Neowiz (Korea) Announces Unreal Engine 3-Powered MMORPG ‘BLESS’

Yo dawg, I heard you like swords...

Korean game developer and publisher Neowiz Games (http://www.neowiz.com/eng/) announced “BLESS” (working title) today, the company’s first Unreal Engine 3-powered title, in Epic Games Korea’s largest licensing deal to date. Huge steroid injected bodies and shiny, detailed HD environments combined with Korean MMO know-how and marketability? Yeah, that could work.

What Unreal does for your in-game characters.

You may know Epic Games as that company that made Gears, well apparently they have a Korean branch, and that branch is busy making more money for Epic.

Neowiz Games, a Korean game company that has developed a range of successful online titles such as “FIFA Online 2”, “Special Force”, “Slugger”, “CrossFire” and “A.V.A.”, have built a strong reputation for well made FPS and Sports titles. Neowiz is attempting to solidify their market position by licensing the Unreal Engine 3 for use in this new MMO title. It is assumed that they will be using Unreal for other future titles as well.

“BLESS,” which started development in 2009, is being overseen by a team of more than 150 developers, all with extensive experience in MMO games. The game will have medieval fantasy themes, along with 10 playable races, each with its own unique history. The playable area is divided into two opposing realms — Hierapolis and Cosmopolis. The realms become embroiled in a war over religious ( what with the name Bless and all) and cultural ideals, which will be the primary conflict for the game.

Neowiz will attempt to appeal to varying play styles with “Bless”, depict majestic, panoramic environments, and boast detailed body and facial animations; from facial expressions to finger and hand- digital movement. Neowiz intends to give players a tremendous amount of freedom to experience “Bless” however it is they feel like playing the game, indicating a high level of customization.

Jacob Han, chief producer of “Bless”, points out the abilities the Unreal 3 engine has given Neowiz, “When creating a large-scale MMORPG, the most important foundation is having an expandable and robust game engine as the production tool. I believe Unreal Engine 3’s spectacular graphics rendering capabilities, among many other elements, make it the best option. …with the Unreal Landscape tool developed by Epic Games Korea, it allows us to create extremely detailed, yet full-scale worlds, while utilizing less system memory than ever before.”

About Unreal Engine 3

Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its spiffy graphics, high-end tools and scale-ability across multiple platforms. Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 technology awards, including seven Game Developer Front Line Awards and four Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Additional information on Unreal Engine 3 can be obtained at www.unrealengine.com. 

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops highly successful games and game engine technology. The company is responsible for developing the “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®, as well as the 13 million (+6 or so million Gears 3) unit strong Gear’s of War franchise (currently with more than 50 game of the year awards under its belt). Additional information about Epic can be obtained at www.epicgames.com.

Established in 2009, Epic Games Korea (www.epicgameskorea.com) drives Unreal Engine licensing and provides support resources to development teams currently using the Unreal Engine in the Korean marketplace.

About NEOWIZ GAMES Corporation

NEOWIZ GAMES CORPORATION (C.E.O. Yoon, Sang-Kyu) launched its online gaming service www.pmang.com in 2007, representing the gaming division affiliate for NEOWIZ Corporation.  NEOWIZ GAMES has developed for game markets in China, Japan, North America and Europe. It’s current, most notable ventures are FIFA ONLINE2, SLUGGER, A.V.A, and Cross Fire.

Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Unreal, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Engine, UE3, and Unreal Tournament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.