Create Your Own Solar System
West Reading, Pennsylvania, Earth (Wednesday, April 7, 2010) — It's always been assumed that the multimedia mavens at NeoPangea are up to no good. Now it can be confirmed. From within the confines of their West Reading offices, the creative team has finally harnessed the ability to create and destroy worlds. What's worse? They're putting this enormous responsibility into the hands of people worldwide with their new "Solar System Builder."
The "Solar System Builder," designed to promote National Geographic Channel's "Known Universe" series, allows users to create an elaborate universe complete with a variety of planets with customizable masses, trajectories, and atmospheres. If you craft your universe carefully, everything will work in harmony. Planets will orbit the main star or each other – life can even develop on certain planets. If you make one mistake? Catastrophe.
However, it takes more than precise calculations for the universe to stay out of trouble. Random events like comets and asteroids can wreak havoc on otherwise peaceful planets.
Millions of virtual lives could be lost in the blink of an eye. NeoPangea should be ashamed.
"In working with National Geographic Channel we get the opportunity to work on a lot of really entertaining projects. But I think this is the application I've logged the most hours with personally just playing around and having fun," said NeoPangea's Creative Director Brett Bagenstose. "I can't decide what I want to simulate next, whether it's Hoth, Vulcan, or the Pandora system..." NeoPangea's Royal Alchemist Jason Morris responded to Bagenstose's enthusiasm by yelling, "Dork alert!" He followed up this declaration by shoving Bagenstose into a locker.
Bagenstose has yet to be released.
"Known Universe" can be seen Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on National Geographic Channel.
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NeoPangea is an innovative digital agency that specializes in digital video production, Web design, 3D design, interactive experiences, and live-environment multimedia. It has created successful promotions for Fortune 100 brands across the globe such as National Geographic Channel, Comcast, and Wal-Mart. For more information, visit www.neopangea.com.
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures (NGV) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in January 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television. The network celebrated its fifth anniversary January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high-definition. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available in nearly 70 million homes. For more information, please visit www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/.