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Galactic Reign leaving Windows Store, servers going dark end of year
Galactic Reign by Slant Six Games will be taken down from the Windows Store on August 15, a post on the official Xbox forum reads. The turn-based tactical game's servers will be retired on December 31, 2013, at which point Galactic Reign will be shuttered forever. Slant Six Games, whose last major game prior to Galactic Reign was the poorly received Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, instituted a round of "temporary" layoffs back in April with the intent to rehire those affected employees once the Canadian studio had secured new projects. The Twitter and Facebook accounts for Slant Six haven't been active since June, however, portending a more dire situation than we've been lead to believe. Joystiq has contacted both Microsoft and Slant Six Games to confirm the news. Calling the latter's offices yielded no answer.
Rumor: Slant Six worked on Medal of Honor PS Vita game
At one point, Slant Six Games was apparently working on a Medal of Honor game for PS Vita. Some concept art for the game showed up over on an artist's portfolio site, spotted by the @supererogatory Twitter account. Medal of Honor: Warfighter was the latest entry in the Medal of Honor series, developed by EA's Danger Close studio. Following that game's poor reception, EA's Peter Moore announced the franchise is now "out of the rotation." Slant Six Games' last release was the lackluster Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City for Capcom - a spin-off that takes place during the outbreak of Raccoon City, first seen in Resident Evil 2. In April, Slant Six Games issued temporary layoffs, a stopgap measure to help keep interim operating costs down in-between contract work. Slant Six issued similar layoffs in 2010 and after shipping RE: Operation Raccoon City last year.
Slant Six Games rolls out 'temporary' layoffs again
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City developer Slant Six Games laid off some of its employees temporarily, intending to rehire all of the people once it secures new projects or funding, a representative told Games Industry today."This necessary measure has been taken to reduce the size of our team and to decrease interim operating costs while we continue to negotiate new business," Slant Six said. "Temporary layoffs provide us with a time period to keep everyone's employment position open with full benefits. The intention is to reinstate all of the people affected when new projects or funding has been secured."Slant Six has used this temporary layoff method before: Once in April 2010, coinciding with rumors that Star Wars Battlefront Online was canceled, though all of those employees were rehired. In June 2012, following Operation Raccoon City's launch, Slant Six offered one fourth of its team a severance package or the temporary layoff route. There were 96 employees at Slant Six at the time, and before today's layoffs, the studio had 60 employees.Under British Columbia law, the laid off employees retain benefits and collect employment insurance for 13 weeks, at which time the firing becomes permanent, unless they are rehired.
Rumor: Star Wars Battlefront Online concept art leaked out
Slant Six, developer of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, was rumored to be working on Star Wars: Battlefront Online before being hit with layoffs in April 2010 (not to be confused with the studio's layoffs from June of this year). The rumored project was canceled, and leaked concept art pieces supposedly from that game were recently found by Siliconera, such as the one seen above, which can be seen at the source link below.While it's nice to look at what could have been, Slant Six ultimately survived and launched free-to-play and Activision Mobile-published iOS game The Bowling Dead in late November this year.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City review: Evacuation plan
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City assumes a lot about the player. It takes for granted that you already know the fiction going into the affair, that you already know about its character classes and that you already have people in mind for your squad. It thinks you know about the special abilities and unlockables of each class, and how to access that content, right from the start.Those who missed out on Resident Evil 2 and 3 may not appreciate the small bits of fanservice developer Slant 6 Games has tossed in, but that's minor compared to how much context is missing elsewhere.%Gallery-138014%
Watch one RCPD member's demise in the latest RE: Operation Raccoon City trailer [update]
After seeing two RCPD officers get chased through the streets, vulnerable and injured in previous Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City vids, we finally see them meet their ultimate end in today's super long addition. Update: This post originally stated that Resident Evil 4 star Leon S. Kennedy was killed during the clip, but apparently our eyesight is just really bad today. As it turns out, it's a RCPD officer -- not Leon -- taking a bullet to the head at 2:41. Please accept our apologies!
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City chasing down Leon on March 20, 2012
Grab your vial of T-Virus antidote and a swath of bullets, as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is set to launch just five short months from now on March 20, 2012. Unfortunately for PC owners, the wait will be a bit longer, as the game will initially launch on just Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with the PC version launching at an unnamed date after that. Beyond revealing the launch date, Capcom also ran down the contents of the game's "Special Edition," which contains a "Steelbook with exclusive art," an "Umbrella Security Service" patch, a "stylized foil sleeve" (what?), a "Spec Ops Field Unit" patch, and eight bonus weapons. And hey, if you pre-order at GameStop, BestBuy, or Amazon, you'll snag yourself a bonus outfit for each of the game's playable characters. Maybe it'll make Bertha look less creepy, eh?
