iointeractive
Latest
The studio behind Hitman is making a James Bond game
IO Interactive says 'Project 007' will tell the secret agent's origin story.
'Hitman: Absolution' and 'Blood Money' remasters arrive January 11th
Following the success of Hitman and Hitman 2, Warner Bros. and IO Interactive are looking to strike while enthusiasm is high by releasing a remastered collection of older games in the series. The Hitman HD Enhanced Collection includes Hitman: Absolution and Hitman: Blood Money, and it will be available on PS4 and Xbox One on January 11th for $60. There's no word as yet on a PC release date, however.
'Hitman 2' will let everyone kill Sean Bean
Movie producers have seemingly gone out of their way to kill Sean Bean in whatever role he plays, so it only makes sense that you could off him in a game, right? IO Interactive certainly thinks so -- it has revealed that the first Elusive Target in Hitman 2 is none other than the perpetually ill-fated actor. Bean plays Mark Faba, an ex-MI5 agent who has become a freelance assassin. He's nicknamed "The Undying" due to his knack for faking his own death, but you're clearly there to put an end to that streak.
'Hitman 2' introduces multiplayer versus mode
The surefire way to tell identical twins apart is to check their fingerprints and the barcodes on the back of their heads. Developer IO Interactive has released a trailer for Ghost Mode, a new addition to the upcoming Hitman 2, that brings competitive multiplayer to the series for the first time. It's a 1v1 online mode that pits you against an opponent to see who can eliminate their target as quickly and cleanly as possible. Each Agent 47's goal is to earn five points before the other, with each kill awarding a single point. Earning a point means killing the target unnoticed and hiding the body without it being immediately found. Players will lose points by eliminating innocent NPCs. There will also be pick-ups throughout, with disguises, weapons, and "Ghost Crates." Players that find a Ghost Crate can only take one item, and that item will be removed as a choice for their opponent. You won't be trying to kill your doppelganger, not even with a pair of scissors or a fish. Each player will be in their own "reality," where they can see a ghost Agent 47, including what they're wearing and what they're holding. It will, however, be possible to throw your opponent off balance by using a Ghost Coin, kind of an interdimensional totem, which when thrown in your reality to attract the attention of an NPC, will do the same in their reality. Hitman 2 is set to release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 13th.
'Hitman' games have brighter future thanks to Warner Bros. deal
The Hitman game franchise has seen some tumultuous times lately: Square Enix tried to offload its developer, IO Interactive, prompting the studio to buy its independence. While that gave IO more control, it also left the company more vulnerable if sales fell short. Not to fear, however: IO has signed a Hitman publishing deal with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The agreement should provide some stability, and even gives fans a re-release in the short term.
A 'Hitman' series is coming to Hulu from the creator of 'John Wick'
Past attempts at Hitman movies haven't fared so well, but Hulu is betting that it can do justice to the assassination game franchise through an online series. Deadline has learned that Hulu is partnering with Fox 21 on a Hitman show that will be executive produced by Derek Kolstad, better known as the chief architect of the John Wick movies. You couldn't have asked for more appropriate talent, really -- he knows a thing or two about producing assassin-themed stories with memorable thrills. There are few details about the plot, but it'll reportedly hew closely to the story of IO Interactive's franchise, which is as much about Agent 47's mysterious origins as it is his targets.
‘Hitman: Game of the Year Edition’ adds new ‘Patient Zero’ campaign
When developer IO Interactive separated from publisher Square Enix, it got to keep the popular Hitman franchise, giving the now-independent studio control over the 2016 stealth shooter game it developed. Back in June, the company released the first episode of Hitman for free to attract new customers, and now it's putting out a "Game of the Year" version of the game for PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 7th. The new edition will include the entire first season, a brand new 'Patient Zero' campaign, new Escalation Contracts, new weapons, new suits, new challenges and improved graphic and lighting effects.
