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Controversial Iraq War game 'Six Days in Fallujah' delayed until late 2022
The questionably revived shooter was previously supposed to arrive this year.
Controversial war game 'Six Days in Fallujah' questionably revived 12 years later
Former Destiny and Halo developers are working on the first-person shooter.
PSA: Breach patched for lag on XBLA, trial time extended
Following in the footsteps of its PC counterpart, the XBLA version of Breach is now patched. The update fixes "all known crashes," addresses lag issues and squashes a number of bugs, according to developer Atomic Games. Check out the full list of fixes after the break. Additionally, the time limit for online play in the free trial version of the game has been extended to one hour. As an added bonus, those who've already exhausted their free trials will receive the new, full hour. The full title update is available now and will be automatically applied upon starting Breach.
Breach patch claims to reduce lag on PC
Atomic Games announced a patch for the PC version of its downloadable shooter, Breach, designed to ameliorate lag issues. Along with "many" fixes for the lag problems, the patch corrects a number of bugs, including errors found in Sole Survivor and Retrieval games. Find the full patch notes after the break to find out if your favorite bug has been addressed. The new patch allows players to run Dedicated Server matches without having the Steam client running (see more info on dedicated servers here), and also adds user-configurable ports for the dedicated server function.
Breach review: Once more unto the FPS
If there's one genre that's stuffed to the gills on both consoles and PC, it's the shooter. Even the downloadable space is full of competition these days, with titles like Battlefield 1943, Monday Night Combat and Blacklight: Tango Down all fighting to pull players away from the yearly deluge of big-budget retail titles. As such, it's gravely important that any new FPS -- especially a lower profile downloadable title -- has something that separates it from the crowd. Breach has some well-executed ideas and some cool real-world gadgets, but I'm not sure what that hook is supposed to be. %Gallery-114420%
Breach trailer shows off all its wonderful toys
This trailer from Atomic Games' Breach is like the Consumer Electronics Show of killing guys -- all the hottest gadgets are on display, from IR sights that let you take out snipers to motion sensor activators. The downloadable game is out January 26, but you can see the gear in action right now.
Breach release date broached: January 26
Breach -- the game one guy breached the law to get an early copy of -- has finally been dated for release on Wednesday, January 26 by developer Atomic Games, which will self-publish the title. The date applies to the "worldwide" availability of both the XBLA and PC versions of the multiplayer shooter, breaching initial plans to stagger the releases starting this past summer. The PC version -- available in boxed-copy format or as a download -- will retail for $20, while the XBLA game has been set at $15 (1200 points). The premium PC edition will indeed be backed by a little more oomph, featuring Nvidia PhysX tech (i.e., "larger explosions"), a "higher performance" Hardcore Mode ("to play the way operatives train") and dedicated servers. Breach the break [STOP THAT - Ed.] for some new gameplay footage.
Atomic Games still wants to finish Six Days in Fallujah
The saga of Six Days in Fallujah hasn't completely ended yet -- Atomic Games' Peter Tamte admits that the game isn't actually finished (no duh), but tells VG247 that "what we need is the funding to complete it." While showing off the company's new downloadable shooter, Breach, to journalists in London, Tamte said that publishers just aren't willing to commit to telling stories like the ones told in Six Days, and that's resulting in falling industry sales. "It should be clear to them," Tamte says, "that the path we are on right now is taking us downhill. And yet when I have conversations with publishers, I still get the message back – 'No, we pretty much want to keep doing what we're doing.'" Atomic is trying to counteract that with Breach, a full-scale military shooter that's being sold for a DLC price, designed "to disrupt the way games are priced and to create an environment where original content can flourish." Breach isn't Six Days remade -- rather, it's a re-use of the engine that Atomic developed, along with some tries at strong innovation in terms of destructible environments and cover. And it sounds like Tamte hopes that Breach will make finishing and publishing Six Days possible again. Sounds good, but of course let's get one game out there before we start promising two -- Breach is scheduled for release sometime next year.
Breach thief placed on pre-trial probation, must stay off Xbox Live
Justin May, the man accused of attempting to steal Atomic Games' unreleased title Breach during PAX East, was placed on pre-trial probation in Boston Municipal Court yesterday. Suffolk County District Attorney Press Secretary Jake Wark informed Joystiq that the conditions of the probation are that May "stay in school, not reoffend, stay off of Xbox Live web sites, and forfeit his computer, which was seized at the time of his arrest." If May follows the conditions, his case will be dismissed after 18 months. If not, he'll be "put back on track for trial." May was arrested last March when he attempted to steal Breach from the PAX East show floor. He then skipped bail and eventually agreed to show up for court in May, with the latest hearing set for yesterday. We've contacted Atomic Games for comment on the outcome. Update: Atomic Games' president Peter Tamte's statement after the break.
