FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NETDEVIL UNLEASHES WARMONGER, OPERATION: DOWNTOWN DESTRUCTION at CES
The AGEIA PhysX Processor Powers Revolutionary First-Person Shooter
Las Vegas, NV & Louisville, CO: January 8th, 2007: NetDevil, an independent
game company and leading developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs),
today announced it is working on a revolutionary new title called "Warmonger,
Operation: Downtown Destruction," an apocalyptic, first-person shooter (FPS),
built around the AGEIA(TM) PhysX(TM) processor, which enables NetDevil’s unique,
piece-by-piece destruction system and is designed to deliver stunning fluid and
cloth-based effects unlike anything seen before. Assets from the much
anticipated, urban destruction trainer, will be unveiled today at the Consumer
Electronics Show in the AGEIA meeting room #73024 located at the Sands Expo and
Convention Center.
“Our ability to combine the AGEIA PhysX engine with Unreal Engine 3 (UE3)
will forever change the way people think and play first-person shooters,” said
Scott Brown, president of NetDevil. “New rigid body technology and
implementation allow for scope of destruction unlike any other FPS currently
available. As a player, you’ll be able to feel the freedom of completely
adaptive environments and the full use of conscious, destructive power.”
About Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction
The year is 2029 and the Global Corporate Wars have begun! "Warmonger" is set
against an apocalyptic setting, when two of the largest military spenders,
PolyChem Oil and General Energy, clashed in a dispute over a large cache of
Iranian oil fields. When the conflict escalated, an all-out war took shape on US
soil. The game is staged for players to take down an entire city; one block at a
time. As maps are won, a larger tactical influence is then triggered in the
next, or surrounding, map(s). Each map instance will play differently as the
sheer destruction of map elements forces players to adapt and find new ways to
win or defend their objectives. Every round leads you closer to dominating the
web of maps that make up the entire city and players have the ability to raise
their ranking in a class, gaining extra abilities for high performance.
"Operation: Downtown Destruction" is part of a longer series involving distinct
periods from the episodic "Warmonger" story.
Unique to "Warmonger" is a destruction system that allows dynamic gameplay to
emerge from the results of combat, where every aspect of the environment can be
completely leveled. Destruction is done procedurally, rather than pre-canned
animations that are found in most games today. As a result, explosives, rockets,
indirect fire, and vehicle combat can literally blow away walls, drop ceilings
and open up new pathways for enhanced gameflow. Collision detection has also
been carefully considered during development, and the effect of destruction
within the environment can be used as a weapon. A sniper can blow the stairs
behind him to block access, but a rocket to the floor beneath him will drop him
down, causing possible death.
“NetDevil has poured their imagination into this title, and it shows in
virtually every aspect of the game,” said Manju Hegde, CEO of AGEIA. “We’ve been
very impressed with what they’ve been able to do with our PhysX processor, as
well as visual enhancements they’ve made to the game by combining it with the
Unreal Engine 3. “The benefits of the destruction system are noteworthy, and
added PhysX elements of fluids and cloth will give a depth and feel that truly
reflect the cutting edge of gaming interactivity.”
Scott Brown added: “The 'Warmonger' concept was developed to bring UE3
expertise to the NetDevil team and position the company’s resources for a larger
deployment of the design. 'Warmonger' is more than a proof of concept; it is the
basis for a fully-realized MMO design that NetDevil will be looking to bring to
market.”
In addition to AGEIA, NetDevil has leveraged the Unreal Engine 3 from Epic
Games for the core technology underneath "Warmonger," and is also working with
LIDAR Services, a Motion Picture CG VFX House using LIDAR technology to create
the ultra-realistic 3D environments and assets for the "Warmonger" concept. Both
partnerships are fundamental to the enabling of feature rich development and
interactive content creation.
# # #
About NetDevil, LTD NetDevil is a leading independent game development
company that specializes in the development and construction of massively
multiplayer online games (MMOs). Founded in 1997, under the inspiration of
Jumpgate(TM), the world’s first massively multiplayer space simulator, the
company carries on a commitment to creating interactive, virtual worlds in
unique and elaborate settings. Led by a development team of talented and
experienced industry veterans, NetDevil has grown to over 50+ employees with
plans to hire and retain top industry talent for work on its large scale
projects in development. All NetDevil employees share a common vision to bring
the mysteries of new and exciting worlds to life as immersive online universes.
NetDevil is a privately held company, with headquarters in Louisville, CO.
About AGEIA Technologies, Inc. AGEIA(TM) Technologies, Inc., is the pioneer
of hardware-accelerated physics for PC games and has developed the world’s first
dedicated physics processor, the AGEIA PhysX(TM) processor. The AGEIA PhysX
processor powers massive and pervasive real-time interactive worlds that for the
first time obey the laws of classical physics. AGEIA provides a world-class
cross platform software development kit to simplify advanced physics programming
for the PhysX processor, as well next-generation gaming consoles. AGEIA is
changing the face of gaming by working with more than sixty leading developers
and publishers to deliver the next generation of physically immersive
entertainment. The privately held company is headquartered in Mountain View,
Calif. For more information visit
http://www.ageia.com