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Gamescom 2013: Merc Elite melds MOBA with military tactics
Tired of fantasy MOBAs clogging up your hard drive? Bigpoint's got a change of venue for you with Merc Elite, a near-future military MOBA that's now in beta. The game takes place in a future when five corporations now rule over the battle-scarred planet, and players must fight for one side and (presumably) a 10% corporate discount at the commissary. Merc Elite is being developed by 49Games and is the first title that studio has produced for Bigpoint since being acquired in 2011. It's going into open beta this summer and will be playable in a browser with the Unity 3D engine. The title was introduced at Gamescom this week. If you're hanging around there, you can get your hands on it now in Hall 8.1, booth B11; otherwise, you can sign up for the beta on the website. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Bigpoint buys out sports game development firm
The Bigpoint browser monster has gobbled up another game development firm, and it's still hungry, according to a news blurb at Reuters. 49Games is Bigpoint's latest acquisition, and the former is best-known for its winter sports games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 consoles. 49Games is based in Germany (as is its new parent) and boasts around 40 developers. Bigpoint now features over 700 devs and says that it is the "world's largest browser-based online game provider" thanks to more than 200 million registered users. Bigpoint is best known for its Battlestar Galactica MMO as well as its controversial stance on selling in-game advantages.
