Mythic Contact:     Craig Sinel, 310-406-8212    craig@kaboompr.com
Wanadoo contact:   Tiphaine Locqueneux, +33 1 58 88 69 27 
tiphaine.locqueneux@wanadoo.com
Wanadoo in UK c/o Koch Media:   Jon Bailey, +44 1256 707 767      jon.bailey@Kochmedia.co.uk
Wanadoo in Germany c/o Big Ben:   Markus
Malti, +49 (227) 14 98 59 16        markus@malti.de

 

Dark Age of CamelotTM Takes Europe By Storm
Fastest Selling Online Game in Europe

 DARK AGE OF CAMELOT LAUNCHES IN FRANCE, GERMANY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

PLAYERS FLOCK MAKING GAME FASTEST GROWING ONLINE GAME IN EUROPE

 FAIRFAX, VA –FEBRUARY 25th, 2002 – Mythic Entertainment (www.mythicentertainment.com), creator of the multiple award winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Dark Age of CamelotÔ, in conjunction with its European partners have announced that after launching in the U.K., France, and Germany the game is the fastest selling online game to date in Europe. Dark Age of Camelot continues to be the fastest growing MMORPG ever in the US having sold over 225,000 copies to date. Now having sold over 80,000 copies to retailers since the initial January 21st 2001 release in France, February 1st launch in Germany and February 15th launch in the UK, the game claims the crown as the fastest selling MMORPG in Europe. Dark Age of Camelot is developed by Mythic Entertainment and co-published with Abandon Entertainment (www.abandonent.com) in the US, and with Wanadoo Edition in France, Germany and the UK (www.wanadoo-edition.com).

The game has also received critical acclaim from the European gaming press. PC Gamer magazine in the U.K. gave the game their Game of Distinction award stating, “Dark Age of Camelot is without doubt a class act”. PC Gameplay awarded the game 9 out of a possible 10 and said, ”It looks to over shadow all of its illustrious competitors”. Strategy Player awarded the game 85% and said, “Easy to become utterly addicted.” In France, Joystick magazine awarded the game 90% and said, “The result shows a game which took advantage of its predecessors’ errors while adding its personal touch.” In Germany PC Gamestar awarded 87% and PC Games said “Dark Age of Camelot is definitely the best Online Role-play Game”.

Dark Age of Camelot is published in France, the U.K. and Germany by Wanadoo Edition, with online hosting and support handled by GOA.com, both are divisions of France Telecom. Dark Age of Camelot is the first MMORPG to focus on the European community as well as the United States and is the first MMORPG to be fully translated into French and German. Additionally, all customer support as well as community management are handled in the player’s native language to ensure the best support and quality of service.

"The European gaming community has given us an enthusiastic, positive and vocal welcome,” stated Mark Jacobs, President of Mythic Entertainment. "We believed strongly in the vitality of this community and we are thrilled to see that faith rewarded by their response. We continue to work hard to be the number one MMORPG in the world."

Padoue Lair, Director of Wanadoo Portails, declared, “We are pleased that Dark Age of Camelot has done so well in Europe. We knew from the U.S. launch that Mythic Entertainment had created an exceptional new online gaming experience and we’re proud to be their partners in France, Germany and the U.K.”

Dark Age of Camelot:  The Game

Dark Age of Camelot is a next generation MMORPG and features 3D-accelerated graphics with multiple class and race combinations, Player vs. Player and Player vs. Environment action, a robust trade skill system, and the most comprehensive player Guild system in any MMORPG. Dark Age of Camelot takes place after the death of King Arthur, and breaks new ground for online play with three realms in conflict – realms that used to be peaceful and united under Arthur’s rule. The players assume a character from one of the three realms: Midgard, Hibernia, or Albion. Each realm is based on the mythologies of Viking-era Scandinavia, ancient Ireland, and Arthurian Britain, respectively. Since its release it has been acclaimed by reviewers including; Gamespot 9.1 out of 10, naming it Multiplayer Role Playing Game of the Year and one of the top ten PC games of 2001; Computer Games 93 out of 100; USA Today named the game PC Top Game of the Year; MSNBC named it PC Game of the Year; PC Gamer awarded the game their Editors’ Choice award and 90% rating; Computer Gaming World awarded it their Editors’ Choice award and a four and half stars out of five”.

About Mythic Entertainment

Mythic Entertainment is one of the most successful online gaming developers in the industry today.  With twelve online games to its credit, Mythic has been a major part of all of its distribution and publishing partners pay-for-play games including AOL, the Centropolis Gaming Center, Gamestorm, and ENGAGE. Their titles include some of the most popular online-only games of all time including Spellbinder: The Nexus Conflict, Aliens Online, Starship Troopers: Battlespace, Silent Death Online, Rolemaster: Magestorm, Darkness Falls, Darkness Falls: The Crusade, Splatterball, Godzilla Online, and Dragon’s Gate.

About Abandon Entertainment

Abandon Entertainment is a New York City-based diversified entertainment company, dedicated to creating unique entertainment products across all distribution platforms utilizing both traditional and emerging media.  Underneath the Abandon umbrella of companies exists Abandon Pictures, Abandon Television, Abandon Internet Group, Abandon Ventures and Collision Entertainment.  Abandon Entertainment can be found online at www.abandonent.com.

About Wanadoo

Wanadoo, a subsidiary of France Telecom, is a leading Internet brand in Europe regarding Internet access, portals and tailor-made Websites, directories and Internet business services.

Wanadoo is one of the major Internet media and service providers on the European market with more than 6 million active subscribers (dec. 2001) in the UK via Freeserve, in Spain with Indice Multimedia, and also in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Wanadoo is a leading brand on the online game market via 2 subsidiaries:

            -            Wanadoo Edition regarding production, publishing and distribution of video games on consoles, CD-Roms and the Internet. Its strategy focuses on 3 points: designing games for any platform type, publishing all kinds of video games, and relying on a powerful international distribution scheme.

            -            GOA.com, the leading online game Website in France which gathers a community of 1 million gamers. Its success holds it to the variety of games available - more than a hundred - its community spirit and quality service provision.

 

Mythic Entertainment and Dark Age of Camelot are trademarks of Mythic Entertainment. All other trademarks property of their respective owners.