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Alone in the Dark confirmed for Wii, PS2
What with its lingering financial worries and loss of licenses, Atari is a lot like a three-legged dog seen limping pitifully to the side of the road. We want to help, we do, but we've already got a perfectly good dog at home with all four legs intact. With so much hardship, it's evident that much of Atari's livelihood seems pinned on the success of the upcoming franchise reboot of Alone in the Dark, so it's unsurprising that the company has opted to release the survival horror title for the Wii (shown) and PlayStation 2 in addition to the previously announced versions in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.The long-delayed game, which marks the fifth title in the Alone in the Dark franchise, was first announced in 2005, and features a script penned by Sleepers author Lorenzo Carcaterra. Interestingly, however, while the earlier announced versions of the game are being developed by Test Drive Unlimited devs Eden, the Wii and PS2 duties have been handed off to French developer Hydravision, which has some survival horror chops themselves having developed the Obscure series of games. It's still anyone's guess when Alone in the Dark in any form will make it to retail, though considering that there hasn't been a decent title in the series since Edward Carnby's 1992 debut, we think we can wait.[Via press release]
Alone in the Dark gets a creepy new trailer
We're not sure that Atari completely understands the order trailers are supposed to appear in. Last year, we got a fast-paced, action-oriented trailer for Alone In the Dark supposedly composed entirely from in-game footage. Now we have a new trailer for the game that's a simple, action-free tone-setting piece that doesn't appear to feature any in-engine stuff, unless the "corpse snuggling" mechanics were more robust than we anticipated.See, the moody, "Please start pre-ordering our game even though you have no idea what it's like" trailer has to be the first one out of the gate, but if you skip it, you can't come back. It's like putting the milk before the horse cart when you've already bought the cow for free. ... Or something like that.
OK, Alone in the Dark PS3 is not more delayed than before
Despite what Eurogamer reported yesterday, it looks like Atari changed their mind and now Alone in the Dark on PS3 will launch simultaneously with the PC and Xbox 360 versions again. Looks like Atari dropped the ball talking to Eurogamer saying that the Xbox and PC versions were "first to be released" after the publisher's most recent launch schedule didn't have PS3's Alone in the Dark on it. Atari is now sticking with all the versions will be available during their current fiscal year, which ends March '08. We'll see about that.It was rather surprising that Atari announced (then took back) the PS3 delay this far in advance, given that most companies will mention it about a month before launch. But, it's not like Atari is the go-to source on how to run a company lately. Who knows, in the grand scheme we're wondering if the PS3 version will still get delayed, or if the Xbox 360 and PC versions will get delayed to meet up with the PS3. It's Atari, at this point, anything can happen.
Alone in the Dark not delayed for PS3, actually
A lot of reports surfaced the other day about Alone in the Dark getting "indefinitely delayed" for the PS3, while the 360 and PC versions of the game were going to hit their mark. We figured, "nah, not this game too," and waited it out, since there was no rhyme or reason for the delay. As it happens, Atari finally issued a statement saying that no, in fact, the PS3 version of the game is not delayed and will get released alongside the 360 and PC versions of the game as initially planned.Even so, the now noir-horror title never really had an exact release date except for a "before March 2008" tag slapped somewhere on it. A lot of sites want to believe it'll be out in January of 2008 and we'd like to see that, too. However, since game development has been taking a hell of a lot longer this cycle, we wouldn't be surprised if all the versions of the game waited until March of '08 to come out. Tweaking and optimizing are key this generation and we'd hate to see any version of the game suffer. We'll keep you posted as development continues on this long-standing franchise.
Alone in the Dark PS3 gets an even bigger delay [Update]
Alone in the Dark already got a delay recently, but this is a delay within a delay, as the PS3 version of Alone in the Dark will not come out simultaneously with the Xbox 360 and PC version. Speaking with EuroGamer, Atari does not give a reason for the delay, but makes clear to emphasize that the PS3 version is still in development.We're not saying that we're used to these PS3 delays by now -- but we totally are. No reason is ever cited for the delays, and even some of them are embroiled in controversy. Whatever, if we're just focusing on Alone in the Dark, the real question is if the game will see the light of day during its current release time frame which is before March of next year.Update: OK, Alone in the Dark PS3 is not more delayed than before.
