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Factor 5 shuts down US operations
Factor 5 officially announced the closure of its US operations recently, concluding a story that feels like it's been just out of reach for half a year. The developer had been having some rough times since the poignant failure of Lair. Following that, there was its falling out with Brash Entertainment (which led to layoffs), leaks of the Superman and Kid Icarus games, and, obviously, the closure of the studio.The bright side on this really dark tale is that Achim Moller, CEO of Factor 5 Germany, states the company has "partnered with both old and new friends in the industry who will reveal our upcoming projects over the next months." With E3 visible in the smog-filled distance, perhaps we'll learn what the German-based developer is up to soon.[Via Kotaku, Siliconera]
An unreleased Superman NES game for your enjoyment
This post is a little bit of a history lesson, but at the end you get to play a game, so stick with us. A few years ago, an unreleased Sunsoft game, called Sunman, was uncovered -- and it was pretty clearly a re-purposed Superman game. Now, an even earlier version of that same game (which actually features the Man of Steel!) has been discovered and made available for your perusal.The gameplay is so-so, but there's an absolutely gorgeous version of John Williams' Superman theme that we just adore. It's worth it for the music alone, trust us.
Alleged screens and video from Factor 5's canned Superman game
Some footage and screens from Factor 5's Superman project have managed to make their way online, courtesy of Unseen64. While we would've liked to have seen some actual gameplay, sadly the only items on offer are a brief CG trailer (past the break) and some screens. We'd offer our opinion on it all one way or the other, but all of this media seems to be from really early in the game's development -- who knows which way the title was headed?Well, in the opposite direction of Superman 64 would have been nice.%Gallery-47397%[Via IGN]
Joystiq interview: Wes Yanagi on creating DC Universe Online
UPDATED: We've updated a few interview answers with clarifications from Wes Yanagi after the break.While there's been a lot press coverage on DC Universe Online, a variety of topics have emerged that we felt needed some solid "yes" and "no" answers: Will there be cross-platform play between the PS3 and PC versions? Is the game really coming out as early as "late 2009 / early 2010?" If we create a character with stretchy appendages, can we stretch everything?Yesterday, we put the questions to DCUO senior producer Wes Yanagi during a hands-on with pre-alpha code -- the same code playable on the show floor at this weekend's New York Comic Con, in case you're wondering. He debriefed us on the current situation regarding cross-platform play, character customization and a whole slew of other interesting stuff -- including how his current gaming (Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics) is affecting the development process.We'd like to give you an audio option but, unfortunately, the recording conditions of the room were less than ideal. Hit the break for the whole thing in text form. %Gallery-43826%
Factor 5 dev blogs about canceled title, later deletes post
Nearly every company in the video game industry has taken a hit during this economic fiasco -- though we've seen a few cases where the full brunt of the recession has come down on certain developers and publishers. Factor 5, creator of the wildly criticized Lair, appeared to be the latest company to suffer under the credit crunch -- one of its employees, Sam Baker (who blogs under the moniker MISTASAM), recently posted about "financial issues" which kept his fellow developers from receiving payment and health care benefits, and ultimately led the company to "stop production" on a project he'd been working on for eight months.However, this post (cached version), as well as every other post on Baker's blog, disappeared quickly after its publication, and was replaced by a brief correction. In this follow-up post, Baker explains that the closure of Brash Entertainment, whom Factor 5 was working with on what was rumored to be a new Superman title, had caused the economic distress. Baker adds that whatever game Factor 5 was developing for Brash is still alive and well (and was never "in trouble"), and that the rest of the studio's projects are "doing great".This second post is confusing and somewhat contradictive, to say the least. While the erasure of Baker's entire blog certainly gives off an air of impropriety, we can't be certain of what exactly is going on at Factor 5. With the inital post mentioning employee layoffs, we certainly hope the cheery exposition of the second post proves accurate -- not just because of our concern for our fellow man, but because we really want a new Rogue Squadron game.
