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Archived News:
Crispy Gamer reports that THQ is looking to sell off Big Huge Games, not
much more than a year after acquiring the RTS developer. This
follows on their earlier story that
Big Huge layoffs are coming, but it is more dire than that, with THQ
informing them that the studio will be closed if a sale is not completed in the
"near future." They also announces that Heavy Iron Studios and Incinerator
Studios have been granted their independence: As part of THQ’s previously
announced business realignment and related headcount reduction plans that
targeted cost reductions of $220 million, including a reduction in workforce of
600 people worldwide, THQ today notified the staff at two of its development
studios that they will be spun out as independent companies: Heavy Iron in Los
Angeles, CA, and Incinerator in Carlsbad, CA. In addition, THQ informed the
staff at its Big Huge Games studio in Timonium, MD, that it plans to close the
studio if a sale is not completed in the near future. These actions were
unfortunate but were necessitated by the difficult economic environment.
3G Studios announces XomB (pronounced "zombie"), a game being developed for
Windows and consoles, though details like genre and release date are not being
offered yet. A preliminary XomB
Website is live with some concept art, and here's the announcement:
RENO, Nev. – March 17, 2009 - 3G Studios, Inc. released details of its
upcoming next-generation console and PC game which will pit the player against
the hordes of a dark and powerful enemy. In XomB (pronounced “Zombie”), the
player will fight in epic battles, overcoming incredible odds to triumph against
an evil that is sweeping their homeland.
“The game is set in a re-imagined version of feudal Asia. The player will find
themselves thrown into the middle of a war which is already being waged; one
where the spreading Darkness is forcibly corrupting the landscape and reaping
the souls of entire populations of innocents,” stated Patric Starr, Designer at
3G’s Tahoe studio.
Todd Imus, Writer for 3G’s Tahoe studio, elaborated: “The dead are being
harvested and re-animated in different forms by this incredibly powerful force.
The player will learn to alternately fight and control the force as they
liberate the slaves of the conquered lands. This tale is very dark and draws
heavily upon the unique world of Asian mythology.”
The game is currently being developed for PC, next-generation consoles, and
select handheld devices. Nameplates are available at:
http://www.3gstudiosinc.com/xomb.
More details and assets will be released in the coming weeks.
The Games Company announces Simon the Sorcerer: Who’d Even Want Contact?! as the
full title of the upcoming fifth installment in the Simon the Sorcerer series,
which takes on a science fiction theme. The
official website is online,
offering screenshots and details for the game, which is due for release this
summer.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Steam now offers digital
distribution of Merchants of
Brooklyn, saying this is "the first volume" of this CryENGINE 2 first-person
shooter from Paleo Entertainment, who
promise "development updates and product details on upcoming volumes in coming
weeks." This
press release has details on the game; here's a portion: M.O.B. tells
of a dystopian New York where environmental crisis has forced the population to
literally inch closer to the sky through a massive network of bridges to avoid
the toxicity of the surface. The violent change call for a new breed of laborer
and modern science answered the call. Society then witnessed the birth of new
working class -- Neanderthals. Physically powerful but mostly obedient, the
Neanderthal population exploded and clogged the lower levels of the city where
they were forced to fight in blood sports.
As Matteo, a Neanderthal fighter specially engineered for mental and physical
superiority, players will blast their way through a sprawling dystopia where the
glow of towering megastructures illuminate epic firefights and brutal
hand-to-hand combat. Using a biomechanical arm made specifically for Matteo by a
mysterious scientist, players will rip through hordes of ancient enemies, such
as Neanderthal thugs, as well as futuristic foes, such as Hover Droids and
security drones.
Mythic Entertainment announces the new Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa careers are
now live in Warhammer Online: Age of
Reckoning, showing rising unemployment has not yet hit the toons in the
fantasy-themed MMORPG. Here's a quick pair of job descriptions: The
ornery and savage Choppa is an offensive juggernaut that embodies the love of a
good fight found in every Orc. He has a one-track mind that is dead set on
wreaking havoc on enemy lines and bashin' heads! Driven by an inexplicably
strong bloodlust, the Choppa is a whirlwind of destruction on the battlefield
with a …debatable sense of self-preservation.
