Lineage: The Blood Pledge CD-ROM Available for Free With Leading Gaming Magazines

More Than One-Million CDs to Be Given Away Starting This Month

AUSTIN, Texas, November 20, 2001 - NCsoft Corporation, the world's largest independent online game company, today announced that the three top computer gaming magazines will ship with free, full versions of Lineage: The Blood Pledge? The CD-ROM will be bundled with the special holiday issue of PC Gamer, the January issue of Computer Gaming World and the January issue of Computer Games Magazine and will allow players to partake of all of the features and gameplay of Lineage. With more than three-million subscribers and 250-thousand concurrent users, Lineage is the leading worldwide subscription-based online game.

Gamers with these free CDs will receive a 30-day free trial of Lineage. After the trial period, players are charged US$15 per month. Players can save money by purchasing four months at a rate of US$11.25 per month. An Internet connection is required to play Lineage.

"Gamers rely on these three magazines to provide them with the best computer gaming information, news and reviews, and we are proud to be teaming with them to bring the most popular online game in the world to North America," said Richard Garriott, executive producer of NCSoft Austin. "These million CDs will provide gamers with the complete Lineage experience and will introduce the game to an incredibly broad and targeted audience."

Lineage raises the concepts of community, player interaction, and combat to new levels with the introduction of Blood Pledges - strong alliances with friends and allies in the game world. Once you've formed or joined a pledge, you can plan your strategy for taking over a castle in Lineage. Win the battle and rule your kingdom, fixing taxation rates to line your coffers.

You can play four different classes in Lineage - a heroic knight, a clever wizard, a nimble elf, or rarest of the rare - a prince or princess. As a prince or princess, you have the unique ability to form a Blood Pledge?enlisting others to follow and protect you in the quest to claim your place as rightful heir to the kingdom of Aden.

Creating a character is quick and easy. Immediately jump into the game and learn the ropes in a Lineage new player area where players quickly level up and learn the basics in preparation for the adventures and perils that lie ahead.  Lineage's easy-to-use Diablo-style interface makes navigation and combat a breeze.

And unlike other subscription-based games, Lineage offers FREE updates that expand the game world to exotic new lands filled with fierce creatures.  Subscribed customers will receive future CDs free as part of the service. The  Lineage Web site has helpful information about playing the game and also includes online manuals, account management tools, news, game support areas and community message boards.