Swordfish-Studios
Latest
Newegg drops prices on 50 Cent, Metal Slug 7, and more
Thanks to Newegg, you can grab 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand for a price closer than ever to 50 cents. As part of a "blowout" sale, you can pick up 50 for $9.99 on Xbox 360, or $12.99 on PS3 (a paltry 300 Cent more) with free shipping. If that's not the particular style of bullet-ridden gameplay you seek, why not grab Metal Slug 7 on DS for just $9? Or incite real violence in your home with Singstar -- available on its own for $10, or with two microphones for $25, with Volume 2 also down to $10. Many of the other deals are questionable, but they're also cheap. Maybe you didn't care about Beowulf on PSP, but you probably care a little more now that it's $4. And $14 is a much more reasonable price for the chance to enjoy Castlevania Judgment's brutally insane cutscenes and actually kind of enjoyable gameplay. Click the following links to browse the sale by platform. Happy impulse purchasing! DS Wii PS3 PSP Xbox 360
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand sales pale to Bulletproof
50 Cent's latest game, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, hasn't been selling well, apparently. Kotaku reports the title has only managed to sell 1/12th as many copies as the rapper's first joint, 50 Cent: Bulletproof, which has sold nearly 1.2 million copies. The sequel has sold only 56,000 copies as of early April. Despite the fact it has received more critical acclaim than Bulletproof, consumers just don't seem to care about the trials and tribulations of a rapper chasing a crystal skull through the desert. Yeah, we don't get it, either. We just hope the sales turn around. We actually want 50 Cent to make his sequel ... as long as there are plenty more points to be had.
50 Cent wants to 'make' Blood on the Sand sequel, original IP
At Joystiq Headquarters, we're all about bumpin' the latest Fiddy track and tossing around the ol' crystal skull (that's a basketball to you). So it should come as no surprise that we're psyched for the news that avid Joystiq reader 50 Cent is hoping for a sequel to his well-reviewed third-person shooter, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. According to an interview with MTV News, our favorite Vitamin Water investor responds rather positively when asked about the possibility of a sequel, saying, "I'm hoping we'll be able to do it ... with the success of this actual project, we'll try to do it again." Furthermore, though he's stated it before, he's more interested in doing future games that don't revolve around his persona, telling the interviewer, "I'd like to be a part of designing and marketing a video game I'm not actually in." And what of that Saint's Row movie you were optioning, Mr. Cent? "I was trying to option the rights, [but] the more we talk about it, the more expensive it will get," he says. Those "bigass chains" can get expensive, can't they? Hit the break for the full, "actual" video (only for those in the US unfortunately, per MTV.com restrictions -- sorry!).
50 Cent and the interview of the Crystal Skull
So you've read about our man Fiddy's new game and how horribly good it is. You've also read about his newfound love for the 'Stiq. Hell, you even already know he's talking to the folks at THQ about making a Saint's Row film. But he has so much more to talk to you about! For starters, did you know that he's got a Nintendo Wii in his office and a racquetball room with a "bigass projector" (24 feet!) just for gaming? How about the fact that he wants to make games that don't star him? We'd love to tell you more, but you'll just have to check out the entire Q&A transcript after the jump.
50 Cent to start reading Joystiq
Among the variety of topics brought up during 50 Cent's conference call earlier this afternoon, we somehow cajoled the perpetually beefing rapper (that's an industry term, obviously) into giving our fledgling little site a shot. After asking Fiddy (we can call him that -- we're boyz) about his responsibility to his fans regarding the amount of vulgar language employed in his latest game, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, the rapper addressed us personally. Speaking directly to me, he said, "You're from Joystiq.com, right?" To which we responded, "Yup, Ben from Joystiq.com." Now pay really close attention to this next part, 'cause this is where it gets good. "Ben, I'm gonna watch what you write and I'm gonna find yo ass!" Oh my! Come for the interview transcription (which is coming up later today) and stay for your game's review!
Joystiq Review: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
The very best games, the pinnacle of any media, really, are those with an ability to teach us something, however slight, about ourselves. This highest of compliments can be paid to 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. For Fiddy has taught me exactly how much I'm willing to forgive if a game has solid controls, great structure and a few really good ideas. %Gallery-21637%
50 Cent game better than Killzone 2 & Street Fighter IV, says Maxim
GameTrailers.com member GooseGoose has scanned a new issue of Maxim, the leading authority on video games. In it, the reviews crew reveals that the new 50 Cent game barely outdoes Killzone 2. Sony's upcoming FPS is "the hottest girl at the ball," but that can't compare to "a Wanksta-proof gem." Street Fighter IV also falters, lacking "old-school soul." Discuss. [Thanks, Mads K.!]
