Tag Archive for studio

Telltale investigating save imports for next Walking Dead series

07/01/2013

The next season of Telltale Games’ Walking Dead episodic adventure series could allow players to carry over their choices from the first five episodes of the game.


Speaking with Red Bull UK, Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors told the site that the studio is currently figuring out how to carry saves over from the first season, which ended last November with the release of The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left.

“Right now we are just starting to form the concept for season two,” Connors said in the interview. “This all remains to be seen, but we are definitely figuring out how to carry the saves over.”

Although Connors did not elaborate on what the next season of The Walking Dead game will hold, he did reveal Telltale’s ambitions for future projects, including the possibility of a Star Wars title.

“Coming from LucasArts, we always felt we could do a great Star Wars story game. We also love the idea of building out a deeper story to a great game franchise, something like Half Life Stories or Halo Stories.”

The first episode of The Walking Dead–released in April last year–was downloaded over 1 million times across PC, Mac, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live in two weeks. The fifth and final episode of the first season was the top-selling PSN title in November.

Telltale’s Walking Dead is a single-player episodic game based on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series. It stars Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime, but given a chance to redeem himself, albeit in a world infested with the undead.

Check out GameSpot’s review of The Walking Dead: Episode 5.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/telltale-investigating-save-imports-for-next-walking-dead-series-6402051

Activision’s James Bond games disappear from Steam and Xbox 360

04/01/2013

Activision’s suite of James Bond games have all disappeared from Steam, Xbox 360 and Activision’s own digital store. Spotted by Neogamr.net, 007 Legends and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, from now-defunct studios Eurocom and Bizarre Creations, and the Treyarch-helmed Quantum of Solace are no longer available to purchase from Steam.


There are no results in Activision’s own store, either. On the consoles, the Xbox 360 Games on Demand version of GoldenEye 007: Reloaded has also been pulled. The game is still available to buy on the PlayStation 3, but it is not clear if the game will remain listed on the PlayStation Store when the marketplace is refreshed this week.

One reason for games being pulled from digital sale can be down to licensing agreements expiring, as happened with GTA: Vice City on Steam recently. Activision obtained the gaming rights to the then-lucrative Bond license from EA in 2006, in a deal with MGM and EON that was scheduled to last until 2014. It is possible that Activision has pulled the plug on this arrangement.

The last Bond game, Eurocom’s 007 Legends, was derided by critics and failed to make an impact on the sales charts, despite being timed to coincide with the release of uber-blockbuster Skyfall. The studio’s previous game, the lukewarm 2010 remake of the classic GoldenEye 007, also failed to capture hearts and wallets and the Derby-based studio was closed at the end of 2012.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/activisions-james-bond-games-disappear-from-steam-and-xbox-360-6402017

THQ files for bankruptcy

20/12/2012

Beleaguered Saints Row publisher THQ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced today. The company has entered into an asset purchase agreement with a bidder to acquire “substantially all of the assets of THQ’s operating business.” This includes THQ’s four wholly-owned studios and games in development.


“The sale will allow THQ to shed certain legacy obligations and emerge with the strong financial backing of a new owner with substantial experience in software and technology,” the company said in a statement.

THQ’s day-to-day operations will not be affected during the sale period, the company said. Every THQ studio remains open and development on all projects is unaffected. No layoffs are expected to be a result of the filing. Employees will continue to work on their usual schedules and will receive their previously agreed upon compensation and benefits.

THQ’s international operations, including those in Canada, are not included in the filings. Additionally, the company said it has obtained about $37.5 million in financing commitments from lenders Clearlake and Wells Fargo. These investments are subject to court approval.

“The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ’s transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios, and THQ’s deep bench of talent,” said THQ CEO Brian Farrell in a statement. “We are grateful to our outstanding team of employees, partners and suppliers who have worked with us through this transition. We are pleased to have attracted a strong financial partner for our business, and we hope to complete the sale swiftly to make the process as seamless as possible.”

Clearlake estimates THQ’s assets are worth approximately $60 million, which includes a new $10 million note for the benefit of THQ’s creditors. THQ expects to complete to sale process in the next 30 days.

“We have incredible, creative talent here at THQ,” new THQ president Jason Rubin said. “We look forward to partnering with experienced investors for a new start as we will continue to use our intellectual property assets to develop high-quality core games, create new franchise titles, and drive demand through both traditional and digital channels.”

THQ has a range of games in development. These include Saints Row 4, Homefront 2, Metro: Last Light, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Company of Heroes 2, and an unannounced project from former Assassin’s Creed developer Patrice Désilets at the company’s Montreal studio.

