Sci Fi Classic ‘Ender’s Game’ To Be Powered by Unreal Engine 3

Cary, N.C. — Chair Entertainment Group will utilize Cary-based Epic Games’ Unreal engine to develop the first videogame based on science fiction author Orson Scott Card’s international best-seller “Ender’s Game.”

Chair has had a productive working relationship with the Greensboro, N.C.-based author since working on its first game, Advent Rising. That game lead to the original sci-fi property, Empire, which was launched as a best-selling book franchise and has a game in the works as well as a big budget Hollywood film from Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver.

Ender’s Game also has a movie in production at Paramount Pictures, but the video games will not be tied into that film. Instead, the games will focus on the “Battle Room” from the book. Chair will create games across all platforms, including PC, next gen consoles, and handhelds. The games will begin development later this year with the first titles expected via download. Chair released Undertow on Xbox Live Arcade last year, which received critical acclaim. That same route is also expected to be taken for these games.

“I have been a huge fan of Ender’s Game since I was 10 years old, so it is a true honor for our team to be entrusted with creating the first video game inspired by this classic story,” said Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair Entertainment Group. “Our goal is to create an authentic Ender’s Game experience that delivers awesome gameplay and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and gamers new to the series.”

Card has become active in the videogame space, having helped fine-tune the game storyline and dialogue for Advent Rising. He’s also working with Chair on the story for the Empire game.

“From the moment I started working with Donald Mustard and his team at Chair, I knew that these were the guys I wanted to do the first Ender's Game video game,” said Card. “It's not enough to slap the Ender's Game name on just any game - it has to be exciting, memorable, and endlessly replayable. Chair shares my understanding of this and I am looking forward to working with them to ensure the game is as authentically Enderish as possible.”

In the fictional Ender’s Game universe, humanity is at war with an alien species known as the Formics, and Battle School is the training ground for the future leaders of Earth’s International Fleet. Taken at a very young age, Earth’s most brilliant children undergo a rigorous training designed to teach advanced military theory where strategic and tactical glory is won in the null gravity battles known to the elite students simply as the game! Through simulated war games and training conducted in the Battle Room, the children rise through the ranks of Battle School to become Earth’s only hope for victory.

All of the games developed by Chair will use Unreal Engine 3, which Mustard has employed over the years in developing each of his titles.

"The Unreal Engine provides a giant first step in the production of a game,” explained Mustard. “As our production team is familiar with the engine, we can start a project at a running pace and get to the stage of a functioning prototype very quickly. That allows us to spend more time polishing a game and making it fun while still keeping our schedule short."