Nevrax has just announced that The Saga of Ryzom has gone gold!  The game will begin shipping to retail stores the week of September 20, 2004.  Here is the official press release:

Paris, France - September 7th, 2004 -TriSynergy and Nevrax confirmed today that Nevrax's graphically stunning MMORPG The Saga of Ryzom has entered manufacturing and will begin shipping to retail stores throughout North America the week of September 20. "The Saga of Ryzom has gone gold," said David Cohen Corval, CEO of Nevrax. "In a few weeks, gamers worldwide will be able to join the saga and become heroes of Atys." Featuring an immersive player-driven storyline, a dynamic ecosystem, groundbreaking mass combat mechanics, and lush graphics, The Saga of Ryzom is the answer to the prayers of massively multiplayer gamers seeking a fresh, compelling experience in a true virtual world. The Saga of Ryzom is currently in Open Beta. More than 155,000 beta accounts have been registered so far. For those interested in participating in the Open Beta: The Open Beta officially started at 5:00am (ET)/9:00 am GMT on Monday August 30th. It will end Tuesday, September 14th. You will need a valid account to participate. If you need an account, register here! Client downloads are available via BitTorrent, direct download, and on Fileplanet GameDAILY, and DLX Gamespot. All civilizations and territories are available. Gamers who pre-order The Saga of Ryzom before launch receive exclusive benefits, including access to the advanced testing server, where new content is introduced first, and a special in-game item, the Armlet of Atys. Ryzom is available by pre-order from EB, Gamestop, and Amazon.