Factsheet

Developer:
Universe Projects Inc
Based in Toronto, Canada

Founding date:
January, 2013

Website:
voidspacegame.com

Press / Business Contact:
narmstrong@universeprojects.com

Social:
facebook.com/UniverseProjects
twitter.com/VoidspaceGame
voidspace.reddit.com
youtube.com/UniverseProjects

Additional links:
Steam
Android Play Store
Apple App Store

Releases:
Voidspace Live Prototype

Address:
200 Finch Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Phone:
(Please email us to request phone number)

Description

A sandbox MMORPG with no starting infrastructure whatsoever. Build your own society made up of real players - survive, invent, explore.

Voidspace is a twitch-based MMORPG set in a sandboxed world called The Void that you can play on any modern computing device. The top-down style is similar to Escape Velocity Nova except you are not on your own, you are playing with thousands of other players worldwide. However, it is the invention system that really sets the game apart from all others.

The very first person to enter Voidspace, upon its release, will see a vast untouched world filled with nothing but raw natural resources. Like Minecraft, players will need to create their own infrastructure to survive. Exploring the world can yield valuable resources that are used to construct inventions that improve your lifestyle in the game. Banding up with other players for protection will not only make the game easier and safer, but it can also accelerate your technological advancement as a group. Player created societies are a big part of Voidspace.

History

The origins of the Universe Project

This is an excerpt from an interview given by Nikolas Gauvreau

As a Kid (between the ages of 8 and 16), I played a lot of Frontier Elite 2 and Warcraft 2. Frontier Elite is important because it features a limitless world with thousands of stars where everything is "to scale" and procedurally generated. So I'd say inspiration came partly from that, but it was really only a small part. The majority of the inspiration for the game came from simply asking myself the question "how can I recreate real life"

I became obsessed with the concept and by 16 years old, I knew that this is what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

When I was 21 years old, I remember having thought/design sessions for a generic multiplayer simulation framework with my roommate (who was a comp-sci major at the time). This was the start of the design for a framework which we now use and call the "Simulation and Networking Framework". Up until my 30s, I still considered myself in "learning mode" where I was still trying to figure out exactly which technologies to use for the project (and learning them), but the day I turned 30, I felt like I was ready. I dropped all other projects and focused solely on the Universe Project proper. In the early days, I worked out some basic frameworks including the Html5 graphics engine, the Atmosphere-based asynchronous communications framework (for client-server communications through a browser without using flash). I also originally started using Hypertable for the database, which fit perfectly for the designs I had in mind, but eventually moved to appengine and Datastore. I also worked pretty heavily on various editors for the project as well, some aspects are still in use today.

More recently, within the last couple years, I had the privilege of having a fellow partner (Paul Korepanov) help me with the project for a number of months as we bootstrapped the project together. And about 6 months later, Oskar Stangenberg was tearing it up in the ODP (Open Development Program; it's the open-source aspect that allows people to contribute to parts of the project) and he was officially invited into core development. He has been coding with me ever since.

Features

(Please note that some of these features have not yet been fully developed or are planned for the final release)
  • Cross-platform support using Html5, GWT, and Phonegap (PC, Linux, MAC, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Xbox 360, WiiU, Playstation Vita, Playstation 4)
  • Crypto-currency support - In-game crypto-currency trading and game purchases with crypto-currency
  • Twitch-gameplay
  • Player driven economy
  • Player driven questing system
  • Idea-based invention system
  • No starting infrastructure - Everything man-made must be invented and constructed by a real player
  • No NPCs
  • No logging out - Player's characters do not leave the game world, but are controlled by AI when the player is offline
  • Player created factions/organizations
  • Perhaps the first truly and completly organic game world in every aspect
  • Gamepad support
  • Mobile notification support - Get notifications on your phone of in-game events happening to your character in real-time
  • Combat arena servers - Players can play a mini game against other players, to hone their skills in combat, in a small game world

Videos

Voidspace Gameplay Trailer 1 - YouTube

Voidspace Concept Trailer 1 - YouTube

Developer talk 1 - Dogecoin integration - YouTube

First 40 minutes of gameplay walkthrough - YouTube

(Very Old) Voidspace v0.3.1 Pre-Alpha - Prototype Gameplay (Short) - YouTube

(Very Old) Voidspace v0.3.1 Pre-Alpha - Prototype Gameplay (Long) - YouTube


Images

conceptshot1.jpg
conceptshot2.jpg
conceptshot3.jpg
conceptshot4.jpg
No-NPCs.jpg
Remote-control.jpg
Works-on-all-game-devices.jpg
Pilot-mastery.jpg
Use-real-money-transactions.jpg
Upgrade-your-ship.jpg
Derelict-Ruins.jpg
Weather-Events.jpg
Capture-ships.jpg
Use-drones.jpg
Video-games-more-than-graphics2.jpg
Command-carriers.jpg
Work-as-a-group-to-build-your-base.jpg
Sequence-02_4.gif
nik-raw.jpg
Oskar-raw.jpg
files/pressimages/paul.jpg
BusinessBanner.jpg
ProjectFundingBanner.jpg
InventionsBanner.jpg
ManufactureBanner.jpg
CombatBanner.jpg
ExploreBanner.jpg
CharacterBanner.jpg
TradeBanner.jpg
VoidBanner.jpg

There are far more images available for Voidspace, but these are the ones we felt would be most useful to you. If you have specific requests, please do contact us!


voidspace-logo-experiment3.jpg
voidspace-logo-experiment3-2500x1500.jpg
voidspace-logo-experiment2-transparent-618px.png
Logo1-2560x1440.jpg
voidspace-logo-v3-animated-10fps.gif

Awards & Recognition

  • Greenlit on Steam only 14 days after submission

Selected Articles

  • "Voidspace is perhaps the most interesting MMORPG I’ve ever seen."
    - Sam Eskenazi, FrontTowardsGamer.com
  • "This technology looks to challenge the current limitations of the gaming industry, and provide players with a fun experience they won’t soon forget."
    - Clay Michael Gillespie, CryptoCoinsNews.com
  • "Voidspace Aims To Let Gamers Mine Dogecoin – With Lasers"
    - Danny Bradbury, CoinDesk.com
  • "Voidspace has potential to be revolutionary if everything clicks together."
    - Regan Williamson, BagoGames.com

Team & Repeating Collaborators

Nikolas Gauvreau
Game Designer/Developer, Founder

Oskar Stangenberg
Programmer

Paul Korepanov
Programmer

Colin Alworth
Programmer

Luke Coles
Composer, Musician