Breach delayed until January 2011
It seems alleged Breach code thief Justin May could have gotten a sneakier peek than even he would have expected. Atomic Games has just announced that its XBLA shooter won't arrive this summer as previously announced, but rather in January of 2011. Though Atomic says the game is finished now, the company missed Breach's originally slated June date, and the XBLA schedule was apparently just too full to slip it in any sooner than January. In the interim, the developer will be adding a "Hardcore" mode, which is apparently lifted from more realistic versions of the game that outside organizations commissioned for training purposes. Well, you're welcome, Jack Thompson. %Gallery-88941%
Accused PAX East 'Breach' thief shows up for court
Justin May, the 20-year-old man accused of trying to steal Atomic Games' Breach off the PAX East show floor, finally showed up in court today -- after previously skipping bail and eventually agreeing to appear for arraignment. Assistant District Attorney Kate Clayman briefly recited the facts of the case in Boston Municipal Court this morning and the judge released May on his own recognizance. No monetary bail was set. Suffolk County District Attorney Press Secretary Jake Wark told Joystiq that May will return to court with his defense attorney on June 27 to file a motion to dismiss the case. According to Atomic Games' complaint filed with Boston police, the company placed the value of Breach "in excess of $6 million." We're currently following up with Atomic Games and the District Attorney's office to find out how events are expected to proceed from here. Update: Comment from Atomic and the DA's office after the break. %Gallery-88941%
Alleged PAX East 'Breach' thief agrees to appear May 19 in Mass. court
Justin May, the man who allegedly attempted to steal Atomic Games' Breach at PAX East, has agreed to appear for arraignment in Boston Municipal Court on May 19, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. May was originally supposed to show up for his arraignment on Tuesday, March 30, but apparently decided he had more important things to do. May is accused of attempting to steal Breach, which Atomic Games values "in excess of $6 million." According to Suffolk Country District Attorney Press Secretary Jake Wark, May faces a maximum of five years for each of the the two theft charges and fines. We're currently following up to find out if he faces any additional charges for not showing up in court this week. A representative for Atomic Games tells Joystiq, "Atomic Games is happy to see justice being served. We hope the court understands the severity of the crime. This is a theft that impacts not just our company, but all developers who want to share our games with the public at large shows, such as PAX." Update: When asked if May would face any additional charges for skipping bail, press secretary Wark told us, "No, no additional charges at this point. He actually contacted the court upon learning of the default warrant and made arrangements to postpone the court date. Given that he and his whereabouts are known to authorities, that he has no criminal record, and that he affirmatively contacted the court, his request was granted. At the end of the day here, we aren't exactly dealing with John Dillinger, you know?"
Status update: Six Days in Fallujah, with Atomic Games president Peter Tamte
When it was first announced in April 2009, Six Days in Fallujah, from developer Atomic Games, raised more than a few eyebrows. Peace groups, veterans and some families of killed American soldiers lambasted the studio and its then publishing partner Konami for turning the unpopular war into an interactive entertainment experience. Taking place within a six-day span during the gruesome November 2004 campaign of Operation Phantom Fury, Six Days in Fallujah attempts to tell the true stories of multiple veterans who experienced the ordeal and, according to Atomic, several of them collaborated with the developer to help create the title. Speaking with Joystiq during PAX East 2010, Atomic president Peter Tamte offered a lengthy update on the game's development progress. He addressed in detail its tone and the potential controversies inherent in its subject matter. November 2004 is still considered the most brutal single month of the Iraq War in terms of US casualties, and there are questions about how Six Days in Fallujah will handle the deaths of real people. The game not only has a responsibility to be respectful, it has a responsibility to be truthful. %Gallery-49389%
Breach thief jumps bail, currently playing Modern Warfare 2 [update]
An arrest warrant has been issued for 20-year-old Justin D. May, the alleged thief of the Breach code at PAX East, after he failed to show up in a Boston court today. May posted $200 cash bail at the Boston Police station following his arrest and was ordered to appear for arraignment this morning. He was charged with larceny over $250 and "trade secret, buy/sell/receive stolen." As for May's potential punishment, especially now that he has fled, Suffolk Country District Attorney Press Secretary Jake Wark told Joystiq, "Both charges carry maximum five-year prison terms, though there are monetary fines as potential sentences. Neither offense carries a minimum term. Being a fugitive from justice carries a potential penalty in most states, but only in the jurisdiction to which a defendant flees. For the moment, he is only in default and not facing any enhanced penalties." According to the Boston Police report, May's attempted theft of Breach was valued at over $6 million dollars. May's current whereabouts are unknown, but we do have his Gamertag, which shows that wherever he is at the moment, he's playing Modern Warfare 2. Update 2: Added details about prison terms and fines. The person using May's Gamertag signed off after we contacted them. Update: The police report can be found after the break.
