Sorry Again, News, and Happy Labor Day!

Sorry for not posting for long periods again. I've been very busy with school and such. Anyway a lot of news has come into the Spiral, including Wizard 101's 2nd birthday! If you look near the bottom left corner of the screen you will see a gift icon. Kingsisle has kindly presented us with to special transformations, a treant and as ninja pig! Now for the rest of the news I am going to let Kingsisle do the talking.

First the birthday announcement.
It's been two years since we opened the doors to welcome students to Ravenwood School of Magical Arts! 

Since then we've seen the worlds of Dragonspyre and Grizzleheim appear, and another world is coming soon. We've fully voiced over the game, added Castles and Lands, Mounts, the Crown Shop, the Bazaar, Crafting, and of course, Pets!For more information about all the updates we've made to Wizard101 in the last year, have a look through our Update Notes. 

There is still a great deal to be discovered in the Spiral, higher levels, new worlds, new spells, new friends and new enemies are all coming with the world of Celestia. I look forward to helping you along in all your adventures in Wizard101. 


Then the producers letter.

My dear Wizards,

Hard to believe it's September already! Time flies when you're having fun!

This summer has been great to KingsIsle. The team has been busy at work making Celestia (and a few other surprises up our sleeves), and we are coming up to our second anniversary. Happy 2nd birthday to everyone!

Speaking of time flying, it boggles my mind that it's been two years since Wizard101 launched! Recently, Massive Online Gamer gave me the opportunity to talk more about the highs and lows of the last two years. You can read the interview in their upcoming September issue.

Ah... the memories. I remember the long hours and the delirium of launching Wizard101 as if it was yesterday... and today we’re there again as we prepare to release Celestia!

We're looking forward to getting more information out about the upcoming updates soon. I know... no fair, but I have to give our team of marketing sorcerers the first crack at announcing the really cool stuff! So stay tuned... I’ll be able to say a lot more in next month's letter. We appreciate your patience while we take the time to make Celestia the coolest world yet. Things are coming together, plans are becoming reality... but there is much more to be done.

Before that, though... we have an amazing special guest visiting the Spiral! I can't tell you who it is yet, but we’re thrilled about her visit! Keep your eyes peeled for news and updates coming soon!

  In the last month, we've spent some time on two important fronts:
First of all, we've released a few behind-the-scenes updates to speed things up in game. We’re very happy to have so many dedicated students, but the number of players creates challenges that we’ve worked diligently to address. Our highest priority is ensuring that playing Wizard101 is great experience for everyone!

Secondly, we're trying to maintain and improve communication with the community. (That's you!) To that end, we're doing a few new things. You'll notice me hanging around the Dorms on the forums a little more on Feedback Fridays. I've been making a habit of it on Fridays because... well... Feedback Fridays just has a nice ring to it! Every so often we'll put up a discussion topic. Sometimes it might be getting your opinion on matters that we're considering for the future, and sometimes it may just be for fun. So far, we've created our own quests, decided which professors we wanted to pick on, figured out names to add to the character creation list, and figured out what creatures we want to become. I've thoroughly enjoyed all the discussions, and this helps keep us aware of what you, the players, want from Wizard101.

We've also partnered with Wizard101 Central and have been doing a semi-regular Q&A there, answering your burning questions. Check it out here if you haven't already, and please submit your questions. Of course there are some behind-the-scenes things we can't talk about (or can't talk about yet), but we've enjoyed spilling the beans now and again.

  Last (but certainly not least), we're trying to incorporate fixes to legacy issues or those little "thorn in your side" issues. Ever sold an item you spent a whole bunch of crowns on? We're going to make sure there is a confirmation for that (and that it's defaulted to “No”). Tired of your Life Minion healing itself when it doesn't need to? We know that stinks, so Minions are getting some love. Are dye costs breaking your bank? We're reviewing those, too. Is selling and buying one reagent at a time getting you down? Us too... so we're fixing it. This is just a taste of what's in development for the next few updates! 

As the weather is starting to cool down a little and transition into fall, we're just getting warmed up with a lot of new content coming your way. Study hard, keep your wands ready, and get ready for what's to come!

Safe journeys,
Leah Ruben
Producer, Wizard101

KingsIsle Entertainment Celebrates Two Incredible Years of Wizard101 

PLANO, TEXAS (September 02, 2010) – Since its launch in September 2008, KingsIsle Entertainment’s flagship game Wizard101 has become one of the most popular online destinations for family entertainment. Over the last two years Wizard101 has received critical acclaim as one of the best massively-multiplayer games on the market. Millions of players have discovered the mysteries of the Spiral, explored hundreds of hours of epic storyline, and joined to create a vibrant player community.

“When we launched Wizard101 two years ago, the team knew we had something very special on our hands,” said Elie Akilian, chairman and CEO of KingsIsle Entertainment. “However, we believe that the success we’ve seen, while extraordinary, is just the beginning. The number of talented professionals working to bring great new content and capabilities to Wizard101 continues to grow. For everyone who loves and plays this game, it will just keep getting better.”

In early Fall, the next chapter in the Wizard101 story will begin with the introduction of the world of Celestia, the game’s largest and most ambitious expansion to date. In Celestia, Wizards will achieve new heights of power as they progress to level 60, discover extraordinary new spells, venture beneath the ocean and learn the deepest secrets of long-forgotten magic.

To promote the launch of the new world, later this month KingsIsle will launch a quest featuring one of the hottest teen icons on the planet. The quest, which will introduce players to new underwater environments and preview features of the upcoming Celestia expansion, will be available to all players in the game. 

“Wizard101 raced past the 10-million player mark in June and continues to grow every day,” said J. Todd Coleman, vice president and creative director of Wizard101. “This is an amazing time for KingsIsle, as Wizard101 seems to have hit a tipping point. With the upcoming launch of Celestia, the future looks incredibly exciting.”

In Wizard101, kids and families enter the magical world of Wizard City as student Wizards setting out to hone their skills, cast spells and summon powerful creatures to fight evil forces. The characters and worlds of Wizard101 are influenced by literature, history and pop culture, giving the game a depth and quality appreciated by families and players of all ages.

Wizard101 can be downloaded at www.Wizard101.com. Players seeking access to premium areas and items may purchase pre-paid cards in participating stores or purchase a subscription or Crowns online. New worlds, activities, pets and Wizard clothing are periodically added to the game, creating an ever-changing world with new things to see and do.

About KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc.
KingsIsle Entertainment is a developer and publisher that specializes in creating high-quality massively multiplayer online games which provide entertainment for the entire family. Wizard101, KingsIsle’s flagship property, has received the Parent Tested Parent Approved Media Seal of Approval in 2009 and has been recognized by the National Parenting Publications Awards. Wizard101 was named the #1 Best Family/All Age Game by Beckett Massive Gamer Magazine, and the #1 Best Family Game by MMORPG.com for 2009. The company’s experienced and creative team is raising the bar in online entertainment by offering products with rich storylines, friendly navigation, top-quality art and fully-voiced characters. KingsIsle is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and has a development studio in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.kingsisle.com.

KingsIsle and Wizard101 are trademarks or registered trademarks of KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc.




O wow that was a lot of news I even highlighted (in dark blue) special parts for you guys. Well anyway Happy Labor Day. Remember all those hardworking professors, Marleybonians, and even young wizards!


See ya in the spiral!