Fallen Earth, which is in closed beta testing and set to launch later this year, is currently in the process of being shown to fans as part of a U.S. tour. The tour kicked off last week at the Triangle International Game Developers Association (IGDA) meeting at Ess Lounge in Raleigh, N.C. and will continue in Baltimore, San Francisco and Houston.

The game’s development team gave the first public demonstration of its highly anticipated in-game tutorial to an audience of more than 300 game development professionals and students. ... They also conducted an in-depth question and answer session, giving audience members a glimpse into the complexities associated with developing an MMO that combines RPG and first-person shooter elements. All attendees had the opportunity to play Fallen Earth through several demo stations that were available at the event.

You can read the full press release here or below.

CARY, N.C. – February 23, 2009 – As part of a national grassroots campaign to reach out to its growing fan base across the U.S., Fallen Earth, LLC, developer of the self-titled post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth , recently sponsored the Triangle International Game Developers Association (IGDA) meeting at Ess Lounge in downtown Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. Key members of the Fallen Earth development team will be participating in additional IGDA events across the U.S. including stops in Baltimore, Md., San Francisco, Calif., and Houston, Tex.

The game’s development team gave the first public demonstration of its highly anticipated in-game tutorial to an audience of more than 300 game development professionals and students. The program provided members of the growing North Carolina gaming community with an insider’s view of how each department within the company contributed in the game’s development process. They also conducted an in-depth question and answer session, giving audience members a glimpse into the complexities associated with developing an MMO that combines RPG and first-person shooter elements. All attendees had the opportunity to play Fallen Earth through several demo stations that were available at the event.

“IGDA is a very important organization in the gaming community, and it was really great to hear and answer questions that our fans had about the game,” said Lee Hammock, lead game designer for Fallen Earth . “Player feedback is a critical component to closed beta testing, and we hope fans across the U.S. can join us at our future events.”

In addition to Hammock, members of the Fallen Earth team present at the Triangle IGDA event included Project Manager Colin Dwan, Associate Project Manager Dave Haydysch, Product Manager Jessica Orr and Content Team Lead Wes Platt.

“Our vision has been to create an immense world where players can dive in for hours and let their imaginations run wild,” said Dwan. “We are very pleased with the positive responses to our unique mechanics and settings and we look forward to getting more input and sharing our vision on subsequent stops of the tour.”

Fallen Earth is currently in closed beta testing and is set to launch later this year.