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Dead Island movie rights not yet sold [update]
Update: Dead Island publisher Deep Silver states that, contrary to earlier reports, the rights to a film adaptation of Dead Island have not been sold -- though it claims to have received "a vast amount of inquiries" following the game's buzz-building trailer. "We are looking for quality above all else for a movie based on Dead Island," says Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media (parent company of Deep Silver). "We want to do it the right way as film realizations of games (or vice versa) usually fail to deliver what the fans were looking for." The goal, according to Kundratitz, is to "work with someone who already has a proven track record with blockbuster movies." That doesn't necessarily rule out Union Entertainment, which was rumored to have already purchased the rights, but it sounds like the IP-holder is still evaluating all potential silver-screen suitors. As mentioned in the original story below, you're not likely to see any Dead Island movie (if there is one) until well after the game's launch later this year. How about holding your horses for a bit, Hollywood? Original story: Though Techland has already gotten a popular film out of its upcoming Dead Island game -- it was called "the trailer" -- one can presume that Hollywood's looking to sell something a bit longer (and more chronological, the test audiences will insist). The Wrap reports that the movie rights were already secured by the Sean Daniel Company and Union Entertainment in 2009, years before the zombie-infested horror game stepped back into the spotlight. Union Entertainment, a talent management and production company focusing on video games, helped facilitate the creation of the first game based on The Darkness comic book series. It was also involved with The Red Star, a PlayStation 2 game based on the graphic novel of the same name and, according to The Wrap, currently holds the movie rights to Techland's Western shooter, Call of Juarez. Dead Island is connected to producer Sean Daniel (Dazed and Confused, The Mummy, Pootie Tang), but there's no indication that it's progressed enough to even warrant a script writer yet. In other words, we'll find out if the game is as good as the trailer well before we decide whether the film ... is as good as the game.
Dead Island screenshots make for grim vacation snaps
If the excellent Dead Island teaser trailer was the vacation, consider these screenshots a reminder that you have to be back at work on Monday. (Though it does help if you have some elegiac piano music to accompany these shots of a beautiful but spoiled paradise.)
Dead Island trailer made chronological, humorous
It's been acknowledged here at Joystiq HQ that the Dead Island trailer released earlier this week is pretty much a jaw dropper. Unfortunately, about half of it also backwards and in slow motion, which seems like kind of an oversight for the Dead Island marketing department. Thankfully, the editors at G4 have rectified the situation and pieced the trailer together in its proper chronological order. Also, as an experiment, they remixed the trailer again, this time tossing in some cheerful music and goofy sound effects. Let this be a reminder to all the aspiring trailer artists out there: It's all in the editing. Check out both remixes after the break.
Dead Island is back with haunting debut trailer, Deep Silver to publish
It's rare that, with a single trailer, a game goes from "completely off our radar" to "has complete dominion over our minds" -- yet that's what's happened when we caught the debut trailer for Techland's Dead Island. First announced in the summer of 2009, then never heard from again, the game now has a publishing partner in Deep Silver, plus one of the most invigorating trailers we've seen about zombies in a good, long while. Check it out for yourself after the jump. IGN's preview of the game has turned out some equally savory details: According to Techland, Dead Island is a "first-person zombie-slasher/action-RPG," set in the luxurious Royal Palms Resort in Papua New Guinea. Players are tasked with escaping the island getaway, using all manner of found melee weapons (axes, pipes, etc.) to carve a bath through disturbingly realistic walking cadavers. Sounds like the camp that usually characterizes the zombie genre is going right out the window for this one. The game is scheduled for a 2011 release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. We've got our fingers crossed that it's as good as the trailer lets on.
PSA: Nail'd demo hammers Xbox Live
Though we liked the game, you still might be wondering if Techland's ATV racer Nail'd is your cup of, er ... nails? Good news then: There's a demo of the game now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace -- currently only for Gold members -- that'll drive you to either buy, rent or delete.
'Get Fit with Mel B' among highlights in shaky SouthPeak financial report
When Get Fit with Mel B is name-dropped no less than three times in your annual fiscal year report as a positive indicator, it tends to raise a red flag. SouthPeak Interactive today shared the financial results of its fiscal 2010 year (July 2009 – June 2010) and did its best to paint an optimistic picture for the current fiscal year. But even fervor over a Spice Girl comeback "this fall" (a firm release date has yet to be locked down) couldn't cover up the bottom line: SouthPeak recorded a net loss of $5.8 million last fiscal year. At least the company has "improved" upon fiscal 2009's $13.3 million loss ... Anybody? Other highlights from fiscal 2010 include an increase in total units sold to 2.6 million from 2.4 million in fiscal 2009; and the release of 29 titles compared to 18 in fiscal 2009. Read that again -- it seems two "highlights" can combine to form a low point: Average unit sales per title fell from 133.33K in fiscal 2009 to 89.66K last fiscal year. "While fiscal 2010 was a challenging year, we made critical improvements to our infrastructure and carefully controlled our costs to better align our operations with our revenue stream," SouthPeak CEO Melanie Mroz said in a conference call today. "Fiscal 2011 will be a continuation of controlled expense and a carefully managed title release schedule. Our focus remains on increasing sales with new titles that address gaming in a way that separates us from our competition."
