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XBL deal of the Week: PoP Classic for $5
The crux of the following post is this: Prince of Persia Classic is on sale for 400 ($5) this week. There are some other things on sale as well, but you don't really need to know about them. You can just proceed directly to the bottom of this post and follow the Xbox Live Marketplace link to Prince of Persia Classic. ... Okay fine, if you really want to know what the other deals are, here we go. First, you can pick up some Transformers 2 DLC for 400 ($5). Second, Watchmen: The End is Nigh is available for 800 ($10) instead of the usual, ridiculous 1600 ($20). There. Happy? Now go buy Prince of Persia Classic. Xbox.com: Add Prince of Persia Classic to your Xbox 360 download queue ($5) Xbox.com: Add Transformers 2 Character and Map Pack Plus to your Xbox 360 download queue ($5) Xbox.com: Add Watchmen: The End is Nigh to your Xbox 360 download queue ($10)
Interview: Watchmen: The End is Nigh producer Andy Abramovici
We didn't exactly love Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Part 1 when it came out earlier this year, and now there's a sequel. Although it was always planned to be a two-parter in order to avoid the shoehorn effort of rushing a movie/game adaptation into development, how do you handle building the second half of a game that got raked across the coals by critics on its first outing? We spoke with Warner Bros Interactive producer Andy Abramovici about both halves of the game, the retail packages, and if we might ever see an actual Watchmen RPG, or indeed any other game at all. Watchmen purists and PS3 owners out there might want to pick up Watchmen: The End Is Nigh The Ultimate Experience to get the director's cut and both halves of the game. Read on for the interview, which does not include first-hand descriptions of WBIE employees reading our review and cursing our name.%Gallery-69401%
Wait, what? Watchmen game-plus-movie hybrid Blu-ray comes on two discs
In February it was revealed that Sony was working on making game-plus-movie hybrid Blu-ray discs. A great idea that appeals to something movie-goers and gamers share -- an inherent laziness. The first game to feature this was to be Warner Bros' comic book masterpiece, Watchmen, which includes the downloadable game Watchmen: The End Is Nigh on the disc. Well, on a disc, at least. The game and the movie are on separate discs which sort of renders the entire process pointless. Whoops! Still, at least you get the game and the director's cut for for $50. Plus, now you can throw away your copy of The End Is Nigh once you realize how bad it is, without parting with your copy of the movie. Still, bit of an epic fail all around, really.
Watchmen sequel and retail pack dated, priced and still (likely) boring
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has put its Watchmen: The End is Nigh release plan cards on the virtual table of scheduling. Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience: Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 for PS3 + movie (Director's Cut with 25 extra minutes) on July 21 with MSRP of $50. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 on single disc for Xbox 360 on July 21 for $30. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 available July 29 on PC for $15. The title will hit PSN and XBLM on July 30 and August 26, respectively, for $15 (1200). We've previously said and shown all we need to about the quality of this downloadable movie tie-in title. The "make it expensive" trick won't work this time, like it did with Part 1. If there's a burning desire to purchase a downloadable title in your heart, there are plenty of better games on both systems to drop coin on. %Gallery-44353%
PSA: Watchmen: The End is Nigh is coming to the PC
Yesterday, and for seemingly no particular reason, Warner Bros. told GameSpot of its decision to not distribute the second episode of Watchmen: The End is Nigh on PC. Today, when asked for comment, a WB representative told Joystiq, "It is actually coming to PC. What we told GameSpot yesterday, as of yesterday, was what we knew." Whoops! These things do happen though -- the question now is whether or not the publisher is doing the public a disservice by continuing to release poorly made games based on the classic Warner property. But that's a question you'll have to ask yourself. And maybe Justin. %Gallery-44353%
Watchmen: The End is Nigh coming to retail disc
Both chapters of downloadable title Watchmen: Please Make it End The End is Nigh will be available on a retail disc around the time the movie makes its way to DVD/Blu-ray on July 21. 1UP confirmed the information with Deadline Games director Søren Lund at the Nordic Game Conference yesterday. A press release with the full details should be made available today. Reviews for the The End is Nigh weren't exactly glowing (a la blue dongs), but perhaps having the two Nigh episodes together on one disc will reveal the undiscovered brilliance of the simplistic beat-em-up. %Gallery-44353%
Rumor: Deadline Games in serious trouble
DigitalBattle.com reports that developer Deadline Games is in dire straights, with CFO Christian Pedersen-Bjergaard saying that the company will face bankruptcy if it doesn't nab a paying gig soon. As you may remember, the company put its Faith and a .45 on hold to work on the not-particularly-great Watchmen: The End is Nigh.We've got "Rumor" in the headline because the article in question was written in Danish, which isn't one of the many (Read: 1.5) languages we speak. The free online translator we used gave us this quote: "Vi shall the land a agreement to nærmeste future , or threaten a bankruptcy," so take that for what it's worth.