THQ stock will be delisted from NASDAQ in nine days.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/thq-files-for-bankruptcy-6401772

Blizzard bans ‘several thousand’ Diablo III users

19/12/2012

Blizzard Entertainment has banned “several thousand” Diablo III players founding to be using botting hacks, the company said in the game’s official forums.


“In addition to undermining the spirit of fair play, botting, hacking, and other forms of cheating can also cause technical problems with the game as well as contribute to performance issues with the Battle.net service,” a Blizzard community manager said.

The Blizzard representative reiterated that it is the studio’s goal to foster a stable, safe, and enjoyable online environment for legitimate players. Blizzard will continue to monitor play and will “take action as needed.”

For now, Blizzard said players who witness such botting hacks should report the malfeasance by emailing the company at hacks@Blizzard.com. In the future, however, this will be easier. An upcoming Diablo III patch will add the ability for players to report this behavior directly through the game client, Blizzard said.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/blizzard-bans-several-thousand-diablo-iii-users-6401766

Big Ant Studios enters liquidation

19/12/2012

Melbourne-based game development studio Big Ant (Rugby League Live, Rugby League Live 2) has entered administration, with S Z Insolvency appointed as liquidators.


According to a Australian Securities Exchange Index filing, the studio filed for voluntary liquidation on November 28, 2012. A meeting of creditors will be held on December 21 to decide on the future of the studio.

Kotaku Australia reported that Big Ant is declaring debts of over $6.7 million, including a $4.2 million debt that is reportedly owed to the studio that could not be recouped.

Despite the news, Big Ant CEO Ross Symons told GameSpot AU that all the studio’s staff are secure, and that the liquidation is part of an internal restructure.

“There has been a restructure of a business that was not profitable. The vast majority of the debts are to the shareholders of the company, including myself,” Symons said via email.

“All staff are securely employed and we continue to make games.”

Big Ant specialises in sports, and racing games for consoles and PC, and recently released Rugby League Live 2. The studio’s previous titles include Rugby League Live and AFL Live Game of the Year Edition.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/big-ant-studios-enters-liquidation-6401724

Concept art for EA’s cancelled Marvel game surfaces

19/12/2012

Concept art for the cancelled Marvel fighting game from the now-defunct studio EA Chicago has appeared, courtesy of Siliconera.


Concept art for EA's cancelled Marvel game.

Concept art for EA’s cancelled Marvel game.

According to the report, an artist who worked on the title has shared some assets that were created prior to the title being cancelled by EA in 2008, following the closure of EA Chicago.

The released screenshots of the game show Captain America, Spiderman, and the Hulk as playable characters, a comic book aesthetic, as well as features including a campaign mode and online play.

The deal between Marvel and EA dates back to 2004, when the companies announced a multiyear agreement for fighting games featuring famous Marvel characters alongside new EA-created heroes.

The first game of the deal was Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, a poorly received effort that saw its price slashed by 40 percent less than two months after its release.

In early 2009, EA and Marvel jointly agreed to discontinue development of future Marvel titles.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/concept-art-for-eas-cancelled-marvel-game-surfaces-6401730

Layoffs hit Elite: Dangerous dev

17/12/2012

Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier Developments has enacted a round of layoffs. A statement provided to Eurogamer from the Cambridge, UK-based company confirms 14 of the studio’s 233 staff (about 6 percent) were let go last week. The cuts came from a range of departments, including art, animation, and audio.


Frontier managing director David Walsh said the layoffs came as a result of “the changing mix of skills requirements for our current and future projects.” The company, led by industry veteran David Braben, recently took to Kickstarter for its Elite revival, Elite: Dangerous.

The drive has gathered £781,172 ($1,266,279) of its £1,250,000 ($2,024,000) goal with 18 days remaining. According to the statement, this project and others “remain healthy.” If Elite: Dangerous reaches its Kickstarter funding goal, it is planned to be released by March 2014.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/layoffs-hit-elite-dangerous-dev-6401641

Rockstar dreaming of GTA title combining all cities in the franchise

14/12/2012

Rockstar is envisaging a future Grand Theft Auto title that combines all of the series’ past cities and allows the player to “fly” between them, according to an interview with Digital Trends.


In the interview, Grand Theft Auto series producer and head of Rockstar North Leslie Benzies talked about the legacy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10 years on, and revealed the developer’s hopes for the future of the franchise:

“Of course, at some point we would like to have one big world containing all our cities, and let the player fly between them and revisit their favourite areas; and in that context, re-imagining Vice City would be very interesting,” Benzies said in the interview.

