Aion Euro launch today

2009's biggest MMO launch is happening right now.

After plenty of anticipation and the fastest run on beta keys we've had here on Boomtown for a while it looks like the launch of Aion here in the west is going to be quite a successful one.

NCsoft has sent over it's thoughts on today's launch.

BRIGHTON, United Kingdom - 25. September, 2009 – NCsoft®, the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today released, Aion®, its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game in retailers across Europe. The entertainment phenomenon that has taken Asia by storm and has wowed hundreds of thousands of beta testers in Europe and North America has finally arrived.

Having sold out of its Limited Collector’s Edition version and tallying more pre-orders than any other MMO game this year, Aion’s release marks the biggest MMO launch of the year and is already being touted as one of the must-have games for the coming Christmas period. Aion also released in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore this week.

In Aion, gamers explore a celestial world of breath-taking beauty and epic adventure. Players create either winged Elyos or Asmodian avatars, sworn enemy races that discover a common foe: the twisted and depraved Balaur. Aion is among the biggest MMO games in the East and has wowed millions of gamers with its breathtaking graphics, innovative gameplay and engrossing story.

“We’re extremely excited to finally deliver the game to Western audiences and believe they will enjoy Aion as much as Eastern players have,” said Jaeho Lee, CEO NCsoft West. “The effort we put into Westernising Aion is unprecedented in our industry. Players will experience a completely rewritten storyline spanning more than two-million words, along with a variety of enhancements specifically for Western audiences.”

Consumer excitement for Aion has been steadily building in the recent months leading up to the game’s launch. Aion’s preorder sales have exceeded expectations, and the game has remained ranked among the top games on both Steam and Direct to Drive throughout the preorder period. Having sold nearly 450,000 copies before launch, Aion has established the benchmark as the biggest MMO release of the year. Aion is available at key retailers across Europe, please visit the official ‘Where to Buy’ page for a complete list at www.aiononline.com/retail/.

Unlike any MMO before it, Aion is a uniquely crafted online experience where flight offers much more than just a way to explore the landscape – it is a strategic and integral part of combat, quests, and exploration. Players will dive into battle and plunge through thousands of unique, story-driven quests, all while trying to save a world literally shattered in half from centuries of brutal conflict. Using one of the most flexible and in-depth character customisation systems ever featured in an MMO, players will be able to create genuinely distinct characters and explore a visually stunning world of ethereal beauty brimming with otherworldly inhabitants, mysterious enemies, and ancient secrets.