Dark-Void
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CES 2009: Dark Void bolts guns to your jetpack
We recently played Dark Void again at CES in Capcom's suite at Planet Hollywood. We're not going to bore you with the details, as they'd probably be the same glowing ones we dropped on you during last year's E3. Graphics look even better, jetpacking around is still ridiculously enjoyable, etc.But we simply had to pass on one of the new bits that Capcom told us as we attempted to wipe the stupidly giddy smile off our faces post-demo: They've added guns to the jetpack. Do you get what we're saying here? They took the most awesome invention since the light bulb, the jetpack, and bolted weapons to it. Besides tearing the space-awesome continuum to shreds, it also means man-on-alien-saucer dogfights are a possibility. Man. On. Alien. Saucer. Dogfights. Let it sink in.
Capcom reaffirms strong Western development focus
In its annual report to investors, Capcom makes it clear that there's money in them thar overseas markets, and it intends to seek it out. Stating that "overseas markets account for a staggering 80% of the current video game market," the publisher outlined an overall strategy that involves further partnerships with and "friendly acquisitions" of more external developers, particularly those based outside of Japan (sales in which, according to its figures, account for $4.3 billion in sales per year versus North America's $10 billion and Europe's $9.9 billion). One current example: Airtight Games, which is developing Dark Void (pictured above) for Capcom in the West.Capcom's head of R&D – and Mega Man creator – Keiji Inafune says, "There are many independent developers overseas with genius development capabilities," and that, "Collaborating with these developed will firmly establish our position as 'Capcom of the world' and further strengthen the title brand." Capcom sees sports titles as a particularly strong market segment worldwide, and, to that end, Inafune says that "collaborating with companies with an already established record for developing sport-related games" will be key.While Capcom is seeking to expand Westward via overseas developers, EA – which has partnered with No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda 51" Suda on a new action-horror title – recently made clear its intention to tap further into the Japanese development pool in order to bolster its worldwide sales and diversify its title lineup.[Via Shacknews]
GC 2008: Stare into the (new videos of) Dark Void
Capcom is showing Airtight Games' Gears of War/Crimson Skies/Rocketeer mash-up, Dark Void, at Games Convention – in fact, it's the very same section of the game that was on display at last month's E3. What's changed, though, is quite important: the frame rate. When we played the game less than 30 days ago, we liked it ... but we didn't like the sheer chugginess of it all.You can see that things have improved markedly in these three new videos (two more can be found after the break). In them, Dark Void designer, Jose Perez III, details the game's story and concept, vertical gameplay, and flight gameplay, respectively. Airtight still has about a year of development time to make sure the game is, well ... airtight when it ships in '09.
Capcom 'contemplating' doing more Wii ports
Christian Svensson, VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development at Capcom, is a man of the people. When someone sends out a distress call, he quickly hops down from atop his mountain of unsold copies of Zack & Wiki and Okami to help out. He may not be wearing a cape and mask, but we think he's a super hero. Why all the Sven love? Because the dude gave us hope for some more Capcom support on the Wii. When Capcom fan John voiced his concern over a lack of Bionic Commando on the Wii, Christian stepped in to let John know that Capcom won't be forgetting about the console after Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop. "We are contemplating versions of one or two of the CEI titles you've mentioned on the Wii (not saying which), but we'd like to see how they do on their initial target systems before doubling down on additional SKUs." What titles could he be referring to? Siliconera speculates that it could be Flock, Age of Booty, Dark Void, and Street Fighter IV up for consideration, as these are Capcom Entertainment Incorporated ("CEI") projects. Flock seems like the natural choice, but we'd be lying if we said that the prospect of Dark Void or Street Fighter IV on the Wii was unappealing. That Dark Void game certainly looked cool at E3. We'd have liked to play it, but we were too busy playing games for you all. [Via Joystiq]
See Dark Void's jetpack action in video
We know we've been banging the drum for Dark Void pretty hard, but we're hoping that after today you're going to understand why. The segment of the game in the above video is the exact one that sold us on it, from the flailing animations the hero Will makes in flight to the radical UFO hijacking. (Notable difference in our experience: We had a much-cooler walk-through guide, designer Jose Perez, who didn't pretend to still be freaked out by controlling the jetpack after he'd played/watched the demo 100,000 times. Really dude? Really?)Even if you've gotten tired of hearing how great Dark Void looks, we urge you, take a look at this video and see if it doesn't get your thumbs flicking in anticipation. If you want more, we've put some gun-play video after the break.
