prince of persia
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Prince of Persia movie opens with $37.8M domestically [Update]
Update: IMDB has updated its projected totals for the weekend box office to include the Memorial Day holiday, increasing ticket totals of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from $30.2 million to $37.8 million for the four-day weekend. The increase pushes the video game-based flick to second place ahead of Sex and the City 2. Original: If you only considered its current Metacritic ranking, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time could be called the first disaster movie of the summer season. According to IMDb, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced time manipulation romp cracked third place in the US with $30.2 million in its opening weekend, behind first-place Shrek Forever After ($43.3 million) and Sex and the City 2: Electric Boogaloo with $32.1 million. While Bruckheimer may have been wishing for Pirates of the Caribbean-style opening numbers, Box Office Mojo reports that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the third largest box office opening ever for a video game-based film. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Pokemon: The First Movie, currently own the first and second spot respectively in that extremely specific category. Internationally the Prince fared better, bringing in $59 million from overseas theaters and capturing first place. So far, The Sands of Time has earned a total of $87.5 in the two weeks it has been released overseas. [Via BigDownload]
PC 'deluxe edition' of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands includes Sands of Time
If you're considering a purchase of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on PC, why not get a version that comes with one or two extra games? A pre-ordered copy of the Digital Deluxe Edition, available on Steam, includes a map, a soundtrack, two extra skins, and, most importantly, a free copy of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to play while you wait for the June 8 release of Forgotten Sands. You'll also get a free copy of Sands of Time's sequel, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. In fact, you'll get that freebie on Steam whether you buy the $60 deluxe version or the $50 regular version. The only reason you may not want to jump on either of these deals is that playing these games right before Forgotten Sands may make the new game seem even more lackluster.
Prince of Persia Retro leaping onto App Store
Just because you weren't already drowning in Prince of Persia-based media outings, Ubisoft has decided to bring the platforming, swordfighting heir apparent to the App Store. According to IGN, Prince of Persia Retro, a port of the original 1989 version of Jordan Mechner's classic , will be available to purchase on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad "any moment now." No mention was made of the game's price -- we've contacted Ubisoft to divine that ever-important detail. Though we already own the original Prince of Persia on a handful of different platforms, we wouldn't mind having him on our cellular device. Mind you, our fellow bus patrons might be frightened by our crude outbursts every time we accidentally take a short hop onto a long spike.
Review: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Xbox 360)
When I think about it, Ubisoft really couldn't have chosen a more appropriate subtitle for the latest Prince of Persia outing, "The Forgotten Sands." It really does feel as if the game was in development years ago and perhaps shelved in favor of the dramatic series "reboot" in 2008 -- and then forgotten. Until, that is, a movie based on the franchise was due in theaters and happened to draw from the Sands of Time motif. The Forgotten Sands certainly isn't a movie game (aside from its conveniently timed release), but it hasn't sprung from a well of creativity, either. %Gallery-80265%
Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands launch trailer covers the bases
Here's the launch trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. It's essentially a primer for anyone who has somehow missed the copious coverage of the game so far. Let's run down the bullet points, shall we? Platforming -- check! Puzzles -- got 'em! Combat -- yup. Elemental magic -- of course. Ancient, angry sand demon -- you'd better believe it! For those that require something more substantial than this primer before leaping into the Prince's latest adventure, watch out for our Forgotten Sands review -- which we'll remember to post tomorrow afternoon.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands returns to 2D gameplay on PSP
Excuse the pun, but we had nearly forgotten about the PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. While Ubisoft has been busy promoting the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii counterparts, it's only now that it has unveiled the PSP version. Joel Vignola, Ubisoft producer, debuted a new video on the PlayStation.Blog (embedded after the break) and emphasized that the PSP version is a "unique game built from the ground up" and "is not a port from any other system." While the console versions are full 3D adventures, the PSP version appears to play on a 2D field, akin to Prince of Persia Classic. However, Vignola clarified a bit further, describing the game as a "3D sidescroller, because the world itself is 3D and we play with depth ... the Prince [is] not always locked onto an axis." As with Assassin's Creed Bloodlines, The Forgotten Sands is promising connectivity between the PS3 and PSP versions of the game. By connecting the two, you'll be awarded bonus XP in the PS3 version and the original Sands of Time costume for the PSP version. Hopefully, the similarities with the PSP Assassin's Creed end there -- Bloodlines wasn't exactly a critical darling. The PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be available on UMD and PSN on the same day as its console counterparts: May 18.
Prince of Persia Flash game is better than you think
For all the vitriol we hurl at Wii shovelware and farming-centric Facebook games, we often forget the class of electronic entertainment most deserving of scorn: The Flash promotional game. No, not a game promoting The Flash (honestly, dude could use some love right now) but rather those diminutive, ugly trifles that litter official sites of movies and (in some cases) fast food restaurants. So understand that when we say, "This Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Flash game is actually kind of good!" it comes from people who expect the worst from this particular breed. That said ... it is kind of good, right? In an overly complicated Canabalt sort of way?
