Emil Chronicle Online

Emil Chronicle Online
Developer(s)Headlock
Publisher(s)Gravity
BROCCOLI
Composer(s)
ACE+
  • CHiCO)
  • Kenji Hiramatsu
  • Tomori Kudo
  • Greenwich Fields
[1][2]
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • JP: November 24, 2005
Genre(s)MMORPG
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Emil Chronicle Online (Japanese: エミル・クロニクル・オンライン), often referred to as ECO, was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Headlock and published by GungHo. It was first released in Japan on November 24, 2005 for Microsoft Windows. Gravity purchased the worldwide distribution rights for all regions except Japan from GungHo Online Entertainment Inc. in November 2005.[3]

On December 18, 2006, Infocomm Asia Holdings licensed the game for release in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Currently, there is no set release date for this version.

On January 17, 2007, The9 licensed the game for Mainland China. On May 9, 2007, Gravity partnered with NHN Corp. to bring "Gravity Zone", a portal website which will eventually "offer up to 12 online games and "Emil Chronicle Online" will be the first online game offered through "Gravity Zone" commencing from the end of May 2007".[4]

Run Up has obtained the distribution rights for Malaysia and Singapore from Gravity. Run Up launched the official Malaysia and Singapore web sites for the game on July 3, 2009.[5] Run Up had a closed beta test for the game from July 8, 2009 through July 22, 2009.[6][7] An Open Beta is scheduled to go live on September 30, 2009. However RunUp has decided to close down the game after one year.[8]

For Indonesia WaveGame has obtained the distribution rights from Gravity. WaveGame had a Closed Beta Test from July 23, 2009 through August 6, 2009.[9] The Open Beta has also gone live as of August 27, 2009.[10] The game was also closed down after 3 years on October 4, 2012.[11]

As of 2024, no servers for the game are online, with GungHo Online Entertainment announcing that the Japanese server would be shut down on August 31, 2017, citing the impossible task of keeping up with modern players’ demands.

  1. ^ Emil Chronicle Online Original Soundtrack (Media notes). AVCD-17943. Avex Trax. 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Emil Chronicle Online OST Vol.2 ~Door of Neogenesis~ (Media notes). AVCD-23308/9. Avex Trax. 2007. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Gravity Co., Ltd, Form 20-F, Filing Date Jun 30, 2006". secdatabase.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Gravity Co., Ltd. "Press Releases". PRIME NEWSWIRE.
  5. ^ Run Up Game Distribution & Development Sdn. Bhd. "ECO Official Website Launched". Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  6. ^ Run Up Game Distribution & Development Sdn. Bhd. "ECO Closed Beta Commencement". Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  7. ^ Run Up Game Distribution & Development Sdn. Bhd. "Close Beta comes to an end". Archived from the original on 2009-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  8. ^ Run Up Game Distribution & Development Sdn. Bhd. "Emil Chronicle Online Open Beta". Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  9. ^ WaveGame. "ECO Indonesia CBT Closing".[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ WaveGame. "ECO Indonesia OBT". Archived from the original on 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  11. ^ IndoGamers. "WaveGame Announces Closing Down of Indonesian Emil Chronicle Online Server".