Big Red Cross-Platform Multiplayer One
Activision’s tapping Demonware’s State Engine to allow multiple consoles to play nice.
Published: September 30, 2005
One of the big bummers about online multiplayer with multi-platform games is that gamers really can’t play against each other if one only owns an Xbox and the other a PS2. It’s not impossible; Final Fantasy XI has been letting PC and PS2 gamers play alongside one another for over a year and a half, it’s just that with the PS2 and Xbox boasting disparate online networks, it’s a hassle.
Activision knows this, and to help bridge the gap (and easy the whole multiplayer aspect of development), they’ve turned to Demoware and their State Engine to help craft an easy cross-platform solution for multiplayer with the newest Call of Duty.
“By utilizing DemonWare’s middleware, the development team is able to focus on creating great gameplay experiences while knowing that the technical aspects of the multiplayer component are managed,” explains Chuck Huebner, Head of Activision’s Worldwide Studios. “When Call of Duty 2: Big Red One ships this Fall, 16 players will be able to engage in explosive Local Area Network (LAN) and Internet multi-player action on their Xbox or PlayStation 2 gaming systems, quickly and seamlessly.”
Though the game is going to hit the GameCube, there are apparently no plans to let gamers hop online and tussle with others, which is sad, but then ‘Cube owners are more than used to this. It’ll be interesting to see how the matches will play out, and as soon as we get a chance to test things, we’ll report back with the details.
Activision knows this, and to help bridge the gap (and easy the whole multiplayer aspect of development), they’ve turned to Demoware and their State Engine to help craft an easy cross-platform solution for multiplayer with the newest Call of Duty.
“By utilizing DemonWare’s middleware, the development team is able to focus on creating great gameplay experiences while knowing that the technical aspects of the multiplayer component are managed,” explains Chuck Huebner, Head of Activision’s Worldwide Studios. “When Call of Duty 2: Big Red One ships this Fall, 16 players will be able to engage in explosive Local Area Network (LAN) and Internet multi-player action on their Xbox or PlayStation 2 gaming systems, quickly and seamlessly.”
Though the game is going to hit the GameCube, there are apparently no plans to let gamers hop online and tussle with others, which is sad, but then ‘Cube owners are more than used to this. It’ll be interesting to see how the matches will play out, and as soon as we get a chance to test things, we’ll report back with the details.
