On the morning of April 14th, Dennis Allen walked in to a friendly ambush of Stargate Worlds head honchos, all gathered to congratulate him on being the CME MGM “Unlock the Gate” winner. After initial pictures were taken, we made it over to the screening area for a jaw dropping SGW trailer that showed so much tasty gaming goodness that words alone would not do it justice. It almost felt like a religious experience compared to what we have been teased with so far in public release - beautifully lit building and terrain details, smooth animation, and world class art direction.

After the screening, Dennis was whisked along the CME corridors to view numerous levels of concept art, many of which I had not yet seen released. From what I saw, there will eventually be many cool worlds to explore. The artwork was so elegantly rendered; any Stargate fan would love to post those images above their computer…even for a brief mental escape.

From 2D we scampered over to the 3D and Dennis was able to view and talk to artists, world builders, animators and developers…each with a wealth of knowledge and generous on screen demonstrations. The software apps used showed huge libraries of gorgeous textures and mobs. Any doubts I had about whether CME could pull off a masterpiece were put to rest…the developers not only “get the game” they have a good time creating their passion. (I saw dragons, alien insects and wolves, each with a unique canter and gesture…and a very cool animated event horizon just to name a few.)

Below are a few event pics..or check out our Gallery to see the rest of the photos.

From there we visited the game systems department; each appeared relaxed and in good spirits. I am guessing from their positive outlook that they have all the game policies and rules in order, or we caught them off guard. Then we peeked into QA and visited the game task management board…a lot of work had been marked done…but still plenty to go. Each work area we visited showed pleasant cubicle inhabitants…most bore a focused intensity undoubtedly fueled by their encroaching deadlines.

We even had the chance to visit with the often forgotten IT department. From what technical jargon I gleaned…CME is pushing so much bandwidth and amperage they could start their own Internet…and that is just for internal testing. Notably, the server room looked well cared for, not a wire out of place and shiny top of the line Dell shards. Also I noticed everyone at CME seemed to be sporting dual LCDs screens…throwing 3D textured and lit elements around like it was 2D. It seemed to me that CME did not hold back on the tech side with its employees…another good sign to me that CME means business.

After the grand tour and in-depth CME studio meet and greets, Dennis was taken to a Mexican meal and then back to check out the game itself. Finally, here it was in all its alpha-stage glory. It looked polished and smooth in the built-out areas and I could easily picture myself exploring the Stargate worlds for hours and hours. Also being a UT3 gamer, I was pleased to see signature lighting effects and robust explosions that just make you want to blow stuff up just to see the light show. The landscape felt grounded although bare and tiled in some areas…but the skies will make you stop and look. Trees swayed, birds squawked, and we just kept saying “cool” with each ambient effect. A standout feature for me was also the brilliant targeted surround sound design. There were Doppler shifts and distance algorithms added for realism…it would be a shame to play this on just a stereo setup. The asset textures seemed to scale nicely…detailed up close, optimized as the main character moved away.

Shadowing Dennis Allen on his CME Stargate Worlds sweepstakes tour was not only an enlightening experience for him, but an Oz-inspiring adventure for me. Even though my face will not be character etched in SGW history, and I did not procure the sweepstakes cash or swag…I came out of CME studios filled with eager anticipation. A feeling I have not remembered since I was a child waiting for Santa to arrive…wishing for that one ultimate gift – now being Stargate Worlds.

Be sure to eye the Dennis Allen video podcast coming soon to Stargate Worlds. Plus view the rest of the event photos in our Gallery.

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