The Secret World begins beta registration

Funcom is nearly ready to spill the beans on The Secret World. The publisher today announced it has officially opened up beta registrations for its upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Interested gamers can sign up on the game's official website in one of two phases. In the first phase, gamers take a personality test to determine which of the game's factions they would best fit and then confirm their registration by choosing one themselves. The optional second phase of registration requires users to connect their Facebook accounts for a social-media-driven campaign. By recruiting friends, sharing assets, and spreading the word about the game, users will gain points that help them progress through a metagame, unlocking achievements, in-game equipment, and a guaranteed beta invite along the way.

This is not the first time a spot in the beta for The Secret World has been held up as a reward for supporting the developer. In 2009, gamers who signed up for a three-month subscription to the developer's fantasy MMORPG Age of Conan (it has since changed to a "freemium" business model) were promised access to the Secret World beta.

Announced for the Xbox 360 and PC in 2007, The Secret World posits an alternate universe in which a modern-day world has been torn asunder by the reemergence of magic and other occult activity. Players will join one of three occult factions and battle one another for control of strategic locations throughout the world, ranging from Egypt to New York to Seoul. The game will also come replete with mythical beasts and slavering monsters.

For more on The Secret World, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.