Global games platform, Trion Worlds, has signed a major deal with South Korea’s renowned XL Games to bring the much anticipated MMORPG, “ArcheAge”, to Western markets. After six years of development the game will be distributed in North America and Europe through Red Door, Trion Worlds online commerce platform.
The game comes from regal gaming stock, in the form of Jake Song, who also made the smash hit, Lineage. The game has been in closed beta tests for two years in Korea, a testament to Song’s reputation as a “perfectionist in the best way”, according to Trion CEO, Lars Butler. Butler went on to say in an interview with GamesBeat that the game has an “incredible amount of polish.” Launch dates are due to be later this year in North America, Europe, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand.
ArcheAge has been compared to another MMO title, Rift, but Buttler says the two are different. ArcheAge is divided into two continents. The western one (Nuia) is designed to appeal to Western gamers, while the eastern one (Harihara) is targeted at Asian gamers, who prefer different art styles.
Song, CEO of XL Games expects a lot from Trion, but demonstrated confidence the partnership, stating: “We’re thrilled to be working with Trion Worlds. We are impressed with Trion’s track record as they have consistently delivered against an unwavering vision; we are confident partnering with Trion will help bring ArcheAge the success it deserves.”
Buttler indicated that there could be up to a dozen new releases from Trion in 2013, citing a huge growth in the MMO market. He also aims to be publishing on “any connected device,” and explained that he offers “games as a service,” where games are launched and then continually updated.
In ArcheAge, players choose a continent and then launch a virtual life in the online world. They can design their own characters and engage in all sorts of activities such as farming, flying, trading, building ships, creating underwater gardens, fighting naval battles, and more.
Tencent will introduce ArcheAge in China while GameOn will publish it in Japan. GigaMedia will publish it in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. That’s as close to a global launch as any MMO has ever had. Trion have been tasked with localizing the language for Western audiences.
About XLGAMES
XLGAMES was founded in 2003 by the iconic Korean developer Jake Song (Korean name – Song Jae Kyung), the developer of ‘Lineage’ and ‘The Kingdom of the Winds’. XLGAMES developed Dynamic MMORPG ArcheAge, which aims to be a game where players can pioneer and evolve their own world with their free will. ArcheAge is signed for distribution in China with Tencent, Japan with GameOn, and Taiwan, HongKong, Macao with FunTown. ArcheAge first introduced its signature features through G-Star, the largest game show in Korea, in 2010.
About Trion Worlds
Trion Worlds is the leading publisher and developer of premium games for the connected era. Powered by a breakthrough development and publishing platform, Trion is revolutionizing the way games are developed, played and sold. Trion’s world-class team delivers high-quality, dynamic, and massively social games operated as live services across the biggest game genres and devices, including the critically acclaimed blockbuster, Rift® and the highly-anticipated End of Nations® and Defiance™. The company raised $85 million in early 2012. Trion has more than 500 employees. Trion is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with offices in San Diego, Calif., Austin, Texas, and at Trion Worlds Europe in London, UK.
