interplay
Latest
Earthworm Jim HD features 4-player co-op [update]
Update: Commenter Troy points us to an interview on The 8th Circuit, which has a few details on Earthworm Jim HD's multiplayer. According to Gameloft's Anne-Joelle Casenaz, the XBLA and PSN versions will feature "brand new levels with exclusive enemies and up to 4 players in co-op multiplayer!" So there you go: It's co-op. According to a list of Achievements unearthed by Xbox 360 Achievements, it looks like the upcoming Earthworm Jim HD will feature some form of multiplayer. There are two Achievements for multiplayer, one awarded for being "'No. 1' in each Xbox Live multiplayer level" and another for completing all multiplayer levels. It's hard to imagine how multiplayer would work, though GamerBytes offers up the possibility of speed run competitions or a multiplayer variant of the snot bungee mini-game. We'd also suggest that the space races between levels could work as well. Also, given the title of the second Achievement is "World Partnership," the multiplayer could be cooperative in nature.
Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas
Imagine going to work on "Van Buren," the original Fallout 3, as a designer for Black Isle Studios, only to see the title canceled due to parent company Interplay's financial problems. Then, imagine Bethesda buying the Fallout 3 license and developing an entirely different game, which goes on to win multiple awards and accolades. Now, imagine you're brought back into the franchise, as a designer for Obsidian Entertainment, to create a sequel to Bethesda's popular title. Preposterous, you say? Josh Sawyer is the lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas and, after having the rug yanked from under him on the original Fallout 3, he's happy to be working on the latest new Fallout project -- one that will be released later this year. Read on for our conversation with Sawyer. Joystiq: What's your history with the Fallout franchise? Josh Sawyer: I worked on what's called "Van Buren," which was the codename when Black Isle started to work on what would have been Fallout 3, and we had worked on it for maybe half a year, and then it was canceled because Interplay had a lot of financial problems.
Breaking: Bethesda drops Fallout MMO lawsuit [Update: Bethesda denies report]
[Update: A Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq, "It's an ongoing legal matter. I don't know where whoever reported that got their information, but it is ongoing and we are going to see how it plays out in court." So there you have it – Interplay and Bethesda haven't made nice just yet. Original post follows.] Do you hear that? That is the hushed sound of pre-squee joy from millions of Fallout fans who will be thrilled to hear that Bethesda has abruptly dropped their lawsuit against Interplay, freeing up the latter company to go ahead with a Fallout MMO (also known as "Project V13"). Duck and Cover got the scoop from Interplay investor "Frymuchan," who hinted at a secret deal between the two companies: "Bethesda dropped their appeal of the lawsuit with Interplay and a secret deal was struck (maybe they will release the terms of the deal soon, probably so). Anyways, this is awesome news for Interplay stock. The appeal by Bethesda was dropped yesterday. I'm assuming part of the deal was that Interplay drop their countersuit against Bethesda." For fans of the franchise who have been dismayed at the lawsuit -- which has been dragging on for months at this point -- this presents great hope for the much-anticipated Fallout MMO to actually see development and release. We'll be sure to bring you the official word from either Bethesda or Interplay when it happens. %Gallery-77042%
Report: Bethesda nukes lawsuit against Interplay over Fallout MMO [Update: Bethesda disagrees, calls it 'ongoing']
[Update: A Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq, "It's an ongoing legal matter. I don't know where whoever reported that got their information, but it is ongoing and we are going to see how it plays out in court." So there you have it – Interplay and Bethesda haven't made nice just yet. Original post follows.] For those of you just joining us, former Fallout owner Interplay has been working on Project V13 -- a Fallout MMO in all but name -- going back a couple of years now. Bethesda – current owner of the Fallout franchise and developer and publisher of Fallout 3 – was understandably nonplussed by this fact, and the two companies have been going back and forth in court over the rights to use the Fallout name ever since. Well, according to Fallout fan site Duck and Cover, the two have made nice, with Bethesda dropping its attempts to block Interplay