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Press release:
Los Angeles, California – Thursday Jan 26th, 2017. An award-winning group of video game developers and technology pioneers, led by Leslie Benzies, have announced development of an all-new video game using Amazon’s Lumberyard, the AAA game engine deeply integrated with Amazon Web Services (AWS), including Amazon GameLift and Twitch.

Benzies, the former Rockstar North, Inc. President whose production and design credits span the life of modern gaming and include Grand Theft Auto III, IV, V, Red Dead Redemption, and GTA Online, hopes to build on his achievements of record-breaking, genre-defining experiences, while pioneering new exciting advancements in technology.

“I am proud to have been part of past advancements in gaming,” says Benzies, “but I am even more excited about what we have in store for the future. The working title of this new game is “EVERYWHERE” and the vision is long term, with the capacity to develop and grow forever. Our goal is to create a platform where players can be entertained, and also entertain others while blurring the lines between reality, and a simulated world.”

Amazon Lumberyard, with its deep cloud integration, powerful development tools and stunning graphics, is enabling Benzies’ team to create thrilling new gameplay possibilities, with a focus on building and hosting a global community for the future. “Amazon’s technologies and cloud services provide us the power and flexibility to create a new type of game that was never before possible for today’s massive gaming communities.” Additionally, “Lumberyard’s client and cloud features free us up to focus on the innovative, creative elements of our game,” says Benzies.

“Leslie is a visionary who pushes what’s possible in interactive entertainment, and we’re honored that he and his team have chosen Amazon Lumberyard as the foundation for ‘EVERYWHERE,’” said Eric Schenk, General Manager, Amazon Lumberyard. “We’re obsessed with giving developers the tools they need to bring their most ambitious projects to life, and based on feedback from creative leaders like Leslie, we’ve made more than 1,700 updates to the engine in the last year alone. We can’t wait to see what his team creates.”

Benzies and his group are based in Edinburgh, Scotland and Los Angeles. His team is in the process of building new game design and development studios, headed up by Matthew Smith and Colin Entwistle.

Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround