November 17, 2009, Moscow. Zakta Games  and Astrum Online Entertainment  announce the beginning of closed beta-testing for the new global online game “Northern Blade”. Requests to take part in it can be submitted at the official project site http://www.northernblade.ru.

Northern Blade is a fast-paced action-oriented MMORPG, created by a team of professionals with more than 10 years of game development experience. Its innovative battle system,  PvP-centric gameplay , and bright and realistic fantasy setting immerse the player in the atmosphere of an all-encompassing war, where everyone’s  future  is decided at the edge of a sharp blade.

Anyone can take part in beta-testing, a player just has to fill the form on the game site and download the game client. The launch will be done in multiple waves; the first users have already received their invitation and began their conquest of the hostile continent with its atmosphere of cruelty and gloomy splendor of death.

About the game:
Driven from their native lands by a global cataclysm, the people of the Aenor Empire are fighting for their lives in the alien and mysterious South Continent, trying to carve out a new home among its inhabitants. The gloomy dark-skinned natives of the continent greet the unwanted guests with rains of arrows and diabolic sorcery. Huge machines of death,  crush and destroy the battle formations of the Aenor. The price of their new home is very high for the survivors from the north, but even more Aenor people die at the hands of their own neighbors as the young Empire is torn by bloody battles for the throne, and crime is rampant. Is it possible for Aenor to return its former glory? It depends on you!

Key features:

• Worldwide PvP! Ouside of the towns, every encounter could be your last. Wild creatures, hostile natives and even criminals within your own faction mean danger with every step.
• Heated Battles. Aim and fire! Your survival will depend on speed and decisiveness as you overcome multiple enemies in dynamic and exciting conflicts.
• Use the landscape to your advantage! Thanks to its innovative battle mechanics and realistic landscapes, Northern Blade’s battle system lets you use your surroundings to your advantage - hide behind obstacles, attack stealthily from the enemy’s rear or set up an ambush in tall grass!
• Slash them All! Northern Blade is a dynamic role-playing game in the best “hack-n-slash tradition”. Diabloesque gameplay ensures a constant stream of destruction allowing you to fight multiple targets simultaneously.
• Create the Legend. The future of the Empire is in your hands. Your skill and steel will decide the fate of the Empire as you take on thrilling quests and battle other players to gain fame and glory in the epic story of Aenor.

About Astrum Online Entertainment:
Astrum Online Entertainment is the largest player in the interactive online entertainment market in Eastern Europe. The holding company currently unites five companies: Astrum Nival, Nikita.Online, IT Territory, TimeZero, and DJ Games. The companies have successfully launched over thirty massively multiplayer online games. By the beginning of 2009, the cumulative audience of the projects is over 30 million players. In the course of 2009, Astrum Online Entertainment is working to release 10 proprietary game projects, and localize six online games of its international partners. For additional information, please, visit the company web site at http://www.astrumonline.ru.

About IT Territory:
IT Territory (http://www.it-territory.ru) is the developer and publisher of online games and games for social networks. It is part of Astrum Online Entertainment – the largest holding company in the Russian games market (http://www.astrumonline.ru). IT Territory is the leader in the online segment of the games market in Russia, and manages a portfolio of 20 online games, of which 13 were developed in-house, along with the games of the independent developers, and licensed projects. The total number of registered users in IT Territory’s projects is over 20 million.
The company’s flagship game is Legend: Legacy of the Dragons (http://w2.dwar.ru) launched in Russian, English (http://www.warofdragons.com), German (http://www.warofdragons.de), Chinese (http://w1.lz.woniu.com), and Turkish (http://www.dwar.gen.tr) languages.

About Zakta Games:
Zakta Games is one of the most experienced  developers in Russia. Lead by  Dmitry Zakharov, and his team who developed cult-favorites such as Silent Storm,  Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul and Robocalypse. Zakta is developing “Norther Blade” in cooperation with Astrum Online.
 
About BigWorld Pty Ltd:
BigWorld Pty Ltd was formed in 2002 to commercialize years of intense R&D, which started in 1999 and continues to this day. With a direct local presence in the USA, China, Japan and Europe, BigWorld licenses its middleware platform to game studios and publishers around the world to build successful next generation MMOGs and Virtual Worlds. For more information and links to currently released or in production titles, visit www.bigworldtech.com.