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Syndicate reboot 'didn't pay off' for EA; SSX reboot 'very successful'
Clearly a positive review on Joystiq isn't the sales driver we thought it was. Despite having a good time with it ourselves, it would seem EA's Syndicate reboot was not the commercial success the company had hoped for. So says EA Labels president Frank Gibeau."Syndicate was something that we took a risk on. It didn't pay off – it didn't work," Gibeau told CVG. "But in general it doesn't change my appetite for wanting to go look in the library and see what we have and maybe bring back some IPs for the next-generation. That's the nature of the business; some stuff works, some stuff doesn't."EA's other big reboot this year, SSX, apparently fared a bit better. Gibeau called this year's revival "a very successful launch for us," and lauded the game's "online innovation" as a catalyst for bringing the series back. "It's done well and you'll probably see more in the future," Gibeau concluded.
Starbreeze CEO doesn't think Syndicate 'could've ever lived up to some people's expectations'
CEO and President of Starbreeze Studios Mikael Nermark appears to have mixed feelings about Syndicate, the FPS reboot his team launched earlier this year. Syndicate snagged the No. 2 spot during its launch week with sales of 34,000, just 2,000 shy of Asura's Wrath. Even after such a squeeze, Nermark tells Joystiq he isn't disappointed in Syndicate, numerically or otherwise:"Sales? What can I say?" Nermark says, inadvertently answering his own rhetorical question. "So many things depend on whether sales are good or not good. And it can always be better, right? You always want it to be better."Being "not disappointed" isn't the same as being overwhelmingly, truly happy with a title, nor is it the same as being devastated – it seems Nermark is still working out how exactly he feels about Syndicate, but he's made up his mind about Starbreeze itself."Personally, I've never been satisfied with any games I've worked on. I never play my own games," Nermark says. "I was brought into Starbreeze two and a half years ago, and the first year I worked on other things than on production. But what I saw coming out of this long production time, I'm proud of what we did at Starbreeze."
Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion
Fans were perturbed when they learned the classic Bullfrog-developed strategy series, Syndicate, would be rebooted in first-person form. The original was a beautiful and brutal affair, set in a cyberpunk world filled with corporate conspiracy. In its reboot, developer Starbreeze manages to hold onto some of those elements that made the original such an intriguing beast. Syndicate showcases its own beautiful brutality, shaking off the label of "just another shooter."It's 2069. Corporations have ascended beyond the reach of simple governments and battle one another for technological advancement. Civilians are inconsequential, seen merely as pawns in the midst of each company's boardroom brawl, and are often gunned down by characters throughout the campaign simply for "getting in the way." You take the role of the mostly faceless Miles Kilo, an agent at the industry giant EuroCorp, where you have been outfitted with a prototype version of a chip that gives you control over connected devices around you, as well as a number of other abilities. Like other agents, you must work to keep your corporation at peak profitability. %Gallery-138068%
Starbreeze lets 25 go after finishing Syndicate
Having completed Syndicate before EA ships it next week, Swedish developer Starbreeze has let several employees go. The company employed 93 individuals while working on the FPS reboot, 25 of which have been dismissed, according to GamesIndustry.biz (registration required). Starbreeze chairman Peter Tornquist has also reportedly resigned."It is sad that we are forced to make staff cutbacks affecting employees. But we have to reduce staff after the final delivery of the Syndicate," CEO Mikael Nermark told GI.biz. Layoffs at development studios on the cusp of shipping a title has quickly become the norm for the industry. We don't like to see anyone lose their job and hope the individuals in Sweden affected by our least favorite tag find new work as soon as possible.
Syndicate's launch trailer reminds us how messed up the violence is
You remember that first time you saw the Syndicate dude make a security guard dude shoot himself in the head? Surprise, surprise, it doesn't get any less messed up when you see it performed in subsequent trailers, as evidenced above.
Syndicate employs Brian Cox, Rosario Dawson and Michael Wincott
In the future, your brain will be infused with special technology to unlock the massive potential within you. Also, the company you work for will be headed by a surly Scot and a beautiful wherever Rosario Dawson is from.EA's announced both Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson will lend their voices to Syndicate, the Starbreeze reboot of the classic strategy game from the '90s. Joining them is Michael Wincott, who you may remember as the bad guy from The Crow. Gamers may better recognize his pipes as The Prophet of Truth in Halo 2, and as Death in the upcoming Darksiders 2. Dawson will play Lily Drawl, a "rising star" at EuroCorp; Cox plays Eurocorp board member Jack Denham and Wincott plays veteran agent Jules Merit.
