WildTangent goes multiplayer

Webgames specialist WildTangent today announced that it will be showing off their Web Driver system's new multiplayer capabilities at the Game Developers Conference later this month, claiming that it is "opening the door to a new level of immersive media content". As the company was co-founded by Microsoft's former DirectX evangelist Alex St John, it's perhaps no surprise that Web Driver uses DirectX and "takes full advantage of hardware acceleration, scaling content to an optimal level for each user's machine".

Response from the gaming industry has apparently been rather positive, with several companies quoted in the press release as supporting Web Driver and its new found multiplayer functionality. Sony Online Entertainment "feels that Web Driver will allow us to further expand our core base of multiplayer games into broader markets", while Barbie manufacturer Mattel "is enthusiastic about the upcoming launch and how it could enhance the interactivity our audiences experience". Even Rune developer Human Head got in on the orgy of mutual back patting, gushing that "WildTangent is poised to deliver the future of game entertainment and their multiplayer capabilities are just the beginning". Heady stuff indeed.

If you want to see WildTangent's technology in action for yourself (sans multiplayer capabilities), check out their own games page, which includes a selection of fun little webgames ranging from Pacman and Arkanoid clones to motor racing and golf games. They only take up a few megabytes once you have installed the latest version of Web Driver, and most can be played directly from your web browser. ®

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