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Seed Forced to Say Good Bye

Stunning news hit our desks this morning from the Ten Ton Hammer's Most Original Game for E3 2006 winner, Seed. A Letter has been sent out by Lars Kroll Kristensen CEO of Runestone Game Development.

For the past two months, I and a few others have attempted to sell a partnership deal to a long list of publishers and MMO companies, trying to raise the capital we needed to finish the game properly, and re-launch it in a form it, and especially you the community, deserve. While we have received a great deal of interest, we have not been able to close a deal. The harsh reality is that we have now officially run out of money, and out of options, and therefore, we cannot pay salaries, rent or hosting fees.

Read the rest of the letter or head to the official Seed Forums to learn more. Share your thoughts on this sad news in the forums right here at Ten Ton Hammer.

New Developer Log Looks At Update

Have you been waiting for the sickbay update? You're not alone. Kroll gives us an update in this entry of the developers journal.

Broken leg. Dislocated shoulder. Impaled liver.

I'm feeling like a butcher these days, planning and testing all kinds of nastiness for the players of Seed. No longer will people start a repairjob, and go out for coffee while their tool finishes the job.
Not without risking coming back to a seriously injured DaVincian at least.
Mwahahah.

Seriously though. The "sickbay" update has taken way too long to finish: it just has implications so many places around, it's frustrating.

Read the rest of this update and then let us know what your thoughts are in the forums here at Ten Ton Hammer.

Seed Takes a Refreshing Departure From Standard MMOs

A review of this newly released MMO was posted at GameZone. Michael Lafferty took time to write up his thoughts as he tried Seed out.

Seed, from Runestone, is not your typical online game. First of all, there are no wide-open vistas and environments that will have players traversing the world. The game centers within the colonizing structure that is known as Da Vinci. Secondly, there is no combat, no mobs that you kill to gain experience and level up. Instead Seed focuses on maintaining the colony platform, fixing various and persistent equipment breaks, leveling up engineering skills and then, if you so choose, engaging in the politics within the colony.

Of course, this requires a different mindset on the part of the gamer. It also, in many ways, requires more creativity.

Read the full review at GameZone.

It comes in really handy for the directionally challenged.

Encyclopledia, rumours, favours, reactions and moods have been added to the road map of upcoming game additions.

You can find more information here.

More Seed news.

There are prizes to be had!

Location graphics as well as lightning and particle effects in Seed have improved vastly during the latest months. So vastly that our current collection of screen shots and videos on our website is rather outdated.

We need new ones, and we would like all of you to help creating a large collection of great, intriguing, fascinating, original screen shots and video clips. All screens/videos published afterwards on the website will carry the credit (forum name) of the person who submitted them.

As in all competitions there will be prices for the best contributions as well. We have emptied our suitcases from E3 and gathered a little pile of our best swag.

The prices will be:

* 1st price: 1 Seed boiler suit + 1 Seed T-shirt (limited sizes available) + 14 days added to paid subscription *.
* 2nd-5th price: 1 Seed T-shirt (limited sizes available) + 14 days added to paid subscription *.
* 6th-10th price: 14 days added to paid subscription *.

*For trial players the 14 days will be added to the first paid subscription period following the trial.

Boiler suits worn by our E3 actors can be seen here:
http://www.seedthegame.com/gallery/d...album=1&pos=15

T-shirt front and most of the back are shown by Jan and Stephane here:
http://www.seedthegame.com/gallery/d...album=1&pos=13

The jury will consist of lead artist Jan Roed Thastum, lead writer Alex Uth and communications manager Morten Juul.

You can read the rules right here. on their forums.

More Seed news.

You know how we feel about Seed since we gave them our Most Original MMOG award. Now, find out what Stratics thinks of this innovative game.

Most other MMORPG’s will fit the bill for persistent world, up until the final sentence. Seed is all about the players changing the influence and the world itself, it’s the players that have control over what happens next. This is what blew me away about the game and garnered my interest into the title.

So let me start with a bit of background information on what Seed is about. You start out in a colony called Da Vinci, you were on a mission to terra-form a planet, however, something goes terribly wrong within the machine. Your mission is to pretty much survive as a colony and work together and come up with a plan and direction. That plan and direction is entirely up for the players to decide.

Read the rest here.

More Seed news.

You can get a listing of the latest updates here at the official site.

Check out the new features. Our guys really loved this game when they saw it at E3 this year!

SEED - A first look from E3 2006

Thurston and Byron really enjoyed SEED, the newest MMORPG to hit the market from little known Danish developer Runestone. Hit the link to check out some screens of SEED's unique graphical look and feel.

"For those who don't know about it, SEED is a brand new (released May 2nd) MMORPG, based around the survival of a select group of human colonists in the far future... in a Galaxy far far away... oh sorry wrong game. As a first impression the two things that struck us most were the graphics and the RPG element."

Plant your mouse pointer right here to take a look at SEED.

You can now download the free client with a 14 day free trial at Seed's Official Website.

On an alien world in the far future, desperate human settlers must work together to ensure the survival of their colony and the whole human race.

In Seed players use their intellect rather than brute force to get the job done, interact with believable NPCs with their own behaviors and agendas, and truly decide the fate of the colony, whether it thrives or fails, and have the power to change the world around them.

"The launch of Seed is only the beginning," said Lars Kroll Kristensen, CEO of Runestone Game Development. “The players’ control of the world will ensure an ever-changing interactive player experience.”

