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Capcom to provide Lost Planet 2's game engine to its external studios
Capcom's practices haven't changed much over the years. The company has been using MT Framework -- an internal engine designed for multiplatform use -- for quite some time now. It's powered many games over the years, including Dead Rising, Devil May Cry 4, and Resident Evil 5. With the release of Lost Planet 2, however, the company is poised to introduce the next evolution of its multiplatform engine, MT Framework 2.0. Capcom has high hopes for 2.0, and is actually going to provide the engine to its external contract studios, RE5 producer Jun Takeuchi told Game Watch. This is a first for the company, which used the first engine as its be-all, end-all means for making games. MT Framework 1 was always designed to be an internal engine; Capcom saw MT Framework 1 as an essential tool of its own to create games. After having great success with the engine over many years, however, folks started asking about using it. So, Capcom kept that in mind when creating the new engine, which the company said won't be outsourced as part of its business (like Epic does with its Unreal Engine, for example), but, again, will be provided to its external contract studios for use. [Via Andriasang]
Lost Planet 2 details: customizable characters, team health
New details for Capcom's Lost Planet 2 have surfaced revealing the story's change of focus and a combined team power bar. According to a first-look article in the latest OXM, the game no longer includes a core character instead players create and fully customize their own solider for the ice cold war zone. Teams are comprised of four characters -- with four player co-op -- that each sport their own health bar (aka thermal energy reserves) but teams also share a combined power meter. The "Team Military Power Bar" reacts to team actions, depleting when a downed member of your squad respawns for example. It appears that Lost Planet 2 attempts to increase the scope of the action instead of the original game's plot. Teams can attack foes with many different strategies with various weapons, new melee moves (described as, "a little like the chainsaw in Gears of War") and VS units (Lost Planet's mech-like suits) at their disposal. If that isn't enough to whet your appetite for the surprising sequel, OXM describes a battle against a three-story high boss that ends with a team member jumping inside of the downed creature's mouth (presumably in search of Luke Skywalker). Lost Planet 2 is currently planned for the Xbox 360 but other platforms are still a possibility. [Via CVG] %Gallery-45837%
Lost Planet 2 to feature 4-player online co-op
Capcom has officially confirmed one of the more exciting features found in Lost Planet 2's announcement trailer: "The intense and action packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players online to clear mission objectives with friends." Based on the initial gameplay footage, said mission objectives generally involve coordinated mech maneuvers and wanton destruction of the titular planet's more unfriendly creatures. The press release also provides a general outline of the story, which takes place 10 years after the amnesia-riddled and ironically forgettable exploits of Lost Planet's Wayne Holden. Players will now take control of several customizable snow pirates "as plot threads evolve from various perspectives." Capcom promises to deliver more information on Lost Planet 2 over the coming months. At this time, the game has only been confirmed to be in development for the Xbox 360.%Gallery-45837%
