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Ubisoft announces Driver 76 for PSP
L'Ubisoft has announced yet another entry into the crowded "driving games that take place in 1976" genre, with Driver 76 set to dangerously collide with the PSP this coming March. Developed by Sumo Digital Ltd. and Ubisoft's Reflections Studio, the game marks a return for the franchise after being purchased by the French publisher last year. As you might expect, the game features "Hollywood-style car chases" (watch out, fruit stand attendants!), on-foot segments, car modifications, a smattering of multiplayer modes and, lest you forget what era it is, an "authentic '70s soundtrack." [Note: Screenshot taken from Driver: Parallel Lines for PS2. The fact that it's clearly 1978 in that picture should make it obvious enough.]
Driver 76 kicks up the funk
PSP gamers are all too familiar with games where you drive around and kill people. But that won't stop Ubisoft from releasing Driver 76, an exclusive new addition to the Driver franchise. Driver 76 will feature 27 new missions set in NYC in the 70s (back when it was actually a dangerous place to live). Like a certain other well-known carjacking franchise, this game will feature an open-world environment for you to explore and an "authentic" soundtrack.While this may seem overly familiar, one feature stands out as a clear draw for me: downloadable content. The press release mentions downloadable paintjobs, but hopefully, we'll also see new game content as well.[Via digg]
Volkswagen crafts electrophoretic bumper sticker, road rage imminent
Volkswagen is making absolutely sure that it doesn't fall behind the curve with regard to technology, as its Electronics Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, CA is hard at work on an electrophoretic bumper sticker. While this creation may not go far in producing more aerodynamic vehicles or burning less fuel, the novelty factor is high nonetheless. The company states that its sure-to-be-popular add-on is a "wafer-thin, highly flexible foil that can display text and images like a computer monitor," and envisions drivers of the future letting fellow roadsters "know how they're feeling as moods change." While we can't imagine the tell-tale sticker having much good to say while stuck in rush hour traffic (or just after being pulled over), it's just one more distraction to keep from paying attention to what matters most.[Via CNET]
Atari says Driv3r was half baked
Finally, a video game exec who isn't afraid to say the truth for once. Games Radar is quoting Atari's sales and marketing vice president, Nique Fajors, as saying at a company press event that the Driv3r franchise was nothing more than "a half-baked product that was pushed out the door for revenue reasons." That's what we like to hear. Give us the truth. We all know half of the games that are released every year are nothing more than a quick money grab -- yeah, we're looking at you movie licensed games -- so it's nice to hear someone in the biz actually admit to it. Fajors seems to reflect a new attitude at Atari, which is hoping to turn around its financial woes as of late. He says the company "will be putting a stronger emphasis on quality control and so will be hiring teams who feel 'disgust with losing and disgust with being mediocre.'"
Ubisoft nabs Atari's Driver license, drops $24M in deal
Atari has sold the rights to the Driver franchise to Ubisoft for roughly $24 million. The deal will be completed during Ubisoft's second fiscal quarter, which ends September 30, 2006, and includes the acquisition of developer Reflections Interactive Limited, along with most of the studio's assets.Now the onus is on Ubisoft to steer this franchise out of the junkyard. Good luck.
Ubisoft acquires the Driver franchise
Ubisoft announced yesterday that it will acquire the Driver franchise from Atari. The deal includes rights to the Driver franchise as well as most of the assets and all personnel from Reflections Interactive Limited, developer of the series. The acquisition will cost Ubisoft 19 million Euro ($24 million) and is expected to close in Ubisoft's second quarter this year. Yves Guillemot, Ceo of Ubisoft, said of the deal:"We are thrilled with this acquisition which will allow us to add a prestigious title to our catalog and to enter into the driving games segment, one of the most important segments in the gaming industry. With more than 14 million units sold throughout the world, Driver is one of the most successful brands in the history of video games. We look forward to leveraging the unique knowledge of the Ubisoft studios to ensure that Driver will be one of the leading brands of the next generation of consoles."Ubisoft getting their hands on Driver is big news. Hopefully the house of great titles like Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and the upcoming Assassin's Creed can breathe some new life into the ailing franchise. Exciting, non?
