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The man behind 'Twisted Metal' and 'God of War' has a new game: 'Drawn to Death'
Closing out today's PlayStation Experience keynote event was polarizing game industry vet David Jaffe, the man behind classics like Twisted Metal and God of War. He's got a new studio and a new game: Drawn to Death. In Drawn to Death, you're taking the creations of a young mind drawn in a three-ring binder and bringing them to life in a three dimensional world. The game is very early -- as in "pre-Alpha" -- but it's being shown at this weekend's fan event to give fans a chance to help shape the future of the game. It'll eventually arrive on Sony's PlayStation 4, but if you're really into what you've seen thus far, head below for the full debut trailer.
Zynga releases Running With Friends, developed with Eat Sleep Play
Zynga has released a new game in the 'With Friends' series (which started back when the company acquired Words with Friends, a very popular Scrabble-like iOS game). Running With Friends is, as you can see above, not a fitness app, though that does sound fun. Instead, it's an endless running game, based on the Running of the Bulls, where you compete with friends to earn points and distance. The game has you running, jumping and dodging obstacles, all while trying to earn as many points as possible. As you might expect, the title is freemium, so it's free to download, and there are in-app purchases available if you'd like extra currency. Most of the games in the "With Friends" series have been super casual so far (mostly word games and simple social titles), so it's interesting to see that Zynga is upping the ante on the gameplay just a bit. Plus, this title is developed by was developed in collaboration with (see update) Eat Sleep Play, a company founded by David Jaffe that previously worked on the Twisted Metal games. "With Friends" hasn't seen a lot of action lately (though it's still a fairly big brand for Zynga), so this may be an attempt to revitalize the offerings. Update: Zynga got in touch to point out that the game wasn't developed by Eat Sleep Play directly, but that company did collaborate on some of the gameplay elements. So there's that.
Jaffe: Marvel games need more narrative focus
We always think it's fun to imagine living in alternate realities, where some of our favorite game designers get hold of some of our favorite properties. So, we were interested to hear what David Jaffe had to say about the slew of Marvel comics games (specifically the ones featuring Spider-Man) that has been unleashed on the general populace (and continues to arrive). In short, Jaffe wants to see characters like Spidey put into a more story-driven game, rather than a giant, open world superhero playground that's solely focused on emulating the feel of having superpowers.He's got a good point, one that's an all too common theme in superhero stories: Superhero gets powers, superhero spends all his time enjoying the rush of having said powers, superhero's uncle dies. Is that what you want from us Activision? Do you want our uncles to die?
David Jaffe to present keynote at GDC Game Career Seminar
On the Friday of this year's Game Developers Conference, the Game Career Seminar will offer a series of speakers and roundtables aimed toward students hoping to break into the industry. Kicking off the event will be David Jaffe, who will be delivering a keynote speech entitled "From Grunt to God to Startup: Career Lessons from the Edge of Development."Jaffe will be discussing his own history in the industry, starting from his earliest projects and lowliest jobs, to his own indie studio, Eat Sleep Play, where he's working on several unannounced Playstation 3 titles. Though infamous for his matter-of-fact approach, Jaffe is also a dynamic and engaging speaker, having previously participated in GDC events like last year's Game Design Challenge. It will be interesting to see what advice he has to impart upon the wide-eyed developers of tomorrow.
See first gameplay footage from Twisted Metal: Head On ETE
We know, we know. We know this this looks, well, like a PS2 game. And we know that the metal/goth trappings are a little bit late 90s. But we can not help but be excited for Twisted Metal: Head On Extra Twisted Edition. And this new gameplay footage (posted by one Mr. David Jaffe) isn't doing anything to make us less pumped.What you're seeing is "Carnival of Darkness," a bonus level lifted from Twisted Metal Black 2, which never saw the light of day. We're particularly enthralled by the roller coaster section of the course, and the music, even the missile trails, which are distinctly Twisted Metal. But what about you? Is this doing anything thing for you?
Twisted Metal: Head On - Extra Twisted Edition stuffed with features
Two things you might not have known about David Jaffe: He likes ridiculously long game titles (a colon and a dash? You have outdone yourself, sir), and he also loves bonus features in games. This is why Twisted Metal: Head On - Extra Twisted Edition for the PS2 features a wealth of new content not seen in the PSP version.The included content includes new levels, several of which were originally designed for Twisted Metal: Black, access to an online soundtrack, an art book, a 30-minute making-of documentary, a new "Sweet Tour" mode, and ending footage originally shot for the first Twisted Metal game. Oh yeah, and the port of the PSP game is in there too, with an improved framerate and textures.Considering the game will retail for $19.99 USD, that's a whole lot of content included. TM:HO-ETE is scheduled for a February release in the States.
