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Zork Nemesis adds some FMV to GOG
Have you always wanted to try your hand at an entry in the Zork franchise, but possess a deep-seated fear of lengthy reading sessions? Don't fret -- the latest addition to the GOG line-up, Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands, is more pre-occupied with Myst III-esque visuals and full motion video cutscenes than drowning the player in deluges of monochromatic text. Though, we'd understand if there were people who are also deathly afraid of FMV, too. (Night Trap still gives us the heebie-jeebies.) Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands is available on GOG.com for $6 -- which seems like a reasonable price to find out why those lands are so darn forbidden.
Bookeen shows off FMV on a standard E Ink Pearl display (video)
The details are few with this one but really it's the highlights that matter here: Bookeen has managed to get smooth full-motion video to play on an E Ink Pearl display. Yes, the same sort that delivers agonizingly slow refreshes on the latest Kindles and such. It's a simple H.264-encoded clip (the same one with the chubby rabbit you've probably seen a dozen times before) played on a TI OMAP3621 processor. Power consumption in this mode is said to be no more than a non-backlit LCD, which is quite frugal indeed. No word on which actual readers this will debuting in, but according to E-Ink-Info.com it will be "available on the next-gen e-readers to appear soon." Check out the demo embedded below.
Fujitsu launches 11.6-inch Lifebook PH50/C, complete with AMD Fusion APU
Now that AMD's Fusion is finally real, we're all sorts of excited to see what kind of numbers the E-350 Zacate APU puts up in honest-to-goodness machines like Fujitsu's latest. The minty fresh Lifebook PH50/C is just one of the many new lappies unveiled this week by the company, but this particular 11.6-incher has managed to grab our heartstrings and not let go. Boasting a cute, albeit familiar design, the PH50/C is equipped with a 1.6GHz E-350 APU, Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 5,800mAh battery good for up to seven hours of life in ideal conditions. For those more interested in Intel's Sandy Bridge, the like-minded PH74/C gets powered by a Core i3-2310M, and given that it's a Japanese machine designed for Japanese owners, an in-built WiMAX module is thrown in for good measure. We're also getting the impression that both of these can be ordered up with Intel's Wireless Display technology, and considering that Buffalo just introduced a new WiDi adapter for this very market, we'd say things have lined up quite nicely. Pricing remains up in the air, but they should be out in Q1 for under $800 or so.
Trilobyte's Charlie McHenry on 7th Guest and FMV's mobile future
As I've admitted more times than I can count, I'm part of the narrow subset of gamers who loves FMV games. It is, in fact, such a narrow subset that I'm the only game critic I know who's a member of it. It was with an understandable amount of incredulity then that I reported the news that one of my favorite FMV devs, the long-dead Trilobyte, was returning to relevance with an iOS port of its classic The 7th Guest. I reached out to new COO Charlie McHenry to try to find out if this new Trilobyte was just interested in a one night stand, just playing with my heart or in it for something more serious.
Dragon's Lair HD comes to iPad
Hello, my name is Justin McElroy, and I play a character called "Justin McElroy" on the popular Joystiq web site and podcast. I hope you'll indulge me for a second as I regale you with a story of my misspent youth. When I was growing up, I was always transfixed by FMV games. I begged and pleaded for a Sega CD, I've finished Dracula Unleashed more times than I care to admit ... hell, I own two copies of Wirehead. To this day, I don't understand the draw of these oft-clunky classics, but it's nothing I can escape or reason away. Before I'd reached my 15th birthday, I swore to friends, family, anyone who would listen that I would one day be the "world's greatest FMV gaming journalist." You, with the privilege of a dozen years of insight on my younger self, know how this story ends. FMV games have, for reasons beyond me, fallen by the wayside. You now know that the deviant, cretinous masses would prefer to see digital puppets dance on a screen than real humans -- their brethren -- leading out real, interactive drama in front of real, low-quality cameras. But today, if only for a moment, I have managed to wash the bitter flavor of unfulfilled dreams from my palate. For today, I have written a post about The 7th Guest on iPhone, and I'm following it up with this: An HD version of Dragon's Lair is now on iPad. It costs five dollars. That's two FMV posts ... in a row. Maybe a drop in the bucket to 15-year-old Justin, who dreamed of visiting the set of Sewer Shark 3 and sitting down to heartfelt, career-spanning interviews with Rusty Dillen. But today, for nearly 30-year-old Justin, it's enough. God bless.
The 7th Guest coming to iOS ... from Trilobyte
OK, so we don't have jet packs or the ability to vote through our DVRs (you did remember to vote, didn't you?) but at least you can say this of 2010: A game that once required CD-ROMs to work is now available on your iPhone. Or more specifically, spooky FMV gem The 7th Guest will be available this December on the iOS platform. We've put a trailer for you after the jump if you're completely in the dark (i.e. younger than 25). Oh, oh, but we haven't told you the best part! Guess who's bringing the game to market? None other than a reformed Trilobyte Games, the original house behind not only The 7th Guest but other oddballs like The 11th Hour and (at least in part) the supremely odd Tender Loving Care (starring John Hurt). Can you believe it? ... C'mon, where all my FMV nerds at? ... Anybody?
