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Gorgeous Mirror's Edge inspired photo set leaps into view
Savage Land Pictures have revealed a gorgeous photo set inspired by the 2008 Electronic Arts action title, Mirror's Edge. The shoot, which Savage Land Pictures notes took months to plan, includes sixteen images of a model dressed as Faith traversing rooftops and interacting with armor-clad enemies. The set isn't completely realistic however, as "Faith" is shown holding a pistol and the image doesn't completely break... like the game did when she picked up a weapon. Just kidding, kinda.[Via SlicedLime Twitter]
Real first-person parkour to make Faith blush
Fans of the first-person parkour simulator Mirror's Edge are bound to enjoy this video discovered by the BBPS (embedded after the break). In the video, you'll see a very talented man perform all kinds of parkour antics, all shot from a first-person viewpoint. He even managed to find some surprisingly colorful surroundings to make it feel more like the game. It's all very impressive until around 2:05 into the video, at which point we realized it was filmed by a wizard.To think such a powerful man would waste his time making silly videos.[Via The BBPS]
Gitcha SecuROM de-authorization tools! Git'em ova hur!
EA's perpetual joke -- on you -- comes to an ironic end on April Fools' Day with the release of de-authorization tools for each of its 19 PC games with SecuROM copy protection (full list and download links after the break). If you've been working on that class action lawsuit against EA for bundling SecuROM with The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff, you can drop it now -- your flat-pack furniture can finally be moved to a new machine. In the spirit of generosity, EA's giving you two options for managing your authorizations: Option 1: Download and install yet another "tool" in order to scan your computer for EA's SecuROM games and find out how many computer authorizations you have (or don't have) left for each title. Option 2: Cut to the chase and download the game-specific de-authorization tool you need.
Mirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards
Nordic Game 2009 is fast approaching and, like you, we're gearing up by listening to loads of ABBA, driving Volvos and wearing nothing but H&M clothing. That's all they do over there, right? Anyway, with the conference comes the obligatory awards show, though this one comes with a uniquely nordic theme. While über nordic games like LasseMajas and Englekræsj show up on the list, EA DICE-developed Mirror's Edge and Funcom-developed Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are duking it out for two major awards: Artistic Achievement and Best Nordic Game. We can't speak to the ... ahem ... games we've never heard of running against Mirror's Edge and Age of Conan, but retro remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed is also competing for the Best Nordic Game award, while Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes on the two for Artistic Achievement. The awards are set to be a veritable smörgåsbord of gaming, if you will. (Those are Swedish, right?)[Via Edge]
GDC09: Rhianna Pratchett says games should forget about making people cry
Rhianna Pratchett, the woman to blame for the dialogue of last year's EA experiment Mirror's Edge, says that game writers (not, erm, us, mind you, but the type that write the stories in the games we all play) are doing the wrong thing trying to make gamers cry. She tells the Guardian's game blog, "As an industry we get very, very obsessed with making people cry. What's so great about crying?!" Rather, she says that they should be focusing on turning those frowns upside down, citing her work on the Overlord franchise. "The world is dark enough, especially at the moment. Overlord, I think, was successful because it made people smile, it made people laugh. That seems to have resonated so much that I say 'Make people smile, don't make people cry.'" It's no secret that we are suckers for the lolz around here, so we're rather inclined to agree with Ms. Pratchett. In the eight minute interview with the Guardian (found after the break), Pratchett also touches on the importance of getting game writers into the development process early enough, calling shoehorned stories in gaming the result of "Weekend at Bernie's" processes, where a plot that doesn't really exist is "made up" to look like an actual plot. Rather than naming culprits, we'll leave the finger pointing to you fine folks -- and we're willing to bet you can name more than a few, no?
