“On the cusp of release Jane’s Attack Squadron had a really great buzz
around it, but unfortunately, was placed on hold,” says Ian Davis,
Ph.D., CEO of Mad Doc. “Looking Glass™ Studios had done a great job
with it - it was already a game poised to win legions of fans: great
graphics, top-shelf production values, amazing gameplay. And like a lot
of people, the game piqued our interest here at Mad Doc. So much so
that we’ve brought the core team from the game together to finish what
they started.”
He
continues: “We’ve added some of the best talent in the industry to our
in-house team to bring the graphics back up-to-date, to polish -- and
give a little something extra to -- this already hot game. As it
stands, we’re harnessing the talents of the original Jane’s Attack Squadron
team, including the lead designer, lead programmer, AI programmer and
lead artist, as well as other key players to round out the mix.”
The mix — is working. “With superb terrain rendering, impressive pyrotechnics, and detailed target destruction, Jane’s Attack Squadron
strike missions immerse players in the heat of the action,” says Steve
Nadeau, former lead designer on the game, and now a lead designer at
Mad Doc. “It’s going to be fun to now refine the game and give it a new
life. We think fans will find it was well worth the wait.”
Nadeau continues: “We’re very excited at the prospect of being able to finally complete Jane’s Attack Squadron
for Xicat. And since Mad Doc has managed to bring back many of the
original team members, we can ensure that the finished product will
closely reflect our original vision of the game: an action-packed World
War II air combat simulation accessible to users of all skill levels.”
JANE’S ATTACK SQUADRON FLIES AGAIN,
COURTESY OF MAD DOC – PAGE 2
Jane’s Attack Squadron: Realistic And Thrilling Combat
Set in the European Theater of Operations,
Jane’s Attack Squadron’s
winning gameplay lets the player take control of a number of pivotal
battles, from either the Allied or Axis side. The focus of gameplay is
on intense, low-level attacks of tactical targets over ground and sea,
allowing air strikes on warships, subs, trains, tanks, airfields and
factories. Other mission types add variety and include Patrol,
Intercept, and Strategic Bombing.
Missions run primarily in Western
France, Germany and the Low Countries, with sea-based scenarios flown
over the English Channel and the North Sea off the European coast.
Recreating the Western European landscape in detail using Mad Doc’s
next-generation rendering engine, over 1 million square miles of
terrain have been modeled with high resolution ground textures and
accurate digital height elevations. From small dwellings, huge
industrial complexes and notable landmarks, to hundreds of villages,
cities, railways, roads, rivers and airfields along the flight path,
the game experience is greatly enhanced by meticulous attention to
detail.
Jane’s Attack Squadron
offers single missions, campaigns, quick missions and training
missions. The game also includes robust multiplayer support for up to 8
players via LAN or TCP/IP, with multiplayer options for
deathmatch-style dogfights.
Aircraft
Jane’s Attack Squadron
will feature up to 14 flyable aircraft, each having an accurately
modeled 3D cockpit with fully functioning dials and gauges. The game
also boasts one of the most detailed aircraft damage systems in any
aircraft simulation. Each aircraft is composed of multiple components
-- each completely damageable -- and many which can also break off.
Bullet holes also appear in the exact location of bullet strikes,
ensuring that battle damage will never look the same way twice.
Signature aircraft are the top WW2 fighter-bombers, such as the
American P-38, P-47 and P-51, as well as the German Fw-190, Me-262 and
Bf-109. A variety of medium and heavy bombers are also featured,
including the American B-17, B-24, Lancaster and the German Ju-88, with
the ability in multiplayer for several players to simultaneously man
different stations in the plane.
Jane’s Attack Squadron
provides the user with an unparalleled ground attack combat experience
for a prop sim. Features range from tanks fighting each other on the
battlefield and battleships conducting shore bombardment, to FLAK and
Anti-Aircraft guns firing back at the player.
-more-
JANE’S ATTACK SQUADRON FLIES AGAIN, COURTESY OF MAD DOC – PAGE 3
Land And Sea Targets
Military
vehicles include a variety of tanks, jeeps, and trucks that traverse
the battlefield and make ripe targets for strafing, bombing and rocket
attacks. Artillery guns provide indirect fire on the battlefield while
smaller caliber AA guns threaten lower flying aircraft. Going in low to
take out enemy ground targets is a harrowing experience for the player.
The Jane’s Attack Squadron
world is populated with numerous mission targets, both tactical and
strategic. Ground targets include factories, landmarks, trains,
airfields, fuel and ammo dumps, villages, V2 rocket sites and bridges.
Each structure has detailed multiple levels of damage with
corresponding smoke and fire effects.
Battleships, destroyers, subs and merchant ships also populate the Jane’s Attack Squadron
world. Naval ships can conduct shore bombardment and also attack other
naval targets. The challenge is real - if the player fails to take out
a destroyer in time, it can actually sink the ships of a friendly
convoy.
“We hope to get the user community excited about Jane’s Attack Squadron,
as we’ll be shipping both our mission editor and physics editor with
the final product, allowing users to build their own missions and
campaigns and tweak the physics models of our aircraft to their hearts’
content,” says Tim Farrar, producer for the game.
The Jane’s Attack Squadron
agreement was arranged by Dotted Line Entertainment, Inc. The release
date for the game will be in the first half of 2002. For additional
information on Jane’s Attack Squadron and Mad Doc, please visit : www.maddocsoftware.com.
###
For Press And Business Inquiries, Please Contact:
Shaun McDermott, Mad Doc Software
[email protected]
978.687.8405 x103
About Mad Doc
Headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mad Doc™ Software, LLC (Mad
Doc) consists of game industry veterans with experience in every aspect
of game development, and an unmatched expertise in Artificial
Intelligence. An emerging force in the industry, Mad Doc™ was founded
in 1999 with the goal of developing AAA titles that expand the game
playing experience and broaden the market through creative use of new
Networking, Graphics, and AI technologies. Mad Doc’s™ team has a proven
track record for both award-winning design and profit-making
development and delivery. Combined, the Mad Doc™ team has been
responsible for over 2,600,000 units that have reached the gaming
market, earning the acclaim of players, critics, and publishers alike.
For information on Mad Doc™, please visit www.maddocsoftware.com.
-more-
JANE’S ATTACK SQUADRON FLIES AGAIN, COURTESY OF MAD DOC – PAGE 4
About Xicat
Xicat Interactive is a worldwide leader in the interactive
entertainment software industry with offices in Fort Lauderdale, USA,
London, England and Zurich, Switzerland. The company publishes
award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation® game
console, PlayStation® 2 game console, Nintendo® Game Boy Advance®,
Nintendo® Game Boy Color®, Sega® Dreamcast®, Microsoft® Xbox® and
personal computer platforms. Visit their Web site at www.xicat.com. Attack Squadron is the trademark of Xicat Interactive, Inc.
About Dotted Line Entertainment, Inc.
Dotted Line Entertainment, Inc. is a worldwide services firm
specializing in interactive entertainment. Incorporated in 1997 by
founder Eugene Mauro, DLE facilitates the development of intellectual
properties across media and game platforms through its relationships
with the development, publishing and financial communities. Contact:
Eugene Mauro (203) 878-5022.
Looking Glass™ is a trademark of Looking Glass™ Studios. All rights reserved.
The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts
are “forward-looking statements.” The Company cautions readers of this
press release that a number of important factors could cause future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements.