No coin-cidence: 50 Cent, 50 Cent game to appear on Spike VGAs
Just dying to see new footage of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand? (No, really, are you dying? We'll call for help.) Well, you'll get to peep it in the background as the rapper performs – live and in person – at Spike TV's 2008 Video Game Awards on Sunday, December 14. Those are the VGAs to those in the know. Mr. Cent will be joined (not all at once, mind you) by Weezer, All American Rejects and LL Cool J. "Video games and music are an explosive creative combination," according to Spike TV vice president, Casey Patterson. Sony Picture Studios, the event venue, could not be reached to confirm that it holds adequate creative explosion insurance.
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand trailer: A life lesson
If there's one thing we've learned from watching the latest 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand trailer, it's this: Never, ever cross 50 Cent. From what we can gather, the cascade of death and explosions in the trailer is the result of someone stealing a crystal skull from Fiddy. That's it. So yeah, don't cross 50 Cent. Don't accidentally bump into 50 Cent. Don't cut in line in front of 50 Cent. If someone asks you if you'd like to help steal 50 Cent's crystal skull, you say no. Just add those things to your list of life lessons (you do have one of those, don't you?). On a sidenote, Blood on the Sand looks like it might actually be fun. You might add that to the list as well.Find the trailer after the break.
Brace your face: 50 Cent is back with a new trailer
You know what? We don't even need the game this point. Seriously, we've gotten so much entertainment from the trailers of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand that, come January, Mr. Cent should watch his diamond-encrusted mailbox for a check from us for $60 and a little note that just says, "Thanks." Just in this latest trailer, Fiddy asks where his skull is (spoiler alert, 50: It's in your head), ducks three rockets and forbids someone from calling him by his given name. What's more? He's rapping THE WHOLE TIME. Check it out right after the break.
Codemasters feasts on Swordfish remains
There was apparently enough fat and gristle left on the bones of Swordfish Studios following yesterday's Monumental 50 Cent sale to satisfy Codemasters' appetite. The publisher today announced that it has taken over the developer's Birmingham studio, which will still be managed by Swordfish founder, Trevor Williams.Nothing has been announced detailing what the studio is or will be working on for the Codies. However, a press release announcing the acquisition notes that the developer will focus on "original content" using the EGO Engine popularized by both GRID and DiRT. We hope that our wish for a 50 Cent racing game will finally come true.
THQ gets 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
We so totally didn't see this coming. THQ has snapped up the publishing rights to 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. You know, the video game adaptation of the hip hop icon's legendary quest to regain stolen treasure in the Middle East alongside the G-Unit. Hey, say what you will – THQ's VP of global brand management, Brad Carraway, calls it, "the ultimate package for gamers and hip hop fans alike," not people who like relevant and/or good plots. Mr. Cent himself seems particularly pleased that his game will finally see release after being dropped by Activision Blizzard. Because now he can fulfill your fantasy ... you know the one. Where you, as The Half-Dollar Man says, "maybe even join me or one of the G-Unit online." Early 2009 can't come soon enough.
BBFC: Seriously, THQ is publishing 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
Last week, Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification breathed new life into a rumor that 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, which many had believed to be a casualty in the Activision-Vivendi merger, had found a new publisher in THQ -- info made public when the OFLC stamped the game with an MA 15+ rating. A few days ago, the rumor seemed to become concrete -- the British Board of Film Classification has assigned Fiddy an "18" rating, also attributing the game to THQ. While it now seems like incontrovertible fact that Blood on the Sand is still quite alive and well, THQ recently told British gaming news site MCV that they could not comment on "the rumour" -- either a testament to THQ's bizarre hype-building practices, or to the unfathomable excellence of the resurrected game.
OFLC: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand being published by THQ
Australia's high-strung ratings board, the OFLC, notes that 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand will be published by THQ -- at least in that region. The game received an "MA 15+" rating last Friday. Holla atcha boy if you happy it ain't banned. The 50 Cent sequel had previously been dropped by Activision during its merger with Vivendi, which caused rumors to spring up that the game had died. But much lite Fitty getting shot, Developer Swordfish Studios got back up and announced that the game was still in development and trying to make a holiday release. THQ was previously speculated to be a publisher for the game, but the OFLC rating is the first piece of evidence of that claim's validity. Source - THQ picks up 50 Cent game (GI.biz) Source - 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand is Dead, Dead, Dead [update] (Kotaku) %Gallery-21637%
Swordfish Studio 'sources' deny 50 Cent game canceled
Swordfish Studio "sources" tell GI.biz that the rumor of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand's cancellation is not true. The site reports "sources close" to the studio say the game is currently having its bugs fixed, and that it is still expected to release this holiday. GI.biz goes on to note that the "studio is confident of a secure future in the industry." We'll have to wait and see if that future lies with Activision-Blizzard, though, as the publisher is still reviewing the status of several Sierra/Vivendi properties. Source - 50 Cent Blood on the Sand is Dead, Dead, Dead (Kotaku) Source - 50 Cent not canceled, despite rumors (GI.biz) %Gallery-21637%
Activision Blizzard still 'reviewing' fate of Ghostbusters, 50 Cent
It seems Activision Blizzard is still uncertain as to who it's gonna call -- to publish ectoplasmic epic Ghostbusters. Speaking to MCV, the newly melded megapublisher was still hesitant to divulge the "absolutely not cancelled" game's fate, along with the fate of fellow Vivendi leftovers like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. In the wake of Vivendi UK's closure, Activision Blizzard's general manager for the region, Andrew Brown, pointed out that while "Crash, Spyro and Prototype will definitely be released this and next year," the company was still in the midst of "reviewing its options regarding titles that it will not be publishing." Sound familiar? If the games are found unsuitable for Activision's immense sequel conveyer belt, it's likely that they'll be shipped off to more eager publishers. Still, aren't you utterly relieved to learn that Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon are just fine? We were worried there for a second.
