Leading Eastern and Central European publisher 1C Company today announced the development of two brand new console games to be released in 2008 – 2009. These titles mark the first cross-platform games from 1C to be developed and published worldwide – Captain Blood, a pirate adventure with combat on land and the high-seas, and IL-2: Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, a brand new console version of the critically acclaimed combat flight simulation.
"1C is using cutting-edge technology, including the amazing power of modern consoles, to bring superior games to every market," said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director, 1C Company. "Our aim is to bring our games to even more players and expand our vision with cross platform development. We are embracing any new gaming technology that will improve our products including digital downloads, consoles, handheld gaming, Epic's Unreal 3 Engine, NVIDIA PhysX and DirectX 10."
1C's first internally developed console title is Captain Blood (Xbox 360 and PC), an action/adventure game inspired by novels by Rafael Sabatini which tells an alternative story of the famous captain's adventures. The story unfolds in the world of noble robbers and the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean. Ship boardings and fort assaults, treasure hunts and fights against dishonorable villains – this is the story of Captain Blood.
The second title brings 1C's best selling game of all time, IL2-Sturmovik, to a new audience with all new graphics, missions, physics and planes. IL-2: Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, by DiP Interactive for Nintendo DS and by Beatshapers for PSP) includes large-scale aerial combat and ground based military operations from World War II. Players will participate in some of the war's most famous battles piloting fighters, battle planes and heavy bombers across a range of thrilling missions. There are five areas of war to engage in – The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun' representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe. As well as advanced environmental visuals enriching the game play, IL-2 also boasts an all new damage effects engine. Players can see real time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. Hundreds of airplanes will take part in air battle in IL-2: Sturmovik: Birds of Prey and the unique environmental engine produces highly detailed, realistic landscapes that allows players to see breathtaking ground support actions. The difficulty levels will range from arcade to simulation.