Science-fiction MMORPGs are coming into the spotlight quickly, with the newest addition being EVE: The Second Genesis, which should be released soon for the PC. It will take place in a world far from the Earth, reached through a natural wormhole. After a period of colonization, the wormhole collapsed, forcing these new colonies to fend for themselves. Five colonies rose up in the wake of this destruction, known as the Amarr Empire, the Gallente Federation, the Caldari State, the Minmatar Republic and the Jovian Empire, as well as some independent states. A fragile peace exists between these states, but recent advancements threaten to break this tranquility.

Players can select any of the five colonies to begin playing for, and will begin the game with a basic spacecraft with which to fly. A great number of craft will be available at launch, with more appearing as time goes on. The craft becomes the player character, with the player controlling it from a third-person perspective with a Diablo-style interface. The player will be able to fly all over the game world. Game rules will change, however, based on the player's distance from the capital city, from the tight security of the city to the rampant piracy of the outer areas.

Unfortunately for those flying luxury cruisers, the easiest way to steal goods from another player is just to blow up his or her ship. Fortunately for the player, automatic escape is possible using an escape pod, which can still be shot down if, say, the player had a bounty on his or her head. Clones of every player are stored for those players that couldn't make it back alive, but these clones are only as good as the money one pays for them.

Cash that can help a player avoid death is strong cash indeed, and can also be used to build a fleet or a corporation. Corporations are Eve's guilds, and allow players to research and sell technologies to players. Vast amounts of money can be made this way, and to this end corporations can even go to war against each other to monopolize certain products. They form the backbone of Eve's world, and will be a huge factor in the game itself. It is this option that has created a pre-existing fan base for Eve, which should be evident in the beta test. Interested players can sign up for the test on the website.