Jaffe vs. Joystiq: Hugs triumph over tirades
We all know the massive assembly of computers and routers, the thousands of miles of fiber-optic wires, and the cacophony of adolescent voices that comprise what our grandparents call the "world wide web" is good at one thing and one thing only ... okay, well two things: that other thing ... and drama. We're here to talk about the latter.Back in May, a little situation occurred that we at Joystiq HQ have come to refer to as "Jaffe-ton." It involved several of the key ingredients of internet drama: bad words, similes, misunderstandings of similes, and a convenient one-button publishing platform. Oh yeah, and lolcats. Following a, ahem, candid response from Mr. Jaffe to a post of ours, we wrote a heartfelt response seeking to bury the hatchet (no doubt with a series of well-timed button presses) and "bee frends." Coupled with an email to his work account, our pleas went unanswered and, consequently, our therapy visits increased. Well, as unearthed by our pals at GameDaily in their recent interview with the game designer, it turns out Mr. Jaffe did hear our pleas via our podcast discussion of the topic (which you can relive like it was the very first time here). He tried to reach out to us but, alas, in a cruel (but poetically appropriate) twist of fate, his plea also went unanswered. He explained, "I wrote them a letter and I said, 'Guys, I never got any invites to come on your podcast and I would be happy to come on to your podcast to talk games and talk about that issue.'"Well, Mr. Jaffe, that invite still stands (it has an expiration date of 'never') so if you'd like to be on the podcast, we'd be thrilled to have you (send us an email at podcast aat joystiq dawt com). And what did we learn from this whole affair? That, like a simile about little girls ...
PlayStation Store gets new demos, trailers
If you took advantage of the new price drop on the 80 GB PS3, you'll be happy to hear that you can start putting those luxurious gigs to good use with tons of new content on the PlayStation Store. First off, you've got some new demos for Folklore and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights and videos for Uncharted, Turok and Devil May Cry 4. In addition to some movie trailers, there's also a new Eye of Judgement-based theme.As if that weren't enough, the new update also come equipped with value, as the price of David Jaffe's super fun Calling All Cars has been reduced for one week to $4.99. ... Hey, does this mean it actually is in the garage sale bin now?
David Jaffe's Eat Sleep Play logo revealed
David Jaffe's new game development company, Eat Sleep Play, has had its logo revealed on the Level-Up blog. While we were in two minds about the company name (Jaffe Cakes is still up for grabs!), we're even less sure about this logo. Jaffe explains it to the Level-Up crew, drawing parallels between the games he plans on making and ... soda. This is where the confusion begins. This logo makes us think of beer more than soda. Also, where's the drink? Having Eat Sleep Play on the bottle cap of a drink doesn't make much sense to us. But what do we know? We're no sales gurus. It looks pretty though, right?
Jaffe pops the top on Eat Sleep Play's Logo
Ever since David Jaffe announced he was striking off on his own with new development house Eat Sleep Play, there's one particular bit of information gamers everywhere have been clamoring for. No, not the company's first original title -- what gamers really want to see is the logo.Well, the day has finally arrived. At long last fans, well-wishers and hangers-on can check out the above logo, courtesy of Newsweek. Jaffe says the soda-bottle-cap logo represents "the heart and soul of what our company is all about ... fizzy, refreshing fun." Frankly, it makes us think of Popcap Games more than anything like that.Along with the exclusive logo reveal, Newsweek has also posted up the first two parts of a three-part interview with Jaffe wherein he talks up the financial possibilities of smaller games and bravely reveals that he doesn't know what the word "remuneration" means. Careful David... those internet trolls are real sticklers for vocabulary.Read - The logo revealedRead - Newsweek Jaffe interview (part II)
Calling all Cars to be transferable to PSP
David Jaffe's PlayStation Network title Calling All Cars, a pseudo-basketball arcade game of moral/automotive proportions, will soon be made available for download play on Sony PSP, according to European magazine PSP: The Official Guidebook (via CVG). Though we know it will feature both ad hoc and Infrastructure multiplayer, Sony has yet to reveal anything else about the title. Will it will be pushed as an update to the original or a separate download? Will we have to pay again? No release date has been given.