Dabble in the murderous world of 'Hitman' for free
Since it was announced that publisher Square Enix was selling off Hitman developer IO Interactive, the studio's fate has been uncertain. With last week's news that IO bought the Hitman license, things have been looking up, though. And now, in an effort to get more people playing (and purchasing) its fantastic back-to-basics reboot of the long-running stealth franchise, the newly independent studio is giving it away. Well, a portion of the murderous puzzle game, at least. Specifically, Hitman's the ICA Facility section of the first episode is available for free on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
First season of 'Hitman' ends on Halloween, in Japan
The first season of Hitman's episodic experiment comes to a close on October 31st -- no tricks. This final installment takes place in Hokkaido, Japan and according to publisher Square Enix, it's "the culmination of everything players will have learnt in terms of both gameplay and story." So hopefully you've been paying attention. The mission takes place in a remote compound replete with Zen gardens, an organic sushi restaurant (fingers crossed you can poison the shashimi) and a Japanese hot spring.
'Hitman' will take you to Morocco on May 31st
Where do you go after murdering the French fashion scene and defending the art of assassination in Italy? For Agent 47, the hired killer that defines the Hitman games, that's up to his handlers -- and on May 31st, they're sending him to Morocco.
'Hitman' blows his cover next week on PlayStation 4
The cold, calculated killer known only as Agent 47 returns to do what he does best sooner than we thought. That's assuming you have a PlayStation 4 and have pre-ordered the next game starring the cloned assassin, of course. While it might be going a different direction in terms of structure (multi-season, downloadable and episodic versus a traditional retail release), publisher Square Enix is sadly clinging to old methods of promo.
'Hitman' delayed to March 2016
IO Interactive needs a few more months to bulk out the new Hitman -- the studio has pushed the game's release date back from December 2015 to March 2016. The delay applies to all versions: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam. Wherever and whenever you end up playing Hitman, it's going to be a slightly different experience for the series. IO Interactive and publisher Square Enix plan to release Hitman in chunks, starting with a large initial launch. Afterward, the game's remaining locations will be released over time. The new Hitman's tagline is, "Enter a world of assassination," which feeds into the idea of a constantly updated, evolving landscape.
The new 'Hitman' will be an 'ever-expanding world of assassination'
At Square Enix's E3 press conference today, developer IO Interactive revealed more details about the upcoming Hitman, an assassination-based shooter. But for this new title, due out December 8th on PS4, Xbox One and Steam, the developer's taking a different tactic that meshes well with the game's digital release: It'll constantly evolve. That's right, IO Interactive will continually release updates that will add new locations, missions and hits. And it's worth noting that some of these new targets will be a one-time deal (read: permadeath). IO will also take cues from the Hitman community to inform these future updates and also to work together to take out targets. Hitman is available to pre-order today. Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Former Hitman, Kane and Lynch creators launch Reto-Moto
The founders of Hitman and Kane and Lynch developer IO Interactive have left to form Reto-Moto, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based studio "committed to redefining the online multi-player space." While the team isn't talking about its initial project, a press release announcing the company notes that Reto-Moto is in "active dialogue with strategic industry partners."In a rather incestuous twist, it turns out that Reto-Moto was actually established in 1997, and was the former parent of IO Interactive before it was handed off to Eidos in 2004 as part of a £20 million acquisition. It looks like Thomas Wolfe was wrong; you can go home again.
Former Hitman devs creating 'high end' casual games
Casual games are not everyone's cup of tea, as evidenced by our controversial inclusion of PopCap puzzler Peggle among Joystiq's top ten titles of 2007. There's no denying, however, that these often bite-sized diversions are as popular as they are addictive, reason enough why many startup studios -- such as newly formed The Game Equation -- swing that way. The Denmark-based studio, established by a pair of programmers who worked on the Hitman franchise in a previous life, aims to develop for the "high end of the casual games industry" with titles that remind them of what it was like playing games when they were youngsters. That's sweet, but what exactly does that mean?The company has pair of puzzle games available already named Deep Blue Sea and Constellations, though at first glance there certainly doesn't appear to be anything particularly evolved about either of these efforts, entertaining as they may be. What is interesting is that in creating the match-3 puzzler Deep Blue Sea, the studio brought on an honest to goodness film and theatre composer, Rasmus Hartvig, to create the game's music, though given the dev's experience with Hitman, a series known for its dramatic scores, The Game Equation's aural emphasis is not wholly unexpected. That's all well and good, and we like good music as much as anyone, but the studio will need to pull out some considerably bigger tricks before we buy into its incongruous idea of high end casual games.
