MMORPG Online Game for Mobile - Commercial Service Begins in South Korea

A press release was issued this morning that is lofting more than a few brows across the MMO community. Close your eyes and imagine if you will a day where you can play an
MMO on your cell phone. Think that is pie in the sky dreaming? Not anymore...keep reading.

Com2uS begins subscription service for "IMO: The World of Magic," Korea's first wireless MMORPG, following a successful open beta test.

Seoul, July 2006 – Com2uS has announced the start of paid subscription for its MMORPG (massive multiplayer online RPG) for mobile phones from July 18. “IMO: The World of Magic” launched in Korea on June 8 and has been available for free during its open beta test. The game represents the first commercial release of an MMO game in Korea for mobile and is priced at 4,900 (around $5), which includes all network charges.

IMO: The World of Magic puts players into the real-time online world of Inotia. The game is for mobile, but it offers gamers much of what they’ve come to expect from MMORPG on the PC. In an MMORPG, users enter a persistent, real-time online world, where they go on quests, team up with other players to fight monsters, collect items, fight against other players, and try to level up their characters. Com2uS added additional quests, dungeons, and party play options to mark the start of the paid subscription service. Future content for IMO will be added in episodes, the current instalment being, “Episode 1: The Wingfriel Island.”

IMO brings gamers a great MMORPG experience on mobile, as well as offering a gaming experience and subscription plan well suited to the limitations of a mobile phone platform. Com2uS is planning to add functionality that will take advantage of the mobile platform itself: for example, utilizing SMS in the game.

Com2uS hosts the online infrastructure of IMO with 6 servers, each server supporting around 500 simultaneous users. The number of servers could increase as more users sign up to play. To date, the game regularly supports 1,000 simultaneous users.

“MMORPG are immensely popular in Korea on the PC and helped give birth to one of the most vibrant gaming cultures in the world,” commented Ji-young Park, CEO of Com2uS. “We are very pleased to have launched the first commercial MMORPG service for mobile in Korea.”

Profile -
Title: IMO: The World of Magic
Genre: MMORPG
Launch date in Korea: Open beta period – June 8; commercial service: July 18
Servers (hosted by Com2uS): 6, although can increased if there is further demand
Platforms game is currently serviced: BREW, WIPI
Features: Players can customize their characters (name, appearance, skills), interact and talk with other users in real-time, fight against monsters and also other players (PvP), participate in party-based play, take on quests, trade items, and explore.

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