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Doctor Who and You going online in 'Worlds of Time'
It's a good thing the TARDIS is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, because the good Doctor is about to pack a clown car-esque number of companions in there. BBC and developer Three Rings have announced a partnership to create a "free-to-play multiplayer online game" based on the long-running British television series, titled Doctor Who: Worlds in Time. According to the game's press release announcement, players will "be able to follow in the footsteps of the eccentric and brilliant Doctor by travelling through time and space, exploring new worlds and encountering many alien races, both friend and foe." We wonder if Daleks are going to make an appearance? Nah, that seems pretty unlikely. Keep an eye out for more info next week, when Three Rings will share more details about the title during GDC 2011.
BBC and Three Rings readying Doctor Who online multiplayer title
Doctor Who is the latest in a long line of intellectual properties that have made the transition from the TV screen to the computer screen. BBC Worldwide has just announced a new partnership with developer Three Rings that will result in a free-to-play online multiplayer title set in the good doctor's strange and popular universe. While we're not quite sure of the upcoming game's MMO pedigree, we are pretty confident that series fans will dig it regardless. Players will follow in the iconic character's footsteps by exploring new worlds, traveling through space and time, and befriending (and battling) various alien races. Gameplay revolves around the TARDIS and enables fans to accept challenges from the Time Lord and "defend civilized culture against infamous Doctor Who enemies." Doctor Who: Worlds in Time has been in development for some time now and is "expected to launch later this year."
Speakal Doctor Who TARDIS speaker prototype hands-on
Hardcore Doctor Who fans might argue that the faulty chameleon circuit is to be blamed here, but really, this mini TARDIS is just a forthcoming Speakal iPod speaker dock that also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and an IR remote control. As pictured above, the dock connector lies in a pull-out tray at the bottom-front of the device, with the stereo speaker drivers hidden behind the front windows. There's also a bass chamber inside the box, and we could see the opening through the back windows, along with the volume dial and power switch at the bottom. We were told that the final product will actually be slightly smaller than this prototype, and the lamp at the top will also have an IR emitter installed, which can control your TV via an iOS app (presumably via Bluetooth). Anyhow, expect to see this blue box on the shelves for around $130 to $150 come April. %Gallery-113118%
New games flood App Store before impending holiday release freeze
The App Store is in constant danger of new release bombardments, sure, but many companies adhere to a regular, weekly bombing run beginning each Wednesday, through the wee hours of the night (UTC), dropping their new iPhone and iPad games on Apple's marketplace while many of us are snoozing. Last night was no exception -- actually, scratch that. It was exceptional! Pending the start of the "iTunes Connect Holiday Shutdown" next Thursday -- a six-day lockout period when developers will be unable to release or update apps, including games -- an army of companies, armed with their big holiday releases (for little iDevices), launched a massive attack on the App Store last night. What began as a few warning shots yesterday grew into a full-on assault, led by Gameloft's crisp clones, NOVA 2 and Shadow Guardian, and Square Enix's surprise (and apparently rushed) port of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Even Sega couldn't resist launching a few more classics in Altered Beast and Sonic Spinball. And what's this ... Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3? Hey, if Street Fighter IV worked ... Pursue our complete list of new release highlights after the break, and then make double-sure "Santa" knows you've been good enough for an iTunes gift card this year.
Doctor Who's sonic screwdriver is still fiction -- but not forever
Kudos to Bristol University for catching our attention, and doing so in the name of promoting education. Professor of Ultrasonics Bruce Drinkwater is evoking a rather iconic name to better explain how cool science / engineering can be. Though already used in the manufacturing and medical fields -- don't yawn and look away just yet -- Drinkwater expresses some confidence that the future of this technology could very well usher in a pocketable device similar to the sonic screwdriver fancied by a certain former resident of Gallifrey. You know, that do-it-all device that can repair electronic equipment, burn and cut items, fuse metals, scan for information, and render virtually any lock useless... except here we're focusing on ultrasonic sound waves capable of fixing parts together and creating miniature force fields. As for the Time Lord himself, we know of at least one past Doctor who, as joked by a later incarnation, would rather "save the universe using a kettle and some string" (and has, in more recent iterations, pulled out miraculous victories with even a BlackBerry Storm). Point is, you should maybe consider a degree in Physics and an eccentric outfit should you ever find yourself holding a working prototype.
Last Doctor Who adventure game of the season coming Christmas Day
It may not be as nice as finding a for-real sonic screwdriver under your tree, but the BBC does have a great holiday gift in mind for any Doctor Who fan: the last episode of the first season of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, called "Shadows of the Vashta Nerada." This episode takes place during Christmas and entirely underwater, and it'll be available for download on Christmas Day. If you're a UK resident, it's a really cheap gift -- like all the episodes, it'll be free. US residents will have to pay $5 for it, or $12.95 for the whole season.
