04/29/05 >> Huxley

Genre: Massive multi-player online first-person shooter

Developer: H-Studio

Publisher: WEBZEN

No official site yet

 

 

 

Like many MMOs, character growth plays a crucial role in keeping players coming back. Huxley will be no exception. The characters in Huxley are continuously growing, which is rare in FPS games. Players are able to enhance their own combat styles by obtaining various weapons and new skills, which in turn continuously challenges players to adopt different gameplay styles as they progress. This system is vital in order to keep players interested in the Huxley game world.

 

If all this has piqued your interest, you aren’t alone. WEBZEN is developing a network system that will support more than five thousand players per server. Combine this with the gorgeous visuals of the Unreal Engine 3 and you’ve got gaming heaven. Or will we? What about UE3’s real-time lighting system, the physics engine, and all the other components that can causes headaches for players and developers alike?

 

WEBZEN believes that some of the components will be a burden on the server. So they are developing new technologies to handle these specific issues. One of these solutions is the NovodeX Physics SDK by AGEIA. Another middle solution is IDV’s SpeedTree for the rendering of plants and trees within the game. Some of this is up in the air since they are uncertain how serious lag will be until they have the majority of their systems up and running.

 

 

While all this may not surprise owners of PCs, you may be surprised to learn that Huxley is also being developed for next-generation consoles. WEBZEN is already in discussions with Microsoft in order get this to work under Xbox Live! They are even considering the possibility of having PC and Xbox 2 players play together.

 

From everything WEBZEN is saying and planning, Huxley is looking like the must-have MMO in development. But is there any reason to trust WEBZEN, a company most North American gamers are not familiar with? Just ask the gamers in Asia. WEBZEN has attracted over 56 million users with its products. They’ve already opened WEBZEN America in Los Angeles, CA and are currently recruiting talent to publish games later this year. WEBZEN plans to make Huxley available in all major countries worldwide.

 

The pieces seem to be falling in the right place for Huxley. WEBZEN acquired the Unreal Engine 3 back in May of 2004 and has already worked on the proto-types. They are now moving towards creating the gameplay and will no doubt have something to show at E3 next month. Gameplay Monthly has already made arrangements to meet with WEBZEN and see Huxley in action. Rest assured, GPM will have plenty to say and show once we get back from E3.

 

Keep your eyes focused intently on Huxley, as it will surely be a title worth your attention. Huxley is expected to be released in the summer of 2006.

 

 

< Page 1

 

 

 

Previewed by Alex Hammond