Jason Dobson
Articles by Jason Dobson
Elite II, LostWinds dev Frontier joins ELSPA
The UK-based Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, or ELSPA for short, has a new face on board. Seasoned game designer David Braben and his crack team of devs at Frontier Developments have joined the trade body, no doubt wooed by the organization's rumored regular meetings to play Twister.Braben wowed early gamers with his influential space sim, Elite, as well as its 1993 sequel, Frontier. Braben's latest release strayed far from his roots, however, in last year's WiiWare platformer, LostWinds. In joining the ELSPA, Braben says he hopes to help the organization deal with such issues as piracy, ratings and used game sales "swiftly and efficiently." Still, given that the studio's current project, The Outsider, was first announced in 2006, and we're still waiting on Elite IV, we're not convinced speed is how Braben and company roll.
SouthPeak sees revenue surge on 'post-holiday demand'
Hey, SouthPeak, we're in a recession, didn't you hear? The publisher again pocketed an impressive wad of cash, reporting $13.5 million in revenue during its fiscal third quarter, up more than $2 million over the same time the previous year. According to Gamasutra, the company cited "post-holiday consumer demand" and recent releases like Big Bang Mini and X-Blades as key factors in the outfit's financial buoyancy.With 711,000 units of software flying out the door during the quarter, it's no wonder the company is making plans for the future. The report notes that SouthPeak has more than 60 games in the works, with over $14 million currently invested in development of new titles and IP. Perhaps we can finally quit pointing and laughing as the publisher of Gamecock cast-offs Legendary and Velvet Assassin rolls up to the bank. Clearly some gamers' spirits are more resilient than others.
Ghostbusters dev targeting more Infernal Engine licensees this year
Terminal Reality hopes other developers ain't afraid of licensing the studio's Infernal Engine to use on future projects. In fact, the Ghostbusters dev's VP of sales and marketing, Joe Kreiner, tells GI.biz that his goal is to secure "at least another half a dozen to a dozen within the next year, at minimum." An attainable goal, according to Kreiner, which if achieved would put the number of customers in Terminal Reality's containment unit somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve since the middleware first opened up to developers in February.Rather than a short-term solution, Kreiner further notes that the Infernal Engine was designed to work across multiple CPUs and SPUs, something the marketing chief believes "future-proofs" the tech for use on later console platforms down the line. In the short term, however, he adds that Ghostbusters shows off the engine "really well." Hopefully other studios will come calling now that the game's publisher merry-go-round has (hopefully) stopped ahead of the title's anticipated June launch.
Red Faction: Guerrilla getting multiplayer demo May 21
The recent single-player demo for Red Faction: Guerrilla has been downloaded more than a million times already. Still, assuming you're tired of swinging sledgehammers in a vacuum, Volition and THQ will release a multiplayer demo over Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network on May 21.The demo will highlight the game's "Damage Control" mode, as players work to build and rebuild key structures on a pair of included maps, using an assortment of nine weapons and five backpacks. 15 unlockable experience levels will also be included -- useful with Red Faction: Guerrilla set to ship on June 2 and ostrich hunting season just around the corner.[Via Console Monster]
THQ getting physical with MX vs. ATV Reflex
A racing redefinition with revolutionary rhythm racing physics. That alliterative nightmare was brought to you by MX vs. ATV Reflex, THQ's newest racer from Rainbow Studios and just the latest to make us swallow our tongues. Set to peel off the starting blocks this holiday season, the game is currently in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP and DS.The series' fourth entry since 2005's MX vs. ATV Unleashed, Reflex will boast real-time terrain deformation and a new "dual-stick" control scheme that "separates man from machine." Additionally, THQ notes that the off-road sequel will introduce a new Rhythm Racing physics engine. But don't be fooled like we were. Sadly, the tech is named for getting players into the "rhythm of a race" rather than any sort of mid-race musical throw down.
