I really have to hand it to NCSoft at this point. In my own opinion, I'm already getting a huge deal on playing "City of Heroes", paying $14.99 per month to play. Many feel this is wrong; however, the developers are constantly adding new content, powersets, costumes...well, improving ALL aspects of the game constantly. That's worth the $14.99 a month to this cheap bast....er, hero.

Anyway, they planned another MMO by the name of "City of Villains" (CoV) in which you now play a villain instead of a hero. They also added in "zones" in the game where heroes on "CoH" and villains on "CoV" can battle each other. That's exciting in itself....which makes this press release even a hell of a lot better.

Quote: Press ReleaseSource: NCsoft NCsoft Unveils Single Subscription Rate for City of Villains and City of Heroes Players Thursday October 6, 12:00 am ET City of Villains and City of Heroes Customers Can Play Both Games for the Single Subscription Rate of $14.99 Per Month ALCATRAZ ISLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 2005--NCsoft® North America has announced that customers will be able to subscribe to two of its massively multiplayer online games, City of Villains(TM) and City of Heroes®, for the subscription price of one. Subscribers to City of Villains and City of Heroes will have only a single subscription fee of $14.99 per month to have full access to both games. City of Villains, a stand-alone sequel to last year's hit, City of Heroes, is expected to be released on October 31, with a subscription price of $14.99 per month. The pricing plan means that current City of Heroes subscribers need only purchase City of Villains to play and enjoy features from both games. The games were developed by Cryptic Studios(TM). Along with the value of being able to play the two games for $14.99, players will receive four additional character slots per game server, and access to crossover areas from both games such as player-versus-player zones in City of Villains. Additionally, City of Heroes' players who subscribe to both games will have access to the base building and base raids featured in City of Villains. "This single subscription rate for subscribers to City of Villains and City of Heroes represents a great value for our customers and demonstrates our efforts to put our players first," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "We expect City of Villains to have a major impact on the PC games business, and this pricing structure should help continue to bring in new customers to the online, multiplayer game market." "Both games can be played on their own and will provide satisfying and exciting online adventures," said Jack Emmert, creative director for Cryptic Studios, "By keeping the cost to $14.99 for subscribers to both games, we are encouraging players to use all of the functionality we built into the games. We created a heroes game and a villains game and we figured it is a lot more fun to have good guys and bad guys tangle without charging double for the opportunity to do so." The announcement of the pricing structure was made at a City of Villains preview event on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.

D4mn...ya beat me to the punch by a whole hour
I'm officially stoked now. This news is a nice change of pace from all of the contention surrounding i5.