Ashen Empires will be launched under the TKO Value brand to offer MMORPG gamers a socially engaging online fantasy world of action and adventure. The new game is being developed from the technology behind AsylumSoft's "Dransik," an MMORPG acquired by TKO Software in 2003. The public beta program will be launched from TKO's new 6,000 square foot data center, providing significantly greater bandwidth and performance. There will be a range of enhancements to the beta version of the game and its interface as well as an increased level of customer support.
"Our objective is to develop the foremost MMORPG value brand," said Jacob Hawley, president & CEO, TKO Software. "Dransik has provided the technology on which to start that journey. It comes with an existing user base of several thousand gamers who would not be satisfied if we switched the game off while carrying out development work. Therefore, we are adopting a strategy of phased development. Phase One is the launch of an Ashen Empires beta program featuring some fundamental improvements to game play and back-end support that allow subscribers to continue their quests and provide us with their feedback."
Hawley continued: "In March, we enter Phase Two with the release of a revised product through retail outlets under our TKO Value brand. TKO Value is a sub-category of our TKO Software brand, offering quality games at aggressive prices. This is not a reflection of Ashen Empires' worth as a game, merely its stage of development as a 2D MMORPG competing with titles such as Ultima Online and Lineage in a market driven largely by 3D gaming. Following our March launch, we will start Phase Three, an aggressive roadmap of updates and revisions that will see Ashen Empires emerge as the leading value MMORPG for PCs and MACs."
About Ashen Empires
Ashen Empires is a medieval fantasy massively-multiplayer online role-playing game that enables players from around the world to interact with other groups and hunt for powerful artifacts. Players can gain knowledge in dozens of skills that keep the world functioning and cast magic spells to gain power. The game features dynamic quests that are scattered throughout the land, providing a world of endless possibilities to those who accept this challenge.
Ashen Empires performs well on lower-end computers (350Mhz, 32 MB RAM) as well as higher-end ones. For more information or to download a free beta license, visit www.ashenempires.com.