Factor 5 speaks out on 'Superman' game
Last week's closure of Brash Entertainment left a number of unanswered questions lingering, and as thrilled as we are that Saw is still set to get its game on, we're more curious to find out if Superman survived the publisher's swift implosion. The Man of Steel was allegedly the subject of a deal between Brash and Factor 5 earlier this year, and MTV Multiplayer recently caught up with the Lair developer's president, Julian Eggebrecht, to find out more.While the exec admitted that Factor 5 is working on "several" multi-platform and Wii-specific titles, he stopped just short of admitting that the studio is developing a game based on Superman. "One of our large-scale multi-platform projects was started with Brash because it is a dream property for us, hasn't been given its dues in gaming since the Atari 2600, and has a huge universe to draw from," teased Eggebrecht, who added that "things are obviously in flux and we hope that the game proves to be as indestructible as our hero..."Though still unconfirmed, it seems fairly obvious that Factor 5 has its sights set on the son of Jor-El. We just hope that there's something left of him after his current cross-universe beatdown.
Brash layoffs result from 'tough economic landscape' [update]
Several weeks after another Brash Entertainment co-founder bolted and CEO Mitch Davis admitted his company had been "overly ambitious" in its first year, the publisher of really bad movie-based games has laid out a new "strategic cost reduction plan." Uh-oh, that sounds like ... you've got it: Layoffs. The company will axe 20 members of its staff and do away with several positions in the short term, reports GameDaily. The good news? Six Flags Fun Park for Wii and SAW are still on! Phew.Read Brash's official statement after the break.Update: Variety reports Brash has also stopped paying its developers and is attempting to "return" or sell off many of its licensed properties. Currently in limbo: Tale of Desperaux, Prison Break, Night at the Museum 2, Clash of the Titans, 300, and an announced Superman game (allegedly to be developed by Factor 5).
AGDC: The DC Universe Online team spills some beans
The Art of the DC Universe Online panel was overshadowed by the presence of artist Jim Lee, who fielded most of the questions about the design elements that are going into this game (as it's based on his visual style). We managed to learn some new elements about the game, including the special "inspired by" mode they've added to character creation.The panel consisted of art director Jared Carr, Jim Lee, lead character artist Jason Smith, and creative director Jens Anderson. Check out all the zap!, pow!, and bam! highlights after the break.
DC Universe Online interview with Executive Producer John Blakely
Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) upcoming MMO DC Universe Online (DCUO) was well-received at Comic-Con '08 and has the potential of connecting with gamers and comic fans on a whole new level -- allowing them to play alongside the heroes they grew up with in comic books and cartoons. Christian Donlan from Eurogamer has an interview with John Blakely, VP of Development at SOE Austin and Executive Producer of DCUO, from the 2008 Fan Faire in Las Vegas. Eurogamer spoke with Blakely about keeping underperforming titles alive, remaining flexible in terms of DC Universe Online's vision vs. its evolution over time, and the fan reception to DCUO at Comic-Con '08. The interview touches on the choice to bar gamers from playing established heroes in the DC Universe like Batman and DCUO's payment model as well.
Bury the Shovelware: Superman Returns
Opinion leadership. It's quite a scary concept. When planning the waves of advertisement for a product, marketers will implement what they describe as "opinion leaders": those who are viewed with respect by the potential market and will help persuade "lower-level consumers" to purchase their product. In other words, we're too stupid to know what we want and so they're going to pay someone we think is legitimate to tell us what we like. I wouldn't dare point fingers, but perhaps you've seen this before: a large gaming news source suddenly seems to be hot for a certain upcoming game. (Don't look at us.) As discomforting as this sounds, it's actually a very common and natural occurrence. Certainly we've all been persuaded by friends, family, and respectable gaming news sources. Additionally, the influence isn't restricted towards the positive. Indeed, in the wake of anti-French sentiments and boycotts following France's denouncement of the Iraq war, French's Mustard (unrelated to the country) felt the need to release a press statement assuring consumers that "the only thing French about French's Mustard is the name." As you can see, unrelated negativity can percolate into that which is only similar in the letters used to identify it. Superman for the N64 -- commonly referred to as Superman 64 -- is widely regarded as one of the worst games of all-time. So when I discovered Superman Returns for the DS floating around the very bottom of the system's metascores, I was truly puzzled. "Could they really have messed up Superman this bad twice?" Read on to find out.
