Latest News

On this page, you can view all of the news as it happens in the realm of Hunter's World. Use the right hand side panel to view the various news items.

12-May-10 - Your questions answered

Ewan Lamont, Senior Producer on Hunter's World joined us this week for another Q&A session. We asked him a number of questions about future game development and also added some of your questions relating to game features.

Find out more.

09-Mar-10 - New Rangers Join Hunter's World

After being successfully nominated, Arisk, Buc Cyberslayer and Micah77 entered Hunter's World this week as the latest people to become Rangers.

Still in early development, we're offering members of the Hunter's World forum community the chance to work with us to improve, create and design some of the exciting features that will eventually make it into the final game. From AI to graphics, gameplay and equipment, the Rangers all have the opportunity to explore a game in development and interact with the developers.

To become a Ranger and get involved, you should be an active forum member and share a love of hunting and also MMO games.

18-Feb-10 - The Proving Grounds

Named by the Hunter's World Community, 'The Proving Grounds' is a mini-game that not only requires accuracy and skill, but will also test your patience.

Give it a go and see if you can get your name on the high score board.

Play now

04-Feb-10 - Win a Concept Art Print

To enter this competition, all you have to do is sign up for the Hunter's World forum and submit a hunting picture. We'll choose the best image at the beginning of March 2010 and announce the winner shortly after.

For more information, please visit the Hunter's World forum.

Good luck!

19-Jan-10 - Recording Deer Sound

During 2009, the development team visited the Round Green deer farm in Worsbury Barnsley, UK. Armed with the latest recording equipment, Lead artist Kelvin Janson and AV manager Andy Gibson, set about capturing the sounds made by red deer.

Watch the video

13-Jan-10 - Become a New Year Ranger

With 4 new Rangers added in December, we're now taking nominations for January's batch.

Simply post in this forum thread, explaining why you would like to become a Hunter's World Ranger and we'll add you to the poll that will run around the end of January.

The nominations who receive the most public votes will then be added to the Ranger's list, who will then vote on the final selection.

Don't forget, the more active you are in the forum, the better chance you have of getting voted in!

12-Jan-10 - The Fishing Contest

In April 2009, i participated in a fishing contest, more accurate a sea trout contest. Well it was early morning and i was going out there with my brother, my uncle, and a couple of his friends, to a place called Hamnes,(in Norway off course) and the fishing contest lasted 24 hours. When we got there and set up a camp, we started fishing and it didn't take many minutes before my uncle's friend got a small trout, about 0.5 kilos.

We had a great weather, white sun and calm wind. We fished with bait, mackerel actually, which the fish always bite on. I was in the junior class that year, because i was 15 years and 11 months old. (ironic)

After a while we had about 5 sea trouts, and i caught one on 55 cm, which i hurried to show to the judges, who measured it and registered it. In this contest it wasn't the weight on the fish that counted, it was the length.

We got a text message on our phones every 2 hours, and on the first text message it stood that i had the biggest fish in the junior class. When we laid down to sleep, we could hear a couple of porpoises (a whale sort) swim by the place where we fishing. Next morning we started fishing again, and together we had 7 sea trouts. On the first message we got, it also stood that i was leading in the junior class, and now it was only 4 hours left of the contest.

Later this day we had 11 sea trouts altogether and the contest was almost over. When the contest was over we drove home and when we were almost at my house i got a text message, my heart was beating faster when i opened the text message and it stood that i was the winner of the junior class. The winners prize was fishing gear for $1000. The only one of us that didn't catch anything was my uncle who was bragging about how good he was at fishing!

Submitted by BigBuckHunter531

23-Dec-09 - Seasons Greetings

The Hunter's World development team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and of course, a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Development work on the MMO will start again in 2010 and if you didn't get Ranger status during 2009, don't worry as there will be numerous chances to get your account upgraded in the new year.

We would also like to thank the Rangers for their feedback during 2009, something that has really helped and assisted us with the further development of Hunter's World!

08-Dec-09 - Rafael Horbach Podcast

We spoke to Rafael Horbach, using the questions you posted in the forum, about his thoughts and future plans for Hunter's World.

Listen to the podcast

Rafael explains why the concept of creating an MMO is more exciting than any of the previous hunting games he's worked on and why he expects Hunter's World to be a success.

09-Nov-09 - Nominate yourself as a December Ranger

With 4 new Rangers now ready to enter Hunter's World, it's time to start looking for the next batch of potentials for December.

Nominate yourself and find out more

Simply add your name to the nominations thread in the forum, letting others know why you should be selected. We'll then let the Hunter's World community vote on who they feel should be added to the final list for selection.

03-Nov-09 - Hunter Lodge Wins Inter Lodge Trophy

Our latest edition to the History of Hunter's World looks at the Hunter Lodge, which after a change of marketing strategy, finally managed to win the Inter Lodge trophy for the first time. By the start of the early 80's the Hunter Lodge had finally topped the membership list for the first time and although Hunter now had the numbers in terms of overall membership, he felt that quality was missing and changed his tactics.

Find out more

02-Nov-09 - Cast your Vote

All of the nominations are in, but now it's time to cast your vote and let us know who you would like to see entering Hunter's World?

There are 27 potential Rangers to choose from, so pick wisely. If you want more details, you can take a look at what the potentials had to say about themselves by looking here.

If you missed out this month, don't worry as we'll be starting a new nomination thread for December 2009 very soon.

29-Oct-09 - We have Winners!

We received some weird and wonderful suggestions in our recent 'fictitious brand names' competition, with 4 lucky winners all walking away with a signed and framed concept art image.

Congratulations to Jordan Yamson, Jordy van den Boom, Michael Bollinger and Ray Zerance Jnr, who have all been contacted today and will be receiving their prizes soon.

19-Oct-09 - Nominate Yourself as a Ranger

If you would like to be nominated as a Ranger for November's batch, please make a post in this forum thread, stating why you feel you should be a Hunter's World Ranger.

On November 1st 2009, we will create a poll allowing the community to cast their vote, which will see the elected members become new Rangers!

The amount of new Rangers for November will depend on how many current non-active Rangers are evicted at the end of this month. There will however be at least 2 new Rangers elected...

13-Oct-09 - Noisy Surprise

A little, true hunting story by MonacoSteve

It all started with a computer game. With a hunting game, to be precise. Here, in one of the online sessions, I met Patrick for the first time. It soon turned out that we did not only share a dedication for playing hunting simulations. Patrick was - in contrast to me - a real-life hunter as well, and had just received his own licence, allowing him now to hunt on his father's property himself. He spontaneously invited me to join him for some real-life hunting trips, and I agreed. This was the beginning of a very good friendship, and we are having lot of exciting adventures together.

