Microsoft, in a surprisingly stealthy move, has launched a free to play, browser based MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role playing Game) called Neosaurs. While we can’t guarantee that Microsoft didn’t use Neowin as an inspiration for their latest efforts in the gaming realm, one never really knows, right? According to ZDnet, Microsoft is spreading word of the game through the basic social networking channels, with Twitter and Facebook being understandably hammered with social advertising for the game.
Neosaurs is a 2D RPG, and it looks it takes a lot of inspiration from Namco’s popular “Tales” series of RPGs. It is being developed in a partnership with Camelot Media Investments (CMI), a big name in the casual MMORPG industry. The game is currently in beta, and you can get a free account to play with a Windows Live or Facebook account.
This release, while not revolutionary, has some interesting aspects to it that are worth mentioning. First, it shows that Microsoft wants a chunk of the casual online gaming space that startups like Zynga have come to dominate. It also shows that Microsoft is willing to outsource development of such content to achieve that goal. Finally, it shows the new partnership between Facebook and Microsoft showing its face in something other than search. It should be seen as no coincidence that you can’t get an account with, say, your Google credentials.