reakktor-media posts

The aesthetics of Black Prophecy's Genide faction

by James Egan Nov 10th 2009 at 1:15PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Black Prophecy

We had some good news about Black Prophecy the other day and how things are looking up for the game's developer Reakktor Media. We're hoping more info will be revealed about the game in the coming months, and now they've released a dev blog on the art direction of the game's Genide faction. Whereas the Tyi faction is a cybernetic offshoot of humanity the Genides embrace biogenetic manipulation in their pursuit of perfection. The aesthetics of what the Genides have become is the focus of Black Prophecy Art Director Nick Ebenhoch's dev diary.

Nick kicks it off by explaining the significance of the Genide faction logo and what the symbol was designed to represent. Unlike the more utilitarian Tyi faction which favors a modular complexity, the Genide's cleaner, minimalist aesthetic sense permeates everything they create. This is seen in the smooth and tall look of their various space ships, which have vertical wing orientation rather than the standard horizontal orientation typically seen on such vessels, explains Nick.

Tags: aesthetics, art-direction, art-director, black-prophecy, cockpits, dev-blog, dev-diary, factions, genide, genides, new-titles, nick-ebenhoch, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi, tyi

Reakktor Media financial woes resolved, full speed ahead for Black Prophecy

by James Egan Nov 6th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Legal, Black Prophecy

Those following the news surrounding development of sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy from Reakktor Media know there's been a significant hurdle to this title seeing the light of day -- the issue of insolvency. When parent company 10Tacle filed for insolvency, this adversely impacted subsidiary Reakktor Media and threatened continued development of Black Prophecy, which Reakktor addressed in an interview with Massively in April.

It was announced today that their restructuring plan has been successful, and that their insolvency plan saved the jobs of all 36 employees at the company. Even better, Black Prophecy is on track for a release next year, according to the press statement released by the HERMANN law firm which oversaw the insolvency proceedings.

Tags: 10Tacle, 10Tacle-studios, black-prophecy, breaking, hermann, insolvency, kirk-lenke, legal, mmo-industry, new-titles, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi

Black Prophecy newsletter updates fans on the game

by James Egan Oct 31st 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Black Prophecy

The sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy from developer Reakktor Media still has a few significant hurdles to clear before release, but it's looking to be an interesting title from the gameplay footage we've seen thus far. As they continue to develop Black Prophecy and seek a publisher to help them expand their reach into multiple markets, Reakktor Media has been updating the community on the game's status.

They've just released their eighth Black Prophecy newsletter that hits on the media coverage they've received in the last month (along with the latest art assets), a look into the game's art direction, and the "Pimp My Ship!" that's happening on the official forums. Also, if you're curious about what will differentiate this game from other sci-fi MMOs currently on the market, be sure to have a look through Massively's Black Prophecy coverage.

Gallery: Black Prophecy Gallery

Gallery: Black Prophecy Concept Art

Tags: black-prophecy, germany, new-titles, newsletter, publishers, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi

The art direction of Black Prophecy's gearheads

by Eliot Lefebvre Oct 22nd 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, New titles, Previews, Black Prophecy

With all the buzz about space MMOs that are exploring the final frontier or participating in archaic representative democracy, it can be easy to lose sight of Black Prophecy, the upcoming game from German developer Reakktor Media. However, that doesn't make the news about it any less exciting, and it's surprising how much information can be packed into even a simple developer diary about the art direction of one of the game's factions. The Tyi faction, a race of superhuman cyborgs that now consider themselves beyond their parent race, are under examination this time, with a detailed look at how the Tyi aesthetic and philosophy are conveyed through ship designs.

As one would expect from a race accustomed to replacing body parts as fashion or necessity dictates, the Tyi ships are designed with a very modular nature, far more exposed and mechanical than the smooth and sanitized looks seen from other factions. The developer diary talks about the construction of the ships and the stations, as well as showing off several visually stunning pictures that help demonstrate the hard-edged technological feel the faction will bring. If all of that piques your interest -- which it very well might do -- you might want to sign up for the upcoming beta, and get a chance to see Black Prophecy in action.

Tags: art, betas, black-prophecy, developer-diary, previews, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi

Black Prophecy Creative Director on state of the game

by James Egan Oct 13th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Black Prophecy

It's clear from the comments on our Black Prophecy posts that a number of Massively readers are looking forward to this latest sci-fi MMO from Reakktor Media. They've been releasing more info periodically but it seems Reakktor is still in stealth mode when it comes to any big reveals about the game, given they're in the process of finding a publisher. Still, they've been dropping more info about the title and the latest Black Prophecy interview we've come across is over at ZAM, with Creative Director Timo Krahl. The interview hits on some of what we've heard before about the game's lore written by Michael Marrak and the core game mechanics, but there's some new info there as well.

Specifically, the interview explains some of the technical efforts Reakktor has put into developing Black Prophecy. Timo comments to ZAM, "We are getting very close to our aspiration of providing a nearly cinematic game experience." If you're curious about what Reakktor hopes to deliver with that game experience, give the ZAM interview with Timo Krahl a read and check out the the new screenshots as well.

