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Report: Bourne game is Starbreeze's canceled EA project
Yesterday, we reported that one of two Starbreeze games being developed for EA had gone the way of the dodo. Now, the LA Times blog reports that the canceled game is in fact the title based on the Bourne franchise -- and not the believed Syndicate reboot, Project RedLime. This news doesn't eliminate the possibility for a new Bourne game sometime down the line, however. EA signed a ten-year deal with the Ludlum estate, and an EA spokesperson said, "EA and the Ludlum Estate are still discussing making a game based on the Bourne franchise."
Starbreeze confirms one EA collaboration is kaput
Starbreeze Studios, developer of The Chronicles of Riddick games and The Darkness, has confirmed that one of its EA projects has ceased production. GI.biz translates that the ax has fallen on either the Jason Bourne game or Project RedLime, which is believed to be a revival of the classic Syndicate series. Starbreeze CEO Johan Kristiansson has stated that the company's relationship with EA remains strong and all resources are being put toward the game that "demonstrated the greatest potential." We'll have to wait and see if the super spy or the cyborgs won out.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Ferrari, Porsche, and the Glucowizzard
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. This week Inhabitat marveled at all of the incredible, efficient, and oh-so-sleek vehicles unveiled at this year's Geneva Motors Show. We were excited to see Ferrari roll out its first hybrid vehicle, the 599 HY-KERS while Porsche upped the ante with its stunningly beautiful 918 Spyder hybrid. Finally, Tata unveiled the Nano EV, an all-electric version of the world's cheapest car. The Maldives also made waves this week with hopeful plans to float their sinking nation using miniature man-made islands. That may be a while off however, so in the meantime why not enjoy the comforts of home at sea aboard this bizarre sofa boat -- a steal at only $16,064. Rounding off our flotilla of floating news, Hexicon unveiled a smart design for a floating array of wind turbines that can be easily installed in deep seas. We also saw several developments in wearable tech that stand to change how we interact with the wired world. The Glucowizzard is a tiny solar powered chip that can be implanted in a person's wrist to easily monitor glucose levels. If implanting gadgets gets under your skin, then you might be a fan of Microsoft's Skinput system, which uses a micro projector to beam a touchscreen display onto your arm. And to power all that gear on the go, look no further than Bourne Energy's backpack power plant -- a bright blue generator that provides portable hydroelectric power.
Universal's Blu-ray/DVD flipper disc gets reviewed
Love 'em or hate 'em, Universal's first flipper disc has arrived at the doors of reviewers -- Blu-ray.com's Kenneth Brown got his hands on the two Bourne movies, and as you might expect, the discs worked as advertised. He tried both sides of the disc on a number of different players without running into a single playback issue. Now obviously there's no cover art, which to some is a pretty big deal, but there's a slim inner ring label to let you know which side is which -- more plainly labeled then we've seen on some flippers. While we recognize the added value of including a DVD version of the movie with the Blu-ray, we prefer two separate discs like most of the other studios are using. That being said, we wouldn't let a flipper disc get in the way of enjoying our favorite movie at home, over and over again.
Bourne DVD / Blu-ray combo boxes are incredibly descriptive
Just in case you weren't sure what's inside, these boxes for the upcoming Jason Bourne Blu-ray releases -- due on Universal's new flipper DVD combo discs -- are very clear about what to expect. While they may be slightly better than our Photoshopped imagining, we suspect even more than a blazing BOTH VERSIONS ON ONE DISC header, it will be the (still unrevealed) pricetag that either pull customers in or pushes them away January 19.
Universal's BD-59 Blu-ray / DVD flip discs to debut on Bourne trilogy releases
Once upon a time Universal was the hybrid disc king, with plans to release up to 90% of its 2007 HD DVD titles on the dual sided discs, but we know how that ended. Now the company is back to its old tricks, ready to ship the first BD-59 discs with a 50GB Blu-ray / 9GB DVD configuration promising movie and all available special features in whichever format is desired. The expensive answer to a question no one was asking or the perfect way to add future proofing and extended compatibility to new movie purchases? We'll know more once a price is announced for the Jason Bourne trilogy of movies -- seeing their first individual Blu-ray releases -- due on January 19.
Ludlum estate on EA vs. Activision: 'We're dealing with grown-ups now'
Variety is reporting more details on Electronic Arts' recent ten-year acquisition of the Robert Ludlum estate license, which grants the company rights to create games based on the Bourne novels, among other things. According to Ludlum estate CEO Jeffrey Weiner, Electronic Arts was the first choice for the license after it was dropped by Activision. Weiner said that EA CEO John Riccitiello almost bought the license in 2005 while he still worked for Elevation Partners, former owner of both Pandemic and BioWare. "So when Activision decided to terminate the license we reached out to him because we like John and it's a great company," said Weiner, "We feel we're in a much better position now."Apparently, Vivendi didn't do a very good job with the Bourne license, as one Ludlum estate agent noted that EA "had the best take on the property, and they know how to grow the IP and have unquestioned worldwide market reach," adding, "We're dealing with grown-ups now."Finally, Variety reports that Radical Entertainment's Treadstone project has been canceled, making the upcoming Starbreeze game the only Bourne project currently in the works (that we know about, anyway).