In Europe, stand hunting is very common. Whenever Patrick and I meet for hunting, we usually squeeze ourselves on the small bench in one of the wooden towers, which are set up all over the property and wait together for the deer. There is not really much room in such a stand. Depending from which direction a buck or doe appears, Patrick has to aim forward, to the left or the right, and depending of whether I, the observer, am sitting to his left or right side, his rifle, always resting on the rim of the stand's open window and pointing outwards, sometimes is located directly in front of my face. In this case, when I want to look in the same direction in which he is aiming, my ear always comes in very close neighbourhood to his rifle trigger. At that time we did not use ear protectors, and so, whenever I was expecting the shot in such a situation, I plugged my ear with my finger to avoid a major damage of my "Trommelfell". The disadvantage of this arrangement was that I could not hear anything else he was whispering during these most exciting moments. Thus, we agreed that he would give me an appropriate warning whenever he was about the let the bullet fly, and I would have enough time to plug my ear. This was at least the theory.

One day we had again such a situation. A deer came from the left side towards the stand and I was sitting at Patrick's left side. He raised the rifle, aimed, and as we were both quite excited, I forgot about the agreement and immediately stuffed my finger in my ear. Nothing happened, though, for many more minutes. Patrick just continued aiming and looked through the scope. Suddenly, I saw his lips moving, but did not understand. Therefore, I unplugged my ear shortly and whispered: "Excuse me? What did you say?" The answer was a thundering "WHAMM". The shot went out, and I made a big jump. As soon as the ringing and singing in my poor right ear stopped, I asked him again what he said. He answered: "I told you only to plug your ear, because I was about to pull the trigger..."

This experience was a big motivation for both of us to buy professional hunter ear protectors. Since I have one, my hunts together with Patrick are much more relaxed.

Read more real life hunting stories in the Hunter's World forum.

09-Oct-09 - More of your Questions Answered by Rob Watson

Game Play suggestions
Q: It would be another interesting idea would be to have some muzzle loaders. Maybe even have the "modern" type and the "flintlock" type?
A: Yes, muzzleloaders are planned for, though not in the initial release.

Q: Tell us more about 1st and 3rd person views in the game?
A :Well, when moving around in the game the view is third person. This is so the player can view their character and their equipment and actions. When aiming a weapon the view changes to first person. Later I hope to include the ability to move the camera in out from first to the third person and any time but this will may not be included in the initial release.

Q: Will harvesting become more involved than simply pressing a button? Will we be able to learn this skill and level up on it?
A: Yes, harvesting is part of the Survival skill and there will be benefits and new abilities to unlock when upgrading your skill, such as Field Butchery. In addition, the quality of meat harvested from the animal will also be affected by your Survival skill.

Animal suggestions
Q: Will the servers be balanced so that novice hunters get more animals to hunt, but experienced ones get less in harder hunting conditions?
A: The way the world is planned right now, bigger and higher quality game also have better senses and are much harder to hunt for novice hunters. In addition these bigger beasts will be in more remote and harder to get to areas. Legendary animals will be extremely rare and hard to find and their sense so keen that only the most accomplished and experienced hunters will have a chance to take one of them down.

Equipment suggestions
Q :Will we be able to adjust our scopes?
A :Yes, I plan for scopes to be adjustable for windage, elevation and magnification.

General Suggestions
Q :Will the game run on a MAC?
A :We have no plans for MAC access at this stage.

Q :Will there be a limit of how many animals you can hunt per session?
A :You are only limited by the number of tags you have and how much you can carry, which is determined by your Survival skill. Varmints are free to hunt at all times.

Q :Rather than just trophy hunting, have the meat and other by-products have some use to them. Maybe have jerky from the meat to restore stamina or a hunger system. And the pelts sold to a taxidermist?
A :When you hand in harvested carcasses you receive a bounty from the Hunters World staff to compensate you for the food and equipment they create from the carcass. At this stage players cannot create their own items.

05-Oct-09 - We want your Hunting Stories

We're looking for your stories for the Hunter's World News page, specifically written by you, hunter's from the community. You can submit your articles, which can be anything hunting related and if they're interesting enough, we'll publish them for you. You can include images as well if you like, but this is optional.

Please send your articles to: rangersoffice@huntersworldonline.com
including your full name and forum username.

30-Sep-09 - Q & A Session with Rob Watson

Q: Will the hunter be able to turn his head in the game to look left and right as most games have the simple ability to look left or right independent of which direction the torso is facing?
A: The final control system will include the ability to look around independent of the direction of travel.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: Even if we couldn't create our own scopes, it would still be nice to have a choice of different scopes to use. Having a range finding option is nice.
A: There will be a wide variety of accessories for guns available in the game including scopes, recoil pads, slings, etc.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: Will there be moose in the game?
A: Yes.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: How much variation will there be with the various species in the reserve. I hope that all of the deer won't look the same, especially the antlers?
A: All species will be modelled to reflect the individual looks and features of that species including the racks.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: Will we have quests in the game like the North American grand slam and then the ability to display our achievements?
A: YES! We are aiming for numerous tasks and missions in the game including things like grand slams and McNabs.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: Will we have competitions where you can win specialised weapons or equipment?
A: Yes, competitions and tournaments will be a key element on Hunter's World along with prizes. My initial thoughts are things like unique clothing that only tournament winners can wear or special weapons with engravings or features commemorating the competition.
Discuss this question in the forum

Q: How in depth will the weapons and ballistics go? I want a projectile editor that you can infinitely create ammo or arrow for guns and bows.
A: We will have a full ballistics model, but customizable ammo will not be available in the initial release of the game.
Discuss this question in the forum

The Rules:

1. All hunters must sign in prior to hunts and check out before departure; hunting will begin from a designated lodge building. All hunters will be required to sign the appropriate legal documentation.
Q: It'd be realistic, but is it going to be included?
A: This is still being explored right now. Obviously we want to be as realistic as we can, but also want to make it easy for people to go hunting. However, you will need tags to hunt game animals. Varmints will not require tags.
Discuss this question in the forum

3. No alcohol during hunts. Bars are available at the lodges for post-hunt celebration and liquor can be drunk at designated camping sites.
Q: Will we have bars and such?
A: That's the plan! We want the lodges to be very social areas were people meet to chat and exchange stories, information, hints and strategies - and meet up for group hunting.
Discuss this question in the forum

5. No shooting at or within 500 feet of any building. No shooting within 500 feet of any public roadway.
Q: This is realistic but will it be in the game?
A: Yes, in social areas players will have to stow weapons or at the very least they will be inoperable (safe).
Discuss this question in the forum

10. No shooting of birds on the ground.
Q: Does this mean no shooting birds that have landed or no shooting birds at all? I think pheasant/grouse/geese/ducks would be a fun thing to be added in the game but it'd be good with or without the fowl addition.
A: We will have many types of game birds that can be hunted in Hunter's World, but we will be following fair chase rules and shooting of birds like pheasant/grouse etc on the ground will be discouraged.
Discuss this question in the forum

12. Dogs are to be on lead when going to and leaving hunting area. Dogs are to be under owner's/handler's control at all times.
Q: If we have dogs in the game (which would be quite cool) what would we use them for? In my area in real life, we can only use dogs for varmints (such as treeing them) and for bears and such, or for any type of bird hunting besides turkey.
A: Dogs will not be available in the initial release of the game, but we do plan to implement them in the future for exactly the tasks you described.
Discuss this question in the forum

18-Sep-09 - Why make a Hunting MMO?