David Jaffe may be independent, but he loves himself some Sony
In an interview with GamePro, Eat Sleep Play founders David Jaffe and Scott Campbell sat down and talked about their future with Sony. Now that they're independent, people have curious if this means they'll break their longstanding relationship with Sony and go multi-platform. They've already mentioned that their next 3 titles will be for the PlayStation 3, but what about after that?When GamePro brought it up, Jaffe had this to say, "Right now in the console space and the handheld space, we want to be partners with Sony as long as they will have us. We have great relationships with Sony and they have been so good to us from both a business standpoint and a personal standpoint, I would like to be on Sony's machines for as long as they'll have me."Sounds like Jaffe is pretty happy working with Sony indefinitely, and it's great to hear him mention that they're going to be making PSP titles as well. The rest of the interview is pretty interesting also, with insight into why they picked Eat Sleep Play as the name of their company (it wouldn't get them sued) to thoughts on the reviews of Calling All Cars! and casual games in general. Check it out, it's a good read.
Jaffe has three PS3 exclusives planned
David Jaffe (or Jaffe Cakes, as we like to call him) has revealed in an interview with GamePro.com that his 20-person company has plans to develop at least three exclusive titles for the PS3. Along with developing the PS2 port of Twisted Metal: Head On Eat Sleep Play will be developing the first of these exclusives. Jaffe laments that he can't say much more, other than the first games will be "medium to hardcore in terms of game play and will focus heavily on multiplayer." Whether these games will be full Blu-Ray titles or PSN downloadables is unclear. We expect them to be a mixture of both, what with Jaffe's love of smaller, casual games. The first game will be available in early 2008.[Via N4G]
Jaffe's first indie game to be announced within 15 months
David Jaffe revealed the intentions behind the creation of Eat Sleep Play in a new interview with IGN. The plan to become independent was discussed for about a year, as Jaffe wanted to explore "spaces Sony is in, as well as in some spaces Sony is not.."Calling All Cars appears to be indicative of the direction Jaffe and Eat Sleep Play wants to go. "Sometimes the games we make will be smaller hardcore titles; other times we'll go for the casual market."Jaffe's desire to be independent from Sony doesn't indicate that he's going to make games for any other platform. Thankfully, the esteemed game director states: "We are exclusive with Sony for console and handheld. And we hope to be exclusive with Sony in those spaces for many years to come ... we love PSN and love downloadable games and would love to stay in that realm."So, when will we hear about Jaffe's first new game? Well, it looks like we'll have to wait. "My thinking is we should be ready to announce in the next 8-15 months."[Thanks, Random!]
David Jaffe's first interview regarding Eat Sleep Play
A day before David Jaffe announced his departure from Sony, GameTrailers caught the man himself, lunching amongst the population of Comic-Con. Spilling the beans and laying out the general plan, Jaffe is real excited about his new company, Eat Sleep Play, but less so about the name. Sure, Eat Sleep Play sounds like something you'd see on a free promo shirt, but the man himself has the right idea saying, "The games [will] eventually define the name versus the name defining the company." Seriously, what the heck is a Psygnosis anyway?Those defining games will be on the accessible, more arcade-style front as Jaffe points out that a game like Calling All Cars would be the smallest in terms of scope they would tackle. While Eat Sleep Play has partnered up with Sony for a multi-game deal, Jaffe describes his relationship with Kratos and the God of War franchise as "severed," though he says he'd be honored if they asked for his input on a sequel.Good luck on Monday, David.
