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Not-so-secret projects probed
FiringSquad has done its best to out 18 high-profile "black ops" projects currently in development. While the site's sleuthing skills might not be up to par with Mr. Holmes', the report does a good job of rounding up under-the-radar titles that are begging for some attention.We'd like to direct the spotlight on two studios in particular: Tim Schafer's DoubleFine and Bungie expats Wideload, which are responsible for Psychonauts and Stubbs the Zombie, respectively (both titles landed in our top 10 'gems' of last generation). The two developers are hard at work on new projects; and with DoubleFine striking a publishing deal with Vivendi, its next game is sure to stir up more buzz (when it's time) than Majesco managed to generate for Psychonauts. Also, we can't wait to see what Warren Spector and Junction Point have under lock and key. Keep those ears (and eyes) glued to the street!
Traxion ditched, PSP loses unique music puzzler as LucasArts and Kuju split
In a surprise development, LucasArts and Kuju have announced they're breaking up, putting an end to the pair's would-be lovechild Traxion. Billed as a music-puzzle game, Traxion was going to integrate Kuju's music analysis technology with a player's MP3 collection (stored on the PSP Memory Stick), generating a series of minigames that would correspond to certain elements of each song -- the game would also include its own licensed tracks. Unfortunately this ambitious project has proved to be the undoing of Kuju and publisher LucasArts's partnership.While both parties have declined to comment on the specific circumstances that led to the breakup, the official statement (from both sides) is that the split is a mutual decision. While Traxion's future is uncertain, Kuju has confirmed it's developing other music-based software for unspecified platforms.
Confirmed: Traxion axed; Kuju leaves LucasArts
A few days ago, an IGN staff member wrote about how an upcoming music game, Traxion, might have been canned. GI.biz reports that Kuju, the developers of the Traxion project have ended their relationship with the game's publisher, LucasArts. "Kuju can confirm that we have agreed to sever the development relationship with LucasArts in respect of the Traxion game shown at E3 last year," said Ed Daly, studio head of Kuju Brighton.While this means that Traxion is canceled, we can only hope that a similar project will take its place. The game earned praise for its innovative technology that allowed you to play with music stored on the PSP's Memory Stick. "We can say that Kuju Brighton is committed to continue developing innovative lifestyle and music-based games, and we hope to be able to make a more specific announcement about the future of games based on our award-winning music analysis technology in the near future."
Sony hates music games: no Traxion or Frequency?
IGN's David Doel recently had a conversation with Harmonix, the development team behind games like Frequency and Guitar Hero. The team proposed a sequel to the fan-favorite Frequency and Amplitude for the PSP, however Sony declined their request. The music game would've been well suited for the PSP, as the excellent gameplay of other music games, like Gitaroo-Man, show.However, to add insult to injury, it appears that the other music game heading to the PSP, Traxion, has also been canned. This music game from LucasArts was supposed to allow players to import their own songs into the game, a "Frequency-killer," as reported by IGN's nixice. He didn't give a reason, but it's sad to see that the music genre seems to be so neglected on our handheld.
KotOR franchise to continue, says LucasArts
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/KoTOR_franchise_to_continue_says_LucasArts'; Not sure how I missed this one last week. All that turkey and football must have conspired with the dark side to cloud my awareness of all things Star Wars. In an interview with Next Generation's Colin Campbell, LucasArts VP Nancy MacIntyre mapped out her company's plans to continue delivering Star Wars goodness to Force-sensitive geeks like me over the next few years. "Our fans want a logical progression of the Star Wars story line, so we are committed to only two Star Wars experiences a year," says MacIntyre. This must be a new policy moving forward because there have been no fewer than 25 Star Wars titles released in the past seven years (not counting handhelds), and at least one of those games had some serious continuity problems. Still, the best news is the continuation of an old favorite, as MacIntyre confirms: "We've also got Star Wars franchises like Knights of the Old Republic ... that we will not leave behind. It's very important to us that we grow those franchises." It's important to us too, Nancy! The big question now is, will Obsidian return to helm the Ebon Hawk? Feargus Urquhart indicated earlier this year they would be happy to work on KotOR 3, but whomever LucasArts selects, let's hope enough time is allocated to finish the next installment properly. See also: Mod community strikes back, restoring KotOR2
Star Wars PC collection ships next week
While browsing the LucasArts store yesterday, I noticed a new collection that brought back fond memories of the LucasArts Archives from ten years ago. Star Wars: The Best of PC will be available starting next Tuesday (11/21), and will include the following titles: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002) Knights of the Old Republic (2003) Battlefront (2004) Republic Commando (2005) Empire at War (2006) Star Wars Galaxies 14-day trial Hardcore Star Wars fans may scoff at the "Best of" title when classics such as Tie Fighter, Rogue Squadron, and Shadows of the Empire are absent from the box. But this isn't a bad assortment at $40, and it offers a little bit of everything for PC gamers on your holiday shopping list who enjoy different genres. How many of you plan on picking this up, either for yourself or someone else?
