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Insecticide trailer gives us the backstory
After it was announced late last month, we found ourselves excited as to what Insecticide could bring to the DS. Now that we got a glimpse at the embedded backstory trailer, we find ourselves craving it that much more. The game looks like it will have a lot of charm.Check out the concept art in the gallery below and be sure to head past the break for the trailer.%Gallery-3405%
Today's scurriest video: Insecticide
Scheduled for release later this year, Insecticide could make an interesting adventure, as seen in its new backstory trailer. Insecticide is in the first crop of Gamecock titles strutting to market. This PC and DS game is created by Crackpot Entertainment, which boasts adventure game veterans with ties to the classic LucasArts hits.We're still unclear about the actual gameplay -- the companies involved say it'll be in that classic vein -- but the game's style already has our hopes high. See the video, and count the legs after the break.
'E3 Up in Smoke' funeral could be the event of Min-E3
You (yes, all of you) are cordially invited to independent publisher Gamecock's E3 funeral and wake (celebration) of originality. The "E3 Up in Smoke" event will begin the final day of Min-E3, Friday the 13th of July at .... wait for it ... 4:20PM. The marching procession will begin at the EIEIO headquarters in the Hotel California (1670 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica) and lead to someplace we assume will have fire -- given the idea of a Viking funeral had been implied previously. Gamecock says the event is designed to join friends, colleagues, and unemployed-booth-babes-in-mourning, for a "final goodbye to the magical beast that was E3." But it's not all sadness and gloom. They plan to wholeheartedly celebrate a resurgence of independence, originality, and creativity to come in the gaming industry. They also tell us to expect very special guest eulogies, music, and good times, "flavored with Gamecock's own secret sauce." It's certainly a big way to end Min-E3 and a nice thing that anyone can attend. Goodbye E3, we do miss you, and we'll be sure to celebrate your life properly at the funeral.
Friday Video: Spore Wars
While this brief teaser gives us no real idea of how the finished game will look, it's still nice to see something from Mushroom Men. We can't wait to undertake massive backyard fungi battles. It's like all the mushrooms Mario's eaten over the years are back, and they're pissed off. Enjoy this brief bit, because it may be a while before we see anything else -- Mushroom Men is scheduled for the DS and Wii in fall of 2008.
You there, Hail to the Chimp ... now!
If there's one thing we can say with absolute certainty, it's that the Xbox 360 is desperately short on games in the animals-fighting-for-political-power genre. Thank goodness for Gamecock and Wideload (of Stubbs the Zombie fame) and their upcoming title, Hail to the Chimp. 1UP recently scored a sneak peek at the game. Here's the story: the lion has been ousted, and now all the animals are competing to become the new king of the jungle. Thus, politics factor into the game, though the gameplay itself revolves around paw-to-paw combat. The game is laced with subtle satirical humor. For instance, clams play a big part in the game, though we're talking about actual clams here. Several of the gametypes award victory to the "candidate" with the most clams. We'll let you puzzle that one out for yourselves.Wideload hopes the game will be available in time for the U.S. elections in 2008.[Via Joystiq]
Gamecock details EIEIO party
In case you missed the information in our interview with co-founder Mike Wilson, the GameCock EIEIO party will be held at Hotel California, coinciding with Min-E3, at the following times: Wednesday, 11 July: noon until 6 p.m. Thursday, 12 July: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 13 July: noon until 4 p.m. According to the press release, Gamecock suckers, accessible developers and food and drink will be available. Expected playable games include Fury (PC), Insecticide (PC, DS), Dementium: The Ward (DS) Hail to the Chimp, Mushroom Men (DS, Wii) and Dungeon Hero (PC, Xbox 360). If Wilson gets his way, there may also be a New Orleans- or Vikings-style funeral for E3. No word on if Old McDonald will host the event.[Update: corrected the months]
Joystiq interviews Gamecock about EIEIO and E3 funeral
