3000 AD turns to Xbox 360

3000 AD, the studio behind PC series Battlecruiser and Universal Combat, has declared itself a sellout after announcing that it's currently hard at work on two new Xbox 360 titles.

The first of these is Hostile Intent - Planetfall which, according to studio president Derek Smart, is "a pure action game which eschews most - if not all - of the sim and complex elements which have been the hallmark of our previous BC/UC games.

"Make no mistake, this game was NOT designed for - and is not targeted at - the traditional BC/UC afficionado. You have been warned."

Naturally we're promised much better graphics, improved AI and "nail biting scenarios," and although the game universe is smaller than you might expect for a 3000 AD game, it's still be larger than the worlds you get to explore in most console titles.

Scenarios will include "space and planetary excursions; first person and vehicular combat as well as a skill based progress system (e.g. from pilot to commander) through a revised campaign system." According to Smart, "The idea is to blend the fun factor of your favorite multi-genre fp shooters (e.g. Battlefield, Joint Ops) with our high-end technologies which includes seamless space and planetary combat."

Next up is KnightBlade - Line of Defense, an all-new IP which is described as "ground breaking", just for a change.

It's the first title in a trilogy "Which tells the story of a band of renegades in a stolen experimental GALCOM craft - the GCV-KnightBlade who - against overwhelming odds, are the last line of defense against an embattled Earth."

There are 14 people in the KnightBlade crew, including the commander, navigator, combat pilots and a few marines. Expect first person, aerial and vehicle combat, all rendered in glorious 3D.

The new games were announced on the 3000 AD website in a statement which conceded: "Yep... We're in the process of a major console sellout. Who knew?!?"

But the studio isn't abandoning the PC completely. A PC version of KnightBlade - LoD is due out a few months after the console version, and "plans are also in the works to release Battlecruiser 3000AD - The Last Decade sometime next year."

Apparently, "This will be the final BC/UC franchise stream and is a culmination of every scenario from all six games in the series, starting with the very first title, Battlecruiser 3000AD (1996) to Universal Combat - A World Apart (2005).

"In other words, a huge game. Based on the UCAWA engine, it will also feature several graphics and gameplay tweaks and will mark the final curtain for our legacy franchise."