day-1
Latest
Wargaming.net buys Day 1 Studios, plans 'unannounced console title'
Wargaming.net has has acquired Chicago-based Day 1 Studios for $20 million. The latter firm will be rebranded as Wargaming West according to a blurb on its official website. The new studio will also "focus exclusively on the development of an unannounced console title," according to a Wargaming press release. Day 1 previously worked with Microsoft and Sony on a console port of the original F.E.A.R. shooter before going on to develop F.E.A.R. 3. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Report: Layoffs at Day 1 Studios following canned Konami deal
One hundred employees were fired at Day 1 Studios following the loss of a publishing agreement with Konami, according to a report at Gamespot. Those 100 workers made up 95 percent of a team that was developing a new installment of Konami's ancient Silent Scope series; a second, much smaller team working on an unrelated secondary project remains unaffected. So far there has been no indication of what led to the cancellation of the developer's publishing deal, although the fact that the team was primarily fired instead of disolved and reassigned within the company speaks volumes about the importance of this deal, as well as Day 1's overall financial situation. The only way we'll know what actually happened is if either party decides to talk, which hasn't happened yet. Maybe Konami realized that Silent Scope games never worked well outside of the arcade and decided to pull the plug? Maybe Day 1 tried to relaunch the brand as an action-RPG stealth-shmup pixel-art XBLIG title? There's really no way of knowing.
Fracture demo sends shockwaves through Xbox Live
Here we are, September 18, and the Fracture demo promised by LucasArts has landed on Xbox Live Marketplace. Weighing in at 772MB, the demo allows players to sample a section of Fracture's single player campaign. Using the game's terrain deformation system, players can try their hand at creating and destroying the landscape using a variety of weapons. Here's hoping that creating hills, holes, craters and spires is enough to keep things interesting. If you've been anxious to try out Fracture's much vaunted terrain deformation, give it a go.
Fracture demo to reshape Xbox Live Sept. 18
LucasArts has announced that an earth-shattering demo of Fracture is scheduled to crack up the Xbox Live Marketplace on Thursday, September 18. If you need a little help digging the name Fracture from your mind, it's a third person shooter with the central mechanic of land deformation, which the devlopers have cleverly dubbed Terrain Deformation. Players can build their own cover or, conversely, pull the land out from under the feet of approaching enemies. Land deformation can also be used for other things, such as accessing otherwise unreachable areas (think of it like a dirt elevator).For those who enjoy the demo, Fracture will be hitting retail on October 7 in North America and October 10 in Euorpe. Gallery: Fracture
Turpster's WWI Day 1 Video Roundup: Who says Gnomes can't dance?
Day 1 of the Worldwide Invitational is behind us, with Day 2 already underway in Paris, but that doesn't mean we can't wax nostalgic anyway. Everyone's favorite star of (internet) radio and (internet) television, the Turpster, has thrown together a short and sweet retrospective on day 1 at the Invitational. Peppered among all the excitement are a few shots of Death Knight gameplay and the costume contest, topped off with some commentary on the dance contest that closed off the night, Turpster style. Be sure to give it a watch, and check out Turpster's other WWI Videos as well, as he runs amok in Paris and gets to know the people in the queue.