Yesterday we spoke with independent game publisher Gamecock's Mike Wilson about their alterna-plans for E3. See, a few months back the ESA dropped the hammer on the smaller publishers and Gamecock decided to do their own thing close to Min-E3 Although Wilson says Gamecock didn't have the time to fulfill their vision of making Kentia Hall reborn, they will be living it up with EIEIO (Expo for Interactive Entertainment: Independent and Original) in the Hotel California (such a lovely place) and holding a funeral for E3 on the beach where everyone (not just journalists) will be invited.OK, so let's do the basics, EIEIO. For those who haven't been following this little saga, what is it and then give us a brief who, what, where, when, why, and sometimes how, of the event?EIEIO was the funny little name we gave to the event we were planning for E3, basicially as soon as the time and city were announced for E3 late last year. Early this year we locked up a space to do an alternative event, similar what we used to do for E3, just for ourselves and our developers. And then when the ESA announced they were actually only inviting about thirty companies, and almost all of them were public companies, we were inspired to do something a little bit bigger to give a home to these uninvited companies. But, unfortunately, this year we were unable to secure enough space. And with the ambiguous way E3 is going to be this year, it seems like it's going to be a bunch of rented out boardrooms and conference rooms at various hotels. I'm not sure our efforts are best used to try and set up an alternative event until we actually see what [E3] is going to be like. So basicially, we're going to be using the time to showcase our games to the press. We're going to be at the Hotel California [for the three days of E3], which is a great hotel on the beach in Santa Monica, sort of in the middle of all these bigger hotels all the other guys are at. We're going to bring out all our developers, we'll announce eight projects by then and we're just going to use the time to set up and talk about our games.
Dungeon Hero brings subterranean life to 360
Publisher Gamecock has revealed plans to bring the Firefly Studios developed Dungeon Hero to the Xbox 360 and PC. Dungeon Hero (referred to simply as Hero on the official website) is a dungeon crawler of a different sort. Rather than depicting dungeons as lifeless underground caves filled with monsters and treasure, Dungeon Hero paints them as living, breathing underground cities. In addition to the traditional ranged, magic, and melee combat, Dungeon Hero also employs "Close Combat" which the official site describes as "a totally new, brutal mode of fighting." The game also promises co-operative play, now a staple in most dungeon crawlers. If Dungeon Hero sounds like your kind of game, then we hope your patient: it's not scheduled to release until 2009.[Via MyGamerCard.net]%Gallery-3811%
Stronghold dev goes underground for Dungeon Hero
Firefly Studios (Stronghold) have united with Gamecock to fight evil hordes of dungeon dwellers in Dungeon Hero for PC and Xbox 360. You might be tempted to think of other dungeon-themed games from the past -- Dungeon Explorer, Dungeon Siege, Dungeon Capers, Dungeon Runners, even Double Dungeon -- but did they have "goblin cheese merchants, jailed troll miners and helpful imps just looking for peace?" We didn't think so.The press release for the game promises to be a fresh take on the dungeon crawler genre, offering HD graphics and an in-game world that is a "totally functional, living, breathing community in every way." No release date has been announced; trailer embedded after the break.%Gallery-3760%
Gamecock announces DS survival horror, Dementium: The Ward
The first title to escape from the confines of developer Renegade Kids will be Dementium: The Ward, a first-person survival horror game for the Nintendo DS. Published by Gamecock Media Group, the game promises to "set the bar for mature handheld games" by combining first-person shooter and adventure mechanics into "one nightmarish experience". Presumably, that means the game will be scary and not, you know, Trespasser. The press release notes that Dementium: The Ward concerns an unfortunate protagonist waking up in a desolate hospital, one frozen in time and overrun by gruesome creatures and worse yet, "challenging puzzles." The initial batch of screenshots also indicates that you'll be shining a flashlight on strange lumps of meat, an activity which we honestly can't attribute to any existing DS game. "Dementium showcases what a powerful piece of hardware the DS is, while drawing in a mature crowd that's looking for a title they can really sink their teeth into," says Renegade Kid's owner and creative director, Jools Watsham.Targeting the DS for an original survival horror title certainly seems noteworthy, especially when the platform's current "mature crowd" is either sinking its teeth into Brain Age or a glass of water next to the bed. Renegade Kid's real challenge likely won't be finding an audience, but conveying an unnerving atmosphere on a portable device. (Don't read the concluding sentence, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!)%Gallery-3636%
Mushroom Men to spring up on the Wii next year
Gamecock Media Group and Red Fly Studio are coming together to bring Mushroom Men to the Wii and DS. Of course, we don't have to tell you about these folks. They've been all over the media as of late, even so recently as last week where they announced another title was coming to the DS. Sadly, there isn't much else to reveal about the title other than some concept art over at IGN and a premise, which takes place in a a backyard setting, turning it into the battlefield as everyday lifeforms use everyday items to wage war in an abnormal way. "From the minute we signed Mushroom Men, we've worked to bring it to the Wii and DS," says Rick Stults, Console Chief for Gamecock Media Group. "Both platforms are going to give Mushroom Men a life of their own as Red Fly Studio is building unique stories specific to each system." You can look forward to taking part in the fun come Fall 2008.[Via press release]
