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Joystiq Weekly: NPD sales data, Trials: Fusion review, A Realm Reborn tips and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. It seems like there are two brands of Trials riders - those who try the series and bail, seeing it for the inevitable, rage-induced heart attack it is, and those that persevere and conquer every track. We're not sure where we fit just yet - some of Trials Fusion's stages give us flashbacks to Super Meat Boy, and our patience is finite. Still, the triumph in each small victory reminds us that we can get the best of gravity, that we can guide motorbikes over ridiculous terrain with the best of them ... until we reach the next stage and the cycle of emotions renews. We've got plenty of resources for anyone that needs a sanity break from Fusion, though! You can brush up on this month's NPD data, read our verdict on Atlus' baby-making RPG, Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars, or gain some insight on what's next for GaymerX's future. All that and more is laid out in tidy little bulletpoints for you after the break!
New BloodRayne teased by fighting game studio
Arc System Works is teasing a new game called "BRCS," which appears to be related to the BloodRayne franchise. VG247 points out the iconography on the character's medallion and sword are that of red-headed dhampir, Rayne. In recent years Arc System Works has been best known as a fighting game developer, with Guilty Gear, BlazBlue and Persona Arena to their credit. However, the company also did Hard Corps: Uprising in 2011, which was a heavy-action sidescroller, so that's also a possibility for this potential BloodRayne game. The last good game to use the license was BloodRayne: Betrayal, a well-executed 2D action game by WayForward. [Image: Arc]
Bloodrayne dev Terminal Reality quietly closes its doors
Developer Terminal Reality, a studio best known for creating the Bloodrayne franchise, has apparently been shuttered - though official confirmation of the closure is difficult to pin down. Veteran artist Jesse Sosa, who departed Terminal Reality in 2011 after ten years with the company, confirmed the closure in a Facebook status update this morning, which reads in part, "TRI seems to have finally shut down." As Gamasutra points out, Sosa's blunt statement is the highlight of the scant evidence for the studio's shutdown, though our attempts to confirm the report were met with further evidence that Terminal Reality is now defunct. A visit to the company's website currently asks users to visit Terminal Reality's Facebook page, while claiming that the site is undergoing renovations. The Facebook page was last updated on October 10 - not an alarmingly long time ago - though the update prior to that is from late August. Likewise, the company's official Twitter account hasn't been updated since March 22. In a last-ditch attempt to reach somebody - anybody - at Terminal Reality, we phoned the studio only to find that its phones no longer work. While we still lack an official confirmation of the closure, it seems apparent that the company is not open for business. It's currently unknown how this will affect Terminal Reality's current employees, though we wish them the best of luck.
Bloodrayne screenwriter explains the perils of working with Uwe Boll
"Scripts are late. Writers are two years late. I was two weeks late," Bloodrayne film screenwriter Guinevere Turner passionately explains in an interview pulled from "Tales From the Script," a documentary showcasing stories from across the world of screenwriting. "Uwe Boll calls me [on the phone], 'This is fucking disgusting! You lied to me! Where is my script?!'," she continues, demonstrating how she held the phone away from her head as he yelled. Unsurprisingly, Turner wasn't a fan of being yelled at, and instructed her manager to make sure she never heard from Boll again. When she turned in the script, however, Turner still expected to work with Boll on future drafts. That wasn't to be, as she recalls that Boll accepted the very first "nasty, little scrappy draft"and went right into production (though she notes that only about 20 percent of what she wrote made it into the film's final cut). When Bloodrayne finally debuted at Los Angeles' famous "Mann's Chinese Theater," Turner says she was the only one in the room of production staff "laughing out loud." Adding insult to injury, Turner closes the interview by saying, "It's like a 25 million dollar movie, and it blows! I mean, it's like the worst movie ever made." But then, maybe she hasn't seen Far Cry?
BloodRayne Betrayal review: Re-animated
WayForward's BloodRayne: Betrayal doesn't just succeed as a game despite the baggage of the moribund BloodRayne license. WayForward took the franchise fully into "campy" mode, turning the characters and settings into something you're clearly not supposed to take seriously, presented in an incredibly sharp hand-drawn cartoon style. Rayne herself is even kind of uncharacteristically cute. That presentation is married to a combo-heavy brawler that you must take seriously at all times, at the risk of oft-repeated death. Just surviving the game requires near mastery of Rayne's repertoire; to actually earn a grade higher than "F" in the game's score-based rating system requires ... well, I still have to figure that out.