For Monumental, who specialise in making massively multiplayer online games, a hunting MMO was an obvious thing to do, but there are some people who have questions about the format and the platform. The first thing we need to clarify is 'what an MMO really is'? A massively multiplayer online game is capable of supporting hundreds and thousands of players simultaneously in a persistent world, which is hosted on a server that continues to 'live and breathe' even when no one is playing. MMO's enable players from all over the world to compete and cooperate with each other. The term MMO has become a trendy buzz word in the computer games industry and some people have used it inappropriately, which has caused confusion. If a game cannot have over 1000 players playing together in the same world at the same time, it is not an MMO. If a game cannot have more than one person playing in it at the same time and be able to see the other player in the game, it is not even a multiplayer game. If the game is not hosted on a server, it cannot even be classed as online.

There are two main reasons a Hunting MMO would work well; it makes compelling commercial sense and would give the best form of game play experience. Existing PC boxed product games have found the best ways to keep experienced players interested in the game is to have player vs. player competitions online. This is now a standard feature of many hunting games. Deer Hunter 2005 was the first hunting game to do this well and is still the most critically acclaimed by the fans, mainly because of the online experience. This feature has proved to be enduringly popular with dedicated fans, some of which are still making maps for it today, but unless there is a dedicated separate server hosting the games, the format is very limited. An MMO hunting game is the logical progression to this genre. Commercially non MMO PC titles in general seem to be struggling at present and even though the Hunting genre is growing in unit sales every year, most of the growth is in console sales with PC client based games falling. The only format that would work commercially on a PC at the moment is an MMO and Monumental also have the technical skills to push this out on console as well.

As regards gameplay, the hunting genre lends itself well to the core aspects of any successful MMO. Exploration within Hunter's World will be a much richer experience than any current hunting game, much bigger than any map currently found on any temporary server set up for other popular hunting titles and exploring the world will be a compelling experience. Progression in the game can be helped, hindered and measured against other players and will be similar to most fantasy MMORPGs, which in reality are a type of hunting game where you kill creatures, gain rewards and level up. Players like to progress in level and ability in the game. To do this and compare progress with your friends adds to the fun. The MMO format is also the best way to immerse players in the game as the other live players add to the living breathing feel of the world in a way that AI characters could never do.

The persistent online environment will also give a player a level of authenticity. Unlike most hunting games, we will be hunting through all times of day. The animals will behave as they would in real life, during the day and the season. The animal AI within the game will include everything from walking, eating, sleeping, running from danger and dying when shot. We'll also include complexities like rutting behaviours and reaction to predators. As the animals are in a persistent world, any tracks or interaction with the environment will be there for other players to see and use. Non server based games are unable to do this.

With so many people playing in the game, will they get in each others way?

The short answer is no, except for team hunting and a concentration of the population in the more settled areas, you are unlikely to bump into another player when you don't want to. The world will be designed so that we will end up with an appropriate number of players on every server. Players will concentrate around the settled areas, which is a natural occurrence in real life as in:

• Hunters need ammunition and equipment
• They will need to hand in their kills, earn money and improve their skills
• Hunters will need to rest and replenish their Stamina
• Competitions, quests and premium hunts will be offered from the lodges
• Hunters will want to meet people to go on the bigger expeditions

The type of hunting experience offered in the world will naturally relate to the concentration of people and also the level of difficulty. Varmints that are more plentiful and less wary of humans will be found nearer the settled areas. Game hunting that works well with groups like 'bird hunts' will be found further out. The type of hunting that is more solitary and would be adversely affected by other people being nearby will be even further out, far from the civilised areas and in the type of habitat where you would expect to find that type of animal.

Discuss this story in the forum

10-Sep-09 - Rob Watson Answers Some More of your Questions

Taken from the forum, we asked Lead Designer, Rob Watson to answer some fo the questions you've been asking and discussing recently.

Q: It's been said that the game will be free to play, but what parts of the game will be free? How limited will the free to play players be?

A: This is still being discussed right now, but my plan is that all players will have the ability to progress in the game whether paying or free-to-play. There may be some specific content that is only available to subscribers, but at this stage nothing is fully defined yet. Your feedback on this subject is more than welcome.

Q: Will we be able to edit the maps in the game?

A: Well, as this is a persistent world we can't allow players to edit the environment as this would change the game for the other players as well. Remember in a persistent world MMOG you are all playing together on the same map. We may look at into custom content in the future, but not for the initial release.

Q: Will you have fishing on release of the game?

A: While we would like to include as many of the various sports in the game as possible, we won't have fishing in the initial release.

Q: When tracking, will you include stuff like red globes as I don't like them.

A: No, we want to try and keep the environment as natural as possible. So for example, around droppings you will be able to hear and see flies buzzing around. This is the kind of natural visual and audio cues we want to use in Hunter's World.

Q: When hunting turkey, could we have something like a ghille suit which would help camouflage us and make us less easy to spot?

A: Yes sir! We will be including a wide variety of camouflage equipment.

Q: I really, really don't like the tracking system in another game I've played, it's horrible. I think traditional tracking is still the best method, if not the most effective. What are your plans regarding the use of pda and gps add-ons in Hunter's World?

A: Tracking in Hunter's World will be more traditional. We are planning on having a PDA, but this is purely a device for storing statistics, accessing maps and other information. The PDA in Hunter's World will not assist you in any way when hunting, other than providing a map. Tracking, Stalking, Marksmanship and Survival are all separate skills and are not linked in anyway to the PDA. Everybody in Hunter's World will be able to find tracks without the need for electronic devices. However, only those with high enough skills in Tracking will be able to gain useful information from the various types of tracks. If you have a low skill level in tracking, you won't be able to tell if the track you've found is a Mule Deer or Whitetail Deer print. With a high level of skill you will be able to tell the species, sex, and approximate weight. But that's enough info on that topic for now. I don't want to give too much away at this stage.

Q: It would be great to see detail such as cartridge load size and the ability to mix/match cartridges as well as variable choking - all important parts of accurate ballistics.

