D&D Online Becomes DDO: Eberron Unlimited

We already knew that Turbine was secretly working on something involving DDO, but now we learn via a press release that the game is going free-to-play as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited.
TURBINE® ENTERS FREE-TO-PLAY MARKET

Dungeons and Dragons Online® Eberron Unlimited™ to Launch With Unlimited Free Play and In-Game Store

WESTWOOD, MA June 9, 2009 Turbine, Inc., the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities, today unveiled Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), a free digital upgrade that makes DDO Unlimited the world's first free-to-play massively multiplayer online game (MMO) to offer the quality graphics and robust features previously only available in premium subscription based-games. Launching this summer, DDO Unlimited will introduce an innovative new business model that is designed to provide an extraordinary experience to players who want a choice in how they pay and play online games. Players can download and play DDO Unlimited for free with the ability to purchase additional content and items in the new DDO Store to enhance their experience. Alternatively, players can choose to join the new DDO VIP program and gain unlimited access to all premium content plus a number of exclusive benefits for a single low monthly price. Turbine has launched a new website at http://www.ddo.com where players can learn more about DDO Unlimited and signup for the Beta program which launches today.

(Historically, players of free online games were forced to sacrifice the quality of their experience,) said Jim Crowley, President and CEO. (Those days are over. The new DDO Unlimited is the most innovative, exciting and graphically rich MMO to ever hit the free-to-play market and it changes the very nature of what it means to be free-to-play.)

Turbine's New Game Offers Players Unlimited Choice!
'¢ Free means Free! Players download and play DDO Unlimited for free by visiting www.ddo.com and within minutes can be exploring a rich, beautiful and dangerous online world crawling with legendary monsters, glorious treasures, devious traps, mind-bending puzzles and endless adventures from the world's best known RPG. There is no time limit or level cap on free play.
'¢ Visit the new DDO Store! -- The DDO Store is loaded with hundreds of convenience items as well as premium dungeon packs, additional character slots, hirelings (hired muscle), potions, character customization and more! The DDO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game play and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience.
'¢ Be a DDO VIP! Players who elect to subscribe to DDO Unlimited will have unlimited access to every premium adventure pack, receive priority server access, 10 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of 500 Turbine Points to spend in the new DDO Store.

DDO Unlimited is the award-winning massively multiplayer game with the best combat of any MMO. Entering DDO Unlimited is a snap using Turbine's new proprietary delivery technology. Now players can download DDO Unlimited in minutes and immediately begin creating their own character to battle through one of gaming's most immersive online worlds. Featuring the industry's most visceral combat system, DDO Unlimited puts players into the heat of battle with full, real-time control over their character's movement and special attacks. Only DDO Unlimited delivers premium experience for free with many innovative features, including DirectX® 10 graphics, action-based PvE and PvP combat, quests that provide a unique, immersive experience whether you play solo or with a group of friends, and advanced social networking tools that let you participate in a large and vibrant online community.

DDO Unlimited is based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® franchise of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), under license to Infogrames Entertainment S.A. Published by Atari, Inc., DDO has been enthusiastically received by many gaming critics, including The New York Times, PC Gamer, Game Informer and many more. For the latest information, please visit www.ddo.com.

About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine has grown to become the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America. Turbine has created some of the world's most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings Online™, Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Stormreach™, and Asheron's Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.

About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining franchises such as The Matrix™ (Enter The Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo) and Test Drive®; and mass-market and children's franchises such as Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues™ and Dora the Explorer™, and Dragon Ball Z®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext - ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

About Hasbro
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons®, and publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com.