Gears of War 3 lead gameplay designer out at Epic, founds BitMonster Games
When Gears of War 3 senior gameplay designer Lee Perry isn't busy explaining that he's not an elderly rocksteady artist, he's apparently starting new game studios with buddies from Epic Games. His new studio, BitMonster Games, is comprised of several ex-Epic staffers, and the team is already hard at work on an iOS RPG/adventure game named "Lili." And yes, that means he's no longer working on Epic Games' ... games.
Given the team's past experience, it's no surprise that BitMonster is licensing Unreal Engine 3 for Lili (and future products, presumably). The game's already got a (fairly impressive) trailer for the game put together, which we've dropped above.
Perry and Epic can't help but exchange some mutual back pattery in the announcement, with Perry saying, "Epic has been extremely supportive of our new studio and in helping us build the game of our dreams." Epic is equally excited about the situation, saying, "Given this team's crazy mix of passion, talent and chemistry, and with the latest Unreal Engine tools in their hands, BitMonster has a winning recipe for success." It's unclear when Lili will arrive on the iOS App Store, but we'll let you know as soon as we know more.
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BitMonster Games Licenses Unreal Engine 3 for 'Lili,' an Original Mobile Game
Epic Games veterans lay foundation for indie game development studio with exclusive, long-term Unreal Engine licensing deal
CARY, N.C. (July 18, 2012) – BitMonster Games announces a long-term, multi-title licensing deal that gives the studio the rights to develop its 3D games with Epic Games' award-winning Unreal Engine technology. BitMonster's first game under the agreement, "Lili," is being developed with Unreal Engine 3 for iOS devices.
"Lili" is a quirky adventure RPG hybrid developed for Apple's world-class gaming devices. On the mysterious island of Geos, Lili will meet a number of crazy folk, explore beautiful environments and even challenge an oppressive regime or two along her way. Lili uses an amusing "non-combat" system for dealing with enemies, and, in her introspective way, sorts out a few personal issues for good measure.
"BitMonster is set to deliver the triple-A production values that appeal to discerning players," said Joe Kreiner, head of North American licensing at Epic Games. "Given this team's crazy mix of passion, talent and chemistry, and with the latest Unreal Engine tools in their hands, BitMonster has a winning recipe for success."
"Epic has been extremely supportive of our new studio and in helping us build the game of our dreams," said Lee Perry, president of BitMonster. "We set out to create an adventure that is appropriate for nearly anyone. As a designer, it's exciting to see that the Unreal Engine 3 tools are better than ever, and they provide everything we need to achieve a gratifying and imaginative experience."
BitMonster released today the first trailer for "Lili," which is in its final stages of production. BitMonster will attend Casual Connect in Seattle on July 24-26, 2012. Follow @BitMonsterGames for more information regarding Lili's arrival on the App Store.
About the Unreal Engine
Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics, best-of-breed toolset and scalability across major platforms. Operating on nine platforms, including PC, consoles and mobile devices, Unreal Engine 3 is designed to accelerate developers' productivity for creating high-quality games, applications, training simulations, 3D visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Powering hundreds of games and integrated with two dozen leading middleware technologies, Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 technology awards, including seven Game Developer Front Line Awards and five Develop Industry Excellence Awards. The Unreal Engine also holds a seat in the Front Line Awards Hall of Fame. Epic recently revealed Unreal Engine 4, which offers unprecedented graphical capabilities and workflow improvements that provide unparalleled accessibility for developers building the next generation of games and applications. For additional information, please visit www.unrealengine.com.
About BitMonster Games
BitMonster Games is comprised of six senior developers who headed out to explore the world of indie game development. Armed with inventive talent, well-grounded expertise and the best tools around, BitMonster is currently developing original games for iOS and PC. As long-term veterans of the industry, BitMonster's unique history enables the team to create truly unique concepts that appeal to core gamers and casual players alike. BitMonster invites gamers of all sorts to join the adventure. Visit BitMonster at www.bitmonstergames.com and follow @BitMonsterGames.
Epic, Epic Games, Unreal, Unreal Engine, UE3, UE4, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Development Network and UDN are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.
