The Matrix Online beta under way

Sega and Monolith have announced that the closed beta for The Matrix Online has started. Though the initial beta kicked off on Tuesday, new beta accounts will be sent out in stages over the next few weeks.

A massively multiplayer online game inspired by the Matrix movie trilogy, the Matrix Online picks up where The Matrix Revolutions left off. Set in a massive city inside the Matrix, the game lets players join one of three factions--Zion, the machines, or the Merovingian. As shown in the films, the three factions are battling each other for control of the Matrix via martial-arts and automatic-weapon battles.

The Matrix Online's storylines are being developed by Monolith and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment with the help of the Wachowski Brothers, the writers and directors of the films. Sega will distribute the game, while Warner Bros. will support it online.