Project Genesis from 8 Circuit Studios

8 Circuit StudiosÂ has some innovative thoughts about the blockchain gaming space. Some examples of this are its broader metaverse, and its first game ”“Â Project Genesis. Progress on the title has been steady, but for enthusiastic would-be players, the wait is nearly over. According to the team, February 1st is the date when players will be able to participate in Project Genesis“ closed beta.

Participants taking part in this beta will be able to stress-test the game mechanics and report any issues back to the development team. This initial wave of ”˜Test Pilots“ will have a direct influence over the game“s future direction, according to the team behind Genesis. Terry Hammer, a member of the production team, specifies what the team is looking for in pilots:

“We“re looking for those who love first person shooter games and space combat with an interest in helping shape the direction of a new genre,”“ Hammer continues.

“If you care about game quality and want to experience a unique take on frenetic space combat, apply to be a Project Genesis Test Pilot today.”“

Those that otherwise miss out on this test flight will have other opportunities to get in the pilot seat, according to the team. The conclusion of this closed test will be followed up with an open-alpha starting in summer 2019.

However we have an exclusive first look at their newest character, Hacker, along with an interview with designer Mark Nicolino by Bonnie Huggett:

Discussion on the Hacker high resolution images with Mark Nicolino:

Mark Nicolino is the Art Director of Project Genesis at 8 Circuit Studios, past projects include Halo 5

What is going on with the eyes of the hacker character in these images?

There are multiple features to be explored in the gif and high resolution images displayed here – these include the glow, irising effect and their human quality (apparent in close ups). The idea behind the Hacker concept was synthetic humanoid with a spark of consciousness/self-awareness/humanity.Â The eyes glow to show a powered on/active state while also offering the potential to show mood through color change. The human quality of the eyes is intended to impart a deeper level of humanity, personality and expression.

Do you plan on giving the other characters this level of treatment?

The goal would be to give all characters features that help to enhance their individual personalities.Â Eyes are a good way to do this whether they“re human-like or “other”“.

Would you expect to have that level of detail in the game or is that only for cinematics?

Currently this is a cinematic level of detail.Â Project Genesis, in its current form, doesn“t have the need due to its fast pace action.Â It“s a detail that would go completely unnoticed. That said, we could certainly see this in future versions of the game if need arises.

How much work goes into giving a character this level of detail?

A lot!Â First step is letting our concept artist explore ideas through quick thumbnail sketches. This eventually gets narrowed down to a specific concept that warrants further development.Â At this point, there“s back and forth between the artist and creative directors to arrive at a finished version that can be realized in 3d by our character artist. Once our 3d character artist receives the finished design, he begins sculpting in ZBrush.Â This eventually results in a high-resolution model that represents the finished look of the character geometry. Tasks that remain are creating a low-res version of the model, laying out UVs, creating texture maps, in-game materials, rigging and animation.Â Even though there are some elements that can be shared across multiple models, this is still a very long process that must be undertaken for each new character.

Where does the inspiration for the hacker come from?

Really just various cyberpunk genres.Â We fed our concept artist various ideas from film, anime and other CG artists that appealed to us and he came up with an original concept.

Could the characters be modular so that a player could swap parts out?

I guess they“re modular in a way, since they share skeletons and animations.Â In terms of body parts, no. We haven“t explored gear or peripherals yet, but that“s certainly a possibility.

Features and requirements:

For those otherwise unfamiliar, Project Genesis leverages high-quality graphics from the Unreal 4 Engine.

This allows for AAA graphics, while also making use of the Ethereum blockchain.

Currently, the closed test has the following requirements for aspiring play-testers:

Desktop PC

Windows 7 64-bit or later

Quad-core Intel or AMD processor, 2.5 GHz or faster

NVIDIA GeForce 470 GTX or AMD Radeon 6870 HD series card or higher

8 GB RAM

For more information aboutÂ 8 Circuit Studios and Project Genesis, visit the respective websites.

Sign up for the Alpha at projectgenesis.com

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Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!