Syndicate will not have an online pass, EA confirms
EA will break with tradition when Syndicate launches later this month. EA Partners executive producer Jeff Gamon told Eurogamer that Starbreeze's reboot would ship without an online pass, in the hopes of lowering the barrier of entry for the game's multiplayer side."We want as little resistance or barriers to entry as possible," Gamon said. "The co-op is equal billing in this. We wanted everyone who owns a copy of the game to have access to the entire product." It's policy for EA to include an online pass in all of its games. Curiously, this policy does not always extend to EA Partners games like Crysis 2 and Portal 2, both of which shipped without online passes. Meanwhile, Bulletstorm required a pass for its online co-op mode."Under normal circumstances it would have had an online pass, but because it didn't have competitive multiplayer and because we wanted as many people as possible to be playing co-op, we got away with it," Gamon added. "Maybe another reason for not having the Online Pass is we were confident in the scope of the online game." Throughout the nine multiplayer maps, he says players can expect "a good six, seven hours" on a single playthrough. "That and the single-player campaign means hopefully we won't see much in the way of early second hand sales and rentals," Gamon concluded before absconding with Princess Zelda.%Gallery-146175%
Syndicate co-op demo, term life insurance available now
The co-op demo for Syndicate is ready to infiltrate Xbox 360s in North America and Europe right now. The PlayStation Network will likely gain access today at the close of business on the East Coast, which is when the PSN usually updates in North America. The PSN version for Europe will have open enrollment tomorrow.The demo covers the "Western Europe" co-op mission, as your team steals blueprints for Cayman Global (the TCBY of the future) and assassinates what may or may not be a bad guy. Hey, it's business, there's very little room for ethics. XBLM Syndicate Co-op Demo
Starbreeze self-funding original IP
Starbreeze, the developer behind The Darkness, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and the upcoming series reboot Syndicate, is looking to expand its developmental output beyond the intellectual properties of other creative minds."We want to make our own IP; no doubt," Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark told Gamasutra. "We're actually self-funding one original IP right now. If we're going to take it to market ourself -- I haven't decided yet. It's always about how you maximize what you can do." Nermark's current strategy is to continue working on high-profile titles like Syndicate while simultaneously looking for opportunities to launch the developer's own original IP. As the old saying goes, "You can only milk another man's cow for so long." Or something.
Syndicate co-op demo lands Jan. 31, Feb. 1 on XBL and PSN
The co-op demo for Syndicate launches on Xbox Live in North America and Europe on January 31, while the PlayStation Network version drops the same day in North America, and on February 1 for Europe. The demo covers the "Western Europe" co-op mission, in which you steal blueprints from Cayman Global and assassinate Colonel Enrico Gabron, one of nine co-op challenges in the full game.Liking the Syndicate page on Facebook begets access to remixed tracks of the original Syndicate soundtrack by Digitalism, Flux Pavillion and Skrillex, which is newsworthy because until just now we thought Skrillex was the singer in some trendy rap-metal band. And possibly a girl. Huh.
Classic Syndicate infiltrates GOG on Jan. 19, asks how to conquer world first
Syndicate, the original title of twisted corporate greed and cyberpunk inhumanity, is hitting GOG on Thursday, Jan. 19 for $5.99. GOG's Syndicate will come with the game manual, artwork and avatars, but until it's officially released GOG is having a little dystopian fun. Ten players can win a copy of Syndicate by forming the best team of four people -- yourself and three others, real or imaginary, dead, alive or not born yet -- to lead the DRM-free revolution as the world's largest Syndicate. Just drop a description of your team in the GOG comments before 7 a.m. EST on Jan. 19 for a chance to prove yourself in the corrupt corporate world.
