I’m sure that NCsoft is delighted and more than a little relieved that its newest massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Aion, has topped U.S. retail charts for the month of Sept., according to sales data from NPD Group.
That means that 4 out of the 5 top spots in Sept. were occupied by MMO releases. Out of the top ten, six were MMO products - and of those, 3 were World of Warcraft related. Go figure. Anyway here’s the top ten for the moth of Sept.:
Best Selling PC Game Software for Sept. 2009:
1. Aion (NCsoft)
2. The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts)
3. Champions Online (Atari)
4. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (Blizzard)
5. Aion Collector’s Edition (NCsoft)
6. Mumbo Jumbo Assortment (Mumbo Jumbo)
7. The Sims 2: Double Deluxe (Electronic Arts)
8. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest (Blizzard)
9. Reel Deal Slots: Treasures of the Far East (Phantom EFX)
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Aion in stores today
NCsoft today released, Aion, the company’s latest massively multiplayer online (MMO) game to retailers across North America. Having sold out of its Limited Collector’s Edition version and tallying more preorders than any other massively multiplayer online game this year (which is very few, to be fair), Aion’s release does mark the biggest MMO launch of this year so far. Aion also released today in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore and launches this Friday, September 25, in Europe.
In Aion, gamers explore a celestial world where they cab create either winged Elyos or Asmodian avatars, sworn enemy races that discover a common foe: the twisted and depraved Balaur.
Aion’s preorder sales have exceeded NCsoft’s expectations, and the game has remained ranked among the top games on both Steam and Direct2Drive throughout the preorder period. Those pre-orders account for sales of 450,000 copies before launch. Aion is available at retailers such as NCsoft.com, Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games Canada, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Steam, Target and Wal-Mart.
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DC Comics, NCsoft team up for limited edition Aion comic
NCsoft’s Aion, the next original massively multiplayer online game from the company responsible for Lineage, will come alive in a comic book being created by DC Comics. NCsoft and DC Comics announced “Aiva’s Story,” a limited edition comic book based on the world of Aion from renowned artist Neil Googe and writers David Noonan and Ricardo Sanchez. This one-time collectible will be made available free with purchase of Aion exclusively at GameStop stores in the United States, as well as Electronic Boutiques in Canada. Additionally, in celebration of this week’s Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, a limited number of copies will be made available free for show attendees in NCsoft’s Aion booth.
The comic tells the story of Aiva, a young Asmodian warrior who vows vengeance against the Elyos who killed her family during a raid. Aiva trains ceaselessly, hoping to become a Daeva and someday find her nemesis on the battlefields of the Abyss (where only Daevas can go). Her story unfolds in the limited run comic by NCsoft and DC’s Wildstorm Studios.
If you’ll be at PAX this week, stop by NCsoft’s Aion booth to learn more about the game and the comic.
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Two chances to play the Aion beta in Sept., says NCsoft
NCsoft announced today that, in the next four weeks, it will give North American and European gamers two opportunities to jump into the world of Aion and explore Atreia as Asmodian or Elyos characters ahead of its release in North America on September 22 and in Europe September 25. Aion’s Open Beta Test featuring the version 1.5 (which will be highlighted at PAX in September) will take place September 6 – 13 and will include numerous Western enhancements, including improvements to Aion’s character customization with a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements. Open Beta will retain a level cap for both Elyos and Asmodians characters at 30 allowing players to focus on getting to the same level so they can explore the lands of Atreia together, as well as the Abyss.
Players who have preordered Aion will be treated to a Pre-Select and a two-day Headstart period giving them the opportunity to explore, organize and progress through the game prior to the official launch. Pre-Select will take place on September 18, while Aion’s Headstart will begin September 20. Players can still participate in the Aion’s Pre-Select and Headstart programs by preordering the game through several participating online and brick-and-mortar retailers, including Aiononline.com, Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games Canada, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Steam and Target.
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NCsoft goes all out at PAX
NCsoft promises to “hold nothing back” at this year’s Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle - mostly because the company’s NCSoft West offices are nearby. The company will host three booths featuring playable content from the launch update of Aion; various activities surrounding the recent reveal of the Guild Wars 2 teaser trailer, including a Guild Wars 2 art book giveaway; and the playable City of Heroes Issue 16 Power Spectrum and Mission Architect build, featuring powers customization and Mission Architect enhancements on the show floor.
The Aion booth will feature 20 gaming stations with the new playable content from the update 1.5, playable for the first time in North America. The launch update introduces many enhancements including improvements to Aion’s character customization now featuring Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests, game balancing and other improvements. Aion spokespeople, including Brian Knox and Lani “Liv” Blazier, will also be available for one-on-one interviews in the booth (#642).
Following the world premiere of the teaser trailer in Cologne, Guild Wars 2 will be at PAX in spirit: A drawing at the Guild Wars II booth will see lucky winners score a copy of The Art of Guild Wars 2 – a hardbound 128 page book of art by Guild War 2’s artists. Those artists will be on site signing the book throughout the show. In addition, NCsoft will hosting talks covering the upcoming novel The Fall of Ascalon and Q&A sessions with the Guild Wars Live Team in the booth (#842).
Finally, The City of Heroes booth (#542) will lets players check out the powers customization update featured in the game’s 16th free expansion, “Power Spectrum,” before its public release. City of Heroes’ developers will be available to give hands-on tips for using the game’s Mission Architect user-generated content system, answer questions and discuss the future of the super hero MMO genre. In addition to booth activities which include giveaways and a PAX exclusive Costume Power code, the City of Heroes team will host a panel discussion entitled “Mission Architect: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Story,” and will host a player Meet and Greet on Saturday evening.
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Aion gold, ready for launch Sept. 22
NCsoft announced that its latest MMORPG, Aion, has completed its North American development cycle and has been released to manufacturing. Aion will be released in North America on Sept. 22. In advance of the game’s launch, Aion will be showcased at both GamesCom 2009 in Cologne, Germany, as well as the Penny Arcade Expo 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Both events will feature exclusive hands-on access to the 1.5 version of the game, which has yet to be unveiled to Western audiences. This version of the game introduces several new enhancements, including continued improvements to Aion’s character customization system that includes a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements.
Aion has already built decent momentum among gamers across Europe and North America, with more than three million hours of gameplay logged in the game’s closed best testing. Additionally, the Limited Collector’s Edition version of the game is nearly sold out at retailers, and Aion is currently on the best-seller lists for PC games weeks ahead of the game’s launch.
Aion is available for pre-order from several participating online and brick-and-mortar retailers, including Aiononline.com, Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games Canada, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Steam and Target. For more information about Aion go to www.aiononline.com.
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Aion opening cinematic
G4TV.com is offering an exclusive look at the intro cinematic for Aion, detailing the fall of the planet Atreia and setting up the story and factions in this upcoming Eastern-themed MMO from NCSoft. You can check out the video below or hit this link to catch it on g4tv.com.
The games we're pulling together in this feature won't appear on any of those best-of lists and get confused looks when you mention them in conversation. Just because time has forgotten these titles, though, doesn't mean you should forget them, too.
I’m sure that NCsoft is delighted and more than a little relieved that its newest massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Aion, has topped U.S. retail charts for the month of Sept., according to sales data from NPD Group.