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 ProjectThis 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
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!
Logo & Icon
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
Contact
Inquiries
narmstrong@universeprojects.com
Twitter
twitter.com/VoidspaceGame
Facebook
facebook.com/UniverseProjects