A: Agreed. There will be numerous ammo types available for any given calibre including grain, projectile type, etc. These parameters will affect penetration, hitting power and wounding. If you are hunting dangerous game you might want to use a cartridge that has big hitting power to stop that beastie in its tracks. But with a round that deforms like that, you may not get as much penetration. For hunting elk or moose, you might elect for the opposite. Less hitting power, but more penetration, increased penetration and more potential to damage organs and rupture important blood vessels, which leads to more blood loss and brings that monster down quickly with the least amount of suffering. There will always be interesting choices to make in regards to ammo, with specialized, as well as jack-of-all-trades cartridges.

Q: If you plan to include calls in the game, will there be a levelling up system where you can improve on this skill?

A: In the initial release no, but this is something we may look at for future additions to the game. Once again, please feel free to discuss this in the forum and share your ideas with us.

Q: Will you include tripods for the bowhunters?

A: If you mean portable stands, then for initial release probably not. We definitely want to include stands, but I'm not sure they will be in for the initial release of the game.

Q: Will we have a digital and video camera we can use to record stuff in the game?

A: This is a feature that we would certainly like to offer and would be something we might have as an update or module for the PDA.

Q: Will you include scent covers and lures?

A: Yes. Is there anything in particular you would like to see added? Please update us via the forum.

Q: Regarding weather conditions, when hunting in certain locations will there be snow on the ground?

A: Yes, we would like to include as many of the weather conditions seen in North American hunting areas as possible.

Q: What if 2 people hit the same animal at the same time? I know it's a 1 in a million chance, but what if it happened? Who would get it?

A: This is a tricky and controversial topic as I think it's always going to be something where it will be difficult to please everyone. The current implementation makes it impossible for simultaneous shots. Right now, the person deemed to be the first to hit the animal is considered to have tagged it. In this situation shots from any other hunter aimed at a tagged animal are ignored. This ensures that the person who got the hit first is the one that has the potential to harvest the kill. You cannot harvest animals that you have not tagged. However, if the person that gets the initial shot does not manage to kill the animal it will slowly heal over time. Once the animal recovers to a certain threshold, the tag is removed and the animal is now accessible to all hunters once more. As I mentioned above, this is the current system and I will be relying on feedback from the Rangers to determine if this is the best solution or not.

24-Aug-09 - Win One of Four Exclusive Signed Prints

Win a Signed and Framed Concept Art Image.

This is your chance to win yourself one of 4 exclusive, signed, limited edition concept art images, designed by the Hunter's World art team.

These original pieces of concept art come courtesy of the Hunter's World development team.

The competition

Hunter's World doesn't currently have any relationships with manufacturers, so we're looking for fictitious brand names for certain items in the game.

Your aim is to come up with brand names for the following 4 items, with the best suggestion for each piece of equipment winning a signed copy of the framed concept art.

Weapons

Ammunition

Scopes

Clothing

To enter the competition, simply choose a fictitious name for one or more of the categories shown above and email your entry to: rangersoffice@huntersworldonline.com

Terms and Conditions

By entering this competition, you accept and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions:

1. The prize promotion is open to all registered Hunter's World members.

2. The prize: One of four exclusive Hunter's World framed and signed concept art images.

3. The prize is not transferable and cannot be substituted for a cash alternative.

4. If any winner is not able for whatever reason to accept the prize(s) then the Promoter reserves the right to award the prize(s) to another participant.

5. The closing date for this competition is 5:30pm(BST) on the 7 October 2009 (the 'Closing Date') and any scores received after the Closing Date will not be accepted by the Promoter.

6. Winner(s) will be notified by email the day after the Closing Date. To contact you we will use the contact details supplied by you when you registered for Hunter's World.

7. Submission of your entry will not constitute proof of receipt and no responsibility will be accepted by the Promoter for entries that the Promoter does not receive. The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or corruption of data in transit.

8. A list of winner's names and locations can be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Promoter after the Closing Date.

9. The winner(s) agree to participate in any publicity or other such promotional activities which the Promoter may reasonably require in connection with the prize promotion and the Promoter shall have the right to use each winner's name, likeness, image, voice and biographical information for advertising and promotional purposes in connection with the prize promotion in all media without further notice and without the need to make any payment to any winner for such use.

10. The decision of the Promoter is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the prize promotion.

11. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any applicant if it has reasonable grounds to believe the applicant has breached any of these terms and conditions or enhanced their score by using unfair means.

12. The Promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the terms of this prize promotion at anytime without prior notice. Any changes will be posted within the rules on this page.

13. The competition and the terms and conditions of this agreement will be governed by English law.

14. Promoter: Monumental Games - Price House, 37 Stoney Street, The Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1LS

20-Aug-09 - The History of the Hunter Family - Part 4

Just after the end of the second world war, Daniel Hunter passed away, leaving control of his estate to his son Ted Hunter, who promptly lowered the entry fee, reducing the exclusivity of the site. Find out more...

17-Aug-09 - Q & A Session with the Lead Designer

Weather effects

When it rains, will we see puddles form, streams rise etc? When it snows, will it accumulate and make walking harder? Will there be any effect to the game with thunder, lightning and wind damage?

Hmmm, this is more of a graphical question. But from a design perspective weather will have significant impact on the player character in terms of endurance. If you are hunting without the right equipment for the weather conditions you won't be able to stay out in the field for long before you need to head to an outpost or cabin to restore you're endurance. All clothing and apparel in the game will have some positives and negatives in regard to endurance. So for example wet weather gear will give you increased endurance when hunting in the rain allowing you to hunt for longer in wet. When hunting in the snow without cold weather gear your endurance will take a hit reducing the time you can stay in field before needing to rest and recuperate.

Using vehicles

Will it be possible to use a vehicle to quickly move to an area of the reserve I want to hunt a certain species in, or will I have to spend hours walking there?

Transport is something we will definitely be looking into. We are exploring ideas such as ATVs, horses, etc but nothing definitely at this point. Stay tuned.

Hunting the hunter

What would happen if you were hunting a bear, took a shot and missed, the bear runs at you and you fail to get another shot in as the bear attacks you. Do you die, like what would probably happen in real life?

When dangerous game is fully implemented there will always be a risk that an animal will charge you. My thoughts on how we might implement this feature are listed below:

1. You should have the option to carry a side arm to use in this scenario dropping you're weapon and unloading your hand gun into the beast.

2. You may also have the option to carry a knife that can be used as a last resort to defend yourself against an injured or charging animal.

3. Should either of these options fail to stop the animal you will likely be mauled and severely injured.

4. You won't die but will wake up in the infirmary after being miraculously rescued by a Hunter's World ranger.

5. You may or may not incur some kind of penalty or debuff that will represent the damaged inflicted on your person and may require time to fully heal.

6. It might also be cool to be able to have scars added to your character after this kind of event, but we'll need to talk with the tech guys about what's possible in regard to this.

These are just my current thoughts on dangerous game and by no means final. Feedback on this or any topic for that matter is always welcome.

