Archive for March, 2008:
Paramount Getting Into Game Development
Variety reports that Viacom-owned film company Paramount has expanded its interactive department and will be investing in game development and publishing. The first of its efforts are expected to arrive by the end of this year, with the studio planning games based on either new properties or older titles. Paramount itself will directly oversee the projects and finance them.
The article notes that an increasing number of executives at the company believe that a more hands-on approach to game production will help them ensure quality output and swifter development for games based on their film properties. The company has said that it is looking to invest in all types of games, though they will be paying more attention to the casual market along with handheld and mobile titles, as they are easier and faster to develop than console games.
GTA 4 Music Distribution Model Unveiled
With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV looming up ahead, Rockstar Games is releasing a barrage of information on the title. The latest, as reported by Yahoo, is the full disclosure of a new digital music distribution model which will allow gamers to purchase tracks heard in the game’s radio stations. In partnership with Amazon, the technology, dubbed “ZiT”, built into the game’s mobile phone interface will let players mark specific songs they hear in the game by dialing a specific number, after which they will receive a text message with the song and artist name.
If the player is a member of the Rockstar Social Club, a custom playlist of the marked songs will be available on Amazon, letting users purchase them for less than a buck each.
“Music has long played an integral part of the game playing experience,” said EMI Music VP Ronn Werre. “We think giving players the ability to identify and buy their favorite tracks from Grand Theft Auto IV’s popular radio stations is a great new music discovery tool for fans and an innovative new revenue stream for artists.”
Former McAfee Exec is EA CFO
Electronic Arts sent out word that Eric Brown will fill the recently vacated CFO office starting April 14. Brown, who recently served at McAfee as CFO and COO, will fill the shoes of former CFO Warren Jenson, who announced his departure from EA last week. Jensen will, however, stay on in an advisory position to help Brown into his role.
“Eric’s strong financial background, broad international experience and industry knowledge makes him a perfect fit for EA,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello. “Eric is a highly-regarded CFO, and we are looking forward to having him join our team.”
Project 51 Goes Unreal
And yet another developer jumps aboard the Unreal train… Bluehole Studio, a Korean studio, has announced plans to use Unreal Engine 3 to power its MMORPG, codenamed Project 51.
“At Bluehole Studio, we are striving to advance the MMORPG industry by leveraging high quality graphics. Thus, we are very pleased to collaborate with Epic, because Unreal Engine 3 is the best choice for our development framework,” said Yong-hyun Park, chief technical officer of Bluehole.
No information on the game was released, though it may be years from release right now. The studio itself was founded last year and is based in Seoul. They plan on creating an ambitious “blockbuster flagship title,” the aforementioned Project 51.
Space Invaders, Arkanoid Resurrected
Bringing back memories of the good old times, Square Enix has announced plans to release Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme for the DS and PSP. To be available this Summer, the retro titles will be fully updated and enhanced for the aforementioned handhelds, featuring wi-fi multiplayer support as well as wide-screen content.
Space Invaders Extreme, the classic coin-op title, will feature futuristic, techno-inspired graphic design and a fully interactive sound scheme where sound effects are synchronized to match the beats of the music. Soundtrack will be provided by various musicians and DJs including Wall Five, DJ Aki, Atom & Masaki Sakamoto and Altz.
Arkanoid DS updates the classic block-busting gameplay of the 1986 original, offering over 140 levels to complete, a new Quest mode, customization of levels, power-up items and more.
Both games will be available this Summer.
Third Mythos Chapter Goes Live
The third chapter for the closed beta test of Flagship’s MMO Mythos has been launched; a redesigned website was also put online.
Mythos’ third chapter introduces the Umbral Peaks and the towns of Mistglade and Arded, as well as new quest content that will allow players to progress to level 30. New features include the introduction of a new Cyclopean character race, a crafting system, in-game mail, socketable armor, trinkets and stat bonuses for skill tier investment. Players can also participate in PvP dueling thanks to a dedicated PvP world, the Shadowlands.
“We are excited to announce the next stage of the Mythos closed beta with new content and a redesigned official site,” said Max Schaefer, Development Director of Mythos and founding member of Flagship Studios. “With new environments to explore and quests to complete, the third chapter will keep our dedicated Mythos community busy for quite some time.”
The game is set for launch sometime later this year.
Europa Universalis: Rome Website Launched
Calling it the “portal of divination,” Paradox Interactive sends word that it has launched the official website for Europa Universalis: Rome. As expected, the site features the latest news and articles, retail information, screenshots and other media on the upcoming title.
Rome covers the time period from the first Punic War to the start of the true Empire. As standard in the series, the game will features thousands of gameplay choices, making each session fully customizable and unique.
It is due out next month for $39.99.
Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel in America
Publisher Lighthouse Interactive has announced that they have signed a deal with Akella, acquiring the publishing rights to Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel, an intricate ‘whodunit’ mystery-style adventure game for PC. It is a non-linear character driven game inspired by award winning Russian sci-fi novelists, the Strugatsky Brothers.
“Players are in for a real treat! Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel is a great addition to our first-rate Adventure game catalog,” said Erik Schreuder, CEO of Lighthouse Interactive. “The game looks incredible. There is such close attention to detail that you feel completely immersed in the game world. We are looking forward to bringing the game to English speaking Adventure communities across North America and Europe.”
The game features five different endings based on the player’s actions, decisions and behavior. Environments will vary from snow-capped mountains to highly details rooms in the titular hotel; there will also be fifteen unique characters, as well.
Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel is set for release during Q3 2008.