Tags: black-prophecy, game-mechanics, interviews, new-titles, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi, timo-krahl, zam

The art direction of Black Prophecy's humans

by Kyle Horner Sep 29th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: New titles, News items, Black Prophecy

Some of the best art has a purposeful visual direction and that seems to be the case with Black Prophecy's Human faction. It also helps when your game has an incredibly beautiful rendering engine and a cockpit view to show every glorious detail off up close and personal.

For those of us into the art design of a game, this recent developer diary on the Human art direction will most certainly interest you -- especially since it gets pretty in-depth on the reasoning behind every line and curve. The three page write-up goes into detail on the faction logo's origins, ship and station structural design. A lot of time is spent describing the real world parallels of the Humans in Black Prophecy to, well, us.

Tags: art, black-prophecy, design, developer-diary, human, humans, reakktor-media, sci-fi, space, visual

Black Prophecy launches new site, delves into game's lore

by James Egan Sep 20th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Black Prophecy

Black Prophecy is one of the new crop of sci-fi MMOs we hope to see enter the market in the coming years. The title is in development at Reakktor Media in Germany, and last we heard is currently seeking a publisher for the ship-based game. While we've seen early footage of gameplay and a fair number of screenshots showing off the vibrant space backdrops of Black Prophecy, we've heard comparatively little about the game's lore of late. The Black Prophecy story was written by sci-fi author Michael Marrak and there's great deal of material produced for the game, 700 pages of manuscript material altogether. In his words, "300 pages are about missions, while the rest contains the timelines, story background, research and templates for the game design."

It looks like Reakktor Media is releasing some of this material now, as they've launched a new site devoted solely to the game's lore: Stellarvox Veritas. The site is still a bit light on content right now, but they'll be adding more Black Prophecy lore updates to the site moving forward, focused on the major events in the story's timeline.

Tags: backstory, black-prophecy, lore, michael-marrak, new-titles, reakktor-media, sci-fi, storyline

Black Prophecy art director on ship design

by James Egan Sep 1st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Black Prophecy

Massively has been following the development of the space-based MMO Black Prophecy, from Reakktor Media. The latest bit of info we've come across is a developer's diary on ship design from Black Prophecy's Art Director Nick Ebenhoch.

He explains Reakktor's approach to creating a distinctive look for these machines, which was influenced by how sci-films were made in the 80's, with those elaborately crafted models before everything became CG. Nick specifically mentions the ships from the original Star Wars films and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the USS Sulaco from Alien.

Tags: art-director, black-prophecy, dev-blog, dev-diary, new-titles, nick-ebenhoch, reakktor-media, sci-fi, ship-design

Black Prophecy Q&A explains weapon systems and combat

by James Egan Aug 27th 2009 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, PvP, PvE, Black Prophecy

Black Prophecy is one of the ship-based science fiction MMOs we see on the horizon, but at the same time we're not sure how long it will be before we can play it. As the game's developer, Reakktor Media, seeks a publisher, they've been dropping details about Black Prophecy here and there. Some of the info we've read comes from their "Behind the Scenes" series of in-house Q&As. The latest is with Black Prophecy's Creative Director Timo Krahl and Art Director Nick Ebenhoch.

The Q&A covers a fairly wide range of topics, from the various space station interiors players will see depending on which station feature they're using at the time, to death penalties. While there will be no permadeath in Black Prophecy, the ships players fly will take damage in a modular system. Timo says, "A ship gets 'disassembled' slowly during a fight, single ship parts can be destroyed and alter the overall values of the ship -- a ship with only one engine will become slower -- if you lose a wing the attached weapons won't be available anymore."

Tags: art-director, black-prophecy, combat, creative-director, death-penalty, game-mechanics, interviews, new-titles, nick-ebenhoch, pve, pvp, reakktor-media, sci-fi, timo-krahl

Black Prophecy's unique art style blends realism with the unreal

by James Egan Aug 18th 2009 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Black Prophecy

The Black Prophecy creators at Reakktor Media have begun a series of developer diaries, showcasing the game and their individual contributions to making this sci-fi MMO a reality. The first Black Prophecy developer diary is written by Nick Ebenhoch, the game's Art Director, and gives us a peek into the game environment. Nick explains how they wanted to create an environment that has elements of realism in an unreal environment. Nick says, "This was realized by the use of strong colors that you usually don't see in a space environment."

The colors used in a given setting are used to create a mood. "Sectors with ice elements are kept bluish, while 'Pan's Junkyard', a huge space cemetery, is kept a brownish color tone to let the sector appear dirty and rusty," Nick says. "Our goal was to create a distinctive atmosphere for each sector, from nearly romantic right up to dark and threatening."

Tags: art, art-direction, art-director, black-prophecy, dev-blog, developer-diary, new-titles, nick-ebenhoch, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi

Black Prophecy interview highlights game's tactics

by James Egan Aug 17th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Black Prophecy

It's safe to say that there are more than a few gamers out there who would like alternatives to the numerous fantasy MMO titles on the market. For many, this means sci-fi MMOs. The game companies that are developing these sci-fi games aren't necessarily the Blizzards and SOEs of the MMO industry; it's often smaller companies like Masthead Studios and Reakktor Media creating something a bit different from what we've played before.

