“Managing the in-game experiences for Horizons in the European market is a critical task.” said David Bowman, Creative Director and Co-President, Artifact Entertainment, Inc. “From my experience in managing the in-game experience in other massive online projects, and the successful work done by the Artifact team to make this agreement happen, I am confident that Atari’s marketing and distribution muscle combined with Digital Bros technical prowess will impress our European audience. Artifact Entertainment is excited to work closely with Atari and Digital Bros to create the best in-game experience available in any massively multiplayer product.”
This agreement grants Digital Bros the exclusive European rights for the managing of the online component of Horizons. Digital Bros joins NCSoft, the Korean online giant that will manage the game in Asia, as part of the worldwide hosting of Horizons. Artifact Entertainment will oversee the North-American operations, which gives Horizons a strong presence in every major online market. Digital Bros, through its subsidiary Game Network, will manage the beta testing phases and the launch of the commercial online service in the European Market. In order to establish and to develop one of the biggest online gaming communities in Europe, Digital Bros will pursue a promotional and hosting strategy targeted at all European territories.
Horizons takes place within the world of Istaria -- filled with cities and towns, castles and strongholds, villages and mystical structures, in environments ranging from tropical jungle and arctic tundra to windswept plains and mountainous wilderness. Whether adventuring by themselves or questing with a group of friends, players are free to choose their own path and encouraged to create their own stories. Fierce warriors, arcane spell casters and challenging combat will rule the frontier lands, but skilled craftspeople will play an absolutely critical role in overall character and world development.
“Digital Bros was the first in Europe to launch a multiplayer pay-per-play online gaming service targeted exclusively at the European Market,” stated Raphael Galante, Managing Director, Digital Bros SpA. “During the last two years, Digital Bros has developed a strong know-how, obtaining significant results in connection to the effective market growth. This agreement with Artifact Entertainment, considering the high profile of the project and the big expectations among the gamers, will position Digital Bros as one of the key players in the online gaming European market. Horizons is set to become one of the top three most successful online games in Europe”.
Additional information about Horizons can be found online at www.istaria.com, which features Istaria history and lore, character race and skill information, downloadable and streaming game play movies, screenshots and much more.