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'Murdered' teased by spooky Square Enix ARG [Update!]
This morning, Square Enix initiated a guerilla marketing campaign for something apparently new and murder oriented, slated for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, with potential ties to Eidos Interactive and confirmed connections to us being super creeped out by the whole thing.It started with the Twitter account @Murdered tweeting the message "What is ..." followed by a link to the above picture, which appeared to be a section of a photograph of a tree with something carved into its bark. Attempting to navigate to one of the picture's "files" parent folder results in being automatically redirected to an eidosinteractive.com subdomain. Ah ha!Minutes later, we received an email from a Square Enix e-mail address (masquerading as an "@murdered.com" address) with the subject header "What is the hardest case to solve?" Contained inside was a second image, which combined perfectly with the image that had been tweeted earlier.Naturally we decided to check out murdered.com, and were met by an image of the symbol scrawled on asphalt in chalk, accompanied by a link to the official twitter account and icons revealing the project's related platforms. A whois search revealed that the domain is registered to Naoto Sugiyama, a senior manager at Square Enix., and a glance at the site's source code revealed certain assets as being hosted on Eidos webspace.Furthermore, Square Enix registered a Japanese trademark for "Murdered: Soul Suspect" back in December of last year, Siliconera reports. We've contacted both Square Enix and the murdered.com address and will update with any new discoveries we're able to make.Update: Well, that was fun while it lasted. Square Enix has confirmed to us that Murdered: Soul Suspect is "an exciting new game from Square Enix which challenges players to solve possibly the hardest case of all," which obviously wasn't this case, since all we had to do was send an email and ask. Eidos' potential involvement, however, does remain a mystery.
Hitman: Sniper Challenge now on PC, bonus with Absolution pre-orders
PC players who can't wait for a taste of Hitman: Absolution are finally being catered to – the standalone promotional game, "Sniper Challenge," is now available for folks who pre-order Absolution on PC. The game is free (insofar as making a pre-order is "free") from certain retailers across the globe. You'll find the full list here, but be sure to check with your retailer of choice before you place an order. Once ordered, you'll receive a code that can must be redeemed on the Sniper Challenge website.
Overheard@Comic-con: A nerd walks into a video game store...
As the man behind titles such as System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex, it's no surprise Warren Spector has a slightly warped sense of humor. For example, when naming Deus Ex, Spector thought it would be funny to pick a title that some people would be hesitant to pronounce, and he still thinks it's funny, even though that name ultimately cost Eidos sales. Spector knows exactly why:"People don't want to go into their game store and ask for the 'Do Sex' game," Spector said, still chuckling.
The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider documented in March, first episode out now
Geoff Keighley's behind-the-scenes "Final Hours" series is taking on Tomb Raider, and he's getting video help from Zachary Levi. Square Enix enlisted Keighley for a "Final Hours" Tomb Raider entry – which Keighley says he's "especially excited" about, due to it being "a tale about the act of reinvention, both of a studio and of a franchise." But Square also nabbed Levi for a video documentary supplement, which kicks off today, a full eight months before the game launches. Those are some long final hours, eh?The completed entry will launch in March 2013 alongside the game, and will once again be available on iPad and PC. Kindle Fire owners can also snag it via Amazon. Check out the first Zachary Levi video entry above.
Hitman: Absolution's Agent 47 reminds us of his O.G. status
The Hitman folks probably should've stuck the word "assassin" somewhere in their game title – that way they could avoid embarrassing marketing moments. Take, for instance, the trailer above's insistence that Agent 47 is the "original" assassin. Doesn't his blood-soaked legacy speak for itself?
Report: Ubisoft, Atari, many other publishers requesting payment from German pirates
Someone in Germany -- perhaps even some people -- illegally pirated a copy of Prison Break: The Conspiracy. Hard to believe as it may be, it appears to be the case according to TorrentFreak, who delved into German public records looking for game publishers who have employed German law to track down (and demand money from) people who allegedly pirated various games. In Germany, Koch Media publishes the Prison Break game, and has been demanding settlements of "several hundred Euros" from offending IP addresses. The records indicate that several major publishers, either directly or through subsidiaries/secondary parties, have been sending out letters to German citizens requesting varying levels of payment in return for not being sued. Where things get murky, however, is how the publishers are seeking out the accused pirates, using not always reliable "IP address-only evidence" -- easily circumvented with proxy domains and such. You know, hacker stuff. TorrentFreak's report indicates that a variety of publishers and distributors are involved, including (but not limited to): Atari, Koch Media (representing Techland's Dead Island and Prison Break, and Eidos/Square Enix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution as well as Dungeon Siege 3 and various Final Fantasy titles), Daedalic Entertainment (representing LucasArts), Codemasters, BitComposer, Ubisoft, Kalypso Media, dtp entertainment, and Aerosoft. It is currently unclear how many settlement notices have been sent out by each company, or if any will continue doing so after these actions have been brought to light. Witcher 2 developer CD Projekt Red was recently pursuing similar cases in Germany until it announced the end of the practice last week.
ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond
Rock, Paper, Shotgun collaborated in obtaining responses. The Entertainment Software Association's support of the "Stop Online Piracy Act" has led us to ask every member of the video game industry's lobbying and political group to publicly declare its stance on the bill. The ESA's continued support means every member, by proxy, is a supporter of the bill. Some companies have pulled their logos from supporting SOPA documentation to dodge ire, while others are hiding behind rhetoric, as you'll see below. Joystiq contacted every member of the ESA and requested a declarative statement on SOPA. After the break we've listed the responses we've received, along with others we found. We continue to seek clarity on this issue from every member of the ESA. This will become the page we update as we receive responses and clear declarative statements, so feel free to bookmark. (Joystiq does not support SOPA, nor does our parent company.)
Deus Ex 'Augmented Edition' Blu-ray soundtrack issue solution in 'final stages'
Purchasers of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's "Augmented Edition" on PS3 were supposed to receive a DVD with the game's soundtrack on it. One slight problem: the disc that says "DVD" on it is actually a Blu-ray disc, meaning that consumers who want to transfer the soundtrack to their computer's media library need a Blu-ray drive on their computers, which isn't exactly a standard feature. We contacted Square Enix, which has been aware of the situation since the game's launch, about the current status of a fix. The company told us at the end of August that it was working on a solution. Today it tells us that it's in the "final stages" of figuring something out. If there were only a simple, technological way to take music, already awkwardly confined to physical discs, and make it easily available on the internet. It's a conundrum that we're glad to hear Square is taking weeks to figure out.
Visual Works explains how Tomb Raider's big E3 trailer came to be
If you were capable of watching the E3 2011 Tomb Raider trailer without fully freaking out, well, frankly, we're worried about your health. For the rest of us, Square Enix and Eidos have released a near 15-minute-long "making of" to walk us through all the gory details of its creation.
Square Enix going after 15 John Does accused of leaking Deus Ex preview code
A recent court document depicts the beginning of a legal battle between Square Enix and 15 unknown "John Does" over the publisher's upcoming action-RPG, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which leaked through an early preview code in late May. The Steam-based early preview code can allegedly be traced back to one specific Italian outlet -- "Giochi per il Mio Computer," owned by Sprea Editori -- though it apparently isn't to blame. "On information and belief, one or more Defendants logged into the restricted Steam account hosting the Game Preview code by entering the username and password associated with the authorized GMC reviewer on or about May 29, 2011," the document reads. It then clarifies the breach as "from an IP address that was not associated with Sprea Editori or GMC." Then who's the culprit? It seems that even Square doesn't know just yet. Rather than aim its suit at the Italian gaming outlet, the Japanese publisher is instead directing its legal team at 15 unnamed John Does, seeking "monetary damage in excess of $5,000" for the preview's distribution, as well as investigating its breach, any "gains, profits, advantages, and unjust enrichment obtained as a result" of the breach, and any "punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial." The document will set the stage for potential legal recourse in the future if and when any of the accused Does are identified. We've reached out to Square for clarification, since it's unclear from the court document whether or not an investigation is ongoing with Italian officials over the alleged breach. The suit was filed in the US District Court, Seattle specifically, as a result of the leak's origins via Steam (Steam's servers are hosted in Bellevue, Washington). Deus Ex: Human Revolution is intended to officially launch on August 23.%Gallery-127824%
Hitman: Absolution screens sneak out of Russia
We've spotted Agent 47, and he's over at the Eidos forums, officially outed in Hitman: Absolution by one Eidos moderator known as "Acid Burn," a la Hackers. There are only two shots, unfortunately, but we've dropped them into a gallery below for your perusal.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution gets 'very special edition' in select territories
Do you live in Europe, Australia, or New Zealand and long for a super fancy, ultra limited edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Square Enix has announced plans for a "very limited Collector's Edition" to launch alongside the regular, old, boring and utterly normal edition when it arrives this summer. The "very limited" iteration of Deus Ex comes packed with a "highly collectable" figure of protagonist Adam Jensen, the "Explosive Mission Pack" (which is also part of GameStop's pre-order incentive), a smattering of in-game weapons, 10,000 extra in-game credits, a "making of" DVD and soundtrack, and a 40-page art book. How much will all that "very limited" stuff cost you? Square's not saying just yet, though pricing and specifics on availability will be made clear "closer to launch."
Fake Deus Ex: Human Revolution ads are here to sell us new eyeballs
Sure, turbochargers are readily available for all variety of car, but what about super legs that let you bound 20 feet in the air? Or that new set of eyes with a camera built right in? Deus Ex: Human Revolution's Sarif Industries wants to bring us these medical marvels, as highlighted in a new (fake) advertisement. If that weren't enough, prospective buyers can even get a glimpse at themselves with new biotic enhancements via Sarif Industries' new website. Head past the break to get a glimpse at both the new commercial and an image of this bedraggled writer with a super arm (which isn't that different from his totally awesome normal arm).
