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Erik Rutins -> Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine (7/27/2005 4:42:58 PM)
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A New Platform for Game Publishing
Matrix Games is pleased to announce that it has acquired the rights to the VASSAL Engine from Vassal Engineering (www.vassalengine.org) and intends to improve and support it as a new platform for game publishing.
For game designers and publishers, VASSAL is software that lets you create your own, individually branded, commercial standalone application that moderates any turn-based game for human-vs-human play.
For gamers, VASSAL provides a quick and easy way to play your favorite board games online against similar players around the world. Simple mouse and keyboard commands actually simplify game play relative to an equivalent printed game, instead of frustrating players by subjecting them to the software's nuanced interpretation of the rules. Players can play online in real time over a live server or by exchanging email files. When playing live, a player's moves are instantly echoed on other players' screens. Games can be begun live, continued via email, or continued further via live play.
David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said, “We believe VASSAL offers a great way to bring board gamers together over the internet, while also offering designers a new avenue to reach the gaming public. In many cases, the investment required to turn each design into a printed and distributed game is beyond the reach of many designers and publishers. VASSAL offers a way to reach gamers with new and exciting designs that would not otherwise see print as well as allowing existing board gamers to find a community for their favorite game online.”
Rodney Kinney, chief architect of the VASSAL Engine platform, said "Matrix Games provides the online presence and distribution channel that will allow game designers to leverage the VASSAL software to create marketable, professional-quality products with a minimum of up-front investment."
How does VASSAL work? For designers and publishers, first use the VASSAL editing software to re-create your game. Customize the components that define maps, pieces, online help, tutorials, and all kinds of specialized behavior. We will turn it into an application that players can launch from either the web or the desktop. Players pay a one-time fee and receive a registration code that enables the software. Optional extensions can be sold separately. No programming is necessary to create a game, but if you can program in Java, the engine allows you to plug in your customized code.
Your intellectual property is completely secure with VASSAL. We add our own proprietary software to the core engine to support encryption, password-based registration, and secure saved game formats. All data is encrypted, and online play is regulated through our centralized servers, so that offenders can quickly be identified and blacklisted.
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