Animal suggestions:

Will the bucks fight like they do in real life? If they do, will it affect their appearance, eg broken antlers or scars etc?

We do intend to have bucks fight each other but this will be something we're looking to implement at a later stage. As for damage I'm not so sure, but we will definitely look into all possibilities.

What animal will be the next one to be introduced to the reserve? We've been asking for Elk, Moose and Coyote.

We currently have placeholder Moose and Coyotes in the dev version of the game and hope to see them go live for the Rangers very soon. When I say placeholder, this means that we are not using final graphics or animations.

Equipment suggestions:

Will we be able to trade equipment with other hunters or a store?

Definitely! We plan to have merchants in the game for players to buy and sell equipment from. Also, we aim to include player trading as well as an auction style trading system.

Will we be able to customise our weapons and to what level? How will this work?

At this stage there will be a limited amount of customization such as adding scopes, recoil pads, different ammo types, and other accessories. You can purchase these items from merchants, other players or the auction. Additional levels of customization may be implemented in future releases but not planned at this point.

What about the use of calls within the game? EG: Duck calls?

Yes we will have callers and lures.

General suggestions:

What level of customisation will there be when considering altering the inside of the lodges?

We have not reached this point in the game design just yet. So stay tuned and we should have some more info about this soon.

How can I find out where my friends are in the game?

We will be making sure you have multiple ways to find your friends such as a contacts/friends list, search function and in game chat functionality. Making sure you can meet up with friends and make new friends to go hunting with is a big part of Hunter's World and one of the major advantages of an MMO. As a result we will be focusing heavily on this aspect of the game and always looking to refine and improve the systems.

For more information and to discuss this news story, visit the Hunter's World forum.

14-Aug-09 - A View From the Rangers

One of the first Rangers to enter Hunter's World, jordyvdboom, was very excited at the prospect of testing the game...

"When I got my first email from Hunter's World, I knew there was something huge coming up. I knew Hunters World would be huge, especially as they wanted to be the first Massively Hunting game in the world of MMO's. My expectations where higher than the sky.

I've been a Ranger for a few weeks now and I can tell our newcomers that they're going to be really pleased with the game. The environment, the animals, lodges, tracking, stalking, it's not just there, its so realistic with so much detail.

The community and Monumental Games are really listening to each other and are actually doing something with our ideas.

Hopefully I will see you in-game and can be a tour-guide for new Rangers."

Another of the Rangers, martijn has actually managed to track, stalk and shoot a huge bear, something that even the game developers have struggled to do. martijn found the whole process very realistic and even managed to send us some screen shots of his first major kill!

We'll be following the Rangers progress over the coming months, feeding back their views on the game through news stories and of course in the forum.

Don't forget, you could be joining this small band of game testers, but make sure you're an active forum member to be considered for this prestigious role!

11-Aug-09 - Hunter's World Welcomes Another New Ranger

As we continue to add more and more Rangers, offering exclusive early access to Hunter's World, this week we're pleased to announce that Gerand is the latest hunter to enter the game reserve.

Don't forget, we're adding one new Ranger every week, based on your activity in the Hunter's World forum.

28-Jul-09 - A New Ranger Every Week!

After recently announcing that new Rangers will be chosen primarily based on forum activity, we've seen a massive increase in activity on the Hunter's World website. The forum has been buzzing with new members and those of you who are trying to get yourselves noticed and selected for the next batch of Rangers. The good news is, we're going to allow one new Ranger, access to the game every week from now on.

Our Ranger selection for this week has been notified and once they've entered the game reserve, we'll let you know who the lucky hunter is.

Could it be you? Check your inbox, but if you haven't been selected this week, keep posting in the forum and who knows, next week it could be you!

20-Jul-09 - How Dumb Can a Dog Be?

After we received some great feedback for the 'I'm working late at the office deer' video, our wonderful graphics department sent us another of their creative masterpieces.

This time it's a rabbit being chased by a pack of dogs, but can these hounds really be that dumb?

Watch this video on our YouTube page.

16-Jul-09 - Hunter's World Stalking E3

Hunter's World sent Senior Producer, Ewan Lamont along to this year's event to attend a series of meetings that we had booked with current and potential partners. It was a truly massive and exciting event that we found really useful, not only to the project, but also to the company as well. As Ewan commented, "Lots of future stories will come out that had their humble beginnings at E3 2009".

With an abundance of press releases and new game announcements, despite spending 3 days at the show, we only managed to walk the floor for half a day. Of course, not of all the excitement surrounded the stories that were presented in the press, but what was being shown to select groups behind closed doors.

So what exactly is E3?

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is the world's premiere trade show for video and computer games, which is held at the LA convention centre in down town LA. It's a yearly event that brings together exhibitors and business attendees from all over the globe. The show offers the chance to showcase a portfolio to a worldwide media. E3 isn't open to the general public with only professionals from the industry permitted to attend.

E3 generates massive media attention and excitement and although the past few events have been criticised for their low key approach, this year saw over 41,000 people from 78 countries, including many celebrities, attend the show.

For more information on E3, visit the official website

10-Jul-09 - The First Rangers Enter Hunter's World

We've received hundreds of applications from you, all hoping to become Hunter's World Rangers and the first ones have now entered the reserve.

We're expecting them the offer us some invaluable feedback over the coming months as they share their thoughts and ideas on the game.

There is still plenty of time to apply to become a Ranger and join the close test, but don't forget, we're giving priority to active forum posters first.

We'll have more news from the Rangers over the coming weeks as they share their experiences with the rest of the Hunter's World community.

09-Jul-09 - Hunting Rabbits

Rabbits are a delicious animal and one of the best value meats available at the butchers where it's sold either as local wild or farmed rabbit. Many hunters have cut their teeth on this gregarious rodent and with over 40 million wild rabbits in the UK, there's no shortage of farmers and land owners who would be delighted to have their local population controlled.

The most humane way of hunting for rabbit is with a high powered air rifle. It's not advisable to use a shotgun as the shot pellets can ruin the meat and the noise of the first shot will scare the rest of the rabbits back into their burrows. With an air rifle, the rabbit can be despatched almost silently with an accurate shot just behind the shoulder, bringing instant death, allowing the hunter to pick off more rabbits from their upwind hiding place.

The best season to hunt rabbit is during autumn, when they are fit and strong from their summer of healthy eating and exercise. During this time they will also have recovered from the breeding season. Rabbits will be in abundance during dusk and dawn, although you may find them resting in long grass during the daytime.

There are many other ways to hunt rabbit, including the use of nets and ferrets, using a lurcher or the lamping game, which is performed at night with the use of a lamp and a good hunting dog.

Whatever method you choose to hunt with, the damage to crops caused by the rabbit population, totals over £ 100 million every year in the UK alone with farmers spending over £ 5 million, trying to manage the rabbit population.

