March 28th, 2008 - SocioTown, a web-based 3D massive multiplayer online social game (MMOSG), has begun public beta testing. The public beta is taking place on the West1 server:
http://west1.sociotown.com/landing.html

Developed by the small indie company Outside The Box Software, SocioTown draws inspiration from The Sims and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing while successfully introducing new player-driven social features in a multiplayer environment.

With its upcoming release, SocioTown looks to be the first MMO social game that has an end-game and a sense of purpose. Social MMO games have often been criticized for lacking actual game features and progression. SocioTown looks to change this. It features missions, job simulations, player attributes, leveling up, and advanced NPC (Non Playable Character) interactions. Even the clothes the player buys in the shops aren’t just for looks, they also can affect the character’s attributes.

SocioTown has a low-barrier to entry by being web-based and only requiring the Adobe Shockwave web plugin. Players can jump into the world within minutes instead of hours.

You can participate now in the public beta on the West1 Server:
http://west1.sociotown.com/landing.html

The official trailer can be viewed here:
http://www.sociotown.com/sociotown_video.html