Mac OS drivers appear in Dell download list
Somehow, some way, Mac OS drivers have appeared as a download option for a Dell Latitude X1. How many times do we have to tell you Michael Dell: You can't sell Mac OS X, no matter how often or how badly you wish to sell an operating system that's made for this century. Besides, trying to sneak it onto your site is just bad form.If you want to see this interesting quirk for yourself, check it out at Dell's Driver and Downloads site. As of this writing, you can snag your own 'Mac OS' drivers for a Latitude X1.This most likely is nothing more than a quirk of Dell's site, as we (thankfully) haven't heard of Jobs changing his mind or seen reports of the sky falling. You can go on about your business.[via Engadget]
Roger Avary to write/direct Driver movie
Remember when Silent Hill screenwriter Roger Avary said, during a recent interview with FiringSquad, "I'm currently adapting a game into a script for myself to direct. I'm not talking about it yet, but it's for Atari -- so you can imagine that it's like a dream for me." Now, if you're anything like me, you understood that he meant Pitfall and went to sleep sated with the knowledge that the original adventurer would star in his own feature film. I mean, what other property is Atari going to bring to the silver screen? Indigo Prophecy maybe ... or maybe that Getting Up movie that just got announced, though it already has screenwriters attached.Turns out Avary couldn't contain his exuberance and blurted out his project to FiringSquad after all; he will write and direct an adaptation of developer Reflection Software and publisher Atari's popular Driver series. No word on when this sucker is supposed to hit the pavement on production, but we imagine it won't be long before he starts singing again.
Driv3r heading to GBA
Driver 3, or Driv3r as the hip young cats are calling it, was a bit of a debacle. The scandal over reviews being biased so exclusives could be claimed. The mediocre quality of the game. In short, it was a bit of a dogs breakfast. Not content to leave a rotting lemon where it lay, Infograme... Sorry, Atari, are now seeing fit to release Driv3r for the dear old Gameboy Advance. Needless to say, hardcore 3D graphics are not on the menu. The game could work well, though. Hope the put the multiplayer modes in. Could be fun. You can check the official site, if you're really bored, though a cursory glance reveals no GBA content.
DRIV3R head jumps ship
After the critical failure and review scandal surrounding Reflections Interactive's blockbuster-bust DRIV3R, Martin Edmondson, the company's founder and creative director, is calling it quits. What this means for the future of Reflections Interactive is unclear. But with a series of duds, next-gen prospects are doubtful.
Atari gets a tongue-lashing
Worthplaying has posted an editorial that blasts Atari for some questionable business practices. Apparently, word has gotten out that DRIV3R is about as fun as a papercut; and Atari has been working overtime to keep the word on the street from reaching consumers' ears. The opinion piece claims that Atari has placed a review embargo on the game, hoping they can fool a few more people into buying their bug-ridden product. It seems to us that they could have done a better job gagging the press, since there's already been a flood of bad reviews. The whole thing sounds like a real mess. Atari promised that DRIV3R would be a milestone game. They may be right, after all. But instead of being a great example of good unsavory fun, it will stand for the corrupt practices of the videogame cartel.
DRIV3R hits like a wet paper towel
That sure didn't take long. The game came out yesterday to high hopes and higher ad buys. Today DRIV3R is torn a new one. Gamepsot gives the title a mediocre (at best) score and proceeds to dissect the experience until it's just bloody pieces on the floor. The review attacks the AI, the bugs and the overall polish of the game. It must be so uncomfortable for a news/marketing venue like Gamespot to tout a game for a year, and then deliver a verdict like this. It must be even worse to work on a game for two years, and have it get a verdict like this. Well, the game looks good, for what it's worth.
DRIV3R is here. Hide your car.
Since Driv3r has been released to the masses you get one last chance to revel in the previews. The game certainly has the kind of voice talent that would make a great film, but how much that can add to the game's fun is questionable. You can have all the high-quality cutscenes and B-list actors you want, but if the joystick doesn't provide joy, then what's the point? The preview whets the appetite for well-rendered landscapes like Nice and Istanbul, which were studied by the design team in detail (90,000 pics shot during their research). Also of interest are the 70 vehicles available for your destruction. The last game in the series was a little too difficult for casual gamers (who were expecting a British Grand Theft Auto). It looks like the code word that those same gamers should look out for in this preview is "realistic." Who the hell wants realistic in a game? Reality is too hard. Soon everyone and their six year old cousin will have an opinion on the title. Relish in the joy of thinking that this could well be the best game ever made. Before the reviews go and ruin everything.
DRIV3R goes for a third spin around the block
If you liked Grand Theft Auto 3 and GTA: Vice City then you might want to give this one a look. The last Driver game was a bit on the tough side and apparently Atari isn't going to let up in the sequel. With realistic physics and a bunch of mini-games thrown in, DRIV3R might be just the game to tide you over until GTA: San Andreas Fault arrives this holiday season.