Insecticide: LucasArts alums bring us DS adventure game
Announced back in February as one of Gamecock's initial offerings, Insecticide is a "classically styled action adventure detective game" being released for the Nintendo DS and PC platforms. Couple that classical genre with "the look and feel of gritty gumshoe films [in] a futuristic city where insects have become the dominant race" and we think we're in love. While an unlikely pair on the surface, the precision of the DS and PC are a natural fit for the point-and-click input one usually associates with this sort of game. Developer Crackpot Entertainment's gaming pedigree reads like a list of the best classic LucasArts adventure games: Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max Hit The Road, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, and Curse of Monkey Island. Seeing as how each and every one of those games is our favorite game ever, we're excited by the prospects of this insectoid indie, which is due to crawl onto the aforementioned platforms this holiday season.%Gallery-3426%
The DS gets buggy
Gamecock Media, the new publisher formed by former Gathering of Developers executives, have announced a new DS game from Crackpot Entertainment: a "third-person shooter/detective game" called Insecticide. The game, also coming out for PC, stars Detectives Chrys Liszt and Roachy Caruthers as they attempt to solve a murder at the Nectarola soft drink company. In addition to shooting bad guys, players will have to investigate environments and clues using the stylus.We are loving the concept art. It's got a great detective-thriller atmosphere combined with Psychonauts styling, which is very appropriate for what looks and sounds a whole lot like an adventure game. Obviously this art is a little too hi-res for DS, but we hope they can pull off a similar look.%Gallery-3405%[Via press release]
Serious Engine 3 unveiled by Croteam
Gamecock has announced that it will publish the upcoming "military tactical-action shooter" from Croteam, developers of the Serious Sam series. The game is heading to PC and "specific next-gen consoles." Lets hope the Xbox 360 is "specific" enough to warrant a port.Along side the announcement is the unveiling of Croteam's Serious Engine 3. A handful of screenshots of the engine in motion have been released, and they do look mighty impressive. We'll have to agree with Joystiq though, we're waiting to see the game in motion before we call it good. Besides, these shots showcase a serious lack of enemies with bombs for heads. What's the deal with that? Check out the Serious Engine 3 gallery below.%Gallery-3139%
Gamecock teams with Croteam, shows off Serious Engine 3
Independent publisher Gamecock has announced that they will be publishing Serious Sam developer Croteam's as-of-yet untitled "military tactical-action shooter" for PC and "specific next-gen consoles" in 2009, according to the press release.Croteam also released three pictures showcasing Serious Engine 3. The screenshots look impressive, but we'll reserve judgment until we see the engine in motion. The Serious Engine's greatest aspects have always been its draw distance and ability to smoothly throw a plethora of bad guys in your path.Croteam has previously worked with the Gamecock crew before, when the former Gathering of Developers executives published the first Serious Sam in North America. There is no word on who will publish Serious Sam 3 in North America; the second game was released by G.O.D. remnant and Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games.%Gallery-3138%
Croteam announces their serious PS3 project
Croteam, makers of the hotly debated "is it cool or is it too silly" title Serious Sam, have announced a new PS3 project slated for 2009 release. After the crazy action found in Serious Sam, we'd be interested to see if they're continuing on their kooky streak, or will take a more serious tone with their work. This untitled new game will be published by Gamecock Media Group and will not be a sequel in the Serious Sam franchise.Mike Wilson at Gamecock issued this statement on the upcoming title: "It's definitely in a genre they are familiar with and will exploit their experience ... These guys also have a strong sense of style and design, so you will find the premise and gameplay intriguing ... You know that the one thing Croteam is the best at - better than most every other developer in the world - is making games that are frantic and, most importantly, fun. This title is definitely both of those things."From this quote, we imagine the game will be a first-person title with fast, frantic action. Not much else is known, so we'll find out later, probably. There are a few screenshots available and they look a lot more "realistic" and serious than previous titles, but it might just be a front to fool us. Thoughts?
