Auto Assault hits asphalt

It's been a long road to retail for NCsoft's massively multiplayer vehicular combat game Auto Assault. The game has been in the shop at Denver-based NetDevil for years, and was originally announced shortly before the 2004 Electronics Entertainment Expo.

Set across the wastelands of a postapocalyptic Earth, Auto Assault lets players build their own combat-capable rides and use them to blow up each other, rival factions, or unfortunate robotic and alien forces that happen to get in the way. The game also uses the Havok 2 physics engine to facilitate fully destructible environments.

"Now the real work starts," NetDevil president Scott Brown said in a statement. "Today marks the beginning of our ideas for the product and we look forward to rolling out new content for players to enjoy."

NCsoft is no stranger to launching MMOs. In the US, the company has already introduced Lineage, Lineage II, City of Heroes, City of Villains, and Guild Wars. It will likely get even more experience with the practice in the future, as its announced lineup of games for next month's E3 includes five more MMOs: Guild Wars Factions, Tabula Rasa, Aion, Exteel, and Dungeon Runners.

Auto Assault is rated T for Teen and retails for $49.99 with a special edition available for $59.99. The first month of play is free, with a $14.99 subscription fee for each month thereafter.