PersistentWorldZ announced today that their Massively Multiplayer Online Community Game (MMOCG), Z-Opolis, having completed over 12 months of testing outside the U.S., is in the final stages of localization and will be opened to select test groups on August 1st. As the game on which Z-Opolis is based has already been running for over a year, and has reached thousands of concurrent users in commercial service in Korea, final testing here in the U.S. will concentrate on validating that Z-Opolis hits the mark with U.S. teens and young adults.

Traditional massively multiplayer online games have centered on a linear trudge through endless battles with monsters and/or other players. Z-Opolis represents an evolutionary step that brings players of all experience levels together through a three dimensional, interactive, virtual-life experience where game play and community meet content and commerce -- accessed anytime, anywhere via the game client, PC Internet, or mobile devices.

Z-Opolis challenges players to live successful virtual lives within a complete economic, social, and educational framework. “However, the key for us is the fact that game play is geared toward promoting positive interaction between players,” said Kevin Hannah, Chief Marketing Officer at PersistentWorldZ. “Violence is replaced by friendship, making Z-Opolis the first truly kid-friendly massively multiplayer online game.”

Utilizing Web technologies, such as browser access and Instant Messaging, allows players within the Z-Opolis community to never lose touch with their friends, and by exploiting dynamic and personalized web content, directly from in-game, Z-Opolis stays interesting and fresh (without client patching).

Combine this with both G-Commerce and E-Commerce and the resultant mix is a vibrant, colorful, easy-to-use, unique game environment that extends the appeal of massively multiplayer games to a broader web-savvy audience that includes casual gamers, both male and female.

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