realMYST Goes Beta

MacPlay has announced that realMYST, the latest addition in the MYST franchise, has achieved beta status for the Mac. The company also says the game should be shipping in March. From MacPlay:

MacPlay, a subsidiary of United Developers, announced today that the Mac conversion of Ubi Softis realMYST®, the highly anticipated realtime 3D adventure, has reached beta and is scheduled to begin shipping to retail in early March.  

realMYST uses a state-of-the-art real-time 3D graphics engine to present Myst® as it was originally intended: a tale of mystery and intrigue, set in an immersive, dynamic world. Wide-open game play allows players to walk and look anywhere they choose in real-time with 360 degrees of freedom. Witness extraordinary 3D effects as day changes into night and weather changes from brilliant sun to dreary rain, creating an entirely new game experience.

You can find more information on realMYST at MacPlayis Wen site. The company is accepting pre-orders on the game for US$29.99, including free shipping in the US.