The wilderness is filled with rabbits and Hunter's World is no different. From the time when you first step out of your lodge into the game reserve, you're bound to see a few Eastern cottontails hopping about or grazing on grass, fruit, vegetables and even twigs.

As with all the animals in Hunter's World, we've taken time to carefully research every aspect of their appearance, movement and habits. The Eastern cottontail weighs about 2-4 pounds although the females are often heavier. When in full motion it can leap up to 15 feet and runs in a zigzag pattern with speeds of up to 15 miles per hour!

The cottontail prefers an area where it can hide quickly, but be out in the open. Forests, swamps, thickets, bushes or open areas where it can dig a burrow are optimal habitation sites for this species.

The cottontails in Hunter's World will be 'fast action type game-play' and a great way to get to grips with hunting during your early experience of the game. Often referred to as the King of Small Game in the USA - the hotfooting cottontail rabbit is fast and tough to sneak up on, especially as they have excellent hearing. They are however, less time intensive than stalking and hunting your first deer.

Although you'll be able hunt rabbits using a shotgun in the game, we would recommend a small calibre rifle.

Discuss this article and hunting rabbits in general in the forum.

02-Jul-09 - There's a Deer in the Office

Our Manchester office had an unexpected visitor this week with the arrival of a deer in reception. After taking in a few meetings, grazing in the canteen and leaving a few unwanted calling cards, the beast found its way back into the street, leaving us all wondering what to expect next week.

Click here to watch the video on our YouTube page.

01-Jul-09 - The History of the Hunter Family - Part 3

The history of the Hunter family dates back to 1722, when Andrew Hunter first arrived in New York from Ireland.

The third installment of the history of the Hunter family moves us further into the 1930's, taking a look at how the hunters paradise was acquired.

Find out more

29-Jun-09 - Have You Ever Completed a McNab?

Maybe not everyone knows what a McNab is, but as an example, you would shoot a Mountain Reedbuck, Greywing Francolin and then catch a Trout (in any order) within 12 hours.

Have you ever achieved this feat or something similar? If you have, share your glory in the forum.

25-Jun-09 - The Importance of a Reference Trip

Find out more about what the development team got out of the reference trip to Scotland. Watch and listen as they share their thoughts and explain why going to the Glen Lyon Estate was so important to the development of Hunter's World.

Click here to watch the video.

22-Jun-09 - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

They say, not sure who says, but they do say a picture is worth a thousand words. We've created a few icons that will be appearing next to the news and feature stories on the homepage, but need your help to ensure they are understandable.

Take a look at the images we're shown in this forum post and let us know what your think?

15-Jun-09 - Rifle Carried or Slung?

A character in Hunter's World would probably carry his weapon in his hands, but when hunting we spend most of the time with it slung on our back, only taking it off to shoot. For those guys on the forum who do hunt, how often do you carry the rifle in you hands?

Discuss this topic in the forum.

08-Jun-09 - Animals That Bite Back

How would you like to see certain types of animals react when they have the ability to fight back? I'm talking about the likes of bears and groundhogs etc? How important is it, that these types of animals can actually put you out of the game?

Discuss this topic in the forum.

01-Jun-09 - Podcast 6 - Johnny Scott Discusses Bird and Varmint Hunting

In the third of our specially commissioned Johnny Scott podcasts, Johnny talks about bird and varmint hunting, not only in the UK, but also in Europe and the USA.

Sir John Scott Bt is best known for writing and co-presenting the BBC television series 'Clarissa and the Countryman'. Johnny, as he was known in the series has a wide range of interests outside of television as he continues his work as a farmer in the Scottish Borders where he has lived and worked for many years.

29-May-09 - Hunting Humour

It's the end of the working week, which can only mean one thing, it's funny Friday! Read and share your hunting jokes and anecdotes with other like minded souls in the Hunter's World humour forum.

Two friends were out hunting when one of them fell out of his treestand. The other one calls the police, "911. I think my friend is dead". "Calm down sir, first make sure he's dead". Then there was a gun shot. "Okay, now what do I do next". gorambo123

21-May-09 - Podcast 5 - Johnny Scott Shares his Knowledge of Stalking and Tracking

In the second of our specially commissioned Johnny Scott podcasts, we find out more about stalking and tracking. Johnny also discusses using bows and black power with Hunter's World Lead Designer, Rob Watson.

20-May-09 - First Rangers Chosen for Closed Beta-Test

Today we contacted the first phase of Ranger applicants who applied to be part of the closed Hunter's World test. If you were lucky enough to be chosen for the first phase, you should have an email sitting in your inbox right now. If you weren't chosen for the first phase, please continue to be an active member as the next batch of Rangers will be chosen based on their activity within the Hunter's World forum.

We'll have more Ranger news for you over the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

14-May-09 - Podcast 4 - Rob Watson Answers your Questions

Once again, we've managed to track down Hunter's World Lead Designer, Rob Watson. Rob has kindly agreed to answer more of your questions taken from the forum, which include survival and nutrition, mandatory orange and how we intend to restock the game reserve.

If you would like your questions answered in the next podcast, simply sign-up for the forum, and have your say.

12-May-09 - What's Hot in the Forum

We've come across some great discussion threads in the Hunter's World forum this week, ranging from 'Survival Techniques' to the use of 'Mandatory Orange'. We've also asked our Lead Designer, Rob Watson to join us in the studio later this week, where we'll be creating another podcast for you, based on the discussions from the threads shown below.

• Using food to help you hunt for longer.
• Can we use a firing range before we go out and hunt?
• How will the law be enforced?
• Should hunter orange be mandatory?

06-May-09 - Podcast 3 - Johnny Scott Shares his Knowledge of Hunting

During our Reference trip to the Glen Lyon Estate in Scotland, we spent some time with TV broadcaster, hunter and farmer, Johnny Scott who was kind enough to share his wealth of knowledge with us. In the first of our specially commissioned Johnny Scott podcasts, we pick up valuable insights into the world of hunting, including learning more about 'tracking', 'stalking' and how the environment affects the hunt.

05-May-09 - Johnny Scott Joins Hunter's World

Hunter's World has commissioned Johnny Scott, author, broadcaster, hunter and farmer to help them create the world's first ever Massively Multiplayer Online Hunting game. Hunter's World are committed to creating the most realistic hunting game ever produced and ensuring all the character from the real live sport is enshrined within the game. Sir John Scott Bt is best known for writing and co-presenting the BBC television series 'Clarissa and the Countryman'. Johnny, as he was known in the series has a wide range of interests outside of television as he continues his work as a farmer in the Scottish Borders where he has lived and worked for many years. He is a champion of the countryside and its issues, contributing regular articles to 'The Field' and similar magazines on this subject. Johnny has a great love of field sports and his experience stretches well beyond his native shores. Johnny's interests and background make him the ideal person to help ensure Hunter's World stays true to the subject matter. Johnny chaperoned the development team on their successful research trip to the Glen Lyon estate with Senior Producer Ewan Lamont stating that, "Johnny's vast knowledge of the subject matter has really helped us with our game design and we look forward to working closely with him in the future".

