focus home interactive
Latest
A Game of Thrones: Genesis review: Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
A Game of Thrones: Genesis' literary goals are pretty auspicious: The game recounts a thousand years of history, filled with bloody conquests and backstabbing, that lead up to the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. You won't necessarily need to know a lot about the books or the cable TV show, but the game loses a lot of its appeal if you can't recognize the names of prominent families like Stark, Targaryen and Lannister. Without knowing at least some background, the campaign will seem like a collection of loosely connected stories, rather than the sweeping, epic tale originally spun by George R.R. Martin. It may have some appeal to general fans of strategy, but Genesis is mainly geared towards letting fans experience an abridged look at the events that shaped Westeros.%Gallery-128194%
A Game of Thrones: Genesis has a steamy launch trailer
A Game of Thrones: Genesis is set to drop Sept. 29, but first Cyanide Studio and Focus Home Interactive want you to watch a massive, half-naked blacksmith pound a hot sword and stroke The Reach in the above launch trailer. It also has dragons, if you even need that after the previous description.
A Game of Thrones - Genesis fights dirty on September 29
If you've been left unsatisfied by all the honorable, upstanding strategy games that have come out over the past year, you should brace yourself for a healthy dose of deception later this month. Focus Home Interactive has announced that Cyanide Studios' first adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones - Genesis, will arrive on store shelves of the tangible and digital varieties on September 29. If you haven't already consumed every single page of the aforementioned series of novels, you don't really have enough time to do so before the game comes out. Maybe you could watch the TV series! It's like a novel that bunch of famous people read for you.
Trine 2 coming to PC and Mac in Europe this Q4
Like the game itself, the release of Trine 2 is a cooperative effort between three parties. In North America, developer Frozenbyte is working with Atlus to bring the game to PC, Mac, XBLA, and PSN this fall. And in Europe, Frozenbyte is cooperating with publisher Focus Home Interactive for a PC and Mac release. Atlus is handling the console versions worldwide, according to a statement from Frozenbyte to Eurogamer. The European PC/Mac release will be out stores and digitally in "Q4," which doesn't sound that far off from the American "fall" window. It'll be available in standard and collector's editions, the latter featuring a soundtrack disc.
Game of Thrones: Genesis screens actually have a throne
We were ready to give Cyanide's A Game of Thrones: Genesis the "Most Disingenuously Named Game of the Year" award -- until this most recent batch of screenshots appeared in our inbox. We can now confirm that, yes, it is a game which contains at least one throne.
RAW is WAR...riors and wizards and stuff
We've long believed that Diablo fans would glom on to any Diablo-esque game no matter what it was called, but Wizarbox and Focus Home Interactive are really putting that to the test with R.A.W. And yes, as the trailer after the break clearly demonstrates, it's really, honestly called that. As you'll see, the XBLA, PSN and PC release (due in 2012) doesn't stray too far from its demonic source material. In fact, the only real question we're left with is whether or not the fact that "R.A.W." literally stands for "Realms of Ancient War" makes the title better or worse. ... Oh, actually, scratch that. We just decided on "way, way better."
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes made with consoles in mind
We'd gotten in the habit of letting the ongoing Sherlock Holmes game series fall into our proverbial blindspots, perhaps because of the lackluster production values or PC-centric game design. That said, we got a sneak peek at the sixth game in the series, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, and we may have to revise our policy of ignoring any and all residents of 221B Baker Street. Developer Frogwares have seriously upped the budget for this 360, PS3 and PC release, providing a big bump in graphical fidelity, as you can see for yourself after the break. With a new hint system and a more controller-friendly interface, it's also the first Sherlock game made specifically with console gamers in mind. Also, Sherlock Holmes dies in it. It's right in the trailer. Go figure.
XBLA and PSN release Rotastic spins up its first trailer
We know you're probably not at E3, but if you are, drop what you're doing and check out Rotastic, a charming sort of multiplayer action puzzler from French studio Dancing Dots. Through tons of single-screen levels, players use their grappling hooks to swing between pegs collecting gems and performing stunts like figure 8s for extra points. In the online and couch multiplayer, players can connect to the same pegs as their friends and the player with the shortest rope slices the connection of the other, sending him flying. Oh, and spinning generates a shield which protects ... you know, it's probably better if you just watch the trailer after the jump. It doesn't communicate the fun as well as playing, but believe us when we say you'll want to give it a -- wait for it -- spin when it launches on XBLA in September and PSN in January.
The Next Big Thing is this launch trailer
On April 25, The Next Big Thing will launch, continuing Pendulo Studios' tradition of humorous adventure games -- at least, this launch trailer suggests as much. And here we thought the next big thing was guilty cat!
The Next Big Thing is this trailer
Well, that is until the adventure game The Next Big Thing launches, which will be the next big thing. Developer Pendulo Studios is just being up front, right? In fact, we're thinking about doing the same, renaming Joystiq to Thing Our Mom Reads and Sometimes Tells Her Pinnacle Friends About.
Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition's High Elf team revealed
One of the twelve new races to be introduced in Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition is the typically cerebral High Elves, pictured below. Sorry, but they shouldn't be any good at football. Not because they're so darn brainy, but because they're built like extremely tacklable stalks of wheat.
