Meteor Games, an independent studio recently founded by Neopets founders Adam Powell and Donna Williams, has licensed the BigWorld Technology Suite for its first project, an unnamed youth-targeted massively multiplayer online game.

Australian middleware developer BigWorld Technology recently upgraded its MMO technology suite, which includes BigWorld Server Software, Content Creation Pipeline, 3D Client Engine Package, and Live Management Tools & Instrumentation, to version 1.9. The update included various optimizations, improvements, and new features, such as an advanced terrain engine.

BigWorld's previously announced MMO and virtual world licensing partners include Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, which is currently developing MMORPG Stargate Worlds, and 38 Studios and Sierra Online, which are both working on unannounced online PC titles.

Based in West Hollywood, California, Meteor Games aims to create titles which "cross the appeal of social networks, web-based casual games, and traditional massively multiplayer online games."

Said Meteor Games CEO and creative director Adam Powell: "BigWorld's technology provides us with an extremely powerful and highly flexible game engine, which can be tailored to the specific needs of our upcoming MMO. More importantly, BigWorld's game engine allows us to focus on game design, gameplay innovation and overall creativity rather than core technology development, thus ensuring our new MMO delivers an experience unlike any other."