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Aion launch party contest details revealed

Kyle Horner — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Aion, Contests, New titles, News items

Do you plan on participating in the Aion beta this weekend? If not, you may want to reconsider, because NCsoft is offering a pretty amazing contest for those of you who decide to play. Here's the rub: North American players who log into the Aion closed beta this weekend (July 2nd to July 6th) and obtain level 3 are entered to win a trip to Seattle for themselves and a friend. This trip culminates at the Aion launch party at the Seattle Space Needle, where they'll also get to attend the PAX 2009 expo.

Pretty cool, right? We're sure that many of you would kill to get a chance to play Aion at all, let alone be entered into this contest. So make sure you get to at least level 3 if you're playing this weekend. You may as well if you're already going to play at all, right? And if you really want that beta key now -- but haven't had the luck to nab one -- preorder customers are given access to every beta event. You can find the page for preordering yourself a copy right here.

Aion launch party contest details revealed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get your keys for the third Aion beta weekend, before they're gone

Colin Brennan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion

It's going to be another weekend of angels flying around the world, except this weekend you're going to get to choose which side you want to support! Yes, that's right, it's the third weekend for the Aion beta test.

This weekend's testing focus will be on both the Elyos and Asmodian sides and testers will be able to progress all the way up to level 20. No more getting capped at 10 just after you grab your wings! The test's doors open tomorrow, July 2nd, at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET.

If you haven't gotten your key for the beta yet, run on over to Fileplanet and grab one! Sadly, at the time of this post, there are no more keys left for standard users, but Fileplanet subscribers still have the opportunity to grab an entrance into the beta. Oh, one more thing -- these keys are for North American users only.

Get your keys for the third Aion beta weekend, before they're gone originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which version of Aion will be available at launch?

James Egan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Launches

NCsoft is hoping that the pairing of flight and fantasy in Aion will prove to be a hit in both North America and Europe. Gamers who were accepted into the betas have been asking the Aion team about which version of the title the Western markets will see at launch. NCsoft has announced: "Aion is planned to release with version 1.5, the third major game update, bringing the content as up to date as possible. The Aion team strives to keep the game content consistent between territories, and releasing with this game version brings us one step closer to this goal."

Our own Lesley Smith has been writing about her experiences with the game through Aion's various beta test phases, particularly the experience of becoming a Daeva as an Elyos or as an Asmodian; we recommend reading her hands-on series if you're interested in this title. Massively will continue to cover Aion leading right up to the game's September launch.

Which version of Aion will be available at launch? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion: Picking your class by personality, not numbers

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Classes, Opinion

MMO players come in all shapes and sizes and boast a variety of personality traits. Picking a race, class, and faction combination in your favorite MMO can sometimes give an insightful look at the player behind the keyboard. At least, Paul Barnett thinks so: "Most of the people I've met who like Dwarfs basically look like Dwarfs."

That may be true because I'm a pretty tall and lean person and I hate playing Dwarves. Then again, my MMO history includes playing a number of Kobolds in Dark Age of Camelot and Goblins in Warhammer Online, so I could just be really strange.

While browsing the Aion community forums, we came across an interesting post. One of the board members has written up a quick and quirky guide for choosing one of the game's eight classes based on one's personality. Obviously, numbers and stats play a huge factor in making class decisions for many players, but this could be a more healthy approach.

At the very least, you will gain a better understanding of the kinds of people playing these classes, which could give you a strategic advantage when you run into them on the battlefield.

Aion: Picking your class by personality, not numbers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delving into the archetypes and specialty classes of Aion

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Classes, News items

The folks over at Ten Ton Hammer have been cranking out a number of features that examine the various class archetypes and specialty classes of Aion. So far, they've produced two game guides showcasing the Priest and Mage archetypes and had four interviews with NCsoft discussing the Gladiator, Templar, Ranger, and Assassin specialty classes.

When creating a character in Aion, you must initially choose one of four available archetypes. Anyone who has played a fantasy MMO or RPG in the past decade or so will find them quite familiar. They are the Warrior, Scout, Priest, and Mage.

Once you reach level 9, you're sent on a quest to discover your true identity and ascend to daevahood. The quest is like Red Bull - it gives you wings. At this point you must choose a specialty class defined by your original archetype. Warriors become Gladiators or Templars. Scouts become Rangers or Assassins. Priests become Clerics or Chanters. Mages become Sorcerers(esses) or Spiritmasters.

