Roma Victor® gets the VERM in
For immediate release
2nd June 2005
Brighton, UK. RedBedlam Ltd., developer of the historically-authentic MMORPG Roma Victor® has announced the launch of the game's commercial test phase. As a major component of this phase, the company has deployed the VERMTM (Virtual Economic Revenue Model) virtual economy system in the latest game client versions.
VERM, which has been developed as an alternative to the typical MMO game subscription model, allows players to purchase sesterces (the in-game currency) via credit or debit card.* Players can also earn sesterces in-game by means such as, farming, hunting, building and smithing (to name just a few possible sources of a virtual income).
All of the game's the action currently takes place in a 10km x 10km world which includes a significant part of Hadrian's Wall and the River Clyde, the town of Corstopitum, the fort at Cilurnum and numerous Celtic villages.
RedBedlam invited a record number of new testers to coincide with the launch of the VERM commercial test phase and will continue to add further drafts of new testers in the coming weeks and months.
"In the short period since the launch of Roma Victor's commercial test, the virtual economy has already provided fascinating results," says Kerry Fraser-Robinson Managing Director of RedBedlam. "Testers have realised that they need to develop a high level of expertise within a specific industry from the broader trade skills tree to ensure they can supply high-quality and high-demand items to survive and flourish as a community. We believe this will provide a unique community building experience within the MMORPG genre."
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*All sesterces purchased during Roma Victor's commercial test will be redeemed at the full launch of the game in sesterces at the exchange rate determined at that time.
RedBedlam Ltd. was founded in 2001 in order to create virtual worlds and to realise virtual economies. The company's pilot project, Roma Victor® is a non-fantasy MMORPG set at the height of the Roman Empire circa 180CE. RedBedlam is a fully independent privately held company, which remains totally committed to the principals of community involvement and inter-dependence.
RedBedlam Press Contacts - UK: Nick Witcher ngw@redbedlam.com
Europe: Bastion, Ciarán Brennan ciaran@bastion.co.uk