Unscheduled off-world activation! Yes, that's right, we've received a message from Arizona-based developer Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment today giving us more details on the upcoming Stargate-based MMORPG, Stargate Worlds. This comes at just the right time, with the final episode of Stargate SG-1 airing as I write this article. And just so you know, when the amazing series ends, the show will be followed by feature-length films due to be released in Q4 of this year at around the same time as the Stargate Worlds beta.

Don't be expecting any Ori-beating action in this game though, as according to Cheyenne Mountain frontman Joe Ybarra, the game will take place across seasons three, four, five, six, seven, and eight of the TV show's run. It'll be authentic too, with the development team having full access to Stargate costumes, weapons and sets including the city of Atlantis. The map is going to be huuge (yes, with an extra "u"), with as many worlds as humanly possible being modeled to create the ultimate MMO experience.

However, the aim of this game isn't to be an amazingly-high-levelled player; according to Ybarra it will be relatively easy for players to level up and hit the level limit, and the focus will be on PvP and quests. Combat will take place in orbit, on planets, and using RTS-style command-and-conquer gameplay; but if you're not into all that you could chose to be a Scientist instead of a budding Teal'c and play mini games in order to develop new scientific methods and inventions.

If you are a Stargate fan then you'll be happy to hear that members of the SG-1 and Atlantis series are interested in helping out with development and appearing in the game at some point. Lets just hope that Jack O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson) will be on hand to make a guest appearance!

Oh and by the way, I hope you've enjoyed reading this because I am in fact an avid Stargate fan and have taken the time to write this, in turn missing the worldwide premiere of last ever episode of Stargate SG-1. Luckily my HD-R has caught the episode for me! The things we writers put ourselves through...

The community is probably one of the most important aspect of an MMO title or any game for that matter. Without these people, a game will not live long and will eventually perish no matter how great it may be.

Developer Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment knows this perfectly well and that's why the company just hired David Read to man the community manager post for Stargate Worlds. Who the hell is David Read, you ask? Well, when it comes to the wide Stargate universe, most consider him an expert.

In case you don't know, he was responsible for developing the Stargate Omnipedia - an authoritative online encyclopedia that fans around the world refer to whenever they need clarifications about anything Stargate related.

Also, Read has also appeared on various Stargate conventions produced by Creation Entertainment where he appeared on a lot of "Stump the Expert" panels. His last  job was the co-editor of online site GateWorld.net. With all those experience under his belt, Read seems to be the best man indeed to liaise between players and fans.

Lastly, Read was more than happy with the new appointment as he said, "Joining the team at Stargate Worlds is a real honor for me. This is one of the few places where you can work with so many talented people who are just as focused on Stargate as we are at GateWorld."

Well, what more can we add but welcome aboard the Stargate Worlds ship Read!

"So what does this news item mean? We get prettier trees?" Yes, that and more realistic plants, wind effects, and marine models.

What's happening? Basically, SpeedTreeRT, the winner of the 2005 Front Line Award for middleware, is a development tool used to make very realistic plants and trees swaying in the wind. It allows developers to very quickly edit animated trees and plants in real-time. The company behind SpeedTree is Interactive Data Visualization Inc. (IDV), and it has released three press releases dated January 30, 2007, to announce that more companies have licensed the technology of SpeedTree for their games.

Is this news important? Well, if you're a gamer, it depends on how much you value realistic scenery; if you're a developer, it depends on how much you want to streamline the development process; if you're a consumer, it depends on how much you think technological changes affect the quality of the end product.

More details. In case you want to know, the recent press releases from IDV say the following companies have now licensed SpeedTree: Cryptic Studios (known for City of Heroes), Cheyenne Mountain Studios (they will use SpeedTree for Stargate Worlds MMORPG), Artplant AS, Namco Bandai, Epiphany Games, and LucasArts.

They join Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Volition / THQ, NCSoft, Bethesda Softworks (for Elder Scrolls Oblivion), Flying Lab, Insomniac Games, Mythic Entertainment, and a whole slew of other studios in taking advantage of SpeedTree technology. You've seen SpeedTree trees before in Call of Duty 3, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and Resistance: Fall of Man.

A clarification. There was some confusion before that the SpeedTree tech is just for PC games. This should clarify any such confusion. SpeedTree is being used for games for many platforms and is a licensed middleware partner for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. We expect to see more SpeedTree trees in future games for our handhelds and next-gen consoles.

Senior Producer Dan Elggren is again speaking about Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's MMO title, Stargate Worlds. The last time, he mentioned that the game isn't all about combat and that there are "challenging puzzles" that would capture the non-combat action from the show. This time, he talks about the game's settings, quest and plot lines, and the MMO's Beta and inevitable launch. Since the interview is quite long, we'll just serve up the more interesting portions.

When asked how many planets we would see in the game, he mentions that "there will be dozens of planets in game at launch. Players can be sure that there will be more than enough to create the Stargate experience. We will be adding new content post launch to increase re-playability and there's always the opportunity for expansions to add new worlds." Stargates are not the only form of transportation as starships and ring transporters are also available for use.

Then he talked about the type of quests or plot lines the players will be involved in. He was asked if classic Stargate scenarios or new chapters to the already established lore would be present in the plot lines. This is what the producer said about that:

I think you'll see a little bit of both. At launch, our focus will be primarily on Stargate SG-1. The 200-plus episodes provide a great deal of inspiration for quests and plot lines. There’s a lot of material to work with, but we also have some flexibility when it comes to fleshing out the Stargate Worlds storyline.