LucasArts details The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
It's true, last week's peek at Krome Studios' upcoming take on Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars left our midichlorian count at an all-time low. Now publisher LucasArts has made things official, laying out what we can expect from The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes.The game, which will force grip retail shelves on September 15, will feature "run-and-gun" gameplay and 30 different missions, each plucked from "key" events in the animated series' debut run. Republic Heroes will also support two-player online and offline co-op, as well as the ability to drop in and out of multiplayer matches "seamlessly."Lastly, LucasArts adds that its Singapore branch is handling on the DS version of the game, something we already suspected. Now, with our force powers slightly charged, we're going to see if we can lift our expectations out of the Dagobah swamp. %Gallery-63185%%Gallery-63184%
NHL 10 to feature first-person fighting, gameplay 'refinements'
Players will be close enough to count an opponent's missing teeth when skaters square off to settle things with their fists in NHL 10. Electronic Arts announced that the game will shift the perspective from the third- to first-person during fights as players clobber each other in the forthcoming annual update. The change is among 200 "refinements" EA promises, including glass-banging crowds, a new board physics engine and scraps after the whistle. Additionally, EA adds that enforcers will now step in to throw down to protect skill players in a fight, meaning even virtual versions of Crosby or Sakic can breathe easy knowing someone's got their back. %Gallery-63371%
WSJ: Microsoft prepping Xbox 360 motion control camera
Rumors of Microsoft's intent to ride on Nintendo's motion-sensitive coattails are nothing new, and while nothing has been announced, the Wall Street Journal suggests that a new motion-detecting camera from Microsoft could be unveiled as early as next month's E3.Citing unnamed sources reportedly close to the project, the rumored camera captures a player's body motion and translates it onto the screen. The functionality reads more like the EyeToy than the Wii, though the WSJ's sources say that the rumored peripheral will offer "more accurate control over games" than other cameras. Microsoft was said to be in talks to purchase 3D camera company 3DV earlier this year, tech the sources say is behind the camera. Whatever the case, the camera, if true, is likely a ways off, with the WSJ's sources further noting that the device won't see the light of retail until sometime next year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
EA officially details Spore Hero, Spore Hero Arena
Electronic Arts has elaborated on what playing Spore will be like once the primordial goo takes shape on the Wii and DS later this year. The Wii's motion-sensitive Spore Hero will play out as a story-based action game, as players save their planet from being blown to bits while collecting more than 250 creature parts. EA also notes that this take on 2008's evolutionary experiment will feature a new version of Spore Creature Creator, one that's been "enhanced" for the Wii. We expect minigames are somehow involved.For would-be gods on the go, Spore Hero Arena instead will focus more on combat. Here, creatures travel between planets to slug it out to become the champ and collect spoils, which, in this case, are special abilities to give a creature enough of an added boost and inflated ego to take on the next rival evolutionary misfit. Spore Hero Arena will also support local multiplayer battles for up to three players, or allow two players' creations to go up against each other over Wi-Fi. Neither Spore Hero nor Spore Hero Arena have been given an exact release date yet, with both expected to evolve onto store shelves sometime this fall.%Gallery-63231%%Gallery-63232%
Jerry Bruckheimer Games explodes onto scene, Halo 3 exec on board
MTV and Hollywood movie baron Jerry Bruckheimer made their union official this morning, lifting the 17-month shroud of secrecy off their joint venture, oh-so-creatively dubbed Jerry Bruckheimer Games. The new studio will be steered by former Microsoft exec and Halo 3 executive producer, Jim Veevaert, as the company's president of production. Veevaert will share the wheel with Jay Cohen, who joined the studio in March, his role now revealed as the company's president of development.What Cohen and company will be developing exactly, however, remains a mystery, with the studio saying only that it will create original IPs that "convey and reflect the high standards of entertainment value set by Jerry Bruckheimer." For fans of shaky cams and explosions, one thing's for certain -- finally there's a studio out there with your best interests at heart.
