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Crysis 2, Dungeon Siege 3 comics in the works
Can't be bothered to actually play a game, but want something a little more visual than novels? You're in luck. First up, Crysis 2 is getting its own comic, thanks to publisher IDW. The six-issue series, written by Richard K. Morgan (who also penned the story in the game) and drawn by Peter Bergting, connects the events of Crysis and Crysis 2. It arrives in June. Next, Square Enix is working with Dark Horse Comics to release a digital Dungeon Siege 3 comic online. The book will appear on the official Dungeon Siege site, with writer Jeremy Barlow, along with artists Iban Coello and Sergio Abad, telling three tales of the kingdom of Ehb. Yet another comic will be packaged with the game itself at Walmart when it arrives on May 31.
What's in a Name: Obsidian Entertainment
Feargus Urquhart co-founded Obsidian Entertainment (Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout: New Vegas) after Interplay's Black Isle Studios closed in 2003. After we left Black Isle, we were going to start a company and we needed a new name. We wanted it to be a good name, a strong name, and we wanted it to be something that people would remember. And so we threw all of these names around -- we had Scorched Earth, we had Three Clown Software, and lots of other stuff. And eventually Obsidian got on that list, because we were Black Isle, and what's something like that? And someone said there's that Obsidian thing, that glassy, magma stuff, and we put it on there. So we came down literally with a short list, and we showed it to our significant others. And they were like, "All these names are dumb, except that one." So really it was the significant others that actually said that's what they would name a company, because it sounds cool, it has some relevance ... and it's not Three Clown Software. Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on Dungeon Siege 3, available this May and published by Square Enix. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.
Obsidian Entertainment: Playing in other people's worlds
Obsidian Entertainment has no shortage of street cred -- its founders originally created Interplay's Black Isle Studios, and put together some of the most classic PC RPGs around, including the original Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and the Icewind Dale series. But since forming Obsidian in 2003 (and making Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and most recently, Dungeon Siege 3), Feargus Urquhart and his crew have created another reputation: That of building sequels for properties created by other studios. "Correct," he tells Joystiq in a recent interview, as if fessing up to being called a "sequel house." If there's a connotation associated with that term, Urquhart doesn't really care. "What I grew up on was obviously roleplaying games that had the fifth and the sixth and the eight and the twelfth," he says. "So I think in general, RPGs have a lot of sequels, because you can keep on adding on to the world, you can keep on coming up with new stories. I think from that perspective, it's great to be able to make these, even if they're sequels, because you get to go play in someone else's world."
Dungeon Siege 3 preview: Hack, slash, and roll
Chris Taylor's Dungeon Siege was a hit back in 2002 -- it offered a stylized take on the PC fantasy RPG experience, combining Diablo's tons-o-loot mechanics (the game even had a pack mule character that provided more inventory to your party) with an interesting experience system that leveled up skills only when used. After a sequel in 2005 (and a shameful set of Uwe Boll movies), the property has now found a home at Obsidian Entertainment, and the company is hard at work on Dungeon Siege 3, due out this May. Obsidian, it turns out, is a great fit for the old series. It's a studio that's made a name for itself by continuing other studios' games (see Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Fallout: New Vegas), both imitating series' conventions while blazing their own way forward (sometimes to fans' chagrin). And Dungeon Siege 3 follows that same formula. While the setting is the same as the first game and the lore fits together, this console-based hack-and-slash RPG takes a lot of liberties with Chris Taylor's original game, but Obsidian's talent shines through anyway.%Gallery-115967%
Seize this new Dungeon Siege 3 trailer
The new trailer for Square Enix's co-op dungeon crawler, Dungeon Siege 3, speaks of "loyalty" -- but all we see is a lot of butt-whooping. Now, we're not saying that's a bad thing, so you can just put that sword down slowly and count to three before eyeing the new trailer and screens.
Lay siege to Dungeon Siege 3 on May 31
Hackers and/or slashers, listen up. Dungeon Siege 3 has officially been given a North American release date. The Obsidian-developed dungeon crawler will hit shelves on May 31, and publisher Square Enix has detailed a number of retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses to entice players. Most pre-orders include some in-game items, though both Walmart and Steam offer more tangible bonuses. Walmart is offering a mini Dungeon Siege comic from Dark Horse and a mini Prima strategy guide. Meanwhile, those who pre-order on Steam will receive free single-player versions of the original Dungeon Siege and Dungeon Siege 2. For the moment, it seems that the first two Dungeon Siege titles will be exclusive to those who pre-order the game. Whether or not they are offered for individual purchase in the future is "still under internal discussions" at Square Enix. See the breakdown of each retailer's pre-order bonuses after the break.