As for the Beta and launch, he mentions that the game's development is going as planned but it's still a little early to set a date for beta and launch. Interestingly, Elggren said that they'll be making some big announcements soon. Whatever those announcements are, expect us to tell you about them - you could bet your money on that.

Warcry Network wanted to know a couple of things about Cheyenne Mountain's Stargate Worlds. Senior Producer Dan Elggren was more than willing to oblige and provide the answers. Explaining what the game is all about, particularly for the sake of those who have yet to be introduced to it, combat-talk and marketing strategies among others, surfaced in the interview.

Interesting was the discussion on the key differences between combat in SGW and normal MMOs. Says Elggren,

The major difference players will experience is the need for real-world tactics. Players and MOBs will have to use appropriate tactics to defeat their enemies. That means seeking out cover for protection, maneuvering to flank your foes and using firepower to suppress the enemy while moving into position to take them out. Real world military squad-based tactics will work in Stargate Worlds. The last thing we want to see in our world is a bunny-hopping Jaffa.

But combat is not all there is to it for this game. After all, as Warcry observes, it was never really all about gunfights. So of course, there has got to be alternative options, especially in terms of non-combat options and non-violent solutions for "potentially sticky situations."

But Elggren chooses to keep mum about these options. He did mention, however, that there will be challenging puzzles that "capture the non-combat action from the show." He further states that, "Combat is an important part of the Stargate setting, but it isn't the only aspect so far."

For more of the interview, just click on the Read link.

And the gates of Stargate Worlds are opening a little wider with every new screenshot that Cheyenne Mountain releases. This batch of screens gives you a quick tour as to the world behind the gates. Nick Heitzman, the company's Lead Artist, was kind enough to throw in some factoids regarding the picture to MMORPG.com. And we here at QJ are more than happy to share them with you.

The image above is said to be the front of the Goa'uld Resurrection Station. The pics below give you a more detailed look of the Station's interior, as well as the backyard. Meanwhile, interesting to note is the first of the images below, which is actually a sarcophagi. The sarcophagi is where the Goa'uld revitalize dead beings.

Hmmm...so far, this world does seem interesting. Anyway, we'll keep you posted here for more details on the game. Just click on the thumbnails if you want a bigger look at what's within Stargate Worlds.

  

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's to never greet a rabid "Star Wars" fan with a Trekkie's "live long and prosper" hand gesture. Doing that could potentially reduce your chances of living long and prospering. Some people just really glom on to their fandoms. Among all of the fandoms there are in (and out of) this world, space operas have the strongest and most deeply-rooted fanbases.

One such sci-fi space opera is "Stargate". With this, it was only a matter of time before they thought of creating an MMORPG based on this universe. Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment is spearheading the project and Stargate Worlds will base it on the "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" canon, with development already undergoing the final stages of pre-production. Expect to be able to play races such as Humans, Asgard, Symbiotes, Jaffa, and Unas - each having their own factions and classes.

Here are fresh screenshots, and the game's looking good. Seems like this is one title which will, if I might borrow from a fellow fandom, live long and prosper.

It's been a while since we've heard any developments from the team behind Stargate: Worlds, headed by Lead Systems Designer David "Zeb" Cook. MMORPG.com has caught up with Cook at the recently held Austin Game Conference and asked him details regarding the game's progress.

According to the him, they are aiming for  balance between innovative but not-so-out-there-MMO. As a solution, they made tougher, smarter enemies. Monsters will take cover, hide behind objects, fan out and perform other evasive action depending on their weaponry and level of intelligence.

They are also spending time thinking how to incorporate a story into the game. This puts a lot of pressure in a considerably rookie team, since as much as you want to satisfy long time followers of the TV series, you also don't want to alienate (pardon the pun) those that are new to the game. But surprisingly, Cook isn't at all worried that the show's cancellation has any effect on the game's commercial viability.

If you want to find out more about the ups and downs that Cheyenne Mountain is facing, click on the read link for more of this very interesting interview.

Today, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment released the first screenshot of their upcoming Stargate MMO. It has been a while since we've heard much news about Stargate Worlds since its license agreement that it will use Epic's Unreal Engine 3 technology and nothing really new to report on when it will be released either but we can finally see what we might have in store for us when the game does end up shipping.

I personally loved the Stargate movie, but I never really got into the television series. But still, we are hoping this will be a sweet game as it will have a lot of that old Egyptian look with advanced technology to it. So go ahead and check out the screenshot and the art by clicking on the thumbnails and let us know what you think or would like to see in the game.

     
   

It's a show where MacGyver goes to space and beyond, as far as we're concerned. No Swiss Army Knife here, but rather a staff that fires stun bolts. Stargate SG-1 is/was one of the more innovative sci-fi television shows in a long time. Combining interdimentional/alien sci-fi with army fatigues. Too bad, the show's on the verge of being cancelled. For those who can' t wait for O'Neill and Co. to "Stargate-in", Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment (CME) is in the process of developing one of the bigger MMORPGs out there. Stargate Worlds is coming in 2007.

As was mentioned the last time, there will be three forces in a head-on collision in this game, but there's more! To make things interesting, CME and Epic Games announced a license agreement to use Epic's Unreal Engine 3. Expect a lot of free-flowing graphics on this game, folks. All the more you can see Jackson's eyeglasses reflect under an alien sun. They'll also be using the Big World client server technology to ensure the same excellent MMO experience worldwide. The highly available, but very secure server architecture is the perfect companion to the Unreal Engine 3.

With the graphics engine finalized, we will be expecting some screenshots, rather than artworks, in the future. As soon as we get them we'll show it to you right away!