http://www.bluemarsonline.com/ for the beta... damn Tos...wink... and if you use 3DSMax, Maya, and Flash or blender and some 3d creator or are a game developer or content creator this may interest you..
here the faq ..just to make things easier for us lazy folk FAQ When will the Blue Mars Client be available for end users? Our limited Beta for players will launch in June. How do I sign up for the Beta? Please sign up here for consideration in our limited Beta. If you’re selected, we will automatically email you a registration code and download link as soon as the Beta is released. What does it cost to join? Blue Mars is free to play and free to download. Different cities in the Blue Mars network can choose to offer premium pay to play, try to buy, and subscription based games and services. In addition, content creators will have custom clothing, appearances, items, furniture, behaviors, and animations available for purchase. What kind of machine do I need to run Blue Mars? The Blue Mars client is built for Windows based machines with dedicated 3D graphics hardware. We are constantly working to optimize our software. Official minimum and recommended specs will be released at launch. What can I do on Blue Mars? The list of activities on Blue Mars is constantly growing as we add new cities and partners. Common activities include chatting, meeting new friends, customizing your avatar, creating your own personal space, playing golf, racing, dancing games, romance, sailing, and exploring. Does the Blue Mars client come with content creation tools? The core Blue Mars client and interface is focused on enjoying the world through play and interaction, not content creation. Rather than force developers to learn new ways to create content through our own proprietary toolset, we support industry standard content creation tools like 3DSMax, Maya, and Flash. How can I create content for Blue Mars? Please visit BlueMarsDev.com for more information on our development platform. What is a Blue Mars “City?” A City is a themed location where users can play, socialize, and learn. Each city is represented by an independent data and rule set. Each city owner defines the look and feel of their location and sets the rules on what content is acceptable in their city. Cities are tied together by a central city browser that lets players move from place to place. Furthermore, our global participation based reward system allows players to earn points and rewards by exploring and playing in different cities. Can my Avatar travel from city to city? Absolutely. Each registered user has a universal Avatar ID. Your character retains its identity regardless of the city you travel to. Although there are some items and pieces of clothing that are city specific, many items can be carried with you everywhere you go. Who hosts the different Cities? Avatar Reality hosts the cities. I want to set up a shop on Blue Mars to sell virtual items. Can I do that? Yes. Most city developers allow small vendors to set up shops in their city to sell virtual items. We will be announcing more details on this program in the coming months. Can I have my own residence in Blue Mars? Yes. Most city developers have created residences for customers to lease for a small fee. Once you’ve rented your own space, you can use it to store your items, customize its look, and invite friends over. How is Blue Mars different from Second Life? Blue Mars offers an experience unlike any other virtual world. Our high end graphics, massive concurrent user support, system wide participation based rewards program, support for industry standard content creation tools, next generation NPC intelligence, simple LUA scripting support, and breathtakingly realistic Avatars are just a few of the compelling features that set us apart from the competition.
The graphics are indeed stunning. I blacked out for a sec there. It looks like Second Life using CryEngine 2... poorly. Really, really not my cup of tea.