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light exploring iDevices tomorrow
New Zealand's iTunes App Store revealed Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad well before the game's official announcement in North America -- a tweet from Crystal Dynamic's global brand director Karl Stewart soon after confirmed its veracity. The game will arrive tomorrow for $6.99 (iPhone) and $9.99 (iPad), and its content is said to be unchanged from the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network game released to critical fanfare earlier this year. Two-player co-op is included, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options will be at your disposal. As far as the recently released DLC for the game is concerned, however, it's not clear whether or not it'll end up on the App Store version -- we've asked Crystal Dynamics to clarify [see below]. Lara and Totec's now mobile adventure will be available to North Americans starting tomorrow morning at 12:01AM EST. Update: A Crystal Dynamics representative confirmed that the DLC from Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network iterations of the game is not included with the iOS version.%Gallery-111443%
Get to know Kane & Lynch, Dog Days' multiplayer director in these new videos
They say opposites attract, which would explain the effectiveness of the titular duo in IO Interactive's upcoming sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Lynch is a psychopath, a well of unchecked aggression who hardly has the foresight to see the repercussions of his actions -- a dog without a leash, if you will. His partner, Kane, on the other hand is a bit more calculating. An ex-mercenary whose interests lie in financial gain, Kane is the type of guy who doesn't fly off the handle and, for the most part, keeps it cool -- a feat considering his partner. Also beyond the break, you'll find the latest behind-the-scenes video produced for the game. This one features Kim Krogh, director of Kane & Lynch 2's multiplayer component. (Spoiler: He really likes it.)
God is in the new Deus Ex: Human Revolution trailer
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/04/deus-ex-human-revolution-trailer/'; Let's not spoil anything. Instead, let's just say that Square Enix's CGI work for Deus Ex: Human Revolution is really paying off. You should watch the trailer above right now. And then watch it again. Now that you've done that, we've got some actual news: It looks like Deus Ex: Human Revolution has been confirmed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game will be released in 2011, and is now available for pre-order from the usual suspects.
Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer mounts up on May 11
You know who really needs to be taken down a peg? Those gods, man. Look at 'em, up there. Think they're so high and mighty. We hear Kratos is busy, but we're not too concerned about a lack of potential divine retribution-dealers -- especially since Funcom just attached an imminent May 11 release date to its upcoming Age of Conan expansion, titled Rise of the Godslayer. The add-on, which can be purchased as a separate download or a retail bundle with the original, expands the game's landscape to include the eastern empire of Khitai, where dangerous, dark magic is all the rage. For more info on the expansion, we suggest you turn to the MMO experts at Massively, who might be able to explain just how much god-slaying goes on in the new content.
Fabled Lands: The MMO that almost was
Bit Tech has an interesting look at the Fabled Lands MMORPG that almost was. Authors Jamie Thompson and Dave Morris initially set out to create an expansive, explorable world with their RPG-inspired gamebook series before being hired to turn the property into an MMO. "We liked the idea of being able to freely roam around a game world, not having to run on the rails of one single storyline like in most gamebooks. In Fabled Lands you can get involved in multiple quests, traveling back and forth between cities, trading, having random encounters. Everything you can do in a regular RPG really," Morris tells Bit Tech's Joe Martin. Though the MMORPG became mired in development hell while the pair were working at Eidos in the early 2000s, both authors are adamant that the series will eventually see the light of day in a video game format. "We'll be reviving Fabled Lands and Abraxas, hopefully," says Thompson. "We've just raised a six-figure sum and we're actively looking for the right partner. Frankly, most publishers have been slow to recognize the potential of e-books; that they can be much more than an old-fashioned book on a glowing screen. We understand both." Head on over to Bit Tech for the full article.
Just Cause 2 plays chicken in second 'Anatomy of a Stunt' trailer
If Just Cause 2's previous trailers have taught us anything, it's that the second game in Eidos' "do crazy sh##" series will absolutely relish in the lengths to which it enables you to live out its mission statement. As evidenced once more in the second "Anatomy of a Stunt" trailer, wherein the game's main character mounts a speeding fire engine and takes on an aircraft, the game certainly seems to be jam-packed with the kind of insanity we like from our games (ask Red Faction Guerrilla!). Just wait until the trailers introduce a shark into that equation -- and the shark's on fire! But hey, you gotta save something for March 23 when the game comes out, right? %Gallery-65577%
Funcom Games Canada enters the Age of Caron
What to do when you're coming off a year of huge losses but still planning to reinvigorate the company? Get yourself a new CEO! That's what Age of Conan's Funcom did, announcing that Miguel Caron would be stepping into the position at Funcom Games Canada. Caron has been working in Quebec with Lyrtech, an audio and video processing company, as well as with IT firms like BCM International and NoWire Telecom. Given his background in reducing IT costs and raising market share in the realm of digital communications, we'd guess he's got his job cut out for him at Funcom. The company says it's aiming to expand operations in Montreal, far away from its humble roots in Norway, so we'll see if Caron can summon some Cimmerian strength and get things moving in the right direction over there. [Via Massively]