Bourne is born again at EA
Assassin Jason Bourne has been detained by EA, as the publisher announced today it now holds "exclusive worldwide license" to games based on the works of Robert Ludlum. Starbreeze Studios, best known for the Riddick games and The Darkness, is handling the first Bourne title in the multi-year agreement between EA and Ludlum Entertainment.EA gained the opportunity to pick up the Bourne license after Activision-Blizzard dropped the series to focus on its own machismo spy: Bond ... James Bond. This whole licensing reshuffle also leaves the rumored multiplayer Treadstone title, allegedly in development by Radical Entertainment, in an even more unclear position. There's currently no indication on when the new Bourne game will punch and parkour its way to stores.
Bourne Triology hitting Blu-ray Disc in January 2009
Bourne is already a proven winner in high-def, so it's no shock at all to see that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is finally bringing the acclaimed trilogy to Blu-ray. The only real surprise is the release date; rather than squeezing it in before the holiday break, Universal's hoping to grab a small chunk of your grandma money in late January. The three pack, which will obviously include The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will not only include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries, but it'll also take advantage of BD-Live. The disc will grant access to the studio's BD-Live Center, where fans can then "download even more bonus content, share their favorite scenes with buddies, and engage in a BD-exclusive strategy game that pits users against each other in hand-to-hand combat simulation." Too bad the MSRP is set at $119.98, but you've got until January 27, 2009 to get enough couch change together.[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]
'What is Treadstone?' A multiplayer Bourne sequel, apparently
While investigating the digital fate of Sierra's Bourne franchise – which, after being passed over by Bond-owning Activision Blizzard, returned to Ludlum Entertainment – Variety's Ben Fritz uncovered details on "Treadstone," the sequel to High Moon Entertainment's recent console debut, already under development at fellow Sierra developers Radical Entertainment."What is Treadstone?" you ask, in your best Matt Damon impersonation. According to Variety "it's a multi-player online game set in the world of the spy agency that trained Bourne." We'll assume that contraction is short for "it was" because, whad'ya know, "production has stopped" on the project. Perhaps once Ludlum Entertainment finds a new publisher for Bourne, whatever work Radical has already invested in "Treadstone" will find a new home, but that sounds unlikely to us. Instead, Treadstone will exist in that one place where They can never take it away from us: our imaginations.
Bourne game rights forget Vivendi, return to Ludlum Entertainment
With Blizzavision cleaning house of all the Vivendi properties it doesn't want, the Bourne game rights have been reqacquired by Ludlum Entertainment, the company handling Bourne author Robert Ludlum's properties. The Bourne Conspiracy was the only game to come out of the original Vivendi deal, and Ludlum Entertainment CEO, Jeffrey Weiner, says the success of the title will cause the company to find new "innovative partners in the gaming community."The short version of why Actilizzard doesn't really care about Bourne: The company already has its own super-spy franchise to worry about. A man named Bond ... James Bond.
X3F TV -- Points>Life: It's About Timing
Each week, X3F tips gamers to the tricks of the trade of Achievement hording in Points>Life. Every week a new achievement is unlocked to help you continue your unhealthy obsession with the Xbox 360 meta-game. This week in Points>Life we tackle the Matt Damon-less action shooter, The Bourne Conspiracy. Based on a modern interpretation of the books by Robert Ludlum (we think they mean the movies), you play as an amnesia struck Jason Bourne. This week's tip showcases an easy trick that utilizes a tutorial in the game to claim a cool, free, 25GP. Music Credit:USMC Cadence - 'Fire it up! Feels good!' (Remix by Robert Duncan)[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[MP4] Download the MP4 directly.
Jimmy Kimmel previews The Bourne Conspiracy: Guillermo edition
A little backstory for those who aren't regular viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! -- at the conclusion of many early episodes, Kimmel would apologize for bumping Matt Damon due to time constraints, though almost always in jest. As the tabloids spun a web of rumors concerning a feud between Damon and the late night host, Kimmel's girlfriend Sarah Silverman appeared on the show and debuted a music video admitting she was, in fact, having an affair with Damon. Kimmel replied in kind.Guillermo Rodriguez is the show's actual parking lot security guard, and often serves as a celebrity gossip reporter -- he even bumped Damon from a few celebrity interviews, fueling the fake feud. In the above video, Kimmel reveals that the guard-turned-gossiper managed to bump Damon from his own video game: The Bourne Conspiracy. Sure, it's not exactly accurate, as Damon was never slated to fill Bourne's digital shoes, but the resulting gameplay footage is hilarious nonetheless.[Thanks, Steve.]
