Wizardry approaches launch in Japan; more info on EU and NA release.

by: Sean Cahill - posted: 6/15/2011 10:43:00 AM

Gamepot Inc. released more information regarding their anticipated MMO title Wizardry Online.  While the title will launch after a private beta testing session, it will only launch in Japan within the next couple of weeks.  North American and European players will have to wait patiently until some time in 2012.  There is no information released yet regarding possible alpha or beta testing for players before that, considering that the game will be in full swing in Japan for over six months by the time this period comes along.  This isn't the first time that NA gamers have had to deal with this, considering that a title such as Final Fantasy XI launched in Japan a full year before it became available to NA and EU gamers.  It will be interesting to see the reception of the title in Japan first, then to see what type of following is anticipating the MMO here in the states.

Leading Japanese massively multiplayer online (MMO) game publisher Gamepot Inc. is bringing  Wizardry Online to gamers around the world. Currently the Japanese language version of the game is in the testing phase of development, with an exclusive private beta planned for June 2011. Wizardry Online is expected to launch this summer in Japan, and will be published, distributed and operated by Gamepot with additional content periodically provided by Headlock, the game's developer. The game also will be launched in Europe and North America in 2012.

 

A revival of the legendary Wizardry titles, Wizardry Online is the next-generation incarnation of a series that has been called the godfather of the role-playing game (RPG) genre. Wizardry first came to computers in the early 1980s, and the popularity of its "Dungeons & Dragons"-style gameplay led to the creation of countless sequels, spin-offs and collections across multiple platforms.

 

"Wizardry Online hearkens back to the original allure of the groundbreaking Wizardry RPG series, but brings an updated flare for modern gamers," said Shuhei Ueda, president of Gamepot. "Now, for the first time ever, players around the world can step into the impressive action and captivating lore of this world in a free-to-play, online format. We're confident the return to hardcore role-playing elements will be a shot in the arm for gamers looking for a new challenge in the genre."

 

Developed in conjunction with Japanese game studio Headlock Inc., Wizardry Online

will offer multiplayer features new to the Wizardry series such as party play and player

versus player (PvP) combat, while maintaining the classic style that the series is known for. Hardcore gamers will revel in the return of the complex dungeons that punctuated earlier iterations, and soon will find that the game is fraught ­with significant peril: Wizardry Online features permanent death, in which player characters can be removed from the game upon dying, creating a more immersive experience.