Activision Blizzard staff layoffs may nix WoW mobile
Previously we reported that a mobile version of WoW was being seriously considered at Blizzard. However, with the finalization of the Activision Blizzard merger, the odds of being able to play WoW on your iPhone just got a lot lower. The newly-merged company is laying off 53 employees in the Issaquah, Washington area by September 27, 2008. Additionally, they are evaluating whether they will keep Vivendi Games Mobile, an arm of the company which develops games for the various mobile markets, like phones. If Activision Blizzard does decide to divest themselves of VGM, you can probalby kiss your hopes for WoW mobile goodbye since the synergy and cost-effectiveness of having the mobile developers under the same roof will disappear. I'm not saying that the WoW developers aren't beyond creating their own mobile infrastructure, or even paying higher prices for it to an external company, but it will be much less likely if they don't have the luxury of teaming with folks who all report up the through same corporate food chain. Among the other companies which Activision Blizzard says are eligible for the chopping block are Sierra Online, Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios, with staffing "realignments" likely at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios -- the loss of any of which will likely have no effect on WoW development, but may affect other games. Activision has announced that a few highly-anticipated titles are on the bubble, including Ghostusters and Double Fine's Brutal Legend among others. I sure hope they don't mess with Double Fine, since I am a huge Tim Schafer fan, but the upside is that it looks like the new company will have an even stronger focus on keeping their cash cow, WoW, healthy and grazing in the pasture for a long while to come.
Blizzavision keeps Crash, Spyro, Ice Age, Prototype; loses Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, and more
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Blizzavision_keeps_Crash_Spyro_etc_loses_Brutal_Legend'; One of the major outstanding questions surrounding the Activision Blizzard merger was: "What the hell is going to happen to Vivendi's other video game division, Sierra?" The new super-publisher announced it will be keeping five of Sierra's franchises total: Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro, the still-in-development Prototype, and another as-yet-unannounced title. We're currently looking into the fate of Sierra's other publishing arrangements: Tim Schafer's Brütal Legend (oh, Brütal Legend, we're so sorry!), Ghostbusters: The Video Game, WET, and Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. Activision Blizzard is also reviewing Sierra's other properties that they will not be publishing: think Bourne, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, World in Conflict, et al. Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith says, "We are reviewing our options regarding those titles that we will not be publishing." Those games won't be published by Blizzavision because they're not "a strong fit with [Activision Blizzard's] long-term product strategy." No word on the fate of Sierra's classic adventure games like King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, etc. As for the status of Sierra's in-house developers, Blizzavision will "realign staffing at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios" – the developers of Prototype and The Bourne Conspiracy respectively – while "exploring options regarding Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios" – the devs behind World in Conflict and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, respectively. Those "options" include "the possibility of divestiture." Also potentially up for sale: Vivendi Games Mobile and Sierra Online, the latter notably responsible for a large amount of XBLA and PSN games. More on this story as it inevitably unfolds.
Blood on the Sand: the Burnout of shooters
In an interview with Xbox World 360 magazine (as reported by OXM UK), the producer of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, Julian Waddows, stated that he hopes Fiddy's new game will do for shooters what Burnout did for the racing genre. He adds further that he wants the game to do, "What Diablo did for RPGs. We wanted to take all that makes the genre fun and exaggerate it." An over-the-top, exaggerated shooter? Oh no, that's never been done before. Seriously though, we kid Blood on the Sand. After all, we certainly wouldn't wish any game to be bad. In theory, there's nothing wrong with Waddows hopes. We just hope that his hopes come to fruition. Otherwise, we'll probably just lose hope altogether. Editor's note: Since we're on the subject, let's get someone started on porting Diablo II to XBLA, mkay?
Fiddy's friend says Blood on the Sand "as good as Gears of War"
This should allay everyone's fears about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. According to TeamXbox, a member of 50 Cent's G-Unit crew, Tony Yayo, has been quoted as saying that Blood on the Sand is "looking as good as Gears of War." Lofty words to be sure. Of course, given the source, we're a little skeptical. Fortunately, Yayo doesn't seem to be the only one impressed with the game, as TeamXbox also reports that Epic's own Mark Rein told CVG he was "blown away" by the game last year. In fact, even our own Terrence Stasse managed to enjoy the game during a recent Sierra event. Who knows, maybe Blood on the Sand will make us all forget about Bulletproof (or die tryin').
