The NCsoft post-earnings conference call revealed some interesting things earlier this week, including hints about Guild Wars 2's beta and release schedule. Plans are to have some sort of public event for the game next year, probably a closed beta, then the game itself will launch in 2011. This is the first time we've heard dates in regards to betas and release, so it's exciting stuff for fans of this highly anticipated game.

The conference call also revealed that NCsoft's other high flyer, Aion, has sold almost one million copies worldwide since launch. Half a million units were sold in the US and 470,000 have been snapped up by gamers here in Europe. The game currently accounts for half of NCsoft's earnings, which have doubled since last year, proving that the port from Asia to the west was a wise move. How will the game hold up after the free trial period ends? Only time will tell, but Aion still seems to have a very strong and loyal following. The fact that it's still going strong in Korea a year after it launched is a positive sign.

Making the most of the approaching holiday period, NCsoft unveiled a Holiday Ascension Pack for Aion players this week, which can be purchased from a number of retailers. The pack contains several potions and scrolls for the game, along with a dye which varies in colour, depending on where the pack was bought.

Hi-Rez Studios proudly announced this week that its upcoming MMO, Global Agenda, will feature voice chat powered by Vivox. Not only will players be able to coordinate their efforts as they play, but in-game news broadcasts will alert them to vital events and victories. Subscribers will also get access to the voice servers while not even playing the game, allowing them to chat to other players while playing other games or just browsing the net. Global Agenda, a spy-fi MMO, is due to be released early next year.

Turbine developers have been talking about the new Skirmish feature which will arrive in Lord of the Rings Online in the upcoming expansion, Siege of Mirkwood. This week, they tackled accessibility to the new feature, how players sign up to it and what happens when the event begins. It's a massive addition to the game, and there's lots to take in, so head over to our earlier article to get an idea of what you can expect to see.

Funcom is still slogging away at Age of Conan, despite recent bad news about the company's financial situation. Although it was confirmed that its upcoming MMO, The Secret World would be delayed as a result of the cut-backs, Funcom is keen to show its still being worked on so this week, fans were offered the chance to take part in the beta. Players that sign up to the re-evaluation period for Age of Conan, then sign up for a further three months subscription, will get a spot in the later stages of the closed beta for The Secret World. If they sign up to AoC for longer, there are some other goodies up for grabs too. If you haven't checked out the game for a while, now is the time to do so.

And lastly, in addition to our exclusive screenshots of the recently-unveiled Imperial Agent class from BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic, a new webcomic was released, updating fans further on the universe they will be plunged into once the game is launched. This latest comic is the start of Act III, and follows the Jedi-killing Bounty Hunter back to Nar-Shaddaa where he receives new orders. Bioware usually release something new each week, so stay tuned for the latest update, which should be released sometime today.

That's all for now, but be sure to swing by today's IncGamers Podcast for our personal thoughts on all the gaming news from this week.

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