According to a new article on IncGamers Path of Exile has managed to raise $ 2.5 million off their support packs. The packs help fund the game, and make sure it doesn't become pay to win.

Today they revealed that the sale of the supporter packs alone has helped fund the game to the tune of $2.5 million which I think you’ll agree is a decent chunk of change. Since the open beta began they’ve been working on new pack options for players to help continue the development funding.

New packs have also been launched for anyone who wishes to support and fund the game’s development as they continue to finish Act 3 before the game releases later this year. Players of the game can get anything from a simple Baby Rhoa pet and soundtrack for $30 right through to the Ruler of Wraeclast pack for $12,500 which allows you to design your own monster in the game and all the other extras

The packs that have been put together by GGG illustrate that a game can be supported by a strong community if the game catches their imagination. If POE steers clear of a pay to win model with community support then that can only be a good thing for ARPG games.

Grinding Gear Games announced that the latest major content update for Path of Exile will be released on Wednesday, June 5th. This will begin the second phase of it's Beta.

We're now halfway through Path of Exile's Open Beta and have deployed 9 major patches and 24 minor patches in the 0.10.x series. For a while, we've been planning a major patch to herald the second phase of the Open Beta. This patch is 0.11.0 and it contains new four-month leagues with special rules, exclusive Challenges with prizes, major balance changes relating to monster damage and player life values, the introduction of item allocation options, toggleable mini health-bars, a new currency item and many other changes

Please note that this page is not the 0.11.0 patch notes! It's a list of various features we're including (which may change slightly by the time the patch is deployed). Full patch notes will be posted before deployment and linked from here when available.

Games.On.Net has an interview with Grinding Gear Games Chris Wilson about Path of Exile.

GON: Chris, you’ve been in open beta for a little while now, since January in fact — can you tell us a little bit about how everything’s progressing?

Chris: So we’re now at 2.46 million registered users. So we had a large surge of people who became interested in the game, and who have joined our community, which has exceeded our expectations. Most of the game’s performance so far has exceeded our expectations, and this has raised some issues with how do we handle all these users, but thankfully the tests we’ve done prior to open beta were very optimistic in terms of user numbers so we were (barely) able to handle the amount of people that flooded our servers. And it did cause a few weeks of instability while we dealt with issues that only manifest when you have more than 50,000 people playing at once. But we we have those under control now.

GON: So what is your peak concurrent player count?

Chris: We’ve hit 70,000 in the first week of release. We’re very pleased with that. There was an awful lot of stuff combining at the same time with the game being very new and a lot of people talking about it which caused us to really strain the servers, but thankfully it’s dropped a bit to a more maintainable rate at the moment.

GON: Have you identified any issues in the beta that you’ll need to address going forward before launch?

Chris: We have found a lot of things based on player feedback and our own analytics that we can improve. There are various systems that we’ve been working on with the players to find better solutions to. For example loot allocation in the game, a lot of players would like it to be a bit more forgiving and less free-for-all, so we’ve been looking into a variety of options which will hopefully launch by the end of the month.

A video was posted online showcasing almost one hour of the game Path of Exile.

"My First Hour In" is a segment where I play a new game for an hour to see if it makes me want to keep playing. Why only an hour? Because I have a lot of games to play, and an hour is all you get to hold my attention.

Digitally Downloaded interviewed Grinding Gear Games' Brian Weissman about Path of Exile.

DD: What challenges have you found in launching a new company and developing an entirely new IP?
BW: Probably the biggest challenge overall has been raising awareness of the company and of the game itself. It seems like mundane thing, relative to actual game development, but it's probably the most important. The game development industry is extremely competitive, moving along so quickly that it's easy to get ignored or passed by. The failure rate for new companies in gaming is astoundingly high.

People may not realise it, but a huge part of PoE's success has been our constant, varied avenues of promotion. From the very first media outreach we did at PAX 2010, we have worked tirelessly to promote the game. We've done hundreds of interviews, travelled tens of thousands of miles, written thousands of articles and forum posts. The sum of this has grown PoE into what it is today, but it hasn't been easy.