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands trailer has some good elements
Whether you're a big fan of Captain Planet, or a proficient Pokémon battler, or a secret lifetime member of the Illuminati, or you really love funk -- you're probably familiar with the four main natural elements: Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. The latest trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands shows how each of these elements plays a part in combat and platforming. That includes the Prince's ability to dash through the air, or freeze and climb upon jets of water. Be warned -- we've watched it about seven times now, and we've yet to see any representation for the greatest element of all: Heart.
Don't forget to watch the PoP: Forgotten Sands intro
Pre-rendered game trailers may not do a very good job of preparing us for actual gameplay, but it's hard to beat good CG for setting the mood. Case in point: The intro trailer to Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. We've got the Prince, a mysterious woman, a massive battle, daring leaps and one of the faintest goatees in gaming history. See it all in the trailer above. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands hits consoles on May 18 with a PC version to follow in June.
Prince of Persia, Brothers in Arms, Skate 2 join Games on Demand
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a lot of new Games on Demand. We've got three new ones this week and a price drop. As for the new titles, we've got a platformer, military shooter and hardcore skating simulation in Prince of Persia, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Skate 2, respectively. Prince of Persia and Skate 2 each run $19.99 in the US, while Brothers in Arms will set you back $29.99. Meanwhile, Rockstar's Table Tennis has seen a 10 dollar price drop to $19.99. As always, pricing and availability vary by region. Xbox.com: Add Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway to your Xbox 360 download queue ($29.99) Xbox.com: Add Prince of Persia to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99) Xbox.com: Add Skate 2 to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99) Xbox.com: Add Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99)
Prince of Persia movie LEGO toys get a block-buster commercial
We've seen so many instances where the LEGO toy brand has infiltrated the world of video games over the past few years -- that's why it's so downright refreshing to see the tables get turned. Just past the jump is a commercial for that new line of wonderbricks based on the upcoming film adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It's full of assassins, traps that are ready to spring on a teeny little Jake Gyllenhaal Gyllenblock, but, strangely, nary a trace of the slow-motion -- which is so prevalent in the film and games. Though your mind may immediately wander to the possibility of a LEGO video game based on Jordan Mechner's action-platforming franchise, we'd like to remind you that LEGO bricks are, in and of themselves, completely rad. LEGO bricks based on one of our favorite game series are doubly so. [Via Kotaku]
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands trailer reminds us that Wii version exists
The Wii version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is distinct from the other, HD consoles' version. In this new trailer, you can see some of the unique elements in play, including the ability to use the Wiimote pointer to place "sand rings" on solid objects, creating handholds for the Prince. The Ubisoft Quebec–developed Wii game does have a few things in common with the PS3 and Xbox 360 Forgotten Sands game, as well. For example, they're both pretty! Ubisoft has worked some magic of its own to render such fine visuals on the Wii. All versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands are set for the same May 18 release date.
Bruckheimer explains why movie games 'fail'
Even with James Cameron's name attached to it, the Avatar video game simply wasn't good. While a few games (Goldeneye, Chronicles of Riddick) manage to escape the "movie game curse," most licensed games are plagued by mediocrity. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of the upcoming Prince of Persia movie, explained to Gamasutra that studios have "this business model where they know they'll sell X amount of games on that opening couple of weeks, and a lot of them do that, rather than take their time and create a wonderful game." While such a conclusion is probably obvious to the average Joystiq reader, it's vindicating to hear a high-profile producer admit to such industry shortcomings. Bruckheimer does offer a reasonable solution: release licensed games alongside their movie counterparts' home video releases to give them more development time. "As long as it's a good game, people will play it," concluded Bruckheimer. "The problem is, to really make a good game, it really takes a long time," explained Bruckheimer, whose game studio is taking its sweet time (to even announce a title). "So by the time you green-light a movie, it's a year to a year-and-a-half until it's out. That's too short a period for a video game to be made. It's a three-year process to get a really good game made, and that's where they fail." Incidentally, Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, which is tangentially related to Bruckheimer's film, will release ten days before the movie, following just about two years of development time.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands pre-order freebies detailed by Ubisoft
Ubisoft has announced a fairly comprehensive roundup of the free junk you'll get from pre-ordering Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from various American retailers. We say "fairly comprehensive" because only the bonuses associated with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game have been covered. Pre-ordering Forgotten Sands from GameStop will earn you the previously revealed "Forgotten Arena" gameplay mode. An Amazon pre-order will be $5 off and come with a free Prince of Persia mobile game. And Best Buy pre-orders will include a downloadable "SandWraith" character skin based on the Prince's transformation in Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Ubisoft appears to have mistimed its jump with this announcement, however, as these offers have yet to appear on the Amazon or Best Buy product pages. Luckily, the company has possession of the Dagger of Time. Any second now ... %Gallery-90434%
Prince of Persia film sneak peek reminds us of our Bruck-love
Regardless of how unfaithful it might end up being to its ludological source material, or how cheesy its dialogue is, or how poorly its actors perform, it's difficult for us not to get substantially excited by the two behind-the-scenes previews of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time we've posted above and after the jump. It looks to be, on all accounts, a Bruckheimer joint -- big, awesome and ... uncerebral. Like a big, clumsy elephant, riding a race car into a tornado made of swords. That's a spectacle we'll gladly drop $10.50 to witness once the film hits theaters May 28.
