As part of a demonstration of the Maya development tools at the GDC today, Kodiak Interactive unveiled an early version of Circus Maximus for the Microsoft Xbox. According to the game's producer, Tony Simerman, the game has been in development for a little over six months and is approximately 50 percent complete. Circus Maximus is set in ancient Rome, where competitors from across the globe take part in chariot racing events. Simerman described the game as "Ben-Hur with combative elements."

　　The competitors in these tournaments are from such varied locations as North Africa, Greece, and--of course--Rome. As such, each of the gladiators has his or her own specific strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Huns are more aggressive, while the Roman legionnaires are more methodical. Each team is made up of a driver and a warrior, and players will be to select which character they'd like to control. Simerman promised that, in the final game, each of the characters will be made up of 3,000 triangles. The version shown is early in development and is running at only 50 percent of the power of the final Xbox hardware.

　　Kodiak Interactive is planning to implement realistic physics and advanced AI attributes in the game. In fact, even the horses themselves will display realistic behavioral characteristics. For example, horses might slow down as they approach a battle. In the physics department, Simerman promised that the horses and chariots will have realistic weight. Going over a jump or a random log, the horses will leap in rhythm and the chariots will crash back on the course.

　　Circus Maximus is also in development for the Sony PlayStation 2. The game will be released by Christmas of this year.