GDC has already offered us Mars, a next-gen title built using Epic's advanced Unreal Engine technology. Now, however, another Korean developer called Nurien are talking up what they're actively describing as a "social networking application", once again being crafted using the Unreal Engine.

Called M Star, the new service will be launching in Korea and in North America next year. Fully customisable avatars will feature, and once you've crafted your alter-ego you'll be off looking for pals, to socialise and play games.

One such game is a rhythm-action dancing effort, while Nurien assure us that M Star will be free to play, being funded by micro-transactions, covering clothing items and other objects.

The MMO certainly looks to offer a rich and detailed world, and a release is on the cards for 2009. The visually accurate characters certainly pleased Epic's Mark Rein, who was quick to quip: "The characters in PlayStation don't look this good," during the GDC presentation.

More on M Star soon.

By Luke Guttridge