Wizard101 Breaks 1 Million Registered Users
Allakhazam Editor Christopher "Pywff" Tom recently got a chance to play Wizard101 and gave his first impressions of the game. Well, it seems many players are taking interest in the MMO. KingsIsle Entertainment Inc. announced today more than one million unique users have registered to play Wizard101. Of course, some celebratory gifts are planned:
The company is marking this milestone by rewarding the millionth registered player with a free one year subscription to the game, and a statue with an interactive commemorative plaque featuring the Wizard's name has been placed in the Wizard City Commons. As a special "thank you" all current and future players will receive 101 free Crowns automatically in their account. Crowns are used to purchase game areas and unique items.
This week also marks the unveiling of some Valentine's Day offerings in the game, including a special pet, wands and staves. The full press release can be found after the jump.
Plano, Texas - February 13, 2009 - Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. today announced that over one million unique users have registered to play the highly immersive 3D virtual world Wizard101 (www.wizard101.com ), just five months after its launch in September 2008. "The response has been absolutely overwhelming," says Elie Akilian, founder and CEO of KingsIsle. "We knew the game would appeal to families but we were surprised to see how well the game resonates with the hardcore set. The mechanics are a cross between a traditional Collectible Card Game and an old-school turn based Role Playing Game, and that makes us incredibly unique."
The company is marking this milestone by rewarding the millionth registered player with a free one year subscription to the game, and a statue with an interactive commemorative plaque featuring the Wizard's name has been placed in the Wizard City Commons.
As a special "thank you" all current and future players will receive 101 free Crowns automatically in their account. Crowns are used to purchase game areas and unique items. Several new items that cost less than 101 Crowns have been added to Wizard101 including a limited time commemorative Storm Beetle pet.
"When we created Wizard101, we knew we had something special," said J. Todd Coleman, the Director of Wizard101. "We're thrilled to see that so many people, young and old, agree with us. You can usually tell how well a virtual world is doing within the first few months of launch by how many realms they add or remove. We started with about a dozen and we've tripled since release."
Wizard101 has received high praise for its wide appeal. Dragonspyre, the recently-launched first major world expansion, continues the storyline in an ancient haunted world where players will face challenging new battles and ultimately discover the truth about renegade Death Magic professor Malistaire Drake's sinister plans. Several new Player vs. Player Arenas have also been added where players can challenge each other in either Practice or Ranked duels, with up to four Wizards per team.
This week Wizard101 unveils its special, limited-time content in celebration of Valentine's Day, including a special holiday-themed Piggle pet, and a selection of wands and staves. All items can be purchased with Crowns from a non-player character named Valentina, and all the items may also be obtained after successful battles throughout the game.
Wizard101'sfamily-friendly safety features include a collaborative play style, a chat system with many options and a character name selector. The game was recently awarded a 2008 Parent Tested Parent Approved Media Seal of Approval and has an ESRB rating of E10+.
Anyone with a Windows based PC (that meets our minimum specifications) and a high speed internet connection can play the Free-to-Play areas of Wizard101 indefinitely. KingsIsle lets players choose subscription or microtransaction methods for premium content. Family plan subscriptions are $6.95 per month and general subscriptions are $9.95. Micropayment zones give permanent access to particular streets or areas within the game for as little as a $1.