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TimeGate sues SouthPeak for alleged breaches in publishing agreement
Chalk up another frustrated party accusing SouthPeak of wrongdoing. The company has been sued by Section 8 developer TimeGate, which alleges that the publisher has withheld royalty payments and entered into a PS3 licensing deal on the game with Russian company IC, an arrangement that TimeGate claims SouthPeak had no right to make. In legal documents obtained by Joystiq, TimeGate also alleges that this SouthPeak T-shirt promotion was unauthorized, that the publisher had mislead TimeGate about sales figures and that the publisher has stated it should not have to adhere to TimeGate's original agreement, as it had been made with Gamecock, which SouthPeak purchased in late 2008. We've reached out to SouthPeak for comment. If you prefer your language far more formal, the lawsuit puts it like this: "[SouthPeak] failed to provide a sufficient sales report, withheld royalty payments and did not adhere to the obligation to act in good faith and fair dealing when they established the sham transaction in order to deprive TimeGate of royalties despite the special relationship between the parties and being in a position of trust." No specific amount is mentioned in the suit, with TimeGate asking only for "compensatory damages in an amount to be determined" following an independent audit of Section 8's sales.
SouthPeak doubles game sales in 2009 amid dropping profits
Though SouthPeak is keen to point out that its net revenues rose from last year by $7.2 million, the company's profits for the year remain firmly in the red, with a $12.1 million posted loss for the 2009 fiscal year ending June 30. SouthPeak's loss report comes confusingly paired with a 100% increase in units sold from fiscal year 2008 (from 1.2 to 2.4 million units) -- 2009's posted $12.1 net loss gets explained away by "approximately $12.5 million invested in game development and intellectual property for future title releases," among other things. The report also allows "$1.6 million of expenses relating to the Gamecock acquisition," hopefully some of which went to paying Gamecock debt now owed by SouthPeak -- this on top of another $4.6 million or so for "charges relating to write-downs on software values and sequel right values to certain titles." Unsurprisingly, the publisher hopes that upcoming titles Two Worlds 2 and My Baby: First Steps, as well as a "highly-anticipated sequel to Dementium," will bolster its next fiscal year. We're just hoping the games the company does sell will actually garner some profit this time around.
Gamecock acquisition goes south - vendors accuse SouthPeak of not paying up
Created by industry entrepreneurs Mike Wilson, Rick Stults and Harry Miller, the Gamecock Media Group set out to buck-buck-buck the trend -- a perceived sequence of retreads, rehashes and remakes that characterized a rapidly expanding games industry. The games were undoubtedly indie, the choices bizarre and the rooster costumes touted by Wilson and the gang were just plain weird. But not nearly as weird as the David vs. Goliath scenario that ended with the lowly rock slinger shaking hands with his imposing foe. But in October of 2008, SouthPeak Interactive Corporation stepped out of the role of opposition, instead donning the chivalrous and sharply dressed persona of corporate savior. A shaky economy had compelled Gamecock's main investor to tighten the belt, an act which former Gamecock CEO (and subsequent co-founder of Devolver Digital) Mike Wilson deemed a swift and unexpected crisis. "He and his board decided that with their main business bleeding so badly, they needed to cut off anything 'ancillary'," Wilson said, "such as his investment in outside businesses, one of which was our company." With the timing sitting uncomfortably close to the Christmas rush and promising titles like Legendary and Mushroom Men on the verge of completion, Gamecock needed help. "And suddenly there was NO money. So, we literally had to find someone to acquire us immediately ... someone who knew the business, could see the imminent revenues versus liabilities, and move very fast." And for a Goliath, SouthPeak was pretty fast. "A week later, we were bought, and all we could do was put on a happy face and hope for the best."