ScummVM update improves point n' click emulation
It's been four months since the last update for ScummVM, the multiplatform point-and-click emulator. Just released v0.9.1 adds official support for DS and GP2X, with a GP32 port promised soon, but bug-fixes for existing versions (e.g., Dreamcast, PS2, PSP) are not be overlooked. Highlights include: Fixes for Humongous Entertainment games, including better support for international versions Improved detection for the FM-TOWNS version of Indy3 Fixes for The Feeble Files (more non-English versions are supported) Parts of the Kyrandia engine have been rewritten (requires less CPU power) PSP, PS2, and WinCE ports have been "greatly improved" PalmOS port is up-to-date; features separate build for Tapwave Zodiac WinCE port supports 2002 devices again Is this new version gonna keep you from updating your PSP's firmware for the holiday flood of titles? Are you running ScummVM on a different portable?
Metareview - Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
This is turning out to be the season of strategy expansions, with AoE III: The War Chiefs and Dawn of War: Dark Crusade already available, and BFME2: Rise of the Witch-king shipping in four weeks. The just-released Forces of Corruption extends your Star Wars: Empire at War experience by adding a third playable faction, the Zann Coalition, to the galactic struggle. Much like the Hutts, it's all about profit for crime lord Tyber Zann, and he intends to plunder the considerable resources of the Empire and the Rebellion with the help of IG-88 and a new rancor-summoning Force witch. Yoda joins the ranks of the rebels, while the Empire now has Dark Troopers. Yahoo! Games (90/100) enjoyed blowing up Ewoks, but also appreciates the authentic environments: "Some maps, like the one set on Cloud City on Bespin, or the scene of Zann's infiltration of Coruscant, are genuinely creative, occasionally approaching a Diablo-like focus on one or two main units without a wider force to distract you." GameSpot (81/100) likes the new criminal element, but warns of performance issues: "There's a price to be paid for some of the huge battles and missions that you'll undertake. Even with most of the graphical detail settings set to low, the expansion had frame rate issues running on a midrange machine that ran Empire at War just fine with the details set to high." Game Informer (75/100) recommends this expansion for extended universe fans: "If you're one of those guys (or gals) that can quote every line from every movie, but you've never heard of Grand Admiral Thrawn, then Forces of Corruption isn't for you. Meanwhile, if you know the details of how Darth Maul was trained, or who exactly Aayla Secura is, then come on in to the pool. The water's fine!" See also: Metareview - Star Wars: Empire at War
Mod community strikes back, restoring KotOR2
LucasArts may or may not be guilty of pressuring Obsidian into wrapping up Knights of the Old Republic 2 before it was ready, but the Star Wars licenser isn't standing in the way of independent efforts to restore the game to its originally intended glory. In another inspiring example of mod communities taking matters into their own hands, Team Gizka (named after the small reptilian creatures in KotOR) has been hard at work restoring much of the "lost content " that is noticeably absent from The Sith Lords. You can check the Restoration Project web site for weekly updates as they near completion of a PC patch that should give fans a more complete KotOR2 experience than the standalone retail edition. Team Gizka is also considering an Xbox patch, but a decision won't be made until after the PC update is released.See also: D&D fans fix Temple of Elemental Evil
Happy Monkey Island music day
PS3 this, Wii that... whatever happened to the days when all you needed for a good time was a crappy computer and a copy of your favorite adventure game? Relive those days with a selection of music from LucasArts' brilliant Monkey Island series, performed on piano, mandolin, and live six-piece band (cool!) Previous game music days (please excuse the two week gap)
LEGO Star Wars II sells more than 1 million units in a week
Okay, the above headline may be a bit misleading. Yes, LEGO Star Wars II did sell more than one million units worldwide in its first week of release, but those numbers include the eight current-gen consoles the game was published for. Still, that's no number to ignore.The game, which was released Sept. 12, is now the best-selling family game of the year."There's definitely something for everyone in LEGO Star Wars II, and the sales and reviews so far are proving it," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. "This is the type of fun, accessible game everyone in the family can enjoy. It appeals to so much more than just the traditional gaming audience."Thankfully, LEGO Star Wars II, isn't a crappy licensed game that has sold on its name alone, like a few recent games I will not name. The game has averaged about an 84-percent rating on Gamerankings, which I'm happy to say is much higher than the DS' 60-percent rating.[Via FCS Publishing]
Lego Star Wars uses the force, sells 1.1 million copies
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy has sold over 1.1 million units in just over a week. That's a lot of LEGO blocks. Someone please keep this information away from George Lucas, if at all possible. Or else we could be seeing LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Enhanced With New CGI Midichlorian Edition. Still, possible future linings of Lucas' wallet aside, kudos to him and LucasArts for continuing to put out new editions of this game, which really have an irreverent take on the Star Wars universe. The back of the box alone features Darth Vader wearing Princess Leia's bra from her slave girl outfit. That's hot.