Jaffe and Incognito chief leave Sony to start 'Eat, Sleep, Play' - announce Twisted Metal PS2 port
As promised, game developer David Jaffe has finally announced – in a move many expected – details of his new development studio located, not surprisingly, in Utah. Titled Eat, Sleep, Play, the new studio is a partnership with Incognito chief Scott Campbell who worked with Jaffe on the popular Twisted Metal series while both were at SCEA. With Ingognito's Warhawk about to take flight on PS3 and Jaffe having just finished Calling All Cars, the two are finally ready to branch out on their own ... but it's hard to get away from the mothership Sony. They've "signed on for a multi-year, multi-title deal to create titles for the PlayStation family of products, with the first slated for release in 2008."It's not clear if that includes their first project, a PlayStation 2 port of the PSP's Twisted Metal: Head On with some notable tweaks: bumped to 60 frames per second, higher-res textures, "5-7 levels from the never released Twisted Metal Black: Part II," and "a documentary on the history of the series." Jaffe surmises it may be some eight to twelve months before we hear about these new titles, but Twisted Metal: Head On will be available this holiday season. Read – One Door Closes [Jaffe's Blog]Read – SCEA Announces Exclusive Game Development Deal
Eat, Sleep, Play with Jaffe's new studio
David Jaffe and Scott Campbell are proud to announce the creation of their new studio. Jaffe, an outspoken developer, is famous for his work on the God of War series. Campbell, founder of Incognito, is receiving accolades for his latest project, Warhawk. Jaffe and Campbell have collaborated previously on the PlayStation downloadable game, Calling All Cars.Their new studio called "Eat, Sleep, Play" will be designing multiple games, exclusively for the PlayStation family of products. The first project is planned to release in 2008. In addition, the company will also be releasing Twisted Metal: Head On for the PlayStation 2, which will feature new levels not found in Black Part II, and a new documentary.Additional details aren't available yet -- but we're hoping that Jaffe and Campbell will be able to create games with just as much energy and creativity as they did when they were part of Sony's internal studios. The fact that they're still working exclusively with Sony is a huge win for us, and we can't wait to see what comes to fruition.[Update: Jaffe has updated his personal blog with some more info: "Again, we are working with Sony and that just feels great. We met with some other interested parties but at the end of the day, Sony is our home, our family, and we're really thrilled and honored they wanted to work with us and continue the relationship we've spent almost 15 years cultivating. So in many ways, it's like very little has changed, other than the pay cut."][Thanks, Glenn!]
David Jaffe pre-announces tomorrow's announcement
Despite some ... unfortunate occurrences in the past, we still like David Jaffe. So it should come as no surprise that we're curious about the announcement he's pre-announced for tomorrow. He notably makes efforts to downplay the scope of the news, saying that it's something that means a lot to him personally; however, if you're the sort who doesn't really care how much time Jaffe does or doesn't spend in Utah, he said there will also be a smidgen of game-related news in the announcement.Some have speculated that Jaffe is working on a new Twisted Metal title, fueled by the notorious "clownsplosion" PS3 ad. Though the timing of this upcoming announcement would seem to lend credibility to that, Jaffe seems to be hinting that it's a non-starter, saying "Just FYI, the game alot of you guys seems to think we are working on, we are not. Sorry to dissapoint :(." We'll let you know Jaffe's actual status when he starts spilling beans tomorrow.
Big David Jaffe announcement coming Friday
David Jaffe has updated his blog with word that he'll be making a big announcement at the end of this week. The wording of his post is odd, and seems to imply that he may be announcing details on his new company. Here's what he had to say: "...well big announcement for ME. It's not like I'll be revealing what game we've been working on, stuff like that. Well actually, I will be able to talk a little bit about ONE of the games for the first time..."Hrrm, what's that? Confirmation that he's developing multiple games at once? That would be a big change from his previous policy of one game at a time, but would make sense if he's going to do the official announcement of his new development company. Add in that Sony wants to send out a press release before Jaffe updates his blog, and you got a tasty bit of curiousness. Check back here (or here) at 9:00 AM PST to find out what our favorite foul-mouthed, liberal spouting, drunken PlayStation developer has to say.
David Jaffe is 100% Sony, despite new office
While rumors abounded about David Jaffe leaving his position at Sony to open a new studio with some buddies at Incognito Entertainment, we held back until we got more information. Good thing we did, because the rest of the internet buzzed with headlines along the lines of "Jaffe leaves SCEA, world doomed!" We remained optimistic and Jaffe answered our uncertainty on the NeoGAF forums.Jaffe replied to the rumors of a Utah office and leaving Sony by saying "I can promise you guys I am still part of SCEA...I just got a paycheck from them! I am still 100% a Sony employee and unless I got fired today and they didn't tell me, I'm still working for them ... I sure as s**t ain't moving to Utah...nice as it is, I don't think I could live there long term and I don't think the good people of Utah would want me to." However, Jaffe is working with Incognito and has a Utah-based office in the works. So, he's still a Sony guy and isn't moving to Utah, but will have a new office to crank out those super-fun PSN titles. As the new studio progresses, we'll keep you up to date with our favorite developer.[via GameDaily]