Comic-Con 08: Hands-on with DC Universe Online
Two weeks ago at E3, the Massively staff had their first glimpse of DC Universe Online gameplay footage. Developers showing the trailer promised players could play equally well whether on a PC or PS3, engage in battles unlike any before and push the limits of the Unreal physics engine that is the technological base of the game. After getting my hands on a pre-Alpha build of the game this week at Comic-con, I can tell you one thing for sure: this game delivers on its promises.I've rarely had so much fun playing an MMO in such an early stage of development. Running up the sides of skyscrapers at superspeed, picking up city buses and smashing them into enemies, encasing the bad guys in blocks of ice and punting them two city blocks, the list goes on. These activities not only make the player feel truly heroic, but create an environment where players can coordinate their attacks with each other to defeat supervillains in all new and unexpected ways.
MK vs. DC to have 20+ characters, download support
Even cynics like us have to admit at least a passing curiosity with the nerd orgasm that is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and its cross-universe roster. Earlier today we approached the game's production coordinator, Hector Sanchez, and while he would not let us in on the game's complete lineup, he admitted that the team is looking to feature between 20 to 25 characters, "split up evenly half and half, and then split up again between heroes and villains."Additionally, while talking about possible alternate costumes or other unlockables, Sanchez told us that the team is "planning to support downloadable content," before stopping short and saying he "was going to say something" but couldn't. Downloadable characters seems the obvious source of his pursed lips, making us continue wondering what comic book icons will be further ground beneath the heel of Midway's floundering franchise.
Midway at E3: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Scorpion vs. Batman. Catwoman vs. Subzero. These aren't exactly matchups players have always dreamed of, but Midway is going to do their best to cram two disparate universes into one with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the very first Mortal Kombat game on the next-gen systems. Here at E3, Joystiq got to sit down with Brian Lebaron, senior designer for the game, and we talked about why it's OK to set the Flash on fire, why Bizarro probably won't be in the game, and what Midway is doing to Toasty uppercut the fighting genre. After the break, find our hands on with the game, as well as details from our chat with Lebaron. When MK vs. DC comes out, you'll finally be able to find out whether Liu Kang's kicks can catch the Flash in the jaw.
E308: Jim Lee talks about DC Universe Online at Sony's press conference
Jim Lee has just appeared on the stage at Sony's press conference here at E3 to talk about Sony Online's upcoming DC Universe Online title. He kicked off his presentation by doing a one-handed pushup (the press conference is going down on the same state that Jack Palance did his famous pushup on), and it only got more exciting from there.Lee told the audience that that creating the MMO based around the DC Comics universe is a dream for him -- not only did he grow up reading comics, but he's also a big Everquest fan -- he was the first Paladin to get a Firey Avenger. He also said that the game will allow players to create their own superhero and/or supervillian, and then fight alongside some of DC's finest -- against the Joker with Batman, or pull a Bane and help all the bad guys break out of Arkham.Lee also showed off a bit of art from the game, featuring Batman (seen above), Superman, and the Green Lantern taking out baddies in a colorful landscape. We'll keep an eye out for more DCUO info when we speak with Sony later today. Hungry for more DCUO news? Massively got the scoop at E3 from Creative Director Chris Cao, SOE-Austin VP of development John Blakely, and Executive Creative Director for the project, Jim Lee. Check out the roundup of all the DCUO coverage from E3 including interviews, screenshots, a full breakdown of the trailer and analysis of DCUO's role on the console. Plus, don't miss the rest of our E3 coverage!
