Picaroon
Free to play MMO signed up by Warwickshire studio.
24 JANUARY 2010 LEAMINGTON SPA, UK Blitz 1UP, an initiative run by UK developer Blitz Games Studios, is excited to announce the signing of Picaroon, developed by Nice Technology to the ever expanding Blitz 1UP catalogue. The game is set for worldwide PC release.
Picaroon is a free to play massively multiplayer RTS game, with in-game boosters available to buy to expand the experience. Set in a futuristic world where the icecaps have melted and the world is short of resources, your job is to build up your islands, construct a fleet, forge alliances and let slip the dogs of war! Battles last anywhere from three days to two weeks and the game continues even while you sleep. Also available will be a Starter Pack that includes a high value set of in-game booster cards with the game.
“We’re always looking to help great Indie developers in any way we can and this is a fantastic title that really shows what a small team can be capable of.” says Neil Holmes, Blitz 1UP Producer. “Putting together MMO and RTS elements into a single unified gaming experience is an epic task but one that has been pulled off brilliantly by the guys at Nice Technology.”
Adds Paul Baker, Nice Technology’s General Manager: “We're really excited to be working with the people at Blitz 1UP to take advantage of their track record, experience and contacts to get maximum exposure for our new MMORTS Picaroon.
“It’s great for a developer to see the finish line in sight in anticipation of the release of a new title. We have lovingly developed Picaroon over a year, exposing it gradually to more and more players as it has progressed to open beta. It’s a free to play game that will be monetised through the sale of virtual boosts (specials). Free to play games challenge the developer to provide an entertaining experience for all players, and we hope that we have succeeded in this task. Interestingly, we plan to release Picaroon with three ways of playing the game, for more information go to: www.picaroonthegame.co.uk/blog/1303/picaroon-one-game-three-great-ways-to-play.”
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For developers interested in discussing further opportunities with the Blitz 1UP initiative please contact developers@blitz1up.com
If you are a publisher/vendor/distributor looking for games please contact gamelicensing@blitz1up.com
Media contacts:
For all enquiries, contact Izzy Miller, Blitz Games Studios' PR Co-ordinator at emiller@blitzgamesstudios.com.
About Blitz 1UP:
The Blitz 1UP initiative was launched in 2008 as an outlet for small, independent teams to bring their titles - finished and unfinished - to market on XBLA, PSN, PC, WiiWare, iPhone, Flash and Mac. The scheme offers tailor-made packages to indie developers including PR, QA and access to its established distribution channels. The initiative provides a wide range of services, from design and production advice through to assistance with finding distribution and publishing partners. www.Blitz1UP.com
About Blitz Games Studios:
Blitz Games Studios is based in Leamington Spa and was founded by industry veterans Philip and Andrew Oliver. It now has more than 220 staff and its six divisions encompass mature titles (Volatile Games), Serious Games (TruSim), family titles (Blitz Games), licensable middleware (BlitzTech), downloadable games (Blitz Arcade) and its education division (Blitz Academy). www.BlitzGamesStudios.com
About Nice Technology:
Nice Technology develops and self publishes multiplayer online games and virtual worlds using its proprietary games engine, AliceServer. The development team's first game, Time of Defiance, was released to the public back in the summer of 2002. Since then Nice Technology has produced a children's game for the BBC based on a popular TV show called Tronji. The studio is currently working on Picaroon, its new RTS game. www.nicetech.co.uk