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Dark Void
If you're a frequent visitor to the digi-halls of Joystiq you probably remember my all-but-glowing take on Capcom's upcoming jet pack-based shooter Dark Void. Yesterday I got to play the game and I'll keep it brief because it's basically the same section I watched and you know all the details. But I figured you'd like to know if it plays as good as it looks.Short answer? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Taking cover and gunplay feels pretty Gears of War, not that that's a bad thing or completely unexpected. But taking vertical cover, clinging to a cliffside while robots blast down toward you, feels completely fresh. Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)
Joystiq Podcast 052 - Don't Chew Dare edition
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/podcasts/joystiq'; Christopher is off the grid this week, so you're going to have to put up with young Griffin McElroy in his stead. Luckily, we've got plenty of entertainment in store with impressions and hands-ons of Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, Dark Void and a lot more. We also receive some of our best emails ever. Oh, and we would be remiss if we didn't thank the JPAG's Wesley Johnson for his incredible photochoppin' work this week. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3) [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [Digg] Like the show? Digg it. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Griffin McElroy, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller. For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group See all of this week's links after the jump.
Captivate 2008 screenshot roundup
Interested to see all the eye candy that came from Capcom's Captivate 08 event? From jet packs, zombies and bionic arms to Neopets and banjo-playing fish-cyborgs, check out all the new screenshots below (also after the break):%Gallery-24222%%Gallery-24248%
Joystiq's Dark Void impressions: jet packs are good
"What's so great about Dark Void?" you may be asking yourself (or your computer monitor, much to the puzzlement of those around you). We can tell you exactly what's so great about Dark Void: jet packs. Or, more to the point, the main character gets to use a jet pack. In other words, he can fly. Sounds thrilling, no? As it turns out, it looks like it's going to be just that, as Joystiq had a chance to see the game in action at Capcom's Captivate 08 event. Head over to Joystiq to learn why "vertical cover" is soon to be the next big thing.
Dark Void: a year off and no multiplayer in sight
When Joystiq attended the Captivate '08 event, they expected Dark Void to hit shelves a little sooner than Capcom planned. Sadly, Capcom announced the game is still about a year off. This isn't really bad news, since the early version of the game is incredibly eye-catching. Check out Joystiq's hand-on post to see exactly what they thought of it.Also of note was the announcement that the game will not feature any multiplayer aspects. Kraig Kujawa, director of design with Capcom US said they "explored it, but there are so many huge features in this game, we really wanted to focus on making the most kick-ass single player features possible." He goes on to say they had a multiplayer mode up and running, but could tell the game would merit more from the "million innovative things that we're doing that haven't been done before and we have to get those right in the single-player experience." We'll see how things shape up over the next year, then.Hit the jump for another Dark Void video straight from Capcom's Captivate 08 event.
Video: Rock climbing antics in Dark Void
Fresh from Capcom's Captivate 08 comes a new Dark Void trailer, complete with jet pack jetting, hand to hand combat and rock climbing battles! Watch the trailer embedded above and try to tell us that the rock climbing combat isn't at the very least mildly interesting. We definitely likey! Also, we aren't sure if it's warranted or not, but we have a nagging worry about Dark Void's controls and if those acrobatic jet-pack moves will be easy to pull off. Meh, no matter ... it's all still pretty cool.