BBC America programming now available on PSN
Sony announced this week that BBC America programming is heading to PlayStation 3's across the United States. To kick off the new partnership, BBC America has made the first episode of the American version of "Top Gear" available at no charge (normally $1.99 for SD, $2.99 for HD), at least for the first two weeks. "Doctor Who" and "Being Human" will join "Top Gear" on the network's launch list at some point in December, and BBC America promises to "rapidly add BBC programming each week, including the best of the BBC's library as well as currently airing series." As you've likely already guessed, the BBC's offerings can be found in the video section of the PlayStation Store starting right now.
Doctor Who: Mazes of Time coming to iPhone, iPad this holiday
Doctor Who, the lonely lord who taught us that time is "wibbly wobbly," is heading to iOS devices with an app titled Mazes of Time. The game, based on the popular BBC show, is expected before Christmas and will be developed by Dundee, Scotland-based developer Tag Games. "Doctor Who is the UK's number one science fiction property, and I think it is in the BBC's top three for worldwide sales, so it is great to bring it to Dundee - especially in light of what happened at Realtime Worlds and the effect it had on Dundee," a developer spokesman told The Courier. "It shows there is still something positive we can bring to the sector." Tag has also made apps based on the UK's Channel 4 properties Come Dine With Me and Peep Show, which doesn't sound half as interesting as a potential app combining the two: Come Dine With Me at the Peep Show.
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games receiving second season
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games will return for a second season, which will tie into the next series starring the eleventh Doctor. The BBC's Simon Nelson said the the company would be "daft" not to commission another season after 1.6 million downloads of the initial episodes. Episode four of Doctor Who:TAG's first season will be available "later in the year," free to UK residents. The series is available in North America through Direct2Drive at $13 for the whole bundle.
1TB hard drive thrown into a toy TARDIS, gives us a proper Time Machine
It's common knowledge that the Doctor's time- and space-bending TARDIS is a lot roomier on the inside than its external dimensions let on, and now we can put a definite number to just how much space there is in there: a terabyte. Yup, that's how much storage Max Shanly managed to cram inside his "toy" TARDIS. It took a bit of elbow grease (plus a screwdriver) to get it all to fit, but most of the credit here is for sheer ingenuity -- who doesn't want to back up his data onto a freaking Time Lord's intertemporal transportation device? Max is currently working on hooking up the flashing light up top to represent hard drive activity and we're calling up our favorite KIRF suppliers to get them cranking these out. [Thanks, Max]%Gallery-101940%
BBC announces two new Doctor Who games for DS and Wii
Following the release of the first two episodes of the super successful (and super free) Doctor Who: The Adventure Games series, BBC Worldwide has announced two more interactive iterations of the franchise. The migrant Time Lord and his companion, Amy Pond, will appear in Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth on the Nintendo DS, and Doctor Who: Return to Earth on Wii. We're guessing the latter comes after the former, as people tend to Return to things they've Evacuated. The two games will be developed by British studio Asylum Entertainment, which specializes in licensed games for consoles and web browsers. No word yet on whether they'll resemble Sumo Digital's free-to-play Adventure Games series, or whether they'll fall into another genre entirely. Perhaps a TARDIS kart racer, or a very, very, very non-canonical FPS? [Thanks, Ashley!]
Fly the TARDIS in third Doctor Who: The Adventure Games episode
Traveling through time is tough. Unless you were lucky enough to be born as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Doc Brown (or his young companion, Marty McFly) or something, it's pretty much been a crapshoot for most of us human beings. The only other possible option has been to meet The Doctor. A more realistic alternative than trying to track that dude down is to play Doctor Who: The Adventure Games and BBC has announced that the upcoming third episode -- due to launch on August 27, but only available to UK residents -- will give players an intimate look behind the blue doors of the TARDIS and even let them pilot it. For the unaware, the TARDIS is the it's-a-police-box-but-not-really structure that allows The Doctor and his companion to traipse through time and space. So it would seem that next week Einstein-Rosen Bridge enthusiasts will finally have a viable fix! Now if only we could fast-forward to next week. Jean-Claude, if you're reading this, would you mind helping us out?
Visualized: literally
This eyeball, currently under construction in Chicago's Loop district, is an art project appropriately named "Atraxi" "Eye." Getting into a staring contest could be a deadly affair.
