Thursday, September 17, 2009

Aion preselection and head start programs detailed

Aion is right around the corner and there are two big things you should be aware of leading up to its North American launch on September 22 (September 25 in Europe): preselection and head start. These items are only of concern if you are a preorder customer.

Preselection begins this Friday at noon PDT (3PM EDT). Eligible players who preordered the game (check your master account status: as long as it doesn't say 'beta' you're golden) will be able to log into their game clients and create a total of two characters on their server of choice. This will help you get on the same server as your friends and hopefully reserve your favorite names (see official server list). Our understanding is that you can make two characters on one server or one character on each of two servers for those wanting to reserve an Elyos and Asmodian. Preselection closes on Sunday, September 20 at 9AM PDT (noon EDT).

Aion's head start will begin on Sunday at noon PDT for those eligible players who preordered as well. It appears that both NA and EU players will have the same preselect and head start dates and times. The head start program allows players to experience the full spectrum of what Aion has to offer as there are no level/zone restrictions being put in place. It's just as if you're getting to play the full release... two days early (five if you're European). Want to avoid the launch day crowds? Play the head start!

Help NCsoft help you: Aion server poll arrives

NCsoft has put up an official server select poll up on SurveyMonkey for Aion. Anyone can participate by choosing which region they're from, whether or not they're a role-player, and then which server they plan to play on. The results will be released on September 18 to help preselect players decide which servers they should make characters on.

There is currently a bit of a competition going between Lumiel and Zikel as the official Eastern role-playing server. Before the release of this official poll, Aion role-players were gathering up to declare Lumiel the unofficial RP server because NCsoft didn't appear as though they were going to arbitrarily pick one. Recently, many Warhammer Online players from Phoenix Throne (the biggest and only official RP server) decided to organize an effort to steal the vote for Zikel. Many other hardcore PvP guilds seem to be vying for Zikel as well. We won't know the results of this until Friday.

There seems to be another battle going on between Eastern and Pacific servers as well. We haven't been able to confirm any exact times, but apparently certain PvP events will be 'timed' in Aion, such as fortress vulnerability and the Dreadgion. The issue arises when players of the same guild who live in different time zones have to decide on a single server to play on. If, for example, a fortress can only be raided from 8PM-11PM PDT, that makes it prime time for west coast players. Eastern guildies who have to work in the morning might not be too keen on playing from 11PM-1AM EDT.

Limited Edition Aion Keyset & Mousepad Now Available

Are you a profesional Aion fan? Then you should not miss this SteelSeries Zboard Limited Edition Aion Keyset and QcK Aion Asmodian Mousepad which was introduced by SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of game peripherals and accessories. Co-designed with NCsoft, the limited edition gear can provide Aion players with customized functionality and original artwork from the game that allows players to battle and quest with ease into AIon's breathtaking world of Atreia.

The SteelSeries Zboard Limited Edition Aion Keyset will offer the full breadth of in-game commands on color-coded keys across the board. The keyset also provides players with:


- Dedicated action keys, menus, and chat commands that are labeled across 69 keys

- Full customization of each key through the SteelSeries Z Engine

- Quick-access emote keys for greeting, intimidating, or taunting your opponents


The SteelSeries Zboard Limited Edition Aion Keyset and SteelSeries Limited Edition QcK Aion Asmodian Mousepad will retail for $19.99 USD and $14.99USD.

Products are now available for pre-sale at Game Stop and Amazon.com.

About SteelSeries

SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, including headsets, keyboards, mice, software and gaming surfaces, selling in more than 75 countries. SteelSeries has been on the forefront of professional gaming gear since its inception in 2001, thanks to continued innovation and product development in cooperation with leading professional gamers. All SteelSeries products are developed in co-operation with professional gamers to ensure optimum performance and durability. SteelSeries supports the growth of competitive gaming and electronic sports through professional team sponsorships and community support all over the world. For more information, please visit www.SteelSeries.com.

About NCsoft

NCsoft, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Lineage®, Guild Wars®, and City of Heroes® franchises. NCsoft West is a division of NCsoft that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at http://us.ncsoft.com.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Lineage, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Aion, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Preselection Players Can Create Aion Characters Since Sept. 18

September 13, Aion ended its open beta test. Have you catched the chance to experience Aion? NCsoft NA now is busy encouraging players to preorder Aion for its official lauch on September 22. Preselection is a benefit available to anyone who preordered Aion. If you are not sure whether or not you are eligible, simply log in to your NCsoft Master Account to verify that your game aion account is listed and your account type is not designated as "Beta".

Starting 12:00 p.m. PDT (more) on September 18, 2009, eligible players will be able to start their game aion clients and log in to create a total of two aion characters ahead of everyone else. You can name and create these two characters through the standard character creator and be ready to play with these characters right when the game Head Start Program begins (but not beforehand). Preselection will end 9:00 a.m. PDT on September 20, 2009 (more).

Aion - Video Podcast #3 - East Meets West

Above is the third part of a special behind-the-scenes look at Aion released by NCsoft, entitled "East Meets West," showcasing the work that has gone into bringing an Eastern game to the Western audiences. Besides, Aion will be launching in Europe on 25th September 2009.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Aion: Third Video Podcast Released

NCsoft released the third part of a special behind-the-scenes look at Aion, entitled "East Meets West," showcasing the work that has gone into bringing an Eastern game to the Western audiences. Aion will be launching in Europe on 25th September 2009.

View the video here.

NCSoft sells over 300,000 Aion pre-orders

There's an interesting interview with Véronique Lallier -- NCSoft's managing director of publishing -- over at GamesIndustry.biz that reveals Aion has sold over 300,000 aion pre-orders so far. Not too shabby if you ask us. The interview also covers a lot of what's been going on over the past year with NC West, NCSoft's 'umbrella' for their western subsidiaries.

The main goal of NC West is to give the company a stronger foothold in European and North American markets. Now based out of Seattle, employees can be closer to their players and be more responsive to their needs. Stepping back from their original strategy of making casual games, the Seattle studio is also focused on making more triple-A MMOs for the West. What's on the horizon for NCSoft? Apparently, we can expect to hear more about Guild Wars 2 next year and their Korean studio is working on Blade & Soul, which they claim has even better graphics than Aion. There are a number of unannounced titles as well.

We should have the results of our own Aion interview with NCSoft out shortly, so make sure to stay tuned for that.

Aion : Open Beta Ends, the Wait Begins

The Aion Open Beta test ended on Sep. 14 at 8AM CST, and with the doors now closed, the wait begins. The doors will open once again on September 18th for players eligible for the Pre-select program, which allows players to select their servers, reserve their names, and create their characters a full two days before the Head Start program begins. The Head Start program will then begin on the 20th, with the floodgates opening for the full launch two days later on the 22nd.


So how did the Aion Open Beta go? From what we understand, much like Champions Online, even Aion couldn't escape Open Beta woes; with issues like widespread lag, login issues due to the authentication process, and a bevy of GameGuard errors cropping up.

A aion patch was released during the Aion Open Beta program to address many of these issues and more, and as a result of the aforementioned problems the Open Beta was also extended six hours to 8AM CST this morning.

So now with the Aion Open Beta over, how was your experience? Did you hit the level 30 cap during the test? What do you plan on playing, or doing to occupy your time between now and the game's imminent release? Let us know in the comments!