Cyanide's first Song of Ice and Fire game detailed
Blood Bowl developer Cyanide Studio has revealed a few details about the first installment in its video game adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. The game, titled A Game of Thrones: Genesis, will be a strategy title which places players in the role of one of Westeros' illustrious Families. Your options for spreading your faction's influence are diverse, including "military, economic or diplomatic" methods. Considering the developer's lineage, we hope friendly games of flag football can also be used to resolve land skirmishes. You can check out further details on Cyanide's official site for more details on the game, or check out two pieces of early concept art in the gallery below. %Gallery-97623%
DS Sherlock Holmes trailer entirely devoid of murder
If you've ever dreamed of being Sherlock Holmes and solving a dastardly murder, you won't be fulfilling that fantasy on DS. No, Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House has you solving puzzles and investigating a more mundane case. But hey, there's enough murder in video games already, right?
This Wednesday: Rocket Knight, Things on Wheels on Xbox Live Arcade
It's a double-header of fast moving objects on Xbox Live Arcade this week. First up is Things on Wheels, an R/C racer of miniaturized yet epic proportions, complete with four-player online and offline play. Next is Rocket Knight, whose fast moving object is ... a possum with a jet pack. It may sound weird, but it's a proven formula. Things on Wheels will be available this Wednesday for 800 ($10); and Rocket Knight will set you back 1200 ($15). %Gallery-90099% Source -- Things on Wheels [Xbox.com] Source -- Rocket Knight [Xbox.com]
Things on Wheels rolling up on XBLA next week
It's been a slow roll to the finish for Things on Wheels, Load Inc.'s R/C car racer for Xbox Live Arcade. The game was announced in early 2008 and, according to Load Inc., was completed in late January 2009. At that time, on its news feed, the developer made vague mention of an issue that had stalled the impending release of the title, but one "that should not change a thing in the future experience you'll have playing this fantastic game." Initially, SouthPeak was attached to the project as its publisher. Had the deal gone kaput? Last September, Load Inc. quietly revealed that indie French publisher Focus Home Interactive (Blood Bowl, TrackMania) was now "looking after" Things on Wheels. Today, Focus Home Interactive announced that the game -- finally! -- would be released on XBLA this coming Wednesday, May 12, for 800 ($10) -- alongside Rocket Knight. (We should note, the Things on Wheels Xbox.com listing currently displays a "TBD" release date. [Update: Xbox.com now confirms the May 12 release date.]) Things on Wheels is a miniature car racing game, not unlike Load Inc.'s 2007 XBLA release, Mad Tracks. ToW supports up to four players online or off and features a variety of around-the-house and through-the-park tracks. Noticeably absent: a nagging parent ordering players to pick up when they're finished. %Gallery-92459%
Introducing Trackmania Wii's track editor
If you haven't played a TrackMania game before, let us encapsulate the experience for you: you build the craziest, most impractical, most car-destroying track you can imagine, and then you race it. That's TrackMania's whole deal. Now, developer Firebrand Games is bringing that experience to the Wii with TrackMania Wii, allowing you to assemble your ridiculous courses with the Wiimote's pointer interface. It'll make it really simple to design something on which driving is impossible! The trailer above introduces the track editor interface. Trackmania Wii is officially set for a September release in Europe. While nothing has been announced for North America, Amazon currently has a May 26 release listed, via publisher Dreamcatcher.
Investigate these new Sherlock Holmes screens
Focus Home Interactive has released a new batch of screens from the upcoming Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House for the DS. Specifically, the screens show off some of the game's puzzles. Without any context to go with the screens, we're definitely feeling a Professor Layton vibe, which is by no means a bad thing. The press release promises that players will have to use their "logic and observation senses through dozens of riddles, puzzles and brain teasers of all sorts," which also sounds about right for the Professor Layton crowd. We can only hope that Holmes manages to compete with the professor's English sensibilities and gentlemanly charms. It's clear that both of them share the same fondness for distinctive hats, so maybe there's hope. Check out the new images in the gallery below. %Gallery-90853%
Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition coming to PC in 2010
Blood Bowl, you'll remember, is the wacky little mash-up between fantasy and American football that's based on the Games Workshop turn-based board game, taking place in the Warhammer setting. It's been tearing up the field since last year, but at the end of 2010, Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are upping the ante with the newly announced Legendary Edition for the PC. The Legendary Edition will add 12 new races to the current eight, so Undead, Amazons, Ogres and others will all get to toss the boarskin around in new stadiums and tournaments. The game will also include a story mode in which players will assume the role of a freelance coach tasked with rising up through the ranks. Sounds like fun.
Sherlock Holmes conducting an investigation on DS
There are plenty of adventure games on DS about solving crimes -- but none of them star the world's greatest detective. Sherlock Holmes, that is. There are already plenty of Batman games. But developer Frogwares and publisher Focus Home Interactive are taking care of the deficiency of Holmes games, with a new original story starring the detective (from an established adventure game series). In Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House, Holmes and Dr. Watson are tasked by the British Royal Family with recovering the Queen's stolen genealogical records. To find out who stole the records (seriously? That's the case? It's not an impossible prison escape or seemingly supernatural murder or something?) "you will have to use your senses of logic and observation through dozens of riddles, puzzles and brain teasers of all sorts." No date has been announced by Focus, and we deduce from the company's status as a European publisher that there is no information about a North American release yet. %Gallery-86930%
Runaway: A Twist of Fate gets a flood of media, March/April release date in the UK
If you're reading this post from across the Atlantic, chances are you're wondering why we're announcing a release date for Runaway: A Twist of Fate, a game that was released in France and Germany four months ago. Well, you see, for those of you in the UK, the third game in the Runaway point-and-click adventure series is just arriving, with publisher Focus Home Interactive pinning March and April release dates on the PC/Nintendo DS title (respectively). Aside from a website jam-packed with video of the game (including the trailer you see above and two more after the break), the publisher released a handful of screens that we've added to a gallery for your perusal just below. Don't say we never did nothin' for ya! %Gallery-84237%
