The biggest MMO launch of the year occurred today as Aion was released in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. NCsoft sold nearly 450,000 copies of the game before the launch, which means more players pre-ordered Aion than any other MMO this year. The company will celebrate a second launch on Friday when Aion is released in Europe.

The official Aion launch trailer has also been added the the game's revamped Web site, so check it out to get a glimpse of this gorgeous game in action. So are any ZAM users out there playing Aion? Let us know! Whether you've entered the world of Atreia yet or not, check out our Aion forums and wiki for more details and to discuss the game. More information on the launch can be found below.

SEATTLE, Washington – September 22, 2009 – The entertainment phenomenon that has taken Asia by storm and has wowed hundreds of thousands of beta testers in North America and Europe has finally arrived. NCsoft®, the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today released, Aion™, its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) game in retailers across North America.

Having sold out of its Limited Collector’s Edition version and tallying more preorders than any other massively multiplayer online (MMO) game this year, Aion’s release marks the biggest MMO launch of the year and is already being touted as one of the must-have games this holiday season. Aion also released today in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore and launches this Friday, September 25, in Europe.

In Aion, gamers explore a celestial world of breath-taking beauty and epic adventure. Players create either winged Elyos or Asmodian avatars, sworn enemy races that discover a common foe: the twisted and depraved Balaur. Aion is among the biggest MMO games in the East and has wowed millions of gamers with its breathtaking graphics, innovative gameplay and engrossing story.

“We’re extremely excited to finally deliver the game to Western audiences and believe they will enjoy Aion as much as Eastern players have,” said Jaeho Lee, CEO NCsoft West. “The effort we put into Westernizing Aion is unprecedented in our industry. Players will experience a completely rewritten storyline spanning more than two-million words, along with a variety of enhancements specifically for Western audiences.”

Consumer excitement for Aion has been steadily building in the recent months leading up to the game’s launch. Aion’s preorder sales have exceeded expectations, and the game has remained ranked among the top games on both Steam and Direct to Drive throughout the preorder period. Having sold nearly 450,000 copies before launch, Aion has established the benchmark as the biggest MMO release of the year. Aion is available at retailers such as NCsoft.com, Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games Canada, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Steam, Target and Wal-Mart.

Unlike any MMO before it, Aion is a uniquely crafted online experience where flight offers much more than just a way to explore the landscape – it is a strategic and integral part of combat, quests, and exploration. Players will dive into battle and plunge through thousands of unique, story-driven quests, all while trying to save a world literally shattered in half from centuries of brutal conflict. Using one of the most flexible and in-depth character customization systems ever featured in an MMO, players will be able to create genuinely distinct characters and explore a visually stunning world of ethereal beauty brimming with otherworldly inhabitants, mysterious enemies, and ancient secrets.