Guild Wars to Launch April 28th
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Guild Wars to Launch April 28 in North America and Europe
Preorder customers to be offered early access to the game
Bellevue, WASH., February 14, 2005 ArenaNet™, creators of the highly anticipated online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced that Guild Wars will be available at retail in North America and Europe on April 28, 2005. Players who preorder Guild Wars will be able to use their preorder access codes to start playing the full game on April 27, 2005.
According to EB Gamesâ„¢, Guild Wars is one of the best-selling preorder PC games year-to-date in North America. More than 500,000 players have participated in public preview events in the US and Europe. In Korea, Guild Wars was named the number one most anticipated game of 2005 by The Electronic Times.
ArenaNet has created a unique, global game world that invites players from around the world to play together seamlessly. There are no sharded servers, no language-specific versions of the game and nothing to keep players from exploring the game world with friends from other countries.
(Guild Wars has been a global game since we wrote the first line of code four years ago,) Patrick Wyatt, ArenaNet co-founder said. (When Guild Wars launches in April players around the world will be able to experience the game together.)
Players who preorder Guild Wars also have access to exclusive monthly Beta Weekend Events that feature first looks at new gameplay elements, technological advancements and environments to explore. The schedule for the final three Beta Weekend Events follows:
- February 18 20, 2005
- March 18 20, 2005
- April 15 17, 2005
The February Beta Weekend Event, which will begin at approximately 12:01 AM PST on February 18, will invite players to explore the Kingdom of Ascalon before The Searing. The February Beta Weekend Event allows players to experience the beauty and grandeur of Ascalon before the Charr decimated it. Players can gain access to the February event by buying the preorder package or by winning an access code in a contest hosted by a select fansite or game website. A list of participating sites can be found at www.guildwars.com.
The March and April Beta Weekend Events will be held exclusively for players who preorder Guild Wars. No contests or promotions will offer access codes after the February 18 20 Beta Weekend Event. Details of the new elements to be shown in the March and April events will be announced later.
Players in Europe will soon be able to preorder the game and participate in the Beta Weekend Events. Details on the European preorder program will be announced in coming weeks.
Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalized characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with friends around the world. It is the first title from ArenaNet, which was founded by key members of the creative teams behind the hit games Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo®, and the creators of Battle.net®.
More information about Guild Wars and the upcoming Beta Weekend Events can be found at www.guildwars.com.
About ArenaNet
ArenaNetä, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NCsoft and was founded by key members of the creative teams that developed the hit game series StarCraft, Warcraft, and Diablo as well as Battle.net. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and is developing premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.
About NCsoft Corporation
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, NCsoft Corporation is the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. Founded in 1997, NCsoft is home to Lineage®, the world's most successful online role playing game. NCsoft has joint venture offices located in Japan, Taiwan, and China, as well as branches in North America and the United Kingdom. In fiscal year 2003, NCsoft posted revenues of KRW (Korean Won) 166.5 billion or approximately US$143 million. More information about NCsoft can be found at http://www.ncsoft.net.
