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Broken Age gets physical with simultaneous retail release
Broken Age Act 2 is due to arrive this spring, and when it does you'll be able to buy the full Double Fine adventure on disc. The developer is once again teaming up with Nordic Games to get PC, Mac and Linux copies of Broken Age onto shelves, and that's "simultaneously" with the release of the concluding act. Simultaneously is the watchword for Broken Age this year. As Double Fine's Greg Rice put it last month, the studio aims "to launch on PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS Vita, iOS, Ouya and Android next spring as close to simultaneously as human possible." That now includes a retail release on three platforms (at least), so springtime will be a busy time for the Californian studio.
Nordic acquires adventure games from Awesomenauts publisher
Nordic Games continued its spending spree today, picking up a few properties from Awesomenauts publisher DTP Entertainment. Nordic purchased three intellectual properties from the German publisher: The Moment of Silence (seen above), The Mystery of the Druids and Curse of the Ghost Ship. DTP also agreed to hand over commercial use of Overclocked and 15 Days to Nordic Games. Each of the five properties listed in the purchase agreement were developed by House of Tales, a Bremen, Germany-based PC adventure game developer. Nordic said its adventure games division, The Adventure Company, "gets a considerable increase" thanks to the IP acquisition, adding that it "will make good use of these new opportunities." The publisher completed its purchase of the de Blob series from THQ last month, over a year and a half after the Austrian company bought dozens of other THQ properties such as Darksiders, Red Faction and MX vs. ATV for $4.9 million. [Image: DTP Entertainment, err, Nordic Games]
Red Faction: Guerrilla abandons GFWL for Steamworks
Following "over a month" of QA testing, the Steam version of destructible world shooter Red Faction: Guerrilla is now officially available. Unlike the original PC version of Red Faction: Guerrilla, the Steam edition does not rely on the now-defunct Games for Windows Live service for online functionality. Instead, it utilizes Valve's digital distribution service and the myriad features that come with it. Thus Red Faction: Guerrilla now features support for Steam Trading Cards, achievements and online leaderboards. To sweeten the re-release pot further, the game's developers also added a new "Behemoth" mode to the game as well as six new Wrecking Crew maps. Despite these changes, the Steam version of Red Faction: Guerrilla will recognize existing saves from the game's original release. If you own the Games for Windows Live version of Red Faction: Guerrilla, simply update to the new Steam version, start the game as usual and it will automatically attempt to import saves created prior to the patch. If you don't own Red Faction: Guerrilla, now would be a good time to grab a copy. The Steam edition is discounted to $3 for the next 48 hours. [Image: Nordic Games]
Red Faction: Guerrilla opens Steamworks public beta
Red Faction: Guerrilla is the latest game to completely shed its Games for Windows Live coat, and will now begin testing full Steam support features, Nordic Games announced. The publisher invited players to participate in a public beta of the game's new Steam-based functionality, which includes matchmaking and multiplayer support via Steamworks. The game's public beta will also feature leaderboards, voice chat and achievements via Valve's PC gaming service. Those interested in participating in the beta are instructed to follow this guide, selecting Red Faction: Guerrilla in step one and using the password "nordicrfgbeta" and the beta branch "publicbeta." First launching in 2009, Red Faction: Guerrilla was part of the $4.9 million set of intellectual properties purchased by Nordic Games in THQ's liquidation auction in April 2013, seeing itself as a "middle man" for potential sequels in its new series. The publisher told Joystiq at Gamescom in August that it's "not the right time" for Red Faction: Guerrilla 2. [Image: Nordic Games]
Nordic officially purchases de Blob series from THQ
Over a year and a half after it won dozens of intellectual properties in THQ's back catalog auction, Nordic Games announced that it closed an asset purchase agreement with THQ for de Blob today. With the rights to the series now officially owned by Nordic Games, de Blob joins properties such as Darksiders, Red Faction and MX vs. ATV on the Austrian company's list of games. The publisher acquired those brands in April 2013 for $4.9 million. "We are excited about what the future holds for this polychromatic extravaganza as the newest addition to our portfolio," Business and Product Development Director Reinhard Pollice said in an update on the publisher's site. "We will evaluate opportunities with the existing games, as well as potential sequels." De Blob launched in 2006 on PC before a THQ-published Wii version arrived in 2008. The paint-splattering, platforming follow-up de Blob 2 launched on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii in 2011. Nordic Games also reportedly acquired the THQ trademark under a separate agreement revealed in June, though the mark's listing on the USPTO's website still notes THQ as its owner. [Image: THQ, err, Nordic Games]
Humble's Nordic Bundle 2 delivers Darksiders, Titan Quest
