Eagerly awaited fantasy MMO kicks off Open Beta with a new trailer

BERLIN, GERMANY - May 28, 2015 - Free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Echo of Soul has just kicked off its Open Beta test, Aeria Games announced today. Available on the Aeria Games portal, the Open Beta follows a successful Closed Beta phase. In just 3 weeks, Closed Beta participants have collectively spent 860,000 hours in game, clearing 450,000 dungeons and completing over 21 million quests. Starting today, everyone can join the battle! Brave souls can sign up at EchoOfSoul.us, download the game and start playing right away.

To celebrate the start of Open Beta, Aeria Games has released a brand-new trailer that takes a tour through Echo of Soul's massive landscapes with some of the game's key characters, and features Fahrenhaidt's song "Lights Will Guide Me" from their recently released album The Book of Nature. The trailer is featured on the Echo of Soul YouTube channel.

"We are thrilled to kick off this critical phase in the development of Echo of Soul and get all interested MMO gamers into the Open Beta so they can start this new adventure with their friends and fellow players," says Tom Nichols, Vice President of PC Games at Aeria Games. "Echo of Soul has unparalleled PvP and PvE gameplay possibilities - we can't wait for everyone to jump in and start playing!"

Developed by Nvius, including key members of the team behind the award-winning MMO Lineage II, Echo of Soul immerses players in its stunning environment, with rich visuals, an epic soundtrack, and a vast and detailed landscape. Echo of Soul offers MMO fans countless ways to play,including 60 party and solo dungeons, several highly competitive PvP modes, and over 1,600 quests. Five character classes with over 60 skills each allow gamers to deeply customize their gameplay experience. Players can choose between  the Warrior, a fearsome knight; the Archer, an enigmatic songbird; the Rogue, a solitary assassin; the Guardian, a warden of nature; and the Sorceress, a master of ice and fire spells.

Now in its Open Beta phase, Echo of Soul is free-to-play and available on the Aeria Games portal. Additional information about the game can be found on the dynamic site, EchoOfSoul.us. MMO enthusiasts can also participate in the Community Hub forums, and stay up-to-date on news surrounding the game via the official site or via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Submitted by: E. Thomas

• Two Discs Chock Full of Persona 4 Music Remixes: Hear the Persona 4: Dancing All Night soundtrack in all its glory! The two-disc CD set is full of original classics including "Pursuing My True Self," and "Shadow World,"new song arrangements including "Heartbeat, Heartbreak" and "Your Affection," remixes by artists including Lotus Juice, TK and Yuu Miyake, and completely new songs specifically composed for P4D!
• Last Night a Vita Pouch Saved My Life: Protect your PS Vita in this custom P4D enameled pouch with a full color P4D design featuring Teddie in all his Elvis-esque jumpsuit glory on one side, and an embossed version of the P4D logo on the reverse. Not for sale in North America, the "Disco Fever" edition is the only way to get the exquisitely detailed pouch.
• Costume Change: Two sets of paid DLC outfits will come with the "Disco Fever" Edition for free -  Persona 3's Gekkoukan High School uniform set, and the summer break outfit set- to dress up Chie, Kanji, Rise, Naoto, and the rest of the human (sorry, Teddie) Investigation Team! The song "Never More" is also included as a bonus playable song.
• All About that Bear: Never lose your keys or whatever else again with a golden Teddie keychain. Exclusive to North America, the gold (not real gold, of course) keychain comes embossed in the visage of all of Teddie's gloriousness, based on the belt buckle design on his P4D jumpsuit!
• The Whole Package: All the items will come in a large collectible box with custom disco ball art (based on the Japanese Crazy Value Pack version of P4D) 

• Cover Band: Preserve the sanctity of the PS Vita's display with a form-fitting skin to show off the very essence of P4D! Also exclusive to North America, the skin won't be sold separately. 10 PS Vita wallpapers are included and will perfectly match the outer decal. (The skin is designed to fit the most recent model of PS Vita)

Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a story-driven music game that takes place after the events in Persona 4. Players get pulled onto the Midnight Stage when the spotlight turns to mega-idol Rise and her junior group, Kanamin Kitchen. Members of Kanamin Kitchen have disappeared and it's up to the Investigation team to mount a rescue mission - only they discover the same monstrous Shadows from the Midnight Channel. To make matters even worse, their Persona abilities are rendered ineffective, and The Shadows in P4D can only be defeated by dance, so bust out powerful dance moves to save the day!

P4D is exclusive to the PS Vita (PSTV compatible), with fully-voiced story mode and challenging music-rhythm gameplay spanning more than 25 full songs. This includes songs from the original game, created by legendary Persona series music composer, Shoji Meguro and their remixes. In addition to the retail versions, the game will be available digitally on the PlayStation Network for $49.99/CA$59.99. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB, and for more details on the game, check out http://www.atlus.com/p4dan .

 
About ATLUS
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. has become known across the industry as a mark of high-quality, deeply immersive, uniquely Japanese video game experiences.  With award-winning titles that reach across a variety of genres and platforms, including the Shin Megami Tensei® and Persona® series of role-playing games, the ground-breaking action-adventure/puzzle game Catherine™, and the much-celebrated RPG Demon's Souls™, Atlus is committed to offering the highest standard in interactive entertainment experiences. www.atlus.com  

Submitted by: E. Thomas

Star Wars ™: Battle Pod™Home Version Confirmed for US/EU/JP

A Special Premium Edition will also be Available for the Most Serious Star Wars™Fans

Tokyo Japan, May 26th, 2015 -Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. announcedtoday that it will release a home version of the aerial battle arcade hit, Star Wars™: Battle Pod™(http://www.starwarsbattlepod.com/), which first appeared in US arcades in January 2015,in EU, NA, JP, and other regions. The Battle Pods will be available to order beginning June, 18th with a MSRP at US$35,000UK £24,000(Shipping and setting fees separate)

Made upon order for personal home use, the special Premium Edition of Star Wars: Battle Pod will be equipped with genuine leather seats that are synchronized to move/react to the action of the game and is available in two different glamorous designs inspired by the images of the Rebel Alliance and Darth Vader. This arcade masterpiece includes the owners name and a product serial number engraved plate along with: a specially bound owner’s manual and exclusive carpeting. Owners will also have their name added to the game ending credits. MSRP for the premium edition is set at US$100,000(Shipping and setting fees separate).Further purchasing details will be announced after mid-June on the Star Wars: Battle Pod official website™(http://www.starwarsbattlepod.com/).

Dive into the Star Wars universe from the comfort of your own home with the Star Wars: Battle Pod.

About Star Wars ™: Battle Pod™
Star Wars:™ Battle Pod™ is an arcade aerial battle game featuring a fully immersive Dome Screen where players pilot famous star fighters from the movies taking them into the Star Wars™ universe. This is the first fully immersive Star Wars experience that puts players in the pilot seat of some of the most iconic battle scenes from the famed movie franchise.

Star Wars: Battle Pod includes five stages inspired by the original Star Wars movies (episodes 4-6) that will delight any Star Wars fan. Players will experience iconic moments from the movies in the Battle Pod which is packed with features that enable players to feel the speed of flight, the impact of explosions, and truly experience the destruction taking place around them.

Additional stage releases to come at a later date

STAR WARS © & ™ 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
※Press release is current of the publication date. Content subject to change without notice after press release.

※Copyright must always be noted with the© mark.

Submitted by: E. Thomas