Paradox Interactive and Seatribe today announced the opening of Beta sign-ups for upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game, Salem. Developed by Seatribe, Salem is set in the New World when pilgrims were the norm and the frontier was still the greatest risk to a person’s health.

Salem is a unique core gaming experience for MMO players and crafting enthusiasts, known best for its Permadeath mechanic where in-game characters succumb to the harsh wilderness environment.

"We’ve been getting Beta requests from gamers since we announced Salem and it’s great to finally be able to let people into the beta testing" said Björn Johannessen , lead designer at Seatribe. "We’ve chosen to keep the sign up completely open, the more the merrier, and will do our best to listen to all feedback we get", he continued.

Salem is a free-to-play MMO and scheduled to release in Q3, 2012. Sign up for the Beta here: http://beta.salemthegame.com

Here is a video that explains some of the game’s mechanics: