PlayNC Europe - Press Releases

NCsoft Steps Up Battle in the Fight Against Illegal Game Servers

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:28:00 +0200

BRIGHTON, England (10th April 2008) – NCsoft®, the world-leading, publisher of massively multiplayer online games such as Guild Wars®, Lineage® II and City of Heroes®, today announced that it was stepping up its fight against the growing menace of intellectual property theft. This action comes as a direct response to the rise of illegal online game servers throughout Eastern Europe, particularly in Greece and Russia where NCsoft’s fantasy-based online role playing game, Lineage II, is extremely popular.

The fraudulent servers in question are being used by players playing at home and in internet cafes, but such unauthorised servers often feature – or require users to download – illegally modified and potentially harmful game data, thereby changing the intended online experience.

NCsoft’s European office has identified several prominent illegal servers across Europe and is in the process of taking action against individuals and corporations deemed to be in breach of international copyright laws. In a lawsuit that was commenced last year in Greece, NCsoft successfully obtained a court order against Internet Cafe business, ‘e-GLOBAL’ following which four of its cafes were raided and illegal software was seized. This led to the shutting down of illegal servers on which pirate copies of Lineage II software was loaded. Georgios Katostaris – Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Constantinos Zygouras – Vice-Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Athanassios Dobros – Deputy Managing Director and Dimitrios Koutsoukos – Administrator of the company under the name ‘INTERNET DYNAMICS LLC’ have all been made personal defendants to the proceedings that are continuing in the Greek Courts in which NCsoft is seeking damages as well as criminal remedies.

“Illegal game servers, such as those operating from e-GLOBAL, have a hugely negative impact on both NCsoft Europe and its customers,” commented Max Brown, NCsoft Europe’s Sales & Operations Director. “They seriously affect the player’s experience of our products and rob the company of potential revenue that is used to further enhance the player experience on official servers. NCsoft’s loss in revenue from e-GLOBAL’s operation is estimated in excess of six million Euros. We are defiant in our resolve to stamp out theft of NCsoft’s intellectual properties and are prepared to take the strongest measures to do so.”

NCsoft has a proven track record in combating illegal servers, having worked with the FBI in November 2006 to shut down a substantial unofficial Lineage II server run by US-based website, L2Extreme.com. Following multiple raids across cities throughout the US, L2Extreme’s fraudulent servers – which claimed to support 50,000 active users – were taken offline, as was the L2Extreme.com website.

About NCsoft Europe NCsoft Europe (NCE) is headquartered in Brighton, United Kingdom and is wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft operates publishing offices within North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand and has development studios in Seattle, Austin, California (North America) and Seoul (Korea). NCE recently announced the formation of the first European development studio, based within the UK.

NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage II (November 2004), City of Heroes (4th February 2005), Guild Wars (28th April 2005), City of Villains® (31st October 2005), Guild Wars Factions™ (28th April 2006), Guild Wars Nightfall™ (27th October 2006), Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ (31st August 2007) and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa® (2nd November 2007). More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Tabula Rasa, PlayNC, Lineage, The Kamael, The Chaotic Throne, Hellbound, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, City of Heroes and City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft Europe Introduces Sana Security

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Play it safe with Sana’s Primary Response SafeConnect, a powerful security technology that protects you online.

Global Online Gaming Leader NCsoft Europe Selects Sana Security to Give Gamers Highest Level of Online Security with Least Impact on Precious CPU Resources Sana’s powerful, behavior-based security technology protects gamers from attacks on non-gaming vulnerabilities while online

London, UK – February 28, 2008 – Sana Security, Inc., the leading behavioral security software company, today announced that NCsoft®Europe, the world’s largest developer and publisher of online computer games, recommends Sana’s Primary Response SafeConnect as a deterrent against malicious software whilst playing online. NCsoft Europe, whose millions of dedicated players are among the most devoted, demanding and technically sophisticated gamers in the world, chose Sana technology because of its effectiveness and extremely low impact on memory and CPU performance.

