The closed beta is an invitation-only test of the upcoming science fiction MMORPG Stargate Worlds. Invitations will be sent out this spring and summer as the Stargate Worlds team ramps up the numbers for testing.

The select group of beta testers will provide feedback to the development team about their game experience while also providing vital insight into the performance of the servers. The closed beta will begin with a small core of gamers and gradually expand as more functionality is added. Beta testers will experience Stargate Worlds alongside the developers who also will be playing the game.

"A game is nothing without players. We’re fired up to finally get our game in the hands of the community," said Dan Elggren, Stargate Worlds studio head. "We’re at the point where we need external testers to take Stargate Worlds to the finish line. Our devoted fans have helped guide us for more than two years through our forums. Together, we’re going to craft a balanced, polished, and most of all, fun game."

Testers will be the first to step through the Stargate for a super-sized sci-fi adventure that will send gamers around a galaxy dipped in liquid awesome. Discover thriving alien worlds, explore ancient civilizations. and tell them all the things they are doing wrong. Smack a clip into your assault rifle and enter Stargate Worlds.

Beta testers will:

. Feel the heat - Master the battlefield using modern tactics and firepower

. Travel instantly - Dial up the Stargate to explore dozens of worlds from ancient civilizations to high tech planets

. Team up - Battle devious and powerful enemies with your friends

. Find the new you - Pick from seven archetypes with unique skills and play styles

. Don’t fight it - Simulate translation, repair and sabotage with minigames as your buddies battle it out

. Solve the mystery - A galaxy-spanning story based on the award-winning Stargate television series

Stargate Worlds, based on the award-winning Stargate franchise from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), is scheduled for launch in the winter of 2008. The game is being built using Unreal 3 graphics and Big World’s server technology. For more information, visit www.StargateWorlds.com .