Nail'd nails down new Nov. 30 launch, low price
It looks like Nail'd has made a death-defying jump, leaving its former October 19 release date in the dust. The game will now track dirt all over retail carpets beginning on November 30. Furthermore, publisher Deep Silver has announced that the game will sell for the wallet-friendly price of $49.99 on Xbox 360 and PS3. The PC version will be an even more palatable $39.99. Find a new trailer after the break.
Nail'd secures October 19 release date
Techland's insane ATV game Nail'd might defy reality in many ways, chaining together ridiculous stunts that nobody should ever do, on courses that rely on incredible, unlikely circumstances -- but even something with as little regard for the real world as this must adhere to linear time. To that end, publisher Deep Silver has announced a release date for the game: October 19 in North America, and October 22 in Europe. Past the break, you'll find a new trailer, absolutely loaded with both guitar rock and slow-motion absurdity.
Rise Against, Queens of the Stone Age get Nail'd
Nope, we absolutely could not help ourselves -- sure, we might be writing about how Rise Against and Queens of the Stone Age (as well as Slipknot and the Backyard Babies) will be adding tracks to Techland's upcoming off-road racer Nail'd, but that headline was right there, just staring us in the face! And though music from the aforementioned groups isn't scientifically proven to inspire racing precision in gamers, publisher Deep Silver believes the soundtrack will "fuel their adrenaline to the absolute limit." And what if players want to push it past the "absolute limit?" Glad you asked -- Deep Silver has teased another soundtrack reveal to be made in the near future, saying the announcement will inform us about music "created especially for the game by an all-star group of rock luminaries." Our best guess? Ratt. It's clearly Ratt.
Preview: Nail'd
"Do I really have to play that, Aubrey?" That was me, being dragged away from one demo at the SouthPeak E3 booth to play Nail'd by a friendly, well meaning PR rep. Can you blame my hesitancy? It's (1) called "Nail'd" (2) it's an ATV game made by (3) Techland whose last game was Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. Tempered expectations would be putting it mildly. But get this: It's great. %Gallery-95785%
Nail'd: ATV racing from the Call of Juarez team
Developer Techland has moved from the Call of Juarez to the Call of Four Wheelz with its new ATV racer, Nail'd, on the way to PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime this year via publisher Deep Silver. Personally, we'd want to keep our little ATV tires from being nail'd, but we're not racing experts. The racer combines high-speed ATV racing with outlandish obstacles -- according to Destructoid's preview, " There were rock slides, giant buzz saws moving about, and a jump that saw you sailing through a wind turbine. In one section, a 747 jet lands in front of you. There was even a segment that had the player racing on top of a moving train for several seconds." All in one track. For players who manage to avoid the stray planes, saws, and other hazards, performing tricks will build a boost meter to help enhance speed. To read more about the totally extreme racing game, and to see more screenshots, check out Destructoid.
Prison Break escaping March 30; new screens released
We have no doubt you've been counting the days (likely via tick marks on the wall), waiting for more information on Zootfly/Deep Silver's Prison Break, so you'll be glad to hear that the game finally got a solid release date (March 30) and a price ($49.99 on 360/PS3, $39.99 on PC) today from its publisher. Along with the mess of new screens we've dropped below into a gallery, this is just about the most flush we've been with Prison Break info in the entire history of the game's development cycle -- and it's coming out in just under three weeks! As the game's coming from the developer of Mr. T: The Game, we're willing to give this one a shot just so we can support the company's upcoming adventure into madness. %Gallery-87934%
Prison Break trailer reveals innovative 'constant hanging' gameplay
We knew a few details about the plot of Deep Silver's video game adaptation of Prison Break, but we weren't aware that the game's protagonist, Company agent Tom Paxton, was actually a chimpanzee in people-clothes. At least, that's what we're assuming from the title's first gameplay trailer, posted above, in which it's revealed Paxton spends a remarkable portion of his day hanging from pipes, ledges and elevator maintenance ladders. Check out the trailer above to see the hanging (and other stuff, we guess) in action. By the way, if any major television producers happen to be reading this post, a show called Monkey Prison would be the greatest thing ever. Feel free to use that -- just send us an email so we can work out a royalty agreement.