DC Universe Online details emerge
Sony Online Entertainment's highly-anticipated DC Universe Online just got a whole lot cooler. In this month's Edge magazine, executive creative director Jim Lee reveals some new information on the super hero MMO that is due out sometime next year.This game is described by Lee as a "kick-ass hybrid between a traditional MMO and a first-person action console game". Character creation promises to be diverse, and all of the expected MMO features are listed: character leveling, PvP arenas, raids, shared environments as well as instanced zones. While you may not be able to actually play as Superman or Batman, you will be able to meet them in game, and even battle them if you're playing the villain. Not only that, the first two large shared environments that are revealed so far include Metropolis and Gotham City.
Ed Boon clarifies Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe fatalities
In a brief interview with Gamespot, Midway's Ed Boon has (once again) discussed the return of fatalities in upcoming cross-brand brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The infamous finishing moves will be performed by all Mortal Kombatants and DC Comics villains, but not by any of DC's untarnished heroes. You know, the ones "who don't kill that often." Instead, nicer folks like The Flash will have "brutalities," moves which inflict pain upon the recipients without totally murdering them.Of course, don't expect the levels of violence and depravity to be quite up there (down there?) with previous Mortal Kombat games, as Ed Boon mentions that this Unreal-powered showdown is still pushing a slightly Tamer boundary. "Certain animations, blood effects, and sound effects that we have in the game are really pushing the T-rating envelope," he said. We're sure gore hounds will find this worthy of debate, but we're more concerned about everything that happens before the fatality. Let's hope E3 grants us the opportunity to beat the snot out of that smug Superman.%Gallery-23376%
Midway shows off Superman in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
The official website for Midway's Unreal-powered, cross-dimensional brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, has posted the first shot of what appears to be Superman's 3D model. As you can see, the developers have managed to capture the Kryptonian's chiseled features, indestructible physique and patriotic pose quite well. So well, in fact, that we're left feeling a little sorry for the mere mortal kombatants.%Gallery-23376%
Paragon City: All But Child-Free
There seem to be two children in all of Paragon City, and their names are Penny and Jimmy Preston. If you don't already know Penny, she's a mutant 'store' contact in Founder's Falls. Okay, there aren't any schools for kids to go to, even if one of the Westin Phipps villain missions does have you destroying a shipment of schoolbooks. But what strange side-effect of the Rikti Invasion has apparently concealed all of Paragon's other children from view?Super-powered kids are a comic book staple. The Marvel Power Pack is the best known, but super children have been showing up in comics ever since the infant Kal-El revealed his Kryptonian nature. So why aren't there any in Paragon, except for the Prestons? (Baby New Year doesn't count. That bizarre little anthropomorphic personification is a law unto himself.)
You ask, Cryptic answers: Non-combat skills
There are many reasons why Cryptic Studios is awesome, one of those reasons is for letting us all live out our superhero fantasies -- the other is because of how involved they are with the community. When other developers are eschewing the very medium which subscribers and fans can get intimate with developers -- Cryptic is doing everything they can to make great use of it.Recently, forum posters on the official Champions Online boards where given a stickied thread where they could hurl as many questions as they wanted at Cryptic. After the proper amount of question firing was complete (probably somewhere around or beyond the 100 range) select few questions were answered in length and the entire thing was posted to the main page on the official CO website. It's all very exciting!
TurpsterVision: An Episode of Great Impotence
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)It's that time of the week again folks! For some people out there they have been going through withdraw symptoms since my absence on this week's WoW Insider Show. Have no fear, for Super Turpster is here! I have tried to make it up to you guys, even though my schedule is whooping my butt. Thanks to all the folks from last week who voted Bard, you all win a "Turpster-Patented-Internet-High-Five".I find it very tough in this job to ever be fair to an MMO; I only get a week to play it and produce the review. It's always tough to get a sense of how fantastic it is past the starting zone. That in mind, I do urge all of you out there to try every MMO you can get your hands on. There is so much more out there than just World of Warcraft (Blasphemy I hear you scream!) Then again on Massively I feel like I am preaching to the choir!Enjoy the show this week; it was a close shave getting it up in time...in more ways than one! (Join us after the break to find out if Turpster is really allowed to make such horrid innuendo.)