Online gamers continually seek to squeeze the greatest performance out of their systems. For most, traditional anti-virus (AV) software is seen as the most intrusive, as well as being a serious drain on memory and performance. Many gamers turn their AV software off altogether while gaming, exposing them to risks through the known and unknown vulnerabilities that exist in a variety of other applications they leave running for use while gaming online.

Built on Sana’s award winning behavior-based anti-malware technology, Primary Response SafeConnect detects and removes malicious software, including difficult new variants designed to steal password and identity information via “phishing,” spyware, malware and other methods. Sana technology is also effective against criminal software innovations being used to hide the very presence of malware on a device, which make it far more difficult to detect or remove.

“Our subscribers recognize that, while our service is completely secure, they may be exposed to security risks that can find their way in via other applications,” said Mark Heath, business development manager for NCsoft Europe. “We chose Sana’s Primary Response SafeConnect because it provides an extra layer of security with far less performance degradation – factors that best meet the highly demanding needs of our players.”

“NCsoft Europe has been quite visionary as regards the security needs of their subscribers, and has recognized that Primary Response SafeConnect is a perfect match for gamers,” said Peter Baxter, Sana’s general manager for Europe, Middle East & Africa. “Online gamers understand the risks and threats that are out there, but simply won’t use a product that gets in the way of their gaming. Sana delivers serious protection that protects them without interfering with the online experience.”

NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage® II (November 2004), City of Heroes® (4th February 2005), Guild Wars® (28th April 2005), City of Villains® (31st October 2005), Guild Wars Factions™ (28th April 2006), Guild Wars Nightfall™ (27th October 2006), Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ (31st August 2007) and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa® (2nd November 2007).

NCsoft will introduce a brand new title to its innovative portfolio in 2008; Aion® – The Tower of Eternity, planned for release late 2008. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

About Sana Security Sana Security provides software that protects against what others can’t protect against or see, providing immunity from threats, both known and unknown. Unlike reactive, legacy solutions that require updates, signatures and scanning, Sana’s proactive security products offer enterprises, small businesses and consumers instant and constant protection against increasingly complex attacks, data compromise and identity theft. Sana Security’s suite of centrally managed, standalone and on demand products drives innovation in anti-malware solutions. Sana Security, together with its research organization Sana Labs, is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with offices in global business and technology centers. For more information, visit http://www.sanasecurity.com or contact the company by phone at +1 (650) 292-7100.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Tabula Rasa, PlayNC, Lineage, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Dungeon Runners, City of Heroes and City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft Europe establishes distribution network in Russia

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:44:00 +0100

Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa secures 4th position in retail charts, confirming the games broad appeal with players worldwide.

Brighton, England (February 27th, 2008) – Leading online games publisher NCsoft® Europe today confirmed details of their distribution network within Russia. Working with three of Russia’s premiere distribution companies, NCsoft has formed a solid network for their existing portfolio of online role-play games and paved the way for their upcoming major 2008 release; Aion: The Tower of Eternity™.

NOVIY DISK has secured ‘boxed product’ distribution rights of the recently released, sci-fi MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role play game) Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa®. Launched on the 17th January 2008, Tabula Rasa is available within the premium-label ‘ND Games’, featuring localised packaging and instructions and is available in two versions; Standard and Collector’s Edition. The title entered position #10 within the ND PC games chart* on its week of release and powered up to position #4, confirming the games broad appeal with players worldwide.

Service operators NETVILLE and YANDEX have signed ‘digital’ distribution agreements for game activation codes within the NCsoft portfolio. Available from YANDEX is Richard Garriott’s pioneering sci-fi hit Tabula Rasa; the multi-million subscription based Lineage® II: The Chaotic Throne – The Kamael™ and Game Time Card codes (15, 30 and 60 days) for all subscription based titles. NETVILLE in addition distribute the super powered MMO, City of Heroes® and City of Villains™ and the award winning Guild Wars® franchise from ArenaNet; including Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, Guild Wars Nightfall™ and Guild Wars: Eye of the North™. All Guild Wars titles have been localised into Russian and include a dedicated Russian district for players.