Alone in the Dark moves to '08
Despite what Atari originally said, the hardly seen Alone in the Dark has been pushed off into fiscal year 2008, which for Atari ends March 31. Guess Atari is going to hinge their fiscal salvation on the sure to be über-mega-successful Atari Classics Evolved.IGN recently got some time with the game which is supposed to be out by next March. They didn't get to touch or see any combat, but they say it looks pretty. They were also shown that items can be combined to distract enemies, for example sticking a bag of blood on the wall will distract "possessed rats" while you sneak by. Essentially they saw a glorified tech demo of something that's supposed to be out in six months. Maybe they'll have something to show by the time the Game Developers Conference rolls around in February.
Alone in the Dark: the definitive horror experience
You know that feeling you get when your gut just tells you something is going to be good? It's usually wrong in the end, but until you know for sure it's just a great means to power the hype train? We've got that feeling about Alone in the Dark. Because they scrapped using a subtitle or a numerical indicator, it tells us they've re-imagined the franchise and will take the game down a new, hopefully scary, path. An interview with producer Noir Polloni explains more, after the jump.
Head for the hills: Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark sequel has been cast
Not to be confused with the upcoming Alone in the Dark game we're anticipating like a Pit cosplayer on Valentine's Day, Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark 2 film has, unfortunately, been cast. Rick Yune (Fast and the Furious, Die Another Day), Lance Hendriksen (Pumpkinhead, Aliens) and Ralf Moeller (Far Cry, Postal, Seed) will star in the film centered around a group of witch hunters tracking down a witch named Elisabeth Dexter. Sounds ... exciting? Alone in the Dark 2 will begin shooting August 6 in LA and New York. Gather your torches and pitchforks.
Alone in the Dark 5 set to release this November
Previously, we've gushed about the game's visuals and fell head over heals for the trailer. And now we have a release month for when we can expect more. Atari just announced that Alone in the Dark 5 will release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC sometime this November (with its buddy Assassin's Creed). If you aren't familiar, Alone in the Dark is set in present day New York where you head off to investigate paranormal activities relating to the afterlife in a very Resident Evil kind of way. Typical horror game? Possibly, but did we mention the graphics this game offers? Yeah, we're in graphical love and will definitely be checking out Alone in the Dark 5 this November. Will you?
Alone in the Dark interview: tech to advance the horror genre
The upcoming Alone in the Dark title has a lot to compete with when released late this year or early next year, but it still looks like a step in the right direction for the original survival horror game. Presented in New York with a fictional story ... timeline ... thing, the game sounds kind of like an interactive film noir. Game director David Nadal recently talked about the technology used to make the game a whole new kind of horror. Since we love doing it, we'll summarize the important points below. As always, read the interview if you're particularly interested in the subject. AitD relies on the Twilight engine used in Test Drive Unlimited. This engine will help build a very realistic New York City and it also allows the development team to alter whatever it needs to between consoles and PC with ease -- meaning everyone gets a very professional and polished port. The team has built a completely new rendering engine that delivers "photographic" features for lighting (since the game isn't exactly daylight-friendly), giving an extremely cinematographic look to the game. Physics is key, so advancements have been made on the Twilight engine to take this into consideration -- AI has also been ramped up. The musical score is interactive -- based on what you do, the music will shift. Fire off a shot, and the music will raise in tempo. Explore a dark corridor, expect slow, low-noise suspense music to take over. A nice effect. As we've said, this is a simple summary. Nadal goes into much more detail about the lighting and physics engines, but we won't bog you down with a bunch of terminology here. The game sound excellent and we're very excited to try it out. Time will tell how it progresses!
