We are very pleased to announce that Smith & Tinker has authorized us (MekTek.net) and our professional studio (MekTek Studios) to distribute and package a worldwide free release of MechWarrior4 and all of its expansions.

This free release of MechWarrior 4 commemorates BattleTech’s 25th anniversary as well as MekTek’s 10th anniversary, and will allow BattleTech fans a chance to re-discover MechWarrior, as well as help us bring in a new army of players who are discovering MechWarrior and the BattleTech universe for the first time, completely for free.

MekTek views this partnership as a hallmark moment for the global MechWarrior 4 community. We welcome the opportunity for the MekTek team to officially take a leadership role in the cultivation and development of the on-line MechWarrior 4 communities in support and anticipation of the recently announced MechWarrior game by Smith & Tinker and Piranha games.

We are honored by the opportunity bestowed upon us by Smith & Tinker and its partners, and we hope the online community will enjoy this free release all the while recognizing the support and commitment that Smith & Tinker, Catalyst Games, and MekTek.net has made to the BattleTech fans around the world.

MekTek.net
MekTek.net is an on-line community founded by Vince ‘VAM’ McMullin in 1999 to provide free downloadable content and tools, developed in-house, for the Mechwarrior series of video games. To date, MekTek has released 3 major fan made Mechwarrior 4 content expansions (known as MekPaks) and has the final iteration (known as MP4) in development.

MekTek Studios
MekTek Studios, established in 2006, is a Canadian based software development studio out of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada specializing in 3D geospatial development and virtual environment replication. MekTek Studios is currently pioneering geospatial development projects for corporate and academic clients nationally as well as continuing to work on gaming related projects including the last expansion pack for Mechwarrior 4 (MP4), Assault Tech1: BattleTech (AT1:BT) and the development of the NP project – a cross-platform, shader ready .NET engine.

In honor of BattleTech’s 25th anniversary, Smith & Tinker has authorized MekTek.net and MekTek Studios to distribute MechWarrior 4 (along with its expansion packs) completely free. For years, MekTek.net has been the central point for online distribution of MechWarrior 4 expansion packs. Now they can provide the core game free to the fans as well. Keep an eye on BattleTech.com—the free download will be available soon!

About Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker is an inventor of kid-focused entertainment products that create a new play experience for the connected generation. The company’s toys and games encourage social interaction and play among kids by bridging the Internet and physical world. Founded in 2008 by executives who share a passion for reinventing play for today’s tech-savvy generation Smith & Tinker is led by executives from some of the world’s top brands including Cranium Inc., Hasbro Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Microsoft. Smith & Tinker was founded by Jordan Weisman, creator of the MechWarrior gaming franchise, which has sold over 11 million PC games worldwide. More information is available at www.smithandtinker.com.

More Nachos Entertainment has acquired the rights to the highly anticipated role-playing game Eclipse Phase

Game veterans Rob Boyle and Davidson Cole are actively developing the feature film script.

Eclipse Phase is set in the future, but in a time that is closer than we want to believe.  Earth has been destroyed and humanity stands on the cusp of a new age where humankind has merged with technology.  This new transhumanity has colonized Mars and the solar system, though it remains divided between repressive hypercorp-backed regimes and techno-anarchist strongholds.  Biotechnology allows humans to repair or replace their bodies, while artificial intelligence has grown to staggering levels with cognitive science and nanotechnology, making uploading the human mind possible.  Transferring the mind digitally across great distances is now the preferred means of travel.

What horrors await us in the deep empty chill of space?  What choices will we make in order to survive?

Rob Boyle has been actively working as a game designer, editor, writer, developer, and art director in the tabletop role-playing game industry since 1997, contributing to over 60 published products. For 6 years he served as lead developer for the Shadowrun role-playing game, culminating in the co-design and creation of the award-winning Shadowrun, Fourth Edition. He is currently lead developer for the Eclipse Phase role-playing game, which he co-created with Brian Cross.

Davidson Cole is developing the boardgame/video game hybrid, Verminopolis.  Additionally, Cole has worked extensively on character and story contributions with video game developer Day 1 Studios and role-playing games such as Shadowrun and VOR: The Maelstrom.  Cole also wrote and directed Design, which was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and the documentary, The 95th: The Iron Men of Metz.  In addition to the Eclipse Phase script, he is currently in development on his second feature film, Angels.

More Nachos Entertainment (MNE) officially launched in June of 2009 with its acquisition of Eclipse Phase.  MNE was founded by Stephen Marinaccio, film maker and gamer who has worked on over 45 feature film and television projects.  MNE aims to bring great films to the screen, engaging video games to the masses and well-told stories to the Los Angeles stage.

Posthuman Studios and Catalyst Game Labs developed the Eclipse Phase role-playing game, due to be released in the autumn of 2009.

Posthuman Studios is a creator-owned game design studio project founded by Rob Boyle, Brian Cross, and Adam Jury in 2008. Several new titles are currently in development, including the Eclipse Phase role-playing game and the Paparazzi! card game.

Catalyst Game Labs is comprised of game-industry veterans publishing the BattleTech wargame and Shadowrun fantasy-cyberpunk role-playing games.  Catalyst is a division of InMediaRes Productions, creators of the BattleCorps BattleTech subscription site.

More Nachos Entertainment is based in Los Angeles, California.  For more information visit morenachos.com

Download a PDF version of this press release.