Asheron’s Call Expansion Announced

For those of you who have an Asheron’s Call account, looks like Microsoft is going to be releasing an expansion for the game. Here’s the official press release:

NEW PORTAL OPENS! ASHERON’S CALL: DARK MAJESTY EXPANSION PACK AVAILABLE THIS HOLIDAY

Microsoft today announced that The Asheron’s Call: Dark Majesty Expansion Pack will be available this holiday at retail locations throughout North America. The first of its kind for the franchise, this expansion pack includes the original Asheron’s Call as well as many new features and a compelling new landmass. Asheron’s Call: Dark Majesty will be available at retail for only US$19.95 and will include one free month of play.

“Turbine is very excited about the Expansion Pack, and our continued relationship with Microsoft. The Asheron’s Call franchise is a very important part of our company,” noted Jeffrey Anderson, President and CEO of Turbine. “We are firmly committed to developing and delivering high-quality online entertainment.”

The Expansion Pack delivers on new additions such as housing and storage, two of the features most requested by our customers. Players will be able to purchase their own homes on designated plots of land, as well as use their residence for secure storage purposes. The Expansion Pack also kicks off the next chapter in the ongoing Asheron’s Call storyline by introducing the island of Marae Lassel. Marae Lassel is a sprawling new landmass which will contain new quests, dungeons, and treasures which will all be accessible to all levels of players who purchase the Asheron’s Call Expansion Pack.

Asheron’s Call: Dark Majesty builds upon the epic evolving storyline by paving the way for the return of an old nemesis. “We don’t want to give everything away,” says Nik Davidson, producer of the Expansion Pack, “but suffice to say that the name of the Expansion Pack is a big clue.”

“Microsoft is making a significant investment in Asheron’s Call with both the Expansion Pack and in the sequel to Asheron’s Call which we announced earlier this year,” explained Matthew Ford, Lead Program Manager for Asheron’s Call.

Asheron’s Call is a massively multiplayer role-playing game playable exclusively on Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/) that draws together thousands of players within a dynamic, 3-D online world. Players can create truly unique characters by choosing between extensive combinations of visual appearance, attributes and skill sets. Asheron’s Call immerses players in an intense role-playing environment where they must compete or cooperate with thousands of other online players. An extensive system of allegiance and influence greatly enhances social interaction. The online nature of the game facilitates an evolving and dynamic adventure inside a consistent universe. The game will never be solved because there will always be more areas to explore and quests to complete.

For more information on the game, please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/games/asheronscall/