“We are delighted to be working with such respected and commercially successful partners, as Noviy Disk, Netville and Yandex,” stated Max Brown, Sales and Operations Director of NCsoft Europe. “Through our joint cooperation, NCsoft titles are available to customers across the entire country. Our partnerships ensure that we can meet our player’s needs and prepare them for our titles this year and beyond.”

For further details of NCsoft Europe and its titles, visit the official website at: http://eu.plaync.com/eu/

* The Noviy Disk chart is comprised of sales data across the ND trading network, including online stores. The network totals 90% of all multimedia retail outlets in Russia.

NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage® II (November 2004), City of Heroes® (4th February 2005), Guild Wars® (28th April 2005), City of Villains™ (31st October 2005), Guild Wars Factions™ (28th April 2006), Guild Wars Nightfall™ (27th October 2006), Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ (31st August 2007) and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa™ (2nd November 2007).

NCsoft will introduce a brand new title to its innovative portfolio in 2008; Aion – The Tower of Eternity, due for launch Q3 2008. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com. ### NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Tabula Rasa, Character Cloning System, PlayNC, Lineage, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Dungeon Runners, City of Heroes and City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Noviy Disk Established in 1997 and headquartered in Moscow, Russia, Noviy Disk is a leading Publisher and Distributor of PC software and games across the Russian-speaking territories with over 500 top PC products localized into Russian in its portfolio. The company works with Eidos, Midway, Activision, Deep Silver, 10Tacle, THQ, Buena Vista Games, Her Interactive, Empire Interactive, Irrational Games, Sunflowers, Ubisoft, ITE, and many other companies representing their products in the Russian-speaking markets. The current Games line includes Tomb Raider Legend, X3 Reunion, Call of Duty 4, Unreal Tournament 3, Cars The Videogame, Rise and Fall, The Settlers 10th Anniversary, Open Season, Just Cause, Dreamfall The Longest Journey, GTR2, Chronicles of Narnia and many more. The company is a market leader in non-games market segment with Kids Products line (including The Incredibles, Brother Bear, Finding Nemo, Agent Hugo, Hello Kitty, I Spy, Clifford, Nancy Drew and Mia series) and Edutainment Products line (Red Shift Series, Britannica Encyclopedias, Euro Talk range). In 2006 Nintendo of Europe appointed ND Videogames, an independent subsidiary created by Noviy Disk, to act as the exclusive and official distributor of Nintendo products for the Russian market. ND Videogames deals with distribution of Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii hardware and software as well as develops original titles for these highly-popular consoles. More information about the company and its products can be found online at http://www.nd.ru (in Russian).

About Netville Netville was founded in February of 2006 as Network Service Aggregator company. Key goal of the company is to organize and provide synergy based on cooperation between Producers of content (Licensors), Internet Providers and Customers. We provide ISPs with the specialized service platform which is easily integrated into broadband operator or media partner network systems. This unique instrument offers operator’s customers all the advantages of new Content-on-Demand (COD) service principle as well as new tools of personalization with the use of unique COD. More information about Netville and list of our services can be found at http://netville.ru/catalog.

About Yandex Money Yandex.Money - the most simple and user friendly payment system in Russia, serving now over 2,000,000 wallets and over 1,000 merchants in all segments of e-commerce, from games, blogs and social networks to books, CDs and flowers. Yandex.Money provides now more than 100,000 points of wallet top-up all over the Russia – ATMs, banks, shops of prepaid cards, post offices etc. Yandex.Money was founded in 2002 as 100% subsidiary of Yandex – the major Russian portal listed in Worldwide Search Top10 by comScore in Dec 2007. http://www.yandex.ru/

Guild Wars Tops Five Million Units Sold

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:00:00 +0100

Guild Wars franchise breaks major milestone in less than three years.