29-Apr-09 - Watch the Reference Trip Video

To enable us to create an accurate simulation for a hunting MMO, the production and design team were sent to Scotland where they engaged in variety of field sports. Some of the various activities included learning about stalking, clay pigeon shooting and fishing.

You can watch the video on the Hunter's World YouTube page.

28-Apr-09 - Podcast 2 - An Interview with Rob Watson

Last week, we managed to drag Lead Designer, Rob Watson away from his design documentation and into the recording studio. A very relaxed Rob was more than happy to answer the questions you recently posted on the forums, offering a greater insight into the features of the game.

Remember to keep your questions coming in by simply signing up for the Hunter's World forum, which is friendly, fun, easy to use and best of all, it's free!

27-Apr-09 - What's hot in the Forum

Why not take a look at our pick of some of the best threads taken from the Hunter's World forum.

• A humerous look at sharing a tent with a snoring buddy!
• Anyone fancy a bit of treestand hunting?
• Hunting animals on other continents.
• Does this video help to promote ethical hunting?

26-Apr-09 - The Application Process has begun

Thanks very much to all of the potential Hunter's World Rangers who responded to the recent newsletter and completed their registration on the website. We now have the exciting job of sorting through all of your applications as we prepare to choose our first Rangers. If you're chosen for phase-one of the closed alpha-tester, we'll be contacting you shortly with further information. Don't worry if you're not chosen for the first phase as we'll be keeping tabs on you and will be offering further positions to those of you who actively contribute in the forum.

24-Apr-09 - Podcast 1 - An Interview with Ewan Lamont

After trawling through the Hunter's World forum, we picked out some of the many questions you've posted and asked Ewan Lamont, Senior Producer on Hunter's World to answer some of them for you. Ewan kindly spared us some of his valuable time and joined us in the studio for the first ever Hunter's World podcast.

Next up, we'll be talking to Robert Watson, Lead Designer on Hunter's World. So please keep your questions coming and if you haven't already signed up for the forum. click here to join today.

22-Apr-09 - Hunter's World Reference Trip

When you plan on creating a realistic MMO based around hunting, it's important to ensure you've fully researched the subject and have gathered as much information as possible. During the early development stages of Hunter's World, we decided to send our production team into the field so they could learn more about the real life hunting process first hand.

The team stayed at the Fortigall hotel, which specialized in parties engaging in local outdoor pursuits. Set in the glorious highland surroundings of the Glen Lyons Estate in Aberfeldy, the team enjoyed the splendor of the heather-clad hills, moors and estates. The wintry conditions provided an extra challenge, so much so that the trip almost didn't take place, as they set about a variety of field sports and events.

Day One:
It was near the end of the hunting season and only Hinds (female red deer) could be culled on the estate. On the first day, the team was split into groups of three, two groups headed off for a day of hind shooting, each guided by an experienced stalker. The design group was gathered together for an early start and educated in the world of fishing. During the afternoon they were all treated to a picture tour of the farmed deer area, the working estate and the laird's private lodge.

Day Two:
On the second day, during early morning, the designers swapped their rods for guns and took part in a hind shoot. The remainder or the party were split into two, one group spending the morning taking environment sounds and visual reference with the other group following a fox cull on the estate. Foxes had decimated the bird population on the estate and the staff and local Ghilles (the Gaelic word used for gamekeeper) were pitching in to help track the culprits down. In the afternoon the team all gathered together for clay pigeon and rifle shooting, which saw the team hone their firearm skills. The estate was able to replicate driven bird shoots with their clay pigeon launcher and the team was treated to the final display of the estate staff shooting 20 difficult clays without one miss, which was no mean feat.

What did they learn?
Robert Watson, Lead Designer on Hunter's World managed to enhance his knowledge of how the environment plays such a huge part in getting into a shooting position. Rob said, "It really helped confirm to me, from a design perspective, that we are heading in the right direction in relation to the core game mechanics for hunting".

Lead Artist, Kelvin Janson picked up on the stalking element, explaining, "It was really interesting to see how it actually should be done, right down to seeing how tricky it can be, getting as close to the animal as possible".

Rafael Horbach, Lead Coder on Hunter's World was equally enthusiastic about the trip, commenting, "The learning process, when it came to the tracking of the animals, was very interesting. We picked up a lot from the ghille's and were amazed at how much energy they had, walking on a wild environment without even breaking into a sweat. Just observing the animals and the environment gave us a real insight into the hunting world. Having never fired a weapon before, I especially enjoyed the competitive way we approached the clay pigeon shooting".

Luke Smith, Design Director simply stated, "I knew very little about hunting before the trip, however after the experience, I really get it now".

AV Manager, Andy Gibson managed to record some awesome sound bites during the trip and commented, "Although it was really hard work being loaded up with all the sound equipment, it was all worthwhile as we managed to get a real insight into the power of the weapons, especially recording without the use of silencers. The reverb of the gunshot sounds in the valleys was absolutely amazing and will really add to the realism in the game".

Appropriately named, Gylan Hunter, Director of Art told us, "It gave me a true insight in stalking and how you should go about it. We picked up invaluable knowledge as we went through the various steps and stages of tracking, including learning about the terrain and how it affects the hunt".

Senior producer, Ewan Lamont said, "The whole experience was thrilling. I'd shot rifles before and done plenty of hill walking, but I never thought combining the two would be as compelling as it was. It was interesting to see how the hounds were used to flush the foxes out of the woods before being shot by the game keeper. We certainly learnt a lot from Jimmy Lambie and his crew.

CEO, Rik Alexander enthused, "The knowledge the team gained over a short period of time was invaluable. They came away with a clearer understanding, enabling them to accurately re-create their experiences within the game. There were huge benefits from performing the various activities, giving the team a true sense of what we are trying to achieve with Hunter's World.

Discuss this story in the forum or watch the video.

21-Apr-09 - Become a Partner

There are some really good hunting websites out there and during our comprehensive research, we've found some right little gems. We don't like keeping things to ourselves, so we've started to share some of the best links by placing them on our partners page.

If you run a hunting or MMO games related website and would like to see your site added to our partners page, drop us an email by using the contact us link.

14-Apr-09 - It's Competition Time

Grab your rifle and head over to the 'Proving Grounds' mini-game for your chance to win one of three exclusive Hunter's World baseball caps. You could win one of these limited edition caps by simply grabbing a high score on or before 14 May 2009.

For further information and competition terms and conditions, please visit the Hunter's World forum

Good luck!!!