Watchmen: The End is Nigh provides more of the same in Part II
Poor reviews won't stop the episodic Watchmen game. The End is Nigh: Part II has been rated by the ESRB, and it looks as though the next installment won't stray far from the first. For those that have played the first episode, that's not a good thing. According to the ratings board, Rorschach and Nite Owl return in the second episode, dashing our hopes of playing as other characters in the Watchmen universe. Once again, Rorschach and Nite Owl will take advantage of rudimentary brawling skills to take down "bikers, gang members, and thugs." The setting of the second episode seems a bit raunchier than the first, with players tracking down "a villain who has molested an actress appearing in a pornography film." Players will then have to enter a strip club that contains caged dancers, peep-show booths and porno playing in the background. Hot stuff? We're hoping that, in spite of the ESRB rating, the next episode of Watchmen takes its time to come out. Who knows? With a bit more development time, the developers might be able to churn out a more solid product. If not, can they at least drop the price?
Joystiq Review: Watchmen: The End Is Nigh
Before we get to the review in earnest, I'd like to address the die-hard Watchmen fans, the ones who fall asleep with their nose in the book every night and who are positive that the upcoming film will be incapable of capturing the book's dark yet occasionally cheerful nihilism. Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is everything you fear from an adaptation, and anyone who tells you differently is not and has never been your friend. Run far, far away. ... OK, with those nerdlingers gone, let's talk about Watchmen: TEIN's merits as a game, shall we? %Gallery-44353%
Watchmen: The End is Nigh will be $20 on XBLA/PSN/PC
Is it just us, or are digital downloads getting progressively more expensive? Just last summer we were reporting on why Jonathan Blow was charging $15 for Braid and now here we are less than a year later reporting what Warner Bros. Interactive told us this afternoon: The XBLA/PSN release of Watchmen: The End is Nigh next week will be dropping for 1600/$19.99 (respectively). Steam's PC release will also carry the same price tag. The amount of visual polish that goes into a title as graphically intensive as Watchmen may justify the unusually high price tag. If the similarly priced Penny Arcade Adventures are any indication of where this series is headed, we'll be waiting a few months for a price drop before sinking into this beat-'em-up. Feel free to check out the gallery below and see for yourself why Watchmen: The End is Nigh received its luxury price. %Gallery-44353%
Watchmen: The End is Nigh hitting 360 and PC March 4, PSN March 5
We've known for a while now that the release of the downloadable, episodic brawler Watchmen: The End is Nigh would coincide with the March 6 release date of the slow-mo film adaptation of the same name, but for the sake of certain specificity (say that five times fast), Warner Bros. just clarified the launch date of the game. Xbox 360 (and PC) users can find it in their usual Wednesday offerings on March 4, while PSN users can can pick it up on Thursday, March 5. They're cutting it awfully close to the film's opening night, but we doubt anyone will have much trouble blowing through the game's two-hour-long campaign in time for a midnight screening. %Gallery-44353%
The End is Nigh: Impressions of Watchmen
Click to embiggen. Watchmen is regarded by many to be one of the greatest graphic novels of all time. For years, fans have been able to put Alan Moore's creation on a pedestal, and many are afraid that Zack Snyder's upcoming film adaptation can only disappoint. In conjunction with the movie's release is a video game tie-in, which should be cause for more concern, considering the poor quality of most licensed video games. In theory, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, should be able to overcome the typical woes of movie-game development due to its distribution method. As a downloadable game, it doesn't need to offer the depth expected out of a retail box. However, it's clear that The End is Nigh simply isn't ambitious enough to do the franchise justice. Although much emphasis has been placed on the game's expansion of the franchise's canon, the core game experience simply isn't very satisfying. It can be summed up in just three words: beat-em-up. %Gallery-44353%
Lack of publisher puts Faith and a .45 in limbo
Unable to secure a publisher, the developer of Faith and a .45 has placed the game on hiatus, reports PS3 Attitude. Faith and a .45 stars protagonists Ruby and Luke -- Tobey Maguire's evil twin brother, from the looks of him -- who face off against an enemy force led by a ruthless oilman who's out for their blood. You know, the usual song and dance. When last we heard from developer Deadline Games -- which is currently developing two downloadable games based on the Watchmen graphic novel -- the studio showcased Faith at GDC'08 in hopes of luring in a publisher. Guess that didn't go so well.[via Evil Avatar and 1UP]
Watchmen game will be 'canon' with graphic novel
Worried about how The End is Nigh will fit into the Watchmen universe? A lot of assurances are already well known: Watchmen illustrator Gibbons is consulting on the art style and original editor Len Wein is the writer of the episodic game series. However, what is most comforting is the inadvertent involvement of reclusive creator Alan Moore. According to Gibbons, in an interview with EuroGamer, the two did a Watchmen module for Mayfair Games' DC Heroes tabletop roleplaying series. Moore helped write bits of it, which details the backstory from 1966, and has in the past endorsed it as canon. The second page of the interview is quite spoilerific, with Gibbons talking about the film's (and subsequently the book's) ending, so consider yourself warned. The first episode of End is Nigh is expected this March, which we're hoping is still near the film's release.
