By: Charles P. Jefferies
Introduction
We had a unique opportunity at E3 today and snagged an exclusive video interview with Michael Rowland, a Codemasters developer working the upcoming space MMO Jumpgate Evolution. This game will support space battles on a massive scale, a class and leveling system, a customizable variety of ships, and unique space environments. Also don’t forget to check out our follow up interview when you are done.
Game Background/Overview
Jumpgate Evolution is a space-based MMO that has been in development for several years. The game is backed by Net Devil, an independent game development company. Jumpgate Evolution will be massive, spanning an entire galaxy separated into zones with even more sections inside them. Each zone is designed to support 2,500 to 3,000 players at a time.
Exclusive Video Interview
Part 1:
Part 2:
Class/Leveling System
The game has a class and leveling system like traditional MMOs; the class system will be secondary to the leveling system. In the game, users can join factions and clans and take control of areas of space; by taking control of an area, factions can make use of valuable factories and resources and set up defenses.
Teamwork
Teamwork will be a key element of Jumpgate Evolution. There will be many different types of spaceships, everything from individual space troopers and light fighters to capital ships; each will be customizable with a variety of upgrades including upgrades for engines, shielding, and of course weaponry. Teamwork will be key coordinating attacks on enemy bases.
There will be many side quests and easter eggs hidden throughout the game.
Platform Support
Jumpgate Evolution will be a PC-only game.
Graphics/Sound & System Requirements
The graphics are top-notch, with detailed textures and vibrant colors. It looked absolutely fantastic on the computers we sampled it on. Jumpgate Evolution is being produced with user friendliness in mind, and that extends to users computers. System requirements will be quite forgiving: we were quoted specifications of an 850MHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 64MB graphics card. Even those with older systems should have no issues running this game.
The game will also support a wide variety of peripherals, including joysticks, gamepads, the LCD display on keyboards such as the Logitech G15, and even coordinate with the AlienFX lighting system on Alienware computers!
Voice Chat
Jumpgate Evolution will be one of the first MMOs with integrated voice chat; users can communicate with each other on a number of different channels.
Release Date
Jumpgate Evolution has no set release date at the time of our interview. The demo we played was very polished and looked ready for prime time, so our guess is that the game should be ready to go within the next year. Jumpgate Evolution is currently beta testing.
Our Thoughts & Conclusion
Based on what we have seen, Jumpgate Evolution has a lot to offer to the MMO world. The space-based combat will be very fast-paced and require a lot of skill. To quote developer Michael Rowland, “it’s an easy game to play, but hard to master.” The game looks great and has an intuitive feel; it only took us a few minutes to pick up the controls. Make sure you check out our full exclusive video interview above for all the juicy details.
Jumpgate Evolution website
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