Cursed Mountain dev Deep Silver Vienna shuttered
As confirmed by parent company Koch Media to Develop, Cursed Mountain developer Deep Silver Vienna has apparently been closed. Citing "the overall economic situation" and noting "this decision is not easy for us," the 20-person staff was recently cut and told they would receive pay through the end of March. Develop posits that the studio's other game -- Ride to Hell -- will likely remain unaffected by the shutdown, as UK dev house Eutechnyx is handling development and Koch Media's Munich offices will oversee the game's management. Deep Silver Vienna was formed in the wake of Rockstar Vienna's closing back in 2006, and originally called itself Games That Matter. Ex-Rockstar Vienna heads Hannes Seifert and Niki Laber launched the studio, and it is said that Siefert has moved on to a position at Square Enix Europe as a creative director. As with every case like this, we'd like to wish those affected the best of luck.
Deep Silver publishing Risen on Xbox 360 in February
Piranha Bytes' Risen will release this February on Xbox 360 in North America. Speaking of rising, that's likely something the review scores could use after the North American release. The PC version is currently scraping by with a 77 on Metacritic and the Xbox 360 version, which has raided Europe, is sporting a frighteningly low score of 58. Under normal circumstances Risen might stand a chance with a February release -- despite its review scores. But, as has become disturbingly clear to other publishers, 2010 is just full-up with solid launches, that everyone has to bring their A-game to survive this year's release schedule. %Gallery-47713%
Prison Break game screens unfold blueprint for escapism
Click to see how he did it! Remember that show Prison Break? Yeah, from like the mid-Aughts or whatever. Anyway, Zootfly is making it into a video game. Today, the game's publisher, Deep Silver, released a batch of screenshots and reiterated the plot as follows: "The protagonist of the Prison Break game is Company agent Tom Paxton. He is sent to the Fox River State Penitentiary to find out why Michael Scofield (the hero of the TV series), a man without a previous criminal record, became a bank robber. The storyline runs parallel to the first season of Prison Break: Paxton encounters several characters from the series and experiences key events from his own perspective." But you see, we believe the screens are hinting at a far different plot -- a plot that has to be exposed. Follow along as we guide you through the (totally unofficial -- like, we made it up) blueprint for a Prison Break game ... PRISON BREAK: The Unofficial Game Guide >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Cursed Mountain launch trailer is cursed, mountainous
We've been keeping our eye on Cursed Mountain for some time now. As one of the few survival horror games on the Wii (and one of the few M-rated titles that isn't merely a gore-fest), Cursed Mountain caught our attention early on. To celebrate the game's launch, Deep Silver has released a new trailer, which we've handily embedded into this post. The jury is still out on whether or not the game is actually any good, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Deep Silver planning a Prison Break
Don't let that headline confuse you -- though some of UK-based developer Deep Silver's earlier work is truly criminal (namely, Singles: Flirt Up Your Life), it isn't thinking of clever ways to terminate its incarceration. Rather, it's publishing a ZootFly-developed video game adaptation of the television show Prison Break, which -- well, which sounds pretty familiar. Perhaps it's because Brash Entertainment optioned the rights to make such a game shortly before its untimely extremely timely demise.According to a recent press release, the game's story will run parallel to the first season of the show. Players will be placed in the shoes of Tom Paxton, member of the shadowy "Company," who is sent to investigate the events leading to the arrest of the TV series' protagonist, Michael Scofield. Sounds a bit complicated to us. We'll hold out for the video game adaptation of the much more straightforward Prison Prison Break.
Mytran Wars not canceled, coming soon
Do you remember Mytran Wars for the PSP? If you don't, we don't blame you. The PSP-exclusive strategy game had been often-delayed, from 2008 to early 2009. When it didn't make retail release, we assumed it was dead -- but a recent NYC hands-on proved us wrong.Publisher Deep Silver is planning on bringing Mytran Wars on PSP via UMD next month. When grilled about a downloadable release, the publisher couldn't confirm any plans to release the game on PlayStation Network. Our brief hands-on with the game revealed truly impressive production values, with fully-voiced comic book-styled cutscenes that really bring the world to life. The gameplay should be familiar to anyone that's played Advance Wars: it's classic turn-based strategy with fog of war. Unfortunately, the game moved very slowly, with animations taking much too time. Hopefully, the sluggish pace won't prove to be a game-breaker, when it finally launches on PSP next month.%Gallery-30245%
Risen rising to retail rOctober recond ... argh, second
Developer Piranha Bytes has announced that its RPG, Risen, will try to take a bite out of retail on October 2. Big Download took note of the press release's proud statement that the game is completely done and going through three separate quality assurance teams. That last bit likely has a little something to do with the developer's most recent game, Gothic 3, being a tad buggy. Three months will, hopefully, be enough time to work any issues out.%Gallery-47713%[Via Big Download]