By our count, TTH has covered half the archetypes and specialty classes so far, so keep your eyes peeled for the second half coming soon. We'll also bring you our own impressions of these classes when beta permits. So far, we've been limited to testing some pretty low level characters.

Delving into the archetypes and specialty classes of Aion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft's open letter to the Aion community targets all players of NCsoft games

Colin Brennan — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Culture, MMO industry

It's not everyday that we find a letter addressed to an entire company's audience when it's posted on a specific game site, but that's what NCsoft West's executive producer, Lance Stites has done with his recent letter to the Aion community.

To sum up his letter, it's been a busy series of restructuring the company and preparing for their next big release: Aion. While much of the focusing has been on Aion, the company isn't looking away from Lineage, Lineage II or Exteel. Those are still high on the company's priority list, according to Stites.

But things are going along smoothly for Aion, as more voice overs are currently being recorded, the localization is continuing smoothly, and tutorial videos are in production. It sounds like Aion really is the golden game of the studio, but it's also nice to hear about all of the staffing changes going on with the other games.

For the full letter and all of the nitty gritty of what's going on with the studio, head on over to Aion's website and check out Stites's report.

NCsoft's open letter to the Aion community targets all players of NCsoft games originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft reveals Beluslan in a video tour

Lesley Smith — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Aion, Previews, News items

There might be another week until the next stage of the Aion beta but NCsoft are ramping up the excitement surrounding their next big MMO. Today they released a video showcasing yet another part of the rich world of Atreia. Profiling the Asmodian zone of Beluslan, the short video offers an eagle's eye view of what we can expect when the game goes on sale in September.

Join us after the jump for NCsoft's take on the zone as well as the video itself.

Continue reading NCsoft reveals Beluslan in a video tour

NCsoft reveals Beluslan in a video tour originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Western launch dates for Aion revealed

William Dobson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Launches, New titles, News items

The hype surrounding Aion has certainly increased in the last month or two, particularly due to the hands-on time the public has had with recent beta events (you can see all of our coverage of the ongoing beta here). Whether the game has won you over or if you're just watching pessimistically from the sidelines, you're probably interested to know when it will officially launch in the western world. IGN is reporting that Aion will launch on the 22nd of September in North America, and the European launch won't be far behind on the 25th of September.

Other notable MMO launches in September include Champions Online, and Cities XL (for some European countries). Even with its recently pushed back release date, Champions will still be out well before Aion if its 1st of September goal is reached. Seeing as all three of these games aren't really very similar, their close proximity probably isn't too much of a big deal, but it does mean that some of the largest MMO launches of the year will be right next to each other.

Western launch dates for Aion revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Asmodian or Elyos?

Lesley Smith — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, The Daily Grind

When I first heard about Aion: Tower of Eternity, my first thought aside from "wow" was "I'm so going to play Elyos". It was the wings, you see, and I always seem to play on the 'good side'. However, having now played both sides, I'm torn. I love the look of the Elyos and their angelic society, but I also appreciate the struggles of the Asmodians. Plus they do that groovy glowing-eyes-in-combat thing which just looks awesome. I might just roll one of each. I was curious to see a lot of people loitering in Pandaemonium over the weekend advertising their Elyos guilds and the same thing happened during CBT1 but with Elyos advertising their Asmodian ones.

So now you've had a chance to play both factions from Aion: Tower of Eternity I'm curious to know whether you will still roll (insert your faction here) or whether you've had a change of heart. Does a particular faction's lore or locale grab you more or have you just bonded with your avatar so much that you can't dream of defecting to the other side? If you've not changed your mind, are you going to stick with your avatar during CBT3? Were you glad the Aion devs allowed you to play Elyos this weekend or were you glad you could finally roll that Asmodian? Speak up, readers, and let us know what you think.

The Daily Grind: Asmodian or Elyos? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands on with the Aion beta: Becoming a Daeva

Lesley Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

As the Aion: Tower of Eternity Closed Beta Test 2 continues, it's time to go deeper into Asmodae. You've explored Tunapre Lake, passed through Sap Farm, explored the Odella Plantation, braved the ghost-filled Ishalgen Prison Camp and you've even discovered the Forgotten Place of Exile. As you level, the Raiders and other NPCs start to mention Daevahood and an old man called Munin. Are you ready to meet destiny? Join us after the jump to find out what the future holds.