Publisher Nordic Games headlines its second Humble Bundle this week with digital copies of Darksiders, Titan Quest Gold, and 10 additional PC games for a buyer-chosen price. Pay $1 or more for the collection and you'll get Volition's action-RPG Summoner, dark adventure game Black Mirror, both entries in the AquaNox series, and Supreme Commander Gold Edition and the Forged Alliance expansion. Beat the average (currently $6.18) and you'll unlock Darksiders, Red Faction: Armageddon, MX vs. ATV Reflex, and Titan Quest Gold. Pitch in $10 or more and you'll also get Darksiders 2, SpellForce 2, and Deadfall Adventures. Humble's Nordic Games Bundle 2 will be available through October 14. [Video: Nordic Games / Humble Bundle]
'Not the right time' for Red Faction: Guerrilla 2; Darksiders 2 coming to Mac, Linux
Last year we explored who Nordic Games was following its $4.9 million acquisition of THQ assets during the company's liquidation auction; this year we wanted to know where it was going with all that loot. Regarding former THQ properties, the company is currently producing Darksiders for Linux and Mac, with plans to release Darksiders 2 on the platforms in the future. "A couple of months ago we had a team ready to start on Red Faction: Guerrilla 2. It's still something that's in the works," said Nordic's business and product development manager Reinhard Pollice. He expressed the plan fell apart because the person they wanted to hire still had other obligations. "We want to do it, we think it's really good, but it's not the right time. Obviously you need the right people and if one of the key people can't join at the start then you need to postpone the start."
Report: Nordic to publish games under THQ trademark
Nordic Games has acquired the THQ trademark from the now-defunct company, Polygon reported. The mark was purchased in an agreement made outside of the April 2013 property auction following THQ's demise. Nordic will now have the ability to publish games under the THQ brand. It may do so with the MX vs. ATV series, as Nordic seemingly posted to THQ's official Facebook page following the trademark purchase to remind fans of the return of the racing brand. Nordic Games purchased MX vs. ATV, along with the Darksiders series from THQ. It announced plans in December to publish MX vs. ATV Supercross in the first half of this year. [Image: THQ, or wait, Nordic Games]
Humble Store Nordic sale discounts Red Faction, Darksiders series and more
Up to 80 percent off is on offer at The Humble Store this week on a large collection of Nordic Games-owned franchises, including old THQ-published favorites Red Faction and Darksiders. The Red Faction Collection is available for $9.99 (down from $60) and bundles each game in the series from developer Volition Inc., including DLC for Armageddon. Darksiders 2 is available for $7.49, while the original has been reduced to $4.99 during the limited time sale. Other franchises discounted in the deal include SpellForce, Gothic, Arcana, and Titan Quest. Ten percent of sales at The Humble Store are given to charity. Humble supports multiple charities from its store, including the American Red Cross, Child's Play, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Charity: Water and World Land Trust. The Nordic Games 'Revolutionary Sale' ends early on Friday, April 18. [Image: The Humble Store]
Darksiders 2 reappears on European Wii U eShop
After nearly a year's absence, Nordic Games brought Darksiders 2 back to the European Wii U eShop. The game was removed from the eShop at the end of March 2013 following the back catalog auction of THQ's properties, the result of the publisher's closure. Nordic Games spent $4.9 million to acquire the Darksiders series from THQ, and said in June 2013 that it wanted to find a developer for the series and do right by it. Darksiders 2 was a day-one launch title for Wii U that included off-screen play and DLC on the disc from the game's PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. [Image: Nordic Games]
Nordic Games to release Darksiders, Red Faction compilations [update]
Update: Nordic told Eurogamer there are no set release dates for the collections as yet. Instead, it's looking at a Q2 2014 window. Also, the Red Faction Collection isn't coming to Xbox 360. ""This is because according to Microsoft, the Collection did not comply with some of their guidelines for such a pack," Nordic told Eurogamer. Original story: The formerly THQ-owned Darksiders and Red Faction series are getting compilations on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC courtesy of new rights holder Nordic Games. The bundles are listed on the Austrian company's site, with a March 14 release date for the PC versions. Amazon UK backs up that due date, listing it for the Darksiders compilation across all platforms. The Darksiders Collection, or Complete Collection as it's called on PC, includes War's hack-and-slash debut and Death's 2012 follow-up. According to Amazon UK, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions feature the Darksiders 2 season pass, granting access to the Abyssal Forge and Belial's Pass expansions. The PC version's box art says it includes "all the DLCs." As for the Red Faction bundles, the Xbox 360 and PS3 Collection includes the original game along with Guerrilla and Armageddon, and the Path of War DLC for the last of those. The PC Complete Collection, however, goes one better by also chucking in Red Faction 2.