UK sales charts, September 9-16: Lego leads the board
Despite entering the charts at number three last week, Lego Star Wars II has proved a popular favourite with the British public, rising to snatch the top spot from Dead Rising this week. The rest of the chart follows in similar vein, demonstrating only a slight shuffle from last week's positions. Several Xbox 360 titles are selling well, but the multiformat nature of Lego Star Wars may have tipped it to the top -- that, and it's Lego, man. 1. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 2. Dead Rising 3. Saints Row 4. Cars 5. Test Drive Unlimited 6. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training 7. New Super Mario Bros. 8. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories 9. Lego Star Wars 10. The Sims 2
Metareview - LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Traveller's Tales was on to something when they decided to take the popular LEGO brand of Star Wars toys and make a video game based on our favorite bricks. The resulting LEGO Star Wars was a novel, family-oriented romp through the galaxy far, far away. LucasArts was more Force sensitive this time around and assumed publishing duties from Eidos for the sequel, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Overall marks are only slightly higher than the first game, but critics agree the stronger source material makes The Original Trilogy worth its weight in galactic credits. GameSpy (90/100) thinks the sequel's enhanced "born to build" features will appeal to the kid in all of us: "There are a lot more LEGO elements scattered throughout each stage than there was in the first game. By blowing up LEGO objects, you'll often be able to rebuild the scattered bricks into new items that can be used to reach otherwise hidden areas. It really gives you the feeling that you're playing within a living LEGO world." 1UP (80/100) knows the only substitute for a good blaster is a good ship: "While the vehicular stages vary in terms of quality, the mere fact that so many exist really adds to the scope of the game. Lego Star Wars II offers a surprising amount of playtime, and is much larger and longer than the original game (which was one of its biggest criticisms)." GameSpot (77/100) discovered that fancy next-gen visuals not make one great: "The current-gen console versions all look slightly better than the original Lego Star Wars, while the PC version looks a bit better than those, since it can run at much higher resolutions. The Xbox 360 version has the most graphical flair, with better reflections, better explosions, and a cool lens-focus effect. It's definitely the best-looking version, but it's also got a very minor frame rate problem that crops up when there are a lot of particle effects." See also: Batman to LEGO brick consoles everywhere
LucasArts joining forces with Free Radical
LucasArts, longtime custodians of secrets pertaining to primate islands, have announced their intention to work with the timesplitting folks at Free Radical on a brand new game. Slated for next-generation consoles, the as yet undisclosed title will benefit from the combined efforts of two experienced studios. Peter Hirschmann of LucasArts labels the agreement as a good idea, since Free Radical "has always been about titles with great gameplay and innovative design." [Opposites attract quip here.] With Raven Software spending most of their time reading comic books these days, it might not seem outlandish to suggest that the mystery game here could be a new entry in the Jedi Knight franchise -- to be more precise, Dark Forces 5: Jedi Knight 4: Jedi Outcast 3: Jedi Academy 2: Jedi Colon. Then again, it could be an entirely new IP. Just as well, since the only other idea we can muster is a first-person shooter starring a despondent Bobbin "Are you my mother?" Threadbare.
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Who doesn't know that phrase? Trekkies, that's who. Trekkies and those lost to games of DnD for the last 30 years. Honestly, it is a little sad that the epic tale of Skywalker has come to an end. But, one must remember that it is only the movies that have ended. The games can go on and on. LucasArts has teamed up with Ubisoft to create Star Wars: Lethal Alliance for the DS and PSP. The game is set in between Episode's III and IV and centers around Rebel Alliance fighter Twi'lek Rianna Saren and her droid Zeeo and their quest to get the Death Star's blueprints. Ubi has kept really quiet about the game's features for the DS and the PSP. A multiplayer mode will be available and a ton of familiar faces like Darth Vadar, Princess Leia, Bobba Fett, and Dark Forces and Jedi Knight's Kyle Katarn will show up now and again. The game sounds good on paper but maybe they could port it to home consoles? That way, not a single Star Wars fan will be left out. [Thanks, Steve!]