Brighton, UK. February 26, 2008 - NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® have announced that the Guild Wars® franchise of online roleplaying games has surpassed five million units sold in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Published by NCsoft and developed by ArenaNet, the Guild Wars franchise consists of the original Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, Guild Wars Nightfall™, and the recently released expansion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North™. The Guild Wars games have been commercial and critical successes since the release of the original campaign in April of 2005. Its award-winning content and innovative subscription-free business model have created a large and loyal following that is highly anticipating Guild Wars® 2.

“Guild Wars is a proven success and has set a new standard for online RPG games with its unique business model and superior playability,” said NCsoft CEO Taek Jin Kim. “ArenaNet is dedicated to creating games that expand the market and provide great new content to our loyal player base. This success has built a great foundation from which the next generation of Guild Wars games will grow.” With the development of Guild Wars 2 underway, ArenaNet will continue to provide dedicated support to current Guild Wars games and its millions of customers.

“Reaching the five million mark is extremely gratifying for us at ArenaNet because it shows the hard work and dedication we put into our games has resonated with the fans,” said Mike O’Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. “We are committed to supporting all of our Guild Wars players, and at the same time, we’re extremely excited to work on the game’s evolution. Certainly the future of Guild Wars is as bright as its past and present.”

For more information on the Guild Wars franchise, visit the Guild Wars website at http://www.discoverguildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series, including the recently released Guild Wars: Eye of the North, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at http://eu.plaync.com/eu/store/.

About ArenaNet ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North, are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.

NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage® II (November 2004), City of Heroes® (4th February 2005), Guild Wars (28th April 2005), City of Villains® (31st October 2005), Guild Wars Factions (28th April 2006), Guild Wars Nightfall (27th October 2006), Guild Wars: Eye of the North (31st August 2007) and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa® (2nd November 2007).

NCsoft will introduce a brand new title to its innovative portfolio in 2008; Aion® – The Tower of Eternity, due for launch Q3 2008. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, ArenaNet, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners, Lineage, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft Announces New Studio in North California

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:00:00 +0100

Art, programming and project leads from NCsoft and Cryptic Studios team up to take City of Heroes to new heights.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 6, 2007 - NCsoft® Corp, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced the formation of a new development studio in Mountain View, California. The announcement comes as the company begins a renewed push to further develop the City of Heroes® property, which is now 100 percent owned by NCsoft. Previous to today, ownership of the intellectual property (IP) was split between NCsoft and Cryptic Studios, the original developer of the project.

The new studio will be built around key members of the City of Heroes team from NCsoft and Cryptic Studios including the art, programming and design team leads.

“We’re happy to announce that NCsoft has acquired full ownership of the City of Heroes IP,” said Brian Clayton, NCsoft executive producer and manager of the new studio. “Our plans are clear. We are now in a position to make a major reinvestment in the City of Heroes product line. With our existing Cryptic and NCsoft team as the core, we will be able to run our current service without any interruption to our players, expand our studio to deliver triple-A content, and take City of Heroes to new heights.”

NCsoft will soon be announcing formal plans for the City of Heroes IP, which will include expansions and sequels to the popular comic-book inspired massively multiplayer online (MMO) game.

Matt Miller, Lead Designer on the City of Heroes project and formerly with Cryptic Studios said, “We’re thrilled to be bringing the CoH franchise to the next level. And we couldn’t be more pleased to be working completely under the NCsoft banner. We feel that City of Heroes’ best days are in front of it.”

For more information about City of Heroes, go to http://eu.cityofheroes.com

About NCsoft Corporation NCsoft North America is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft, with its own development and publishing offices in Texas and California, also works with other NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles in the last three years and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage®/Lineage II, City of Heroes/City of Villains®, Guild Wars®/Guild Wars Factions®/Guild Wars Nightfall®/Guild Wars: Eye of the North™, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa® and Dungeon Runners™. More information about NCsoft can be found at http://www.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa, Dungeon Runners and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft releases Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:26:00 +0100

Defenders of Earth band together to fight alien invaders in gaming legend’s military-style online role playing game

Brighton, England, November 2, 2007— NCsoft® Europe, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announced today that Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa™, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for the PC where players are thrust into an exciting intergalactic struggle, has launched its commercial service in Europe and North America.

