Coming soon to a computer near you

Wild West Online: Gunfighter -- a spanking new multiplayer computer game developed by Tenderfoot Games, LLC -- has entered its "open beta" testing period, meaning that the game is available to the general public. But take note: Accessibility may be periodically limited while the Tenderfoot team monitors the game's performance under heavy loads, fixes bugs identified by the growing community of players, and adds the final features desired for the game's official launch.

As the on-line intro explains: "In Wild West Online: Gunfighter, you will take on the role of gunslinger in the 19th Century American West. Your calling: To make your way across the country forging a name for yourself at the expense of every two-bit hayseed and cocksure tinhorn in your path. A bright flash, a sharp report... a cloud of acrid smoke. Then it’s on to the next town, the next territory and a new challenger anxious to test their mettle. But lest you get too big for your britches, be forewarned: ahead of you famous gunfighters from history lie in wait, ready to push your skills to the edge — or beyond."

Eager gunslingers can create a free account and try their skills here.

Gunfights in the Internet corral

Tenderfoot Games has announced plans for Wild West Online, a new Massively Multiplayer Online Game -- or MMOG, to use gamer lingo -- designed to give players the opportunity to create their own Wild West mythology using a wide array of digitalized settings, goods, and weapons.

According to a Tenderfoot company spokewsperson, the new MMOG "will appeal to a diverse player base, with a strong focus on accessibility to mainstream consumers who may never have played an [online game] before. Wild West Online will attract a range of players, from aficionados of Westerns who have long dreamt of immersing themselves in the Old West, to those who simply want a good shootout. Game settings range from frontier camps on the edge of civilization, to prosperously growing towns and cities. "

The game will feature scenarios based on Old West history and myth. Permanent and pick-up teams can join forces to seek wealth and notoriety, but there's also a place for solo play by lone wolves seeking individual fame. But wait, there's more: Players can advance their abilities to open up new game play options. They can buy goods, important objects -- and, while doing so, gain new skills and abilities.

Wild West Online "will be faithful to the Western mystique we all grew up with as kids,” says Mike Reynolds, game designer at Tenderfoot Games. “The American frontier culture is an important part of our history, so we are working hard to re-create that atmosphere and to honor the mythology from which so many modern fiction settings drew inspiration.”

The shooting is set to start in the fourth quarter of 2008.