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Upcoming Lair patch to add analog controls
Factor 5's Lair is getting a rather timely update. As reported by IGN in a rare moment of headline snark ("Will this push the score past 5?"), the game will finally support analog controls. The patch, coming out in Japan on April 17 (and likely everywhere else, too), also includes DualShock 3 rumble support, the appearance of a targeting icon and the ability to download the Wind Dragon and Poison Dragon for use in all stages.As the old adage says, analog controls don't grow on trees. Well, it turns out they do, and that's why it took until Spring to see them bloom and the update to arrive. We expect a resurgence of interest in the title starting ... um ... guys? Are you still here?
IGN teases Kid Icarus
In their latest podcast, called "Nintendo Voice Chat," the IGN crew hinted pretty strongly at a Wii Kid Icarus game. At about the 12:30 mark in the March 18th show, the group turns to Reggie's mysterious E3 surprise. "Could be Kid Icarus," Matt Casamassina said, "We've already chatted about that -- don't know if it's going to be that. We do know that that game exists."Here, Matt seems to be referring to the previous week's Wii-k in Review (ugh), in which he said that Kid Icarus would "absolutely" be on the Wii in 2008. Any sources? Of course not! "The rumors are out there," he said. Is he using his own rumor from a previous week as confirmation? We wouldn't be surprised about a Kid Icarus game at this point, if only because people are so crazy about the rumor now. But we'll just say that Nintendo does not care about the franchise, or there would have been a third game by now. That means that they would undoubtedly be outsourcing it -- to Factor 5 or someone else.
Brash taps Lair dev Factor 5 for yet another movie game
Brash has an unrelenting love for games based on movie IP, and as if patterning its business model after a remake of Freaks, the publisher has convinced yet another developer to become one of us. The latest studio to sign on the dotted line is Lair dev Factor 5, which according to Brash involves an unspecified title to be revealed "around the E3 Expo" in July.The news follows the announcement yesterday of a deal between Brash and Folklore Dec Game Republic on another secretive movie-to-game deal. While it's true that film-games have earned their place as everyone's favorite whipping boy, Factor 5 co-founder and president Julian Eggebrecht seems pleased as punch about the whole affair, stating that "because the filmmaker is a game fan who is really excited about how we want to expand on the story of the film, we've been given a lot of latitude." Let's just hope this time they leave any motion-sensitive controls up to the professionals.
Brash continues consuming Sony partners: Factor 5 next
From the publishers of fine titles, such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Jumper: Griffin's Story, and Saw: The Videogame comes yet another major game announcement. Yesterday, Brash Entertainment announced a deal with frequent Sony partner, Game Republic (Genji, Folklore) to make a game based on a "popular Hollywood film." Well, looks like another Sony partner is being swallowed up by the startup publisher. Factor 5, known to Sony fans for their notorious Lair will also be creating a title for Brash. We're sure that Factor 5 will live up Brash's legacy of quality titles. "We do our due diligence on potential partners; we want to understand their in-house tech, and get to know their team and its capabilities. Factor 5 has a solid track record in creating licensed games that, in combination with their technology expertise, makes them an ideal partner," said Mitch Davis. "But what really cemented the collaboration was their passion for the IP and the world in which the game will live. Because that's when you are going to get really good games -- when the people who are making it are really enjoying the process." "Typically, there are two issues developers have with making a licensed game. First, they tend to have shorter development cycles. Second, there are often very tight constraints on how you can portray the world of the IP, its characters and story. The resulting lack of creative freedom can be very frustrating -- especially when it's a world you are excited to explore," said Julian Eggebrecht, President and Co-founder of Factor 5. "But collaborating with Brash is much different, we're already working on a title that is more than two years out, and because the filmmaker is a game fan who is really excited about how we want to expand on the story of the film, we've been given a lot of latitude. It's been really fun to dig deep into this universe."[Via press release]
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 3/3/06
We appreciate the fact that we actually have a good game to play this week, but only one release? Come on, Nintendo! You spoiled us with your week after week of releasing multiple titles, only to have us completely let down today? For shame, considering that most also expected the first entry in a very good series of games to be on the VC (it did seem like a no-brainer). Oh well, at least, like we said, the game is good.