“Now the fun begins! I can’t wait to join thousands of other players in this exciting galactic war,” said Richard Garriott, the game’s executive producer. “It is time for us to release Tabula Rasa to the players. I am eager to see player reaction to the game, and am ready to build on what we’ve started here. We’ve got plans for new features and expansions for the foreseeable future and I’m hoping the players will enjoy the game and get excited about what’s in store for them next!”

Tabula Rasa, one of the most anticipated PC titles of the year, is the vision of gaming legend Richard Garriott. The game combines a rich game world and deep storyline with military combat and fast paced action. Set in a near-future science fiction backdrop, players must fight to save humanity against hostile alien enemies trying to gain control of the universe.

The game introduces several innovative elements to massively multiplayer online games, including a Character Cloning System™ that allows players to explore different character classes without having to create a new character, and dynamic battlefields where players feel the frenetic action of combat in an ongoing war.

“We are all very excited about the addition of Tabula Rasa to our catalog of games,” stated Geoff Heath, CEO of NCsoft’s European operation. “One of NCsoft’s goals is to provide different types of online gaming products – both within the ‘proven’ fantasy genre and outside the genre, as well. This game is truly unique; we hope that Tabula Rasa’s science fiction background and military combat action proves to be enjoyable to many types of gamers.”

The standard edition box of Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa (featuring the image of key character, Sarah Morrison) will be available at major retailers at an expected retail price of £29.99 / €44.99 and at the PlayNC® Store. An exclusive standard edition box (depicting an AFS Commando) is available solely from GAME UK retail stores. This limited version contains a special ‘thumb-up’ in-game emote /thumbs. Customers will be able to purchase the recently announced Limited Collector’s Edition box from major retailers at an expected retail price of £49.99 / €69.99.

Both products include the first month of online game play. After the first month, players will be charged a monthly subscription fee of £8.99 / €12.99. The game is rated 16+ by PEGI.

For more information about Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa go to the official site.

About NCsoft Europe NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars® on 28th April 2005, City of Villains™ on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions™ on 28th April 2006, Guild Wars Nightfall™ on 27th October 2006 and Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ on 31st August 2007. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Tabula Rasa, Character Cloning System, PlayNC, Lineage, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Dungeon Runners and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation and Cryptic Studios, Inc. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa Pre-Order Bonus Pack Ships to Retailers

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:00:00 +0200

Brighton, England, August 9th, 2007—NCsoft® Europe, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announced that the pre-order bonus pack for Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa™ is available from online retailers from Friday 10th August across Europe, with boxed versions to be released in store on 31st August. The pre-order offers customers several perks, including exclusive in-game items and a three-day head start when the product launches this autumn.

Customers will find the pre-order bonus pack and digital pre-sale availability at various retailers in Europe and North America, as well as the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com.

Richard Garriott is best known for creating the Ultima® series, including Ultima Online, one of the first commercially successful massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) in North America. Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa, which is one of the most anticipated PC titles of the year, is set in an epic science-fiction story where players will be challenged by dynamic and fast-paced adventures on unique alien worlds.

Players who purchase the pre-order for Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa not only get a three-day head start on the live service, they also receive exclusive character emotes, exclusive in-game pets to accompany their characters, access to the beta test, and a DVD with the game client, bonus wallpapers and art.

“There is an amazing amount of anticipation for Tabula Rasa’s launch within our development team and the player community,” said Richard Garriott, executive producer. “The player feedback at this point has been extremely helpful and we’re putting the final touches on the game. This pre-order release truly marks the final stages in developing this epic adventure, and since owning the pre-order allows players beta access, it is a great way to try Tabula Rasa out before we launch the game.”

