| Microsoft Game Studios and Turbine Entertainment Software Corp. today 
announced that "Asheron's Call 2" fans will have the chance to participate in 
the making of their next massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) 
through the "Asheron's Call 2 Name That Monster Contest." Those who enter will 
be able to submit name proposals for one of the game's boss monsters. In 
addition to having their name selection edged into the lore of "Asheron's Call 
2," the winner will receive a beta account. The crew at Turbine will judge and 
choose the winning name, which will be announced at a later date.  The boss monster is based upon the Ero-bal, a unique creature race in the 
game. The Ero-bal are Tumerok undead who have lived on Dereth in secret for 
millennia. They continue to accrue new members, either through appealing to the 
individual's greed or vanity, or through compulsion. The Ero-bal (a Tumerok 
spiritual term roughly meaning "prolonged grief") are also sometimes created 
when the graves of Tumerok are disturbed. There are Ero-bal for each caste of 
Tumerok as described in "Asheron's Call Dark Majesty," such as Rea-bal hunters, 
Awaro-bal warriors, and even mighty Tahro-bal chiefs.  To see what this race looks like, and to enter the contest, visit the 
"Asheron's Call 2" Insider site at: 
http://zone.msn.com/asheronscall2/.  "Asheron's Call 2," the sequel to the popular massively multiplayer online 
role-playing game (MMORPG) "Asheron's Call," will advance the MMORPG genre with 
the advanced Turbine Engine G2 graphics engine, providing some of the most 
sophisticated graphics available on a PC. Scheduled for U.S. release this 
winter, "Asheron's Call 2" features a dynamic, evolving fantasy world that 
reacts to players' behavior and actions. Developed by Turbine Entertainment 
Software Corp., the game includes features such as a revamped combat system and 
new in-depth crafting system that gives players a chance to pursue noncombative 
skills. |