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What's in a Name: InXile Entertainment
It's time for another titular origin story! Today, Matthew Findley, president of inXile Entertainment, explains the creation of a studio name haunting English teachers everywhere: I worked with Brian Fargo at Interplay for a number of years and we both left Interplay at the same time. We knew we wanted to stay in video games, so starting a company seemed like a good idea -- he spent 20 years at Interplay and I was there for 13. When we were first out there, trying to figure out what to do next, we kinda felt like we were in exile, and we made fake cards with a fake company name just to have a card to go to E3 with. And before we ever thought of the name "inXile," Brian put as his job description on the cards: "Leader in exile." People got such a kick out of that card, we kept saying "in exile, in exile, in exile" so much that we just thought, "Why not make up a new word?" And so we did. InXile is currently working on Hunted: The Demon's Forge, which will launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 1. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.
Hunted gameplay trailer shreds monsters, guitars
Bethesda has always made it clear that it wants gamers to associate Hunted: The Demon's Forge with action games like Gears of War. Watching the latest trailer, we'd say "mission accomplished." Honestly, the only thing missing at this point are chainsaws, curb stomps and a dead Carmine brother.
New Hunted video tracked down
Man, the world of Hunted: The Demon's Forge sounds like an awful place to live. Just listen to some of high points: A terrible rising evil, roving bands of monsters, antagonistic armies and, we're sure, plummeting real estate values. Check out the video to see why it's a buyer's market in Hunted.
Hunted: The Demon's Forge crafts exclusive pre-order content
Americans anxious to get down to the business of paying money for a game should know that Bethesda has announced pre-order incentives for its upcoming Unreal Engine 3-powered fantasy RPG, Hunted: The Demon's Forge. Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Steam, Direct2Drive and GameStop will all offer specific bonus content, so head on past the break to get it all straight. (Why does buying a game have to be like this?)
Interview: Brian Fargo on Hunted: The Demon's Forge
Brian Fargo is no stranger to the world of video game development, having originally founded Interplay back in 1984. He's worked on titles like the original Bard's Tale and Wasteland, and Interplay developed everything from Battle Chess to Fallout to Baldur's Gate. When Interplay was acquired by Titus in 2002, Fargo left and founded InXile Entertainment, which later released an updated Bard's Tale for PS2, Xbox, and PC. Now both Fargo and InXile are moving onto next-generation consoles with the swords and scorcery co-op title Hunted: The Demon's Forge. We recently spoke to Fargo about the game, which you can find just after the break. But be warned! Just prepare yourself for the sheer about of verbiage manages to foist upon us when we asked what the initial genesis for the game was. It's quite an answer! Read on to see what he has to say about the upcoming title, including why they limited to two characters, the depth of the puzzles in the game, and boob jiggle. Yes, boob jiggle.%Gallery-92197%
Bethesda & InXile announce 'Hunted: The Demon's Forge,' a co-op 'roots' game
Click to descend into the Lair of Screenshots If you and your friends are eager to dive into a monster-filled dungeon -- and who isn't -- then Bethesda has a thrilling announcement for you: The publisher is handling a new co-op fantasy action game, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, developed by Interplay founder Brian Fargo's InXile Entertainment. Fargo describes Hunted as an "upcoming release that takes us back to our roots," and the screenshots (in our gallery below) paint a pretty clear picture of what that could mean: warriors and archers putting holes in orc-looking things with sharp objects and magic. Hunted: The Demon's Forge is in development for Xbox 360, PS3 and Games for Windows (PC). We'll have some impressions of the game later today. %Gallery-88224%
Line Rider now lets you torture two riders at once
Despite being released in retail form for PC, Wii and DS as Line Rider 2, the Flash version of the original Line Rider is still being tweaked by developer Sparkworkz to provide the most casual and simply obsessed of players with the optimal "drawing stuff, then dropping a sled on it" experience. The company just released beta 3 of the Flash game, which adds ... a second rider.Players can now choose the "Dual Rider" mode and set a starting point for a second rider. This opens up the gameplay to synchronized runs, races or, for most of us, watching two riders stop mid-line and topple off the cool ramp we made. Other additions in the new version include camera options and a new line-type that decelerates riders.Sparkworkz's site also notes that a new Line Rider variant for iPhone, dubbed Line Racer, is on the way, which allows players to draw courses and then, yup, race on them against other players.
inXile files new trademark for Choplifter
There's a reasonable possibility that you're wondering what both inXile and Choplifter are. The former is the company responsible for the amusing RPG The Bard's Tale, the console versions of Line Rider and not much else. Choplifter, for the uninitiated, is a series of video games (first released in 1982) in which players had to pilot a helicopter behind enemy lines and rescue hostages. Also, as a sidenote, it was really fun.With that out of the way: GameSpot reports that inXile has filed a new trademark for Choplifter, listing it specifically in the category of "downloadable electronic games via the Internet and wireless devices." As such, it sounds like a new version of choplifter might be headed to services like XBLA or PSN. We also wouldn't be surprised if it showed up as a new iPhone title either.Whatever inXile is doing with the franchise, let's hope the game doesn't stray too far from its roots. A 2D/3D makeover å la Bionic Commando Rearmed would suit us just fine.
