NCsoft not worried about Aion crowds
Doesn't want "low-pop servers".
NCsoft has told Eurogamer that little can be done to stop Aion overcrowding as new customers flood the live servers, causing lengthy queues that last hours at a time.
"This isn't a scenario that's likely to be repeated regularly since it's really just about that initial rush of players trying to gain access to the game," a spokesperson for the publisher told us.
"These next few days we will be calculating data and weighing the ideal time to open more servers. I think that the community will understand how important a healthily populated server in a game with PvPvE is, and that we do not want to go down the low-pop server path."
Aion headstart access began on Sunday, and sagged under the immense wait of 400,000 pre-order customers piling in through the door. The MMO launched proper in the US yesterday, and full European access starts on Friday.
Worryingly, NCsoft makes it sound as if playing this weekend may be a frustrating and off-putting experience.
"We have preparations in place but there is some weathering of the storm that needs to happen," the spokesperson added.
"As players start to purchase the product and the initial first-day excitement calms down, I think you will see better queue times and a better play experience."
NCsoft has thrown everything behind the Western launch of Aion, hoping to emulate Eastern success by painstakingly localising and enhancing the MMO.
Head over to Eurogamer's Aion review for the verdict.