Brain Dead 13 coming to App Store on Friday
The iPhone will add another title to its ever growing library of FMV games this week. Following in the footsteps of Dragon's Lair, Space Ace and Cobra Command, Brain Dead 13 will be added to the App Store this Friday by Digital Leisure. The game stars Lance, computer expert and '90s fashion victim, who is sent to a castle to fix the supercomputer of an evil genius. If you're unfamiliar with the fifteen-year-old title, the video after the break should pretty much get you up to speed.
FMV game Road Blaster headed to iPhone
iPhone developer Revolutionary Concepts, responsible for the great port of the Data East FMV game Cobra Command, as well as Karate Champ and the original Frogger-like game Banzai Rabbit, announced plans for another refreshed FMV title: Road Blaster (also known as Road Avenger). Perhaps best known as an early Sega CD title, Road Blaster was an anime-style FMV driving game originally released to arcades in 1985. Like Cobra Command, Revolutionary Concepts has cleaned up the video footage, added a brand new UI, and tilt controls. In addition, it's got enhanced graphics for iPhone 4 and iPad, along with leaderboard and GameCenter support (presumably when GameCenter launches). Revolutionary Concepts hopes to release Road Blaster next month. For now, check out some iPhone and iPad screens in our gallery.%Gallery-99379%
Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii: one step closer to porting Dragon's Lair to everything
Hey, Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack, there's a new sheriff in town -- the "town" in this case being the set of "Collections of Three Laserdisc Games on Wii." Digital Leisure and publisher Destineer are partnering to release Dragon's Lair Trilogy on Wii this fall. Despite the name, the "Trilogy" is only two-thirds Dragon's Lair: in addition to Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp, the disc will include Space Ace. And for those of you who want to watch the remastered animation, but who firmly insist that these aren't video games, you can remove any vestige of interactivity and just enjoy the games in "Watch Mode." The collection will retail for $30, which is relatively good news for this guy.
Daryl Gates, ex-police chief and Police Quest: SWAT designer, dies at 83
According to Reuters, former Los Angeles chief of police Daryl Gates passed away at his home on Friday. Though Gates is probably best known for being forced out of his job as chief due to his handling of the Rodney King beating and ensuing riots in 1992, we at Joystiq remember him as the designer of Police Quest: SWAT, the fifth game in the Sierra series. (Gates also contributed to the previous game, Police Quest: Open Season). Okay, okay, so the FMV relic isn't particularly beloved, but Gates was also responsible for establishing the very first SWAT team -- a concept the video game industry has gotten so much mileage out of, we figured Gates was at least owed a moment of recognition. He was 83 years old.
PlayStation Mini 'Hysteria Project' is an FMV adventure
I'm always asking myself, "Justin, full-motion videos are so great, why aren't they used in every game?" It's a fine question. There's huge, pent-up demand for games that use video of actual actors throughout my office, and it seems that someone's finally catering to it. It's just been announced that iPhone FMV horror adventure Hysteria Project is coming to PlayStation Minis courtesy of Sanuk Games. The news comes from the Euro PlayStation blog, so the question, of course, is whether or not this super-cool, super-scary release will be part of the North American update when it's unveiled later today. Here's hoping the high concentration of FMV fans in and around my office chair finally have their voices heard. [Update: Just heard back from Sanuk, Hysteria Project's coming to North America next week. The FMreVolution begins!]
Fast Draw Showdown shows up on WiiWare Jan. 5
Do you hate mid-90s FMV game actors? Do you love light gun games? You're going to be thrilled about this upcoming WiiWare release from Digital Leisure. This Monday, you'll be able to shoot several of those actors in Fast Draw Showdown on WiiWare. Originally released to arcades in 1994, Fast Draw Showdown is a series of -- what else? -- showdowns against various Old West stereotypes, culminating in a match against real-life quick draw expert Wes Flowers. There's a trailer after the break -- if you pretend to shoot at everyone on the screen, it'll be just like playing the game!