In the case of the spaceship-centric Black Prophecy, the game is well into development but they're still seeking a publisher. Reakktor told Massively they're in talks with potential publishers, but until they make an announcement we're following along with what news there is about the game. This led us to a brief interview at Thirteen 1 with Black Prophecy Community Manager Christian Schuett.

Tags: black-prophecy, chris-schuett, christian-schuett, community-manager, interviews, new-titles, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi, thirteen-1

Interview focuses on creating the ships of Black Prophecy

by James Egan Aug 3rd 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, MMO industry, Black Prophecy

In a massively multiplayer online game where a player's avatar is essentially a spaceship, the designs of those spacecraft have to be appealing. After all, the look of a ship is generally not as customizable at the appearance of an avatar in most other MMOs. In fact, the ship avatar may not be customizable at all, so ship aesthetics are important to some players. This is the focus of an interview with Rocketbox Studios, the people who created the 3-D models for ships and space stations in the sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy.

Rocketbox Studios worked from the concept art provided by Black Prophecy developer Reakktor Media and (according to their portfolio) created 165 spaceship modules, 70 weapons, 5 space station module systems, and 5 level locations. The main requirement Reakktor had was that, given that Black Prophecy is a space-based MMO, these assets would look good even from great distances while holding a significant amount of details and textures up close. And although Black Prophecy is clearly focused on the ships, it's been mentioned that there will be 3-D mini avatars seen in player-to-player communication. This is evidenced by the fact that Rocketbox Studios built 27 character models for the sci-fi title, albeit without heads.

Tags: assets, black-prophecy, interviews, models, new-titles, reakktor-media, rocketbox-studios, sci-fi, ship-models, the-prophecy-network

Sci-fi author Michael Marrak on writing for Black Prophecy

by James Egan Aug 1st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Lore, New titles, Black Prophecy

One of the upcoming sci-fi MMOs we've been following is Black Prophecy, currently in development at Reakktor Media. It's a game they've stated will offer casual drop-in gameplay but with a deep, engaging backstory beneath the surface of its space combat. The game's lore is the subject of a Colony of Gamers interview with sci-fi author Michael Marrak, who has conceptualized and written the story of Black Prophecy.

Marrak tells 'Bandango' from Colony of Gamers that he's produced a substantial amount of material for the game. Marrak explains, "Overall there are about 700 pages of manuscript material. 300 pages are about missions, while the rest contains the timelines, story background, research and templates for the game design."

Tags: backstory, black-prophecy, colony-of-gamers, fiction, interviews, lore, michael-marrak, new-titles, reakktor-media, sci-fi

New team Q&A for Black Prophecy shines light on development staff

by Kyle Horner Jul 22nd 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items, Black Prophecy

Reakktor Media has published a new team Q&A for Black Prophecy on its website but we warn you, don't get too excited if you're looking for tasty new information about the game. This article is much more about meeting the team members working on the title and discussing development challenges. The subjects being interviewed are QA manager Stephan Bast and lead programmer Marco Nowara, who both seem like pretty humorous guys -- a good trait to have when working on an MMO.

It's pretty common practice to do this for an upcoming game nowadays, and we're more than happy to read long-haired, black-dressed, frowning Q&A people jokes. Our only suggestion would be for Reakktor Media to take a couple pictures of the people we're learning about next time. Knowing what someone looks like goes a long way to making them seem like a real person.

Tags: black-prophecy, chris-schuett, community, marco-nowara, reakktor-media, stephan-bast

Black Prophecy interview confirms station walking feature, post-release

by James Egan Jul 12th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Black Prophecy

Let's face it, playing a sci-fi MMO where your ship is essentially your avatar is a deal breaker for some gamers. Typically we're referring to EVE Online when 'ship-as-avatar' discussions come up, but CCP's game will soon have company in the sci-fi MMO genre, with Jumpgate Evolution and Black Prophecy both on the way. Anyone who's played EVE knows that, yes, you do create a portrait-style avatar during character creation but what you see throughout gameplay is your ship. This will also be the case with Black Prophecy, although character avatars will be 3-D. Black Prophecy's developer Reakktor Media revealed that they'd like to take this a step further and introduce the ability to walk about in stations, post-launch.

Black Prophecy's development director Simon Bachmann mentioned this in a recent interview. Simon told Sheila "Jube" Lewis at IGN's Voodoo Extreme: "Your ship is your game character which you can equip like you equip your player avatar in any other MMO. Next to your ship you will also have a fully customizable 3D avatar of your pilot which will appear in conversations with NPCs or other players. This special avatar will become more important in the so called 'Station walking' feature which we plan to implement in one of the future game updates post release."

Tags: black-prophecy, business-models, ign, interviews, jube, mmo-industry, new-titles, reakktor, reakktor-media, sci-fi, sheila-lewis, simon-bachmann, voodoo-extreme