For those of you that love the bright, vibrant, and youthful MMOs, the developers that churned out the localized version of Perfect World have now set their sights on Ether Saga Online and are preparing to launch the game's closed beta test. Here's the official word:

January 22, 2009 – Redwood City, CA - Perfect World Entertainment Inc. ("PWE" or the "Company"), a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd., today announced the Closed Beta program for its newest MMORPG, Ether Saga Online will begin on February 10, 2009.

Beginning today, gamers are invited to visit: eso.perfectworld.com, for a chance to receive beta keys that will provide early access to the Ether Saga Online game world prior to its official launch this spring.

Based on the Chinese literary classic, Journey to the West, Ether Saga Online combines lavish graphics with a youthful anime style and features a variety of unique features and systems for a truly one of a kind experience. Unlike other MMORPG games that charge subscription fees, Ether Saga Online will be free-to-play. Once inside the game world, players can earn and spend money to upgrade a large variety of items in real-time to enhance and personalize their game play experience.

"We are excited to provide gamers with early access to Ether Saga Online as we're confident they'll find its robust feature set, expansive game play world, and free-to-play model offers a greater level of player immersion and overall customization than traditional MMORPG games," said Dr. Alan Chen, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment Inc.

Gamers can visit the official Ether Saga Online website at: http://eso.perfectworld.com/ to view additional game play details, trailers, and screenshots.