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NetDevil acquired by Gazillion Entertainment... last July
We've got good news that also happens to be a bit strange. Remember that new publisher that's now bringing us the Marvel MMO? Well, it turns out that NetDevil was actually acquired in July 2008 by the newly revealed Gazillion Entertainment. NetDevil's Scott "Scorch" Brown says in his post on the official Jumpgate Evolution forums that the choice was made due to Gazillion's shared view on game development. Specifically, the two companies value lots of focus testing, vertical slice development, iterating until things are great and only releasing games when they are ready.The strange part is of course the announcement of an acquisition that occured over half a year ago. We're assuming the delay was due to Gazillion wanting to make a big announcement splash, but it's dark business magic like this that make us scratch our heads sometimes.Is this news and that of Codemaster's chief operating officer unexpectedly departing from the company connected? It's hard to say, but at this point it's anybody's guess as to what's really going on.
Massively speaks at length with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck
With its June launch looming just a few months away, we spoke with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck. Within this interview you can find information on topics such as digital distribution, beta, hardcore mode and plenty more.And if that somehow doesn't sate your thirst for information, then check out our previous interviews with Hermann, which contain all sorts of additional, informative goodies.%Gallery-18375%
Massively speaks at length with Jumpgate Evolution's Hermann Peterscheck Pt. 3
"I think it's kind of fun to be sort of a space trucker, and we're trying to do everything we can to make that role more interesting." I'm surprised at what people enjoy in terms of different experiences.
'Enter the Fray' in Jumpgate Evolution's latest trailer
NetDevil has released a new Jumpgate Evolution trailer showing off quite a bit of gameplay footage, including our first look at the much-promised capital ship battles.It'd be an understatement to say that as fans of things like space shooters, Battlestar Galactica and the original Star Wars trilogy, this trailer delivers a lot of excitement. In fact, we hope that Codemasters and NetDevil can figure out how to get stuff like this alongside any upcoming space movies or television series.June 2009 and beta can't come soon enough, but until then we'll keep updating you with the latest information and news regarding Jumpgate Evolution. Check out the video after the break.
New looks into Jumpgate Evolution
The folks over at MMORPG.com seem to have smuggled a few more screenshots out of Jumpgate Evolution for everyone's perusal. Eleven new images of the game have been added to their online gallery, each one quite gorgeous and jaw dropping. The screenshots themselves are centered around the various types of ships and starbases that can be encountered in the game, as well as some locales like jumpgates and asteroid fields.We have to keep reminding ourselves that this is a very fast paced space shooter that requires both speed and precision, but how are we suppose to be precise when we're looking at how pretty everything in the game is? We just hope they make everything into a blur, otherwise it's going to be really hard for us to pull away from the scenery to shoot down some enemies.
Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution
We got the chance to catch up with NetDevil Producer Hermann Peterscheck on everything Jumpgate Evolution this week. With the game coming up fairly soon, we thought up some rather specific questions that had been floating about in our brains over the past month or two. Exploration rewards, mining, cockpit view, PvP and more are waiting just after the break.%Gallery-18375%
Can the sci-fi genre succeed?
Earth and Beyond. Star Wars Galaxies. Auto Assault. Tabula Rasa. For a genre that dominates television and written media, science fiction can't seem to find a good foothold in the MMO industry past EVE Online. Even the upcoming Stargate Worlds is on shaky ground, and it hasn't even stepped over the threshold into the market. With a genre so plagued by failure, what can a company do to succeed like CCP? Can Star Trek Online, Jumpgate Evolution, and Star Wars: The Old Republic shake the curse?These were the topics of a recent interview between Cody Bye of Ten Ton Hammer and Rob Hill and Kevin Beardslee of Trion World Network, the developers behind the Sci-Fi channel's MMORPG/television tie-in game. The interview covers all manner of things, like how Trion seeks to differentiate themselves from the current MMO market, how they want to interact with their community, how they are handling the creation of the game next to the television series, and how Blizzard's polish mantra can really support a well made game. You can check out the full interview over at Ten Ton Hammer.
NetDevil talks past, present and future of MMOs
Now that Tabula Rasa will be closing in two months, many of us are remembering a similar situation in 2007 with NCsoft's Auto Assault. The game's development team at NetDevil was fairly outspoken at the time about what they felt was a savable game, yet NCsoft saw it as a business decision. One of the most vocal NetDevil employees who tried to save the game was Scott Brown. Ten Ton Hammer caught up with Brown in a recent interview where he gave his current views on Auto Assault's closing, what the company is working on now and a hint at what's in their future."I would never turn off a game." Brown says in the interview. "I would do what I would need to do to make the game support itself, but why turn it off? Especially when there are people that love your game?" With knowing what they know now, Brown discusses how the studio has changed their development process. Their current projects, including the LEGO Universe MMO, Jumpgate and an unannounced web-based game coming soon, are enough to keep this company from focusing too much on their past mistakes and just blasting forward into the future.This interview is part one of two, so look for more from Scott Brown in the second half coming next week.
