Ether Saga Online
Open beta launched for MMORPG based on classic Chinese book Journey to the West.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009 – Redwood City, CA - Perfect World Entertainment Inc, a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd., today announced that the beta for its popular new online game Ether Saga Online is now open to all gamers. As the closed beta comes to an end, new and existing gamers will be provided open access to Ether Saga Online where they can fully immerse themselves in the expansive world and create permanent characters that will remain in the game through launch and beyond. Gamers are invited to register to play Ether Saga Online at: http://eso.perfectworld.com/download.
To coincide with today’s open beta launch, Perfect World Entertainment has released an all-new Ether Saga Online gameplay trailer via the official website at: http://eso.perfectworld.com/download/movie
“The initial response to Ether Saga Online has been very enthusiastic and we are excited to officially open the game world to an even larger audience of gamers,” said Dr. Alan Chen, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment Inc. “We are encouraged by the growing popularity of our free-to-play model and the greater level of customization it offers for both traditional MMORPG gamers and for those players that are new to the genre.”
Based on the Chinese literary classic, Journey to the West, Ether Saga Online combines a robust feature set with lavish graphics and a youthful anime style. The game’s intuitive game play systems and large variety of unique features create a truly one of a kind experience for gamers of all skill sets. Unlike other MMORPG games that charge subscription fees, Ether Saga Online allows players to immerse themselves in the expansive game world free of charge. Once inside, players can earn and spend in-game currency to upgrade their character and an assortment of items in real-time to enhance and personalize their game play experience.
Key features of Ether Saga Online include:
o Integrated Quest/Navigation System – Players will not be confused about where to go or what monsters to kill. Quests will have “link” which allow players to click on them and automatically navigate to their quest objectives.
o Unique Races and Classes – Three different races as well as six different classes. Each class having its own unique play style and gameplay.
o In-Depth Pet System – Every player starts with their own pet. Players can tame and capture new pets as they adventure through the world.
o Element Leveling System – As players level up, they receive points that can be assigned to specific elements. Each element has its own characteristics and affects the core gameplay of each user.
o Unique Skill System – Each class has a set of unique skills. Skills are not learned from trainers but rather on the fly through a battlefield menu system.
o Birthday Skills – Each character receives special abilities and skills related to the day their character was born.
o Clan Skills – Players can create clans/guilds and have opportunities to learn new abilities and skills as a group.
o Fusion System – Players can actually fuse with their pets and gain access to new abilities and gameplay options.
o Monster Card System – Players can collect monster cards which allow them to transform into specific monsters. In monster form, players gain access to new abilities and skills.
o Crafting System – Players can choose from 9 different crafting and gathering skills.
o Reputation System – Monsters will have their own factions in-game. Players can gain reputation with these creatures and gain access to new content.
o Alliance System – Clans can group up into Alliances in order to combat difficult monsters or even other Alliances.
Fans of Ether Saga Online can visit the official website at: http://eso.perfectworld.com/ to view additional game play details, trailers, and screenshots.
Perfect World Entertainment
Perfect World Entertainment, a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), publishes free-to-play, online games and provides online services in North America. The Company primarily publishes three-dimensional, or 3D, online games based on the Perfect World proprietary Angelica 3D game engine and game development platform. In September 2008, the Company released “Perfect World International,” a free-to-play MMORPG which is currently played by millions of people worldwide.
###
CONTACT:
Laura Mustard for
Perfect World Entertainment
(516) 884-8895
lauramustard@gmail.com