In addition to the upcoming Tribes: Universe MMO currently under development by Hi-Rez Studios, another Tribes-centric online game also is in the works.
Friday at PAX East, Hi-Rez announced Tribes: Ascend, as the sci-fi, online multi-player shooter successor to Tribes 2 and a re-introduction of the franchise to the gaming world.
According to Hi-Rez, the Tribes collection of games have been played by more than 1 million people.
Tribes: Ascend is being developed using the Unreal 3 engine, and is targeted for release in late 2011 as a digital download on Windows PC and Xbox 360, with additional platforms currently under consideration.
“Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes,” said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO in a press release. “Tribes fans appreciate the game’s essence – athletic FPS combat combined with teamwork and strategy. As we began development of Tribes Universe, we focused first on capturing that essence – refining and modernizing iconic elements like jetpacks, skiing, and vehicles. We’ve had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multi-player shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game.”
Check back here fore more on Tribes and other news from PAX East.
Am I the only one who thinks this move is a little bit weird? Last time I checked, HiRez wasn’t such a big company, and with teams already working on Global Agenda’s next expansion AND Tribes Universe, its just hard to imagine it will be anything than an attempt to get a quick buck and fund development of the other Tribes title.