MX vs. ATV will ride again in first half of 2014
The MX vs. ATV franchise, purchased by Nordic Games during the THQ intellectual property auction, is revving up again. The Austrian-based publisher revealed MX vs. ATV Supercross today, which is due to release in the first half of 2014 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Linux as a digitally distributed product. "A lot of the original team members have been aching to continue their passion: building the most authentic off-road racing games possible. The hiatus is over, and the team is back to work on MX vs. ATV with great new things to come," said Executive Producer Ken George. Business development director at Nordic Games Reinhard Pollice added, "We're absolutely committed to ensuring Ken and his team receive the best support and the freedom to create the games they love making – and we're confident that the series will continue to grow from strength to strength. Supercross is just the start of our MX vs. ATV plans." We got a better sense of Nordic's mindset after its $4.9 million acquisition of THQ properties, with the company laying out its plans for us at Gamescom. MX vs. ATV was high on the resurfacing docket at that time, with Titan Quest also planned to return in the near future.
Nordic Games partners with Uber for release of Planetary Annihilation
Publisher Nordic Games will team up with Planetary Annihilation developer Uber Entertainment to bring the real-time-strategy game to Earthly retail shops, a press release announced this week. Nordic will also be involved in a "non-exclusive partnership" regarding PA's digital release. When said partnership will result in finished copies for everyone is currently up in the air though, as Uber's "when it's done" mentality is focused on launching PA when the developer feels "confident about its level of polish." Nordic purchased the Darksiders, Titan Quest, Red Faction and MX vs ATV properties from THQ's auction earlier this year. It also bought the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking, but Nordic gave those licenses back to their developer, Double Fine, in a heist-free transaction that totally wasn't in Vienna.
Double Fine regains Costume Quest, Stacking rights from Nordic Games
Double Fine once again controls Costume Quest and Stacking after regaining distribution rights from Nordic Games. Nordic Games acquired the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking when it bought the properties in THQ's bankruptcy auction in April. THQ previously published both games. Nordic and Double Fine have a deal to publish retail versions of Psychonauts, Costume Quest and Stacking in North America and Europe in the first half of 2014, for PC and Mac. "I am pleased that we have regained full control over Costume Quest and Stacking, following a daring and top-secret midnight raid on the Nordic Games headquarters in Vienna," Double Fine CEO Tim Schafer said in a press release. Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors cleared the air in the same release: "We can't wait to partner with Double Fine for this upcoming retail launch of three of its most excellent games. However, I feel compelled to point out that we were happy to transfer distribution rights for Costume Quest and Stacking back to Double Fine in an entirely non-secretive and heist-free manner." As early as May, Double Fine expressed interest in regaining distribution rights for both games, though it never lost the IP rights.
Nordic's Deadfall Adventures explores Lost World with FPS eyes
A quick glance at Deadfall Adventures suggests an Uncharted-like lower-key, first-person shooter, and in some ways that assessment isn't miles off the mark. Both properties star a rugged adventurer with a notebook, both feature alluring companions with romance on their mind, and both aren't shy about tracing their roots to Allan Quatermain novels. Deadfall Adventures especially, given its hero is the great grandson of Quatermain. Based on what I saw at a recent demo, the comparisons don't go much further. While the Uncharted series places its emphasis on spectacle and orchestrated action, Deadfall Adventures, developed by Painkiller: Hell & Damnation studio The Farm 51, looks to focus on classic FPS combat. Set during the second World War, the game combines "historically accurate" weapons of the time like the MP38 submachine gun and AVS36 rifle with the lush surroundings of ancient ruins and temples, rendered neatly - don't expect blockbuster stuff - in Unreal Engine 3. Those environments caught my attention, specifically the manipulable dangers lurking within them. In the hands-off demo producer Martin Kreuch showed me, time and time again I saw conspicuous traps that were connected to large switches on the ground. Shooting or stepping on these switches made the traps unleash Indiana Jones-style dangers; we're talking flurries of spears, jets of flame, all the things that really ought to have killed Indy but never did.
