Meteor Games, founded by Neopets creators Adam Powell and Donna Williams, have just announced Twin Skies, a massively-multiplayer online game that changes the way players interact in an MMOG. While the main game will be a fully-developed 3D PC title, players will be able to interact with the game world via mobile applications, games, and web-based mini-games that will have an impact on the in-game world. The example given in the press release is of a player achieving a high score in the web-based Hungry Junkworm game, which in turn unleashes a giant Junkworm in game which starts attacking players there. It sounds hugely ambitious and extremely intriguing. Twin Skies will enter beta testing this year, with the full game expected sometime in 2009. Check out the initial screens and concepts below, and hit the jump for more details.

METEOR GAMES ANNOUNCES TWIN SKIES
New MMOG Features Multiple Ways to Play Including 3D PC Game, Web-Based Flash Applications, Mobile Games and Social Networking

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA ? August 5, 2008 ? Meteor Games, LLC, an independent game studio created by Neopets founders Adam Powell and Donna Williams, is developing Twin Skies, a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) that will target players of all ages with all new content, accessible gameplay and advanced socializing options. While Twin Skies is a complete, fully 3D PC MMOG, players will be able to interact with and even impact the online game world in entirely new ways, including through a series of extensive web-based activities, mobile applications and social networking capabilities.

?We?re excited to announce Twin Skies, our first major project since creating Neopets and a much more ambitious undertaking that aims to change the way gamers of all ages play and socialize in MMOs,? said Adam Powell, CEO and creative director, Meteor Games. ?Twin Skies? technology and design will allow players to access the game from anywhere and in any way they choose. The immersive world, advanced technology and accessible gameplay will be fun for gamers young and old, casual and hardcore alike.?

Unlike traditional MMOGs, such as World of Warcraft, Twin Skies will provide its players with multiple access points for enjoying the game world, allowing them to interact with the game when, where and for however long they want. PC players will be able to jump into the main Twin Skies PC MMO game to adventure, craft or explore the massive open world by themselves or with friends; players can also interact with Twin Skies on the official Web site via a series of fun and impactful flash-based mini games; or users can play Twin Skies through mobile applications and games.

Twin Skies will leverage BigWorld Technology to deliver advanced 3D graphics throughout a vast and seamless open world. The PC component of the game will deliver all of the core mechanics and gameplay that millions of MMOG fans have come to expect, while pushing beyond the boundaries of current MMOG competition by including deep player customization, fun and accessible content and advanced functionality, such as player housing.

Meteor Games has already launched the Twin Skies Web site (www.twinskies.com), which includes several preliminary flash-based games, including The Very Hungry Junkworm, where players gain points by eating junk and avoiding their ever-growing tail, and The Legends of Laundry, an exciting and fast paced puzzle game where players must contend with bombs, cats, evil fungi, and an unrelenting assault of stubborn stains in their quest to finish the laundry on time.

Once Twin Skies launches, these mini-games will have a direct effect upon the game world itself. Registered players will earn points, which can be spent to customize their avatars, unlock new areas of the Web site or even spawn events within the online world. For example, achieving a high score in the Web-based Hungry Junkworm mini-game might create a huge junkworm in the Twin Skies game world which will then head off and attack players. To play the first Twin Skies flash-based mini-games or to visit the game?s official forums, please visit www.twinskies.com.

Adding further accessibility to the title, Twin Skies will leverage today?s increasingly connected mobile technology by implementing games and applications designed specifically for cell phones and other devices. These applications will allow players to access characters and affect the online persistent world. More information on mobile applications will be announced at a later date.

Twin Skies is expected to enter Beta testing later this year. Full launch of the game is expected in 2009. For more information about Twin Skies, to play the flash-based games, or to learn how to take part in the Beta release, please visit the game?s official web-site at www.twinskies.com.