Gamecock plans party for E3's uninvited
Make no mistake: E3 has had quite a makeover this year. And with its slimmer size came an even slimmer exhibitor list. Where are the smaller developers going to go now?Independent games publisher Gamecock is poised to provide a haven for such a crowd. In a note sent out by their PR folks, Gamecock is discussing plans for E.I.E.I.O. (Expo for Interactive Entertainment: Independent and Original) Fun Fest 2007, which would coincide on the same days at the E3 Media Summit July 11 to 13. "It would be great to have an event that supports the uninvited," read the note, "the industry's best and most talented studios."Gamecock co-founders Mike Wilson and Harry Miller, when they were Gathering of Developers executives, were known to throw loud parties across the street from E3's old home, the Los Angeles Convention Center. Though only in talks for now, we hope Gamecock pursues their plans further and help keep alive the spirit of E3's independent scene, formerly found in LACC's Kentia Hall.Why did the chicken cross the road?To tell everyone at E3 about their party!
Here they come ... Mushroom Men teaser 2
The above trailer doesn't show any gameplay for Mushroom Men and normally I wouldn't post a trailer like that, but the music and visuals are so bizarre that I thought readers had to see it. Mushroom Men is coming to us from the new publisher Gamecock. It's an action game where Mushroom Men fight ... oh nevermind, no matter how I try to explain it, it'll never make sense.
Joystiq interviews Wideload Games' Alex Seropian
As one of the first to leave Bungie Studios after co-founding the developer, Alex Seropian transitioned from creating Xbox's then-surprising megahit Halo to starting afresh with Wideload Games, a small development firm he founded in Chicago. After finding success with the humorous Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse (which sports a pretty hip soundtrack, we might add), Wideload went silent until earlier this week, when they revealed Hail to the Chimp as their sophomore title. The game, which is a political-party title involving animals vying to become head of the animal kingdom, is being published by the fowl-loving, former Gathering of Developer heads now known as Gamecock. With the candor and humor, Alex endured bad audio quality to talk to Joystiq about gaming, politics, and chicken suits. How did the Gamecock deal come about? I've known Mike Wilson for a number of years back to the Gathering of Developer days, and we kind of became friends back then when we were both working with Take Two. This is when I was running Bungie; we had a distribution deal with Take Two, like Gathering did. We've kept in touch for a long time and he kind of gave me some fair warning that he was going to try and get something started up again about a year ago, which is about the same time we were coming off of Stubbs and planning our next project. We were trying to figure if it would be possible to do something together and the timing worked out really well, and the whole way that they are set up and the things that are important to them kind of aligned really nicely with how we're set up and what's important to us. It was like getting our chocolate and their peanut butter or something. [Laughs]
Gamecock's Insecticide and Mushroom Men
I never thought I'd write about cock on this blog, but it's unavoidable now that a new company has formed called Gamecock. The company was founded by the former CEO and former president of the defunct Gathering of Developers. They aim to bring risk taking, creative indie titles to all platforms. Two of their first games are headed to not just next-gen systems, but also an unnamed handheld. It seems like the PSP is the most likely candidate. The first game is Mushroom Men, which follows three-inch-high Mushroom Men as they battle in a war against different spore factions. Use common household items to fashion weapons and tools to help turn the tide of war. The second game is Insecticide which has a Tim Burton/Psychonauts look to its character designs and is an action/adventure game set in a world that is decaying and full of bugs ... sexy bugs. You can visit Gamecock's site to see more on all their games. [Via IGN]