Get your one-liner in Serious Sam HD by using Twitter
(click to Sam-size) Here's the thing -- we already told you pretty much everything you need to know in the headline up top. Sure, we could expand on it a bit and tell you that the company producing Serious Sam HD, Devolver Digital, will be accepting entries via its Twitter account from July 15 to July 30. We could remind you that the producers are Gamecock and Gathering of Developers veterans Mike Wilson and Harry Miller -- known for storming Ken Levine and spawning Hail to the Chimp. We could even let you know that the only way to find out if your one-liner is going to be voiced by Serious Sam voice actor John J. Dick is to follow the aforementioned Devolver Twitter account or the game's publisher's account, Majesco, in "early August." But why would we do all that?... Dammit!%Gallery-66818%
Gamecock, Gathering of Developers founders re-emerge as Devolver Digital
Following the sale of Gamecock to Southpeak last October, merry pranksters – and co-founders of both Gamecock and Gathering of Developers – Mike Wilson and Harry Miller have re-emerged as Devolver Digital. Devolver Digital is described as "a brand new production and publishing company based in Austin, Texas, specialising in delivering top quality entertainment to gamers worldwide at affordable prices by any and all means available."First spotted by Big Download this morning, tucked away in the Serious Sam XBLA remake news, Wilson confirmed his and Miller's involvement in the startup telling our sister site, "We're basically acting as the production company for the XBLA game, since we are not an official MSFT publisher yet, and will be publishing the PC version of the games." Video game historians will recall that Gathering of Developers published the original Serious Sam in 2001 and Croteam retains the intellectual property rights, giving them the ability to work with Wilson and Miller on this latest incarnation of the blow-up-big-things simulator. Majesco is serving as publisher of the XBLA release, which will be released "late summer" for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).%Gallery-66818%
Pirates vs. Ninjas (vs. Mushroom Men) Dodgeball coming May 12
SouthPeak just announced a release date for the retail Wii version of its XBLA sports/fighting/party game, Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball. Obviously the game didn't make its winter release, but finally, on May 12, Wii owners will be able to pit internet memes against each other, in order to determine, once and for all, who can take a hit to the face better. With the Wii version, naturally, you'll be able to use motion control to deliver those hits to faces. According to the game's official site, the Wii version allows you to pick between the following teams: Pirates, Ninjas (of course!), Zombies, Robots, Aliens, Monsters ... and Mushroom Men. We missed those guys! %Gallery-30671%
Velvet Assassin coming April 28, Achievements revealed
We don't understand the types who want to dig through achievement lists before a game's even out. Though they're occasionally enlightening, they're far more often spoilery, dull or just plain confusing. This list of Velvet Assassin achievements is no exception.So, why are we taking up your precious bytes with this article? Well, the achievement list from 360sync also includes the official release date for the game: April 28. So, you know ... plan accordingly.%Gallery-17268%
Firefly delays Dungeon Hero, says game 'lives on'
Now, there's no easy way to break this to you, so we're just going to come out and say it. Dungeon Hero, one of the last remaining remnants of Gamecock's feathery empire, has been delayed. For how long, we can't say, though Firefly Studios assures us that the tongue-in-cheek dungeon crawler still "lives on." According to the developer, Gamecock's purchase last October "created a number of challenges" for Firefly, forcing the company to put off the game's eventual release. Still, the dev has confidence in the property, writing on its site that in addition to Dungeon Hero, the studio is also working on "a couple of exciting projects built around the Dungeon Hero universe." Firefly also teases that it may be announcing a new Stronghold game in the "very near future." Until then, keep your chin up. It's not all bad.
Renegade Kid buries Dracula, working on something new
Moon developer Renegade Kid has pulled its fangs out of the Count's supple neck, revealing in a post on the company's website that the secret "Dracula" game it had been working on with Gamecock "is no longer in development." The post goes on to say that the IP is still owned by Renegade Kid, and the company is open the revisiting the project "should an opportunity to resurrect Son of the Dragon present itself in the future." Having only now become aware of the game's true name, with little else known of the rumored Wii project beyond some early artwork from last August it's difficult to feel too drained by this news.The same goes for Renegade Kid, it seems, with studio boss Jools Watsham brushing aside the news with a standard 'no comment,' telling us instead that the studio's "current focus is on the development of our new game, which we'll have more news on soon." Whatever it is, we hope his excitement is enough to pull the stake out of players' broken hearts.