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh revealed
The latest issue of EGM has revealed an upcoming Watchmen game, to be released around the same time as the movie in 2009. Subtitled The End Is Nigh, the Watchmen game will be episodic and downloadable via the PlayStation Network. The game will be a prequel to the movie, though there are currently few details regarding how it will actually play. 1Up promises that Watchmen fans needn't be worried about the franchise being treated badly. Several advisors for The End Is Nigh have worked on the original graphic novel, such as artist Dave Gibbons and Editor Len Wein. Sadly Alan Moore himself is nowhere to be seen. The game will flesh out the backstory of the comics a little more. There's a lot to play with so we're intrigued to see more details once they're finally released.
December EGM gives first look at Watchmen: The End is Nigh [Update]
Fans of Alan Moore's groundbreaking graphic novel, Watchmen, are probably either eagerly anticipating the book's upcoming film adaptation -- or, in true comic book snob fashion, dreading its release. Unfortunately for them, their excitement/dread may be multiplied by the upcoming video game adaptation of the book -- thankfully, the December issue of EGM will break the relative silence on Deadline Games' ludological prequel to the novel, now titled Watchmen: The End is Nigh. Though none of the December issue's exclusive details are leaked in a recent teaser on 1UP, an early reaction from EGM editor-in-chief James Mielke is provided to ease concerns that the prequel won't follow Watchmen canon -- according to "The Milkman", who recently traveled to Deadline's studio in Denmark, the game is incredibly faithful to the book. We'll remain cautiously optimistic until we can get more details when the next issue of EGM hits newsstands later this month. Update: Revised to reflect previous coverage.
Watchmen episodes are a prequel to film, novel
The two-episode Watchmen series that was announced yesterday will be a prequel, according to a preview from 1UP. You can choose to play as either Nite Owl or Rorschach, with the other controlled by AI or via split-screen co-op, in the time before masked heroes were outlawed. The third-person action games take place exclusively at night is set to be M-rated. While they brought on some heavy-hitters for the story -- notably Wolverine creator Len Wein and Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons -- we're always hesitant when someone other than the original author tries to expand a story. Still, an M-rated series with visuals reportedly "worthy of being a now-generation game" and Rorschach's infamous makeshift flamethrower? We remain cautiously optimistic. Watchmen episodes will be released around the same time as the film (March 6, 2009).
Watchmen based games to go episodic
Let's go off-topic for a moment. Watchmen is probably one of the greatest graphic novels ever created and the film looks totally rad. From director Zack Snyder, the guy who directed the film adaptation of Frank Miller's 300, and partially penned by David Hayter, of Metal Gear fame, it looks like it's going to be one helluva flick. The problem with creating a great movie is that, inevitably, someone will want to create a game based on it. Variety is reporting that Watchmen is no exception to this rule but the game based on the film (based on the graphic novel) is taking a different approach. Warner Bros. has announced it will release two downloadable episodic games on Xbox Live, PC and PSN to coincide with the theatrical and DVD releases of the film. Developed by Deadline Games, which is currently working on Faith and a .45, we don't know much about the content of the games but we hope a smaller game will work out better than licensed titles of the past. We also hope for world peace and an end to fanboy flame wars -- guess how that's going so far? [via Joystiq]
Watchmen becomes two-part episodic PSN game
Any graphic novel nerd will hold a special place for Alan Moore's Watchmen. In addition to the upcoming movie (trailer, above), there will be a coinciding licensed game. Watchmen will be released as a two-part episodic title on XBLA, PSN and PC. The first part will release in tandem with the theatrical release, while the second will release in time for the DVD/Blu-ray release. This should, hopefully, give developers more time to work on a quality title. "We don't want a low-quality console game that will get lost at retail," said WBIE senior veep of production and development Samantha Ryan. "A downloadable game allows us to deliver the experience that fans expect." The Watchmen games are expected to be rated M. [Via Joystiq]
Watchmen getting episodic games on PC, PS3, 360
Watchmen is just full of surprises. We would have never thought anyone could make a competent movie of the epic graphic novel but, if the trailer is any indication, Zack Snyder may be doing just that. We also would have doubted that the book could be made into game form, but it seems Warner Bros. is surprising us once again. The company will release two downloadable episodic games on PC, Xbox Live and PSN, to coincide with the theatrical and DVD releases of the film. All we know is we can expect Nite Owl and Rorschach in an action title developed by Deadline Games, which is currently crafting Faith and a .45. We actually think making shorter games to hit deadlines is a smart way to break the terrible licensed games cycle. But of course, if they're short and terrible ...
