SEPT. 17, 2009 • Leading up to its Sept. 25 release NCsoft reported that its Aion MMO had attracted 400,000 pre-orders. The publisher attributed much of the interest was a result of the enhanced localization the South Korean title went through in order to make it as appealing as possible for western gamers. In addition, consumers who pre-ordered got a five day head-start in the MMO.

Impact: Aion is one of a handful of major MMOGs releasing in the west this year.  It is an important product to watch because most Asian based MMOGs have not fared well in western markets, which includes NCsoft’s successful Korean products.  The publisher has had its most notable success outside Korea with Western developed games like Guild Wars and City of Heroes. NCsoft has worked very hard at making Aion a product that appeals to western tastes.