Capcom inks soundtrack deal over Bionic Commando, more
With a great mechanical appendage, Capcom has reached out and penned a deal with game soundtrack engine Sumthing Else Music Works to bring music from Bionic Commando, as well as other titles, to CDs, Sumthing's own digital distribution channel, Sumthing Digital, and iTunes.In addition to the king of swing, the agreement will find six other titles from Capcom's catalog getting the soundtrack treatment, including recent releases like Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5 and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, as well as upcoming games such as Dark Void, Spyborgs and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. No release dates for any of the soundtracks have been released. However, given that we're unable to get the catchy tunes heard while swinging through Bionic Commando's recent demo out of our heads, that's one we'll certainly be keeping an ear out for soon.
Blizzard tops list of 2008's 'most successful' game devs
The game industry's annual popularity contest has begun making the rounds, and among game developers in 2008 there was none more in vogue than Activision stepchild Blizzard. According to Develop 100, a list of "the world's most successful games developers," the dev WoW-ed its peers from atop a mountain of money with more than a billion dollars in revenue each year from retail and online sales. Other notables on the list include 2007's top company, Nintendo, which was forced to settle for second, followed by GTA's Rockstar North in third. LEGO everything manufacturer Traveller's Tales ranked 12th on the list, while LittleBigPlanet's Media Molecule came in at a respectable 18th, the highest among indie UK studios. The complete list can be found on the official Develop 100 website. Check it out, and let us know if your personal favorites made the cut.
Dead Space 2 development reconfirmed by LinkedIn profile
You might want to sit down for this (you look tired). Judging by an update to Electronic Arts' Pratik Patel's LinkedIn page, work on Dead Space 2 is already underway. The engineering guru updated the page to include his role on the still as-yet-unannounced sequel, on which he is serving as the game's technical/development director. Hardly shocking, we know. Like a necromorph's limbs, any real doubt of Dead Space getting a sophomore outing was severed with EA's own Frank Gibeau and Glenn Schofield admitting as much just days after the original's release. Nothing else is yet known, though with E3 just around the corner and Dead Space Extraction dismembering Wii shelves later this year, we don't expect to be retiring our trusty plasma cutter any time soon.[Via Supererogatory]
Space Invaders father Nishikado calls today's games improved, recycled
Games have come a long way since joystick jockeys first spent hours dropping quarters into Space Invaders. Now on the heels of Space Invaders Extreme's XBLA debut, series' creator Tomohiro Nishikado has spoken out on the state of games today, observing that originality has suffered despite advances in technology."I think the focus on unique concepts and gameplay has waned with the evolution of technology," commented Nishikado in a recent interview. While the iconic game designer praised new tech for allowing developers to create most anything they can imagine, he called out the industry for churning out "replicated gameplay formats and concepts," adding that "people are growing tired of playing the same thing." We'd be hard pressed to argue the point, though with games like Noby Noby Boy and Rhythm Heaven (a game Nishikado calls "excellent"), we still think there is a spark of originality out there. What about you?
Obscure: The Aftermath coming to PSP
Horror is difficult to get across on a portable. After all, if things get too unnerving, you simply toss the system aside and breathe easy. That said, Playlogic is the latest to try its hand at fright on the go, announcing plans to again port Obscure: The Aftermath to yet another platform -- the PSP.Set to ship in North America this September, the sequel to 2005's Obscure looks to offer much of the same B-movie shock value as it has on other platforms, just on a smaller screen. Still, our previous time with the teen horror romp was more annoying than scary, and we doubt being able to play it while waiting for the bus will be enough to make our hair stand on end.[Thanks, David]
Jeff Bell gets a new job as DOmedia chairman
When marketing superman Jeff Bell parted with Microsoft last year to pursue his "life's passion," many of us just assumed he would turn up one day on a kiwi farm evangelizing brand strategy for delicious, edible berries. Boy, were we ever off. Bell has instead resurfaced as the chairman of online marketplace DOmedia, an outfit that professes to link up buyers and sellers of "out-of-home and alternative advertising media."Now, we won't pretend to know exactly what all of that means, though a press release announcing his new position says Bell is expected to help DOmedia grow as he "oversees the overall strategic direction for the company." It all sounds very involved; leaving little time for Bell's other lifelong passion: rocking out to Rush's "Tom Sawyer" like nobody's business.
Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad announced
We're as tired as anyone of our seemingly never-ending tour of duty in the Great War, Part Deux. Still, given the unconventional road Red Orchestra has traveled we're just a teensy bit curious what developer Tripwire Interactive has tucked inside its pit helmet. The Georgia-based studio has officially made known Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad, the sequel to 2006's Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, itself based on the company's celebrated Unreal Tournament 2004 mod, Red Orchestra: Combined Arms. And, breathe.Heroes of Stalingrad will again find players seeking shelter in gun-pits as bullets fly between German and Soviet forces, this time during the historic and bloody Battle of Stalingrad. Setting expectations, Tripwire promises "gritty, vicious combat" and "unrivaled accuracy and attention to detail." While there will of course be multiplayer, the dev also notes players will lace up in the boots of a German soldier as part of a solo campaign told from the Axis point-of-view, something Tripwire claims as a "first" for the FPS genre. No release date has been announced, though armchair soldiers can find out more in the pages of May's PC Gamer.
Report: Jason Rubin's Iron and the Maiden sued by ... Iron Maiden [UPDATE]
When former Naughty Dog chief Jason Rubin rolled out of bed this morning, we imagine he had a lot on his mind: What cereal to eat, what paper to read, and, oh yeah, how best to deal with lawyers representing Iron Maiden. According to online rag TMZ, the aging metal band has filed suit against Rubin's comic book company, Iron and the Maiden LLC, for what the site describes as using a "confusingly similar" name. We admit we were befuddled at first too; after all, who knew that Iron Maiden was even still around?Rubin, who has not yet responded to Joystiq's inquiry on the matter, is best recognized in gaming circles as the face behind Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter. Lately, however, his energies have been spent elsewhere after leaving game development in 2004 for social media, comics and the greener pastures of Web 2.0. Still, judging by Iron Maiden's catalog of album covers, we're not sure how any of this could have prepared him for facing down a gang of haggard rockers and what we imagine to be a throng of undead legal counsel. Update: A spokesperson representing both Jason Rubin and his companies, Iron and the Maiden LLC and Morgan Rose LLC, sent over an official response to the lawsuit this evening, calling the whole case "completely without merit." The complete statement can be read after the break.
Dead Space Extraction 'glow worms' offer unlimited light, arm cramps
Ammunition is not the only scarcity in Dead Space Extraction. In fact, flashlights seem even more difficult to come by, as miners on Aegis 7 are left to keep their wits about them basked in the comforting greenish hue of a "glow worm." The game's equivalent of glow sticks, glow worms offer an unlimited source of light that must be recharged by shaking the Wii remote. As mentioned following our recent time with the game, the mechanic, which is described in greater detail on EA's Dead Space blog, certainly ups the scare factor. Still, we can't help but wonder if -- after 10 or so hours of vigorous shaking -- these glow worms will leave us clutching our arms, reeling from a wholly different kind of strategic dismemberment.
Rumorong: No Ghostbusters demo crossing streams with Blu-ray movie
We're ain't afraid to tell you that rumors of a demo for Ghostbusters being packaged with the upcoming Blu-ray version of the film can be safely locked away in an Ecto-Containment Unit (or the nearest parallel dimension). A recent listing by online retailer ShopTo.Net excited some by listing a demo among the movie's features. However, Atari reps busted our hearts, saying simply "there will be no demo for Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the Blu-ray disc." It's worth mentioning, however, that the retailer in question is rooted in the UK while the PR person we spoke with was US-based. So there is a slim possibility that differences exist in how the movie will be packaged in the different regions, or perhaps ShopTo.Net is bundling the demo itself as part of some special promotion. Again, unlikely, though the store tells Joystiq that based on our inquiry it is checking with its suppliers and will "update the website accordingly if it's not going to be included."