Virtual Console Monday: Super Turrican stands alone
Keeping expectations in check is the key to having a wholly satisfying life, so we probably shouldn't have grown accustomed to the three-game cornucopia that once characterized Nintendo's weekly Virtual Console release schedule. Now that the standard has dropped to two-per-week and, occasionally (as today), one solitary game, we can't help but pine for the old days a bit. But it's our fault, really, for getting our nostalgia-fueled hopes up in the first place. This week's sole release is barely worth a bulleted list, but we'll use one anyway to describe: Super Turrican (Super NES, 1 player 800 Wii Shop Points) - Developed by Factor 5 (of Rogue Squadron fame), the 1993 side-scrolling, run-and-gun sequel to 1990's Turrican has a decidedly old-school, Contra vibe to it. Those who want to get a feel for the gameplay without shelling out the Wii Shop Points should check out Hurrican, a more-than-satisfactory freeware clone.
VC Friday: Pew pew pew
It's been hard not to feel totally pampered by recent PAL Virtual Console updates, with the likes of Phantasy Star II and Street Gangs keeping us up late.This week's releases -- both of which are shooters -- can't quite match that kind of awesomeness, but they're still worth considering. Super Turrican is a pretty SNES shooter from Factor 5 (heard of those turncoats?), while Psychosis is -- we urge you to brace yourselves for a shock -- a Turbografx-16 shooter.Blast your way past the break for extensive footage of both in action. Super Turrican -- SNES -- 800 Wii points Psychosis -- Turbografx -- 800 Wii points
Rumor: Lair analog patch coming, makes the game much better?
You thought you heard the last of Lair, didn't you? While at GDC, a man we will call DugBuzz, states in his IGN blog, seeked out the Factor 5 booth and played around with their new build of Lair that incorporated an analog function. He made a comment about the guy who reviewed the game on IGN after playing the new version: "Greg needs to give them a new score. It was kind of clear that Factor 5 put in the extra effort a little begrudgingly, but the results were amazing. This might push me over the edge into the "must buy PS3" territory."So there you have it. If you haven't played Lair, or rented it and had a bad taste in your mouth, should this analog patch (which also might fix other things -- just an assumption) come out, we'll let you know. It's then your call whether or not to try it out again, but if this guy has decent tastes, it might just make a potentially great game great. Get it?
Factor 5 Wii engine 'does everything the PS3 did, and then some'
We first heard about Factor 5's Wii project about a month ago, and with DICE 08 comes some new details about the title. IGN spoke with Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht about the game, and learned a bit about the impressive engine being built, which Eggebrecht claims rivals their work on the PS3.According to Eggebrecht, the engine for the Wii title is nearly complete and, according to him, "does everything the PS3 did, and then some, quite frankly." The title is described as being technically impressive, pushing the Wii hardware further than most will expect it to go. Though further details are scant, Eggebrecht does emphasize Factor 5's focus on the controls, specifically the Wii remote's ability to act as a pointing device. We'll have to wait and see how the Wii title will manage to outdo Factor 5's PS3 development (insert snide remark about Lair's abysmal critical reception).
