The German games publisher dtp Entertainment has made the surprising announcement that they'll be transforming sci-fi author Tad Williams'
Otherland into a massively multiplayer online game.
The title will be a mixture of several different playspaces, riffing on the series concept of competing virtual realities. One area in particular will be geared towards casual gaming and social interaction, a hub area to be called the Lambda Mall. Eurogamer has the story, along with
a three-page discussion of dtp's plans and goals for this innovative title.
As you can see from
the site's screenshot gallery, plans for the game include several different art styles to exist side by side. At its core the game will make use of an 80s/90s "virtual reality" theme, bringing to mind the Metaverse of Stephenson's Snow Crash or the old-style Matrix of the Shadowrun RPG. dtp plans to make use of the Unreal 3 engine for the project, ensuring that the impressive screenshots are likely to be even more eyebrow-raising in action. The game is currently slated for release to the PC in 2010.
