Matrix Games

Where I argue that, yes, it's a re-skin of Panzer Corps

(that's Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon)

In the same way The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a re-skin of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Same author, same set of characters, equally set along the Mississippi river. But I shall agree we're not talking about milestones in literature so I'd better choose another similarity.

So it's a re-skin of Panzer Corps in the same way Saving Private Ryan is a re-skin of Schindler's List. Take the same director, same composer, editor, cinematographer. Take the same film editor and change location, but keep the same setting: World War II sells. But I shall agree we're not oscar winning movies so I'd better choose another similarity.

It's a re-skin in the same way a marble cake is the reskin of a fudgy chocolate cream pie. You just have to take some sugar, some flour, a few eggs. Don't forget the butter and the chocolate et voilà, you've got both your breakfast cake and your desserts served in one go. But I shall agree we're not cooking our cake and eating it, so I'd better go straight to the point.

Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon is not a re-skin of Panzer Corps. It uses the same engine. Does that sound like a bad thing? To simplify, take three parts that make a game: graphics, programming, game design.

Graphics. 95% of the game graphics have been done from scratch (well, it's a re-skin after all). Over 400 units, thousands of UI elements, icons, badges, buttons. You name it. How this is all laid out is very similar to Panzer Corps, I'll give you that.

Programming. Combat model is entirely different, AI behaviour has totally changed. The two titles probably share the same code-base in that they are both hex-based, turn-based strategy games. And I could name a fair few of these. The remaining 85% of code would probably be different (although I don't have a precise figure for that).

Game Design: the overall concept of the game is entirely based on the Warhammer 40,000 world. It took the development team months of work to capture that essence. Hours of work to balance the game, find gameplay solutions to please the Games Workshop fans.

So no, please no, it's not a re-skin of Panzer Corps. There's the chocolate, there's flour and eggs and sugar and butter and here you go, such a tasty chocolate cream pie you have. With Orks and Leman Russ tanks as a topping, of course.

Marco A. Minoli - Marketing Director HoW
@piuemme