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Interview: Sega plans big for movie-IP games
GameDaily interviews Scott Steinberg, Sega's VP of Entertainment Marketing, about established IP and its importance to games. With Sega licensing Alien IP, will we see the company shift to games based on movies?Stenberg says that while Sega will continue to create original games, it sees how important licenses are to other companies; movie tie-ins sell. Sega won't describe the intended balance between its licensed IP titles and original content; Steinberg only says that other publishers release about half of each, letting us speculate that Sega will follow that trend.Basing a game on a movie or TV show is a difficult proposition, unless a publisher is just trying to shovel a quick cash-in onto the shelves. The mediums are inherently different; we hope that Sega plans games based around an IP universe instead of trying to shoehorn a movie plot into a videogame.
Obsidian to helm Aliens RPG for Sega
Sega is bleeding acid, slowly, with each drop another hint of where it will take its new Aliens license. The first major announcement is of an Aliens RPG, currently under development by Obsidian Entertainment (Neverwinter Nights 2, KOTOR 2).Although officially unveiled today, the Aliens RPG is likely the mysterious project announced in March by Sega and Obsidian, which has been in development under the name Project Georgia. The game is scheduled to be released for PC and next- new-gen consoles. We're hoping to see fleshed-out Aliens lore and, much in the way Oblivion handles vampirism, the "chance" to become a Xenomorph.IGN notes that Sega will announce the developer for its Aliens First-Person Shooter on Friday. If Sega aims to milk the franchise for all its worth, we're hoping to also see real-time strategy games, MMOs, kart racers, text-based adventures, and party games forthcoming.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Sega bringing Alien Syndrome to the Wii
Sega, who you may know is responsible for those games starring that Sonic fellow, has announced a new game for the Wii. Alien Syndrome, a fast-paced RPG set in a sci-fi universe, is to offer a single-player campaign, as well as a co-op multiplayer mode allowing up to four players to take part in the game's single-player campaign.No screenshots for the game have been released, as well as concept art, but we do know that the game stars Aileen Harding, Earth Command Trooper. As she traverses through several battlefields - including infected space ships and aline planets - utilizing 20 different weapons and a variety of different abilities.
VC Monday: Plus Four!
Nintendo promised something like ten a month, but at this rate, we'll be seeing sixteen. Nintendo dropped yet another four vintage goodies on us at noon EST today, and here are the pickings: Ice Hockey (NES) - a much-loved hockey sim that, unfortunately, is beginning to show its age. Where is the ever-revered NHL '94 for SNES? Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis) - If Jack Thompson had been as retarded in 1993 as he is now, he'd certainly have gone after this game. Much-lauded for its frenetic and gleeful gut-ripping gameplay, GH is considered one of Sega's best games. Check this 2-D shooter out. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Genesis) - some beans are falling, or something, and you have to match them...whatever. We got Columns last week, didn't we? Alien Crush (TG-16) - a rather odd pinball-sim involving scary aliens with a multitude of eyes. If you're into the pinball scene, go for it, if not, settle for some extraterrestrial orange soda. (Zing!) We still, of course, anxiously await the previous announced Toe Jam and Earl. We wantsssss it!
Alien games to burst out of Sega's chest
A despicable creature gnawing at your insides, slowly growing in size and voracity until it shoves its hideous head right through your rib cage and causes splintery bone to pierce your flesh. So, a lot like playing the new Sonic the Hedgehog, then. Indeed, a more appropriate company than Sega could not be found for a recent deal struck by Fox Licensing with regards to their lucrative Alien film franchise. The new agreement, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, allows Sega to develop multiple games for new generation consoles and PCs. With a first-person shooter and a role-playing game already under development, an elaborate and somewhat sinister music-and-rhythm title can't be far behind. Mike Gallo, senior producer of the Alien series at Sega, promises that the developers will go out of their way to "tie the games into the films in unique ways." He also says they'll look at source materials and the films for inspiration, which is nice. The first title is due in 2008 -- that's when Sega will be "taking licensing to the next level," it says here. [Via Pro-G | Image credit: "That's saying a mouthful" -- VG Cats] See also: Firefly returns as MMORPG
Biohazard watch detects aliens, consumers of gimmicky timepieces
We've seen our fair share of questionably designed watches (and extraterrestrial detection devices, too), but the Biohazard timepiece takes this alien watchdog stuff to another level. Sure, the solid stainless steel design and squared motif isn't the hippest thing to fly out of Japan, but the overall aesthetics still top some wrist adornments out there, and its functionality isn't half bad either. The company makes no bones about informing you that the "red and white DNA helix bars" are actually not registering levels of alien activity around you, but rather spell out the time via colored blocks, and the date via an "alien DNA percentage" meter. Aside from fooling your friends into believing that ET resides in your guest room, this thing actually performs the single most important duty a watch is supposed to accomplish, and it can be yours for (an admittedly steep) ¥15,900 ($138).[Via BoingBoing]
Solid Alliance phones home with UFO detector, warns of imminent takeover
We're not surprised that the slightly off kilter Solid Alliance is breaking out yet another questionably designed device, but you can certainly color us impressed if the company's newfangled UFO detector actually does everything it's supposed to. Marketed as a cellphone wrist strap (you know, so you always have this highly pertinent device with you), this unearthly "radar strap" is reportedly sensitive to intergalactic changes and cosmic forces surrounding us all, and it presumably goes berserk whenever it detects a UFO overhead. Sporting both UFO detection and "extraterrestrial heuristic" modes, it can even discern if the mysterious flying object is harmful to your health or simply a peaceful creature from another locale. While we hope this insult of human intelligence doesn't catch on, you can spend your hard-earned ¥2,222 ($19) to snag one now until it becomes the next standard inclusion on our favorite handsets.[Via The Raw Feed]
Zombies, Aliens, or Nazis? Designing the perfect game enemy.
The net's full of debate about the perfect game protagonist (ninjas, pirates, or robots?) but too little real debate about what makes the perfect in-game enemy. In comments on yesterday's post about upcoming Xbox 360 (Japan) zombie stomper Oneechanbara, Joystiq reader Gimbal posited that risen corpses may well be the ideal enemy: "Zombies, like Nazis, are the perfect enemy for video games." Zatso? What makes a perfect enemy anyway? The perfect enemy is:
