Digital Extremes
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‘Soulframe’ is a free-to-play MMO from the studio behind ‘Warframe’
After nearly a decade of work on Warframe and more than five years since it canceled its most recent project, Digital Extremes is working on a new game.
Summer Game Fest promises four months of big news and events
Sony, Microsoft and major publishers are on board for the psuedo-E3 replacement.
Warframe's Archwing update hits consoles
Ready to go to space in Warframe? Just kidding! You're already in space. The whole premise is robotic space ninjas, after all. But the Archwing update that just dropped for consoles yesterday lets you slip past obstacles like "not being able to fly in space" by... well... allowing you to fly in space. The Archwing is a harness that lets you fly in space. This, from a practical standpoint, means that you get to enjoy spaceflight antics without spaceships. Aside from the eponymous Archwing systems, the update also adds a new (equally eponymous) Warframe, more visual customization options, and a new reputation system allowing you to represent one of six Syndicates. So if you're floating about on consoles with Warframe, you too can now enjoy all of the fun of spaceflight without a spaceship. Hopefully not including the harness accidentally detaching whilst you're accelerating, leading your body to go hurtling off into space at a trajectory you can no longer control forever. [Source: Digital Extremes press release]
Warframe wants the Guinness record for virtual mustaches
From the any-press-is-good-press department, we have this ditty that mixes Warframe, facial hair, and Guinness World Records. The sci-fi title recently released a selection of virtual mustaches for players to equip on their in-game avatars, and now Digital Extremes seeks to put its name in the aforementioned record book under the "largest gathering of people wearing false mustaches simultaneously in a video game" heading. Nope, we're not making this up. As proof, you can peruse the company's press release just past the cut. [Source: Digital Extremes press release]
Warframe welcomes space ninjas, passes 12M registered players
It is hard to beat around the bush on this one, so we are going to be blunt: Yes, Virginia, there are space ninjas. And yes, they're going to be arriving in Warframe whether or not you are prepared for them. Tomorrow, the sci-fi MMO will be releasing its 15th update, Archwing. The update will include the ability for players to fly characters through space as space ninjas (because why not?), using new weapons and fighting previously unknown enemies. Archwing will also add the Limbo warframe and a reputation system for added depth. Digital Extremes claims that Warframe has accumulated over 12 million registered players and is the most downloaded PlayStation 4 game. You can watch the Archwing trailer after the jump. [Source: Digital Extremes press release]
Warframe studio Digital Extremes partners with Perfect World
Back in July there were rumblings that Digital Extremes, the studio behind Warframe, would soon be added to the lineup of Perfect World's studios. After three months of negotiations, the deal has finally gone through, with Perfect World Online Holding and Sumpo Food Holdings Limited together acquiring a majority share in the company. The deal also includes giving Perfect World exclusive rights to publishing Warframe in mainland China. A post on the official forums is meant to assuage any player fears or concerns, stressing that the functional changes for players will be limited; the same people are in charge of the game's development as before. What it will mean, chiefly, is that the studio has more money to spend on updates and improvements to the game. Whether or not more of the game will change over time remains to be seen, but the current statement is a definite no. [Thanks to Revrent for the tip!]
Majority share in Warframe dev purchased by Chinese companies
The majority of shares in Warframe developer Digital Extremes have been acquired by two Chinese companies, Multi Dynamic Games and Perfect Online Holding. As a subsidiary of Sumpo Food Holdings Limited, Multi Dynamic Games purchased 58 percent of Digital Extremes' shares for $69.6 million, whereas Perfect Online acquired three percent of the developer for $3.6 million. Negotiations for the agreement began in late June. The value of the transactions, a total of $73.2 million (approximately HK $567.3 million according to Sumpo Food Holdings), is subject to future adjustment by the companies. Warframe launched in March 2013 for PC before the free-to-play shooter arrived on PS4 when the system launched in November 2013. The game hit Xbox One last month, after it reached 10 million registered users in July. Digital Extremes was founded in Ontario, Canada in 1993 and had a hand in the development of the Unreal and BioShock series. [Image: Digital Extremes]
Warframe slices up the Xbox One on September 2
The Tenno, an ancient and mysterious race - is there any other kind in video games? - will put their blades into the hands of Xbox One owners when Warframe comes to Microsoft's console on September 2, developer Digital Extremes announced at Gamescom. The reveal was made during an hour-long panel that Digital Extremes has made available on YouTube, but you can skip to 7:46 if you just need to see it with your own eyes. Digital Extremes recently announced that the legions of space ninjas have grown to 10 million registered users, a number we expect to see grow next month. [Thanks, Craig!] [Image: Digital Extremes]
The Game Archaeologist: Six more MMOs that never made it to launch
It's always possible to be surprised with reveals of older MMOs, even after years of writing this column. For example, I had never heard that Valve was initially working on an MMO called Prospero in the late '90s before we posted on it a couple of weeks ago. It's crazy to me that parts of what could have been a groundbreaking online title were then repurposed for Half-Life and Portal. It's not necessarily bad how things turned out, mind you, but I do get lost wondering what might have been. From time to time here on The Game Archaeologist, I like to turn our attention to MMOs-that-never-were: titles that died before launch thanks to funding shortfalls, studio collapses, or corporate bungling. We've covered titles like Wish, Ultima X, and Middle-earth Online, but today I want to catch up on several titles that have been haunting my list for a while now. So strap in as you get a six-pack of MMOs that were never released!