BloodRayne: The Shroud for 3DS 'on hold'
On the official Facebook page for BloodRayne: Betrayal, the upcoming downloadable spinoff of Majesco's dormant last-gen action series, a commenter asked about BloodRayne: The Shroud for 3DS. The mysterious title made its first and only appearance on a list of in-development 3DS games, which was released by Nintendo during E3 last year. Nonetheless, The Shroud's brief unveiling had made enough of a lasting impression on one fan to warrant a question about the game's status some ten months later. "The 3DS title is currently on hold," responded the administrator of the BloodRayne Facebook page. "We'll be sure to share any news when it's available." A representative for Majesco confirmed with Joystiq that "BloodRayne 3DS is currently on hold for now," but did not provide further information about the game. Following a pair of BloodRayne titles from developer Terminal Reality for last-gen consoles and a Playboy cover spread, the franchise has stumbled along in a trilogy of Uwe Boll films. A PSP sequel was announced in 2005, but eventually abandoned by Majesco. Betrayal, scheduled to launch on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade this summer, would be the first BloodRayne game released since the 2005 PC port of BloodRayne 2. [Image source: BloodRayneBetrayal.com]
BloodRayne: Betrayal this summer on XBLA and PSN, courtesy of WayForward
Everyone's favorite (by default) redheaded, Nazi-fighting half-vampire is rising once again, this time with the help of an unlikely ally. Majesco is bringing back its pre-Cooking Mama, pre-casual property Bloodrayne in BloodRayne: Betrayal. The new game is the work of WayForward Technologies, a developer best known for games like A Boy and His Blob, Contra 4, and Shantae, and not really for grimdark games. It's also the developer's first Xbox 360 and PS3 project, due for XBLA and PSN this summer. Betrayal is a 2D side-scroller with "new characters, gruesome environmental puzzles and a full arsenal of lethal weapons including Rayne's signature arm blades" -- and, of course, a "deadly dose of bloodshed."
Uwe Boll is adapting everyone's favorite video game, Bloodrayne 3
At the risk of being repeatedly pawnched, we think we can accurately describe all of Uwe Boll's video game-based films as "wretched." However, we've got a theory for why that is -- his attempt to adhere to the plot of these games limited his otherwise limitless directing potential. Fortunately, that won't be a problem on his next film project: Bloodrayne 3: Warhammer, a film based on a video game which does not exist. We'll contact Majesco to find out if this means another Bloodrayne title is secretly in the works -- but let's be honest, now. This sounds a lot like some good ol' fashioned Bollnanigans. Bollshines. Bollduggery. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
No more big-budget bombs for Boll
Bad news for Uwe Boll love-to-haters: the infamous German director and pouting pugilist will see his future endeavors financially constrained after his latest $70 million video game adaptation, "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale," set the box-office alight with all the effectiveness of two moist fish furiously rubbed together. The $3 million weekend opening marked the director's third consecutive failure to Boll audiences over, and with no more German tax shelter funds to rely on, it looks to be his last big-budget bomb.Not willing to throw in the raggedy towel just yet, Uwe Boll (pronounce it correctly, please!) told The Hollywood Reporter that he plans to focus on smaller cinematic explosives. Like grenades. "These are films that represent my true passion, and they can be done with small budgets," said Boll. Bad movie lovers (or lovers of bad movies) need not fear -- if this director's proven adept at anything in the last few years, it's working around a complete deficit of worthwhile resources.[Thanks, David]
Ben Kingsley explains why he did Bloodrayne
While sifting through the latest issue of Time magazine, we stumbled upon a ten question mini-interview with actor Ben Kingsley. One reader-submitted question, from Shane O'Sullivan of Auckland, New Zealand (thanks, Shane!) asked what we've all wanted to know. We've reprinted it here, because there's no way to say it better:What were you thinking when you accepted a role in Bloodrayne? It's so hard to imagine someone so gifted not realizing what a terrible film that would be!"I don't know whether to be upset or flattered by that question," read his response. "To be honest, I have always wanted to play a vampire, with the teeth and the long black cape. Let's say that my motives were somewhat immature for doing it."
GameTap 'leaks' franchises coming to service
In one of the funnier announcements we've ever seen, GameTap's forums released (and we've confirmed that it's legit) a bevy of franchises coming to the service. Although no release dates have been given -- except for Hitman: Codename 47 coming this Thursday -- we do have the list of franchises expected on the service very soon. Hitman Thief BloodRayne The Legacy of Kain They also announced that Wing Commander IV is coming (the one with Mark Hamill and Thomas "Hey, McFly" Wilson as Maniac). As much as we enjoy getting our GameTap info through forum posts like this, we don't expect it to become a habit -- but it was fun.
Uwe Boll to make BloodRayne 2, anger more gamers
Someone, for the love of every video game ever made into a movie, PLEASE stop Uwe Boll. We mean physically stop the guy. Find out where he's shooting, go out there, and take the camera away from him. Be sure to destroy any writing utensils or anything he might use to draw with as well.Why? Because he's recently announced that he's making BloodRayne 2. That's right, a sequel to what people have been calling one of the worst films of the past few years. Don't forget, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith came out in the last few years and so did Aeon Flux, Elektra, Son of the Mask, and The Pacifier.The movie, like the first one, will no doubt have nothing to do with the game, but will have everything to do with sucking. That's despite the presence of Kristanna Loken, who really needs to take Uwe's number out of her cell phone.