Factor 5 loves pretty graphics, pointing
You'll know the story by now. Factor 5 scoffed at the Wii for not having the technical grunt of other consoles, only for the Wii to suddenly start selling by the truckload. Suddenly, Factor 5 decided that it quite liked the console after all, and announced they were making a GameCube 1.5, sorry, Wii game. We welcomed them back, while reserving the right to compose smug opening paragraphs to blog posts.But hey, just because Factor 5 may have changed its tune on the Wii, don't expect it to change its approach to development. The company is famed for squeezing every last drop of power from hardware -- see the Rogue Squadron games on the GameCube -- and company president Julian Eggebrecht says things will be no different when it comes to Factor 5's mysterious Wii project.You can't fault the man for ambition, either. Speaking to IGN, Eggebrecht promised that Factor 5 was aiming to "outdo everything else on the platform, the same as we did for the Star Wars games back on the GameCube." We're certainly not opposed to the idea of a game that's prettier than Super Mario Galaxy, but that is one very tall order.In the same interview, Eggebrecht also admitted to loving the pointing aspect of the Wiimote, and revealed that this was "probably the biggest innovation which we're working on right now." So there you go. Pretty graphics. Pointing. We're still no clearer on what Factor 5's game is. Though we know what we'd like it to be.
Lair control fix may be in the works
The shoddy SIXAXIS controls may not be Lair's only problem, but it's certainly the one that's taken the brunt of the criticisms pointed at the game. Throughout it all developer Factor 5 has insisted that motion-controlled dragons were the only way to go, but it seems that they may finally be softening. Recently, the company's president, Julian Eggebrecht, told IGN "If we find a chance in the future that would bring Lair to the audience which didn't get any access, that would be fantastic," he said. "I can't say anything quite yet, but there might be something in the works there. We might have a chance yet to bring those back to the table and hopefully, if that should happen, they would give the game a second chance." Now, as much as we'd like to see a patch, we get the sneaking suspicion he's hinting at a sequel. What does it sound like to you?[Update: More of Eggebrecht's quote added.][Via PS3F]
Factor 5 might finally fix Lair's control scheme
It's no secret many gamers aren't very happy with Lair's SIXAXIS control scheme. And despite overwhelming requests by gamers the world over for Factor 5 to issue a patch to rectify the issue, months have gone by without any fix for this issue.However, Factor 5's President Julian Eggebrecht recently hinted that a fix may finally be in the pipeline. "I can't say anything quite yet, but there might be something in the works there," he said. Additionally, he admitted the decision to only include the SIXAXIS control scheme was a mistake. "If you're on a platform where this whole motion control is something new and not being pitched as the main feature of the platform, you should probably give the choice between having different control schemes, there is absolutely no doubt about it," he added.It's hard not to agree with Eggebrecht, but what a lot of gamers out there want is just a fix for what many believe is crippling controls for an otherwise decent game. Hopefully, Factor 5 chooses to give us what we want.
Rumor: Factor 5 developing Kid Icarus on the Wii
When Factor 5 announced that they would be making a Wii game, many of us took guesses as to what it would be. According to Kombo, though, a credible source claims that the game will be a new Kid Icarus title. The rumor also states that Factor 5 will not be using their GameCube graphics engine, and instead will be developing the game from the ground up.With Pit being a playable character in Brawl (which is likely to increase hype for the Kid Icarus franchise), we wouldn't be surprised if this rumor turned out to be true. Since it is only a rumor though, be sure to take your daily dose of salt with it, perhaps a grain or two.[Via GoNintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Factor 5 says 'just kidding,' we ask what's next
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Factor 5 turned their noses up at the Wii and said they didn't really feel like working with "GameCube 1.5." Well, now they've changed their tune and have confirmed that they've got a game underway for the system ... and it's not a Rogue Squadron game (or even a take-off), and it's not for the Virtual Console. Apparently, the game is "all new," so the possibilities are wide open. Feel like speculating over breakfast? We hardly know where to begin!We are curious, however, if this also means they're picking up other projects for the console. It seems likely.
