ABOUT 52,000 gamers in the region and even elsewhere heard about it - through the Internet - and eagerly signed up on Thursday.

This was when award-winning online game Granado Espada (GE) had its 'beta test' launch in Singapore by local online games operator Infocomm Asia Holdings (IAH).

GE is an online multi-player role-playing game like World of Warcraft, but set in a fictitious newly discovered world modelled after pioneer-day America. It is a South Korean creation.

A beta test of an online game allows players to try a nearly completed version and to test it for glitches.

Following GE's successful launch, IAH has decided to pump $15 million into setting up data processing centres in eight countries in the region for its online games.

Having such centres will ensure gamers have a smoother time while playing. These countries include Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia.

GE's success has also been noted by United States-based developer Flagship Studios, which will launch its game Hellgate: London, both here and in the US simultaneously.

This game is the brainchild of Mr Bill Roper, who played a key role in developing top titles such as StarCraft and Diablo.

Previously, no top online games developer has launched a title here first.

Singapore is the first in the world to get an English version of GE.

In South Korea, the game won the Presidential Award for Best Game of 2006 and a prize for Best Graphics at the 2006 Korean Game Awards.

Among the 52,000 who signed up here were players from as far away as the US.

Chief executive officer of IAH, Mr Roland Ong, said over 90 per cent of registrants were from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.

A game like GE requires heavy infrastructure support. Typically, an average of 3,000 players play the game online per hour, with peak hours seeing over 4,000 players online at the same time.

Mr Ong said the success of GE 'puts us and the region on the map in the online gaming world'. He felt this was a boost to Singapore's standing as a gaming hub.

Local gamer Darren Tan, 24, was impressed. He said: 'When a glitch was reported, it was fixed within half a day. In all the games I've played, I've never seen anything get fixed so fast.'

To find out more about Granado Espada, go to ge.iahgames.com.