from having anything to do with the franchise. The site reports that it spoke with "Frymuchan," an investor in Interplay who has provided updates on the proceedings since they began. According to legal documents furnished by him, both companies came to an unspecified agreement whereby Bethesda would allow Interplay to continue on its merry way with the franchise. He called this "awesome news for Interplay stock," opining that he believes "part of the deal was that Interplay drop their countersuit against Bethesda." Bear in mind that neither company has issued a formal statement on the outcome, and while the investor believes "this will likely mean that V13 will be moving full steam ahead," we'll await word from Interplay before getting too excited. Heck, the beta isn't even supposed to start until 2012. [Via VG247]
Earthworm Jim HD trailer introduces snazzy t-shirts
Rather than posit that, yes, we are obviously the biggest non-arthropod invertebrate fans out there, we'll just point out how neat we think these "I love Jim" shirts are. They can be found, appropriately, in the latest trailer for upcoming digitally distributed HD re-release Earthworm Jim HD. We could use a bit more video from the gameplay department, sure, but what we see looks as good (if not better) than what we last saw last September in screenshots. The video also introduces a contest for fans of the series that sees five winners being flown to NY to Gameloft's studio for an early chance to check out EJHD on Xbox Live Arcade this May. To enter, interested parties should head over to the Gameloft Facebook page and sign up, write a 500 character or less message on "Jim's wall" explaining your "most memorable moment playing Earthworm Jim" (like that time your brother Charlie slipped a sleeping pill into your chocolate milk so he could play it uninterrupted for four hours straight), and voila ici! The directions also note that the entry period ends on May 2, so we'd suggest you get to it -- right after you check out the trailer we've dropped below the fold. [Thanks, Gavin Burbidge]
Finally, WiiWare gets a Descent game
The best thing about Interplay having one foot in the grave is the easy access it has to all the corpses in the cemetery. Having already cast a resurrection spell on Stonekeep and Clayfighter, the publisher now looks to bring classic 3D shooter Descent to WiiWare this Fall. Interplay CEO Hervé Caen calls the disorienting game's reorientation on Wii an "exciting move," noting that "Descent remains the most popular 1080º 3D blasting game." The task of translating all that super-hot 3D to WiiWare will fall to independent studio G1M2, which previously worked on portollections like Data East Arcade Classics for Wii and Metal Slug PC Collection. Also, now that we're revisiting Descent, aren't we halfway to a Descent: Freespace revival? Everyone, say "yes."
The Digital Continuum: My Fallout MMO
There are times when I feel like being completely indulgent, and this week's The Digital Continuum is one of them. The Fallout MMO has been a long while coming and probably will continue to be "on the horizon" well into the foreseeable future. So, it's with this knowledge that I've put together a grocery list of ideas that would be in my version of the game -- things that would make me decidedly excited to play as soon as possible. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised it took me so long to write these things down.
NintendoWare Weekly: Phoenix Wright, Sonic & Knuckles, Spotto!
As expected, today marks the release of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All on WiIWare. Capcom's lawyer-'em-up is joined by a plethora of new titles, so if you have some extra pocket change or a packed piggy bank, you'll want to head past the break and see what's available for download this week.
'Fallout Extreme' revealed as another nuked project
Fallout Extreme is another canceled Fallout project that has emerged from the wastes. Unearthed by Pawel "Ausir" Dembowski and posted on the Fallout Wikia, Extreme was a "squad-based first- and third-person" shooter for Xbox, under development at Interplay's 14 Degrees East (which co-developed Fallout Tactics). The game was in the concept phase for "several months" during 2000, but never really got rolling with a development team. The premise of the game was players would control a squad in "The Cause," a group of revolutionaries in the Pacific Northwest. The game would follow The Cause as they defeat the local Brotherhood, cross the Bering Strait, and conclude with a showdown in China's Forbidden City. The premise sounds interesting, but, "Extreme?" Really? Might as well have just called it: Mountain Dew presents Michael Bay's Fallout.