Rogue Squadron developer, Factor 5 working on Wii
Factor 5 – the once-fondly remembered studio responsible for the popular Rogue Squadron series back in the good ol' Gamecube days – is working on an all new Wii project after their first PS3 outing failed to find an audience. Even though Factor 5's Gamecube releases graphically outshine almost every Wii release to date, we're heartened to read that their Wii project is not going to be powered by their existing Rogue Squadron tech, instead opting for a "significantly updated" or even completely new engine. Now, what that fancy new technology is going to be used for is anyone's guess. As long as it's got a tow cable lying level, we'll be there.[Thanks, Fernando and John]
Lair rides into Japan top ten for software sales
Factor 5's Lair, much-ballyhooed in North America and Europe for its unfavorable control scheme (and Sony's subsequent response), has debuted in Japan with enough sales to crack the top 10 for weekly sales, according to Media Create (via GamesIndustry.biz).The game, known there as Rise from Lair, landed in the number seven spot with 22,000 in sales, likely helped by Famitsu's positive review. For comparison, Project Gotham Racing 4 received the same Famitsu score and only charted at 25, the highest rank for an Xbox 360 title and a big drop in Microsoft's presence following the console maker's triumphant one week at the top with Halo 3 (59,000 unit sales).Nishimura Kyotarou Suspense Detective Series: Deadly Intent for Nintendo DS debuted in the top spot this week with 61,000 in sales. Dragon Ball Z: Sparkling! Meteor for PS2 and Gundam Battle Chronicle (PSP) took second and third place, respectively.
High-res Turrican coming to PSN? It's possible
In a recent sit-down chat with Gamasutra, Factor 5's outspoken Julian Eggebrecht gave his impressions on the new DualShock 3, and answered a few questions that would interest those with a gaming history longer than ten years. About the new controller, Julian seemed pleased and wouldn't mind going back and implementing it in Lair. "I'd love to do a patch for Lair, to get the rumble in there. It just about didn't work out for us for Lair, because this is basically one OS past the one that we shipped with, which I think is a shame, because it's a natural fit, especially when you're ramming into other characters."Eggebrecht was also quizzed about the classic Turrican titles, whether a hi-res remake of any of the old games would make their way onto the PlayStation Network or XBLA. Surprisingly, he seemed to have an answer prepared. " Yeah absolutely, both for XBLA and PSN, it'd be fantastic. I think that probably a high-res Turrican more based on the Amiga Turricans would be great on those platforms. We obviously have the Virtual Console out there on the Nintendo side, and that'd obviously work well for the Genesis and Super Nintendo Turricans. So yeah, we're talking!" We hope these talks turn to actions, as we'd love to see those games revived in HD, as we feel HD sprites are the sexiest things alive. With multiple exceptions.
Lair extended battle trailer has more dragon-on-dragon action
Do you like dragons? Do you like dragons ... attacking other dragons?! Of course you do, it's fun. GameTrailers has posted an extended battle sequence from Factor 5's Lair. No gameplay footage, but more drama and excitement than the entire Dungeons & Dragons movie in just two minutes!Video embedded after the break.%Gallery-3183%
New name for Lair in Japan, plus screenshots!
We're all anticipating the release of Lair by the end of July, but we've got two different subjects on the Factor 5 game to cover for you today. First up, we've got a name change. No, not for North America or Europe, but for Japan, the title Lair just didn't seem to do it over there. The latest Famitsu Weekly magazine has the game listed as Rise From Lair. Good stuff, we guess.Also, we've got a handful of screenshots for you to check out. The screenshots are here. While you'd expect a plethora of screenshots with giant dragons floating around the sky and oceans and stuff, these are different. Kind of. Some pictures of actual characters, as well as the obligatory dragon-riding. We enjoy them. Don't you?
Factor 5 wants to rock you like a Turrican
As we've previously mentioned, the Metroid-inspired Commodore 64 game Turrican might be making a return to systems, courtesy of original developer Factor 5. In yet another interview, this time with Gamasutra, president Julian Eggebrecht mentioned that they are still exploring ways to bring this series back. He's particularly intrigued with the way that Metroid Prime helped relaunch that franchise, turning it from a sidescroller into 3D, and wants to do the same with Turrican. Maybe without looking so much like Metroid this time around. The trouble is, any time you roll your character up into a ball, people are going to scream Metroid ... so get to work on fixing that, Factor 5.