Enhancements announced to Jumpgate Evolution guild beta sign-up form
For all those space pilots anxiously awaiting the chance to enter your guild Jumpgate Evolution, there have been updates made to the guild beta sign-up form. Basically, the enhancements allow you to manage your guild members more actively. You can remove members, list additional e-mail addresses, and check to see who has filled out and confirmed their information.Any changes made will note effect the odds of getting into beta. In fact, it's probably best to have the cleanest list possible of your members before the official launch date to avoid hassles later on. So whether you've been waiting to add your friend who just built a new system or trying to remove someone who's too busy with other betas, head in and adjust.
The Best of Massively: Hands-on with upcoming games
Massively's first birthday is only a couple of weeks a way! We've been having fun looking back at our first year of coverage -- first with our ten most important interviews, then our most helpful guides, and most recently our top 5 weirdest news stories. This week we've compiled six of our hands-on previews of games that are yet to be released.Jump into the gallery to see what's on the genre's horizon with new expansions, Sci-Fi, super heroes, and more. No matter what your interests, we've got you covered! Click to start >> %Gallery-34363%
WarCry interview sheds more light on Jumpgate Evolution
One of the most hotly anticipated sci-fi MMOs on the horizon is Jumpgate Evolution. Despite the videos, screenshots, and bits of fiction that NetDevil has been releasing to stoke interest in the game, some questions remain unanswered -- particularly in terms of continuity with Jumpgate's previous incarnation and how they plan to differentiate themselves from competing MMOs in the genre. To that end, WarCry has done a Q&A with Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of Jumpgate Evolution. The interview touches on the challenges faced in the development process and the game's relatively low system requirements. In addition, Peterscheck discusses whether the game is really geared towards hardcore or casual gamers. See the WarCry interview for Peterscheck's views on where the game is and what he hopes it will be for fans of space-based games.
PAX08: Hermann Peterscheck interviewed on all things Jumpgate Evolution, page two
Massively: The flying and shooting felt really tight when we got to play it, did that take a lot of iteration to get just right? Massively: Control-wise you guys nailed that, because it took us a minute of fiddling around with the game to figure it out. Anyone familiar with shooters of any kind on the PC will be able to figure it out.
PAX08: Hermann Peterscheck interviewed on all things Jumpgate Evolution, page four
Dude, I dunno if you saw that but I got a nice green item there. br> Massively: That's pretty intense, you're getting flanked. br> Hermann: Yeah that's what I'm talking about.
G4TV interviews Jumpgate Evolution dev, exhibits lots of footage
G4TV interviewed Publishing Producer Michael Rowland about Jumpgate Evolution at PAX this weekend. You can watch the video of the interview right now. Mixed in with the questions and answers are a lot of gameplay video clips.The clips are the most attractive part of the video, but the interview is helpful too. Rowland suggested that the combat has a "more FPS feel" than the "turn-based" combat of other MMOs. He also said that players will be able to level up just by engaging in PvP with opposing factions. There will be three factions in all when the game launches next Spring.Most of that information can be found at the Jumpgate Evolution website, but check out the video for the gameplay clips. Just try not to be too annoyed by Adam Sessler. Of course the game was actually playable on the floor at PAX. Bet you're sad you missed out on that!
Jumpgate Evolution lore: The Bleakstone Sector is rather bleak
The official Jumpgate Evolution website is periodically updated with lore and fiction articles about places in the Jumpgate universe. They reveal information about the game's setting and back story, but they're also detailed enough that they shed some light on what gameplay will be like in the sector in question.The latest of these articles is about the Bleakstone Sector, an inner sector that's every bit as harsh and dangerous as the sectors in the outer frontier. In a binary star system, the planet Bleakstone gives off a radiant glow thanks to the minerals and chemicals on its surface. But that glow is a dangerous siren's call, as the atmosphere is extremely hot and toxic. One domed mining facility and a few outposts in space are the only evidences of humankind in this hostile region of space.There's also a faux news report about a violent attack by The Inferno on the colonists who inhabit the sector.