EA is 'very, very pro independent development,' says DeMartini
In what seems to be a multiple year-spanning sea change on the side of EA, the company is not only reaching out to independent developers like Grasshopper Manufacture and Valve, but also working with them to keep their properties autonomous. Chris Remo of Gamasutra sat down with David DeMartini, General Manager of EA Partners, to discuss the idea behind EAP and, in doing so, revealed some interesting truths about the EA initiative."I think that there is very much a renaissance within the EAP based on the leadership of Electronic Arts ... John Riccitiello and Frank Gibeau are very, very pro-independent development," says DeMartini, referring to titles like American McGee's Alice sequel and Suda 51's upcoming game (still untitled), as well as Valve-developed Left 4 Dead. The "renaissance," he believes, isn't spurred by the way in which the EA Partners program has been set up, so much as it's been a focus on "great quality." While last year's Mirror's Edge and Left 4 Dead might not have sold huge numbers out of the gate, there is no doubt that their critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. To add credence to his argument, sales of both titles have held steady as time goes on."What we've proven is that there is no one model. What we have also proven is quality and innovation always win." Not a terrible truth to arrive at, if we must say so ourselves.
Rhianna Pratchett launches portfolio website
Rhianna Pratchett, the British game writer behind Heavenly Sword, Overlord (and its upcoming sequels), Mirror's Edge and Viking: Battle For Asgard has launched her portfolio website, making it easier to keep track of her various projects. The website showcases all the games that she's worked on, as well as her contributions to some game writing textbooks and her ongoing series of Mirror's Edge comic books. There are also links to interviews (including one of ours) for those who want to get a little more insight into the person behind the words. From the look of things, the site won't be updated for a while as Rhianna's being kept fairly busy with Overlord 2 and the Wii and DS Overlord games. Now that she's set up home on the internet, we wonder if she'll be joining us on Twitter soon, too.
Swedes honor their own: Mirror's Edge wins Swedish GOTY
Little known fact: Swedes love a good pat on the back. It's true, all of us like to be congratulated on a job well done, but for them it's in a league of its own. This year, they've heaped the honor for the best Swedish-made game at the annual Dataspelsgalan award show onto DICE's parkour-inspired first-person scoot-er, Mirror's Edge. When asked why it was so special, top Swedes commented to Joystiq that the "graphics on level three were really tight," among other things. One thing is certain: Mirror's Edge was definitely one of the better games from last year.Previous Swedish GOTY winners: 2000 Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter 2001 Ground Control 2002 Headhunter 2003 Battlefield 1942 2004 - 2005 Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 2006 Battlefield 2 2007 GTR 2: FIA GT Racing Game 2008 World in Conflict
EA sees success in Dead Space and Mirror's Edge ... after a 'lifetime performance'
EA's European Senior VP Patrick Söderlund has expressed optimism about the long-term success of new IPs Dead Space and Mirror's Edge in a conversation with Gamasutra. "If you analyze games like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge for their lifetime performance, I bet you'll find them to be seen as successful," said Söderlund, communicating a commitment to both franchises. Söderlund went on to echo Glen Schofield's remarks regarding the not-too-brilliant plan of releasing both titles during the extremely competitive holiday season, admitting that EA could have "done a better job" scheduling its release calendar. Still, EA seems determined to forge ahead with both franchises in tow. We have a hunch gamers will support that decision -- so long as Dead Space doesn't turn into this and Mirror's Edge into that.[Via guardian.co.uk]
DICE's Lars Gustavsson says game industry is at a 'crossroads'
Lars Gustavsson is no stranger to risk. After last year's first-person parkour-based action/platformer Mirror's Edge stumbled off shelves during the holiday season, you'd think DICE's creative director might be dissuaded from continuing to push the envelope. However, speaking at the Design Innovate Communicate Entertertain Summit (conveniently shortened to D.I.C.E.) last week, he told the crowd "the games industry has come to a crossroads." According to him, the situation is multi-faceted -- the poor economy is forcing lower overhead costs on developers and people are less willing to spend their money while consumers are also less likely to invest in new intellectual properties (such as the aforementioned Mirror's Edge). Should developers play it safe with proven IPs or take risks in hopes of breaking in?He pontificates that "more customization offerings, new business models, data-driven development and the active tuning of the games" will drive innovation and allay risk going forward. "It's totally different from anything we've done," Gustavsson noted when referencing upcoming online-only multiplayer shooter Battlefield 1943. And he seems to be putting the development costs where his mouth is, as Battlefield 1943 sticks to his plan (on paper at least) to a tee. It remains to be seen whether they'll work out. After all, we're still waiting on that other Battlefield game.