Warframe registers 10 million space-ninjas, adopts space-pets
Warframe has surpassed 10 million registered users, according to a recent press release, and developer Digital Extremes is celebrating the free-to-play game about exoskeletal space ninjas' success with a new patch. Dubbed simply "Update 14," the update revamps several areas of the game while adding to others. Highlights include: An overhauled user interface Pets New Warframe, Mirage - a trickster-style character who can create copies of herself to fool enemies Pets New weapons Seriously, did we mention pets? Because there are pets now. Look, we're not sure you understand, so feel free to check out the behind-the-scenes video above to see what we're talking about. They're like little bat-wolf-bears! So cute! While Update 14 is already available for PC users, Digital Extremes notes that PS4 players will have to wait "a few more weeks" to get their hands on the patch, as the revamped UI requires additional tweaking to work with the DualShock 4. It's not clear if Update 14 will be applied before or after Warframe makes its way to Xbox One later this year. [Image: Digital Extremes]
Perfect World Entertainment buys Digital Extremes
Perfect World Entertainment is adding another studio to its cap. Digital Extremes Ltd., the studio behind Warframe, is having all of its outstanding shares purchased by PWE in cooperation with Sumpo Food Holdings Limited. This agreement is non-binding and was first announced on June 30th, although nothing has come up since to indicate any sort of a change or reversal. Players have taken to the forums voicing a certain amount of displeasure with the deal, with several comparisons to PWE's acquisition of Cryptic Studios when it was sold by Atari. As it stands, no official statement beyond the business dealings has been made by the studio. [Thanks to Clinton for the tip!]
E3 2014: Warframe heading to Xbox One
Xbox One jockeys will soon have another online offering in which to indulge. Warframe announced today at E3 that it will be heading to the console sometime in 2014 as a self-published title. Digital Extremes Creative Director Steve Sinclair says that this will be a good move for the online sci-fi title: "Bringing Warframe to Xbox One is a no-brainer. Our players have been asking for Warframe since the debut of the console and with the ID@Xbox Program, now we can make it happen. Having the freedom to develop and publish Warframe on our own terms is the true definition of independence to us. Warframe is a passion project for our team and building it alongside our players is a reality now with digital distribution." You can check out Warframe's E3 trailer, starring Big-Eyed Fred, after the break. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
Warframe brings the free-to-play pain to Xbox One later this year
Developer Digital Extremes has announced that free-to-play shooter Warframe will make its Xbox One debut at some point in 2014 as one of the first, self-published ID@Xbox games. Warframe, which is currently available on the PlayStation 4 and PC, sees players strapping on "exo-skeletal" armor and gunning down futuristic ne'erdowells, either solo or in groups of up to four like-minded, trigger-happy warriors. Along with the standard Xbox One features like Game DVR, this latest iteration of Warframe will feature a Smartglass companion app dubbed the "Warframe Nexus" which offers mission alerts and other crucial information during gameplay. "Bringing Warframe to Xbox One is a no-brainer," said Digital Extremes creative director Steve Sinclair. "Our players have been asking for Warframe since the debut of the console and with the ID@Xbox Program, now we can make it happen. Having the freedom to develop and publish Warframe on our own terms is the true definition of independence to us. Warframe is a passion project for our team and building it alongside our players is a reality now with digital distribution." [Image: Digital Extremes]
Warframe Update 13 teaches PS4 owners value of hydration
Warframe for PS4 is getting update lucky number 13, and the patch brings with it a not-insignificant number of changes. Weapons, attachments, skins, enemies and dojo customization features round out the list of what's new, but the highlights are the addition of a new character and what developer Digital Extremes is calling Melee 2.0. Melee 2.0 revamps the game's melee combat, giving characters more attacks and stances per weapon, while also re-balancing combat itself. The new melee system also allows players who want to do away with all those fancy-schmancy guns to unequip everything but their melee weapons. In a behind-the-scenes video, developers called the system an "homage" to game series like Devil May Cry and God of War. The new character, Hydroid, possesses mastery over the element of water, making him kind of like Aquaman. In space. But cooler. He can turn himself into a large spread of water that drowns enemies who step into it and summon giant tentacles made of water to smash and thrash his foes. He can wield multiple weapons, but his promo art shows him holding a cutlass and dagger. So in addition to being a space-ninja-Aquaman, he's also kind of pirate-like. We're okay with this. [Image: Digital Extremes]
Warframe PC update adds Zephyr, game hits 5.5 million users