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games now available (and free) in the UK
Brilliant! Folks living in the land from whence the time-traveling, sonic-screwdriving adventurer originated can now download the first episode in Sumo Interactive's Doctor Who: The Adventure Games for free. Titled "City of the Daleks," the game sees the Doctor and his companion, Amy Pond, in an alternate version of London in 1963, where the nefarious Daleks have taken over the city and are baking cakes for everybody. (Just kidding! They're murdering everyone. That's what Daleks do.) Us Americans will have to wait until "early July," when the game will be available for us to purchase. Yes, purchase. Like, with money. Life can be so unfair sometimes. [Via Eurogamer]
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games dev diary is photogenic
Can't wait for next Saturday to finally bring you the first installment in the Doctor Who: The Adventure Games series? Your two options boil down to either hopping into your discreet, time-traveling police box and moving two weeks into the future, or ... you know, waiting. Fortunately, the latter should be made more bearable by watching the developer diary posted after the jump. Watch as the ever-charming Matt Smith (the titular Doctor) and Karen Gillan (companion Amy Pond) do some rotoscoping photo shoots, and lend their voices to the game. Then watch as the developer works on facial animations, which results in the horrifying texture seen above. Not so pretty now, is he, ladies? [Via Big Download]
'Doctor Who: The Adventure Games' premieres June 5, teaser revealed
The Doctor Who adventure game will premiere on June 5, 2010, according to the BBC. In the first of the four free interactive episodes, the new Doctor and his companion find themselves in a destroyed version of 1963 London, battling (shock of shocks!) the Daleks. For those who aren't up on their Who, almost the entire series is now on Netflix -- available on demand through all current consoles, personal computers and TARDIS interfaces. The new series is currently airing on BBC America, Saturdays at 9PM. Interested web travelers will find a trailer for the game embedded after the break. [Via Videogamer]
BBC bringing Doctor Who: The Adventure Games to PC, Mac
The interesting thing about BBC's announcement of Doctor Who: The Adventure Games -- instead of it sounding like farmed-out licensed schlock -- is there appears to be some actual creative weight behind it. Beginning in June 2010, four original "interactive episodes" will release for free on the BBC Doctor Who website. The episodes feature the current cast, and are executive produced by new show-runner Steven Moffat and Broken Sword designer Charles Cecil, with story and script by Doctor Who and Torchwood alumni. It's being developed by Sumo Digital. Piers Wender, head of drama for BBC Wales and executive producer for Doctor Who says, "There aren't 13 episodes of Doctor Who this year, there are 17 - four of which are interactive." The BBC had previously stated it was looking into multiple "experiences" for Doctor Who games. Depending on the quality of the final product, this certainly opens up new trans-media opportunities for network television beyond Flash games and webisodes. And yes, we still wish Telltale Games were involved.
Screen Grabs: Blackberry Storm saves the world in new Doctor Who
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. While the US was busy delivering a certain tablet product yesterday, British sci-fi fans sat comfortably at home for a brand new Doctor Who series. We won't go into too much detail here, but the eleventh Doctor -- played by the charming Matt Smith -- was spotted writing a computer virus and sending pictures on a BBC-debranded Blackberry Storm, minutes before the aliens were to incinerate Planet Earth. Perhaps the freshly-regenerated Time Lord's a fan of the virtual keyboard? As a bonus, the Doctor also borrowed a disguised 15-inch Acer Aspire laptop for some virtual face time with chief brainiacs around the world, and then promptly reminded the owner to "delete your internet history" in reference to, well, something more disturbing that he found on the computer. And who are we to question the orders of a time traveler? Update: Turns out the new Lead Writer Steven Moffat learned of his job offer on a Blackberry back in June 2008. Too bad the Storm wasn't due out for another five months, but a quick trip through the time vortex could turn this into an amusing coincidence.%Gallery-89694%
The Daily Grind: What IP do you want to see as an MMO?
There are certainly a lot of intellectual properties out there that would make for an excellent MMO. Running down the list of major games currently running shows no shortage of games based on popular franchises -- Star Trek Online, Warhammer Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Age of Conan, Champions Online -- and the trend shows no sign of slowing. But there are other franchises that could conceivably make a number of people happy -- Transformers, The Dark Tower, Doctor Who, Mass Effect, Babylon 5, and so on ad infinitum. Of course, there are licenses that are unlikely to ever be adapted for MMOs, either because their heyday of popularity has passed or because they're just not in quite the right market. Still, we can dream, and in our heads we might have an idea for the world's best MMO based off of Macross. What intellectual property would you love to have a chance to play as an MMO? Do you think there's a chance it might happen, or are you fairly certain that it's just going to remain an idle fantasy?
BBC plans multiple Doctor Who games and 'experiences'
BBC Worldwide explains to MCV that it's in "interesting discussions" about Doctor Who-based games that are "complementary to each rather than in competition." All we're going to say is that Telltale better be at the table for these discussions. A representative for BBC expressed that the series has "a huge shelf life going back 47 years – it's about managing and satisfying expectations of both older and younger audiences." Apparently the Doctor Who game ideas involve "boxed product console games, virtual worlds and other experiences." With the long-running BBC series headed for a reboot later this year, with a new Doctor (who looks like he stumbled out of Skins) and show-runner, it'll be interesting to see if the fanbase follows and buys games for the series.
