While the beta codes have not been given out for Swordsman Online’s debut test phase on 28th March, eager “businessmen” are already accepting reservations for them. On Taobao, 1 of China’s top e-commerce websites, current prices are at 1,500 and 1,900 Chinese Yuan, around USD 241 and 305.
While the sum may seem small for overseas gamers, do note that the average pay of a fresh graduate in China from a normal university/ college is around 4,000 Chinese Yuan at most. Being 1 of the most anticipated games based on a famous novel, and especially when it is locally developed, has brought much publicity for developer Perfect World.
The English server for Swordsman Online has yet to be confirmed, although a trailer for the game was shown back at E3 2010. The massive delay is due to the upgrade of the core game engine, as well as perfecting several features. Below are a few art pieces of the weapons, divided according to the several playable clans.