Interplay's 'Fallout MMO' beta to begin shortly before world ends
It seems all the legal rigmarole between Interplay and Bethesda isn't slowing down the former's work on Project: V13, an MMO set in the latter's Fallout universe. At least, that seems to be the message from Interplay, which recently announced a development partnership with Masthead Studios, which is lending Interplay its technology, tools and resources as it continues work on the post-apocalyptic online game. In fact, Interplay is so confident in the game's future release, it went ahead and announced a tentative date for the game's beta testing phase: 2012. Perfect! That should leave a few months for them to work out the kinks, then a few months for us to enjoy the game post-launch, and then the sun will explode.
Masthead Studios and Interplay finalize agreement for Fallout MMO
We have another step forward in the long-running saga of the Fallout MMO. Late last week, Interplay announced that they had signed "definitive agreements" with Masthead Studios regarding Project: V13, the highly contested post-apocalyptic MMO. We knew this development was a possibility, but things have been delayed by the legal battles with Bethesda. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, Herve Caen is the Interplay Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and gave an interesting piece of information: "This MMOG will have many unique features that we will disclose before launch of the public Beta in 2012." Project: V13 has been in development since November of 2007 (and highly anticipated by fans for the same amount of time), but has struggled along the way with problems including the court squabbling with Bethesda. This latest development is one in a series of small steps forward that Interplay is making, so we'll hold out hope for 2012.
Court documents say Bethesda's MMO already under dev, rumor says it's Elder Scrolls
In this most recent round of court scuffles between Interplay and Bethesda over the Fallout MMO rights, it would seem that some details are coming to light about what's going on at Bethesda's MMO "branch", Zenimax Media. According to filings, the word is that there are close to 100 people working on an MMO that costs "tens and tens of millions of dollars" and has been under development since late 2006. Apparently these same filings claim that the title is a "World of Warcraft" type MMO. Of course, considering World of Warcraft is about as equal to McDonalds in terms of brand recognition with its millions and millions served, saying something is like World of Warcraft could mean anything from 'it's a DIKU-based, kill-ten-rats, FedEx, fantasy MMO that looks rather a lot like WoW' on up to 'it's somewhere in the general MMO neighborhood.' Now, to follow this interesting tidbit up, the word is that Bethesda is moving to have this particular chunk of testimony censored to protect trade secrets. To stir the pot a bit further on why they might be scrambling to block it, VG247 have a source they claim is reliable confirming this is the often-rumored Elder Scrolls MMO. What's more, their source says the Elder Scrolls MMO should have been announced last year.
Interplay resurrecting Stonekeep on WiiWare
Remember Stonekeep? If so, you're going to be delighted and vaguely confused by this news! If you don't remember the game, you'll just be vaguely confused. Interplay (remember Interplay) just announced that it's reviving the 15-year-old PC RPG franchise for ... WiiWare! And if you kind of remember Stonekeep and want a refresher, you can get it for $6 from GOG -- then come back and experience some confusion: Rather than a port, Alpine Studios is concocting a new game based on the original, with "fun, a little fear and many exciting moments to all family members who dare to seek their fortunes and rid Stonekeep´s dungeons and corridors of evil using the Wii Remote controller," according to Alpine founder Les Pardew. We'll find out what this means sometime before the Q3 2010 release. Will Alpine really come up with a casual, family-friendly concept based on ... first-person dungeon RPGs? It's hard to imagine a less casual-oriented genre.
Interplay not satisfied with defeated Fallout injunction
Last week, a US District Court judge denied Bethesda's request for an injunction against Interplay, which would have prevented Interplay from selling its Fallout games -- and stopped it from developing Project V13, the Fallout MMO. The company released a short statement about the court case in the form of SEC Form 8-K, which is intended to provide information about major events to shareholders. Interplay is not happy to merely defend its rights to make and sell Fallout games: the statement reads that Interplay is going to continue pursuing "its Counter-Claims against Bethesda, including its claims for Breach of Contract, Tortious Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage, Rescission, Accounting and Declaratory Relief seeking an award of damages and other relief." Interplay reportedly claims that Bethesda shopped the Fallout legacy games around to other publishers, telling them that Interplay no longer had the license, which constitutes "unreasonable interference" with Interplay's property. [Via Duck and Cover]
VC in Brief: Blaster Master (NES), Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Genesis)
We've got a duo of high-profile titles to check out here on VC in Brief this week. Come for the shooting stuff, stay for the Pig Chutes. Blaster Master (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.