Looking back at the scrutiny Rockstar received over the studio’s earlier titles, the developer also spoke of the challenges of creating mature content in games.

“I think the scrutiny we suffered … has helped keep us creatively sharp. We do not sit down for design meetings and say ‘let’s make the most appallingly violent game possible’. We choose to set our games in places where violence is, or was a part of everyday life: the Old West, or the criminal underworld, or cocaine-flooded Miami. If we censored ourselves and sanitized the violence, we would not be able to properly explore these settings and themes, and make the games we make. That is a compromise we have never been willing to make.”

On the mobile front, Benzies revealed that Rockstar would like to see a number of the studio’s previous titles on tablets and mobiles, although he did not state which in particular.

“Whether these are repurposed versions of existing games or entirely new IPs, I couldn’t say, but if you look at Chinatown Wars, you can see that we are always up for the challenge of designing games for new technologies and making the most of all their features, not just their processing power.”

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was relaunched on iOS and Android devices earlier this month to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the original open-world title.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/rockstar-dreaming-of-gta-title-combining-all-cities-in-the-franchise-report-6401593

Cliff Bleszinski wants to redefine his legacy

13/12/2012

Life after Epic Games for Cliff Bleszinski is coming into focus. The former Epic Games design director opened up on his future in a new G4 interview, during which he expressed eagerness to open a studio to get to work on a new IP currently codenamed Silverstreak. He also said he does not want Gears of War to define him as a game developer.


“I don’t really want just the whole chainsaw gun to be my legacy,” Bleszinski said. “A lot of these kids who have only been playing games for the last however many years, they think that’s the only thing I ever did. They forget about Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal, Unreal Tournament; that I worked on things like Bulletstorm and a little bit of Shadow Complex.”

Bleszinski then compared himself to iconic film director Steven Spielberg, saying just like the Saving Private Ryan and E.T. director, he must also branch out in new directions.

“Moving forward, I would hope to work on something new and fresh and kind of redefine my legacy,” Bleszinski said. “Steven Spielberg didn’t want to be known for just E.T., right? So he made a lot of different kinds of things.”

Bleszinski said he intends to open a new studio some point in the future, noting that it is not a matter of if, but of when and with whom. He was asked by the interviewee if his celebrity status in the development community could have a negative impact in his new endeavors. Bleszinski stressed that wielding this status appropriately can yield benefits, but noted that there is danger, too.

“You have to be careful when you have a certain amount of cult of personality,” Blezinski said. “You can use it, and leverage it to some extent, but you have to be careful to not believe your own crap. And surround yourself with people who will question you at the right times; you don’t want to surround yourself with a lot of yes men.”

Lastly, Bleszinski teased his new intellectual property Silverstreak, saying he is “gestating slowly” on this mystery game.

Bleszinski left Epic Games in October after 20 years. Since leaving the company, Bleszinski has visited the offices of Activision, Zynga, Double Fine, and Electronic Arts. He has also met with God of War and Twisted Metal designer David Jaffe and been courted by Ubisoft.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/cliff-bleszinski-wants-to-redefine-his-legacy-6401537

Iron Man, Despicable Me producers behind Angry Birds movie

12/12/2012

The Angry Birds movie will hit theaters during summer 2016, Rovio Entertainment announced today. Iron Man producer David Maisel is attached as executive producer, with Despicable Me producer John Cohen also on board in a producing role for the untitled 3D CGI film.


The Angry Birds film will be produced and financed entirely by Rovio Entertainment with no help from an outside studio. This will allow the company to “retain full creative control while creating innovative entertainment at the highest level of quality,” the company said in a statement. The Angry Birds film marks Rovio’s first foray in the movie business.

Prior to his work with Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures on Despicable Me and Hop, Cohen was vice president of production at Twentieth Century Fox Animation. There, he worked with Greenwich, Connecticut-based Blue Sky Studios on its major films including Ice Age, Robots, and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who.

“I’ve personally spent countless hours playing the Angry Birds games over the last few years, which I can now happily justify as research for the movie,” Cohen said in a statement.

Maisel is a former chairmen of Marvel Studios and served as executive producer on Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and the aforementioned Iron Man and its sequel, Iron Man 2.

No information regarding the Angry Birds film plot has been announced, nor has a director or possible voice cast.

Article source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/iron-man-despicable-me-producers-behind-angry-birds-movie-6401385

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