interplay
Latest
Earthworm Jim 4 announced, no platform yet
This is sort of a mixed bag. We're very excited to hear Interplay has teamed up with the creator of Earthworm Jim, Douglas TenNapel, to bring us a fourth game in the series. Especially after our PSP game was canceled by Atari. But, with the first two games getting pushed onto the Wii's virtual console and no platform announced for this game, we've a few reasons to think this won't get on the PSP.First, Interplay is just out of bankruptcy. They probably won't develop on the more expensive handheld again ... not yet, at least. Second, they've a history with Nintendo and Sega. Since Sega isn't around, well, you know. So while we'd love to say the game will make its way onto the PSP, we can't guarantee anything. Though, who knows, maybe they'll simply revive the old game and do a makeover. We'll keep tabs on this, so you keep your fingers crossed!
Earthworm Jim 4 announced, platform unknown
While many gamers of the 360 generation will not know of the antics of Earthworm Jim, those more ancient gamers will recall Princess What's-Her-Name, Psy-Crow, and others. When the rumors began that there would be a continuation of the franchise, we were admittedly excited. Now, we discover that Earthworm Jim 4 will happen and that the original creator, Douglas TenNapel, is back on the series as a creative consultant (he's also working on a cartoon and movie based on the property.) There were no other details announced (not even a platform), but given the changes in the industry since the series' heyday, we'd love to see Earthworm Jim 4 take some sort of alternative to the usual "reinventions" of franchises. Perhaps a 2D side-scroller/platformer with 3d character models, released on XBLA (maybe even with episodic content?). Yeah, that's a nice dream.
Earthworm Jim, Clayfighter coming to Virtual Console
Four classic Interplay Sega Genesis games are en route to the Wii's Virtual Console. Dave Perry's classic platformers Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2 will both be gracing the download service, along with the campy claymation action of Clayfighter, and the gross-out humor of Boogerman.According to the press release, all four titles will be the Sega Genesis versions of the games, despite having appeared on both Genesis and SNES. No word yet on when these titles we be released (but we're guessing it'll be on a Monday).
Earthworm Jim, other Interplay games coming to Virtual Console
Groovy! One of the most-requested Virtual Console games is now officially on the way, thanks to Interplay. And it's bringing friends! Earthworm Jim, Shiny's platform/shooting adventure about a worm in a space suit, will be released on the Virtual Console "later this year," joined by its sequel, as well as the Claymation SF2-alike Clayfighter (developed by Visual Concepts) and Boogerman (full title: Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure).According to Gamasutra, these will be the Genesis versions of the games, which means that Earthworm Jim will include the extra "Intestinal Distress" level that was exclusive to that version. Hey, Interplay had the rights to Out of this World at some point. Maybe they still do!
Interplay revived, could Earthworm Jim follow?
Earthworm Jim was getting a PSP sequel ... until Atari had the project canned. Interplay, the original owners of the IP, has managed to come back to financial life due to the sale of the Fallout license to Bethesda Software. According to bit-tech.net, "Interplay is recruiting new developers and working to become entirely in-house and self-contained. The developer is hoping to start work on sequels for the Earthworm Jim, MDK, Descent and Dark Alliance franchises in the near future."With Interplay back in business, could the long-forgotten Earthworm Jim PSP project come back to life? We hope so.[Via P3F]
Interplay back in business, planning long-awaited sequels
It seems the formerly-financially-disabled company Interplay got quite a bit of cash for leaving Fallout 3 in the command of Bethesda Softworks, because they've officially gone back into business. Their plans? Sequels galore! Their first order of business, probably to keep funds rolling in, is to get a Fallout MMO out into the market. This should work, since the world of Fallout simply begs for an MMO-inspired tale. With the money gained from that, they plan to get cracking on established brands we haven't heard of since the original PlayStation -- like the MDK series. They were hard, but so very fun. Other very exciting projects would be Earthworm Jim, Descent, and Dark Alliance. We're very excited to have Interplay back and look forward to seeing what the future holds for them!