More hints of a Fallout MMO?
We've alternately consulted both our Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija board for answers to the Fallout MMO question. As in, will there be one? We think we've got a handle on the licensing intricacies of Fallout between ZeniMax Media (parent company of Bethesda Softworks) and Interplay thanks to a stellar article written by Daedren for r1ft Gaming. Briefly stated, Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout IP, but not a Fallout MMO. Interplay holds the Fallout MMO rights, but only if they could raise $30 million and begin development by April 2009. Interplay has mentioned an MMO project with a tongue-in-cheek codename Project V13 (a nod to Fallout) but we've heard little of this game beyond that 2008 announcement that a dev team was being formed. In addition, we reported just last week that ZeniMax Media is hiring for an MMO division, project(s) unknown. While it hints at the potential to bring Fallout into the MMO space, we're still chalking it up to rumor. That rumor got a bit juicier today though when we came across something of interest at our sister site Big Download. The original Fallout designer Jason Anderson, formerly the creative director for Project V13, has parted company with Interplay to work for inXile on a new RPG. We're still not certain if the various bits of news we've found in the last few weeks indicates a potential ZeniMax/Bethesda Fallout MMO or if Interplay's Project V13 will chug along just fine without Jason Anderson, so we're still firmly in the realm of "rumor," albeit an interesting one to fans of all things post-apocalytic.
Original Fallout designer leaves Interplay, joins inXile dev team
One of the developers behind the classic Fallout has ended his tenure with Interplay to join inXile Entertainment. Jason Anderson brings his survival instincts to inXile as the creative director for an unannounced role-playing title. At the end of his career with Interplay, Anderson was working as the creative director on a next generation MMO named Project: V13 -- which our blogging cohorts at BigDownload surmise was a poorly coded way of saying Vault 13, a long-rumored Fallout MMO. Anderson's exit probably feels like déjà vu to his Interplay comrades. In 1998, Anderson left Interplay to form Troika Games (best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura) but returned in 2007 when that company shut down. While we wish Anderson the best, we really hope Interplay will reveal what Project: V13 really is ... as long as it is a Fallout MMO.[Via BigDownload]
Line Rider coming to iPhone
I thought Line Rider kind of "jumped" the shark (so to speak) when they sold out to McDonald's, but apparently the little sandbox physics game is still kicking around. InXile, the company that makes it, is working on a version for the iPhone. There was a version available for jailbreakers, but apparently the company put the kibosh on it when they found out.Not much else to say about this -- Line Rider is currently available for free online, and if you like it there, you'll probably like it on the iPhone, too. Personally, it's more fun to watch than to play -- whenever I try to make a run, my little guy always dies on the first curve. But maybe with a little more iPhone-based practice, I can finally get him to do that loop-de-loop I've been wanting.[via Touch Arcade]
Comparing Line Rider on DS and Wii
With two different versions releasing soon, as well as the original PC game, Line Rider is one popular title right about now. Having checked out screens, trailers, and even interviews with the creator, you can bet we're excited for the game. But, which version should we go with?InXile Entertainment, the folks who're publishing the game, would have us believe both the DS and Wii version are essential to our survival on this planet, but we know better. According to Siliconera, each installment has its own features to lure you in.For one, the DS game has the incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use touch-screen, which switches between drawing controls and playing controls on the fly, where the Wii version situates any menu buttons it has in the corners of the screen. Also, the Wii version will feature Wi-Fi support, whereas the DS installment doesn't look like it does. The DS title is pretty portable (natch), while the Wii version is not (sure, you can lug the game and case around, but you can't play it).What about you all? DS version? Wii version? Couldn't care less about either version?%Gallery-21530%
Line Rider 2 draws up more screens
IGN has a bunch of new screens up for Line Rider 2: Unbound, including some basic shots of the game's playback editor.It's clear that the site has also had some hands-on time with the game -- we know this because an IGN bod has scrawled out the letters "IGN" for their rider to coast along. Predictable, yes, but it's more original than the anatomically wonky genitalia that most of you us will draw upon first getting the title. As we saw in recent footage, Line Rider 2 looks like it will be sticking to the original Flash game fairly faithfully, so it's only reasonable to assume that we'll be experimenting with the same childish drawings in the DS version.Sketch out a line and slide past the break for more shots.%Gallery-21530%
Riding lines on the DS is pretty much what you'd expect
If you thought you precious Line Rider experience was in jeopardy of being altered or changed in some way, perhaps turning into something else entirely on the DS, then let those fears disappear. As you can see from the video above, Line Rider 2: Unbound very much looks and plays like Line Rider should. We don't have to tell you how great that makes us feel!Any of you excited for this one?%Gallery-21530%[Via Go Nintendo]
This is what Line Rider on the Wii looks like [update]
We don't have to tell you how badass Line Rider is. The "game" looks incredibly unique and should cater to the Wii audience perfectly. Now we finally get to see how the Wii version, Line Rider 2: Unbound, looks.Over at Game | Life, InXile producer Chris Keenan on the Line Rider project has shown off the first footage of the game in action. The verdict? Uh, it looks badass. What else did you expect us to say?Update: Thanks to reader Chris for the link to the YouTube version. It's now embedded above.
