And yet, here comes Warhammer 40k: Space Marine made especially for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, built from the ground up, starting with the engine.  More surprisingly, Relic currently has no plans to develop a PC equivalent, though that could change.Relic sent some of their devs over to Los Angeles last week for the show, and you probably caught a glimpse of their company polo shirts while passing THQ's booth.  Lucky for us, we caught a closed presentation of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine with them at E3.They opened the preview with a trailer that introduces gamers to a Space Marine's world, as the franchise steps boldly into the realm of console gaming, still unfamiliar territory for the Warhammer 40k franchise.

The game is still early in development, but principal designer Quinn Duffy assures us that Relic will take full advantage of Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network, meaning we'll definitely be seeing some multiplayer for Space Marine. Footage we saw featured the Ultramarines, a particularly famous Space Marine Chapter in Warhammer 40k lore.  When I asked whether they intended to include other Chapters (Space Marine divisions) from the series, they couldn't give me a sure answer.  As for enemy factions, we saw mostly Orks, though various hints of other races are scattered about the trailer, like Tyranids seen fighting in the background.What we do know is that Space Marine is an action RPG with customization options similar to those found in Dawn of War II.  We're not sure how far Relic plans to go with character creation options, but they are promising a "unique avatar" option.You could say it's another step in Relic's gradual expansion beyond PC gaming.  Players will have four classes at their disposal, utilizing trademark Space Marine weapons such as bolt guns, flamers, chain swords, Thunder Hammers, and more.  The devs are trying to squeeze as many enemies on the screen as possible, testing each platform's capabilities as well as truly capturing the essence of a Warhammer 40k battle.