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What's in a Name: TimeGate Studios
Most of the time, company names are obscure enough that we have no clue what their origin is. In the case of TimeGate Studios we always thought we had a fairly good idea, but, as it happens, we were just letting our Richard Dean Anderson obsession cloud our judgment. Joystiq: So, TimeGate. You were just watching a lot of Stargate, right? TimeGate Studios head Adel Chaveleh: "The concept was that we had a lot of different ideas for game types -- there was fantasy-themed, WWII-themed, sci-fi. Basically, as a company, we want to kind of be a portal to our fans and to ourselves to different worlds and universes. So TimeGate was the name that we came up with that seemed to kind of communicate that. Ironically, it played out exactly that way. It's like, fantasy with Kohan, and Axis & Allies is WWII, and here we are with our own sci-fi franchise [Section 8]. I'm trying to think of what other time periods we can go to, but we'll see I guess." [laughs] TimeGate Studios' next title, Section 8: Prejudice, will be available for download on PC, 360 and PS3 this year. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's in a Name Archives.
TimeGate expanding publishing biz, also working on 'very big project' for another pub
Like many indie developers, TimeGate Studios' origins are humble. "We set up a card table and called it TimeGate. That was a little over 12 years ago," president and CEO Adel Chaveleh recalled during our recent meeting. "We knew the game we wanted before we knew how the hell to make a game," he added with a wide grin. That game was Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, which went on to earn an 87 Metacritic score and a handful of awards. Today, TimeGate isn't far from launching its first digital-only title, Section 8: Prejudice -- the sequel to 2009's Section 8 -- and Chaveleh is noticeably excited about the prospects of the company's future in publishing. "In the midst of a year, not only did we finish development of the whole sequel, but we've switched our whole business model, and we've built that internal publishing infrastructure," he beamed. "Now that we've got that pipeline established, we're looking at more content -- both internally, and we're starting to talk with some external developers, as well, about being a conduit for either their content or helping us develop content." Chaveleh wouldn't reveal any of these collaborators, but it's clear TimeGate understands that, whether physical or digital products, the publisher still holds all the cards. %Gallery-115412%
Section 8 shows Prejudice against retail, will be a $15 download
The follow-up to Timegate Studios's coldly received 2009 multiplayer shooter, Section 8: Prejudice, will avoid the boxed-copy retail battlefield and will instead aim to "corner" the digital market. The developer announced today that Prejudice will come to Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC retail portals, including Steam and Games for Windows Marketplace, as a $15 download when it launches early next year. Prejudice will include a single-player campaign, support for up to 32 players in online multiplayer and a new four-player co-op mode called Swarm. Offline players will also be able to partake in multiplayer, as the game can swap out those pesky humans for emotionless, calculating bots. Timegate has also pledged to support the sequel post-launch through "a substantial downloadable content plan," though specific details have yet to be revealed.
Section 8: Prejudice preview: Turn on, drop in, tune out
Though many are now realizing its beauty in multiplayer shooters, the jetpack is a woefully underused tool in the FPS developer's work box. My love affair with the jetpack began many years ago on the PC with Dynamix's Starsiege: Tribes -- unfortunately, that love affair has taken a near 15-year, involuntary hiatus. Halo: Reach went a long way in sating my desire for airborne multiplayer combat, but it looks like Section 8: Prejudice will go even further toward addressing that desire. Jetpacks abound -- like they did in the original Section 8 -- as do a glut of other variables to turn the objective-focused multiplayer into a rock, paper, scissors playground. But while I was excited by a lot of the gameplay ideas I saw in Prejudice, I was just as concerned about the dated visuals and subdued personality.%Gallery-105937%
Section 8: Prejudice beta lighting up PCs this fall
TimeGate has announced that a multiplayer beta for the PC version of Section 8: Prejudice will launch sometime this fall. The beta will give players their first look at the new features introduced in the sequel and will also show off the "enhanced" Games for Windows Live integration, which includes "streamlined matchmaking and improved server browsing." You can sign up for the beta right now at the official Section 8: Prejudice website. While you wait for that precious invite to hit your inbox, check out some new screens of Prejudice in the gallery below. %Gallery-105435%
Section 8 price cut down to $15 on PlayStation Store
To attract players to the game's recently announced, prejudicial sequel, Timegate has cut the price of Section 8 to $14.99 on the PlayStation Store. We think this is a great move, only because the company didn't cut the price of the 360 version of the game, which is, in a way, kind of prejudiced.
Section 8: Prejudice details and media drop in
Hot on the heels of the announcement of Section 8: Prejudice, the first details surrounding the game are starting to trickle in. According to the latest press release, TimeGate has taken user feedback from the first game and is using it to "drive every single development decision" for the sequel. Prejudice continues the story of Captain Alex Corde of the 8th Armored Infantry and promises a "lengthier" campaign than its predecessor. Multiplayer once again features the ability to spawn anywhere on the map, as well as Dynamic Combat Missions -- objectives that change throughout each multiplayer match. Multiplayer will also include "more than 50 customizable weapons, tools and upgrades." Check out the first screens in the gallery below, plus the trailer after the break.%Gallery-102058%
TimeGate judges Section 8: Prejudice ready for debut, 'early 2011' release
TimeGate Studios has just announced a sequel to its multiplayer-focused 2009 multiplatform FPS, Section 8. Titled Section 8: Prejudice, the game -- destined for yet-unknown platforms, though the original hit PC, 360 and PS3 -- is targeted for an "early 2011" release. Based on the first trailer (which you can find after the break), we're looking at new abilities, locations and weaponry. The title, as the clip's narrator so gruffly puts it, comes from the fact that in the game's universe, wars are being fought based on -- wait for it -- prejudice. In this universe, we do our best to combat prejudice through tolerance, understanding and generally not pre-judging people. We don't need fancy power-armor, though it's admittedly pretty damn cool.
