NCsoft sends along details on plans to beta test the upcoming City of Villains expansion that will add evildoers to the mix of goody-two shoes in City of Heroes, their comic-inspired MMORPG:

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 28, 2004— NCsoft® Corporation (KSE: 036570.KS), the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games today announced preliminary beta testing plans for the highly anticipated City of Villains™ massively multiplayer online computer game. The plan will reward long time players of City of Heroes™ with beta testing slots for City of Villains, slated for release next year.

Created by Cryptic Studios™, City of Villains is the sequel to the hugely successful and critically acclaimed City of Heroes, which launched in April of this year.

The program will give priority to those who have been subscribed to City of Heroes the longest. A percentage of slots will be reserved for City of Heroes’ veterans, players who have subscribed to City of Heroes for at least 12 months. Those players will automatically earn a slot as a Villains beta tester. Players with at least six months of time in City of Heroes will receive the next level of priority consideration for the beta testing program. Higher character level is not necessarily an advantage in the selection process.

“We are announcing the plans today due to the overwhelming amount of requests we’ve received from our subscribers,” said Jack Emmert, lead designer for City of Heroes. “It makes sense for us to offer this incentive to our most dedicated players. Who else would be more capable of assisting us in the beta test than the folks most familiar with the way City of Heroes works?”

Emmert added, “We’ll be announcing more details at a later date, but the bottom line is that the longer you’ve subscribed to the game, the better your chances will be of getting a first-look at City of Villains.”

City of Villains will provide players with a chance to play the “bad guy” in the comic-book inspired world created by Cryptic Studios. Take on the role of super-powered villains and create your own character using thousands of power and costume options. Then battle heroes and become a true menace to society while plotting your way to world domination.