Software Development Under Control
Customer: Sierra Online
Sierra Online, now Vivendi Games, is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console, handheld and mobile games markets, and is an emerging player in casual online games.
At Issue:
Sierra Online, and its subsidiary Berkeley Systems, makers of the acclaimed and financially successful "You Don't Know Jack" series of games, needed to continue publishing innovative casual multiplayer games. They devised several game packs to combine several new and innovative non-violent, easily accessible, yet challenging games. This combination of play features, in a format not yet seen, was no easy order to fill.
The Solution:
A totally new play mechanic was created in the form of the game "LumaSpheres" TM.
LumaSpheres is a game that is a single player solitaire/puzzle game, and for multiple
players, a challenging struggle for territory in the fashion of the ancient board
game Go.
Alien entertainment brought to Earth; LumaSpheres is the game that the 'Grays' play
while on their interstellar voyages. An Abuductee friend told us of this game, and
we made it into software.
Specific technologies used were: Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Direct X (DirectDraw,
DirectSound, DirectPlay).DirectPlay).
For multiplayer, it becomes a game of territory capture and defense. Each player
gets a different color and turns take place in round robin fashion.
Multiplayer play can be hot-seat or take place over any TCP/IP network using DirectPlay.
One player becomes the 'host', and the other players connect to the host via TCP/IP.
Up to four players can play the multiplayer version.
For multiplayer, it becomes a game of territory capture and defense. Each player
gets a different color and turns take place in round robin fashion.
Multiplayer play can be hot-seat or take place over any TCP/IP network using DirectPlay.
One player becomes the 'host', and the other players connect to the host via TCP/IP.
Up to four players can play the multiplayer version.
Extra sphere packs and additional boards were planned for this product, but during
several rounds of acquisitions and mergers, the entire product line was put aside.
Due to the specifics of the original contract, LumaSpheres was merely licensed to
Sierra for specific use and as of 2006 it has fully reverted to Code4Software.
Look for this game to be re-released soon in a variety of formats!