In the industry of MMO middleware, the Australian-owned, Micro Forte-spun BigWorld has quite a reputation. While its clients have been limited in the past to the boutique, but highly profitable, Chinese market, it wasn’t long ago (mid-2006) that the software was picked up by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment for Stargate Worlds, an MMO of the sci-fi show that’s currently in development.
Now BigWorld (the company is actually named after the middleware) has entered into a “strategic partnership” with Global Netoptex Inc (GNi). GNi is, in essence, a hosting business, and the plan is that BigWorld will sell the software while GNi provides the hardware – making the two combined a one-stop shop for MMO developers.
It’d be interesting to find out the pros and cons of buying pre-baked MMO server/client software, considering most developers seem content with making their own. Sounds like an interview in the making…
You can read the full release after the jump.
(Canberra/AUSTRALIA): Leading MMO and Virtual World technology providers BigWorld have formed a strategic partnership with Global Netoptex, Inc (GNi). The partnership will see GNi provide BigWorld clients with hosting and management services that are tailored for multiplayer online games. This agreement again demonstrates that BigWorld is building the leading solutions for MMO and Virtual World developers, and providing a custom tailored delivery solution for a global marketplace.
The preferred partnership with GNi will allow BigWorld licensees the opportunity to access state of the art hosting facilities, a centralized operational knowledge base and increased operational and technical efficiencies. The first BigWorld focused environment will be housed at GNi’s new Oakland facility and will provide licensees effective and efficient hosting and management services with an organization that has a solid technical foundations including specialized expertise in the online gaming environment.
James Hursthouse, Director of GNi’s Games and Digital Media division said of the partnership “BigWorld is clearly a world leader in the MMOG development space, and partnering enables GNi Games and Digital Media and BigWorld to jointly offer world-class, global hosting facilities and service to BigWorld licensee companies. By extending GNi’s philosophy of customization where necessary, standardization where appropriate, we’ll see increased advantages for BigWorld clients in terms of economies of scale and a centralized technical knowledge base as we build out BigWorld specific dedicated hosting sites. As with all GNi clients, the BigWorld offering is based around our “˜pay-as-you-grow’ approach. We aim to have BigWorld clients utilizing the basis of what will become their production environment from as early in the production cycle as possible.”
Gavin Longhurst, Vice President of Business Development for BigWorld recently returned from Virtual Worlds in San Jose commented “Hosting a game or virtual world up to a global user base can be a massive, complex undertaking ” a huge responsibility. GNi is the recognized leading provider in this space, with solid technical foundations and a successful portfolio of hosted content already deployed. GNi have proven themselves as a highly focused, reliable and proactive player in the online industry. I am happy to welcome GNi as a preferred services partner.”
About the BigWorld Technology Suite
Comprised of the BigWorld Server Software, Content Creation Pipeline, 3D Client Engine Package, Live Management Tools & Instrumentation, BigWorld Technology Suite is the only complete MMOG solution, providing all of the difficult technology required to produce an engaging next-generation MMOG and Virtual Worlds.About BigWorld Pty Ltd
BigWorld Pty Ltd was formed in 2002 to commercialise years of intense R&D, which started in 1999 and continues to this day. BigWorld Pty Ltd is a privately held company based in Australia that licenses its BigWorld Technology Suite middleware platform to game studios and publishers around the world that are looking to produce successful next generation Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Virtual Worlds.BigWorld Website
http://www.bigworldtech.comAbout GNi
GNi is a leading provider of customer-centric managed services that extend customers’ infrastructure while dramatically reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO). GNi provides the expertise, resources and solutions to meet and exceed customers’ unique onsite and off-site requirements. Services include wired and wireless connectivity, world-class network security, disaster recovery, comprehensive server management and hosting, networking operations and management, and network consulting.The company’s Games and Digital Media division was formed from the recent acquisition of Online Game Services, Inc. and allows GNi to strengthen its game service provider business model with industry-leading, fully-managed dedicated games hosting environments and Internet transit around the world.
GNi Website
http://www.gni.com.
Leave a Reply