The tattooed Slayer is the manifestation of the Dwarfs’ obsession with honor,
seeking only a heroic and honorable death in combat. However, dying quietly is
simply not in his nature. In WAR, the Slayer is a ruthless and terrifying
fighter, throwing himself into battle with no regard for his own well-being. He
is a force to be reckoned with and relies on his ever-escalating rage to power
each swing of his dual axes.
Stardock announces they are nearing the one million user mark for
Impulse, their digital distribution
service. To commemorate this milestone, they plan on giving a high-end gaming
rig worth $4,000.00 USD to their millionth user. The announcement also outlines
the next stage in the service's evolution: "Next month Stardock plans to release
the third major update to Impulse since its release which will include features
such as Impulse Anywhere (ability to download your title from a web page on one
PC and then install on your home PC), and the full release of Impulse Reactor,
which will provide in-game features from Impulse seamlessly and an updated
Impulse client with a host of tweaks and changes."
EA and BioWare officially announce
Mass Effect 2,
though a sequel to the sci-fi RPG has already been revealed via a GDC
listing, a teaser trailer, and comments and
actions from BioWare. The announcement does fill in some details
however, including Windows and Xbox 360 as target platforms, and an early 2010
release window for part two of what they are calling the Mass Effect
trilogy. Here's the announcement: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – March 17th,
2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc.
(NASDAQ: ERTS) today officially announced Mass Effect™ 2, the highly anticipated
sequel to the multi award-winning 2007 hit, Mass Effect. The Mass Effect trilogy
is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with
dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second
chapter, Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans,
who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced
with an even greater peril…
“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans
in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as
well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful,
emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO,
BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up
to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop
roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred
action.”
Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010.
To see the exclusive new Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer check out the website
here: www.masseffect.com.
Aspyr announces that Men of War is now available in North American stores
and for digital distribution via
GameAgent, though according to GameAgent they won't be distributing Best
Way's World War II RTS sequel for another week. Also, addressing the growing
concern the gaming community has over digital rights management, Aspyr stresses
this release is completely DRM-free. On a related note,
Digitalmindsoft offers download
of version 2.0 of a user-created Men of War Dynamic Campaign Generator (thanks
Gamer's Hell). Here's word on the release of the game: Men of War is a stunning
mixture of RTS and a third-person action that takes players to the most brutal
battlefields of Europe and North Africa during the height of World War II. The
game unfolds across three different campaigns played out through the eyes of
Soviet, Allied and German soldiers. Each campaign has its own scenario and
structured timeline bringing a different story of the war to life. Whether in
single or multiplayer warfare, gamers can employ the unique Direct Control
System, which allows for player control of any single soldier or vehicle on the
battlefield at any time. Men of War features epic multiplayer battles, realistic
vehicles and weapons, and highly detailed environments and characters.
The
Dominions 3: The Awakening Website now offers new patches to update the
Windows, Linux, and MacOS editions of Illwinter Game Design's fantasy-themed
turn-based strategy sequel to version 3.23. According to publisher Shrapnel
Games: "The new patch brings the full retail version of the game to version
3.23, and like previous patches does a little bit of everything: fixes bugs,
enhances gameplay, and brings a smile to the faces of modders everywhere." The
Windows patch is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell; the MacOS patch is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell; and the Linux patch is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
The StuntMANIA! Website
offers an update for Sector3 Games' stunt-driving game, which is now up to
version 3.1 for both Windows and MacOS. You can check out all the changes in the
new version thanks to updated playable demos, which offer one challenge on one
map using one car from the game. The Windows demo is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell, while the Mac demo is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
GameStop is now accepting preorders for Red Faction: Guerrilla
(including the
Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3 versions), revealing plans for a demo for Volition's shooter
sequel, as early access to the demo is a preorder bonus. Word is: "Reserve Red
Faction: Guerrilla and receive exclusive access to the demo from April 3 to
April 23. Available for online and in-store customers while supplies last."
Ten Ton Hammer (by way of
AZ Central) reports that Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment is being sued by
Arizona-based datacenter IO Capital Princess over an open account. This lends
further support to rumors of financial difficulties at the developer of
Stargate Worlds, as there were
reports last year that employees were going unpaid.