Interplay reaffirms Fallout MMO; Earthworm Jim, MDK sequels
It's been awhile since we've had an update on Interplay's long-promised Fallout MMO. To get some of you up to speed: plans for a Fallout MMO that could revive the ailing company were teased out of a November 2006 SEC filing. In April of the following year, Bethesda – already hard at work on Fallout 3 – bought the rights to the series from Interplay for $5.75 million. The deal allowed Interplay to be a licensee, paying Bethesda a 12% royalty on net sales of the still-vaporous Fallout MMO. In August, Interplay's CEO stated in an earning statement that "Fallout Online will play a key role in the future of Interplay" and in November the company revealed ambitions to rekindle franchises like Earthworm Jim, MDK, Descent, and Dark Alliance. Now, in yet another earnings report wrapping up their 2007 fiscal year, Interplay reaffirms its ambition to secure funding for the Fallout MMO as well as "creating sequels to some of its most successful games," notably the four listed above. To that end, it's hiring developers and will be launching a new web site "imminently." Regrettably, we won't be seeing any of these games as "imminently."[Via MCV]
Fallout MMO still alive
It's never too late to create an MMO from an already-established franchise. Heck, movies recycle content more and more frequently these days, so why not games? Sometimes we wonder if anyone has had an original idea since 1990, but this time it's a good thing.Remember Interplay? Yeah, they're still alive and kicking. Well, they're alive anyway, and they plan on following through with their original plans to make an MMO based on their highly-successful Fallout series. Not only that, but they also mention plans to create sequels for such successful games as Earthworm Jim, Dark Alliance, Descent, and MDK. You may be aware of the sale of the Fallout name to Bethesda in 2007, who are set to release the single-player Fallout 3 later this year. Part of that business deal was the agreement that Interplay would eventually create a Fallout MMO. Finally, 4 years after the original announcement, it's coming to fruition. Currently Interplay is hiring developers and revamping their website in preparation, so we certainly look forward to what they have in store for us.
Sequel alert: Earthworm Jim, MDK and Dark Alliance
Earthworm Jim, MDK, Dark Alliance and Descent fanboys perk up your ears, because we have promising news for each franchise. Today, Interplay confirmed that all four of these franchises are prime targets for future sequels after their company recorded rather nice profits last year. We'd be fools if we thought we could speculate to how, when or in what form these franchises will receive the sequel treatment, though we hope that the Interplay gods give us Earthworm Jim on the Xbox 360. In retail form or XBLA form, we'd be satisfied getting Jim either way.
Fallout MMO rumors persist
The Fallout MMO continues to bounce around as a rumor, and unfortunately nothing more than that. The big impetus this time seems to be the Fallout-looking concept art on Interplay's new teaser page (we've conveniently marked it above), but there's a whole host of evidence, including a job posting for a "next-generation MMORPG," and various "coming soon" hints dropping around.We're supposed to hear more in two weeks if there is anything to hear. Look at it this way: even if there is a Fallout MMO on the way, it's not going to be done and ready to play for a long, long time. We may all be sitting in Vault 13 by the time this thing makes it out of beta and on to store shelves.[Via CSG]
Interplay resurrection report: new website
Well, calling it a "website" might be a bit of a stretch. It's more of a digital poster really. Still, it looks like the rebirth of Interplay is officially underway. Fastidious X3F readers will recall that the company submitted an SEC filing late last year that detailed plans to return to the video game development business, largely in thanks to the profits made in the sale of the Fallout IP to Bethesda. Said plans included the revival of several of Interplay's well-known franchises including Earthworm Jim, MDK, and Baldur's Gate. It seems that Interplay is moving forward with its plans, as the new website will attest. Consisting solely of the image seen above, Interplay.com clearly references all three of the franchises mentioned above as well as Fallout (most likely the MMO Interplay has been talking about since 2006). Let's hope we see some details sooner rather than later.[Thanks, Boff]
Top 10 MIA MMOs of 2007 - part 1
In the waning weeks of December, we've already started turning our eyes towards the new year. 2008 is already showing a great deal of promise for the MMO community, with the impending release of Pirates of the Burning Sea, Wrath of the Lich King, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Though most of these titles are still a good ways away from hitting retailer shelves, we've already got a pretty good idea of what's in store, not just in terms of assets and information that's already been released, but also from hands-on impressions and beta testing. In other words, as excited as we are, there probably won't be terribly many surprises as it concerns these titles. They're practically a given.As luck would have it, those aren't the only titles we'll be drooling over next year – this much we know. There are a number of games in development out there that have shown up on our collective radar screens over the past few months, but only as tiny blips. For the most part, they still represent riddles wrapped up in mysteries with a side of question mark. We've assembled a list of the top 10 MIA MMOs - those mysterious games that represent the future of the MMO... if only we knew what they were.In the first part of this feature, we'll take a look at the first half of the list.
