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Marvel Heroes to use Unreal 3 engine

Jef Reahard — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Marvel Heroes

Gazillion Entertainment has announced that it is licensing Epic's Unreal 3 game engine to power the upcoming Marvel Heroes MMO.

The game, informally known as Marvel Universe Online, allows players to step into the shoes of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-man (among others). Gazillion says the third-party toolset will enable its developers to focus on delivering a high-quality game experience. "We [...] love the flexibility we get from the actor components, which have empowered us to make all kinds of customizations without sacrificing the built-in features of the engine," says Jeff Lind, head of Gazillion's Secret Identity Studios.

Gazillion hasn't mentioned a timeframe for the game's release (heck, there's no official website yet, either), but we'll keep you informed as we hear more.

[Source: Gazillion press release]

Marvel Heroes to use Unreal 3 engine originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamescom 2011: gamigo reveals Otherland trailer

Jef Reahard — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous

Prior to this week's Gamescom, blurbs about the Otherland MMO popped up once a year or so, if that. Now we're bringing you the second bit of news in as many days, courtesy of the trailer announcement that follows hot on the heels of yesterday's developer interview at IGN.

The video clip showed up on publisher gamigo's YouTube portal this afternoon with a curious action MMORPG label in tow. We say curious here because "action" isn't the first word that springs to mind when discussing Tad Williams' Otherland novels, nor is there a lot of action in the four-minute trailer. There is a lot of eye candy and appropriately bizarre cyberpunk trappings, though, and all of it is presented through the glossy stylings of the Unreal 3 engine.

The free-to-play title is scheduled to release sometime next year, and you can get a glimpse of what awaits you in the teaser after the cut.

Continue reading Gamescom 2011: gamigo reveals Otherland trailer

Gamescom 2011: gamigo reveals Otherland trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Ultima Online, Humor, The Game Archaeologist

Last week on The Game Archaeologist: Murder most foul! A promising sequel to a hit MMO cut down in its prime, left to die on the front steps of EA's headquarters while its team was banished into exile! With special guest star, Richard Garriott's hair braid.

And now, for the exciting conclusion!

As disappointed that some MMO fans were over Ultima Worlds Online: Origin's cancellation, the truth is that the industry still was young, these MMOs still had their "new car smell," and hey, there was always Ultima Online to play. It was probably the right call at the time to not create your own competition, but if that was the case, EA should've never begun it to begin with.

So did the company have a major case of cancellation remorse? Or did it look at other industry sequels like Asheron's Call 2 and EverQuest II and feel as though it was being upstaged?

Whatever the reason, EA decided that it had been too hasty, and it greenlit development on yet another Ultima Online sequel, this one titled Ultima X: Odyssey. It would go deeper and further into development, gather more acclaim, and generate more hype than UWO:O, and in fact would get within spitting distance of launching.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Ultima X: Odyssey originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking back at six years of Lineage II

Justin Olivetti — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Events, in-game

Released in South Korea in 2003 and North America a year later, Lineage II came out as an old-school hardcore grind just as MMOs like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft and Guild Wars arrived on the scene and signaled a decisive shift toward more user-friendly, casual-accessible gameplay. Even so, Lineage II charged ahead to capture an impressive amount of players -- a reported 610,000 gamers were playing the title three years after launch -- and the game both endured and grew as time progressed.

A six-year anniversary doesn't have quite the gravitas as a five- or ten-year one, yet it's still an accomplishment that many of Lineage II's contemporaries failed to achieve before closing their doors. Travel with us then as we step back in time to an era when MMOs were the equivalent of a dangerous playground, with players leaping about despite rusty swings, harsh death penalties and a never-ending monkey bar grind. Join us as we examine Lineage II's history and seek to understand the secrets of this game's popularity, and what it still has to offer for the contemporary gamer.

Continue reading Looking back at six years of Lineage II

Looking back at six years of Lineage II originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE video corner: "Future Proof"

Brendan Drain — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Lore, PvP

There's no doubt about it that EVE Online can produce some stunning visuals and incredible stories. New Eden has been the setting for countless creative works, some featuring real gameplay and events and others pushing the limits of the prime fiction. Every so often, I come across a video so mind-blowing that it has to be shared. Last night CrazyKinux's Musing pointed me toward an awesome new EVE video that's been seven months in the making.

Produced by Kale Ryoko, "Future Proof" tells the tale of a Caldari militia fleet on a combat mission for the state. Headed up by support commander Firefox of the Chimera "Overlord", the fleet must do all it takes to push through to their objective. Assisting with this twelve minute masterpiece is Veto corporation's Kyoko Sadako, the mastermind behind such incredible videos as "War Has Come" and "The Angel Cartel (Push Eject)". Made using some of EVE's art assets and the Unreal 3 Engine, Future Proof is a video that simply must be seen.

