via Joystiq. Pic from Joystiq.]