The Resurrection
With ORION: Prelude we have done things never done before in this industry. We have proven that games cannot fail - only developers can. We have proven that you can release the worst game in the world but that it doesn't need to stay that way. With hard work and an open line of communication you can change anything.
The Trek
Right now we are building up our custom Unreal Engine 4 and getting the backend ready to tackle a variety of upcoming titles. We have recently released a Technology Demonstration video showcasing some of it:
We are currently working on two projects and one is code-named "Project Guardians." It features both competitive and cooperative gameplay in a specialized isometric camera mode. We are building the environments in full and it allows us to get really fun and creative with the camera where we are able to take it to spice things up instead of having it 100% isometric. We are able to show any angle of the environment and we are going to use that to the fullest extent. I also believe that more same-screen cooperative games is never a bad thing.
The Marvel
We're coming off of having developed 4 ORION FPS games in a row (2009/2010 - Source Beta, 2012 - Dino Beatdown, 2013 - Dino Horde, 2014 - Prelude) and we're very excited to tackle a new genre for the very first time with Guardians. I've personally been working in Orion for the last 20 years with some of our other developers approaching the ten year mark. I believe the best possible thing that we could do is to change up the IP and pacing with a Marvel Co-Op game to not only deliver a great product but to better Orion by giving us a fresh sense of air and ideas when we come back to the dinosaur-filled world. This is something worth pursuing for both ourselves but also our fans and the gaming market.
Since ORION: Dino Horde, we've done the dual-development cycle where 95% of the developers are always focused ahead on the future title via content production (3D Artist, 2D Artists, Animators) while Chris and I both focus on the polishing/integration phase (Programming, Level Development, Testing, Other). This way our art team has constantly paid work available rather than 50% down-time and we are making massive progress towards the next title when it's time for me and Chris to shift/focus attention towards it.
The 2nd title is the one that shifts around the most and this is definitely a better quality than it isn't. Being able to turn a ship around and into any direction is much better than having to stick to something even if you don't believe it's the best fit, whether for the team, whether for the demographic you're releasing to or any reason above and between. Anyone or anything that can adapt and re-position is better than something that can't.
We have an amazing Marvel Co-Op game design and we'd be more than happy to move things around to incorporate this project into our pipeline if even remotely given the opportunity. This project would take 18-24 months to complete, a bit longer than Guardians. We don't have any approval or licenses yet and we will only attempt to pitch this once the tech demo is complete. We are confident with the design, the quality and the numbers behind it and are willing to invest in the content to make this become a reality.
We believe Marvel is killing it with the movies and that the fans deserve an equally great game to enjoy. The tech demo is being handled by a very small team of people with myself included. If you agree that Marvel needs a great new co-op game then SPEAK UP and be heard!
*Photoshopped mock-ups using game models and game-ready environments.
We will be catering largely to two demographics: the one that loves the movies/comics and wants to actually feel like a super hero in a game whether it's from proper move sets, awesome coop gameplay, great graphics or amazing power/destruction. The other demographic we are reaching out to are any fans of the old Ultimate Alliance games which we have some aces up our sleeves in regards to that. You can consider "Project Guardians" a test bed of sorts for this.
I want to confirm that what we are crafting is *NOT* an Ultimate Alliance 3, but will settle your appetite all the same if that's what you're looking towards.