Bourne Conspiracy demo set for May 19th release
Earlier this month, High Moon Studios revealed that a punchy and limb breaking Bourne Conspiracy demo was planned for release to the XBLM sometime next month. Now, thanks to the magic of the internets and a what a few weeks time can bring, we can confirm via Eurogamer that the Bourne demo will be ready for download on Monday, May 19th. Exciting stuff that would be even more exciting if the franchise's main man Matt Damon was actually featured in the game ... SNAP!
New Bourne Conspiracy video is really punchy
GameTrailers has released a new gameplay video of The Bourne Conspiracy, one of the first to feature a non-stop section of pure gameplay (complete with a HUD this time). This video in particular shows off both the gunplay and melee combat of The Bourne Conspiracy and gives us some clues as to how it will all actually work. Thus far, Sierra has been keen to point out that the game would capture the brutal combat seen in the films, and what's on display in the video is definitely interesting. Looking at the video, it seems like most of the really brutal moves are initiated as reversals or counters to attacks from the enemy, triggering a brief cinematic attack from Bourne. Beyond that, it looks like the moves actually performed by the player are limited to a few basic punches. Of course, we won't know exactly how it works until we lay our hands on a controller and play it, so we'll reserve judgment until the announced demo arrives next month. In the meantime, give the video a look and share your thoughts in the comments.
The things we do to get you swag: Bourne Conspiracy strings us along
"Are you Mr. Stern, by chance?" A built man in a black suit asked, standing in front of a black Cadillac. His black sunglasses evenly split M.I.B. and The Matrix.I'd just stumbled into the daylight after an afternoon meeting near San Francisco's Union Square. I'd been standing on the sidewalk for a moment, shifting my attention between my notebook, phone, and this man. I'd stolen glances like I was meeting a blind date, wondering if this was my contact but not quite approaching himI confirmed my identity, and he motioned me over to the sedan. "I'll be taking you to the drop zone," he said and then was silent.A few weeks earlier, FedEx dropped off an unmarked, prepaid mobile phone. The carbon-copy shipping slip gave no origin address or FedEx account number. I called the delivery company and asked for more details, and all they could dig up was the location the phone was picked up. Some place called "Vivendi University" according to the agent. And so the marketing stunt began.%Gallery-20464%
The Bourne Conspiracy 'Takedown Trailer' demonstrates groin punching engine
Those who wouldn't consider themselves fans of office equipment-related acts of violence should probably go ahead and skip this video altogether -- but if you're the kind of person who owns multiple copies of the Jean Claude Van Damme masterpiece "Bloodsport", feel free to treat yourself to the above trailer for Sierra's adaptation of Robert Ludlum's popular series of espionage novels, The Bourne Conspiracy. Who knew literature could be so ... pugilistic?We're still waiting for that lackluster gameplay montage or negative hands-on writeup to confirm our general apprehension towards adapted games, but with the continuing font of sizzle trailers Sierra is churning out, our steadfast trepidation is waning. Damon be damned -- we can't wait for Conspiracy's June 3 release date.
The Bourne Conspiracy trailer looks surprisingly rad
We've got a pretty hard and fast rule when it comes to movie-based-games: "Avoid them like a two-month-old bubonic plague sandwich." It's usually easy to follow, but sometimes, totally rad trailers come along and shake our resolve. Take, for instance, this demonstration for The Bourne Conspiracy. We're aware that the odds are in favor of the game being a hastily crafted Syphon Filter clone, but that doesn't make this trailer any less exhilarating. Somehow, our apprehension towards a game just fades away when it features the ability to bludgeon a man to death with literature.Watch the trailer with an open mind, you might dig it as well -- just try not to hold the video's awkward narration against it. Don LaFontaine this guy ain't.
Spies intercept Bourne Conspiracy cover art, new screens
Recently, High Moon Studios released fresh images for its upcoming novel-inspired third-person action game Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy. Maybe we should know better then to anticipate a licensed product, but the mix of 24: The Game action meets Uncharted: Drake's Fortune combat has us suspiciously craving an immediate hands-on with the upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 game. While dreaming of modern-day ninja throwing a baddie from a moving airplane we stumbled to the wallpaper section of High Moon Studio's official website where one image was titled Xbox 360 Cover Art. The ten recently released images and apparent cover art wallpaper image can be found within.%Gallery-4286%
Bourne Conspiracy trailer breaks limbs
Sierra has seen fit to release a new trailer for The Bourne Conspiracy, the upcoming title based on the book. Players take on the role of Jason Bourne, a super soldier of sorts who is talented in espionage and the breaking of wrists, elbows, knees, and whatever other bones you care to place in front of him. It's hard to tell how much -- if any -- of the footage contained in the trailer is actual gameplay, but parts appear to be recorded within the game engine, and it's looking very nice indeed. With The Bourne Conspiracy and Splinter Cell Conviction both releasing this year, it will be interesting to see how they fare against each other.%Gallery-4286%