GamesIndustry.biz reports Martin Walfiz has parted ways with Massive
Entertainment ( Ground Control, World in Conflict), the Swedish
development studio he founded, a move that is surely related to Ubisoft's
acquisition of Massive late last year. There are no real details,
just this quote from Ubisoft: "Ubisoft is saddened by the recent departure of
Martin Walfiz from Massive Entertainment and we wish him all the best in his
future projects."
VentureBeat has word that startup Gazillion
Entertainment has made a deal to launch series of online games with Marvel
Comics characters. This brings to mind Marvel Universe Online, the game
Marvel and Cryptic Studios announced in 2006 that was
cancelled early last year, but the first project is a decidedly
less hardcore game based on Super Hero Squad planned for a 2010 release
based on a kids show to debut on the Cartoon Network in the fall. Their license
covers 10 years, however, and there are plans for more serious offerngs going
forward, as outlined in a conversation on
Big Download where Gazillion CEO Rober Hutter says: "Marvel thought this
would be a great casual MMO to enter the market place and focus on the mass
market before thinking hard about bringing the big Marvel Universe MMO to PC and
consoles over the next few years. As we started working with them, we started
attacking the casual MMO audience, the conversations quickly broadened and this
deal came about."
The
Seattle Times reveals plans for Blacklight, a futuristic military
shooter being developed as an Unreal-engine video game by Zombie Studios, while
Fox Atomic creates an associated comic book and feature film. The article has a
couple of pieces of concept art and further quotes from Long about the project,
which is described as similar to Apocalypse Now about 25 years from now.
"We're hoping to graduate into the big league, frankly, with this one," is a
quote from Zombie co-founder Mark Long, who says he expects the Seattle-based
developer to grow by 30 to 40 employees as a result. There's a page for this on
the Zombie Studios Website,
where word is: Zombie Studios has reached an agreement with Fox Atomic, a
unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, and production company Union Entertainment to
develop its military action franchise "Blacklight" as a feature film, comic book
series and video game. The announcement was made jointly by Zombie CEO Mark
Long, Fox Atomic President Debbie Liebling, and Union President Richard
Leibowitz.
An original property created by Zombie Studios, "Blacklight" is a covert
military action epic set twenty-five years in the future. The three companies
will work together on a movie and comic book series to be produced by Fox Atomic
and a multi-platform video game that will be produced by Zombie.
Both the film and the video game will be written by Jason Dean Hall, a veteran
writer whose latest film, SPREAD, sold at Sundance to Summit. He is also writing
projects for Dreamworks and Universal.
"'We are excited by the huge potential "Backlight" has to succeed across
multiple platforms -- theatrical features, comics books, and video games," said
Liebling, "it offers us a remarkable franchise opportunity for film."
"From the start, I have envisioned 'Blacklight' as a story that spans all of the
forms of media I enjoy most," stated Long. "It's an ambitious project and I've
been fortunate to find partners at Fox Atomic and Union who share that same
vision. We are cooperating on the comic, game and movie at levels that are
unprecedented in the industry."
"'Blacklight plays to Union's strengths as a film and game production company,
allowing us to help bring a great property to consumers in both media," added
Leibowitz, a producer on the project.
Richard Leibowitz will produce and Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons will executive
produce for Union. Mark Long, in addition to developing the video game, will
serve as an executive producer on the feature. Zak Kadison and R. Eric Lieb will
oversee for Atomic.
The "Blacklight" film, video game, and comics will feature the same characters
and high caliber military action, but with unique, intersecting storylines that
complement each other. No release dates for any of the properties have yet been
announced.
Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins
is now live, offering a subscription-free MMOG based on the Asian novel Romance
of the Three Kingdoms. The game boasts Guild versus Guild combat, the ability to
hire former enemies, and a dynamic quest system so you can "spend les time
travelling, and more time killing."
EA’s John Salera
Gives Us a Godfather II Interview We Couldn’t Refuse on Game Zone chats
about the upcoming sequel to the mafia movie homage. Topics include the game's
recent delay and a number of pretty standard questions about the story, combat
controls, AI, and more.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Go and have fun, but remember, bartenders call this
amateur's night for a reason, so please be careful out there, especially if
you're on the roads.
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