Tabula Rasa beta, World in Conflict demo debut

A major PC demo and beta were released today on GameSpot. The first was for World in Conflict, the forthcoming real-time strategy title from Sierra Entertainment and Massive Entertainment. The game, which recently went gold, will arrive on September 18 for the PC. (An Xbox 360 version is due at a later date.)

Set in an alternate future, World in Conflict outlines a Red Storm Rising-like World War III between the United States and the still-extant Soviet Union. Narrated by Hunt for Red October star Alec Baldwin, it will also allow up to 16 players to engage in online battles, issuing orders with keyboard or VoIP commands. The demo includes a tutorial, a single-player map, and a multiplayer "domination" mode, as well as DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 support.

RTS-averse GameSpot Total Access subscribers have the option of downloading the beta for Tabula Rasa, the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game from Ultima creator Richard "Lord British" Garriott. Set to be published by NCsoft later this year, the game will offer a science-fiction alternative to the fantasy titles that dominate the MMORPG market. Though it can be downloaded at any time, the beta will be available to play only from 3 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. More details can be found on GameSpot's Tabula Rasa beta page.