Namco has announced its first PC-based MMORPG, Tales of Eternia Online. While Namco will be in charge of the graphics engine as well as planning, supervising and administrating the project, the company has outsourced the development of the client/server program structure and the game's systems to the MMORPG specialists at Dwango, who previously worked on Cross Gate for Square Enix.

Supporting Windows 98 SE/ME/2000 and XP, the game will let players assume control over a resident living in the same world as the characters of the game's PlayStation version. In addition to standard RPG elements like exploration, battles and events, cooking and other creation systems will also be implemented. The development team will furthermore include classic series features like linear motion battles and the skill system.

Tales of Eternia Online will be available in Japan sometime in spring 2005, with the beta test beginning early next year. Namco also plans to release the game in South Korea, mainland China and Taiwan by mid-next year.

• Quiter

• Official Tales of Eternia Online Website