No. 1 Story

ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead

The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read more

Related Articles

Adoption of cloud computing has reached a tipping point  - but don’t expect legacy...
In yet another blow to the Facebook IPO this week, following the withdrawal of...
Recruitment technology and social media have played a significant role in growing business in...

Aion goes gold

Your IT - Entertainment

Could it knock World of Warcraft off its perch?  We will soon find out as the countdown to the launch of AIon begins.

iTWIre has been dabbling in the beautiful online world of Aion for a number of weeks now.   The Beta test is now closed and the countdown has begun to the new MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games release.

Here are the Australian details: Sydney Australia - 18 August 2009 - Today, NCsoft, the world's premier publisher and developer of MMOs, confirmed that Aion has been released to manufacturing.  Aion is the highly anticipated game that has already taken Asia by storm and has quickly become one of the world's largest MMO franchises ahead of its release in Australia on September 23rd.

In advance of the game's launch, Aion will be showcase at both GamesCom 2009 in Cologne, Germany, as well as the Penny Arcade Expo 2009 in Seattle, Washington.  Both events will feature exclusive hands-on access to the 1.5 version of the game, which has yet to be unveiled to Western audiences. This version of the game introduces numerous enhancements, including continued improvements to Aion's innovative character customisation that will now include a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements.

Aion has already built major momentum among gamers across Europe, North America and Australia, with more than three million hours of gameplay logged in the game's closed best testing alone. Additionally, the Limited Collector's Edition version of the game is nearly sold out in retailers, and Aion is currently on the best-seller lists for PC games weeks ahead of the game's launch. Aion is available for pre-order from several participating retailers including GAME and EB Games.

Unlike any MMO before it, Aion is a uniquely crafted online experience where flight offers much more than just a way to explore the landscape - it is a strategic and integral part of combat, quests, and exploration. Players will dive into battle and plunge through thousands of unique, story-driven quests, all while trying to save a world literally shattered in half from centuries of brutal conflict. Using one of the most flexible and in-depth character customisation systems ever featured in an MMO, players will be able to create genuinely distinct characters and explore a visually stunning world of ethereal beauty brimming with otherworldly inhabitants, mysterious enemies, and ancient secrets.