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Bionic Commando developer GRIN closes
Recent reports of layoffs revealed that Swedish developer GRIN was in financial trouble. Today, in a statement on the GRIN website, founders Bo and Ulf Andersson announced that the company was officially closing, citing an "unbearable cashflow situation" due to delayed payments from unnamed publishers.In the statement, the founders mentioned "our unreleased masterpiece that we weren't allowed to finish" and thanked many of the companies they worked with, including Ubisoft and Capcom -- but not Warner Bros., for whom GRIN made Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Terminator: Salvation. As reported earlier today, several GRIN staffers who had previously been laid off have gone on to form Outbreak Studios.[Via Kotaku]
Ex-GRIN staffers form Outbreak Studios
Now that's what we call an expedient rebound -- a number of developers who were recently laid off from GRIN have bounced back, forming a new studio operating under the moniker Outbreak Studios. The head honcho for the new outfit is former GRIN lead programmer Peter Björklund, who, in addition to the games produced by his former place of employment (Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Bionic Commando, among others), worked on Battlefield: Bad Company, Race Pro and Just Cause.The studio's recently opened site has a clear mission statement -- to "develop titles for Xbox 360 (XBLA), PS3 (PlayStation Store), Games For Windows Live, PSP Go and iPhone." The new developer is also hoping to "deliver online components for AAA titles, both existing or upcoming." We wish the Outbreak team the best of luck, and hope their new ventures far outshine their previous ones.[Via Edge Online]
Rumor: Nobody's smiling about more GRIN layoffs
It appears that the rumors of layoffs at Stockholm-based developer GRIN are getting worse, with the company itself allegedly on the brink of collapse. Gamasutra has been informed by reliable sources that the studio has had another round of layoffs and that some employees have been told not to show up for work. Two of the company's studios have already shut down, with the main Stockholm office being the next domino. Despite critical acclaim for Bionic Commando Rearmed, the studio saw sluggish sales and tepid reviews from big-budget titles like Terminator Salvation, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and -- the game that could really have given it a boost -- Bionic Commando. We'll update as we hear more.
Bionic Commando grapples Steam, soundtrack released
Get ready for a double bionic news whammy. First up, both Bionic Commando and its retro cousin, Bionic Commando Rearmed, are now available on Steam. Bionic Commando can be grappled for $39.99, while Rearmed will make heads explode for only $9.99. If you want to just go crazy and get 'em both, you can save a whole five bucks by picking up the Bionic Commando Pack for $44.99. In other bionic news, the Bionic Commando soundtrack is now available from Sumthing Digital and iTunes for $9.99. While opinions on Bionic Commando are mixed, the soundtrack is definitely worth checking out (just like its cousin). [Via 1UP]
Bionic Commando Rearmed Trophies are almost here
Hey, remember Bionic Commando Rearmed? Probably not, seeing as it came out almost a year ago. It was a pretty decent remake of the NES classic. Only one problem -- it didn't have Trophies. Still, Capcom promised they'd patch them in. Then they canceled that promise. Then they promised again. Now, finally, we've been told via the company's official Twitter account that the Trophy patch has been approved for the US, with Europe scheduled to be approved in the next few days. The upshot of which is that you "may" be getting your long-awaited Trophies within the next "7 to 10 days." We're pretty sure most of you will have moved on by now, but it's the thought that counts.
Bionic Commando swings to PC July 17 in EU, July 28 in US
If you've been anxiously awaiting Nathan Spencer's latest romp, Bionic Commando, on the PC, then we've got some important days you'll need to mark on your calendar. First up, courtesy of Eurogamer, we know the title will release in Europe on July 17. Capcom has confirmed with us that the game will arrive in North America two weeks later, on July 28.The PC version of Bionic Commando will feature the same gameplay as its console counterparts, but will boast new features in DirectX 9 and 10 support, higher resolutions, customizable controls and online options. Considering the game only managed to move 27,000 copies on consoles in its first month of US release, we wonder how the PC launch will fare.