Jane Jensen to unveil next adventure game in Leipzig
It's certainly taken her long enough. Indeed, one can only assume that after writing and completing the excellent Gabriel Knight trilogy of adventure games for Sierra, Jane Jensen was somehow imprisoned in a small room with naught but a couple of random objects at her disposal. After combining every single item with every other one in her possession, she must have finally attained to freedom by combining the giraffe-shaped balloon with the priceless fabergé egg.Since her dramatic escape, Jensen has been hard at work on Gray Matter, a new adventure set to debut at the Leipzig Games Convention later this month. Published by dtp entertainment (they're staunchly opposed to capital-ism, it seems), not much is known about the game aside from a fourth quarter 2007 release. Carsten Fichtelmann, marketing director of dtp, seems pretty confident that Jensen, "a real star of the adventure gaming scene," will be a great asset to the team. "We are very happy to be working with her on her new project, Gray Matter, bringing the adventure gaming genre forward once again."Many would argue that bringing the adventure genre forward would result in it bumping its head against a sealed coffin lid. A great article on Old Man Murray once suggested that the genre had committed suicide, largely motivated by the kind of puzzles found in Jenson's own Gabriel Knight 3. In one infamous puzzle, the protagonist had to create a disguise using a ridiculous combination of masking tape, maple syrup and a cat. In other words, a contrived act of following "daredevil of logic Jane Jensen as she pilots Gabriel Knight 3 right over common sense, like Evel Knievel jumping Snake River Canyon." She's undoubtedly a superb storyteller, but let's hope that she utilizes her own gray matter more effectively when it comes to puzzles this time around.
A smorgasbord of mini-rumors
A recent IGN Podcast has unveiled some interesting tidbits related to the Wii. Now, we all know IGN's information comes from the shadiest of places...scarred men whispering secrets in dank alleyways, unnatural seances with souls departed...but if they're willing to dive into hell's inferno to obtain some info, then we're certainly willing to take all the credit relate it to you, the faithful reader. So, without further ado: Nintendo may decide to move Super Paper Mario directly to the Wii, as the Gamecube is essentially dead in the water. This would not only make financial sense, but finally allow us at Wii Fanboy to cover this excellent looking game. We want to believe it. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption may not make the Wii launch after all. This is directly contradicting several months' worth of continuous confirmations by Nintendo and Retro Studios, and would take a lot of steam out of the superlative launch lineup. We doubt it. Dragon's Quest: Swords also may not make the launch window. We see no reason to disbelieve such a thing; Square-Enix loves their delays. Excite Truck has been confirmed as a launch title. Why not? LucasArts has indeed been developing a lightsaber game for the Wii. Yeah. We know. Publisher THQ has 6 to 8 titles in development for the Wii. Seeing as how they're handling the more lighthearted affairs (Cars, Spongebob), it seems plausible, but none too exciting. At the Leipzig Games Convention (coming soon!), Nintendo and third parties will reveal exactly how they intend to port more traditional game fare from the PS3 and Xbox 360 over to the Wii. Uhhh...sure. And, there you have it. As a special bonus gift from us at the Fanboy, here are some complimentary grains of salt.
Industry needs new business model, says LucasArts prez
In a recent interview with EuroGamer TV, LucasArts President Jim Ward said that the video game industry business model "does not work." Ward warns that expanding the market is crucial to the continued success of the industry, and that companies can't be complacent selling to the core group of hardcore gamers. Sounds a little bit like Nintendo's long-time message to us.Ward also thinks that the game industry needs to find new revenue streams past retail sales, and sees the promise of online distribution systems from Sony and Microsoft as the main hope in this regard. Ward also sees system exclusives becoming less common in the future, and pledged LucasArts would continue to support every major system.The full interview has more interesting tidbits, including Ward's thoughts on the PS3 price ("High, but you're getting something for that") and his thoughts on the LucasArts' status before his takeover two years ago ("It was a sick company").[Via GamesIndustry]Watch - Part 1, LucasArts boss Jim Ward (EurogamerTV) Watch - Part 2
LucasArts teams with MechAssault crew
LucasArts has announced they will be partnering with MechAssault developer Day 1 Studios to produce an original IP for next gen consoles. Details won't be revealed until a later date, but Next Generation speculates the collaboration will yield an online action title befitting of Day 1's rock 'em, sock 'em robot roots. The Xbox developer is also handling the 360 port of PC shooter F.E.A.R, due in November.