Continue reading Hands on with the Aion beta: Becoming a Daeva

Hands on with the Aion beta: Becoming a Daeva originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion's first video podcast is packing lore and stunning visuals

Brooke Pilley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Aion, Interviews, News items

Just a couple months ago a friend told me that Aion was the biggest and baddest upcoming MMORPG that no-one in North America knew about. It broke records and won awards when it launched in Korea last year, yet hardly anyone over here was talking about it. Well, things can change quickly.

As the September launch date approaches, NCsoft has been kicking Aion promotion into high gear. Their latest marketing effort is a four-part series of video podcasts hosted by IGN. The first part came out on Friday and serves as a crash course on the lore behind Aion, Atreia, and the three main factions called the Asmodians, Elyos, and Balaur (the NPC dragon race that sets up the PvPvE system).

The video really gives you a good look at Aion's very own fourth pillar (sorry BioWare, you might have some competition here) and is full of stunning in-game footage, cinematics, and staff interviews. Closed beta is currently in full swing and we're keeping tabs on it for you.

Aion's first video podcast is packing lore and stunning visuals originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What did you think of Asmodae?

Lesley Smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Bugs, The Daily Grind

So, Closed Beta Test 2 is over and the next one is over a week away. Aion has gone silent for now and that means we have a time to reflect on the weekend's event. I got my warrior maiden to level 10 quite easily and spent the rest of the time exploring the available zones including Altgard. I have a feeling I ended up in Morheim too but scarpered as soon as I noticed the mobs were level 40. While I will probably stick with Elyos, I can't get over how beautiful Asmodae is. It's much more aesthetically pleasing than the parts of Elysea I've seen and if they could just move the sky from Altgard Fortress and Tunapre Lake to Elysea I'd be set.

So come on beta-testing readers? What did you think of Asmodae? Was it what you expected or were you, like me, a little surprised? Has it made you reconsider which race you're going to roll when the game goes live later this year? Speak up and drop your thoughts in the comments box below.

The Daily Grind: What did you think of Asmodae? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands on with the Aion beta: Your first steps in Asmodae

Lesley Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

Welcome back to Aion. Yes it's Closed Beta Test 2 weekend and this time round I'm rolling Asmodian to explore a very different side of the shattered planet of Atreia. During CBT1 we showed you the lower half of the planet, a land known as Elysea and home of the angelic Elyos. I walked you through the character creation process, the first ten levels as a frail mortal, the Elyos ascension quest and those first steps into Sanctum and Verteron. Now it's time to visit the upper half and home of the Asmodians, the continent of Asmodae.

Continue reading Hands on with the Aion beta: Your first steps in Asmodae

Hands on with the Aion beta: Your first steps in Asmodae originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion

James Egan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

Stereotypes and ingrained perceptions can be frustrating to deal with, but let's face it -- some stereotypes do exist for a reason, and this can certainly apply to games as much as to anything else. There have been no small amount of Asian import MMOs that have been localized poorly for the western market, and this has certainly left a bad taste in gamers' mouths. Localization is a major challenge for any developer, and there's a rather wide chasm between what makes a game popular in an Asian market like Korea and what players embrace in the west. The westward-bound MMO that many people are focusing on right now is Aion, from NCsoft.

The westernization of Aion is the subject of another solid interview at The MMO Gamer by Steven Crews, who sat down with Aion producer Brian "Xaen" Knox, the person largely responsible for NC West's localization of this title. Knox talks about what he sees as being the best aspects of both East and West in terms of game development, and how some western influences on Aion's design have actually proven to be successful in Korea. It's a fairly in-depth interview and hits on a number of Knox's ideas about how a game can begin to bridge the game culture divide between East and West, seen in the context of Aion. Check it out over at The MMO Gamer.

Continue reading NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion

NCsoft aims to bridge the East-West divide with Aion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CM Ayase reveals Aion CBT2 and future beta plans

Lesley Smith — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Events, real-world, Events, in-game

With only two days to go before the next leg of the Aion beta (aka CBT2), CM Ayase has posted more information on this weekend's event but also gone into a little more detail (much of which we already knew) about the on-going beta. However he also mentions what amount to the briefest of build notes letting us know about changes such as sever queues, NPCs fixes and 'culturalized content' (I chose to read that as 'lore') specifically for Asmodians.

Ayase also reveals the subject matter of CBT3 which will focus on leveling an Asmodian from 1-20 while CBT4 will allow players to pick a side and level their avatar to 25. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the post is not what we're getting now but what is promised on the horizon including localized voice overs for cut scenes, localized tutorial video, in game pre-rendered movies (of which we saw a little in the first beta event) and more culturalized content for Asmodians and the Elyos. I'm excited already.