Bionic Commando Rearmed update coming to XBLA as well
Worried about news that Capcom's Bionic Commando Rearmed was getting patched with Trophy support as well as new difficulty levels on PlayStation Network, with no mention at all of an Xbox Live Arcade patch? We feared the worst and asked Capcom to set us straight. A spokesperson told us, "Yes yes of course, same new Easier modes on both platforms." There you have it! Eleven days ago Capcom's John Diamonon assured us that the patch (at least on PSN) "should be available real soon"; however, as of today, neither patch has appeared. We'll go ahead and assume the new release date is "really really soon." %Gallery-14181%
Bionic Commando grappled only 27k sales in May
The new Bionic Commando sold a mere 27,000 units during its first month of sale in the US this May, reports Gamasutra. Well, its "first month" might be stretching it (like a grapple arm) a bit. The title went on sale May 19, which means it was at retail for the Xbox 360 and PS3 for a little under two weeks. Although, even with that caveat, those sales figures still aren't good for the modestly reviewed title, which had plenty of promotion.Terminator Salvation, also developed by (the allegedly downsized) Grin and released around the same time as BC, sold 43,000 units with exceptionally poor reviews. To really put things in perspective, Bionic Commando Rearmed -- the high-def remake of the classic game -- sold 130,000 copies during its first week late last year.
Review: Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a truly terrible game. My reviews might occasionally sacrifice a touch of clarity in exchange for glibness or sesquipedalianism, so I find it important to write this review with its ultimate conclusion as its preface. The game is supremely awful, and you shouldn't buy it, rent it or play it. If that stern recommendation was all you were looking for, feel free to move on without reading the remainder after the jump. If you want a lesson in how not to make a game, read on. Especially if your name appears anywhere in the Terminator Salvation credits. (Yes, even you, Rose McGowan -- IF THAT IS EVEN YOUR REAL NAME.)
Rumor: GRIN lays off more than 100
GRIN sort of exploded onto the scene recently with Wanted, Bionic Commando and Terminator Salvation all releasing within a couple of months of each other. Like a star post-supernova though, it seems that the company might be shrinking in on itself. Kotaku's reporting that various sources have indicated to them that the company has let go of more than 100 staff members.We're working on getting official confirmation from someone at GRIN, we'll let you know what we find out.
Grab Bionic Commando Rearmed on XBLA for $5 this week
Major Nelson received accurate information this week indicating that the Xbox "deal of the week" would be Bionic Commando Rearmed for 400 ($5). A small reminder: to take advantage of the deal, you must have an Xbox Live gold membership, otherwise it'll show as the standard 800 ($10). It's also worth noting that the Metacritic average for BCR is an 85, while the super new and flashy Bionic Commando is 70. Which one is getting five of your dollars?
Terminator Salvation PC replacement begins
Evolved Games has begun its replacement program for recalled defective retail copies of Terminator: Salvation on PC. For those of you not keeping score at home, Terminator: Salvation PC shipped with an unfortunate feature, it wouldn't allow users to install the game at all. Add that to the fact that the game itself is virtually unplayable (that's not a glitch, it just isn't very good) and Terminator: Salvation has turned into one of the biggest movie-based gaming debacles since Charlie's Angels hit the GameCube.Retail PC users looking for a replacement can find more information on Evolved Games' support site. The studio also released a statement apologizing for "any inconvenience that end users may have suffered." Digital distribution copies were unaffected by the bug.%Gallery-48219%[Via Shacknews]
Bionic Commando leaderboards swing online
Capcom Unity reports that the leaderboards for Bionic Commando are now viewable on the game's website. The boards are fairly basic, displaying each players overall XP as well as their total kills, deaths and wins. Right now, it looks like the leaderboards are only available for the Xbox 360 version of the game, despite its availability on the PS3 and PC. Alas, there doesn't appear to be a search function, so good luck looking up how awesome you are. Conversely, it will be much easier for bad players to hide their shame.