News of MMO "falls out" of Jason Anderson's mouth
Rumors of a Fallout MMO have been floating around for quite a while now, but in this interview over at Gamebanshee, Jason D. Anderson (of Troika fame) basically confirms that Interplay is working on an MMO-- though not necessarily one based on Fallout.Anderson says (whatever he's working on) that his enthusaism for making games has returned. And he says that while MMOs are definitely fun and have really brought the social and character advancement aspects of gameplay to the forefront, there are two things he'd really like to see advanced in MMOs: storyline and character development. Oh us too, Jason, us too. He's ready to break some molds, too-- he says competing with the monster that is WoW is not half as interesting for him as making "an awesome MMO."Whether it is a Fallout game or not, it definitely sounds like Anderson has some good ideas about what to do with his MMO and how to advance the genre a bit. Unfortunately, I don't expect we'll see what he's doing for a while, but it should be interesting to see what Anderson, an old CRPG veteran, can dream up for the MMO genre [Via Curse]
GameTap losing over 7% of games; EA, Interplay and other publishers gone Dec. 11
Just as GameTap celebrated hitting 1,000 games on the service, it'll get to repeat the milestone all over again as it loses 70+ games in a couple weeks. Apparently EA, Interplay, Atari and some lesser-known publishers will end their affiliation with the service December 11. GameTap Editorial Director Douglass Perry says GameTap signs contracts with a publisher which have a beginning and an end. He says none of the games on the service are permanent. Perry also says they were unaware they'd have to pull all those titles when celebrating their 1,000 game mark.We're currently trying to get a fuller explanation of the current situation. Perry says that GameTap will continue to expand their library despite this setback, but the issue seems to be a wake-up call to many subscribers that GameTap isn't the repository of gaming that they once thought. Although it's unofficial whether GameTap didn't want to pony up the cash to extend the contracts or the publishers asked for too much money to renew -- we're pretty sure GameTap isn't happy about dipping below the 1,000 game mark they recently hyped. It's also not a great day for the company when their subscribers learn quite harshly that games on the service have a virtual shelf life.Update: An unofficial list of games being lost Dec. 11.[Thanks Satertak, Matt]
Interplay's Fallout profit to revive Earthworm Jim, MDK
Having made a hefty chunk of change by selling the Fallout name to Bethesda, Interplay is looking to resurrect some of its long dead franchises. First and foremost among many gamers are the Earthworm Jim and MDK franchises. Frankly, we like the idea of seeing more of both, but without the development talents of Shiny (we promise, they made great games before The Matrix came out) and BioWare in the case of MDK2, we have our doubts. Other franchises being considered for a reboot are Baldur's Gate (please, please, please) and Descent.The information comes from an SEC filing stating that Interplay is looking to reinvigorate in-house development (they used to make good games too). While no specifics have been released, we can only hope that any games to emerge from Interplay's redoubled efforts will wind up on Xbox 360 (360 owners actually buy games, after all). Here's hoping the games are actually good.
