Streamline, Virtual Toys Partner On HoopWorld For XBLA

Amsterdam-based independent developer Streamline Studios announced that it is collaborating with Spanish developer Virtual Toys to develop the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade Unreal Engine-powered game HoopWorld. While the game was originally expected to be made available over Xbox Live this year, Streamline recently confirmed that HoopWorld will be released some time in 2007. The game was first shown off at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, and then later at the most recent E3 in May. Besides its work on HoopWorld, Streamline has been keeping busy, lending its development talents to a number of other projects including Ghost Recon 2 and THQ's recently released Xbox 360 title, Saints Row. Streamline describes its latest project as an “over-the-top, three-on-three multiplayer trick-game” that combines arcade-style basketball and the ancient Mesoamerican game of tlachtli. The game will feature a combination of stylized multi-ethnic characters, multiple hoops, interactive locations, and an unique points system based on collaborative ‘tricking’. “'Together, Everyone Achieves More' has always been that operating principle of Streamline and is the core principle of HoopWorld,” said Hector Fernandez, chief creative officer at Streamline. “That’s why we are extremely excited to be working with Virtual Toys, as their engineering strengths and gameplay knowledge complement our visual and design expertise perfectly and together we have a seamless vision of how to make HoopWorld a fantastic experience for Live Arcade players.”