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City preview: Left 2 Die
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City certainly isn't Left 4 Dead, but I wouldn't blame you for confusing the two. ORC is, after all, a four player co-op zombie shooter, featuring a variety of zombie types that largely resemble what both Left 4 Dead games featured before it (a large tank-like zombie, a zombie who scurries on the ceiling and reels you in with his tongue, etc.). In fact, other than a third-person perspective and a Resident Evil landmark setting, I was getting some serious déja vu playing ORC. Except for one crucial point: it wasn't quite as fun as Left 4 Dead.%Gallery-125731%
Metapreview: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
That's right, folks, a roundup of previews. We're gonna be straight with you and outright say it -- we burn too easily! Our skin is delicate and important to us, and as such, we couldn't make it to Capcom's Miami-based press event last week to play, among other things, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. But these folks all did and they ... well, they sorta like it: GamesRadar: "The focus on shooting, special abilities and co-op interaction is decidedly atypical for the RE universe; there's no conserving ammo, no turning with your tail between your legs, just balls-out violence against a sea of shambling undead. Yes, that does mean you can move and shoot at the same time, something even the action-heavy RE5 didn't support." Eurogamer: "Capcom's idea was to create a dark, gritty shooter with smooth controls and a focus on multiplayer. It's not about fear any more ... The result is a fast-paced co-operative and competitive shooter ... It's impossible to overstate how different REORC feels compared to other Resident Evil games, even Resi 5. That is to say it feels like a third-person shooter, a SOCOM game. Your targeting reticule darts about the screen like a bee disturbed from its hive. Your character covers ground quickly with a simple click of the left thumb stick. Turning, the simple act of changing direction, feels responsive. From cover you can blind fire, lob grenades or pop in and out for deadly accurate shooting. And, shock horror, you can move and shoot." IGN: "The game revisits one of the most iconic eras of the franchise, taking place entirely during Resident Evils 2 and 3, and specifically focusing on events in Raccoon City itself. While we've seen prequels (Resident Evil Zero) before, this time around players can actually change the storylines of previous games, even killing some of the series' biggest icons like Leon Kennedy. That immediately places Raccoon City in a bit of an 'alternate timeline' territory, though the game's producer told us new details about the Resident Evil world would be revealed. " MTV Multiplayer blog: "I came away from Raccoon City with the impression that there was still a lot of work to be done. At present, it doesn't feel like much more than a reskinned SOCOM with zombies. If you're not a big fan of SOCOM, you're probably going to experience the same problems in RE:RC, namely the stilted controls and loose aiming mechanics."%Gallery-120990%
First Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City screens deployed
It doesn't look like the Umbrella Security Service team got much training before embarking on Operation Raccoon City. Taking a zombie hostage? Really? That's how you plan to negotiate with Mr. Leon S. Kennedy? Good luck with that.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City teaser trailer leaves Leon bemused
Print media enthusiasts are already poring over exclusive details of Capcom's upcoming squad-based affair, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, in PlayStation: The Official Magazine and Official Xbox Magazine, while the digerati have had to settle for ... well, getting all the details early online anyways. And now, the internet wins again as Capcom's released a teaser trailer for RE:ORC. Some napkin math – 29.97 frames per second and 70 seconds of video – shows we're looking at about 2098 images in the below trailer. If each one of those is worth a thousand words, things aren't looking so good in Printlandia. Another place things aren't looking so good: Raccoon City.
Rumor: Resident Evil zombie silhouettes match Spike VGA tease
Gamerzines speculates that a commercial for the upcoming Spike VGAs, which flashes "look closer" and briefly reveals the zombie silhouetted picture above, is teasing a new Resident Evil title. The site concluded this by comparing the teaser image to that of an officially licensed Resident Evil t-shirt. The shirt and teaser image feature matching zombie silhouettes. If the teaser is for a new Resident Evil title, a potential reveal could be for Slant Six Games' rumored multiplayer Resident Evil: Raccoon City. Of course, we always prefer to be surprised. [Update: Looks like someone had their hands in the IP cookie jar – despite an overwhelming similarity to some Resident Evil artwork, this tease was actually for Activision's upcoming Prototype 2.] [Thanks, Vallanthaz]
Rumor: SOCOM's Slant Six working on multiplayer Resident Evil
Known best for its work on the SOCOM franchise, Vancouver-based Slant Six Games is rumored be working on a forthcoming Resident Evil title for Capcom. The game is said to be named "Resident Evil: Raccoon City." According to a document handed to Kotaku, the unannounced RE title is team-based, with various Slant Six employees' LinkedIn profiles indicating the studio is working on an unannounced "multiplayer action game." The Slant Six official website indicates that "an amazing new project" is in development in conjunction with a "new publishing partner on a world class franchise." For its part, Capcom maintains that it "does not respond to rumors and/or speculation," and Slant Six had yet to respond to request for comment as of publishing. Sharing one of its biggest franchises with a Western developer wouldn't be a new strategy for Capcom -- Dead Rising 2 was developed by Vancouver-based Blue Castle Games (which Capcom subsequently purchased), and Devil May Cry is now in the hands of Enslaved developer Ninja Theory.