Velvet Assassin box art is explosive, leathery
click to experience enlargementSouthpeak Games and Replay Studios' Velvet Assassin has been taking the whole stealth concept a bit too literal, remaining quiet about game specifics and release date details. But that doesn't mean the box art has to stay hidden. Viewable here, the packaging artwork is one part BOOM!, equal part black leather and a dash of average.We're also informed that our good friend Peter Chung (who really isn't our pal, but we fantasize to be our drinking buddy) partnered with SouthPeak by putting together a 15+ page graphic novel that will be gifted to those who pre-order Velvet Assassin at GameStop. Chung will also contribute to the game's sure to be sexually charged storyline.Did we mention this game remains too stealth for our liking? %Gallery-44074%
Rumor: Gamecock founder in talks to purchase Hardcore Gamer mag
We always secretly enjoyed the low-brow hijinx the fellas over at Gamecock Media Group frequently found themselves carrying out -- particularly the monkeyshines of the indie dev's CEO, Mike Wilson. We were appropriately bummed when Gamecock was bought out by publisher Southpeak, but we had an inkling that we hadn't seen the last of Wilson. If recent rumors are true, he'll be making a reappearance soon enough, bringing his inimitable brand of tomfoolery to the esteemed realm of gaming journalism.Of course, Wilson couldn't enter said realm under unremarkable circumstances -- New York Times recently ran an article about Hardcore Gamer, the mag that was on the eBay auction block earlier in the month, in which they revealed that "an entrepreneur who had recently sold his video game business" purchased the mag minutes before the auction closed. Wilson, who fits this mold, confirmed to Kotaku that he has been in talks with the mag's owner, but denied that he was dropping the 42 G's required to purchase it.Whatever dealings that did go down are expected to be finalized by the end of this week -- hopefully, we'll be finding out more about the fate of Hardcore Gamer (and Wilson's presumptive involvement) soon.
Oh snap! Mushroom Men dev has Deadly words
In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, Dan Borth, lead developer on Red Fly Studio's Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, offers his thoughts on the market for "core" Wii games, his own game's chances on a system dominated by Wii Fit and such, and designing a game to be accessible to a wide and varied audience.Oh, and he calls out Deadly Creatures. When asked if he's familiar with Rainbow Studios' critter-based brawler, Borth responded with: "I have heard about Deadly Creatures. I have many opinions on that game, especially how it came into being right after THQ received our pitch document for Mushroom Men. I will let you draw your own conclusions."We can't say if there really was any such malevolent behavior behind the conception of Deadly Creatures, but oh snap just the same. And while we may not have seen a parallel before, now that he mentions it, they're both 3D action/fighting games about small creatures adventuring, unseen, in the human world. But we still think Creatures could turn out awesome.%Gallery-18243%
Renegade Kid teases new project
We like Renegade Kid. As the name behind Dementium (flawed, but still fun and hella scary) and the extremely promising Moon, the studio is shaping up to be one of the success stories of this generation. And now they're coming back with a brand new game for the DS! Or the Wii! We don't really know, because if Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham tells us anything about this new project, somebody will probably have to kill him, or something. All he'll reveal is that the project is "the game I'm most excited about ever in my career." Wow. For what it's worth, we snooped around on Renegade Kid's job postings page like the ace sleuths that we are, and found them looking for a DS level designer. Those minor, minor clues aside, it's a mystery for now, but going on past form, there's a chance some very cool 3D technology will be involved. %Gallery-20245%
One legendary Legendary demo now on the XBLM
Today, Spark Unlimited figured they'd gift us with a surprising, out of nowhere gift that has left us in the awkward position of not having anything to give back. The gift, a 748MB Legendary demo that can be downloaded via the Xbox Live Marketplace. And seeing that this demo was sprung on us so suddenly, the only holiday gift we can give in return would be our actual downloading of the demo. So, that'll have to do. You've been gifted a Legendary demo, now gift back by actually playing it. It's only right.[Via Major Nelson]
The provocative outfits of Velvet Assassin
Replay Studios' Velvet Assassin will be making its way to retail sometime in 2009 and to tide us over the holidays, were were just sent a rather revealing set of pictures. Umm, very revealing. Viewable in the gallery below are pictures and descriptions of four different outfits Violet will strategically wear during her Nazi busting adventures in Velvet Assassin. And before you question the need for having four different outfits, ask yourself a few simple questions: When isn't leather a good thing? How much do you enjoy night dresses?%Gallery-40002%
