The first publicly-available version of The Universal is here! The Universal is a free, massively-multiplayer online game set in a virtual 3d universe of worlds owned and run by other players. Created by Games For May, an independent team of volunteers from the games industry, The Universal brings a totally unique approach to the popular massively-multiplayer gaming genre.

"The Universal is completely free to play, unlike other titles that charge players to maintain their alternative virtual lives," said Mitchell Goodwin, creator and lead programmer. "What's more, The Universal gives players a unique chance to participate in game design and development without needing any programming knowledge. Other games let you customise your character: we offer the potential for players to own and customise an entire world in the game universe."

The Universal will run on a low-spec Windows PC with a fast dial-up or (preferably) a broadband Internet connection. To get started, players just need to download the client software from The Universal website, http://theuniversal.net.