Mirror's Edge and Mercenaries 2 fail to excite Japan
Anecdotal evidence suggests that neither Mirror's Edge nor Mercenaries 2 took off in Japan. This picture shows stacks of new copies of both games on sale for ¥1,980 ($21). Mirror's Edge was released on December 11 in Japan, and Mercenaries 2 followed one week later. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are marked down, so the blame for poor sales doesn't fall solely on 360's lowly reputation in Japan. Japan has no rental services, so people tend to buy games, complete them immediately, and then sell them back to stores asap, before the prices are slashed, leading to a precipitous drop in used prices of popular games. Even that isn't the case here -- these games are new, and retailer Sofmap's website shows used copies of Mirror's Edge at ¥4,780 for PS3 and 360, while new copies are marked down to a mere ¥1,980. Would Mirror's Edge have benefited from a lead character redesigned for Asian audiences? Maybe, if that redesign had also encompassed not making the game a first-person shooter.
Mirror's Edge DLC jumps, climbs onto 360, PS3, PC
In a cute homage to the new Mirror's Edge DLC that's now available, we were going to tell you that we had leaped between two buildings, scaled a fire escape and finally shimmied across a pipe to get from our 360 to our keyboard to bring you this news ... but we don't want to insult your intelligence. Look at us, after all. The only thing we've leaped between recently is our table at Max & Erma's and the sundae bar. If you want to pretend you're virtually fit, you can drop your $10 on the XBLM and get nine races spanning seven brand new maps. PC and PS3 users keep an eye out for the DLC to pop up later today. Gallery: Mirror's Edge Time Trial DLC
Hey, you got Mirror's Edge in my Tomb Raider!
Lara and Faith have a lot in common. Both are strong, female protagonists, and both find themselves relying heavily on their ability to effectively navigate the environment around them. Now, they have another thing in common: they've both been the subject of weird mods. Check out the video past the break, which shows what Lara's world would look like had it taken inspiration from Mirror's Edge.[Thanks, M]
Dead Space, Mirror's Edge pass 1m unit sales; Left 4 Dead nears 2m
While Rock Band and FIFA 09 stole the headline (and let's not overlook Need for Speed Undercover selling 5.2 million copies), EA's new IPs were also battling an unpredictable market this past holiday. Unfortunately, both Dead Space and Mirror's Edge lost -- or, got lost in the traditionally crowded end-of-year release splurge. Neither game made EA's "highlight" reel, and both were tucked away in a carefully disguised statement of defeat: "Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Madden NFL 09 and NBA Live 09 each sold over one million copies." Consider that Dead Space and Mirror's Edge's development costs surely far exceeded those of EA's perennial sports installments (not to mention, EA's trio of top sellers mentioned above) and it's easy to qualify the new IPs as underperformers.Going by the sales figures, at 1.8 million units sold, Left 4 Dead isn't exactly a standout either -- but it does go down in EA's "win" column. As an EA Partners game, Left 4 Dead didn't cost EA development bucks; and while that means a lesser share of gross revenue, the game's decent sales performance has likely equaled greater profit for EA compared to the results of its new, in-house IP.Where does EA go from here? Well, a "new" Dead Space game can signal one of two things: (a) EA is confidently moving forward with its plan to build compelling, new franchises; or (b) EA is morphing its compelling, new franchises into redundant, tired formulas. If the latter, don't blame EA. Our money does the dictating. EA just follows along. Source - EA Q3 2009 Earnings Conference Call Script [PDF]
Pachter: Riccitiello is the right man to save EA
With all of the bombshells EA dropped last night, some might be questioning whether John Riccitiello is the right man to guide EA into a profitable future. Video game analyst Michael Pachter isn't one of those, however. Pachter thinks that's the kind of person that needs to be in charge at EA and describes Riccitiello as "a bright guy with a ton of experience" and being "sufficiently conscientious to lead the company." It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops from Pachter's end, however, as he criticizes Riccitiello's past strategies for EA and his "desire to balance between future growth and current success." The past strategies Pachter refers to are likely the company's gamble on new IPs, Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. As for us, we like the more gutsy EA. But we also want Mass Effect 2 ...