Some Alone in the Dark screens -- candy for your eyes
As I've probably said before, prior to this installment of Alone in the Dark, I was never really interested in it. Sure, it was the original survival horror title, but it just wasn't Resident Evil. Anyway, someone over at the PS3 Forums took it upon themself to up two wallpaper-worthy crazy/beautiful screenshots (no, not the awful Kirsten Dunst movie). Since the game is more of an interactive novel than a "health-bar, ammo display" action game, we're not entirely sure if the screenshots are pre-rendered or in-game. We'll side with logic and reason and assume they're pre-rendered.The game is due out around January of 2008, so we're expecting some details of the game to surface closer to the big shows in the coming months. If you're itching to read something about the game, refer back to some of our other screenshot posts on the subject. Or one of those times we talked about the story. Either way, prepare for this franchise to take a different step, moving itself into the light of success. Or something else epic, dramatic, flashy, and poetic.
Alone in the Dark brings on 'Sleepers' author
A year-and-a-half after it was announced and six years since its predecessor's release, the new iteration of Alone In the Dark is finally showing some signs of life, with Atari bringing on author Lorenzo Carcaterra as a script writer for the game. If you're not so much with the reading, you might know him from his book Sleepers, the basis for the Brad Pitt film of the same name.We're happy to see Atari taking such care with dialog in the episodic thriller, but we had hoped they were a bit farther along than this. Also, the best-selling author is nice and all, but were Elan Mastai, Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer not available? And, yes, to answer your question. It took three guys.
Survival horror creeps onto the DS
Rumours are going around the internet that Alone in the Dark 5: Near Death Investigation will be heading to the DS, along with versions for the home consoles and PC. The latest entry in the survival horror series sees Edward Carnby fighting for his life in Central Park. We'll get an episodic story and the chance to hot-wire a car in a minigame.Atari is also bringing at least five other titles to the DS: Tabaluga 2, Lucky Luke: Go West, Asterix Olympic Games, Cooking and Fashion Academy. Something for everyone then, and a real treat for image conscious chefs who like French cartoons.
Awesome Alone in the Dark trailer, nuff said [update]
It's time for another flowery post on a game that I'm personally excited about. We're talking about Alone in the Dark -- headed to the PS3, 360, and PC "later this year". We've talked about it a few times before, but we haven't had anything really exciting to show you other than our fantastic mad writing skillz. The "z" makes them more extreme... or X-treme, as the case may be. Now things are changing -- we've got a trailer for you to download and it's pretty excellent (you'll have to click the "launch player" button on the right of the website).It starts off with a "everything you see is real-time gameplay footage" disclaimer which makes the following scenes all the more impressive. Taking place around events focusing on the pseudo-mystery of Central Park in New York City, something supernatural is out to get you! Whatever... the trailer does a much better job of setting the story up. Anything that gets an insane choir singing in some other language (reminded me a little of the Ghost in the Shell movies/series... and a bit of Suikoden III's opening) is going to get gamers pumped. Let us know what you think.[update: apparently the trailer is really old, but it doesn't change the fact that it's cool, right?]
Alone in the Dark dev looking for Wii programmers
You know, it started like this with another company, where they put out a job listing looking for a Wii programmer and sure enough, their game is coming to the console. So, we can honestly expect that EDEN GAMES, the folks behind Alone in the Dark, are going to bring something to the Wii. Could it be Alone in the Dark? Probably not, due to the graphical demands, but maybe they plan on bringing a new IP to the console or delivering some of their other games like the folks at Telltale? What would you guys like to see from the company on the Wii?
First Alone in the Dark 5 footage
If there is one thing that the Xbox 360 needs more of, it's survival horror games. Today, we're proud to display the latest trailer for Alone in the Dark 5. We've shown off some creepy screens before, but it's always better to see a game in motion, especially when it's this pretty. You'll probably see the note at the beginning of the trailer, but we have to point out that this video is taken from real time game footage. In other words: wow. Alone in the Dark 5 looks very nice. The facial detail alone is staggering, from the scarring to the glistening eyes. So let's see, we have Alone in the Dark 5, Alan Wake, and Resident Evil 5 all coming eventually. Add Silent Hill 5 and Eternal Darkness 2 to that list and we'll be happy terrified.Check out the official Alone in the Dark 5 website for screens and a downloadable version of the trailer. Alone in the Dark arrives later this year.[Thanks, Machiavelli 420]
Alone in the Dark screens are always awesome
On a personal tangent, I'm really excited about this game. Lately, I've been very interested in the more "adventure" side of things -- it was the crux of my decision to purchase a DS Lite (games like Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk, Lost in Blue really influenced and affirmed my interest). With that in mind, whenever I think about a next-gen game building off of that successful formula and twisting in some realistic horror, it's practically awesome personified. On an impersonal tangent, a pocketful of new screenshots were released for the game. These are listed under the XBox 360 heading, but the game is headed to the PS3 also. Alone in the Dark has been around for ages (but we've blocked out that awful movie... who was it in that? Christian Slater? Pssh), encompassing all of four canonical titles since its inception in 1992. It's about time we got a new one. Agreed?
