‘Empire of Sports’ is the world’s first massively multi-player online role-playing game platform (MMORPG) built entirely around sports. It is designed to allow millions of players around the world to simultaneously exist in a persistent online universe, where their avatars socially interact, train, compete and attend events in various sports disciplines to build a virtual sporting existence.

Justin Hénin, who has been the world’s number one female tennis player since 2006, and held the title of Worldwide Female Athlete of the Year 2007, has recently announced her retirement from real life tennis tournaments and is now enbarking on an exciting new partnership with Empire of Sports.

Hénin and her long time coach, Carlos Rodriguez, have put their likenesses into Empire of Sports, through NPCs (Non Player Characters) who will offer players tennis-based missions and teach some advanced tennis techniques – techniques that will be useful in the game as well as in real life.

As the Ambassador of UNESCO, Justine is dedicated to helping young people, both through her international tennis Academy “6th Sense”, and now through Empire of Sports. The world number one believes that both the academy and Empire of Sports present youngsters arenas not only to better their tennis skills but to encourage sportsmanship and positive outlooks for life.

Hénin believes that the “amazing role-playing features of Empire of Sports” will help lead children to act more responsibly and also to take part in real life tennis and also suggests that Empire of Sports could be a great game to encourage gamers to get out and play some real tennis too.

One of the elite gameplay features of Empire of Sports is the model of the human body mechanism, based on the real physiological workings of a human body. This allows gamers to grow the muscles and hone the techniques of their avatar by playing and practicing an array of sports. This model will also teach the gamers to carefully watch their water and energy resources, as well as the fatigue of their avatar and its heart rate. Players who don’t pace their avatar experience “painful” cramps or physical exhaustion. This realistic model will encourage healthy competition as well as showing the true positive effects of playing sports.

Tennis is one of the seven sports that have been currently announced in the massively multiplayer online world of Empire of Sports, along with football, skiing, basketball, bobsleigh, athletics and training.

Building on the unprecedented rise of persistent gaming worlds, Empire of Sports opens up a completely new realm for gamers and online users: the exciting and thrilling world of sports. At the centre of the gamers’ attention is their virtual representation in the sports world, the avatar or player character. The player assumes the role of a single player character throughout the entire game, which will result in an up to now unimagined gaming experience, especially in team sports.

Running from today until the game’s full launch early in 2008, the Empire of Sports closed beta will, for the very first time, offer members of the public a glimpse into the future of massively multiplayer online games, with unrestricted access to Empire of Sports’ staggering world.

Successful applicants to this beta version will be able to experience for themselves the game’s incredible fresh take on the genre, which sees a persistent world populated by virtual athletes who train, exercise and compete in single-player and team-based sports.

Available to play from the off are five sports, each of which will pit player versus player for the ultimate competition. Tennis, basketball, skiing, bobsleigh, track & field and some training games are all available immediately, with soccer – featuring 11 players on each team – launching shortly. In addition, players will be able to compete in in-game tournaments, customise their avatar and property with in-game items, travel to other sporting cities, meet virtual coaches, and even join virtual societies.

Features :

• The first true multi-sport MMORPG
• A journey that will take you from being an ambitious and talented rookie to the heights of sports stardom
• Create your own individual character and develop its skills and capabilities in various sports
• Participate in multi-player sports action in football, basketball, tennis, skiing, bobsleigh, athletics and gym games
• Interact with thousands of other players in virtual city centers
• Compete in matches and competitions for all levels and reach the top of your sports league

One last detail: One of the major differences between reality and Empire of Sports is the coexistence of men and women in Empire of Sports teams. Gender doesn’t have any impact on performance. We don’t care if you’re a boy or a girl, it’s the score when the buzzer goes that decides who is best.

Among the high quality multiplayer sports games available at the launch of Empire of Sports will be Basketball, Tennis, Skiing, and a series of fitness and training games. Other major sports will be announced as the platform develops.

Full details on the game will be unveiled just before the game is launched fully in early 2008, but a limited number of European gamers can gain access now by heading over to the game’s official website.

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