Wanted: pioneering Mars colonists. One-way ticket, survival suit and ultra-rugged JCB Rover supplied
- Online PC survival title ‘JCB Pioneer: Mars’ slated for launch on PC in late 2016, pits players against the harsh extremes of the Martian atmosphere, 78 million miles from home
- Players will have to work co-operatively to explore and colonise the Red Planet using ultra-tough JCB-designed vehicles
Newly-formed PC and console publisher GamesCo today announced its latest title: a planetary exploration, construction and survival game called JCB Pioneer: Mars. Created in partnership with the global construction vehicle manufacturer JCB, the game is set to blast off as an online free-to-play PC title in late 2016. JCB Pioneer: Mars is currently under development in the UK by veteran Liverpool-based developer Atomicom.
JCB Pioneer: Mars’ hardcore survival gameplay will test the skills of aspiring interplanetary explorers to the max by challenging them to team up and uncover the planet’s many hidden secrets whilst dealing with its hostile environment including temperatures that can plunge as low as minus 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Players will be free to explore the planet on foot or strap themselves into one of several ultra-rugged construction and mining vehicles – designed by Atomicom in collaboration with JCB’s actual engineering team. In order to conquer Mars’ many challenges players will need to use the vehicles to gather resources and construct essential buildings to survive.
Set in the near future, JCB Pioneer: Mars will transport players 78 million miles from Earth as one of Mars’ first colonists. Once on the planet’s surface, explorers will be tasked with paving the way for future human habitation using JCB’s state-of-the-art construction and mining vehicles. Players will need to survive everything the planet can throw at them – including deadly radiation, meteor strikes, dust clouds and electrical storms. Players who decide to pool their resources and team up with other online Pioneers in order to mine precious resources, research new technology and build complex bases will benefit from more karma points, larger rewards and accelerated game progression.
“JCB Pioneer: Mars represents the first time that our vehicles have appeared in a sci-fi video game which is why we were incredibly excited when GamesCo and Atomicom first approached us to collaborate on a Mars exploration title” said Michael Plummer, General Manager of Worldwide Marketing at JCB. JCB Pioneer: Mars takes the JCB brand in a fresh direction and helps us reach a new audience of gamers. We have a growing fan base of young followers, who we believe will be excited by this new game. JCB Pioneer: Mars will deliver players a truly immersive and exciting JCB experience by bringing futuristic versions of our construction vehicles to life.”
JCB Pioneer: Mars’ sandbox gameplay will provide players with complete freedom to make bold choices that will ultimately govern their survival. Built using Unreal Engine 4 for complete realism, the game will accurately simulate the rugged Martian landscape as well as the Red Planet’s highly volatile weather system in which players must work daily to survive. The power of Unreal Engine 4 is being used to meticulously model the physical behaviour of each JCB vehicle as they are set to work on the unforgiving Martian landscape. As the game progresses, players will mine resources in order to upgrade vehicles and vital equipment, enabling them to access even more sophisticated base structures and explore brand new areas of the planet.
Aspiring Pioneers can sign-up to take part in the beta by visiting www.jcbpioneer.com
