NCsoft to Launch City of Heroes in Europe
Comic Book-Based Online Game Trailblazes New Territory in Q4 2004
European Games Network, London, Wednesday 1st September 2004/... NCsoftTM Europe, the newly created subsidiary of the world's biggest online games company, NCsoft® Corporation, today announced the launch of Cryptic Studios' City of HeroesTM, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) where players become super-powered heroes, and fight against evil to save the world. It will ship in Europe in Q4 2004.
City of Heroes is a true departure from the MMORPG market, which is primarily filled with medieval fantasy-based titles. The game enables players to realize their comic book dreams. Heroes protect the fine citizens of Paragon City in a colorful 3-D world where the victims of crimes not only thank players for their help, but they even compliment players on their costumes!
The innovative character creation system in City of Heroes ensures that everyone can be the hero they've always dreamed of. Since the game provides literally billions of costume and power combinations, it is almost impossible to create a hero that isn't unique. The system is simple for users, but provides many layers of customization. First, players choose from a set of five Origins: Mutant, Science, Technology, Natural, and Magic. Once players know how their super-powered hero got his or her powers, they decide upon an Archetype: Blaster, Controller, Defender, Tanker, and Scrapper. This determines the type of powers the players can select. Then players design their heroes' look by choosing from body sizes and styles, skin colour and hair, upper and lower body appearance, icons, masks, hats and headdresses...even tails and antennae!
Players then take their truly original hero out into the streets of Paragon City. Heroes start their careers by foiling petty crimes like purse snatching, but as heroes gain more experience, they learn new powers to battle evil. The heroes meet the city's people who help the hero to stop evil plots by one of the villain groups in the game. Each epic adventure reveals the background of Paragon City and uncovers the mysteries of its villains.
"City of Heroes is a ground-breaking title," says Cryptic Studios CEO Michael Lewis. "Not only does it give the MMORPG community an exciting and fun alternative to sword and sorcery games, it has mass appeal because virtually everyone at one point or another has wanted to be a super-powered hero."
The game is easy to learn and sports state of the art 3-D graphics. Depending upon the hero's powers, a player may soar through the city's skyline, leap tall buildings, or run at super-speed. If a player has seen it in the pages of a comic book, they will be able to live it out in City of Heroes.
City of Heroes also links with a monthly comic book, which is sent to subscribers free of charge. Rick Dakan and Blue King Studios publish the comic book of the same name. Rick Dakan is one of the original visionaries behind City of Heroes and wrote much of the game's fictional backstory. The comic also includes fan fiction, fan art, interviews with the developers and tips on playing City of Heroes.
For more information about City of Heroes, visit http://www.cityofheroes.com.