Please contact your local retailer for details on when Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa will be available on the shelf, or download it from the PlayNC Store.

For more information about Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa visit http://eu.playtr.com/eu/

About NCsoft Europe NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars™ on 28th April 2005, City of Villains™ on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions™ on 28th April 2006 and Guild Wars Nightfall™ on 27th October 2006. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Tabula Rasa, PlayNC, Lineage, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Dungeon Runners and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation and Cryptic Studios, Inc. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc.. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:00:01 +0200

Pre-Release Bonus Pack to Hit Shelves July 20…

Brighton, England, July 17, 2007—NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® announced today that the Pre-Release Bonus Pack for Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ is set to arrive on retailer’s shelves on July 20th and will include a host of compelling features, including exclusive in-game items and access to the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend set for later this summer.

The Guild Wars: Eye of the North Pre-Release Bonus Pack will be available from retailers in North America and Europe as well as at the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com and via the Official Guild Wars online store.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first ever expansion to the subscription-free Guild Wars franchise of fantasy online role playing games, which will be released to the public on August 31, 2007. This expansion will provide new content accessible to players who have any of the previously released Guild Wars campaigns (Guild Wars, Guild Wars: Factions™, or Guild Wars: Nightfall™).

Players who pre-order Guild Wars: Eye of the North will gain access to the Sneak Peek Weekend, August 24–26, 2007, where they will be able to log into the game for a first look at Eye of the North. Players will be able to explore the Far Shiverpeaks region of the world, home of the barbaric Norn. Everything players obtain during the Sneak Peek Weekend, including items, XP, Heroes, and loot, will be permanent and available when the expansion goes live.

The Guild Wars: Eye of the North Pre-Release Bonus Pack also comes with exclusive weapons, including the Glacial Blade, the Hourglass Staff, and the Darksteel Longbow. These new weapons are based on the winning designs from the Guild Wars Design-a-Weapon Contest held earlier this year. In addition, the prerelease bonus pack includes a Guild Wars Trilogy Trial DVD that provides access to all three of the Guild Wars campaigns for a special trial promotion lasting 10 hours or 14 days, whichever comes first*.

“We believe this feature-packed prerelease delivers real value to our players,” said Mike O’Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. “From past experience, we expect the Sneak Peek Weekend alone to be hugely popular, and players won’t want to miss this chance to get a leg-up before the game goes live.”

For more information on the Guild Wars franchise, visit the Guild Wars website at http://eu.guildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

About ArenaNet ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, and Guild Wars Nightfall™ are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.

About NCsoft Europe NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars on 28th April 2005, City of Villains® on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions on 28th April 2006 and Guild Wars Nightfall on 27th October 2006. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

*Access to all three Guild Wars Campaigns—Prophecies™, Factions™, and Nightfall™ for 10 hours or 14 days, whichever comes first. May only be used one time and cannot be reused, sold or transferred. Can only be applied to an existing full version account. Will only provide trial access to those campaigns that have not had a previous trial. For additional terms and conditions see http://www.GuildWars.com/trial.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Eye of the North, ArenaNet, Lineage, Auto Assault, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft Signs Exclusive Game Development Deal with Sony Computer Entertainment

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:30:00 +0200

World’s leading publisher of online computer games to create products for PlayStation® platforms.

Santa Monica, Calif., July 11, 2007 — NCsoft® Corporation (KSE:036570.KS), the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games today announced an exclusive game development deal with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) that provides for NCsoft to create several online games for SCEI’s PlayStation® platforms, including PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), accessible through PLAYSTATION®Network. The announcement was made today at the E3 Media and Business Summit taking place in Santa Monica, California.

Although company officials did not divulge any details regarding the names or types of games in development, NCsoft officials did say the games would be created from both existing intellectual properties (IP) owned by NCsoft, as well new IP.