'Breach' game code theft at PAX East ends in arrest [update]
[Photo: Kevin Kelly] digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/breach-game-code-theft-at-pax-east-ends-in-arrest/'; An attempted theft of Atomic Games' Breach code on the PAX East show floor on the last day of the event was thwarted by vigilant members of the studio. According to a representative for the company, the suspected thief managed to download some of the code and then run into the crowd after he was spotted. He was eventually apprehended in the large crowd and the game's code was found on his computer. "The suspect did admit to us several times, including as he was doing it, that he was stealing the code. He said to myself and several other team members, after being caught, that it was not a big deal, he just really liked the game and wanted to play it with his friends," David Tractenberg, a spokesperson for Atomic, explained. "This guy had only succeeded in copying about 14MB to his laptop before our staff caught him," Atomic Games President Peter Tamte told Joystiq. "Because of the work we do for military and intelligence organizations, we take security issues like this very seriously ... It is fortunate for him that we caught him before any of this ended up on the internet. Many of the hackers who stole Valve's Half-Life 2 code were tracked down by the FBI's Cybercrime Task Force." %Gallery-88941%
Breach coming to PC 'six weeks after' XBLA version
On one of our many trips to Atomic Games' booth on the PAX East 2010 show floor, a representative of the developer told us Breach would see a release on PC in addition to Xbox Live Arcade. The multiplayer shooter will launch on XBLA this summer for $15, with the PC version expected to follow six weeks later. Breach on PC will only be available as a digital download; however, Atomic Games has not decided on a digital distribution platform yet.
Hands-on: Breach (XBLA)
Breach wants to go after Battlefield 1943. Atomic Games president Peter Tamte summed up DICE's digitally distributed title as a "stripped down version of a retail game," and believes that Breach can outdo last year's surprise XBLA hit with its accessibility and sandbox-style destructibility. Atomic hopes to have the game on XBLA this summer with a price of $15. Focusing on eight-on-eight multiplayer with combative and objective-based game modes, the game heavily emphasizes utilizing cover ... and blowing stuff up. %Gallery-88941%
Breach expected to launch this summer on XBLA for $15
We popped by Atomic Games' booth here at PAX to check out Breach, the dev's attempt to take on DICE's online-only, digitally distributed Battlefield 1943. Atomic president Peter Tamte revealed during our play session that he hoped to get Breach on XBLA this summer (as previously estimated), and that the developer is targeting a $15 price point. Considering how polished the game was in the state we saw it, we certainly believe it can meet that deadline. Look for our hands-on impressions later today.
Atomic Games breaks out Breach details
Atomic Games' Breach is a first-person, multiplayer shooter set to infiltrate Xbox Live Arcade this summer. The game mixes a cover system with destructible environments, and allows players to see their handiwork (or, umm, terrible aim) on walls, floors, ceilings and even single bricks. Featuring four classes (five after mastering two classes), an experience points system to purchase gadgets, four maps, four game types, 23 weapons and more, Breach seems like it's going for the type of hefty multiplayer experience one would expect from a full-priced retail title -- though we hope it'll have a less traumatic trip to release than the same developer's Six Days in Fallujah did. We'll have a hands-on later today at PAX East. %Gallery-88941%
Breach announced by Six Days in Fallujah dev, Atomic Games
While confirming that Six Days in Fallujah – the inspired-by-real-events military FPS hot potato that Konami tossed aside last year – was "still going to be coming out," developer Atomic Games also told Joystiq that it has "a game coming out first," which the dev will "be working on ... before Six Days in Fallujah." Over the wire just now comes news of Atomic's latest: Breach, a "multiplayer" FPS "based on the elite CIA Special Activities Division officers." Much of the press release is cleverly "redacted" -- highlighting the black areas reveals hidden text: "so you've managed to decode this section to reveal the classified information. Come on! Did you really think it was going to be that easy? Yes, we do work for military and intelligence organizations. Yes, we are creating a game that will blow your mind. Yes, some of it was actually redacted. Yes, many of us have security clearances. So what that all means is I can't tell you anything more than is in this release until it's okay. Until then, we are high-speed, low-drag and ready to work. Molon Labe!" Wikipedia tells us that "molon labe" is the motto of the United States Special Operations Command Central (that's SOCCENT for you military buffs), so expect some adherence to real-world events, military jargon and other things that suggest authenticity. That is Atomic Games' forte, after all. Breach is in development for "consoles and personal computers."