The next biggest challenge has been assembling our team. New Zealand is a very small country, population-wise, with 4.4 million people. That's not even half the population of New York City. Finding a set of people with the wide range of talent PoE's development requires has taken tremendous effort and time. We haven't been short of interested candidates, especially recently, but very few have the necessary skill set to work for us. Acquiring skilled programmers locally has been the greatest obstacle to meeting our long term design goals.

Outside of promotion and personnel, the next greatest challenge has been implementing our vision for the game. We stepped into a genre that contains some of the most beloved gaming titles in history, so comparisons are inevitable. Throughout our development, we've received thousands of opinions on how our game should look and play. Everyone thinks that they understand the genre best, that their design is ideal.

In the face of so much feedback, it is very tough figuring out when you're right, and when the fans are right. If you cleave too much to your vision, you risk appearing as a hardliner, alienating a lot of players in the process. If you compromise and give in too much, you dilute your vision, and come across as weak. It's a tricky dynamic we're still learning as we move further into Open Beta.

From a week or so back just before it was announced 1Up would close they have an article titled Path of Exile Provides Interesting Solutions to Diablo III's Problems:

One look at the official website for Path of Exile and you can tell the developers at Grinding Gear Games have a beef with Diablo III, and, to some extent, Torchlight. They never say it outright, of course, but the site's marketing copy is filled with statements like, "The game is completely free and will never be 'pay to win,'" and, "We're sick of the recent trend towards bright, cartoony RPGs."

In interviews, Grinding Gear co-founder Jonathan Rogers has been much more specific about the studio's feelings toward Blizzard's game. "Diablo III was obviously going for a huge number of sales and they really succeeded in doing that, but we really wanted to stress character customization and sort of interesting builds and that kind of stuff," the lead programmer told VG247 last month, continuing, "Diablo III didn’t really deliver that for me, personally. I personally prefer our game, obviously. "

You'll find this attitude reflected in Path of Exile's design at almost every turn. Name something Diablo III players complained about and you're likely to find it addressed here in some respect.

By eliminating currency altogether, for example, Path of Exile doesn't struggle with gold farmers the way most online RPGs do. In place of a traditional economy, the developers have opted for a pure barter system; players trade gear for other gear, determining for themselves what their loot is worth, while NPCs exchange unwanted equipment for useful stuff like town portals and orbs that randomly adjust the stats on magic items.

Path of Exile has kicked off their open beta, though unsurprisingly, their servers are struggling:

The Open Beta patch (0.10.0) has been deployed and is ready for download (just patch your existing Beta client or download a new one). The game servers will come up when the countdown timer hits zero. You can queue for login before that time if you'd like. The Closed Beta kiwi packs have been removed from the site. If you're quick you may be able to email support@grindinggear.com before the countdown hits zero to arrange a manual purchase. We can't sell any more after that deadline though.

Grinding Gear Games sent us this press release, announcing an open beta for Path of Exile later this month:

Path of Exile Launches Open Beta on January 23

"Best Upcoming Indie Game" unveils 50 percent more content in Act 3

Auckland, New Zealand-January 10, 2013- Grinding Gear Games announced today that the highly anticipated action role-playing game (RPG) Path of Exile will enter Open Beta on January 23. The game is currently in Closed Beta but has already raised over USD$1.8 million in crowd-funded support, with those supporters gaining early access to the beta. Act 3 of the Path of Exile story will also be unveiled, in which players will explore abandoned docks, markets, temples and sewers in the ruined city of Sarn to further uncover the dark truth of their exile.

"We're excited to have reached the point where we can finally throw open the doors and invite everyone in," said Chris Wilson, producer for Grinding Gear Games. "We have one of the best and most supportive communities on the Internet, and their input has been invaluable in making Path of Exile what it is. We hope they'll be delighted with all the new content."

Current players have until the Open Beta to purchase the special in-game kiwi bird pet. The permanent pet is the national symbol of New Zealand and is exclusively available to Closed Beta players. Additionally, there will be no further character wipes once Open Beta launches.

