ArenaNet and NCsoft announced that Guild Wars is available at retail in North America, Europe and Australia.
Guild Wars is a global online RPG. Play with anyone, anywhere, at any time and there's no subscription fee required. Guild Wars immerses players in a colorful, robust and detailed online fantasy world where success is determined by player skill, not by the time spent playing.
By bringing together the best elements of action, roleplaying and massively multiplayer games we have created a unique gameplay experience that appeals to casual and core players alike, Mike O'Brien, ArenaNet co-founder said.
Players must select eight of the more than 450 available skills to build competitive characters for each battle. Challenging gameplay forces players to use their heads and make good decisions in a brains-over-brawn battlefield. Dramatic guild challenges, tournament play and arena combat provide a unique game experience each time players log on.
According to EB Games, Guild Wars is one of the best-selling preorder PC games year-to-date in North America and that makes sense when you consider that more than 500,000 players participated in Guild Wars public preview events in the US and Europe.
Guild Wars is now available at most major North American computer game retail outlets at an estimated retail price of USD 49.99. No monthly subscription fee is required. A special Collector's Edition featuring a hard-cover art book, Internet chat headset, Guild Wars soundtrack CD and other items will be available for an estimated retail price of USD 79.99.