Hellgate Developer Gets Financial Backing from Bank
Having had a bad time with Hellgate: London, which is being considered as one of the most prominent botched PC game releases of all time, Flagship Studios sent out word that they have found a financier in Comerica Bank, a Texas-based regional bank, who will support the studio’s continuing development of its franchises.
The bank is betting on an independent film financing model for the studio. “By following a model similar to independent film financing, we are able to directly finance ongoing content for our online games without relying upon a publisher’s investment,” said Steve Goldstein, Director of Business Development and General Counsel, Flagship Studios. “As the PC game business makes the transition from the boxed retail model to the online model, alternative financing will become a cornerstone of expanding the industry.”
It is not known what lies in the future for Flagship, but it is almost certain that they are working on making Hellgate a much better place for its customers.
Postal Screenings Ahead of Release
If you wish to see Uwe Boll’s latest masterpiece, Postal, you may want to read up on this. Prior to the film’s theatrical release on May 23, the weekend Indiana Jones 4 launches, there will be special screenings taking place in major American cities, starting with New York and Chicago.
The first preview will take place at 8pm EST in New York on April 1 at the Tribeca Film Center. “As a born-and-bred New York boy, I’m really looking forward to this event,” said Running With Scissors CEO Vince Desi. “I’m very happy with what Uwe has done with this film, so I’m proud to see it showcased in my home town. Plus I get some good pizza and Italian ice.”
Described as an “auteur de farce,” Boll himself will be present at the screening, taking time to answer questions after the movie ends. The Chicago screening will follow on April 3 at 7pm CST at the Lake Street Screening Room at 70 E Lake St.
Can’t wait to see how Boll’s magnum opus fares with the critics!
SingStar Summer Party for Summer Parties
With the summer coming, a new SingStar game has been announced to get gamers to get everyone together for a party for those long summer nights. Dubbed SingStar Summer Party, this PS2 entry in the series will arrive on April 30 with classic pop songs and videos that “just capture that summer feeling,” according to Sony’s PR speak.
Artists include David Bowie, Elton John, Amy Whitehouse and Blur among many others. The game features the same modes and gameplay as its predecessors, with only the songs changed. So, there’s basically nothing new. Here’s the track list, anyway:
Adele – Chasing Pavements
Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own
Blondie – The Tide is High
Blur – Girls & Boys
Booty – Luv Shine
Chesney Hawkes – The One & Only
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
Dirty Pretty Things – Bang Bang You’re Dead
Dodgy – Good Enough
Elton John – I’m Still Standing
Five Star – System Addict
Girls Aloud – Call The Shots
Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
Klaxons – It’s Not Over Yet
KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See
Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)
Madness – House of Fun
Mel & Kim – Respectable
Mika – Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Peter Andre – Mysterious Girl
Plain White Ts – Hey There Delilah
Pulp – Disco 2000
Razorlight – In The Morning
Rihanna – Umbrella
Sugababes – Red Dress
Texas – Summer Son
Toto – Hold The Line
Wham! – Club Tropicana
Yazz – The Only Way Is Up
Unreal Tournament 3 Gets Three More Maps
Public service announcement! Epic has released a completely free set of three maps for Unreal Tournament 3 (currently only on the PC and PS3, although 360 will hopefully receive the pack after its release as well).
Morbias and Facing Worlds are two maps that should be very familiar to Unreal fans, both are remakes of maps from previous versions of the series. The final map Searchlight is all about the rooftop and indoor battles. To download the pack head to the official website or PSN for PS3 owners, the map pack is now available.
Final GTA IV Trailer
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=32309" width="480" height="392"/] Good things come in fours, right? Grand Theft Auto IV trailers are no exception. Rockstar has released the fourth and final GTA IV trailer, which is titled “Everyone’s a Rat”. If you’d like to do some catching up, the previous trailers, in chronological order are: “Things Will Be Different”, “Looking For That Special Someone”, and “Move Up Ladies”.
Penny Arcade Adventures: OTRSPOD Priced
Now how is that for a nice little acronym? Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness has finally been priced, at least for Windows, Mac and Linux. The title will boast a 20 dollar price tag for three different operating systems, but a price tag for Xbox Live still remains up in the air. We won’t know about that until closer to the unmarked Spring release date, but one would imagine the pricing would fall pretty much closely in line with 20 dollars as well.
And if you are at all curious, you can also check out the system requirements. What about the 360 requirements? Well you just need to own one!
Chrono Trigger Better Investment Than Apple
Investing is a difficult proposition. Many people let their money ride the stock market, and as we’re seeing right now that can be quite a hazardous venture. Others put their cash into more tangible hopes like gold and precious metals. Some invest in slightly more subjective prospects like art and collectible items. Every time I see a ‘limited edition’ pint of Ben & Jerrys (an ice cream for anyone unaware) I can’t help but wonder if there’s some ice cream collector out there with a vault stocked full of these treasures in the hopes that someday they’ll be valuable. While ancient foodstuffs might not have much of a market, it seems like video games do. I don’t think anyone’s much interested in buying your mint condition copy of Daikatana but the right game can fetch a hefty price. It seems that if you’d purchased a copy of “Chrono Trigger” for the Super Nintendo the day it came out and left it in the package til today it’d be worth over $12,000. If you’d purchased a single share each of Microsoft and Apple’s stock you’d end up with a not inconsiderable profit, but the mint copy of Chrono Trigger would have netted you over a thousand dollars of profit. Granted this is another iffy proposition as probably not that many games will be in demand more than a decade after they are released, but if you pick the right game, resist the temptation to tear open the packaging and start playing it (my advice: get two copies) and manage to keep that puppy unmarred you could have a serious profit on your hands. Much more profitable than a complete set of Desert Storm trading cards.