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GDC: CryEngine for virtual world

Avatar takes us to Mars.

Recently founded online community firm Avatar Reality has announced that it has licensed CryENGINE 2 from German developer Crytek for use in its forthcoming massively multiplayer virtual world project.

The company plans to use Crytek's advanced engine to build a world based on a vision of what Mars may look like following a terraforming project, and will allow players to live out fantasy lives in the environment.

Honolulu based Avatar was founded by a number of industry veterans including Blue Lava founder Henk Rogers, former Square Enix and EA chief technical officer Kazuyuki Hashimoto, Tetris creator Alexy Pajitnov and former Nintendo America president Minoru Arakawa.

Head over to GamesIndustry.biz for the full story.