Despite rumors of its mediocre success, EA's massively multiplayer space sim Earth & Beyond has instigated the kind of sweeping changes to the universe that you'd expect from a persistent world with steady support. The aliens that provide the main antogonist for the game have successfully invaded key areas shaking up the balance of the game. You can read about the latest updates to the universe here. The game has also held another Fan Gathering in Indianapolis. Good for them. Although E&B was the game EA cancelled Privateer Online in favor of, I'd much rather it succeed than fail and show EA that space sims are a less viable genre. Among other things, we'll be giving away copies of the game (including the first subscription month) at the CIC Birthday Party August 10. -- Original update published on July 30, 2003