Trailer reveals Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands 'Collector Edition' for Europe
Ubisoft has released a new gameplay trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. First and foremost, the trailer should do quite a bit to please fans hoping for a return to the days of Sands of Time. The whole trailer is highly reminiscent of the game that brought the Prince back to gaming way back in 2003, which is no coincidence. At PAX East, Ubisoft told us quite a bit about the ways that Forgotten Sands will return to the roots of the series, something we got to experience with our own hands-on time with the title. You can check out the platform-filled, trap-laden video above. In other news, the video also announced the Collector Edition of the game. The Xbox and PS3 editions will include the XBLA and PSN versions of Prince of Persia Classic, confirming a rumor that began floating around earlier this year. The PC version will include a copy of Sands of Time. The Collector Edition will also feature bonus in-game content, including a survival mode, sand wraith skin and Malik skin. It's worth pointing out that this is a European trailer for the game, so it's possible that the Collector Edition won't make it to other regions. We've contacted Ubisoft for more details -- including the price -- and will update this post with any new information. The console versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands releases May 18 with a PC release following in June.
Interview: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands' Michael McIntyre
Positioned as a new sequel to fan favorite Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ubisoft Montreal's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a clear return to tradition. It diverges from 2008's cel-shaded scurrier in more ways than one: platforming is more difficult; the time rewind is back; and the adventure is entirely linear. Though the game showed promise at PAX East 2010, we couldn't help but ask Level Design Director Michael McIntyre what this familiar entry means for fans and the franchise. Joystiq: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands -- how is that being positioned to fans of 2008's game? Is it an apology? Michael McIntyre: Oh, not at all. Actually, this project was started before that game even released, so we had no idea how that game was going to be received. We knew that the PoP 2008 was a daring take on the Prince of Persia franchise. but we knew that there would be people that definitely liked it and we just weren't certain what fans of Sands of Time would take it, even though we knew it was quite different from Sands of Time. So, there was already an early plan to do a Sands of Time-type game, not at the same time but it was already in progress. %Gallery-80265%
Hands-on: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (360)
Regardless of how you felt about Ubisoft's 2008 Prince of Persia, it represented a clear departure from the acclaimed Sands of Time trilogy -- an experiment, even. And although, on a granular level, The Forgotten Sands modifies the formula through the addition of elemental powers, they primarily strengthen the game's familiar basis of linear platforming mixed with light combat. It's a solid basis and one that Ubisoft clearly believes to be worth pursuing again this May (especially with movie buzz in the air), but it hasn't been swept clean of old problems. Even in the short snippet of gameplay on show at PAX East, the combat feels like filler. It's competent -- and the Prince's agility adds an exciting flourish to every strike and finishing blow -- but it never feels complex enough to stand out as anything more than "that thing you do between platforming segments." That's a problem Prince of Persia often shares with Tomb Raider.
PoP: The Forgotten Sands getting new mode with GameStop pre-orders
Let's face it, buying a game is just too simple. You don't want to just walk into any store and know that you'll get the same game you would get somewhere else. No, you crave complication. Sensing this innate need, Ubisoft has announced, via the Prince of Persia Facebook page, that those who pre-order Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from GameStop will receive an exclusive new game mode. The offer, incidentally, applies only to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, so PC and Wii gamers are out of luck. The bonus mode is entitled Forgotten Arena and tasks players with defeating "waves of relentless enemies" in classic survival mode style. There is no time limit, killed enemies will regenerate health and the number of enemies increases over time. The description also notes that players who can defeat 100 enemies "may have what it takes to become a real Prince of Persia," though it's unclear if doing so will unlock any actual rewards or any actual royalty. [Via Destructoid]
Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands dev diary demoes Wii version's features
Wondering how Ubisoft's upcoming Wii iteration of the timeless royal platformer, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, will implement the system's decreasingly unique control scheme? Wonder no further -- just past the jump, you'll find the first installment in a series of developer diaries for the game, which shows off the motion-controlled powers at your disposal, as well as the title's light co-op mechanics. Man, if New Super Mario Bros. Wii almost tore your family apart, we can't imagine what PoP's shenanigans will be capable of.
