O3 Games get professional help
Pro-gamers to help develop next-gen real-time strategy game
While American pro-gaming organisation the CPL continues to talk about working with the Gathering of Developers to create a purpose-built first person shooter specifically for their tournaments, Swedish developer O3 Games have gone one better by signing on a pair of professional Starcraft players to help design their forthcoming real-time strategy game "The Epsilon Conflict". Scheduled for release late next year, Epsilon Conflict is intended to be "the next platform for professional strategy gaming".
Canadian Guillaume Patry and Sweden's Victor Martin both emigrated to South Korea after being declared World Champion on the official Starcraft ladder (Victor in 1998 and Guillaume in 1999), taking advantage of the celebrity status and sizeable salaries available to pro-gamers there. Guillaume has earned over $100,000 in prize money over the last three years, while Victor is apparently a top ten player of Age of Empires, Kingdom Under Fire and Starcraft. "I am delighted to get the chance to step up into a role where I can help developing the next generation of strategy gaming", Victor is reported as saying. "Professional gaming is uncharted water in terms of developer ambitions as of yet, and working together with some of the most talented people in the business makes it particularly interesting for me."