Darkspore goes into beta on Steam, available as 3-for-4 preorder

The beta client for Maxis' Darkspore is now available on Steam -- you can click through on the preorder page to install and check it out. We liked the look of the game both in the intial preview and in our look at PvP, so if the idea of taking some Spore creatures out for a Diablo walk appeals, go give it a shot. The beta features both four-player co-op and either 1v1 or 2v2 PvP as well.

Steam is also offering a deal on preorder -- if you buy four copies of the game, you can get them all for the price of three. So if you've got three buddies who enjoy playing the beta with you, you can all get the final game for a nice discount when it hits.