Jumpgate Evolution combat maneuvers shown in walkthrough videos [updated]
Netdevil is a firm believer that the MMOG genre is missing the galactic action-packed and fluid experiences that compare to Freelancer and Wing Commander. What is not lacking is the marvelous economic system found in EVE Online; however, when it comes to combat in space there's a lot to be desired and growth potential. Netdevil is setting out to fill that void with Jumpgate Evolution. We get a look at its current form in this two part developer with Associate Product Manager, Tim Hodges from E3-2008 courtesy of GameTrailers.com. Unfortunately, what we loved about earlier builds that showed off the first action cockpit view is absent but not removed. Several landscapes and bases show a sense of scale and some combat aspects from the game. The videos don't reveal much detail, but for being in such an early state of development it looks okay. Jumpgate Evolution is due out sometime in spring 2009, and the alpha is underway and there's no official word on when the beta will start. However, beta signups are live on the official website. The second video is available for viewing after the cut.
E308: Black Prophecy debuts with trailer, closed beta registration
Reakktor Media, the brains behind the cyberpunk MMO shooters Neocron and Neocron 2, have recently recently a brand new movie-esque trailer for their new game, Black Prophecy.The game is a futuristic space combat game, a la Jumpgate, in design. By the look of the trailer, there's going to be dogfights, explosions, pretty planets, huge ships, and pretty much everything else you could expect. The game world has also been penned by Michael Marrak, a German science-fiction author, so we can also expect a full plotline and deep world. If the text in the trailer is to be believed, it looks like all of life might be nearing a universal apocalypse?More importantly, Reakktor has also opened the registration for the Black Prophecy closed beta on their website, so if you're interested in flying around and blowing stuff up, you might want to stop over and drop your name in the hat. There's currently no word as to when the closed beta will start up, but we'll keep our ears to the ground for you and will post up the information as we receive it.But while you're drooling, waiting for the beta, you can also look at the trailer on the Black Prophecy website, plus a couple of screenshots, to keep you guessing until the game falls into your hands. Or, maybe go check out Reakktor's other work, Neocron 2, perhaps?
The Daily Grind: Do you want to be a ship or control a ship in STO?
Since we get the feeling that something may be announced for Star Trek fans somewhat soon, we thought it a good idea to be topical.The moment anyone begins talking about Star Trek Online we here at Massively begin to wonder whether we want to play a character on the bridge of the ship with a group of other players or whether we want to just be the ship ourselves. It's an important question because it affects how the entire game is perceived and played. So far we've had three space MMOs where the ship was the avatar. Those games are Jumpgate, Earth and Beyond Online and EVE Online. On top of that, Jumpgate Evolution will make for a fourth spaceship-centered MMO.With that in mind, we here at Massively are hoping for something different from Star Trek Online. It seems to us that part of the draw of both MMOs and Star Trek is working together with a group of people to explore space and sometimes do battle. Still, we're not sure if we're on the minority with that opinion and would love to know what you happen to think on the subject.
Empyrean Age factional warfare exploit identified
Factional warfare in EVE Online, by design, ensures that ships of a much greater ship class cannot engage smaller ships in certain deadspace mission pockets. If you and your fellow militia pilots are in a zone designated for nothing larger than frigates, for instance, you shouldn't find yourself getting locked by battleships fighting for your rival militia. Apparently this has started to occur; some players have found that the jump gates to these zones don't actually prevent them from warping in ships of a magnitude not allowed in such areas. GM Grimmi had this to say at the EVE Online site: "Flying bigger class ships than allowed by the jump gates to Factional Warfare complexes has been classed as an exploit. If you are found doing this we will be forced to take in-game actions as abusing game mechanics is not allowed." So there you go. You might still be able to get in there with something obscenely overpowered and pop frigates like balloons, but you'll say goodbye to your account over it.
Jumpgate's Peterscheck talks shop, massive battleships
Hermann Peterscheck is the producer of NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution. He has a lot of experience working on MMOs -- including the original Jumpgate. For those reasons, Ten Ton Hammer decided he would be a great subject for an interview about the process of developing an MMO. You can read the result now.Apart from the revelation that the game will feature four kilometer-long battleships (cool), the interview was a little bit light on JGE details. But if you're interested in learning how and why games are made, that's okay, because there's a lot of content on that subject.We thought it was particularly interesting when Peterscheck explained the philosophy behind NetDevil's decision to make JGE. "It is very difficult to steal people away from other MMOs so you are much better off going after an underserved market," he said. He also suggested that every single big MMO succeeded because it (to some extent) created a new market instead of converting users in an existing one.
