Independent developer BlackFoot Studios licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 for
Sky Gods, an upcoming military tactical action game for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
Slated to be the Columbus, Ohio-based studio's first title,
Sky Gods will be available worldwide via digital distribution in the first quarter of 2009.
The game aims to present a co-operative game experience centering on Special Forces military operations, specifically HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) and helicopter insertion missions.
According to Blackfoot founder Jone Sonedecker, its decision to use Unreal Engine 3 for
Sky Gods has enabled the studio to reduce its efforts and costs involved with releasing a game on both PC and consoles. Blackfoot has also licensed the engine for Ground Branch, a shooter based on the CIA's special activities division.
Says Epic Games president Mark Rein: “BlackFoot Studios has a rich history of working with Unreal Engine 3, and we are proud to support their efforts with technology and tools that help them ramp up quickly and minimize risk. It can be especially tough for smaller teams to tackle cross-platform challenges, so we feel great about getting behind these guys."