Former Tribes Lead And WoW Designer Announce Firefall

Red 5 Studios is a team with considerable experience making games.
Chief Creative Officer Mark Kern was involved in the development of World of Warcraft, and Scott Youngblood was the creative lead on the multiplayer shooter Tribes. Under the Red 5 banner, they have just announced Firefall – a team-based action shooter with a persistant open world. Though the specific term ‘MMO’ has not yet been uttered near Firefall, the style of gameplay and proposed ‘free to play’ model (with optional marketplace items available) certainly indicate something close to it.
Following the devastating Crystite War, humanity now subsists on small areas of land and must fight for power, technology and survival. As if that weren’t enough of a problem, a new race called The Chosen are threatening even this meagre way of life.
Firefall is due for release towards the end of 2011. Beta sign-ups are being offered through the game’s official site (just look for the banner at the top of the page.) Look down for a few screenshots.