Skip past the cut to watch both parts of the video in HD. The original version is available for download at the video's official page on the EVE forums.

Continue reading EVE video corner: "Future Proof"

EVE video corner: "Future Proof" originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games?

James Egan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, The Daily Grind, Consoles, World of Darkness

We know that CCP Games, creators of EVE Online, is going to announce a new project at GDC Europe in August. As CCP acquired White Wolf, creators of pen-and-paper RPG titles like Vampire, Mage, and Werewolf (the World of Darkness setting), we've known for some time that a World of Darkness MMO is in the works. Unfortunately, beyond the fact that the project exists at some stage of development, we know very little. But this mystery project announcement might not be about WoD at all. We're also aware that CCP Games has plans to release a first person shooter based on the EVE Online IP, which they hinted at during EVE Fanfest 2008.

The latest info we've found about a new project at CCP Games (via @crazykinux) is a job listing at CCP for a Senior Game Engineer. The successful applicant "will join a seasoned team based in Shanghai, China where they will work on original IP for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3." The listing also mentions development on the Unreal Engine.

Regardless of whether they're planning to unveil World of Darkness Online or an EVE Online first person shooter, you don't need to be an EVE player to appreciate how cool either of these releases could be. What game do you think CCP is going to announce at GDC Europe?

The Daily Grind: What is this mystery project at CCP Games? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic Games China reforms as Titan Studios, developing MMO

James Egan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items

When most of us hear talk of the company "Epic Games", the first thing that comes to mind is Gears of War or the Unreal series of titles. While Epic Games had a Shanghai games studio for outsourcing purposes, it's now evolved into Titan Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary based in Seattle. Through Titan Studios, it seems Epic Games is turning their attention to MMOGs, following up their work on the PS3 title Fat Princess.

As to what's going on within the Titan Studios walls, GameSpot's Tom Magrino reports that "an undefined number of unannounced projects are in the works at the studio, one of which is a massively multiplayer online game." Needless to say, that bit of information has piqued our interest, and we'll keep our eyes open at Massively for more about the Titan Studios MMO project in the future.

Epic Games China reforms as Titan Studios, developing MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chronicles of Spellborn launches November 27th in North America

Samuel Axon — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, New titles, News items, Chronicles of Spellborn

Publisher Acclaim Games has finally announced the North American release date of developer Spellborn International's action-oriented MMORPG The Chronicles of Spellborn. The game will go live in the United States and Canada on the 27th of November -- exactly the same day as the European release. Why Acclaim and European publisher Frogster didn't announce for all regions at once, we're not quite sure!

In the press release we received, Acclaim promised that a North American closed beta will begin soon, and directed would-be players to sign up at the official site. Expect fairly standard MMO gameplay, except for combat, which is a little different. You'll actually have to aim your attacks like you would in a third person shooter game.

Spellborn runs on "Unreal Engine 2.5" and features music by respected video game composer Jesper Kyd, who has contributed scoring to games like Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, and Unreal Tournament 3.

The Chronicles of Spellborn launches November 27th in North America originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Release date announced for The Chronicles of Spellborn

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Business models, Events, real-world, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Chronicles of Spellborn

The Chronicles of Spellborn developers Spellborn NV and publisher Frogster have just announced that the eagerly-awaited fantasy MMO will be hit retail release on November 27th, 2008 in Europe. This includes the German, English and French versions of the game. In preparation for this release date, Spellborn has entered into the next phase of closed beta and introduced a large content patch on this last Wednesday, September 17th.

If you've not been following The Chronicles of Spellborn, this would be a good time to see what the game has to offer. Set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, the game uses the Unreal Engine to create an "authentic living world" for players to enjoy. Check out their forums for information on the beta and more details on the game's upcoming launch.

Release date announced for The Chronicles of Spellborn originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, look, another Korean developer licenses Unreal Engine 3

Samuel Axon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Epic Games is apparently doing a good job selling and supporting its Unreal Engine 3 in the Korean market. Yet another developer has licensed the engine for an MMO project. This time it's T-Entertainment, which is working on a "space opera" MMO called L2. Wow, that sounds like the name of another Korean MMO!

Welcome to the club, T-Entertainment! Meet AcroGames and Bluehole; they're also Korean developers using Unreal Engine 3. Oh, and of course you know about Webzen's Huxley, which is built on Unreal Engine 3. Yes, also Korean. Let's not forget the illustrious NCsoft, which already used the previous version of Unreal for Lineage II, and plans to use version 3 for not one but two new projects.

There was an interview with Epic Games' Mark Rein at Gamasutra several months back. He said that Epic is working hard to propagate Unreal Engine 3 in Korea, but described serious challenges -- particularly with customer support. It looks like Epic is finding ways to deal with those challenges after all.