Mirror's Edge hack introduces third-person view
Voyeuristic hackers have undone its raison d'être and transformed the PC version of Mirror's Edge into the third-person parkour-em-up that could have been. Mind you, the one that could have been would have featured animation cognizant of the external viewpoint, and not just movements fit for first-person glimpses. It must have been a harrowing experience for those who expected to see Faith's nimble movements and instead received the lifeless posterior of a city-traversing robot. You'll find instructions on how to coax the camera out of Faith's head at the On Mirror's Edge forums, and a video demonstrating the amusing trickery after the break. Mind the big spoilers after the 3:10 mark.[Via Shacknews, Big Download]
Mirror's Edge Time Trial DLC delayed to February; PS3 exclusive map on 1/29
Ever wonder what Faith from Mirror's Edge dreams about? Tom Farrer, producer of Mirror's Edge, answered this question on the PlayStation.Blog: "She apparently dreams about enormous abstract sculptures floating above an endless sea!"The upcoming time trial DLC pack for Mirror's Edge was originally scheduled for release tomorrow. However, Big Download reports that these additional races will come in February. The delay should give fans a bit more time to practice their skills -- the DLC adds new Trophies that only the most hardcore players will be able to achieve. (At the time of writing, we haven't seen if the 360 version will get new Achievements as well.)While the premium maps won't be available until next month, PS3 owners will still be able to download a system-exclusive map on the PlayStation Store tomorrow. "Synethesia" will be free to all owners of the PS3 version of Mirror's Edge. A trailer can be seen after the break.%Gallery-38557%
Mirror's Edge DLC adds new Trophies (and they're tough!)
Read more 'Mirror's Edge' stories Uh-oh. Mirror's Edge's upcoming map pack will add new Trophies. These are going to be rough. The hardest one? A Gold Trophy for getting a Time Trial star rating of 90. That means getting a perfect score in at least 30 different levels. Uh-oh.See the add-on list after the break. DLC will be available on 1/29. View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
Mirror's Edge DLC jumps on XBLM January 29
Good news, first person platforming fans, that brand new, runny, jumpy, crazy Mirror's Edge DLC is officially arriving on January 29. The downloadable content contains seven new time trial maps. As you may recall, the maps offer something a bit more abstract than the campaign. Go grab some brightly colored building blocks, pile them up together, make that pile explode, freeze that moment in time and you'll have an idea of what the new maps look like. You know, that or you could just look at the video after the break.Oh, and the DLC, by the way, will cost 800 Microsoft Points.[Via Joystiq] Gallery: Mirror's Edge - DLC
Mirror's Edge DLC coming Jan. 29
There's good news this morning for Mirror's Edge fans of all platform persuasions. PC users, you'll actually get to play the game when it finally appears on store shelves this week. For the 360 or PS3 people, DICE has nailed down the nebulous "January" release date for the Time Trial DLC to the 29th.For $10, you'll get nine races spanning seven brand new maps. Comparing the screens we've seen in the gallery below to the maps in the retail version, the DLC looks a little less "realistic" and a little more, "Hey, we didn't have to pay for textures," but we'll hold off on judging until we lay our own eyes on them.%Gallery-38557%
