Warhammer 40K is one of those MMOs that we're incredibly excited to see, but we aren't holding our breath while we wait for details to emerge. After all, Virgil Games has been working on the project for years and THQ has stated that the game isn't expected to launch until 2012. That's why we're happy to see that Kotaku just received some Warhammer 40K concept art from a "friendly source."

While the concept art doesn't provide us with any information on the actual graphics or gameplay, it does confirm that work on the game is still moving forward. Also, we certainly like the looks of that Marine. Do you plan on playing the Warhammer 40K MMO? What do you hope to see in the game?

Following the latest patch 1.3.2 hotfixes pushed to live servers earlier this month, Mythic Entertainment continues prepping Warhammer Online's  upcoming patch 1.3.3 with more intensive testing this week. According to the WAR Herald, developer Andy Belford recently announced a series of "Mass Playtests" scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Thursday, Dec. 3; both at 8 p.m. EST in the Warpstone public test server.

Tuesday's event will serve as an initial stress test introducing the new "War Report" game feature debuting in patch 1.3.3, which is supposed to make it easier for players to find live RvR action anywhere in the world and immediately jump to it so that they can join in on the action. Thursday's test will test the stability and performance of large-scale RvR battles; Mythic invites players to take part and experience the "new HDR and Bloom graphic features as you storm the PTS battlefield," according to the announcement. Play testers will also have the chance to win either the Enslaved Manticore or Imperial Griffon Mount for taking part (an incentive Mythic has used in past PTS events). View a full copy of the post after the jump, and check out ZAM's WAR portal site for more news and info.

Mythic announced today that it will be offering free character transfers from Phoenix Throne and Dark Crag on Dec. 2. Players on Phoenix Throne will be able to move to Iron Rock or Badlands, while Dark Crag players will be able to transfer to Gorfang or Volkmar.

"In order to welcome all of our players to their new homes we will be enabling a 20% bonus to experience and renown during the weeks following the open character transfers," Mythic said in the post. Do you plan on taking advantage of the free service?

Warhammer Online's latest patch, v1.3.2, continues to address many of the long-standing obstacles the MMO has faced since its launch. As we reported in October, 1.3.2 brought about the removal of forts, the New User Journey, the Apprenticeship system and more. Many fans consider the recent changes—and those upcoming in 1.3.3—vital to WAR's continued survival in today's cut-throat MMO market. One of the newest additions to the patch 1.3.2 is the Endless Trial, offering new players the chance to "try before they buy" without the former 10-day time limit.

Mythic's new Endless Trial essentially changes WAR's entire Tier 1 experience (Ranks 1 through 10) to a free-to-play MMO. We here at ZAM think it's an ambitious move, and a great way to offer potential subscribers the time they need to make an accurate, informed decision; a trial model that many other subscription-based MMOs could learn from. In an effort to learn a bit more about the details of the Endless Trial, ZAM held a Q&A with Mythic producer Josh Drescher. Read on to learn more about the free-to-play trial, as well as the New User Journey that Mythic added to help new players.

Warhammer Online Producer Jeff Skalski has written a letter to follow the one Mythic Executive Producer Jeff Hickman wrote to address the recent layoffs that hit the company. Skalski wants to "reaffirm that our support and dedication to making WAR the best RvR experience in the market has not changed."

Skalski said the team is currently working on patch 1.3.3 to get it ready for the test server. The patch will include bug fixes and enhancements to RvR, as well as updates to the graphics that include improved lighting options and bloom. "Over the course of 1.3.3 you’ll get to enjoy three live events including the return of the Battlebrew Backpack in Keg End and the much beloved Night of Murder event in addition to an all new event in the new year," he said.

You can read Skalski's full letter after the jump. What are your thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online?

Mythic Entertainment's Executive Producer Jeff Hickman posted a letter to the community this evening, addressing the layoffs that hit their company yesterday, and what it means for their future:

With all that is going on within Mythic Entertainment and EA, I would like to take a moment to reinforce the studio's dedication to both our games and our players.  At Mythic, we remain committed to our games and the passionate people who play them - we're going to continue to deliver the content and service that keeps you playing. We want to assure our community that we will maintain the same high level of customer support you've come to expect and continue to improve our games with an exciting schedule of patches, live events and new content. 

