proceed as a character named Alex Corde of the 8th Armored Infantry. The first several missions take place on the arid planet New Madrid and later move to a temperate planet. The single-player campaign consists of eight objective-based missions on the same maps as multiplayer that serve as a tutorial to the player for multiplayer play. Multiplayer Section 8 supports X-Server functionality, where players can run their own dedicated servers for Xbox 360 games using a Windows-based PC. An X Server can handle up to 32 players at once. Similar to this, the PlayStation 3 version supports TGNServer technology which allows players to host dedicated servers using a Windows-based PC with up to 32 players. The PC version also features a 40-player maximum with dedicated servers, and 32-player maximum with P2P servers. Computer-controlled characters (bots) may also be used to fill remaining slots in multiplayer games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Plot The name "Section 8" is derived from an old United States military discharge regulation for reason of being mentally unfit for service, and also refers to the 8th Armored Infantry in the game because of their participation in near-suicidal missions. Section 8 takes place in the future after the human race has discovered interstellar travel and has colonized across the galaxy. At the time of the game, a group called the Arm of Orion, has begun to 'disconnect' the outermost frontier planets from the main governing body, taking them over while keeping their presence hidden from the government. As space travel is slow, it often takes weeks to communicate with or travel to a frontier world, affording the Arm with enough time to seize worlds and build their base of power, ultimately preparing an ambush for the government forces that will eventually respond. The government then discovers the Arm of Orion, and sends in the 8th Armored Infantry, including Alex Corde (the player), on a mission to investigate, and presumably fight, the Arm invasion. TimeGate Studios cited Aliens and Blade Runner as major influences for the game. Development An open beta for Section 8 was made available at FilePlanet. Access to the game's beta was originally limited to residents in the U.S. and Canada, but the beta was later made public. Attendees of Multiplay's i37 also got a beta key despite being in the UK. A downloadable demo was released on Xbox Live on August 21,