Gather your cabal for Syndicate's co-op demo, coming this month
You and three of your friends can try out the new Syndicate game this month, unless you're in Australia. EA announced plans to release a four-player co-op demo on PSN and XBLA, available "the end of January" and lasting "a limited time." The full game arrives February 21 in North America and February 24 in Europe. The demo comprises one of Syndicate's nine co-op missions, called "Western Europe." Players work to assassinate Cayman Global's "Colonel Enrico Gabron" and steal his blueprints, after making their way into Cayman Global. %Gallery-144914%
Syndicates get by with a little help from their friends
When a solo trip over to the neighboring corporation's top secret vault is too big a job for one person, Syndicate offers four-player co-op to help. Securing that Big Mac secret sauce recipe should be a cinch. %Gallery-142811%
EA not releasing Syndicate in Australia, notes 'arcane censorship'
Syndicate will not launch in Australia next year and EA will not alter the original game or seek an appeal. The publisher informed Joystiq this afternoon that it finds the Australian government's policy to deny adults the right to play Syndicate "regrettable." "The game will not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government's recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies," EA Corporate Communications' Tiffany Steckler wrote Joystiq in a statement. "We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today's market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices." Syndicate was recently refused classification in Australia, due to it being "unsuitable for a minor to see or play." Australian classification standards reject classification for video games only deemed suitable for citizens over the age of 15.
Syndicate refused classification in Australia, called 'unsuitable for a minor' [update]
Syndicate has been refused classification in Australia, due to being "unsuitable for a minor to see or play." The current Australian classification standards still reject classification (i.e. ban) for any game that is only suitable for citizens over the age of 15. "Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated or bisected by the force of the gunfire. The depictions are accompanied by copious bloodspray and injuries are shown realistically and with detail," reads the Classification report obtained by VG24/7. "Flesh and bone are often exposed while arterial sprays of blood continue to spurt from wounds at regular intervals," the report states, discussing an example mission." The most high-profile Aussie rejection in 2011 was Mortal Kombat, which tried to appeal the decision and lost. The Witcher 2 avoided the issue with a small edit to pass the board. We've contacted EA to find out if the publisher will appeal or resubmit the title with alterations. Update: EA not releasing Syndicate in Australia, notes "arcane censorship."
Syndicate displays agent tech, extracts more through stabbed eye socket
The future of business in Syndicate is violent. Everyone comes to work dressed up in armor, keeping arsenals under their desk like ladies in cubicles keep sneakers under theirs. A workman's comp case must be resolved in the classic and genteel style of dueling pistols.
Syndicate trailer goes to the gun show, plays with ballistic toys
Good day, agent. The latest trailer for corporate infiltration simulator Syndicate gives a taste of the available arsenal. It's the best that money can buy to obtain the recipe for Coke Classic.
Starbreeze has a PSN title in the works as well
If you thought Starbreeze was running out of fingers or pies in which to stick them, think again; in a recent CVG interview, studio head Mikael Nermark revealed that the company was also working on a smaller-scale PSN title. Nermark said the "self-financed" project is currently running with a much smaller dev team than that of its Syndicate crew, but didn't expound on what the game would actually, you know, be. We've contacted Starbreeze to try and find some elucidation on the subject, though we wager it has something to do with the new IP it's developing with film director Josef Fares. Still, we've petitioned any and all powers that be that the response to our email will be "Oh, we're making a new Chronicles of Riddick, and it's going to be super good this time, and hey, you know what, here it is. You go ahead and just have it right now."
The art of the breach in Syndicate's four-player co-op mode
In the future, machines will be the least of our worries -- it's the humans with advanced machines in their bodies we'll have to watch out for. Advanced chips, to be exact, will unlock seemingly limitless potential in human beings. This is the world of Syndicate. Governments of tomorrow will play second fiddle to massive corporations, and the game's four-player co-op mode focuses on exactly that. It's sort of a quasi-espionage affair: your team is sent in to various locales in order to steal advanced technology. It's just, uh, not very sneaky. %Gallery-138068%
Syndicate's protagonist isn't a good guy
Syndicate's protagonist won't be helping Granny cross the street or rescuing any kittens stuck in trees -- well, okay, maybe there's some kind of holo-tree mission, we don't know. The point is that you won't be playing the classic hero in EA's reboot. He's a bad dude there to do bad things. "You're certainly not playing a good guy," producer Ben O'Donnell told Videogamer. "You follow him in the narrative, and that narrative will obviously unfold in different ways. When you first start you're playing as this agent working for EuroCorp, and you do their wet work for them. You have this really high-end chip in your head, and you can do things to people that they really wouldn't want to do -- like commit suicide or change allegiance. You're by no means a good guy, you're there to do the dirty work." However, if you're expecting the main character to have some great moral epiphany or change of heart, don't. This isn't a game about "good and evil," O'Donnell promises. Sounds fine to us, especially since we just got one of those.
