Fantasy MMO Aion will go free-to-play.
The game will be free to download and play from February next year. Developer NCSoft has partnered with Gameforge, who will administer Aion.
Premium purchases such as the ability to open stores and collect an unlimited amount of aether and essences will support the game.
Here's a roundup of today's top stories from elsewhere on the internet:
Natal to have dynamic 'play spaces,' but no patchable support (GameSpot) - Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda revealed at the Tokyo Game Show some more details about Project Natal. He confirmed that the camera sees only in the infrared spectrum, meaning lighting conditions in the room will not matter. The technology will also be able to adjust in-game playing areas to match gamers' real-world playing areas. "We can configure the play space around your living room," explained Tsunoda. "Let's say you had sofas that were squeezing in this way, we can automatically move the walls of the [Ricochet] court in. If you don't have a wall that goes back that far, they can move the wall up. So we can totally customize the play area to the dimensions of your personal play area." Tsunoda also stated that it would be very difficult to update games with Natal support in a downloadable patch; more likely, older games would have to be re-released to make use of the tech.
Weekly PC Sales: Aion Cannons Fire (Shacknews) - NCsoft's fantasy MMO Aion once again dominated the digital PC sales arena last week. The title took the top two slots on both the Steam and Direct2Drive charts with its collector's edition and standard download, respectively. The plucky post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth also seems to be doing well, capturing the third slot on both lists. Beyond the massively multiplayer stuff, Direct2Drive's five dollar sales are clearly pushing numbers, and Steam is still selling Counter-Strike.
In Aion, players take to the skies as powerful winged beings to battle for the fate of Atreia, a planet shattered by civil war. These screenshots reveal the Sorcerer class specialization, which players can choose to pursue in Aion when they select to play as the powerful Mage.
"The Sorcerer is a Daeva who follows the Star of Magic. They are able to freely wield the destructive power of the natural elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. A sorcerer is a scholar at heart, evident by the books and orbs they normally carry with them. However, these items can be dangerous weapons in their hands as they help to increase a Sorcerer’s power."
Is Aion the next big online role-playing game, or will it be another 'also ran'? Has it got what it takes to knock World of Warcraft off its lofty perch? We've taken a look at the latest beta release and journeyed to the lands of Atreia, to see whether it deserves the hype.
After all, there are quite a few games recently that have attempted to take a share of the huge corporate juggernaut that is Blizzard's award-winning World of Warcraft, and although some have nipped at their heels like an angry hell hound puppy, none have managed to assail its fortress walls. However Aion may well be the beast that will rise up and - at the very least - take a sizeable chunk of the revenue gravy train, and perhaps even rock its foundation.
Unlike other pretenders, there is some pedigree behind the developers. NCSoft already has Lineage, City of Heroes, Guild Wars and Tabula Rasa under its belt, so this Korean software developer comes to the table with a fair amount of experience.
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*Please note: Aion is an online only game and a broadband internet connection is required to play. A monthly fee is required to play.
In Aion, players are divided between those that are "The Chosen” and those that are “The Fallen.” The Tower of Eternity exists as a gateway into the Abyss, and acts as a portal between dimensions. When a great evil opens the gateways, it awakens the Dragons imprisoned within the Abyss, who seek revenge on both worlds. It is here that an epic conflict begins, as you take your first steps on a journey to bring salvation to the world.Aion is the most visually beautiful MMORPG ever made. In this ethereal world, you will have the power to direct dynamic relationships between angels, demons and dragons to control the fate of the world. You will evolve Aion's storylines through social, economic and cultural experiences that are both interactive and cinematic.
Experience an exciting change in the way players can interact with their environment within a massively multiplayer world. With the power of the Crytec game engine, you will be able to climb sheer cliffs and fly through moving clouds. From weather effects to heat waves to foaming shorelines, the level of detail you will experience will simply amaze you.
This game will transform the way you experience new content. The actions of every player on each individual server will push storylines toward new directions. As these actions accumulate, they will eventually trigger which will then further change the game’s economies and alliances. Players will create their own distinct history and will have their names forever recorded in fame or infamy.
Aion is a game that knows no cultural boundaries, and will provide an art style, story and game mechanics that will last through the ages and be appreciated by a global audience.
Features:
- A massively multiplayer online game featuring antagonistic relationships between angels, demons and a server-controlled NPC faction, The Dragons.
- The most amazingly beautiful and detailed MMORPG ever, that brings the realities of what you can imagine to life.
- The CrytecTM game engine is used to create unprecedented freedom of 3D movement for your character in the game world - climb sheer cliffs and fly through moving clouds.
- Powered by cutting-edge graphics technology, this game provides Hollywood quality cinematic control of scene and perspective.
- Control and transform the world - servers feature independently driven, player inspired storylines.
- Cultural boundaries are defied through this offering of art, story and style with global appeal.
- Asia’s top New Age musician, Yang Bang Ean, whose work includes compositions for television, feature films and anime series such as the “The Twelve Kingdoms” (Juuni Kokki), provides an amazing original score for the game.
- Introducing PvPvE - an evolving conflict system that manages the complex relationships and alliances between realms, races and guilds, and also controls an NPC faction, The Dragons, who are the common enemy of all players.