“This is a great step forward for online gaming,” said Geoff Heath, CEO of NCsoft Europe. “We are delighted to be working with Sony Computer Entertainment. PS3, with its advanced Cell Broadband Engine™ and standard hard disc drive on every unit, has already demonstrated it is a truly versatile online platform that gives NCsoft the potential to create massively multiplayer environments. Together with the Internet-enabled PSP, we’re confident that SCEI and NCsoft can develop unique and compelling online experiences that will be found on no other platform.”

NCsoft is known for its highly successful online game products such as the Guild Wars® and City of Heroes® brands and its flagship product Lineage®, which has a customer reach of more than 70 million worldwide.

“NCsoft has established itself as one of the preeminent developers in the online space,” said Riley Russell, vice president of third party and developer support, Sony Computer Entertainment America. “Their track record of creating successful online games is exactly what we are looking for as we grow the PLAYSTATION Network, delivering new, rich experiences on both PS3 and PSP. SCEI’s hardware leadership matched with NCsoft’s extensive online experience are the hallmarks of what is sure to be a fruitful relationship for both companies, ultimately benefiting our core audience—the gamer.”

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 worlds most successful online role playing game and also to Lineage II, City of Heroes® and City of Villains®, Guild Wars®, Guild Wars Factions™, Guild Wars Nightfall™ and Auto Assault®. In coming months, NCsoft is poised to launch other massively multiplayer titles including Tabula Rasa™ and Aion™ in addition to various casual games via its game portal, PlayNC. NCsoft has offices in North America, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. In fiscal year 2006, NCsoft posted revenues of KRW 338.7 billion. For more information about NCsoft visit http://www.PlayNC.com.

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“PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, “PSP,” and “PS one” are registered trademarks and “PS3” and “Cell Broadband Engine” are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall, ArenaNet, Lineage, Auto Assault and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

NCsoft Europe announce partnership with Razer

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:00:00 +0200

Guild Wars players gain a new edge, with Razer DeathAdder professional gaming mouse.

Brighton, England (July 4th, 2007) – NCsoft® Europe is proud to announce a new partnership with Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of professional gaming peripherals, to produce a Guild Wars® edition of the award-winning Razer DeathAdder™ gaming mouse.

“This joint venture will create great opportunities for both NCsoft and Razer, and will give Guild Wars players a real competitive edge in the game” said Max Brown, Sales and Operations Director for NCsoft Europe. “We’re very excited about this great new product, and look forward to growing our relationship with Razer.”

Razer will be the official partner for upcoming competitive play events hosted by NCsoft Europe, a move that will further raise the profile of competitive gaming and online multiplayer games. In addition, NCsoft Europe will be supporting Razer with a variety of marketing activities and special promotions.

“We’re very pleased to be working with NCsoft” says Arlene Koh, Senior Vice President of Global Sales for Razer. “Guild Wars players have proven time and time again to be some of the most dynamic and demanding gamers currently out there, and Razer firmly believes that they will greatly benefit from the added control and flexibility that the Razer DeathAdder will have to offer.”

The Guild Wars branded Razer DeathAdder professional gaming mouse will be available across Europe early Q4 2007.

About Razer Headquartered in San Diego, California, Razer collaborates with gamers to develop, manufacture and market cutting-edge gaming peripherals utilizing proprietary technologies that give gamers the competitive edge. Razer products have earned critical praise and won multiple awards from around the world for their precision, sensitivity, usability and distinctions in product design. Engineered to near perfection, Razer’s reputation of being the leader in gaming peripheral technology is embodied in every single Razer product. For more information, please visit http://www.razerzone.com. Razer - For Gamers. By Gamers.™

About NCsoft Europe NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched Lineage® II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars on 28th April 2005, City of Villains® on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions on 28th April 2006 and Guild Wars Nightfall on 27th October 2006. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

About ArenaNet ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet’s titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, and Guild Wars Nightfall™ are global online role-playing games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at http://www.arena.net.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Factions, Nightfall, Guild Wars Eye of the North, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Eye of the North, ArenaNet, Lineage, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.