Alone in the Dark set for simultaneous multiplatform release
Are you ready for some business-related math? While it may be attributed to the translation of the page (my browser screws up... if yours pauses for a minute and asks you to stop the script or continue... just stop it), the release date for the upcoming title Alone in the Dark is difficult to understand. The fourth trimester of this year, meaning the fourth quarter, right? But the slated date is the first quarter of 2008, which is the fourth fiscal quarter of 2007. Seriously, let's just expect it around the holidays.The game is coming along nicely, it seems. Set for simultaneous release across the major next-gen consoles (except Wii, because this game is just too damn pretty for a motion-sensing GameCube) and PC, the game is set up similar to a Noir film, or a mystery novel. Heck, we could even say it's an interactive miniseries. There are about 12 episodes, each "running" approximately 40 minutes (but your explorative nature could run the "show" over an hour for each episode) and concluding with a cliffhanger. Looks sweet. We'll keep an eye out.
Uwe Boll does something awful to another critic
Anti-filmmaker Uwe Boll has beaten another one of his critics completely senseless -- and this time it was in a boxing ring, not a darkened cinema. Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka of Something Awful infamy was the second to fall to the raging Boll's flying fists in a PR-driven series of boxing matches. Like any dignified artist, Boll vowed to silence critics by punching them in the face, proving once and for all that ... well, we're not sure what exactly this proves. We know he's a good boxer, at least. In a video interview after the match, Kyanka amusingly points out that he now detests Uwe Boll not as a movie misdirector, but as a human being. According to the pummeled pundit, Boll offered to give his victims training beforehand and promised that his punches would be just for show. Quite apparently, that was not the case (video embedded after the break). Regardless, it now becomes clear that critics played right into Boll's gloved ham-hands. The selected participants arguably never stood a chance, something the video game violator well aware of in his struggle for Pyrrhic victory. Punching out a critic does not make his films any less craptacular and the whole fiasco has made him look like a fight-makes-right psychopath. 1UP contributor, Albert Art, snapped some pictures at the event and even conducted a brief interview with Boll. When asked why he continues to make video game films, Boll responds with an enlightening, "I keep doing video game based movies because look why not, all the comic-book get made into movies, even comics that sold 2000 copies there are movies out from it, why like big famous videos games shouldn't turn into movies." That about says it all. [Thanks, albertart and VGM!]Read - Something Awful's forum respondsRead - Albert Art's event coverage and interviewWatch - Video interview with Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka after the matchWatch - Boll's previous boxing match
Alone in the Dark isn't survival horror, actually...
According to Eden Studios, the term "survival-horror" needs to be replaced with story-driven action. At least for Alone in the Dark, which is shaping up to be very, very cool looking. Why? It takes player immersion to the next level with the inventory pocket system -- the main character has a gun in one pocket, and the other pocket(s?) hold all the items you pick up. The game moves forward by allowing the use of cars, making it intuitive and easy to move to the passenger seat, back seats, etc in order to avoid attacks or get a good shot off. A bunch of fantastic effects were shown in a technical demo, as the screen clearly illustrates. A story surrounding conspiracy theories about Central Park in New York City really brings the story to life, as opposed to a fictional setting.Finally, the episodic release idea. Imagine the game more like a television series: you can buy the first piece of the "series" in stores (since it's not a complete game, let's hope it's not a complete price...) and then download future episodes from the internet. If the downloads are free, then a complete price may be worthwhile. Maybe. You might also be able to buy the "complete season" in stores. It's up in the air. This game looks awesome. Look for it on the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 next year.