Path of Exile was recently named "Players' Choice Best Upcoming Game" by Indie DB. Over 78,000 readers voted in the awards.

Path of Exile is a PC online action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Featuring ethical microtransactions, the game is free-to-play, but not pay-to-win. Playing as one of six character classes, players find themselves banished for their past misdeeds to the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. There, they will encounter hundreds of species of opponents laden with loot and mysterious artifacts as they explore the abandoned continent.

Key features of Path of Exile:

• A dark and deep action RPG
• Build unlimited unique characters on a gigantic skill tree
• Combine over 110 skill gems to create unique combat strategies
• Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective
• Download and play for free, but never 'pay-to-win'
• Explore randomly generated levels for extreme replayability
• Craft weapons, magic items and even end-game maps to become more powerful
• Cooperate or compete with thousands of other exiles in a persistent online world
• Ascend online ladders in every game mode
• Battle in PVP tournaments for worldwide recognition

View gameplay footage at   www.youtube.com/grindinggear, or HD trailers are available from www.pathofexile.com/video  

IncGamers interviews Brother Laz on his work as item creator for Path of Exile, his Median XL mod and Diablo 3.

IncGamers: Planned obsolescence for items is a big deal while leveling up characters. Developers want players to find items that feel awesome and can be used for a few levels, until something better is found. In Diablo III this system is inexorable, with item stats cranking up so that anything found at level 40 is underpowered by level 45 and useless by 50. This differs from the system in Diablo 2, where lots of low and mid level unique remained useful even in the end game. How do you approach that obsolescence balance in PoE, and how do features like item enchanting and enhancing and socketing factor into it?
 
Laz: D3 made the mistake of balancing items based on the WoW paradigm of linear progression, which works well in a game that is about taking one character and developing it for the next two years but not in a game where rerolling is a thing. It is absolutely necessary to have a chance to find something awesome at low levels, otherwise you feel like you are wasting your time. This something awesome tends to come in the form of uniques (or powerful binary affixes like +skill levels).

Awesome low level uniques may include Johnny uniques like Springleaf in PoE and Thinking Cap in D1. The idea is that these items are so unusual they cannot directly be compared to regular items and therefore do not get overshadowed at higher levels. They could also take the form of a “Spike Jr.” item that is intentionally designed to be overpowered when you find it, then fall off later. Everyone likes stomping faces for 30 minutes.

Very high level items should generally be more Spike and less Johnny. Those one in a million items should be useful for people who actually optimise their character for the purpose of farming one in a million items, while build enablers should be widely available at low levels so the player can actually implement that build before the earth gets hit by [DATA EXPUNGED].

Path of Exile has been prevewed at IncGamers, who look at Act III:

The Battlefront

Outside the Solaris Temple, the Ebony Legion wages war against a mindless army of floating, red tapestries known as the Ribbons. The shredded remains of soldiers and Ribbons alike litter the ground about the makeshift fortifications and burning incendiaries that sketch the fluctuating front lines of the ongoing battle.

By summoning a massive thaumaturgical barrier at the end of the bridge, the Legion have gained control of the only means of crossing the great river that divides the city of Sarn. It also provides them a secure foothold for their invasion of the Temple.

Games On Net talked to Chris Wilson, the designer and producer for this game.  In the interview they talk about the skill tree, post-launch content, his reaction to the competition's offering, the recently announced Act 3,  and much much more.

A quote about the level structure:

GON: How does that affect your level structure? You’ve already got a skill tree – or should I say a skill forest – that many users find terrifying. In a good way, obviously. How do you balance that and keep adding expansions? Chris: So the endgame that we have is somewhat separate from the actual act content — we have these randomised map areas, which is a separate topic I guess, but in terms of balancing the levelling it’s actually a very difficult question adding in another because, when people have established characters, where do the levels fit in?

A quote in how potions work in the game:

GON: Can you give me an example of that?

