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Tiscali launches low-price MMORPG

Millions of gamers can't be wrong.

If you've ever felt like dabbling in massively multiplayer online RPGs but haven't the stomach (or beer money) for the hefty monthly fee, then Tiscali Games may have just the answer for you in the shape of BiosFear, from South Korean developer Nako Interactive. BiosFear is an MMORPG, which has already swept up thousands of gamers in Asia as Laghaim, Eternal Chaos and Chaotic Adventure in various countries, and looks set to launch here soon.

The game recently emerged from a closed beta and you can sign up for the ongoing open beta, which began on December 22nd, at www.biosfear.co.uk. However, even when the beta is over, the downloadable client will remain freely available, while monthly subscription costs will come in at considerably less than most competing games - just €6.95 per month, €17.95 for three months or €29.95 for six months. In contrast, massively multiplayer games like EVE Online or PlanetSide generally charge $12 or more per month.

Furthermore BiosFear aims to be instantly accessible, with no hefty manual or hours to be spent tirelessly plying your first trade. Players can dive straight into the action, team up with others to form parties or guilds, and even hatch and breed their own pet companions. While these hardly come cheap in the world of BiosFear, and require plenty of feeding, we're told they make a world of difference in battle.

What's more as you can see the game engine happily supports a vast number of on-screen avatars at once, allowing for potentially huge battles, and to keep it in shape Nako will be patching the game continuously with new items, monsters, gameplay features and even maps. And given the game's popularity in the Far East, it's unlikely to run dry in a couple of months, too.

You can find screenshots of BiosFear here, and sign-up for the current open beta here.