Archetype Released

No, Archetype isn't an RPG. It's not even close to an RPG - it's an action-packed first-person shooter for Apple's iDevices. But one of the guys who has been busy hammering away on the game for the past year is none other than GameBanshee's own Tyson McCann (Applebrown), so I thought I'd post the official press release to bring some attention to his project:
Intense Multiplayer First Person Shooter Archetype Blasts onto iPhone App Store from Villain

Full-featured FPS for iPhone and iPod touch Now Available in App Store for Just GBP1.79

San Francisco, CA - July 6, 2010 - Villain, an independent producer and publisher of portable game titles, announces the release of ArchetypeTM, its intense new online multiplayer first-person shooter game developed exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch, is now available in the App Store. A full-featured online FPS, Archetype brings a new breed of mobile mayhem to the iPhone - particularly iPhone 4 - and iPhone touch platforms worldwide with multiplayer deathmatches with teams, experience points, and player ranks for the player-friendly price of GBP1.79.

"Archetype brings high quality, console-style Pwnage to iPhone and iPod touch first-person shooter fans at an amazing price with absolutely no strings attached," said Dane Baker, Lead Producer at Villain. "And we're absolutely thrilled that our game supports the new iPhone 4, as Archetype takes full advantage of the new 'Retina Display' technology which results in new owners experiencing an exceptionally phenomenal view of their fragging glory."

The game delivers players from all around the world an intense, high quality console-style FPS experience scaled to fit in their pockets through the popular iPhone and iPod touch platforms. Up to ten gamers can play a team deathmatch anywhere, anytime and with anyone. The ability to instantly add and challenge buddies makes it easy to start a match in seconds with new friends or old adversaries. Archetype's portable iPwnage offers online FPS gaming on the go over Wi-Fi, 3G and even Edge.

Starting as lowly cadets, players join team-based deathmatches and level up to earn higher ranks as they build a reputation, earn experience points and win medals. With two to five players per team, up to ten players can battle online across Archetype's five large multiplayer maps - from Wrath's vertical combat and Invidia's close quarters firefights to Acdia's sprawling, unsymmetrical layout. The game features six unique weapon types ranging from rapid-fire guns, devastating missile launchers, the brutal melee axe and two distinct grenade types including a "split-strike" grenade that splits in two every time it bounces, dealing wider damage to take out opposing squads. Players wreak havoc using the game's precise dual joystick-style controls, bringing the best aspects of console shooters to iPhone and iPod touch.

The game's robust FPS feature set includes player rank-based team matchmaking to ensure balanced teams, comprehensive buddy lists and radar-based enemy tracking to help players coordinate team-based attacks. For those who want to play on a larger screen, the game is fully iPad-compatible.

Archetype was developed by San Francisco-based MunkyFun, Inc., veterans of LucasArts and creators of Shift and Ivory Tiles for iPhone, and is published by Villain.

For more information, visit madebyvillain.com/archetype. To visit the Archetype page in the App Store, go to http://www.itunes.com/app/archetype.

About Villain

Villain is a specialist game company focused on high-quality mobile entertainment. Archetype, an intense online team-based first-person shooter, is the company's inaugural release, currently shipping for iPhone and iPod touch. For more information, visit madebyvillain.com.

About MunkyFun, Inc.

MunkyFun is an independent entertainment software company located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. MunkyFun is headed by CEO Nick Pavis, former Director of Game Technology at LucasArts. The core team has worked together extensively for several years, most notably while employed at LucasArts on the hit game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Collectively, the MunkyFun team has worked on over 60 notable game titles and is experienced across all major platforms including PS3, X360, Wii, PC, PSP, and iPhone. For more information, visit munkyfun.com.
The game is already generating some pretty good buzz, so maybe if we ask nicely, Tyson and the rest of the development team will work on an RPG next :).