Current Fallout tally board: Interplay 1, Bethesda 0
Whether it counts as one for the good guys or the bad guys depends on your personal tastes, but the ongoing saga of the Fallout MMO continues its relentless back-and-forth process. There was a rumor, back at the end of October, that Interplay had successfully denied Bethesda's preliminary injunction against their work on the franchise. According to Gamasutra, that rumor has finally proven to be true: a US District Court Judge has blocked the injunction, letting Interplay continue their work on the much-anticipated Fallout MMO, most commonly known as Project V13. For those of you coming late to this ongoing legal battle, a quick recap. Interplay, in desperate need of money to develop the MMO, sold the rights to the propery to Bethesda, who went on to make Fallout 3 and in turn licensed the rights to the MMO back to Interplay. They are claiming that Interplay did not fulfill the terms of their contract for creating the game, which included clauses regarding timely development, and are trying to win back the rights. For now, however, their attempt at blocking further development has failed, and Interplay will continue their work on the game... although the future for this game seems to be fraught with a great deal of conflict. Ending the world is, apparently, very serious business.
Rumor: Interplay's Fallout MMO in-game screenshots leaked by ... Interplay
With original Fallout IP holder Interplay currently embroiled in a legal battle with new Fallout IP holder Bethesda Softworks, it's no surprise that the most recently "leaked" images from Interplay's Project V13 are said to be from an "anonymous, but reliable" source. The Vault Wiki even goes as far as to claim that the images are directly from Interplay, saying "These screenshots were actually submitted by Interplay as court evidence to show that the game is in full production already." Putting on our super sleuth detective caps, a Nuka-Cola billboard and the inclusion of a supermutant in these screens certainly confirms they are from some form of Fallout game. Big Download points out that these screens look awfully similar to concept art released by Interplay not too long ago. Without any solid confirmation from Interplay as to the origin of these screens though, we're gonna have to keep it filed strictly under the "rumor" category for now. %Gallery-78209%[Via Big Download]
Interplay's in-house lawyer corrects Fallout MMO injunction rumors
Interplay and Bethesda are continuing to tussle in court over the proposed Fallout MMO, and you may have heard news earlier this week about Interplay's triumph over Bethesda in regards to a preliminary injunction. Well, don't get too excited just yet, because unfortunately it looks like reports got misinterpreted. Interplay's in-house lawyer jumped in today to correct the rumors that have been flying around for the past few days at various Fallout fansites. Read what he had to say after the jump.%Gallery-77042%
Report: Court backs Interplay in Fallout MMO squabble; concept art surfaces
The twists and turns in the saga of Interplay's suspected Fallout MMO, "Project V13," date back to 2006. The latest came this week when, according to a report by No Mutants Allowed, someone claiming to be an Interplay stockholder revealed that Fallout IP owner Bethesda was denied an injunction it had sought against Interplay. Bethesda had hoped to strip Interplay of the Fallout license after the publisher had supposedly broken an agreement to begin development of the MMO before April 4, 2009. Interplay claims that's not the case and, perhaps to prove its point, has posted concept art from the could-be-a-game on its forums. As much as we'd love to play an MMO based on our favorite post-nuclear RPG, we can't help but feel this falling out between the two companies is going to keep us waiting until the real apocalypse -- and beyond. %Gallery-76799% [Via BigDownload]
Earthworm Jim now launching cows on iPhone
Gameloft's iPhone remake of Shiny's classic Earthworm Jim has found its way to the App Store, at a price of $4.99. It's a great game, but trying the iPhone version means you're willing to punish yourself by attempting the already-difficult run-and-gun without the benefit of a D-pad or buttons. We're going to have nightmares if we think too long about playing the submarine level that way.In addition to the download-anywhere convenience and painful controller substitution, the iPhone/iPod Touch release lets you play your own iPod music as you play. That should be a welcome addition to one intentionally annoying level.After the break, see gameplay footage captured by Touch Arcade.Earthworm Jim ($4.99) [Via AppShopper]