Slant Six enacts 'temporary' layoffs; Star Wars Battlefront Online rumored to be canceled
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo and Confrontation developer Slant Six has instituted layoffs, according to statements given to GameSpot by managing director Brian Thalken. Thalken called the dismissals "temporary," with the goal to bring back as many of the affected staff as possible at a later date. He did not specify just how many employees had been laid off, but said the company will continue to offer benefits to those affected. "Our current project needs do not align with our current staffing levels," Thalken told GameSpot. The studio's last release was SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 in February. Additionally, Kotaku reports that, according to its sources, the rumored Star Wars Battlefront Online, which Slant Six was reportedly developing, has been canceled by publisher LucasArts. The game was never announced, and its existence was only suggested by an earlier rumor. As such, its possible relationship to the recent studio layoffs is unconfirmed. We've contacted Slant Six to clear up the issue.
Review: SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP)
The SOCOM series traditionally focuses on tactical decision-making rather than big action; large set piece battles become few and far between when players utilize the correct tactics to mechanically disable the opposition. In SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, the careful execution of enemy forces still exists, but in the end, most missions boil down to the same tactic found in other shooters: survival. In Fireteam Bravo 3, the SEALs have infiltrated an action movie and there's no turning back. %Gallery-50260%
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 demo deploys Feb. 11
Gear up and get ready to roll out, soldiers. We've got a SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 black-ops mission that needs the expertise of veteran men and women -- those who have played through not one SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo game, but folks who have also survived its sequel, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2. This isn't some kind of joke or theme in some blog post; you better be ready to put some foot-mobiles down. Intel comes courtesy of PlayStation.Blog, which reports enemy units are on the move and should enter the DMZ any minute now. By Thursday, February 11, PSN will be crawling with hostiles, so safeties off, PSPs plugged in to charge and have your screen wipes at the ready. We're going to need maximum visibility for all our troops in the field.
Rumor: Star Wars Battlefront: Online in the works
The development of Star Wars Battlefront III has been rocky, to say the least. Work began at Free Radical before Crytek snapped up the company, then the game was rumored to be in Rebellion's care before it eventually dropped from the face of the earth. Meanwhile Pandemic, the recently shuttered studio behind the first two games, apparently had nothing to do with the title at all. The latest rumor, courtesy of Kotaku, puts development of a brand new Battlefront project, entitled Star Wars Battlefront: Online, in the hands of Slant Six Games and LucasArts. Slant Six is the studio behind several games in the SOCOM tactical-shooter series, making it a reasonable candidate for a Battlefront developer. The game will reportedly arrive in 2011 on PS3 and Xbox 360. It will focus on online play and, presumably, Star Wars. According to Kotaku, Star Wars Battlefront: Online is also the source of the Star Wars Battlefront III casting rumors that popped up last December.
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 multiplayer deets uncovered
Over at the PlayStation Blog, details for the competitive multiplayer modes for SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 have spilled out revealing the game will feature 16-player competitive multiplayer games across eight maps and seven new modes. The modes -- which are available both locally and over the Internet -- include a "Leader Mode" allowing players to designate team captains and a "Tug-of-War" mode, where teams fight for tickets similar to the Battlefield franchise.Playing SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 online also allows worldwide players to experience tournaments, clan modes, character customization and voice chat. Voice chat, you say? Finally our dream of bringing hateful language on the go can be realized.
A second SOCOM to come from original developers
Reaction to the newly unveiled SOCOM Confrontation was mixed at best. The multiplayer-only title is being developed by Slant Six Games (also responsible for the new PSP title SOCOM: Tactical Strike). While the prospects of playing on a 32-player online battlefield is exciting enough, many commented on the barren, uninspired look of the game.Worry not -- there's yet another SOCOM game in the works from the series' original creators. Zipper is starting work on its own SOCOM title, but as 1UP points out, it's going to be a long way off -- most likely late next year. Unlike Confrontation, which will launch this November, Zipper's own title will feature a single-player campaign in addition to the requisite multiplayer modes. While we hope Confrontation turns out to be a worthy addition to the SOCOM franchise, we're somewhat relieved to know that a true sequel is still in the works.[Via Joystiq]
