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BioWare's Jade Empire For Xbox Unveiled

Posted by simoniker on from the knights-of-the-kung-fu-republic dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing out BioWare's official Jade Empire site is now open, with news and screenshots about this Xbox-exclusive "epic action roleplaying game" from the creators of Baldur's Gate and Star Wars:KOTOR. There are also early screenshots for this Microsoft-published, Q4 2004-due title, "based on mythical China", in which the player "becomes a legend in... [a] world of martial arts and magic." There's also an interview with the BioWare founders and Jade Empire producer over at GameSpy which, though marketing-speak heavy, gives away some of the similarities to the popular KOTOR (for example, "If players want to pause to reflect on their strategic choices during a tough battle and choose that perfect style, they can do this at any time", though Jade Empire has real-time combat.)

17 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. KOTOR was great by sonmai · · Score: 1

    and this doesn't look to shabby. The xbox is in dire need of rpgs. So, I'm excited.

    --
    I see, I said.
    1. Re:KOTOR was great by op51n · · Score: 1

      Morrowind?
      The upcoming Fable?
      Probably others that I, as a non X-Box owner know about?

    2. Re:KOTOR was great by rhuntley12 · · Score: 1

      Sudeki is another big one. True Fantasy Live Online(Change the title please) is a MMORPG and is actually looking pretty good. I personally like the cartoonish look of it. /shrug There is a couple other RPG's, but I think Fable and Sudeki are going to be HUGE. KOTOR kicked ass too.

  2. Awesome! by BoomerSooner · · Score: 1

    That looks really f'ing cool. Kind of like Kar-Tur(sp?) D&D.

    I may have to buy an XBox after all (hell I own NCAA 2003 & 2004 for it, so it's about time).

    I wonder if this uses the Neverwinter Nights engine.

    1. Re:Awesome! by Photon+Ghoul · · Score: 1

      The continent was "Kara-Tur" from the Oriental Adventures rulebook. I believe it was folded into the Forgotten Realms setting (not sure if it was ever in Greyhawk or not).

      Personally, if you're a fan of D&D old or new try out Temple of Elemental Evil for PC out now. It's in the classic Greyhawk campaign setting using the new 3.5 ruleset. It is itself a fairly faithful adaptation of the ToEE module for AD&D. Playing it right now and having a blast on Ironman mode (party dies, game is over, no going back to saves).

    2. Re:Awesome! by JFMulder · · Score: 1

      Then if you have to pick up an Xbox, then buy also SW:KOTOR from Bioware. I know it comes out on the PC later this year, but if you buy the Xbox now, you'll be able to play KOTOR while waiting for Jade Empire. :)

  3. Re:Interesting... by DaveCBio · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This couldn't be more incorrect. The tools for Xbox dev are great. From an audio perspective they are the best I have seen. Also, you have failed to mention that our latest game, Knights of the Old Republic is Xbox.

  4. Re:Interesting... by tc · · Score: 1

    Your friend at EA was smoking crack. The Xbox development tools are bad compared to what, exactly? The compiler and debugger is Visual Studio, which is a pretty decent environment. The libraries are the familiar DirectX libraries from the PC, and there are some nice other tools in there (including a totally kick-ass audio tool).

    The PS2, now there is a platform with a shitty toolset. Heck, initially Sony didn't even provide libraries for the damn thing.

    I have no idea about the Gamecube, but I've never heard game developers raving about the toolset there.

    General consensus seems to be that Xbox has the best toolset of the consoles.

  5. Re:Interesting... by BoomerSooner · · Score: 1

    Does this game use anything from the Neverwinter Nights game? It looks really kick ass. I'm going to buy an XBox specifically for this!!!!! I love Bioware (thank god someone saved the freaking D&D world) and Canada kicks ass (I grew up an Edmonton Oilers fan, and Bowling for Columbine just solidifed it, too bad it's cold).

  6. Re:Interesting... by DaveCBio · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Nope, it's a new engine as you can tell if you look at the way the lighting is done. All the systems were redone. It's even newer than the KotOR engine.

  7. Re:Interesting... by DaveCBio · · Score: 1

    This is a joke or a troll right? VB in a console game?

  8. Re:Interesting... by Babbster · · Score: 1

    Maybe this "friend" feels that companies should be able to use their Xbox SDKs to develop their websites?

  9. Re:Interesting... by rhuntley12 · · Score: 1

    I'm impatient.

  10. Re:Interesting... by DaveCBio · · Score: 1

    There will be no PC version.

  11. Nooo! :-( by Jugalator · · Score: 1

    I want it on PC. :(

    Actually, if developing for Xbox and PC is so similar in environment and libraries (both using DirectX for example), why decide on making something Xbox-only? Wouldn't the "effort for revenue" ratio be rather good for BioWare? :-/

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  12. Re:Interesting... by DaveCBio · · Score: 1

    I work for BioWare, believe me when I say there will be no PC version.

  13. Re:Interesting... by Tom+Courtenay · · Score: 1

    Are you able to comment on the combat engine?

    I'm playing through KOTOR a second time, which is something I never do. The combat engine is easily the best I've ever used in an RPG.

    --
    If you could be anything you want, I'll bet you'd be disappointed.