Metareview - Bionic Commando (Xbox 360/PS3)
Now that we've subjected you to our own review of Bionic Commando, it's high time we check out what others had to say about Nathan Spencer and his latest exploits. In short, it would seem the game is a success with most outlets. So, swing your eyes below and see what the rest of the gaming community thinks of Capcom's franchise reboot. IGN (80/100): "If you can look past the replayability issues that crop up due to the linear play, you'll find an enjoyable adventure that easily re-establishes the franchise for Capcom." Giant Bomb (80/100): "Bionic Commando goes back and forth between moments of great, navigation-based gameplay and a lot of little touches that don't work as well as you'd like. It makes the final product a little frustrating, because you can almost see a better game trying to bust its way out of its constraints." Eurogamer (70/100): "Bionic Commando succeeds in resurrecting a good idea lost to the Capcom archives, and giving it a new lease of life, but it falls foul of a few old standards in the process." Game Informer (63/100): "It's hard to forget the unresponsive controls, ludicrous story, and questionable combat encounters. The game is uneven and inconsistent enough to scare away even eager fans who have patiently waited 20 years for another swing." [June 2009, p.83] Source - Metacritic: Bionic Commando (Xbox 360)Source - Metacritic: Bionic Commando (PS3)%Gallery-24249%
Joystiq Review: Bionic Commando (single-player)
It figures. Right after I reinvent the face of modern games criticism by deciding not to finish a game I hated, a title comes along that really does get better in its second half: Bionic Commando is a pretty good game, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell from the first few hours.Make no mistake, I'm not talking about the level of disdain I had for Velvet Assasin. I never really considered giving up on this rethinking of the 8-bit classic. But in Bionic Commando's opening hours, it was hard to stop wondering where Capcom had gone wrong.%Gallery-24249%
Bionic Commando Rearmed NOT swinging in at $5 this week [update]
Major Nelson notes that this week's Xbox "deal of the week" (which actually lives up to its name, for once) is Bionic Commando Rearmed for 400 ($5). That's less than what you'll spend at the McDonalds drive-thru -- and a whole lot healthier. The only thing diminishing our fanfare of this deal is that the PSN already dropped the BCR price last week. Either way, the price is something worth jumping for joy over. Sorry, Radd. Too soon for jumping jokes? Update: The Major was apparently given misinformation. BCR is still $5 on PS3's PSN.
Play Bionic Commando demo with Capcom (again)
We have to admit, we were really tempted to copy last week's post about this and just paste it in here. Alas, someone was looking, so the plans were scrapped. Suffice it to say that Capcom is once again hosting a little community playdate with the Bionic Commando demo. If you'd like a chance to own some Capcom fools, simply send an Xbox 360 friend request to "Snow Infernus" -- gamertag of Capcom's Shawn Baxter. After that, just sign into Live when the action starts at 3:00pm Pacific (6:00pm Eastern). If you get invited to a private match, then congratulations! You're playing with Capcom. Finally, a story worth telling the grandkids someday. Also, sorry, but there is no word on whether or not Bionic Middle Manager will be taking part in the event.
Video: The big guns and big moves of Bionic Commando
The latest Lab Report video for Bionic Commando has been released, this time showing off some of the game's weaponry and finishing moves. While we enjoy watching Nathan Spencer -- the game's hero -- hurling boulders at giant robots, our favorite piece of kit in the video has to be the Tarantula gun, which fires fires a cluster of missiles at distant targets. Also shown in the video is what appears to be a female sidekick and a sniping villainess.A bionic love triangle, perhaps? Let's hope so.[Via Big Download]
Bionic Commando Rearmed drops to $4.99 on PSN
Capcom Unity has announced on its Twitter account that the excellent Bionic Commando Rearmed has received a price cut on the US Playstation Store. Specifically, the once $10 game is now available for only $4.99. If you haven't taken the plunge on the beautifully revamped remake, there's no time like the present. After all, it's not like you get to explode the head of a resurrected World War 2 dictator every day. And, even if you did, it wouldn't be this cheap.
Grin praises XBLA/PSN development, dislikes submission process
Stockholm, Sweden-based Grin, developer of last year's superb downloadable title Bionic Commando: Rearmed, recently told Develop magazine that while XBLA and PSN give smaller developers a chance to get just as much exposure as the largest publishers, the process of actually getting a game onto them can be daunting. Grin CEO Bo Andersson expressed, "It's really nice that, whoever you are, you can get the same sort of attention [on XBLA and PSN]. I don't think the big publishers can muscle their way in for more exposure on the platform; it's a level playing field. That promotes quality." His brother Ulf, the company's creative director, admited that actually getting onto that field can be tricky."It's still much easier to make digital games on the PC than it is with XBLA and PSN. With the consoles' online platforms, Sony and Microsoft have their own rules and regulations to follow, and you have to have a pretty robust [bug testing] session to get your game out there," he said. "That's something which smaller independent developers run into." Sounds like Sony's Pub Fund could be quite useful for bringing on the extra bug-squashing muscle.
