Kotaku has posted the newest Aion video tour, and this one focuses on the Beluslan zone. The area is covered in ice, and the official tour guide tell us why: "Kurngalfsberg, once a thriving city, fell under the disapproving gaze of Ereshkigal, one of the Dragon Lords in the world of Aion, and in a fit of ire he encased it in ice. ... Kistenian and his fellow Flame Daevas hope to breathe life back into it with the help of the ancient tree people, the Elim."

If you've watched the video and are still curious about what's going on at NCsoft, you can read a letter written to the community by Lance Stites, the executive producer a NCsoft West's game production studio. The letter basically updates readers on staff additions and changes to the Lineage, Exteel, Lineage II and Aion teams.

Stites lists some of the tasks that are being completed as Aion nears its September launch date. "I know that many fans are extremely anxious, impatient even, awaiting the release of Aion. I can assure you the team is fully engaged in the release of this product," he said. You can read the full letter below.

According to a post on the official Lineage Web site, a double experience event is currently under way and will run until Wednesday, June 3. Also, all polymorphs are unlocked during the festivities.

Now seems like a good time to log in and level your characters, so enjoy your weekend in Lineage!

A recent status update on the Lineage Web site has stated the upcoming content update has been delayed because the "operations team has been working around the clock on updates for all of our NCsoft products and they continue to be incredibly busy."

On the bright side, a dedicated Lineage operations team member from Korea is being brought in to work on content updates for the game. Also, the team is moving forward with the events they've been planning, such as the Karma event and next Boss Island event. Both of those events are scheduled to go live in the summer months.

You can read the full status update below.

NCsoft has reported its earning for the first quarter of 2009 and the company has seen sharp quarter-to-quarter increases in sales, operating profit and net profit. According to a press release, on a consolidated basis sales came to $107.7 million, which is a 34% quarter-to-quarter increase; operating profit came to $34.3 million, a 221% increase; and net profit came to $27 million, a 422% increase.

In first quarter sales by region, Korea brought in $72 million, which is incredibly high compared to Japan's $14.6 million and North America's $8.7 million. According to the release, "The successful launch of Aion influenced sales growth in Korea and expected sales of the Lineage series increased the significance of Japan. On the other hand, a decrease in Guild Wars sales due to no retail expansion package releases this quarter led to a drop of sales in the North American and European regions."

Quarter-to-quarter sales of Lineage and Lineage II increased 23% and 33%, respectively. Sales of Aion jumped up 34%, while sales of City of Heroes and Guild Wars stayed low at 5% and 3%, respectively. You can read the full press release after the jump.

Over the years many of us have fallen in love with Lineage. I have some extremely fond memories from the L2 beta and in many ways, it lead to my first job in the industry over at WarCry. So what's going on with the genre nowadays? Quite a bit actually! We had the chance to sit down with Sam Han, Lineage II Producer for NCsoft West and Young Park, the original Lineage Production Assistant for NCsoft West to talk about it.

Tamat : Hello there! Thanks for joining me to talk about the Lineage franchise.

Sam Han : Hello Allakhazam!

Tamat : When did you start working on the Lineage franchise?

Sam Han : I’ve worked on Lineage 2 since 2004. Like many producers in the MMO industry, I started as a GM (Game Master) and worked my way up to a producer position this year.

The Fall Festival recently kicked off in Lineage, and you have until Dec. 1 to collect pumpkins for numerous rewards, including pumpkin armor, swords and hats.

One year ago, tragedy befell a small Pumpkin Village. The village was preparing to celebrate their annual Fall Festival when they heard a huge explosion! Thick black smoke covered the small village and there were ominous black clouds in the sky. This event marked the beginning of the destruction of Pumpkin Village by an evil turkey lord and his minions. Now the turkey lord has Aden on his mind and he is headed to our lands to try and take it over!

You can read all about the event here or after the jump.

NCsoft announced today in a press release that it is revitalizing the original Lineage franchise in North America with the launch of two new updates: Episode 6 and Episode U.

The release of Episode 6 and Episode U adds many new encounters, such as battling Varlok in Desire Cavern, confronting hordes of pirates from the Ship Graveyard, and exploring the new Haunted House and the rebuilt town of Gludin. Players may also spend time learning to cook or fish, or may choose to enter their pets in organized fighting matches.

The full patch notes for both episodes can be found here. Also, be sure to check out the newly designed Lineage.com Web site. NCsoft's press release regarding the announcement is after the jump.