What do you do when part of your userbase grows to 5.5 million users? If you're Warframe developer Digital Extremes, you add more features! Update 12 is live for PC users, and among its additions is a new Warframe, the air-driven Zephyr. As the above trailer shows, Zephyr is agile and uses wind-based attacks to supplement the damage dealt with guns. Among her abilities is Tornado, which stirs up twisters that can be modified by hurling elemental attacks into them. In contrast, the defense-oriented Turbulance coats Zephyr in a screen of wind, potentially deflecting projectiles back to their origins. Update 12 also revamps Warframe's HUD, makes duplicate mods listed in the Arsenal stack automatically, and expands the Grineer Forest's tile set, the pieces Warframe uses to build an environment. Although PC users received Update 12 on February 5, PS4 users are currently on Update 11.5, which added the Oberon Warframe. [Image: Digital Extremes]
Warframe listed for Xbox One by PEGI
Digital Extremes' co-op shooter Warframe is making its way to Xbox One, according to European ratings agency PEGI, which has listed the free-to-play game for Microsoft's console with a release date of today. We've reached out to Digital Extremes for comment. Warframe is currently free to play and available on PC and PS4. The game has had mixed reviews, mostly due to its cumbersome user interface system. If you've got a group of pals and are looking to try a co-op shooting, Warframe is at its best when you're actually playing the game instead of fighting the menus. Update: Developer Digital Extremes tells us, "We have nothing to announce at this time."
J.J. Abrams dropped involvement with Star Trek game
Though his team was involved at the project's outset, Star Trek film series director J.J. Abrams distanced himself from Digital Extremes' poorly received Star Trek: The Video Game prior to its completion, describing the finished product as a "big disappointment." "The last game was obviously a big disappointment to me," Abrams told GamerHub in a recent interview. "We were actually involved at the very beginning of it, and then we realized that it was not going in a place where we were going to get what we wanted. So we dropped out and they continued to do it." Abrams continued: "To me the video game could have been something that actually really benefited the series and was an exciting, fun game with great gameplay and instead it was not. For me, emotionally, it hurt, because we were working our asses off making the movie and then this game came out and it got [...] universally panned. I think that it was something that, without question, didn't help the movie and arguably hurt it." Valve co-founder Gabe Newell spoke with Abrams recently regarding the possibility of films based on Half-Life and Portal. "We're working with Valve right now on a couple of projects," Abrams told GamerHub. "The dream is to say, 'Despite its existence as a game or movie, what makes this great?' and starting from scratch -- from a place of, 'Let's make this from the ground-up great, regardless of what's come before.' [...] Anything that is based on something else needs to exist on its own terms. A lot of times, these things seem to exist as ancillary product. In which case, it will suck."
Divekick, Warframe are now PS4 launch games
Both Divekick and Warframe will be available on PS4 when the console launches November 15. The news was revealed during the PlayStation Indie Arcade event tonight at PAX by Adam Boyes, VP of Publisher and Developer Relations at SCEA. Divekick, a deceptively complex two-button fighter, launched as a "Cross Buy" game on PS3 and PS Vita on August 20 in addition to Steam. Warframe, a free-to-play co-op shooter from Digital Extremes, is currently available on for the PC on Steam.
Digital Extremes celebrates 3 million Warframe space ninjas
The latest update for robot-ninjas-in-space title Warframe went live last week, bringing fancy new weapons and content to all of you would-be interstellar assassins. But the new missions and items aren't the only big news from the launch; Digital Extremes also announced that Warframe has amassed over three million users since hitting open beta in March. Update 9 brought the NOVA warframe, designed by the community's Design Council, along with content expansions to the Orokin Void and Grineer Galleon zones. Additionally, Digital Extremes added five new prime weapon blueprints to discover, 14 new warframe helmets, and a redesigned fight with Captain Vor that ends with an all-new pistol blueprint.
Warframe confirmed for PS4, will remain free-to-play
Warframe, the free-to-play co-op shooter from Digital Extremes, is coming to PS4 with the same microtransaction-based model, Creative Director Steve Sinclair tells IGN. Warframe is currently out on Steam for PC. It's a third-person sci-fi shooter that pits groups of players against invading enemies, with distinctive ninja overtones. "We hope we can make [free-to-play] attractive for the console audience," Sinclair says. "Instead of dropping 60 bucks on a six-hour game, [a person] might drop a few bucks here and there on our game, which gives some of our players 500 hours of entertainment." Digital Extremes is the Canadian studio behind the Unreal series, The Darkness 2 and the recent movie-inspired Star Trek.