Poor Warhammer Online; it just can't seem to catch the break it so desperately needs to get that real second chance it's been waiting for. Earlier today, Gamasutra broke the news that EA's latest round of layoffs hit Mythic Entertainment particularly hard; 80 of its employees were recently laid off, which consists of around a staggering 40 percent of its total workforce. Gamasutra claims Mythic is expected to make an official announcement in its quarterly report, although the website quotes several Twitter postings from former employees. What's all this mean for Warhammer Online? Nothing too positive, unfortunatley. The Gamasutra story quotes an industry analyst:

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said in an EA investor note on Monday, "Recent industry weakness will likely cause the company to lower its full year industry growth expectations to negative 'mid single digits' from 'flat' previously. In addition, we believe the company may take a more proactive role in additional cost cuts and may announce additional restructuring initiatives."

While the MMO hasn't specifically been addressed in light of EA's newly-focused agenda, any long-time Warhammer fan should know that the game already needs all the help it can get from a publisher's resource pool―one wrong move could push WAR over the edge, doomed to another year of dwindling subscriptions. On the other hand, we can only hope that WAR's new Endless Trial will attract both new and returning players, and that many of those players will stick around for the MMO's upcoming expansion, whenever it's released. In the mean time, let's hope Mythic keeps up the trend of continuing to patch and fix WAR, as it's been doing. Praying couldn't hurt, either.

The WAR Herald is full of interesting news today, from City Siege hotfixes to a dev diary on combating hackers. To start things off, Mythic has officially introduced the endless free trial. It should come as no surprise since we reported on it earlier this week, but you can now play the free trial for as long as you like if you remain in Tier 1 content, below Rank 11. Check out the FAQ for more information.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at today's hotfixes. According to the notes, Mythic is "making a number of changes that will improve the overall Capital City invasion experience for all players." For example, guild halls, the Emperor's Palace and the Eternal City will now remain open to players at all times, regardless of the city's current rank. You can read all the changes after the jump.

Lastly, Development Manager John Cox has written a diary entry explaining how Mythic deals with hackers. While it doesn't contain and earth-shattering news, it is an interesting read. "Believe it or not, any of you hackers out there, we’re members of your online communities, sometimes silently listening, sometimes actively participating. The best place to figure out what hackers are trying and what they’ve figured out about us is to hide among them," he said.

Unless you've been living under the weight of an ogre's buttocks, you've probably heard of Dragon Age: Origins. Today marks the release of Dragon Age: Origins on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. We're impressed by BioWare's immersive RPG, as can be seen in our hands-on preview and our interviews with the co-founders of BioWare and Executive Producer Mark Darrah. You can now join the Grey Wardens and fight the gritty, dark, violent battle with your swarthy brethren.

And there are even some surprises to be found in your brand new game! If you're a devout purchaser of EA products - or if you just happen to be an owner of Warhammer Online - you'll find a code that unlocks the "Adventurer's Handbook" (which gives you a 10% XP Bonus when used) and the "Skaven Skin Cloak" (allows your to take on the appearance of the ratty Skaven).

That's a pretty sweet deal, especially for folks that own both products. I certainly do, so it was a pleasant addition to an excellent package.

We all knew Mythic Entertainment was getting desperate for new and returning players in Warhammer Online. All the signs were there; massive server merges, "re-enlistment" campaigns, even drastic retail price drops for the game client...but who could have ever imagined the MMO would partially turn free-to-play? That's right, as announced in the latest edition of the WAR newsletter (a footnote in the Patch 1.3.2 article intro), Mythic will be extending its 10-day free trial to unlimited playtime as long as you're still in Tier 1 content, below Rank 11:

"We’ll soon be lifting the 10-day restriction on our Free Trial! You'll be able to enjoy the trial experience and New User Journey for as long as you like!"

This is a pretty drastic move to encourage new player retention, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. The new trial system will undoubtedly allow players to get a better sense of what WAR offers, at their own leisure, instead of trying to get the most informed opinion possible within a mere week and a half. Full details have yet to be announced, but it's safe to assume that some of the restrictions listed in the "Trial Accounts" section of the official FAQ may carry over, such the inability to create auctions or send mail.