07-Apr-09 - Looking Forward to Meeting Some Rangers

I'm probably more excited than you at the prospect of opening the reserve to our first Rangers. Having just had another scout around in there myself, I'm really looking forward to some company in Hunter's World.

I can reveal that the first Rangers to enter the reserve won't be given any instructions at all! We're hoping that the game will be so intuitive that you won't need to read any of the blurb that normally accompanies a game, but obviously we'll be on hand to offer help and support if it's needed.

The Rangers newsletter, which contains a link to the application page, is due to be sent out very soon, so if you haven't registered, sign up today for your chance to be one of the first people to enter Hunter's World.

06-Apr-09 - What's Hot in the Forums

It's been a busy week in the Hunter's World forums with questions and ideas filling the various suggestion categories. We've spent quite a few hours trawling through your posts, picking out some of the best bits to share with the rest of the Hunter's World Community.

• How much will breathing affect the aim of the hunter?
• How are the animals going to interact with each other?
• When will I get my Ranger email?
• I think you should be able to select make of ammunition you use, but also what type.

Don't forget, we'll be answering as many of your questions as possible in our podcasts, so keep them coming in.

05-Apr-09 - Cast your Vote and Have your Say

Did you know that the Hunter's World forums contain a number of polls that offer you the chance to shape the development of the game? Not only can you vote on other forum posters polls, but you can also create your own. If you haven't already joined the forums, pop along and sign up today. It's quick, easy and free! Have your say on the further development of Hunter's World.

• How important do you think it is to include trapping in the game?

03-Apr-09 - Are Hunters Stereotyped in the Media?

We asked our forum members for their opinions regarding how hunters are perceived in the media and whether it's a fair perception. Share your views and discuss this highly debatable topic in the Hunter's World Forums

02-Apr-09 - Follow us on Twitter

In case you weren't aware, you can now follow the World's first massively multiplayer online hunting game on Twitter.

27-Mar-09 - Hunter's World - The Proving Grounds

The wait is finally over with the release of our latest mini-game. Named by our forum members in a recent poll, 'The Proving Grounds' lets you experience the accuracy and patience required to hunt deer, varmints and bears! Bag yourself a high score by getting a head, heart or lung hit, but try not to scare the animals away. Watch out for the bears as a poorly aimed shot may see you as the hunted instead of the hunter...

24-Mar-09 - Name the new Mini-game

With the imminent release of our new Hunter's World mini-game, we asked our forum members to give it a name. With some excellent suggestions put forward early this week, this is your chance to really get involved and cast that all important vote.

23-Mar-09 - Hunter's World on facebook

Keep yourself bang up to date with all the latest news, gossip, developments and updates at Hunter's World. We'll be updating our fan page on a regular basis, allowing you to follow and share with all your friends, the world's first massively multi-player online hunting experience on facebook.

10-Mar-09 - Monumental to take the hunt to San Francisco

The annual migration to GDC is nearly upon us, and Monumental are pleased to announce that this year they will be unveiling the Closed Test of their groundbreaking new MMO 'Hunter's World' to a select audience of current and potential partners. If you want to find out what the fuss is all about then contact Ewan Lamont before 18th March to secure a place at one of our presentations.

Monumental is following an iterative development process and the closed test is a playable version of the game run from a shard in the UK that will be built on over time. The same version will soon be made available to the players who have signed up and been accepted as Hunter's World Rangers.

22-Jan-09 - Monumental to launch a series of Mini games

As part of our community building strategy Monumental will be releasing a series of hunting mini games to be hosted on our website. All of the games will be distinct separate games but will embody the same design philosophy that will be included in Hunter's World.

As a taster of what is to come we have redesigned the bottom of the home page repackaging the information in a new interactive format. You will be able to shoot a mixture of deer and varmints and click on sign posts that will reveal information about Hunter's world.

09-Jan-09 - Hunter's World Rangers Wanted

The Hunter's World team are taking the bold move of recruiting Alpha testers now from the gaming community. Hunter's World is being built using an iterative development process so during all stages of production there is a game that can be played.

These testers will form a unique band of players known as the Hunter's World Rangers, who will have exclusive access to each instalment of the game in order to give constructive feedback that will shape Hunter's World.

To become a Ranger sign up to the mailing list ticking the correct box and let us know your previous testing and hunting experience.

05-Dec-08 - Monumental Games announce the development of "Hunter's World"

Hunter's World will be the first ever Massively Multiplayer Online Hunting game. Players will take the role of hunters visiting a truly massive and varied hunting park. Hunters will be able to roam freely, interact with each other and hunt everything they want to - from varmints to big game.

Hunters World will accurately simulate the hunting experience, and create an environment where people who share a passion for hunting can exchange their experiences and recreate their favourite hunts.

This will bring a whole list of new features and concepts to hunting genre video games:

• Competition against real people and AI-controlled animals
• Collaboration with real people
• A truly social game - players can communicate, hunt and socialise together
• Players can roam freely in a virtual hunting world where they can interact with thousands of others
• Players can purchase items (e.g. cars, weapons, clothing and so on) and customize their character

Hunter's World is Monumental's own intellectual property, developed with investment from EM Media. Monumental anticipate launching an open beta version of the game in 2009 and welcome enquiries from companies that may wish to partner on this project or advertise.

18-Nov-08 - Robert Watson assigned as Lead Designer

Monumental are proud to announce the appointment of Rob Watson as lead designer on an as-yet undisclosed MMO project. Rob is a veteran of the games industry with experience of leading design teams and MMO design. Rob was the Lead Designer in King Arthur and Jackass and before moving to Monumental he worked on Age Of Conan in Norway.

Rob has as BA from Queensland University in Multimedia Design and served in the Australian army for nine years.

15-Nov-08 - Lead Programmer from Deer Hunter 2005 signed to Hunter's World

Experienced lead programmer Rafael Horbach joins Monumental to work on its latest MMO Project. Rafael has a particular specialisation in hunting games having been a programmer on Trophy Hunter 2003 (2002, PC), Deer Hunter 2004 (2003, PC) and Deer Hunter Tournament (2007/2008, PC/XBox 360).

Rafael worked as lead programmer on Deer Hunter 2005 (2004, PC). He joined Brazilian studio Southlogic Studios in 2002 where he worked with multiple publishers and different game platforms. Rafael has a BA in Computer Science from Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul.

06-Nov-08 - Ewan Lamont heads up new MMO Project for Monumental

Ewan Lamont has been made the Senior Producer on Monumental Games' latest MMO Project, details of which are confidential at present. Ewan is a Project Manager who has specialised in business change and new start-ups with many years experience in different business environments including retail, game creation and automotive.

He has managed the creation of three start-up businesses including a £5 million Vehicle Data Supplier and re-launching pen and paper RPG Warhammer Fantasy Role play. He has been involved in gaining over £200k of funding for Monumental and has a Masters Degree in Classical Archaeology from the University of Glasgow.