Wizardry first came to computers in the early 1980s, and the popularity of its "Dungeons & Dragons"-style gameplay led to the creation of countless sequels, spin-offs and collections across multiple platforms.

Wizardry Online will offer multiplayer features new to the Wizardry series such as party play and player versus player (PvP) combat, while maintaining the classic style that the series is known for. Hardcore gamers will revel in the return of the complex dungeons that punctuated earlier iterations, and soon will find that the game is fraught ­with significant peril: Wizardry Online features permanent death, in which player characters can be removed from the game upon dying, creating a more immersive experience.

Sony Online issued the following statement:

The Wizardry Online team has been relentlessly working around the clock to create and deliver this re-imagined MMORPG in a way that captures and stays true to the franchise's hardcore trademark features. As we head into final preparations for launching the game, we have decided to move the launch date of Wizardry Onlineto January 30, 2013 in order to allow us extra time to ensure we're delivering the most epic gameplay experience possible to our players.

We are excited and eager to launch Wizardry Online and are committed to delivering the very best gameplay experience possible. We thank you for your patience as we make a few additional refinements to the game.