Video: Kane & Lynch devs on multiplayer, co-op
In the third of the Kane & Lynch Insider series, the developers at IO Interactive discuss the multiplayer mode of the game and the (offline only) co-op. One thing that stands out to us as we watch the video is that the graphics aren't all that spectacular. A petty complaint perhaps, but early trailers had us impressed. Maybe it's the bland UI, but something seems off. But, gameplay is paramount, and the multiplayer mode (called Fragile Alliance) looks to change things up a bit. As we've discussed before, players cooperate to pull off a bank heist, with victory being awarded to the criminal that gets out with the most money. To spice things up, players can betray their teammates to steal their cash, and those who are betrayed are resurrected as police officers.Honestly, it's a little hard to listen to the developers talk about how much co-op adds to the game. Call us jaded, but the fact that co-op is an offline only option is sorely disappointing, making the developers claims about how it changes the experience fall a little flat. Don't get us wrong, we love couch co-op as much as any gamer, but considering that nearly all major titles have online co-op now, it seems like a hefty oversight.Still, let's try not to dull our excitement for Kane & Lynch, hmm? Watch the video and tell us what you think.
Kane & Lynch excited for GTAIV
Never once have we thought to use the word "cute" to describe Kane & Lynch -- a game about robbing banks at gunpoint, among other things -- but it really seems the best word to describe the video embedded above. Most of the video is simply listening to Lynch talk about how much he likes the Grand Theft Auto series, and how excited he is to play GTAIV. Of course, we all know it's been delayed until next year, so it looks like he'll have to wait. As we said, it's a cute video (it's also got some salty language, so watch at your own discretion). Give it a watch and give the folks at Eidos some props for their cleverness.[Via Joystiq]
Kane & Lynch insider vid talks story development
The first in what a appears to be a series of video diaries, the Kane & Lynch Insider #1 has been released. The video focuses on the story development of the upcoming crime action game from IO Interactive. Jens Peter Kurup, the game's director, discusses how the story has developed over time. Interestingly, the game was originally based solely around Kane, with Lynch playing only a background role. As development progressed, Lynch became more central to the story, until the developers decided to essentially turn the game into "a buddy movie." Also, Kurup stresses that players may not necessarily like Kane and Lynch, but that players should still care about them at least a little bit. In this he compares Kane and Lynch to characters like Scarface. He's a horrible human being, but you still manage to care about him. Basically, that's the goal for Kane & Lynch. Here's hoping IO Interactive manages to pull it off.Warning: Video possibly NSFW thanks to violence and one instance of profanity.
Kane and Lynch has bank heist multiplayer, offline co-op
Alright, we've got good news and bad news about Kane and Lynch. Pick a hand. You sure you want that one? Alright, bad news first then. The bad news is that the game will not feature online co-op. Yeah, a game that centers around two characters working together doesn't have online co-op. The news was confirmed by Eurogamer in an interview with the game's director Jens Peter Kurup. From what we can gather of Kurup's circuitous answers, online co-op was scrapped in order to deliver the game on time.In happier news, the multiplayer mode for Kane and Lynch has been revealed and it sounds like a lot of fun. Described by the developers at IO Interactive as such a good idea that they were surprised no one thought of it before, the multiplayer mode has players performing a bank heist. Titled Fragile Alliance, the mode has players attempt to rob a bank within a certain time limit while avoiding police fire. The twist is that players can turn on each other in order to get more loot. However, killing teammates immediately flags you as a traitor, so one has to pick the right moment to betray. Make it back to the getaway car with extra cash and you can purchase better weapons the following round. As a bonus, betrayed teammates are resurrected as police officers so they can exact their bittersweet revenge. In short, it sounds like a great idea. Here's hoping it makes us forget about online co-op.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, THA1icarus]Read -- CVG multiplayer previewRead -- Eurogamer multiplayer interview
Kane and Lynch dated, strikes November 20
We liked our time playing Kane and Lynch at E3; unfortunately, it appears the Gods That Be have given the title a rather arduous gauntlet. Eidos is bringing the title to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20.As if the holiday lineup wasn't crowded enough, this particular week will also see the deployment of BioWare's much-ballyhooed Mass Effect for Xbox 360 and Naughty Dog's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. We're not saying Kane and Lynch has a death sentence; it's a fun game from the makers of Hitman that has garnered enough interest for a movie deal. But the competition will be fierce.[Via X3F]