Nordic Games still working out plans for Darksiders, other THQ assets
Four months after parting with $4.9 million to pick up a number of big ex-THQ properties, Austrian-based Nordic Games is still working to finalize its transaction with the now-bankrupt company. If you were looking for announcements at Gamescom - as Nordic Games hoped to have - on the futures of Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, Titan Quest, and Red Faction, you may have a fair while to wait - although not necessarily in all cases . "It takes longer than expected getting everything together because THQ, there are not a lot of people there," explained Reinhard Pollice, the man in charge of business and product development at Nordic. "There are just like five people and they're mostly financial and administration guys. So the stuff that we need is really hard to get. I've been visiting them a lot of times, trying to make sure we get everything that we actually want, or that we should get." While Pollice said he's a fan of the franchises Nordic acquired, he feels THQ at some point became too big a company to make use of the talents it had; he noted the now defunct company made a lot of bad decisions with Red Faction after Guerrilla, for example. That may explain why he places the shooter franchise lower in Nordic's priority than Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, and Titan Quest, which he sees as first, second and third. That's not to say a new Red Faction isn't coming; Pollice said Nordic is in talks with former Volition members who left the studio over the last four to five years, and that Nordic is still evaluating what to do with the franchise. Meanwhile, Darksiders remains years, rather than months, away. Pollice said Nordic's been in good discussions with some members of the original Vigil Games Team, but a "certain core" are now at Crytek US and most likely won't be available.
Nordic Games acquires two Atari intellectual properties
Nordic Games announced this morning it has obtained the intellectual property rights to Desperados and Silver. Both IPs were purchased from the latest crusty incarnation of Atari, a shriveled golem given life by licensing, currently chopping off its limbs and selling itself in pieces. Desperados was a Wild West stealth tactics game that had two installments in 2001 and 2006, both developed by Spellbound. Silver, from 1999, was an action RPG for PC and Dreamcast. Nordic Games recently spent $4.9 million to acquire THQ's back catalog and is in the process of working through its plans for those franchises. We should learn more about Nordic's roadmap for its ever-increasing catalog of IPs at Gamescom in August.
Nordic Games explains who the f they are, plans for THQ assets
Nordic Games spent $4.9 million to acquire THQ's back catalog in April, but has yet to reveal any concrete plans for the intellectual properties, although it certainly knows what you'd like to see. And, with any luck, will announce some plans by Gamescom. "We want to carefully select which franchises are up for getting a sequel or new installment. We closely monitor the communities on that," said Reinhard Pollice, who handles Nordic's business and product development. He mentioned the games receiving the most feedback are Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, Red Faction and Titan Quest. Personally, Pollice would also like a new Deadly Creatures, but there are other challenges. Nordic has described itself as a "middle man," since the company doesn't have internal studios or the capital to make the AAA sequels that fans of these games would expect. This is particularly true in the case of Darksiders, which Nordic would need to seek another publishing partner to help out. "Darksiders is really big. We know we need a partner for that. An established development team that can pull out such a big action adventure. We obviously talked to former team members and, if they are free, we want to somehow involve them. If they are allowed to because, you know, some of them found other jobs or are with Crytek now," said Pollice. He expressed that Darksiders is the franchise Nordic wants to do right by, to continue the story that's already been established. As a fan, Pollice doesn't want to mess up Darksiders and he wants to make sure that nobody else ruins what's been started in the first two games. Although, with the road ahead, he said, "I would not look for a Darksiders 3 before two years from now."
Double Fine wants to win back Stacking, Costume Quest rights
Double Fine wants to tie up all of the loose ends within its catalog and is seeking the distribution rights to its games formerly published by THQ, Stacking and Costume Quest. Nordic Games picked up the distribution rights to these games during THQ's bankruptcy auction in April, though Double Fine attempted to secure the rights from THQ as early as February. Double Fine owns the intellectual properties for Stacking and Costume Quest, so if it wants to make new games within each series, it can. "We're still trying to get the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking," Schafer told Game Informer. "We can still make more of those games. We still have the IP, but we'd love to have all of the IP and distribution rights in house." On top of those distribution rights, Double Fine wants to regain the Brutal Legend IP from EA and the Iron Brigade IP from Microsoft, Schafer said. These are difficult positions for Double Fine, but for us, deciding which war to watch is just as hard: Battle of Heavy Metal and Mechs or the Battle of Kids in Costumes Playing with Toys From the Old Country. Decisions, decisions.
Painkiller Hell & Damnation fires off 'Full Metal Rocket' DLC
The latest DLC for Painkiller Hell & Damnation is now available for purchase on Steam. The $4 Full Metal Rocket DLC bolsters the multiplayer side with five additional maps – three classic Painkiller maps in Meatless, Blink and Mines; two new locales called Town and Prison – and a pair of skins, plus a new weapon and two new enemies: the Executioner and the Beast. Painkiller Hell & Damnation is the HD remake of the original Painkiller, which launched for the PC in 2004. Console ports for Painkiller HD are currently in the works, while ports for Mac and Linux are expected to drop this spring.%Gallery-187484%
