Blade & Soul – Are you ready?

You may have heard that several Korean gamers were able to finish the Diablo 3 game in six hours. It shouldn’t then come as too much of surprise to you, then, that the game hyped nation also has a vibrant development community able to create digital worlds just as addictive and graphically enchanting as the Diablo 3.
Blade & Soul stands out among recent releases and is one of the most texturally-rich MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game) ever developed, both in terms of story and graphics. Keep reading for more on this highly strategic fantasy martial-art game from NCSoft.

You’ll begin your storyline in Blade & Soul by selecting to play as one of four mythical races: Jin, Kun, Gon or Lyn.

Jin are a special group of humans who are exceptional in both physique and intelligence. They are very good with their hands and make use of most weapons. Gon, a more built-up version of Jin are a natural born warriors who leave trails of destruction everywhere they go. Kun are a female only race born with natural grace and beauty, seldom even deigning to look down on other races. And, finally, Lyn are mischievous looking half-animal, half-human race whose deceptively cute faces make it hard to believe that they are, in fact, necromancers.

You can train your character, regardless of race to be a blade master, kung-fu master, force master, destroyer or assassin, based on your preference. You’ll roam the rich world created by NCSoft meeting enormous spiders, fire-breathing dragons and a host of other enemies, allies and characters in between.
Blade & Soul topped the game charts during the weekend when it was first available for Korean gamers. It passed Diablo 3 that week in terms of game play, with 20.35% of gamers in PC bang* opting for this game.
If you are a fan of fantasy you’ll appreciate the details and a fantastic plotline that are woven throughout the game. But more than anything the excitement of playing of the game comes from the dazzling graphics, cool moves and magic.
Intrigued? Be sure to visit the game’s English website for more info: http://www.bladeandsoulonline.com/

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Blade and Soul Release

 NCSOFT ^®, the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today confirms its Western expansion plans for Blade & Soul, the wildly successful Asian martial arts fantasy MMO developed by Team Bloodlust, an in-house studio based in NCSOFT's headquarters in Seoul. Blade & Soul has already captured the hearts of millions, consistently ranking as one of the top games in PC cafés across South Korea since its launch eleven weeks ago, and plans to reach the same level of success and popularity in Western markets.

Blade & Soul brings MMO and RPG gaming communities an online world rich in Asian martial arts, a theme that has traditionally been limited to fighting games. Once Blade & Soul launches in the West, players will have the ability to experience the flowing nature of action martial arts that they have come to love, but will experience it in a modern format blended together with deep story lines and an epic online world populated by millions.

Bringing to life the fantasy style and signature character movement made popular by the classic martial arts adventure films House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Blade & Soul embraces the essence of historic martial arts combat, set in a beautiful world inspired by the stunning art of renowned artist Hyung-Tae Kim, Team Bloodlust's Blade & Soul lead artist. Kim's strong international manga following and his unique style of blending Japanese anime and Korean art will expand Blade & Soul's appeal to a broad range of audiences.

Exact release timing for Blade & Soul has not been confirmed, but NCSOFT is already aggressively tailoring the title for Western players, working closely with Team Bloodlust to ensure the rich Asian martial arts theme stays intact.
For more information on Blade & Soul, visit the official website at www.bladeandsoul.com.

About NCsoft
NCSOFT^®, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Aion^®, Blade & Soul, Lineage^®, Guild Wars^® and WildStar^™ franchises. NCSOFT West is a division of NCsoft that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at www.ncsoft.com.
About Blade & Soul
Blade & Soul^®, developed by NCSOFT^®'s Team Bloodlust, tells the story of players' quest for vengeance and redemption against a backdrop of Asian fantasy, set in a beautifully crafted online world drawn from the work of renowned artist Hyung-Tae Kim. Blade & Soul prominently features martial arts inspired combat and Qing Gong "light body" movement, as depicted in classic Asian martial arts adventure films. For more information on Blade & Soul, visit www.bladeandsoul.com.

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Blade and Soul Europe

As we approach the start of a blade and soul europe, we wanted to bring you up to speed with what's been happening with Blade & Soul^®, and what happens next.

The game is already in its finished form in the original Korean-language version, but bringing Blade & Soul to the West involves more than simply translating the text and recording new dialogue. Gameplay styles differ greatly in different cultures, meaning that what players in Korea consider fun and balanced might not be as well-received in Europe and America.
 Addressing considerations like these takes time and NCSOFT^® is committed to doing it right--without sacrificing any of the elements that make Blade & Soul as popular as it continues to be in Korea.
The development team at NCSOFT West has been working closely with Team Bloodlust to ensure that we deliver the best, most faithful version of Blade & Soul to Western gamers. We are making progress and plan to reveal more details about the game in the coming year.
In the meantime, our goal is to build excitement for Blade & Soul, by introducing Western audiences to the game's beautiful graphics, compelling story and innovative gameplay. Then, when the time is right, we will release the sorts of details you have been waiting so patiently for.

Thanks for bearing with us, and stay tuned!

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