Recently we've added a special section to the Sins forums for Developer Journals. Finally giving way to my long running history of procrastination, I've just posted my very first one . Over the next few weeks, other members of the Sins team may also post journals which will promote here from time-to-time.

During the development of Galactic Civilizations II, Frogboy tried to get me to write developer journals for it. I never did, mainly because I honestly didn't know what to write at the time. Most of the work I did on GalCiv II was feedback to the rest of the team, and late in the process, on business stuff (I only officially took on Stardock's publishing section after the game shipped). With Sins there actually is stuff I feel I can write about, so prepare to be subjected to the first of po...

We will be closing access to Sins of a Solar Empire Beta 3 to new customers tomorrow, October 12th. Anyone who pre-orders the game after Beta 3 is closed will be able to join up when Beta 4 launches next month.

GameShark has just published a new interview with Stardock's own galactic overlord, Brad Wardell.  In the interview, Brad reveals the thoughts behind Twilight of the Arnor and some gameplay tidbits. Head on over to GameShark to read the complete article .

As you may have seen mentioned here in the past, Stardock is currently working on publishing its first third-party title - Sins of a Solar Empire . Sins is what we're calling an RT4X game, in that it combines the best elements of 4X turn-based strategy with the faster pace of its real-time cousin.  Sins of a Solar Empire is currently in beta testing for release in February 2008. Games Radar has published their first preview for Sins of a Solar Empire, based on hands-on time with the bet...

The first Beta 3 update for Sins of a Solar Empire pre-order customers is now available for download via Stardock Central. Version 0.83 contains many bug fixes and improvements to the game, including much easier multiplayer setup for modern routers supporting UPnP and more. For more details, check out the Change Log .

Games Radar has published their first preview for Sins of a Solar Empire, based on hands-on time with the beta.  Here's a quote from the article, "...we think Sins will be particularly appealing to those looking for something different from the traditional isometric C&C/StarCraft gameplay that's been recycled to death." You can read the entire two-page preview here .

Gamer 2.0 has posted their first Sins of a Solar Empire preview today.  Here's a small quote off their article, "The game is so chock-full of strategic and tactical gameplay that any self-declared Admiral would find themselves remiss not to check this game out." You can read the full preview at their website: http://www.gamer20.com/gamehub/sins-of-a-solar-empire-pc/previews/758

Stardock Entertainment and Ironclad Games announced today that the upcoming Beta 3 of Sins of a Solar Empire, which begins on September 20th, will introduce multiplayer functionality and a host of other new features to the RT4X space-strategy game. Gamers who pre-order before September 26th will gain immediate access to Sins of a Solar Empire Beta 3, allowing them to vie for galactic supremacy with their friends via LAN and Ironclad Online (ICO). Players can pre-order Sins of a Solar Empire now ...

GameSpy has posted a new preview for Sins of a Solar Empire, relating a number of gameplay details based on their experiences. Here's a quote, "The level of strategic depth in Sins of a Solar Empire is pretty impressive for a game that's still in beta." You can read the entire article at the link below: http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/sins-of-a-solar-empire/819688p1.html

Gamespot has published a new preview of Sins of a Solar Empire, calling it "...an elegant take on space strategy." Check out the entire article at the link below: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/sinsofasolarempire/news.html?sid=6178649&tag=topslot;title;1

IGN.com has posted their first initial preview of Sins of a Solar Empire. Check it out for new details on the game and a number of new screenshots.

The latest Sins of a Solar Empire Beta 2 update is now available through Stardock Central for our current pre-order customers.  Version 0.78.022 contains dozens of improvements and bug fixes for issues that were mentioned in our forums.  Please reinstall this version of the beta fresh (don't update) and remember that save games from older versions are not compatible. For more details on what's new, please see the Change Log .  Thank you testers!

As we get closer to release, you'll start to see more of Sins of a Solar Empire both in preview coverage and in magazine ads. The very first appears in the November issues of PC Gamer (available September 19th) and Maximum PC (on sale September 25th). Here's a screenshot of the ad that we wanted to share with everyone.

I'm not one to promote myself, but Frogboy felt this was worth mentioning to the GalCiv II community. Until recently I have been part of GameTunnel 's monthly review panel which is composed of various members of the developer / publisher community.  Each month the panel looks at 10 new indie games and gives their opinions on each one.  It's really a unique concept of peer review and a great overview for both developers and gamers to quickly find hidden gems (several of which...