Dungeon Siege 3 gameplay footage lays siege to your eyes
We got a first look at Obsidian's upcoming third Dungeon Siege title back at E3 -- and even caught a glimpse of its CGI teaser shortly thereafter -- but, up until now, we hadn't been able to show it to you in motion. Y'know, actual gameplay. That's just what you'll find after the break. As for the video's content, we're compelled to relay that it looks awfully JRPG-influenced to us, in addition to being extremely lush and heavy on the flowing bits of fabric on characters' costumes. Other than that, well, have you seen Torchlight or Diablo? If the answer's "yes," you've got a good idea of what to expect.
Dungeon Siege 3 teaser is bereft of dungeons
Perhaps the most glaring thing about the new Dungeon Siege 3 teaser, apart from its complete lack of gameplay footage, is its complete lack of dungeons. It's a nice CG introduction to the backstory and all, but ... what are we supposed to besiege? The branching narrative?
Obsidian leads talk about their favorite Square Enix franchise
In a recent interview with Siliconera, Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart and lead designer Nathan Chapman pondered which of Square Enix's other RPG franchises they'd like to get their hands on post-Dungeon Siege 3. Their decision was unanimous: "If I could come across everything that I played I would have to go with Chrono Trigger," Urquhart explained. "I think Chrono Trigger was one I really enjoyed." "I think we're going with Chrono Trigger because it has elements of a Western RPG," Chapman added. "It's more open, it's still mostly linear, but there are parts you can explore more." Yeah, we guess that's a good reason to go with Chrono Trigger. You know what's another good reason to go with Chrono Trigger? How about because Chrono Trigger is the best game ever made, and every video game developer in the world secretly wants to work on the next Chrono Trigger. We think that's a pretty good reason, too.
Preview: Dungeon Siege 3
As someone who's predominately a console gamer, I wasn't particularly familiar with the Dungeon Siege franchise before I sat down for a peek at the third iteration deep within the recesses of Square-Enix's E3 booth. I knew it owed a lot to Diablo, but little else. Within the first seconds of seeing Dungeon Siege III, however, I knew that Obsidian's new take on the series had been designed with someone like me in mind. The most obvious cue? The perspective, which has gone from the zoomed out view the series is most associated with, to a more traditional third-person action perspective right over the shoulder. The classic view is still available with just a button press, but most of the demo I saw zooms in tight on the lead character. The message is pretty clear: This is the new face of Dungeon Siege, and it's doing its darndest to win me over.
Obsidian and Square Enix announce Dungeon Siege 3, will include co-op
It's been almost two years to the day since we last heard any updates on Dungeon Siege 3, which led us to the fairly understandable conclusion that Uwe Boll may have murdered the franchise with his Statham-fronted film adaptation. Apparently, those fears were unfounded -- Square Enix just announced it will publish the series' third installment, which will be developed by Obsidian Entertainment under the supervision of Dungeon Siege forefather, Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor. The threequel, which is set for release on 360, PS3 and PC, will remain true to the series' roots, giving players access to a catalog of highly customizable RPG archetypes that will participate in some action-oriented ... dungeon sieging. Players will also have access to an "all-new co-op multiplayer mode," though the particulars of this mode weren't specified by the game's press release announcement. We'll try to divine a few more details at E3.
Chris Taylor talks Dungeon Siege 3
Miraculously, it appears that Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege franchise has survived a Boll-ocalypse -- that is to say, it's getting another game even after being "adapted" into a hilariously calamitous Uwe Boll film. Speaking to Eurogamer Germany (English version), Gas Powered Games boss Chris Taylor has divulged some of his plans for a third orc-killing romp. "There will be some things that are very much like Dungeon Siege 1 and 2, but some things will be simplified," he said. "I am done with multi-character parties; I really think that it's all going to be about a single hero. It's too much to manage." We can certainly get behind the idea of having fewer people to manage, as long as our hero has enough to do by his lonesome. For instance, it would be nice to be granted a choice in whether we'd like to hack or slash any given enemy.We expect to hear more on the topic once Gas Powered Games completes work on Space Siege. Which is a lot like Dungeon Siege ... but in space.[Via Big Download]
