Glympse details

New San Diego-based developer Sojourn Developments has today issued a press release containing the first information on Glympse, a massively multiplayer online game scheduled for release toward the end of 2004.

Glympse will initially take place on a planet with a diameter of approximately 26,000 kilometers, and it promises to feature very open-ended gameplay. The game will feature a combination of developer-driven, randomly generated, and player-created quests for players to embark on, although no specific details have been released at this time. After creating their character as one of two different species, players will be able to join one of several different warring factions on the planet, although they may choose not to get involved with fights and could, according to today's press release, decide to never even pick up a weapon in the game.

As part of the announcement, Sojourn Developments stated that it will use Havok's physic engine to ensure that the movement of the characters, land and air vehicles, and objects in Glympse is as realistic as possible.

"Players who enter the world of Glympse can expect to see incredible animation in a massively multiplayer environment," said Dave Cerra, COO of Sojourn Development. "By blending motion-captured animation with selective usage of real-time "rag doll" constraints, we're able to provide incredible realism without sacrificing performance. Middleware physics solutions have come of age, and with a project of Glympse's scope, using Havok will get us into the game much more quickly than creating our own physics simulations."

Glympse is currently scheduled for release toward the end of 2004. We'll bring you more information on the game as it becomes available.