Internet casino sponsoring "Raging Boll" event
Widely known for his anti-masterpieces, House of the Dead, Bloodrayne and Alone in the Dark, German film director Uwe Boll drew plenty of internet ire in June by sending out a public challenge to his (many, many) detractors. Like any civilized and intelligent human being, Boll decided that the best way to deal with those that disagreed with his artistic vision for videogame adaptations was to punch them in the face, grr! The invitation urged haters to fly to Vancouver and meet the German in the boxing ring for a one-on-one session of metaphorically rich pummeling. Internet casino Goldenpalace.com has issued a press release stating that they will be the ones to sponsor the event, now dubbed "Raging Boll."Naturally, the prestige gained from having your event backed by an internet casino cannot be overstated. The joint's CEO, Richard Rowe, notes that Boll's attention grab is refreshingly ridiculous. "We receive so many outlandish offers for advertising exposure that it is refreshing to see something that surprises even us. That is why we decided to get involved. This has gotten so much attention so far, and we can't wait to see how it will turn out." Before starting proper on 23 September, Uwe will stop off in Spain to battle Carlos Palencia Jimenez-Arguello, a critic who has already vowed to Kill Boll (challenge video embedded in the latter section of the post). After that bout, Boll will face Something Awful's Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka, Jeff Sneider from Ain't It Cool News, Chris Alexander of Rue Morgue and Nelson Chance Minter from Website Critic. All the fights will be filmed for inclusion in Boll's Postal film, no doubt rendered vaguely entertaining by showing his face deteriorating over the course of the event. It may even prove to be beneficial to his career -- a few brutal blows to the head might be just the thing to bring him to his senses. Perhaps then he'll realize how difficult it is to hold on to credibility when you've got boxing gloves on your hands.[Via GameSetWatch]
Loken feels cheated after BloodRayne experience
It would seem Kristanna Loken has officially gone off the deep end after drawing comparisons between the works of Uwe Boll and The Bard. Referencing her role in our favorite director's upcoming Dungeon Siege film, Loken suggests, "My character basically lives in the trees with her band of women and protects the forest, I would think a la Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream." A sign of the apocalypse, you say? The Terminator 3 star also feels cheated by Romar Entertainment's weak efforts in distributing the BloodRayne film, and she wasn't expecting such negative reactions to her first Boll collaboration. "I was actually very, very surprised. I know that Uwe does not have a great track record, to say the least." I think you've stumbled upon something, my dear.An unrated director's cut of BloodRayne is due in May. Any takers?[via Eurogamer]
Uwe leaves Razzies empty-handed
Now that the Oscars have come and gone, we cannot help but recall the "winners" of this year's Golden Rasberry Awards. Last month, director Uwe Boll had decreed that "it is a great honour" to be nominated for a Razzie...under the category for "Worst Director." As Mr. Boll put it, "I take every prize I get." Sorry, Mr. Boll, but unfortunately you could not even win that prize. Instead, director John Asher took home the dubious award for his picture Dirty Love, starring girlfriend Jenny McCarthy. While he may have gone home empty-handed, Uwe Boll might feel more comfortable knowing that his thriller Bloodrayne is #20 worst film (according to IMDB), while Dirty Love isn't even in the bottom 100. Better luck next year!
Video game movies tank, nobody notices
We knew it would be ugly when neither BloodRayne, Uwe Boll's latest crapfest, nor Grandma's Boy, a comic simpleton devoted to video games, were screened for critics. Eventually, Rotten Tomatoes awarded BloodRayne an embarrassing 6% while Grandma's Boy managed to earn a relatively impressive (although still embarrassing) 13%. (We gave it an overall rating of 4/10, though it earned an unheard of 9.5/10 within the subset of movies significantly about video games.)BloodRayne came in 19th earning just over $1 million, while Grandma's Boy managed to eke out $2.9 million. According to 1UP, Boll blames Rayne's pisspoor performance on a last minute drop in screens. "'In the last second they cancelled 1000 screens this fuckers,' he said before placing blame on his distributor. 'Romar [Entertainment] has not enough power.'" Newsflash Mr. Boll: the sun, moon, and stars have not enough power either, buddy.Here's the thing: most gamers didn't go see these movies for the same reason most people didn't go see these movies: because they look like crap. We didn't notice them, and the movie studios apparently don't notice us not noticing them, have you noticed?In related news, Cinematical has a great post up of Boll, doing his best impersonation of a rabid animal, at the premiere for BloodRayne. Looking good Uwe, looking good.[UPDATE: link for Rotten Tomatoes score fixed. Thanks, AndrewNeo]