Line Rider creator speaks
While we all sit on our hands, waiting for the DS and Wii version of Line Rider, the game's creator, Bostjan Cadez took time out of making it to conduct a nice interview with GameSetWatch. In it, Cadez talks about spitballing names for the little line-riding dude himself, as well as touching on inXile and how they're handling the development of the Wii and DS game.Now that we finally got to see some screens and video of the game last month, you can say all of the pieces are in place. We have a release date and Line Rider is looking like it won't disappoint.
First screens and video of Line Rider DS
The first real screens of DS Line Rider show a game with more visual detail than the original, in that there is some visual detail. In this snow setting (they might all be snow settings? It is a sled game, after all), it appears that your drawn lines create an actual landscape that your rider follows. You'll draw your line on the bottom screen, and then it will move to the top when you play, so you can control the playback on the touchscreen. Also found in the screens is an interesting tool that lets you alter a line by picking it up at a point and dragging it, which allows you to maintain a connected line. However, the first video of the game shows the traditional Line Rider look in playback. Without knowing exactly what the deal is, we're guessing that you can preview a line before generating the snow, or that maybe you can change the game's look to a "classic" mode or something.
Line Rider coming to PC, Wii, DS this summer
It's been a while since we talked about the cult flash physics game Line Rider. Last we heard, developer InXile Entertainment snatched up the rights to the project, with the intent to release it on DS and Wii. Now, industry newbie Genius Products has announced intentions to publish the game on the DS, Wii, and PC, with all three versions due out this summer.Genius Products has up to now specialized in the distribution of home entertainment products like DVDs. With Line Rider, the Weinstein Holdings company is moving into the game publishing market, hopefully with a hit product. The retail versions of Line Rider will include a level creator mode with the ability to share creations online, but will also feature a single player puzzle mode with, inconceivably enough, a storyline. As Bosh -- the "clever and cunning" protagonist -- players must traverse over forty sled-riding puzzles to reclaim their true love Bailey from the hands of the "sled-stealing scumbag" Chaz (seriously). The pre-made Line Rider levels were notably designed by TechDawg, the #1 Line Rider player in the world. Let's hope this big(ger)-budget, plot-driven version of the freeware classic is still, above all else, fun.[Via DS Fanboy]
Genius Products pencilling in Line Rider for summer
Genius Products is a home entertainment company that seems to focus on DVD publishing. They're expanding into video games with the DS, PC, and Wii retail releases of inXile Entertainment's Line Rider. In the press release announcing the company's new business, Genius revealed that they are planning to release Line Rider this summer on all three platforms.The press release also promises "over 40 mind-bending puzzles created by the #1 Line Rider player in the world, TechDawg" in addition to the abilty (of course) to draw your own puzzles and share them online. Try to upload at least a few non-vulgar ones.[Via GamesPress]
Line Rider riding retail shelves this summer
For those of you who've been anxiously awaiting the DS and Wii versions of Line Rider, know that your wait is almost over. After not hearing a single peep about the game during 2007, this year brings news that not only is the game releasing this summer, but that developers have been hard at work on the game for quite some time. This title isn't going away!Other than a release date, the folks at InXile are keeping their mouths shut. We wouldn't expect any more information, as these folks have proven they're great at keeping their mouths shut about leaking details.[Via Go Nintendo]
