Microsoft today officially announced that a sequel to its highly successful massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMRPG), Asheron's Call, is currently under development. Microsoft signed a development contract with Turbine Entertainment Software, who has been working on the sequel since the original Asheron's Call shipped over a year ago.

"With the success of Asheron's Call, committing to a sequel was obvious," explains Adam Waalkes, Product Unit Manager responsible for MMRPG games at Microsoft. "We consider the MMRPG genre one of the most critical areas of growth for gaming and the Asheron's Call franchise is our most important offering in this space." "We're incredibly happy to announce this news," stated David Bowman, Turbine's Production Director. "Not a day goes by where I haven't been asked whether or not we're working on it, and it's a relief to finally say, 'Yes, we are developing the sequel to Asheron's Call!'" Asheron's Call is a massively multiplayer role-playing game playable exclusively on Zone.com (http://www.zone.com/) that draws together thousands of players within a dynamic, 3-D online world. Players can create truly unique characters by choosing between extensive combinations of visual appearance, attributes and skill sets. Asheron's Call immerses players in an intense role-playing environment where they must compete or cooperate with thousands of other online players. An extensive system of allegiance and influence greatly enhances social interaction. The online nature of the game facilitates an evolving and dynamic adventure inside a consistent universe. The game will never be solved because there will always be more areas to explore and quests to complete.