Joystiq impressions: Dark Void (Xbox 360)
click to enlarge var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Impressions_Dark_Void'; There was a lot of excitement around the booths at Captivate 08, but you could tell there was something different about Dark Void. It was the one game you could bring up and everyone present was quick to agree: They wanted to play it. Like, now. What could engender this sort of enthusiasm? Read on.You've probably picked up a few nuggets about the game already, in spite of its criminally forgettable title. It's developed by Airtight Games, made up of some of the team who brought you Crimson Skies. If your memory still hasn't been jogged: It's the one with the jet pack.It's that pack that is the key to the game's appeal, but it's far from a one-trick pony. More than a gimmick, the jet pack is a prism through which Airtight has looked through and found a new way of seeing the third-person action game.%Gallery-24248%
Dark Void is still about a year away
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Dark_Void_still_about_a_year_away'; We were hopeful that we'd see Capcom's new jet-packed shooter Dark Void sooner rather than later, but those hopes were dashed last week at Captivate 08 when we learned that the game was still "about a year" from completion.It was a surprise because it was being shown so early, but mainly because of how darn good it looked. If you're as hungry for Dark Void as we are, check back later in the day for our impressions of the demo we saw.%Gallery-24248%
No multiplayer in Dark Void
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/No_multiplayer_in_Capcom_s_Dark_Void'; Considering how beloved Crimson Skies' multiplayer was and how much of that team made the leap to Airtight Games and Dark Void, you'd think multiplayer in that game would be a total lock. Not so, as we learned at last week's Capcom event, Captivate 08."We explored it, but there are so many huge features in this game, we really wanted to focus on making the most kick-ass, single-player features possible," said Capcom US director of design, Kraig Kujawa. As designer Jose Perez told us later, it was no easy choice."We had multiplayer up and going, it was fun, and to be honest, we just could tell we weren't going to be able to make the multiplayer game the way we wanted and the single-player game the way we wanted, so it was a really hard decision," Perez said. "For this version, we have a million innovative things that we're doing that haven't been done before and we have to get those right in the single-player experience."So, will single player be enough to satisfy you? Check back in later in the day for our Dark Void impressions and judge for yourself.%Gallery-24248%
Crimson Skies may, one day, fly again
1UP posted a pretty interesting recap of one of the original Xbox's golden childen, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, what it was, what it ended up being and (most importantly) if we'll be seeing a sequel anytime soon. And before you get too excited, know that if a sequel were developed, it'd be a long, long while before we see it.Long story short, after High Road to Revenge was shipped, the team started to develop yet another Crimson Skies sequel before Microsoft decided to scrap the entire project and focus on other things. Later, through an interesting turn of circumstances, the Crimson Skies franchise was purchased by the ex-Microsoft employee founded company Smith & Tinker where it currently resides. A company who admittiedly loves the Crimson Skies franchise, but is currently busy with the Capcom published Dark Void.All said, Crimson Skies is in loving hands with Smith & Tinker, but a sequel isn't high priority right now. Though, they do leave the door open to developing more airplane funnery, admitting that they have "a lot of Crimson Skies fans around here, and if the stars aligned, it'd be something we'd definitely be willing to explore again." Our fingers are crossed.[Via Joystiq]
Crimson Skies return uncertain, Dark Void for now [update]
Update: Just for clarification, this is in no way a confirmation that a sequel to Crimson Skies is being entertained by Airtight or any other developer at this point, as much as we may wish it to be so. Jose Perez has not actually commented on any sort of timeframe for a potential sequel and has only said that Airtight is open to the idea of revisiting the franchise. Airtight is currently developing Dark Void, which may or may not be preventing the studio from working on a new Crimson Skies, or any other title for that matter. What follows is pure speculation.
Video: Capcom's Dark Void is full of jet packs
Dark Void. Sounds like a great name for a sci-fi adventure game if we ever heard one. It kind of reminds us of darkness and big empty voids ... maybe that's what the marketing team behind the name was going for. The name also reminds us of space travel, jet packs, gyroscopes and a hero who isn't afraid of punching the daylights out of a person who gets up in his face. And that friends is exactly what Capcom's newly announced sci-fi action game Dark Void is all about or so we think. Because we sort of based all those facts off our experience of watching the game's official trailer that's embedded above. Go ahead, take in the Dark Void and enjoy.
First Dark Void trailer shows jetpacks, zeppelins, and fun!
Air Tight Games and Capcom bring you this first trailer for the newly-registered title Dark Void. Seriously, if Capcom announces anything else, they've better got a good hiring strategy in order because their staff must be spread out pretty thin across all these projects. Anyway, this trailer is pretty cool after the first minute. There are flying spaceship things that almost seem right out of the old Flash Gordon movie, jetpacks and zeppelins, shooting, and an overall feeling of warmth and excitement. Check it out, leave your thoughts. It seems like a fairly refreshing take on the third-person shooter.
Capcom venturing into 'Dark Void'
Experience has taught us again and again that despite being entirely empty, voids are often filled to the brim with danger. Should a friend ever spot one and inquire as to what exactly it is, you'd thoughtfully answer, "A void!" Of course, that's a purely hypothetical scenario -- your trite wordplay repels any potential friends immediately. It's alright then, if you don't entirely trust Capcom when they invite you to experience "Dark Void", a new game announced at Capcom's Gamer Day in London. Not much light has been shed on the sci-fi actioner, though Games Radar describes its protagonist as a fellow with a jetpack and a habit of leaping into gyroscopic vehicles. You'll know more when we do.