Metareview: Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars
We've been raving about Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars for the best part of a year. Starved of a top-drawer platformer since Mario did his thing in oh-seven, hopes are high in these parts for Red Fly's platformer. The big question: can the gameplay match the undoubtedly stellar art design (as seen in the latest trailer above)? Let's copy and paste text to find out together: Official Nintendo Magazine UK (86%) provides the most effusive review to date: "It'd have a Gold Award but for the camera. That aside, it's pretty wonderful." [Dec 2008, p.75] Game Informer (58%) is less enamored (in its really, really short review): "Mushroom Men has a few things going for it, like cool characters and clever sound design. Unfortunately, none of the good stuff has any bearing on the gameplay, which is a total mess. The camera is awful, the level designs are boring, and combat is comprised of whipping the remote around and hoping that you hit something." Nintendo Power (80%) found it to be vintage platforming fungi: "If you're hungry for some classic 3-D platforming, Mushroom Men is definitely worth checking out." [Holiday 2008, p.84] 1UP (C) thinks it's just a pretty face, and is reminded of generic PS1 platformers (surely it's not as bad as Croc?): "The rich presentation fills out its role in the game just fine, but the core mechanics simply can't back it up. Visually intriguing environments break down to straightforward platforming and switch-flipping puzzles; inspired design rears its head every now and then, but -- by and large -- Mushroom Men's stages are anything but progressive, falling right alongside a forgotten swath of PS1 platformers." %Gallery-18243%
Mushroom Men: Radical Weapons for Tiny Overkill
We conclude our exploration of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars' freaky arsenal this week with two categories of weapons: thrusting weapons and Radical! Weapons. The idea of a thrusting weapon is fairly simple to understand: it's a pointy thing of some kind on a stick, and your mushroom uses it to poke at stuff.Radical! Weapons are special weapons that have limited ammunition and are used at certain specific points in a level to obscure a hole in the wall or otherwise destroy an area that is the source of repeated enemy spawns. They're slightly more sadistic and demented than the normal weapons. And by "sadistic and demented" we mean "a flamethrower made from a match, a whistle, an aspirator, and a football bobblehead."%Gallery-34378%%Gallery-18243%
Mushroom Men: Delay of the Fungi
We've been gearing up for the Rise of the Fungi, prepping our weapons, messing up perfectly good clothing, and what do we get for our efforts? The DS title, originally slated for, uh, last month, has been delayed. Surprised? Not if you were paying attention, but happily, we can report that the game is now scheduled for December 2. Let's just hope Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi doesn't get lost in the holiday crush. We've got our fingers crossed for this one.%Gallery-15252%
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wait
Unfortunately, we can no longer claim that Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is one of the most promising games of this fall -- not because we've changed our minds about the game or anything, but because it's no longer a game of this fall. Gamecock announced that both the DS and Wii Mushroom Men games have been delayed to December 2nd. The Spore Wars was originally planned for this month, following an October release of the DS Rise of the Fungi.Provided that Mushroom Men actually comes out this holiday season, it could do well as the only major platformer being released on the Wii (that doesn't star a werehog). Or we could be wrong and it could be swallowed by the mass of holiday releases in general! The point is, one of those processes will begin in December.%Gallery-18243%
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Exploding Canisters
The final installment in our look at the hacked-together weapons in Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi on the DS brings some more second-generation weapons -- items that a Mushroom Man thought was okay at killing other mushrooms, but could be better. And then in come the compressed air canisters and electric motors. It takes a big brain to come up with this kind of stuff, and luckily Mushroom Men happen to have enormous, umbrella-shaped canopies in which to hold said brains.Have a look around our Mushroom Men weapons gallery to learn the "recipes" behind the game's hand-crafted mini-disasterpieces. In addition, two new screenshots from the DS game can be found in our main Mushroom Men gallery.%Gallery-34889%%Gallery-15252%