Chris: A good example of that is the potion system. In a lot of ARPG’s, Titan Quest, Torchlight, you buy a ton of potions and every time you’re hurt you drink one and it’s just a big homogenous stack. In Path of Exile your potions are in set flasks that are actually items that you have to upgrade, and they can be used multiple times, and they become part of your build. If you want a flask that extinguishes fire if you’ve ever been ignited, then that’s part of the way you build your character rather than just a number of potions you bought from the shop last time you were in town.

Grinding Gear has sent us information on the details from act 3 of Path of Exile.

The Mysteries Deepen in Action RPG Path of Exile’s Third Act

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 17 October 2012 – Upcoming dark and deep indie action RPG Path of Exile has unveiled details of its Act 3 expansion. Set in the ruined city of Sarn, players will face those who exiled them to Wraeclast and how it was corrupted.

Act 3 will become available when Path of Exile enters Open Beta in December. The game is currently in Closed Beta but has already raised over USD$1.2m in crowd-funded support, with those supporters gaining beta access.

PvP arena combat will be introduced in the next major patch, making the wait for Act 3 more bearable but bloodier. The game’s gigantic skill tree and skill gem combo system means thousands of unique character builds will be able to challenge each other.

“Act 3 adds an extra 50% of content to Path of Exile’s world,” says Grinding Gear Games producer Chris Wilson. “Our already gritty game gets a lot darker as players explore Sarn and witness the full extent of the corruption and cataclysm. High-level characters will really enjoy some of the enemy encounters and combat challenges.”

Path of Exile’s lore and mysteries deepens as you explore Sarn’s abandoned docks, markets, temples and sewers. For reasons unknown, General Gravicius and the Ebony Legion have sailed from your homeland Oriath to scour Sarn for its secrets, joining Piety of Theopolis in a race against the player to plunder Sarn’s tombs for wealth and power.

In the Solaris Temple, a magical army of floating constructs known as the Ribbons continually sterilize the temple even as the centuries wear on. Even though thaumaturgist Malachai the Soulless is long dead, evidence of his dark experiments remain.

In addition to undead, magical constructs and corrupted horrors, players will encounter some unlikely allies. An encampment of exiles survive on the man-made island in the middle of the river, led by wise and well-spoken Karui warrior Maramoa.

When released, the game will be free to play, but not ‘pay-to-win’. The game is currently in a Closed Beta, but fans who pre-purchase at least USD$10 of credit for the game’s ‘ethical microtransactions’ receive a beta key. Beta keys are also regularly awarded to random community members.

To take part, sign up at www.pathofexile.com

About Sarn: A shattered city, a sinister mystery, a land tainted with insanity.
You’re standing at the edge of Sarn, the ruined capital of the Eternal Empire. Not so eternal now. Its citizenry is gone, taken by death and undeath in equal measures. Where hawkers shouted their bargains, ladies browsed for silks, young lovers walked hand in hand... creatures of nightmare stalk and feed. Beasts born of corruption. The restless dead, bitter and lethal. A cursed city of painful promises and preternatural peril.

You are an exile, banished for your crimes to Wraeclast, and given a life sentence in the land of the damned. But Wraeclast wasn’t always like this. It was once an empire of ten million souls, a beautiful and bountiful continent that prospered for more than a thousand years.

Something happened. A cataclysm. A corruption beyond reason. Wraeclast took itself off to bed one balmy evening and, come morning, it failed to wake. It slumbers, tossing and turning in the perpetual nightmare that enslaved it during the darkest hours.

Players must fight their way through the necropolis to answer a question: Who murdered Wraeclast?

You’re not alone in your curiosity. Others explore the twisted capital city of the Eternal Empire. The Ebony Legion has sailed from Oriath to scour Sarn for its secrets... avaricious maggots on a fecund carcass General Gravicius plunders its tombs for wealth and power.

Piety of Theopolis harnesses corruption like a lover to her bedhead. Her lovely visage hides an imagination most monstrous.

