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Far Cry 3 leaps from stuntmen's resumes
Far Cry 3 has appeared on resumes, nearly three years after it was first mentioned, leading to speculation of an E3 reveal. Internet super-sleuth Superannuation points to several resumes that reference the title. The clearest indications are two stuntmen who've done motion capture work on "Far Cry 3." The last time the sequel popped up on our GPS proximity sensor was back in 2009, when one of the game's writers told OPM UK that the title was in development at Ubi Montreal. It was previously mentioned that the game would keep the African setting, but a lot can happen in three years -- you know, like several core Assassin's Creed games and spin-offs. It's worth noting that Far Cry 2 creative director Clint Hocking – tasked with reinventing the franchise following the Crytek-developed original – left the company a year ago yesterday and landed at LucasArts last August. It's unknown if Hocking was involved with Far Cry 3 at all before his departure, but we'll find out who's in charge of it now soon enough.
Rumor: Atari close to announcing a Neverwinter Nights MMO
If you're getting a strong sense of deja vu at the title up above, we can't blame you -- after all, we've been covering this supposed MMO announcement for a couple years now. However, a pair of recent developments have led us to believe that Atari is on the verge of announcing the long-anticipated Neverwinter Nights MMO. The first piece of concrete news is a brief statement from the recent GenCon Indy, where Critical-Hits.com went to a D&D products seminar and heard the representatives state that Atari has an upcoming D&D video game. Unfortunately, they were unable to obtain any further information about it at the convention. Following up on this statement, Superannuation did a bit of digging and discovered that Atari recently purchased a slew of domain names, including visitneverwinter.com, playneverwinter.com and neverwintergame.com. Add these facts together with the promised announcement of Cryptic's new MMO this summer, and we could be hearing official confirmation of a Neverwinter Nights MMO any day now. Stay tuned!
Age of Booty developer trademarks 'Legend of Booty'
It appears Certain Affinity, creators of Age of Booty, are answering a second call for booty. Trademark groundhog Superannuation has unearthed an application for Legend of Booty. It appears that, despite the nebulous success of Age of Booty after it was released into the holiday fray two years ago, the developer has a certain affinity for making what sounds like a sequel. We've contacted the developer for comment and we're certain that if they have any affinity for giving us information we'll update this post. [Via Superannuation]
A2M trademarks 'Naughty Bear,' no one shocked
Artificial Mind and Movement, better known to those in the gaming world as A2M, seems to be in the business of inappropriate euphemism name mashups. Starting with the company's own name's abbreviation, moving into the recently published Wet, and recently filing a trademark (spotted by Superannuation) for a new game titled "Naughty Bear," it appears as though the developer is on a mission to bring devilish grimaces to the faces of 13-year-old boys everywhere (ours included).Oh, and just in case you were thinking about quickly snatching up the merchandising or film trademarks to such an impressive sounding name, A2M covered its bases and nabbed those too. We do hear that "Sexy Gorilla" might be available, though. [Image credit] [Via Superannuation]
Rockstar's Agent sneaks into 2010 release window
Aside from the game's exclusivity to the PlayStation 3 and the logo you see above, we've seen little else about upcoming '70s espionage game Agent. But while answering some fan questions about next month's GTA IV expansion, The Ballad of Gay Tony, on its forums, Rockstar North mentions that it's "working hard on a lineup of PlayStation 3 releases for 2010 ... including Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and the PlayStation 3 exclusive AGENT." The statement goes on to tease "yet to be announced" titles, possibly lending some credence to Michael Pachter's statements on another GTA game in the not- so-distant future. Considering Rockstar's statements were made in response to queries about GTA IV DLC coming to PS3, we wouldn't be surprised if those "yet to be announced" titles are the result of Microsoft's timed-exclusivity expiring. [Via Superannuation]
EA studio boss would love to revisit Bullfrog IP; EA renews Bullfrog trademarks
In an interview with Kikizo, EA's Bright Light Studio head, Harvey Elliot, mentioned that he would "love" to work on old Bullfrog Productions properties like Populous and Theme Park. Elliot cautiously noted that Bullfrog's classics were "right for their time, and the trick with those games is coming up with what's right for the time now." In other words, he's not entirely keen on "just a 'remake' or something." With a new edition of Bullfrog's Syndicate rumored to be in production at Starbreeze Studios, one might conclude that Harvey isn't the only one at EA looking for "what's right for the time now." And one might conclude even harder when database digger Superannuation finds that Electronic Arts has filed new trademarks for Populous, Theme Park, Wing Commander and Road Rash. Pure speculation? Yes. Highly desirable? Also yes. Source -- Why there's hope for Bullfrog IP returning [Kikizo] Source -- Superannuation
Mortal Kombat team sheds Midway skin for 'WB Games Chicago'
Picked up by Warner Bros. in the auctioning off of Midway Games' assets, the development studio behind the Mortal Kombat franchise has seemingly been re-branded by its new corporate overlords. Superannuation spotted the info in the LinkedIn profile of Connie Gabelein, a human resources employee currently with Warner Bros. and formerly with Midway (and apparently never part of the management that was recently let go from the failed publisher). Ms. Gabelein lists her position as a "recruiter/HR generalist for the WB Game family of studios, which includes Monolith Productions, Surreal Software, Snowblind Studios and WB Games Chicago."Furthermore, former Midway CTO/now "head of WB Games Chicago" Michael Weilbacher's LinkedIn profile seems to corroborate our suspicions. We've contacted Warner Bros. and Midway for comment and will update this post with more information as we get it. Source 1 - SuperannuationSource 2 - LinkedIn Profile of Connie GabeleinSource 3 - LinkedIn Profile of Michael Weilbacher
Three bald, naked guys needed in LA immediately
Do you like your video games with an extra helping of naked, bald dude? It appears as though a game studio in LA will be fulfilling your desires come August 1. Superannuation caught the incredible Craigslist ad that we couldn't help but share with the world, calling for bald men who are willing to "shave all body hair."Specifically, the casting calls for "Caucasian male model/actors for [a] video game shoot," and, in typical video game fashion, needs them in a group of three. Things just get steamier as the description continues, detailing the wardrobe, a "nude-colored thong," and a heads-up that applicants must be comfortable being "posed close to other men." You throw a disco ball and some roller skates into that mix, and you got yourself a party! And no, there is no word on whether or not Mark Wahlberg is involved. Yet.[Via Superannuation]
Microsoft files trademark for '343 Industries'
Here we are, all ready to write up a post speculating on the recent trademark filing by Microsoft of "343 Industries," when we make the mistake of delving into the Halopedia. Sure, we knew that 343 Guilty Spark was a character in the Halo franchise, but did you know that voice actor Tim Dabado played the AI in all three games? It's not just true, it's also incredibly exciting.Fascinating non sequiturs aside, Microsoft's recent trademark filing of "343 Industries" has clearly sparked Halo thoughts in our speculative minds. Could this be a studio founded within Microsoft to work on future Halo titles, as per the various job listings in the past? Considering the group has been listed as one that works on "computer programs, namely, game software for use on computers and video," we're gonna say that's a pretty safe bet. We contacted Microsoft for comment, who said, "We have nothing to announce at this time." [Via Superannuation]