With groundbreaking gameplay powered by next-generation artificial intelligence poured into a rich, comic-book-style 3D world, Seed is like nothing else on Earth.

Happy Adventuring!

More Seed news.

There are new screenshots to be had from this comicbook like game. Seriously. I feel like I'm stepping into the pages of a graphic novel just looking at it. Very very interesting and I'd like to see it in action.

You can get the screenshots here at RPG Vault.

More Seed news.

On a side note: All of you people who called WoW cartooney - You didn't know what you were talking about. Think I'm wrong? Tell me why.

Have you been following Seed but have not yet been able to get into the game itself? Now is your chance.

Aarhus, Denmark - April 18, 2006 - Runestone Game Development, developers of the upcoming genre-shattering massively multiplayer game Seed, announced today that starting on Tuesday, April 25th, its beta testing program will be open for an entire week to all who apply.

"We are looking forward to seeing crowds of players experiencing our game world as well as stressing and testing our systems to the limit," said Lars Kroll Kristensen, CEO of Runestone Game Development. “This will mark the home stretch of the development process as we prepare for next month’s launch.”

Everyone is invited to enter the Open Beta Week. Players need only apply at www.seedthegame.com no later than Monday, April 24th.

This open testing phase will end just prior to the Seed launch on May 2nd, 2006. The client will then be available for free download, along with its 14-day free trial, at www.seedthegame.com.

You've got the dates. You've got the information. You've got my email, tell me how this game plays. I'm so bloody tired of WoW right now.

More news on Seed.

The CEO of Runestone Game Development talks about the danish MMORPG ‘Seed’, which neither uses a combat-system nor standard quests. Can’t work? ‘WoW’ is the spearhead of innovation? Then you should read further which interesting alternatives ‘Seed’ might offer – and to what kind of player this game could be adressed.

Apropos swords: As you just said, ‘Seed’ does not have a combat system at all. No elves, dwarfs, dragons - and no battles. What is the clue behind your thoughts. Or are you just crazy?

We are quite crazy. It helps in this business. We are not crazy enough though, to think that we can beat the likes of Sony and Blizzard at their own game, so we decided to cater to another segment of players instead. We want to be a game that caters primarily to role players, secondarily to crafters. Also, this is the kind of game we really want to make. If we put in a combat system, this would risk to move the focus away from role play and crafting.

Crazy... crazy like a fox! Will seed breathe new life into the MMO standard? Read it and decide for yourself!

Read Here for More News and Info on Seed

Looks like this Comic book like game is going into beta. Beta kicks off Feb 1st so make sure you signup now if you want in on this out of the box game.

Aarhus, Denmark – January 9, 2006 – Runestone Game Development announced today that applications are now being accepted for beta testing Seed, the premiere genre-shattering massively multiplayer game slated for release in April 2006, with testing to kick off February 1st.
"We're thrilled about being so near opening Seed to our testers," said Lars Kroll Kristensen, CEO of Runestone Game Development. "This is the first huge step toward launch, and after years of work we're all very excited to begin sharing it with thousands of gamers!"

In Seed, players find themselves on an alien world in the far future as desperate human settlers who must work together to ensure the survival of their colony and the whole human race. By using their intellect rather than their brawn, players alone will decide the fate of the entire colony, set within a highly mutable and interactive world.

Beginning February 1st, the testing phase will ramp up steadily toward launch, growing the population from the pool of beta applicants and ending with a stress test in March, where the community will be encouraged to come by the thousands to give Seed a try.

With groundbreaking gameplay powered by next-generation artificial intelligence poured into a rich, comic-book-style 3D world, Seed truly stands out from the crowd. Learn more about this revolutionary MMG and sign up for the beta test by visiting www.seedthegame.com.

About Runestone Game Development

Runestone Game Development is a Danish computer game developer specializing in innovative, story-based massively multiplayer online games. Seed is the premiere title from the company, which is owned partly by the employees, partly by business investors.

More Info and News on Seed the Game

What could grow from this Seed?
Blue's News has a bit
of info over a science fiction MMORPG called Seed:

Runestone Game Development Announces Seed is the press release officially
announcing development of this upcoming science fiction MMORPG, though true
to its title, the seeds of this revelation were planted long ago, as there
have developer Q&As for the game appearing on the web for well over a
year now. Here's a bit, including plans to open beta testing next month:

Aarhus, Denmark - December 20, 2005 - Runestone Game Development is pleased
to unveil Seed, a new and genre-shattering massively multiplayer game slated
for release in April 2006, with beta test sign ups starting in January 2006.
On an alien world in the far future, desperate human settlers must work together
to ensure the survival of their colony and the whole human race. In Seed you
will...
Use your intellect rather than your brawn.
"By trading in weapons for wit, we've truly created a simulated society
and developed a game that engages you on an entirely different level than
any MMG before," said Lars Kroll, CEO of Runestone. "We have really
taken the simulated society idea a big step further, where players can ascend
to great political heights within the Seed world, but only if NPCs and players
alike allow it through a robust democratic system."
Interact with believable NPCs.
"NPCs play a significant part in Seed," added Kroll. "We have
focused on making the NPCs varied and interesting to work with. All NPCs in
Seed have their own behaviors, motivations and goals, powered by a sophisticated
AI engine with distinct emotion, knowledge, and event response systems. They
remember, and they judge."

• Here
  is a link to the official press release
• Related
  news about this Runestone game at MMORPG.com
• Check
  out the official site for more details