Gameforge Announce Aion Is Now A Free To Play MMO

Gameforge have announced their MMO, Aion, is now a free to play game. Gameforge have also announced that some changes have been made since the free to play beta:

Whisper function for “Starters “ (level 10+) is no longer restricted
Before: Whisper only possible to players on friendlist
Now: Whisper chat with players not on friendslist possible

Reason: With this change Starters are able to join groups which are recruiting via the Find Group feature. Starters however cannot place their own search query for a group. They only can join and respond to existing Recruit Group requests.

Gathering limit restriction for “Starter” has been raised 
Before: Players could gather 50 pieces /day
Now: Players can now gather 150 pieces /day

Reason: The new limit should help Starters with their crafting professions and leveling essence/aether tapping thus making it easier to finish gathering quests.

NPC sell limit restriction for “Starter” has been raised
Before: NPC sell limit was set to a low level
Now: NPC sell limit is raised and matches the needs of the players better

Reason: The NPC sell limit has been raised and balanced to match players’ needs better.

Gold Pack bonus “10 EXP amulets with 50% increase” has been removed from the Gold Pack
Before: Gold Pack included 10 EXP amulets with 50% EXP increase
Now: Gold Pack has no longer 10 EXP amulets with 50% EXP increase

Reason: The Gold pack has been adjusted and the EXP amulets have been removed. Instead we will plan several EXP events where all players can participate to have an equal game experience and leveling progress for everyone at the same time.

Gameforge  have also released 2 new trailers for Aion. there is a trailer for each of 2 nations in Aion. the first trailer is for Elyos and the second is for the Asmodians.



Watch Aion - Elyos Free To Play Launch Trailer in Tech & Gaming | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Aion - Asmodaeis Free To Play Launch Trailer in Tech & Gaming | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Press Release

NCsoft Announce The Assault on Balaurea Expansion For Aion Is Out Now For Free

NCsoft have announced that the Assault on Balaurea expansion for Aion is out now for free. NCsoft have released a trailer detailing many of the new features in the Expansion. They have also released a list of the new features the expansion brings, Including:

• New Instances: Aion hosts eight new instances each filled with fantastic challenges and enticing rewards. These new instances experienced at both lower and higher levels offer a range of challenges for all varieties of players ranging from solo adventures to full-on Legion raids.
• Pets: Pets are no longer only decorative. Aion redefines how MMORPGs approach pets, creating an entire new subsystem for players to explore as they acquire functional pets capable of storing goods, assisting with crafting or acting as guardians by alerting their masters to nearby enemies. Pets are acquired through in-game purchases, quest rewards, item drops, NCsoft Store, and special promotional events.
• New Zones: Players will explore the vast lands of Balaurea, the home of the Balaur, ruled by the Dragon Lord Tiamat. The Asmodians and Elyos have established fortresses in the two new zones: Gelkmaros and Inggison, each area featuring completely new environments, powerful monsters and unique flight mechanics for players to enjoy.
• Increased Level Cap: Five additional levels can be achieved. With an increased level cap of 55, characters will discover new weapons, earn new items and learn new skills as they explore the dangerous lands of Balaurea.
• Enhanced Flight Mechanics: Brand new flight options in the form of Windstreams allow characters to traverse the vast new zones of Gelkmaros and Inggison with increased speed and unlimited flight time. Windstreams have varying strengths and effects, adding a further layer of depth and strategy to Aion’s highly-acclaimed flight mechanics.
• Twitter Integration: Aion’s new Twitter feed functionality makes player bragging rights easy with its fluid integration into the game. Players can capture and Twitpic up to ten of their favorite screen shots using the updated in-game UI.

For those who don't already own the Aion game, you can purchase Aion with the Assault on Balaurea expansion digitally and at retail. Its already out in the USA, Australia, New Zealand for a MSRP of $39.99. Aion: Assault on Balaurea is set to come out in Europe on 10th September.

Press Release

SEATTLE, Washington – September 7, 2010 – Weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the Western release of Aion, the entertainment phenomenon that has captured millions of players globally, NCsoft® today released Aion: Assault on Balaurea, a free and feature-rich expansion in which players can enjoy new levels, pets, weapons, items and skills within engaging solo and multiplayer zones and instances. To celebrate Aion: Assault on Balaurea’s release, NCsoft is offering exclusive pets for a limited-time through select retailers.

Assault on Balaurea introduces the game’s passionate fans to the next exciting chapter of Aion in which characters align together to launch a massive counter assault against the invading Balaur in their homeland. Along with the ability to explore new and updated zones and instances, the expansion provides players with an increased level cap, new weapons, items and skills as well as enhanced flight mechanics. Because exploring is never fun alone, Aion introduces completely unique, functional pets equipped with in-game benefits to keep characters company along the way.

“Assault on Balaurea is more than a free expansion consisting of new and exciting game experiences for our players, but a sign of our commitment to providing players hours of fun and excitement they can’t experience anywhere else,” said Jaeho Lee, CEO NCsoft West. “With this expansion, we continue to make Aion a truly global franchise by offering customized features catering to Western audience gameplay styles, something we’ve been looking forward to bringing our players since launch.”

Consumer excitement for Aion has never been stronger as the free expansion provides Western players with an unmatched regionalized gameplay experience featuring several in-game functions that utilize the breathtaking graphics, innovative gameplay and engrossing story Aion is known for. With a massive global audience that has wowed millions of gamers in the East and West, Assault on Balaurea extends the experience with several key features, including:
• New Instances: Aion hosts eight new instances each filled with fantastic challenges and enticing rewards. These new instances experienced at both lower and higher levels offer a range of challenges for all varieties of players ranging from solo adventures to full-on Legion raids.
Pets: Pets are no longer only decorative. Aion redefines how MMORPGs approach pets, creating an entire new subsystem for players to explore as they acquire functional pets capable of storing goods, assisting with crafting or acting as guardians by alerting their masters to nearby enemies. Pets are acquired through in-game purchases, quest rewards, item drops, NCsoft Store, and special promotional events.
New Zones: Players will explore the vast lands of Balaurea, the home of the Balaur, ruled by the Dragon Lord Tiamat. The Asmodians and Elyos have established fortresses in the two new zones: Gelkmaros and Inggison, each area featuring completely new environments, powerful monsters and unique flight mechanics for players to enjoy.
Increased Level Cap: Five additional levels can be achieved. With an increased level cap of 55, characters will discover new weapons, earn new items and learn new skills as they explore the dangerous lands of Balaurea.
Enhanced Flight Mechanics: Brand new flight options in the form of Windstreams allow characters to traverse the vast new zones of Gelkmaros and Inggison with increased speed and unlimited flight time. Windstreams have varying strengths and effects, adding a further layer of depth and strategy to Aion’s highly-acclaimed flight mechanics.
Twitter Integration: Aion’s new Twitter feed functionality makes player bragging rights easy with its fluid integration into the game. Players can capture and Twitpic up to ten of their favorite screen shots using the updated in-game UI.


Aion: Assault on Balaurea is available today digitally and at retail in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore (MSRP $39.99), and launches at retail this Friday, September 10th in Europe. The retail version features the exclusive premium Speckled Ailu (Panda) Pack pet along with a limited-time retailer specific pet exclusive from NCsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy/Best Buy Canada, GameStop, QVS, Steam and Wal-Mart. In addition to the exclusive pets, the retail version comes with the full game client, expansion content and 30 days of game time.

For players looking to quickly increase their pet companions beyond in-game purchases, quest rewards and item drops, the NCsoft Store will feature an additional pets starting tomorrow.