BigWorld has announced that its technology has been licensed by GungHo and GameArts for use on the upcoming MMORPG Grandia Online.

The BigWorld client/server technology suite, first announced in 2006, has been licensed for a number of games, including the upcoming Copernicus and the troubled Stargate Worlds. Grandia Online developer GameArts previously utilized the tech on another MMO, Hokuto-no-Ken Online.

"We are very pleased that GameArts' experience with the BigWorld Technology Suite during the development of Hokuto-no-Ken led them to acquire a subsequent license for the development of Grandia Online," said BigWorld director of business development James Hursthouse. "We look forward to continuing to support them on this title and on future projects, and to growing BigWorld’s presence in Japan more widely."

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Middleware developer BigWorld was formed in 2002, and has offices in Australia, Europe, China and the US. Grandia is a series of RPGs by developer GameArts that debuted on the Sega Saturn in 1997, and was later distributed to Western audiences by Ubisoft.

About Granida Online

Grandia Online, co-developed by Gungho and Game Arts, is currently in its internal Alpha test phase. Since many of the employees in the company are Grandia fans, some basic features and gameplay content of the original game are retained to create a relatively consistent game world. The technical test in Japan has been confirmed to start on June 11th and last until June 14th.

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More Resources

Grandia Online Gameplay Details Introduction
Grandia Online: Gameplay Content & Operation Schedules Unveiled
Grandia Online New Tribe And Map Released

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