NCSOFT UNVEILS ARENANET’S HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED
COMPETITIVE ROLE PLAYING GAME, GUILD WARS
From the key developers behind
Blizzard’s mega successes, Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, Guild Wars will make
its debut at the
upcoming Electronic Entertainment
Expo
SEOUL, South Korea/SEATTLE, WA , April 22, 2003 —
NCsoft, the world’s top developer of online computer games is pleased to
announce Guild Wars™, a mission-based competitive online role playing
game, produced by its Seattle-based ArenaNet studio. Guild Wars will have
its first major public showing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), May
14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
In the fantasy world of Guild Wars, players
can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in large
head-to-head guild battles. Guild Wars is a game that will constantly
evolve, using streaming technology to provide players with the latest updates
while they’re online. In addition, gamers will be able to play Guild Wars
without a monthly fee in North America. NCsoft will announce a variety of
pricing options for gamers in other parts of the world in the near future.
“We’re excited to unveil Guild Wars,” said
Patrick Wyatt, the original producer and lead programmer for the Warcraft
series. “We believe that players are going to enjoy experiencing a game that
offers technological advances that fundamentally improve the online role-playing
experience, and the introduction of a groundbreaking business model for the
genre.”
ArenaNet was founded by key members of the creative
teams behind the hit game series Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, as well as
Battle.net, one of the most successful gaming networks in the world.
The game is mission-based, and while each combat
experience will be different, achievements will be permanent, so that each
character grows and progresses over time. Unique items, special abilities, and
a wide variety of skills will add meaningful value for the players. Missions
are not scripted adventures, but are tactical battlegrounds where victory or
loss is determined by skill and teamwork.
Mike O’Brien, the creator and architect of
Battle.net, points out “Our vision has been to create a game that rewards skill
and inventiveness rather than hundreds of hours of play, so we’ve built Guild
Wars from the ground up to be a balanced environment where players of all
skill levels can compete for recognition and prizes.”
Key Game Features
-
Join
in cooperative quests or unite in head-to-head guild battles. -
Develop a
unique character who can explore multiple professions and choose from hundreds
of unique skills. -
Enjoy fully-integrated
support for guilds, including worldwide tournaments and ladders, guildhalls,
special character identification and forums directly built into the
game. -
Experience a changing world,
where the entire landscape can be altered as you explore and conquer. -
Play in a secure
server-hosted game environment that prevents cheating; ArenaNet’s technology
allows quick and seamless resolution of exploits.
Guild Wars is expected to launch in the 2nd Half of
2004. Many additional details about Guild Wars may be found at the game site:
www.guildwars.com.
About NCsoft
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, NCsoft is the
world’s largest independent online game company. Established in 1997, NCsoft
has become the world’s leading online game software company. In Asia, its
blockbuster hit game Lineage hosts more than three million subscribers and more
than three hundred thousand concurrent users. More information about NCsoft can
be found at http://www.ncsoft.net.
About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Seattle, Washington, is a
wholly owned subsidiary of NCsoft and was founded by key members of the
creative teams that developed the hit game series Warcraft, StarCraft, and
Diablo, as well as Battle.net, one of the most-successful gaming networks in
the world. ArenaNet is building a state-of-the-art, interactive game network
and developing premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players.
More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.
NCsoft, Lineage, ArenaNet, Arena.net, and Guild Wars are
trademarks of NCsoft Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