Dragon's Lair headed to DSiWare Dec. 21
We expect this kind of thing from Tetris or Resident Evil 4, but whoever thought that Dragon's Lair would be appearing on so many consoles? It appeared on the iPhone just a week ago, and now the FMV adventure is (as rumored) set to appear on DSiWare on Dec. 21 in North America and Jan. 1. Now, considering none of the DSiWare releases have been particularly large, we have no clue how they'll fit the whole game on the service. We do know from this video, however, that the console is powerful enough to handle the game. Now, the next obvious step in Dragon's Lair's quest for console domination? Well, Zeebo, of course.
iPhone It In: Cobra Command
The iPhone is the best thing to happen to FMV games since ... well, I can't think of anything good to happen to FMV games in the last ten years or so. Basically, the iPhone is one of the first portable platforms able to store and play the high-quality video that games like Dragon's Lair are known for -- and FMV games usually have uncomplicated enough control schemes to survive the transition to the iPhone intact. Cobra Command is actually a bit more complex than your average Dragon's Lair type game, but it works just fine with the iPhone's controls. It's also the most '80s thing you'll ever experience. %Gallery-76805%
EA dragging Dragon's Lair to iPhone
click to cross the drawbridge into Screenshots' LairFollowing the well-received (by us, anyway) iPhone version of Space Ace, another, better-known Bluth-animated FMV classic is headed to the platform -- a game that, unlike Heavy Rain, is Dragon's Lair. This time, EA Play is publishing the 1983 Cinematronics arcade game, with an expected December release date. We'll get to watch Dirk the Daring die over and over again in a convenient portable format! Dragon's Lair features both an "arcade mode" with the game as originally presented, and a "home mode" with extra scenes not used in the coin-op version. Our gallery features some new screens of the iPhone version, which look exactly like the game looked in 1983. Which is kind of the point. There's supposedly a DSiWare version on the way as well, though EA doesn't seem to be involved with that one. %Gallery-79597%
Interview: Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove's Adrian Woods on the game's use of live-action FMV
Last month, developer Big Fish Games released the latest game in its hidden-object, casual mystery series Mystery Case Files. Dire Grove features something rather unexpected for a game released in 2009: full-motion video. As a selling point! The game sets you into the investigation of four graduate students who disappear in the spooky town of Dire Grove one night. Along the way, video sequences will help illuminate the events. Fascinated by the bold decision to bring in live actors for the latest iteration of a usually all hand-drawn series (and a game that will retail for seven dollars when the Standard Edition launches this month -- the Collector's Edition is available now for $20), we spoke to game designer Adrian Woods about the game and the somewhat anachronistic use of FMV.
Cobra Command now on iPhone, and you could win a copy!
For those of you who haven't already tired of our slavish devotion to lesser-known FMV shooters, we have some great news: The helicopter action of Cobra Command has finally made its way to the App Store. Now you could just buy it for $4.99 and be a better person for owning this odd little anomaly of a game, but since you're special and dear to us we'd like to just give it to you for free. We've already given five away to our beloved Facebook fans (just one example of why you should already be our fan), but head over and join up right now and there should be a fresh batch of codes waiting just for you.
Cobra Command iPhone port features best animated helicopter explosions we've seen today
When Revolutionary Concepts first unveiled its enhanced iPhone port of Data East's relatively obscure FMV shooter Cobra Command, all we had to stare at were a few proof-of-concept screens and a tentative October release date. That date has been pushed to "early to mid-November" as the developers anticipate submitting the game to Apple this week. For right now, however, we have footage. After the break, you can see Cobra Command in motion. It's a bit more complicated than the Space Ace or Dragon's Lair–type FMV game, and consequently the iPhone version uses both a virtual joystick (for targeting) and the iPhone's accelerometer (for steering the helicopter).%Gallery-76805%
USK: Digital Leisure daring to put Dragon's Lair on DSiWare
If you like FMV games, the iPhone port of Space Ace is something of a revelation. It's the full laserdisc game, in much better visual quality than most ports, on a handheld platform for five bucks. If you don't, it's just another FMV game, and everyone knows those aren't real games anyway. A German USK rating suggests that Digital Leisure is planning to port its predecessor, Dragon's Lair, to DSiWare. While we have no doubt that the DS hardware can run the game -- in fact, a Dragon's Lair conversion has been in progress for years by United Coders, and we wouldn't be surprised if that's what this is -- the file size is an issue. Space Ace on iPhone takes up 243MB, which is much larger than any DSiWare game. We hope Digital Leisure comes up with a solution for this issue other than porting the NES Dragon's Lair.[Via GoNintendo]
A night at 'The 711 Club,' an advergame
I awake with a pounding headache. Where am I? I stumble toward the nearest doorway -- into a nightclub. The bartender greets me. "Welcome to the 7-1-1 Club," he says. "I don't think I've seen you here before -- your first time in Rio?" Rio? How the eff did I end up in Rio? I think I see a familiar face in the crowd. I approach, blurting out a convoluted question about the nearest airport (get me outta here!) and concern for my heart condition. "You flatter me, but I don't think we've met," says the man introducing himself as Charles. Hmmm, I don't know a Charles ... Suddenly, a burst of fire sets forth inside me. "LET'S DANCE!" I yell. Staggering out onto the dance floor, I am a man possessed. My feet are arrow keys, the beat falling blocks. I can do this! "I know I've just met you, but I feel as though we've been dancing for all of eternity," Charles gushes. Eternity? Wait a minute, am I in ... "LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" I cry. Then everything goes black.