[Via Worlds in Motion]

Hey, look, another Korean developer licenses Unreal Engine 3 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ION 08: MMOs and the television content model (SGW)

Barb Dybwad — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Stargate Worlds, Massively Event Coverage

Joseph Ybarra, SVP of strategic operations at Firesky, the publishing subsidiary of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, presented a session today at ION 08 about the Stargate Worlds production model that borrows heavily from Hollywood and TV models. The goal for SGW is to approach content updates for the game more like a production cycle for television, in which an episode takes a predictable amount of time to complete (14-16 weeks in the case of Stargate Atlantis).

After some background on Firesky and CME, Ybarra showed the Stargate Worlds trailer and launched into a discussion of the strategy with SGW. The idea is to adopt a movie model for the development phase and a TV model for the post-launch "live" phase. They chose to use the BigWorld middleware platform and Unreal Engine technologies in an effort to use proven tools: "don't reinvent the wheel." This allows them to both minimize risk and focus on the content.

Continue reading ION 08: MMOs and the television content model (SGW)

ION 08: MMOs and the television content model (SGW) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 May 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vogster Entertainment introduces CrimeCraft

Seraphina Brennan — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Crime, MMOFPS, CrimeCraft

CrimeCraft, a "gritty, crime drama MMO", has just been announced by Vogster Entertainment for your enjoyment. Hopefully no company will have an objection to the name.

Vogster has yet to release in-depth information for the game, but their website points to a third-person shooter MMO that pushes cooperation via a fleshed out economy and territory control. They've already licensed out the Unreal Engine for the game, so we can expect some fun with physics and a polished graphics system.

Vogster has announced that CrimeCraft will include five classes and feature an advanced character customization system, as well as allow players to evolve their characters through special fighting skills. Gangs will be able to claim control of territory and defend their holds from rival gangs, all while running from the police.

Right now though, the game looks to be a version of All Points Bulletin except minus the police and with alot more dystopia. The game is set in a city where crime controls the streets and the cops can do little more than shrug and bunker down in specially sectioned off areas. Sounds to this blogger like someone needs to call out the tanks.

We'll be following CrimeCraft and giving you more information as it's released. Until then, enjoy their teaser site.

[Via TenTonHammer]

Vogster Entertainment introduces CrimeCraft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bluehole joins vast ranks of Unreal-using devs

Samuel Axon — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items

A new Korean development studio called Bluehole announced this week that it has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for its "flagship" MMO project, which is codenamed Project S1. The studio just started up last year, and is composed of "key members from some of the leading development and management teams in Korea." Specific, that!

Project S1 is being developed for the PC, and according to a statement by Epic's Jay Wilbur, its team has "plans to reinvent MMO design and battle system mechanics." Sounds promising, but it's awfully soon to tell. We're looking forward to hearing more about this project in the months to come.

Bluehole joins fellow Koreans NCsoft and Webzen, along with seemingly countless other studios like Cheyenne Mountain and 38 Studios in using the prolific and popular Unreal engine.

Bluehole joins vast ranks of Unreal-using devs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huxley breaks radio silence

Samuel Axon — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Huxley, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS

As we noted when we named PlanetSide our #3 Sci-Fi MMO to date, it's good to see the "MMO" try on some new (i.e., non-RPG) clothes now and again. That's why we've been keeping a close eye on Webzen's MMOFPS Huxley. Updates on Huxley have been coming in a trickle in recent months. Videos have been released now and again, and we knew it was in closed beta, but Webzen hasn't said much to the public lately. Good news: the silence was broken by an article at IGN the other day!

The basic info is all there: two persistent cities supporting up to 5,000 players in a post-apocalyptic Earth setting, instanced battles with hundreds of players, and differences between the PC and XBox 360 versions of the game. There are also several new screenshots and videos. The game looks a lot like Unreal Tournament 3. Not a surprise, since it's a first-person-shooter running on Unreal Engine 3.

According to the article, the PC version of Huxley will launch States-side before year's end, with the 360 version following about six months later.

[Via XBox 360 Fanboy]

Huxley breaks radio silence originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AcroGames using Unreal Engine in new online game

Samuel Axon — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

AcroGames, an upstart Korean game development company, has licensed Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for a new game. Epic told Gamasutra that the new game is an online title for the PC. There are lots of different kinds of online titles, but AcroGames is partly comprised of former Lineage II team members, so it's a good, educated guess to suggest that the new title is an MMO. Also, Lineage II was developed using the previous Unreal Engine iteration.

Epic VP Jay Wilbur was quoted in Gamasutra, saying: "AcroGames is a promising team comprised of top talent and we look forward to working with them. We are committed to supporting the Asian game market with best of breed development tools, and our agreement with AcroGames marks a significant achievement in this effort."

In an interview published just yesterday, Epic's Mark Rein described the language-barrier-related challenges Epic is having with supporting its engine in non-English speaking countries (specifically Japan, in that article). One wonders if they'll run into the same troubles when working with a Korean studio.

AcroGames using Unreal Engine in new online game originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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