Neverwinter Nights

Bryce Wilson of RipTen: Neverwinter Nights to me as a kid was like Dragon Age to the kids of today. Perhaps one of the best adventure RPG titles ever made, I sunk many an hour into perfecting the perfect party and playing through the game and expansions time and time again...

Destructoid: I know jack sh*t about Dungeons & Dragons (and Jack just left town) and have only played Neverwinter Nights once or twice, but I do know the games exist and they are popular. And now I know that Atari is most likely working on another game in the series. Not only did Atari admit that it was getting ready to announce another Dungeons & Dragons game recently, but it also registered some interesting links pertaining to the game.

Variety: A couple of weeks ago, we posted word that recent Atari acquisition Cryptic Studios was working on breathing life into several Atari legacy titles. Now we've got a few more details to share. Sources tell us that the developer is working on a massively multiplayer online (MMO) version of Neverwinter Nights with an eyed 2011 release. Details about the project are unavailable, naturally, as it is an unannounced title. But this reportedly was the primary reason Atari was interested in acquiring Cryptic late last year. (The developer is currently working on Champions Online and Star Trek Online.) Based on the third edition Dungeon and Dragons rules, NWN is a well-loved franchise. The first installment of the role-playing game was developed by fan-favorite Bioware in 2002. A sequel, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, came out in 2006 to slightly less favorable, but still solid, reviews.

Original Neverwinter Nights dev Stormfront Studios is closing down, due to failure to secure publishing deals for new projects. A company rep explained the reason for the closure to Next Generation: "Frankly, we didn't get pitched, and the project [we were working on] made no revenue." The rep added, "The economy is such that the projects that we weren't winning, ended." The 33 employees at Stormfront learned of the news

In an attempt to attract the RPG gamer to the world of the MMO, Atari will be including a code for a seven day trial of Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach with all European retail copies of Neverwinter Nights 2. The trial will also allow players to experience the new module, The Demon Sands.

Nwvault have official word that Neverwinter Nights 2 has been delayed to Halloween, October 31st, 2006.

Atari, Inc. ATAR, one of the world's most recognized brands and leading third-party video game publisher, today announced that the Company will support a pre-order campaign for Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2 with GameStop and Best Buy. In development by Obsidian Entertainment, the highly-anticipated Neverwinter Nights 2 is set in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS(R) Forgotten Realms(R) universe created by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. HAS, and will transport players back to the embattled city of Neverwinter. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro. The pre-order offer is available now and will give participating gamers exclusive access to the Neverwinter Nights 2 toolset one month before the game is available. Additionally, the pre-order offer will include The Merchant's Friend, a special feature enabling players to obtain powerful items crafted especially for each of the 12 classes.

GamingNexus has posted their report on the Atari Spotlight event that happened last week in Las Vegas. They cover most of the upcoming Atari titles like Dungeons and Dragons Tactic, HOT PXL, Bulletwitch, and Neverwinter Nights 2

Obsidian Entertainment PR representative Brandon Smith : Given the sheer size and scope of Neverwinter Nights 2 and its 50 to 60-hour single player campaign, it was decided to move the global release date of Neverwinter Nights 2 out a month to late October. This extra time is invaluable as it allows fine tuning and polishing of both the single and multiplayer experiences to ultimately deliver a game that exceeds the tremendous expectations of the Neverwinter Nights fanbase.

With the release of the highly anticipated follow up to Bioware's Neverwinter Nights just months away in September, the game's community has been growing in concern over recent months. Beginning with exit of Lead Designer Ferret Baudoin in March, anxieties have continued relating to the future modding possibilities of the first Neverwinter Nights title. In response, both Atari and the PR & Community Manager for the US Forums have issued statements about the situation.