Hello everyone!
I am a Community manager with Gaijin Entertainment and I'm glad to represent the developer of up-coming World of Planes MMO and Birds of Steel projects here, on SimHQ forums.

World of Planes is a new MMO set during history’s most critical air battles and particularly dedicated to World War II military aviation.
The game will feature PvP and PvE modes, both with numerous specific variations and endless options for virtual pilots. World of Planes offers a wide range of control and realism settings and should be equally interesting to aviasim newbies and experienced players as well.
Closed Alpha-test is currently running however we are showing screenshots and even fan-videos since the game already looks cool.

If interested, you can find more about the game on our forums at http://forum.gaijinent.com/

Of course, I know there've been some discussion about World of Planes already, but I promise that starting today you'll be provided with only true info and obviously interesting news about it from the Devs.

By the way yesterday we've published a press-release, so if you haven't read it somewhere on the web already - check it out now because I'm going to post it right here:

The official community portal has changed massively since the Closed Alpha test started. How does developer / publisher Gaijin Entertainment manage to attract so many new fans and keep them entertained, when the game’s not even out yet? Find out in this comprehensive newsletter that highlights World of Planes’ most interesting and important recent updates.

Interviews
Gaijin started a series of interviews with real pilots who participated in World of Planes’ Alpha-test program. The latest interview was a fascinating conversation with a US Military Test Maintenance Pilot who has flown helicopters during all major military conflicts over the last 10 to 15 years. As an experienced virtual pilot, he is now helping the developers to bring maximum realism to the sensation of flying – one of World of Planes’ best features.

Read the interview here:
http://forum.gaijinent.com/index.php?/topic/4813-special-interview-with-a-pilot-hawkdriver9

Tips for Beginners
Another community-oriented initiative that Gaijin is now implementing is the “Aces of World of Planes – Tips for Beginners” series, which offers advice and instructions for those who anyone who may encounter problems in the game’s virtual skies. The “Tips for Beginners” series contains the most essential information for newbies, presented simply and intelligibly by the game’s most skilled and experienced players.

Read the Tips for Beginners:
http://forum.gaijinent.com/index.php?/topic/4957-aces-of-world-of-planes-tips-for-beginners
http://forum.gaijinent.com/index.php?/topic/5008-aces-of-world-of-planes-tips-for-beginners-2

Screenshots

Two different sets of screenshots have been revealed over the last two weeks. The first one presents pictures depicting the Battle of Britain, as RAF and Luftwaffe aircrafts clash in the skies above Dover. The second set of screens is completely devoted to the Pacific theatre of war, where US and Japanese aces met each other in the crosshairs of their Wildcats and Zeroes…

View the screenshots on Facebook or on the official website:
http://www.facebook.com/WorldofPlanes
http://worldofplanesgame.com/en/media/screenshots

Fan Video
Now, testers have created fan videos that the developer has agreed to publish! The first one was filmed, directed, and edited by VerTun, a World of Planes Alpha-test virtual pilot and Russian forum moderator at http://forum.gaijin.ru.

Watch the fan-video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kzrt_-o5IA

Zakzak when open beta starts ?

What do you propose to offer the abandoned Wings of Prey users, to whom many promises were made and few delivered?

Move to the new game instead since it look 1000x more like what everybody wanted Wings of Prey to be and then some?

Once bitten, twice shy.

Lol entitlement issues ftw. Just because you pay $45 for a game doesn't mean you are entitled to endless patches with new and better features and content. Patches are for fixing bugs and that's it.

Open Beta test is to be announced. Although Closed Alpha has been running very effectively so we are really close to the Beta test at this moment.
Be sure we'll announce Beta testing of World of Planes at SimHQ forums too.


We never refused to keep our promises. So, when the Beta starts invitations will be sent out

Thank you, sir. I also think World of Planes is a giant leap for mankind Gaijin. I'm participating in the Alpha test either and I sincerely love it already. Yes, it's my personal point of view however I try to speak objectively

I enjoyed WoPrey and look forward to WoPlanes. I hope I can see the planes better than I could in Prey. And that the AI are not dumb or super sharp shooters. It was a bummer being shot at way more than I mile out and being killed. Then I figured I could just dive down close enough to the water and all the AI would just dive right in. Or when defending a British air field it seemed the AI would never attack me.

All that said, I did like fighting human pilots in the online games.