CM Ayase reveals Aion CBT2 and future beta plans originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCsoft reveals European Aion preorder plans

Lesley Smith — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Launches, News items

Heads up European Aion fans because NCsoft have just announced their pre-order plans for the game. From today you'll be able to pre-order the either the standard steelbook or special collector's edition (limited to 15,000 copies in Europe and Australia) of the game via selected outlets. Trust me, you really want to do this because you'll get special bonus in-game items and the ability to reserve your character name along with early-access to the servers.

The pre-order will be especially relevant to those of you not yet in the beta (the next stage of which starts this weekend). Pre-ordering will get you a key which will allow you access to all the upcoming beta tests. You will also get access to stat-boosting items including the Lodas' Amulet, the Black Cloud Hat and one of four Ancient Rings of Power as well as being able to play the game two days before the rest of the world. Actually I think that alone makes Aion worth pre-ordering but whatever you do, don't forget to stay tuned to Massively this weekend when we'll be posting a first look at the Asmodian leg of the beta.

NCsoft reveals European Aion preorder plans originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion NDA drop and first database revealed

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, News items

We just received the official word from NC West and can confirm that the North American NDA has dropped for Aion. This is great news for the 5% of testers who exhibited enough self-control to uphold the NDA, while the other 95% spoke freely as if it didn't exist at all. Some bloggers even took the loophole approach and downloaded the Chinese client so they could share their early impressions without breaking the NDA.

We can expect to see all sorts of new goodies release now that the NDA is no more. One such tool is called the Aion Armory, which is a database project partnership between AionSource and Curse. Anyone familiar with WARDB or WOWDB will find themselves quite at home on this site. AionSource also opened a new free guide subforum you may want to check out before participating in the Asmodian beta event taking place this weekend.

An early September release is looking more and more likely every day.

Aion NDA drop and first database revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aion summer beta schedule revealed

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, News items

Renewed speculation about Aion's North American release date began swirling when a couple online retailers listed it at September 1, 2009. We have now come across some interesting information in the July issue of Beckett Massive Online Gamer that suggests NCsoft may indeed meet the target. The magazine lists these key dates:

June 19-21: Asmodian closed beta capped at level 10
July 3-5: Asmodian level cap increases
July 17-19: Abyss only with unrestricted flight and hopefully a lot of PvP
August 14-17: First open beta
August 19-23: Second open beta

The dates are listed as "accurate as of press time" and may be subject to change, but we can confirm the Asmodian beta will commence this weekend and that it will be capped at level 10. You can definitely be sure of one thing: Massively will be there to cover each and every Aion beta event from now until release.

[Via: Keen and Graev]

Aion summer beta schedule revealed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands on with the Aion beta: Exploring Sanctum and Verteron

Lesley Smith — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Aion, Events, in-game, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

After leveling your stunning avatar to level 9, ascending to Daevahood and getting your wings, it's time to go out into the world -- well Verteron at least. But first, let's talk a little about the glorious city of Sanctum and what your new Daevic powers really mean. Join us after the jump as we take a closer look at Aion's hub city of Sanctum, the zone of Verteron and the basics of flying.

Continue reading Hands on with the Aion beta: Exploring Sanctum and Verteron

Hands on with the Aion beta: Exploring Sanctum and Verteron originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Farewell for now

Krystalle Voecks — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Aion, One Shots

The team here at Massively have piled on the Aion coverage over the weekend, giving you a fairly in-depth look at this upcoming NCsoft title. While some feel this is just a shinier version of other games we've already seen ('Lineage 2 without as much PvP' is one we've heard quite a bit) others are really looking forward to the next beta test. That said, we have this lovely image sent in to us by Wade, who we can only assume is another writer not under NDA since he's sending images in to us. He explains what this image is about: Final group goodbye to Aion, after the dance party, just seconds before the world ended for the 1st North American beta preview

If you're in a beta not blocked by NDA (or aren't under NDA due to being a writer) we'd love to see your screenshots! Not in an open beta? No worries -- we love screenshots from all games! Just send them to us with a brief description of what we're seeing along with your name and the name of the game to oneshots AT massively DOT com. We'll post up your virtual postcard for everyone to enjoy and give you credit for sending it in.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Farewell for now originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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