Aoineko Studios, an award-winning gaming and animation studio based in Phoenix, Arizona, is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Thursday, April 19 in order to raise development funds for an epic new 3D role-playing game called Kitaru. Aoineko is offering a wide scope of rewards that allow fans to get intimately involved in the development process. The Kickstarter rewards include things like beta testing, naming characters, voting on content and outcomes, and even having your own custom character in the game. Kitaru is currently in pre-alpha development for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, and is set to release in the Fall of 2012. Subsequent releases will follow on the major consoles.

You can support the Kitaru project here: http://www.kickstarter.com/profiles/...ojects/created

Kitaru is an episodic sci-fi epic that breaks the mold of traditional RPG storytelling. Developed using the Unity 3D Gaming Engine, the third-person action packed game mixes RPG classics with post modern storytelling, ingenious humor, and entertaining pop culture. In Kitaru’s ravaged world of Saph, four factions tear apart society, only kept in order by Saph’s team of deadly assassins led by prodigy Akai. It is up to the players to fight enemies on all sides to bring peace. Covert ops, assassinations, diplomatic duties, and game altering decisions are all at the mercy of the players in this intense, gripping narrative.

"We are excited to offer the first episodic mobile game of its kind. The quality of the graphics and the environments found within Kitaru is at a level not yet achieved on these platforms. This game is being built differently, as hardcore gamers want to see, rather than for studio executives that are looking for easy and safe marketing." - Ben Steele (Creator of Kitaru, owner of Aoineko Studios)

View the Kitaru Intro here:

Game Features Include:
- Rich, multilayered narrative gaming experience never before seen on mobile devices.
- Enormous world full of colorful, eccentric characters whose lives evolve over years.
- Classic RPG gameplay aimed at hardcore fans of the genre.
- Stunning, original art and music over five years in the making.

The brains and creativity behind the rich fantasy world of Kitaru is Ben Steele. Ben is the award-winning artist & director of 2005's "Fragile Machine," named by Cyberpunk Review the "Best Animated Film of the Year," and winner of numerous international film festival awards. Kitaru and its many unique characters are part of a fully-developed fantasy universe that Ben has written and crafted over the past five years in the finest detail. His vision and eye for detail promises to please even the most discerning hardcore gamers.

A full press kit is available upon request. Journalists interested in further assets, additional information, or developer interviews are encouraged to contact Aoineko Studios by email at [email protected]. Members of the press are also encouraged to visit the following hotlinks to learn more.

Check out the latest Kitaru updates and developments at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhoIsKitaru
Webpage: www.kitaru.net
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KitaruOfficial
YouTube: www.youtube.com/AoinekoStudios