petroglyph-studios posts

Earlier this week we reported that True Games Interactive had filed a lawsuit against developer Petroglyph Games, claiming that the developer behind True Games' upcoming free-to-play action-RPG Mytheon was refusing to patch the game and was also holding "the source codes hostage ... making it impossible for TGI to complete Mytheon."

Despite the claims in the lawsuit the game itself is still in open beta and indeed a patch for the beta was released on Thursday. In a post on the game's official message board, True Games stated that even with the lawsuit, "Mytheon will proceed through Open Beta and launch officially in the near future. We cannot provide more details at this time." Big Download has contacted Petroglyph for their side on the lawsuit but the developer has chosen not to comment at this time.

In an unexpected development, True Games Interactive has decided to file a lawsuit against developer Petroglyph, the maker of True Games' upcoming multiplayer action-RPG Mytheon. The game entered open beta testing late in April but now True Games claims Petroglyph is refusing to fix bugs in the beta version and is holding "the source codes hostage ... making it impossible for TGI to complete Mytheon."

True Games' lawsuit, filed on May 4 and first reported by Courthouse News, claims that Petroglyph made "repeated, unreasonable demands . . . for additional funds and concessions" for developing Mytheon. True Games claims those actions as well as holding back the source code for the game, "poisoned the working relationship between TGI and Petroglyph, such that the entire multi-million dollar venture is in danger of collapsing." True Games accuses Petroglyph of breaching its contract and is asking for punitive damages and an an injunction to get Mytheon's source code. Big Download emailed Petroglyph for comment but so far we have not received a response.

[Via Massively]

As promised, developer Petroglyph and publisher True Games Interactive have moved into the open beta phase of their free-to-play action-RPG Mytheon. Players who participate in the open beta from now through Friday will be entered into a giveaway contest with an Alienware m17x laptop as the first prize. Other prizes will include Mytheon-engraved iPod Touches (Touchi?) and iTunes gift cards.

In addition to being able to check out new content that's been added to the game since the closed beta ended, the new open beta will have the game's cash shop items available for purchase via "Mytheon coins". There's no word yet on when the game will officially launch.

Over a year ago Trion Worlds announced that developer Petroglyph would be using their game technology to make a MMO RTS game. Today that game was officially announced with the title of End of Nations. The game is set in the near future, in the mid-21st century, where a massive global superpower has effectively taken over the world with the help of high tech weapons

The game has the player playing as one of two factions, both of which are opposing this huge superpower. While players can play End of Nations as a regular RTS game with small and relatively quick multiplayer matches, they can also participate in the larger and persistent global campaign against the superpower. Matches can support up to 50 players in maps that are as large as 20 square miles. The game is expected to be released sometime in 2011.

We've got one more weekend sale to tell you about today. The Steam game download service has put Universe at War: Earth Assault on sale for this weekend only for just $4.99, a 75 percent cut from its normal $19.99 price tag.

This 2007 released sci-fi RTS game was developed by Las Vegas-based Petroglyph and published by Sega. It remains one of only three PC games that can be played online with its Xbox 360 counterpart. Petroglyph is working on two upcoming projects; the strategy-RPG online game Mytheon for publisher True Games and a recently announced (but still unnamed) MMORTS game for Trion World Network

With last week's announcement that Trion World Network's president and CCO Jon Van Caneghem was "transitioning out" of the company it was looking like the well funded start up game developer might be in trouble. Today the company announced that they are teaming up with developer Petroglyph to create a new massively multiplayer MMO game that will use Trion's technology and be developed by Petroglyph.

Petroglyph was formed by former Westwood Studios/ Command and Conquer vets and has so far created the retail RTS games Star Wars: Empire at War and Universe at War: Earth Assault. Late in 2008 Petroglyph officially announced plans to release the free-to-play MMO Mytheon with publisher True Games. Big Download has confirmed with True Games' PR rep that work on Mytheon is still underway at Petroglyph which means this new game deal with Trion is for an all new project.

As we reported this morning, developer Petroglyph has teamed up with publisher True Games Interactive to release Mytheon, an upcoming micro-transaction based MMO game that's a mix of action, strategy and RPG. It's a big change for Petroglyph, the Las Vegas based company made up in part of former members of the now defunct Westwood Studios. The developer has released two traditional RTS retail games in its short life, the acclaimed Star Wars: Empire at War for publisher LucasArts and more recently the Sega published Universe at War: Earth Assault.

Before today's official announcement, Big Download got a chance to ask questions about the game to Peter Cesario, the director of product development at True Games. While they and Petroglyph are still keeping a number of details to themselves for now about Mytheon Cesario did give us some more info about the title than what was in this morning's press release.

Earlier this year a new game publisher called True Games Interactive was formed. Founded by former members of K2 Network, the MMO based publisher has now gotten a cash infusion from UTV Software, an Indian based company. In exchange, UTV Software has purchased 80 percent of the California based True Games. The specific dollar numbers were not revealed.

True Games' has already announced plans to release a free-to-play MMO from developer Petroglyph Studios, the former Westwood Studios team members that developed the RTS titles Star Wars: Empire at War and last year's original title Universe at War: Earth Assault. Details on the new Petroglyph game with True Games have yet to be announced.

Petroglyph Games' sci-fi RTS title Universe at War: Earth Assault was released back in December 2007 for the PC but the Xbox 360 version was released last March. Both versions were supposed to be able to enable cross-platform multiplayer but neither had that capability . . . until now, that is. Petroglyph has finally released the patch that will allow PC players and Xbox 360 players of the game to battle each other online. This makes the game the third title that has such features (Shadowrun and Lost Planet Colonies are the other two)

The Petroglyph message boards have all of the details of the new PC patch which not only adds cross-platform multiplayer but has a number of balance changes and bug fixes for the game (Xbox 360 owners can download their own patch automatically via Xbox Live). You can download the new patch at Big Download along with the two previously released patches for the PC version of the game

Download the latest Universe at War: Earth Assault PC patch at Big Download now