Fallout sale to help fund Earthworm Jim, Descent comebacks
With help from money it gleaned from selling the Fallout franchise to Bethesda, Interplay intends to revitalize its in-house game development studio and "has hired a veteran game developer," according to an SEC filing. Interplay also noted that, should it be able to obtain further financing, the developer intends to "develop sequels to some of the most successful games, including Earthworm Jim, Dark Alliance, Descent and MDK." The developer also plans to continue work on a Fallout MMO. The connection to Interplay's former post-apocalyptic franchise doesn't end there; it's as interwoven into this story as the characters from LOST are to each other. The "veteran game developer," as it turns out, is former Fallout designer Jason Anderson, who worked on the first and second games before leaving with fellow Fallout devs Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky to form Troika games. Anderson is reportedly working on an MMO for Interplay unrelated to Fallout. [Via Gamasutra]
Interplay to rez Fallout MMO project, looking for funds
In an announcement that coincided with their third quarter earnings report, Interplay revealed that they were officially reopening their internal development house. What are they working on, we hear you ask? Why, wouldn't you believe it, they are looking to kick-start production of an MMOG based on none other than the revered Fallout series, to which they still own the rights. According to CEO Herve Caen, they're still in the process of securing funding. Interestingly, Interplay also announced that they've hired Jason Anderson, one of the designers for Fallout 2 -- not for the Fallout MMO, but for another as yet unannounced MMO.So what have we gleaned from this? The mysterious Bethesda MMO will definitely not be Fallout, so we can put that rumor to rest. Interplay definitely will be developing the Fallout MMO. And moreover, it appears their strategy moving forward is heavily focused in the massively multiplayer genre. With no other currently announced projects besides Fallout and the unnamed MMO, it appears Interplay is joining the long list of development houses looking to cash in on the MMO craze. To say this makes us worried about the future of the Fallout MMO is a bit of an understatement. We don't harbor much faith in Interplay's management at this point. Just look at their website, if you an indicator of their current financial straits.[Via Gamasutra]
Interplay trying to gather funds for Fallout MMO
Like a deadbeat dad promising to buy you a new bicycle "as soon as he gets the scratch together," Interplay is still talking about making an MMO based on the Fallout universe. They made mention of the idea last December, but, according to a new earnings statement, are perhaps a bit closer to beginning to realize it now that their debt load has been reduced from $59 million in December 2001 to less than $3 million.Whatever they're planning, they may want to get hoppin'. Their agreement with Bethesda states that not only must Interplay pay a 12% royalty on net sales of the MMO, but it must be in development before April of 2009, must have a minimum of 10,000 subscribers and must comply with "the quality standards of Bethesda." By the way, this week's understatement champion is Interplay Chairman Herve Caen who said, "Fallout Online will play a key role in the future of Interplay." Yeah, Herve. No kidding.[Via 1UP]
Scans of early-build Fallout 3 show much promise
Finnish magazines get all the love. Well, at least when it comes to recent press on Fallout 3. Finnish magazine Pelaaja grabbed a few scans of the game in progress and we must say, it seems to be coming in line nicely, following details already laid out by Bethesda. These scans look great, even if they are a little blurry (likely due to the fact they are scans and not pure screen shots of the game in progress). The character models appear to be fleshed out with texture-a-plenty and we'll bet the lighting will hold similar Oblivion-like bloom effects upon the game's release. The Fallout franchise certainly has its fair share of rabid fans, so it was extremely important that Bethesda carry the torch with gloved hands, as to not disrupt or crack the foundation already set in place. Without a preview of the game, it's far too early to tell if the plot will hold firm on the foundation set by former developer Black Isle, but the scans show mighty promise. The colors are fairly drab and muted, kept to a palette rich in silver and brown (perfect for a post-apocolyptic setting such as this). Also, the scans confirm Bethesda's previous confirmation of using a modified Oblivion engine and keeping the 1st and 3rd person perspective for RPG narrative. We've put all four scans into a gallery and will be updating with more scans and screen shots as they come in. Fallout 3 is quite a ways off, scheduled for release in Fall of 2008.
Fallout 3 making its way to PS3 consoles in Fall 2008
The teaser trailer came up earlier today and in case you haven't seen it, we've embedded it for you after the break. Although it's too early to determine specifics between the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the teaser still gives us a taste of what Bethesda has in store for its first go-round with the fan favorite. Bethesda purchased the Fallout franchise from Interplay back in April, giving them free reign on the upcoming sequel, and thank goodness Todd Howard posted his proclamation about caring for the franchise, lest crazed fanboys do something ... crazy. Bethesda's Pete Hines described the teaser as "in-engine," and goes on to say it's "not real-time" but that it was created using game assets in an in-house designed engine. So, in other words, it's not like the 2005 E3 trailer for Killzone, got it? Fallout is projected for a simultaneous release on all next-gen consoles (and PC) for Fall of 2008.
