NetDevil, an independent game company and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today announced it is working on a new title called "Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction," an apocalyptic, first-person shooter (FPS), built around the AGEIA PhysX processor, which enables NetDevil’s unique, piece-by-piece destruction system and is designed to deliver stunning fluid and cloth-based effects unlike anything seen before.

“Our ability to combine the AGEIA PhysX engine with Unreal Engine 3 (UE3) will forever change the way people think and play first-person shooters,” said Scott Brown, president of NetDevil. “New rigid body technology and implementation allow for scope of destruction unlike any other FPS currently available. As a player, you’ll be able to feel the freedom of completely adaptive environments and the full use of conscious, destructive power.”

About Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction

The year is 2029 and the Global Corporate Wars have begun! "Warmonger" is set against an apocalyptic setting, when two of the largest military spenders, PolyChem Oil and General Energy, clashed in a dispute over a large cache of Iranian oil fields. When the conflict escalated, an all-out war took shape on US soil. The game is staged for players to take down an entire city; one block at a time. As maps are won, a larger tactical influence is then triggered in the next, or surrounding, map(s). Each map instance will play differently as the sheer destruction of map elements forces players to adapt and find new ways to win or defend their objectives. Every round leads you closer to dominating the web of maps that make up the entire city and players have the ability to raise their ranking in a class, gaining extra abilities for high performance. "Operation: Downtown Destruction" is part of a longer series involving distinct periods from the episodic "Warmonger" story.

Unique to "Warmonger" is a destruction system that allows dynamic gameplay to emerge from the results of combat, where every aspect of the environment can be completely leveled. Destruction is done procedurally, rather than pre-canned animations that are found in most games today. As a result, explosives, rockets, indirect fire, and vehicle combat can literally blow away walls, drop ceilings and open up new pathways for enhanced gameflow. Collision detection has also been carefully considered during development, and the effect of destruction within the environment can be used as a weapon. A sniper can blow the stairs behind him to block access, but a rocket to the floor beneath him will drop him down, causing possible death.

“NetDevil has poured their imagination into this title, and it shows in virtually every aspect of the game,” said Manju Hegde, CEO of AGEIA. “We’ve been very impressed with what they’ve been able to do with our PhysX processor, as well as visual enhancements they’ve made to the game by combining it with the Unreal Engine 3. “The benefits of the destruction system are noteworthy, and added PhysX elements of fluids and cloth will give a depth and feel that truly reflect the cutting edge of gaming interactivity.”

Scott Brown added: “The 'Warmonger' concept was developed to bring UE3 expertise to the NetDevil team and position the company’s resources for a larger deployment of the design. Warmonger' is more than a proof of concept; it is the basis for a fully-realized MMO design that NetDevil will be looking to bring to market.”

In addition to AGEIA, NetDevil has leveraged the Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games for the core technology underneath "Warmonger," and is also working with LIDAR Services, a Motion Picture CG VFX House using LIDAR technology to create the ultra-realistic 3D environments and assets for the "Warmonger" concept. Both partnerships are fundamental to the enabling of feature rich development and interactive content creation.

Screenshots to follow.