Is everyone and everything in Sarn out to kill or maim you beyond recognition? Pretty much... with a few exceptions. As a fellow exile, Hargan, will tell you: “Welcome to dirty, old Sarn, the metropolis of opportunity. The opportunity to make something of yourself or the opportunity to have a very messy death.”

Key features of ‘Path of Exile’:

• A dark and deep action RPG
• Build unlimited unique characters on a gigantic skill tree
• Combine over 110 skill gems to create unique combat strategies
• Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective
• Download and play for free, but never ‘pay-to-win’
• Explore randomly generated levels for extreme replayability
• Craft weapons, magic items and even end-game maps to become more powerful
• Cooperate or compete with thousands of other exiles in a persistent online world
• Ascend online ladders in every game mode
• Battle in PVP tournaments for worldwide recognition

View gameplay footage at www.youtube.com/grindinggear

HD trailers are available from www.pathofexile.com/video

A Build of the Week, episode eleven, has been released for this game on Youtube. It features a level 63 Marauder which uses the Righteous Fire Skill. You can watch the video here.

There's a new Path of Exile Open Beta Weekend coming up this weekend:

Indie Action RPG Path of Exile Hosts September Open Beta Weekend

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 11 Sept 2012 – Dark and deep indie action RPG Path of Exile is holding another Open Beta Weekend this coming weekend, 14-16 September.

So far, the much-anticipated game has raised over USD$1,200,000 in a Kickstarter-like campaign from fans buying access to the closed beta, virtual pets and pre-purchased game currency. This weekend is the opportunity for anyone to try to game for free, without having to buy a supporter pack.

The Path of Exile Beta servers will open for public access at 5pm PDT on Friday, September 14. Public access will end at 11:59pm PDT Sunday night, September 16. A full FAQ about the public weekend is available at www.pathofexile.com/publicweekend/.

When released, the game will be free to play, but will not feature ‘pay-to-win’. A previous public weekend in July attracted 55,000 players.

The latest patch adds new skills such as Arctic Breath and Ghost Reaver, additional quests, greatly improved minion functionality and a new look for item hovers.

A host of unique items have been added, including several designed by Brother Laz, author of the popular Diablo 2 mod Median XL. Over 90 fans who have purchased the USD$1000 ‘Diamond Supporter’ pack also get to design unique items for the game.

While the game is currently in a Closed Beta, fans who pre-purchase at least USD$10 of credit for the game’s ‘ethical microtransactions’ receive a beta key.

Grinding Gear Games’ producer Chris Wilson says “We find these open weekends extremely valuable, because the feedback from the general gaming public provides a different perspective than that of our Closed Beta testers. We’re really pleased to see that many public weekend players choose to join the Closed Beta to continue playing after the weekend events.”

The Open Weekend will also feature special events, such as two hour ladder races and competitions to clear areas first. To take part, sign up at www.pathofexile.com

Here's a short preview on Path of Exile from Forbes:

It features instanced areas so that parties (or loners) can traverse and loot and quest on their own. So far, what few quests I’ve done have been interesting and fun. The combat is described as “visceral” on the website, and that’s a fitting description. There’s some similarities with other top-down hack-and-slash games but I found the combat to have that extra oomph that can make (or break) an action-RPG. The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they do the trick. The world is certainly a bleak and colorless one, much more reminiscent of Diablo II than Diablo III.

VoxClamant looks at Grinding Gears' intriguing online 2D hack'n'slasher Path of Exile from the perspective of a solo player and finds much to like. Producer Chris Wilson also provides additional insight. A snip:

The standard label for PoE is "top-down RPG, single player (not party-based), client-based (4 GB download), hack-and-slash."  Path of Exile is designed to be equally accessible and playable for solo play, or for groups.   It is ironic that most reviewers will inevitably compare PoE to Diablo 3.  Yet my $60 (USD) copy of D3 lies idle and bored on my hard drive (a dumbed-down, linear, boring rehash of old ideas in a glitzy new box), while this new free game would be worth every bit of the premium prices charged by the recent releases in RPGs. 

Read it all here.