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Game Informer rates the best and worst Mortal Kombat fatalities
After roughly 28 years in production and 43 separate iterations, it's inevitable that the Mortal Kombat series would have picked a few bad eggs in the Fatalities department. Game Informer has taken it upon itself to dig through the archives and uncover the best and very worst that the series has to offer. Now, lest there be any confusion, we're not talking about Babalities or pap like that. We're talking terrible finishers like Bo Rai Cho's penchant for blasting his enemies with a venomous murder fart. Yeah, it's adorable. Oh, and at one point, Smoke blows up the whole planet, killing every man, woman and child on it. ... Yeah, we're not sure if that's a good or bad one either.
Hydro Thunder Hurricane racing to XBLA this Summer
It's scientific fact that racing games are roughly 200 percent more exciting when the genre's standard asphalt surfaces are replaced with good ol' H20. One of the clearest examples of this was Midway's classic arcade racer Hydro Thunder -- a franchise that's been dormant for over a decade. However, Microsoft Game Studios and developer Vector Unit today announced that they'll soon blow the proverbial dust off the series this summer with Hydro Thunder Hurricane, an Xbox Live Arcade-exclusive sequel to the arcade classic. Hydro Thunder Hurricane will include a number of multiplayer-oriented game modes, eight super hazardous race tracks and several returning speedboats from the series' original iteration. There's support for four-player local matches, eight-player online matches and a co-operative "Rubber Ducky" mode, which just sounds so intense. Vector Unit is showcasing the title at PAX East. We'll let you know how it handles.
Spy Hunter movie getting a second chance from WB
Striking while the iron is ... absolutely frozen, Warner Bros. may be looking to restart the Spy Hunter movie project, following its acquisition of the IP from Midway. According to Variety, WB has hired screenwriter Chad St. John, who is also writing an adaptation of DC Comics' Sgt. Rock, to write the script. The last Spy Hunter movie, intended to star The Rock, fizzled out when director Paul W.S. Anderson removed himself from the project after discovering that the script -- adapted from a game about a car that shoots at other cars -- was of poor quality. Had it actually been made, it would have been an appropriate tie-in with the 2006 game Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run, also starring The Rock. No stars have been named for this version of the movie yet. [Via MTV Multiplayer]
Rumored third Mortal Kombat movie hits legal snag
Just when our hopes for a third Mortal Kombat film were at their highest, a new legal battle has to come and crush them into the dirt. According to The Wrap, the new film -- a recently rumored reboot from Warner Bros -- has run into legal troubles. It seems that Threshold Entertainment has taken Warner Bros to court, claiming that it had a licensing agreement with Midway before the company was acquired by Warner Bros. Threshold, which worked with Midway on the first two Mortal Kombat films, claims the two companies extended their agreement in 2006 to make a third film, and states further that this agreement was upheld by a bankruptcy court after Midway's acquisition. Now, the company is suing Warner Bros. on the grounds that it "failed to work with Threshold in the development and production of the third 'Mortal Kombat' film." Potential damages are to be specified later. Whatever the damages may be, it's hard to imagine they could be any more damaging than releasing a third Mortal Kombat film. [Via GamePro]
Midway's XBLA classics removed from Marketplace
Several classic Midway games have been removed from Xbox Live Arcade, including Cyberball 2072, Defender, Gauntlet, Joust, Paperboy, Robotron 2084, Rootbeer Tapper, Smash TV and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. The titles have been pulled due to "publisher evolving rights and permissions," according to a Major Nelson tweet, but will remain playable and can be re-downloaded by users that previously purchased any of the games. While Major Nelson didn't expressly say so, it would appear that the disappearing titles are the result of Warner Bros.' acquisition of Midway last year. Warner Bros. now owns at least some of the trademarks involved in the removal from XBLA. You're not alone in suspecting that some of the affected titles were pulled in anticipation of Microsoft's upcoming Game Room (where different versions of the same games could presumably be made available for purchase). After all, the simply emulated Game Room games don't stack up well against their more fully-featured XBLA counterparts. However, Major Nelson has quashed that theory, tweeting, "No, it's not Game room related." This is not the first time that XBLA content has been pulled because of changing publisher relationships. Lost Cities was removed from XBLA last year after licensing rights were lost in the Activision-Vivendi merger.
Rumor: Warner Bros. working on Mortal Kombat film reboot
According to horror film news site Bloody Disgusting, anonymous sources have revealed that Warner Bros. Pictures is currently looking to reboot its recently purchased, long dormant Mortal Kombat film franchise. "But Joystiq," you might be asking, "why has the Mortal Kombat film franchise been long dormant?" Our dear, naive readers: This is why the Mortal Kombat film franchise has been long dormant. If you've got friends at the WB, you should consider forwarding them that little slice of cinematic history. Bloody Disgusting reports that Oren Uziel, a new screenwriter who penned a yet-to-be-produced murder mystery titled Shimmer Lake, is being considered to write the film. Now, we've never met Uziel, but we hope he heeds our advice: Take the job. We guarantee it will be the easiest writing gig you'll ever have.
Big Download awards 2009's vaporware
In response to Wired's own 2009 vaporware awards, our pals at BigDownload have complied their own list of software and hardware that woulda, coulda and shoulda seen the light of day this year. Topping the list is the streaming service OnLive, which was slated to release in "winter 2009," following a healthy dose of beta testing. While reception for the service has been mostly positive, OnLive's claims have yet to be tested on a global stage (during E3 2009, OnLive was previewed for select media via a cable modem connection to the service's California-based headquarters). Other nods go to Gearbox Software's oft-delayed -- we'll believe it when we see it -- Aliens: Colonial Marines, Obsidian's "oh, by the way, it's not coming out today" Alpha Protocol, and Midway's This Is Canceled Vegas. Sadly, Duke Nukem Forever failed to win an award for what would have been a record twelfth-straight year.
Found Footage: Hands-on with Boardwalk Games from Skyworks
For just US$1.99, you could do a lot worse than picking up Skyworks's new Boardwalk Games [iTunes link]. Offering three carnival-style attractions, Boardwalk Games takes you into the midway with good gameplay, quality graphics, and audible sound. To be honest, those audible sounds kind of drove me a little nuts and I couldn't find a settings screen to could turn them off. The three mini games are all simple toss-something-at-something games: toss a ball at tiki statues, toss a ball at milk bottles, toss a dart at balloons. It's fun. Admittedly, a little limited, but fun. The fun is probably worth more than the two bucks the app costs. Just in case you think you're getting a little bit too good of a deal, well, you are. Skywork's included some fairly heavy-handed upselling ads in the game, which appear each time you finish playing a round. It's not too bad as these things go, but clearly they intend to balance their relatively low price point with targeted advertising. I found the games easy to play and engaging. Will the app remain on your phone for the long term? Probably not. This is one of those use-it-for-a-few-days-or-weeks-then-toss-it kinds of games. There aren't compelling learning curves and not much room has been left for the app to grow. I'd recommend this for a rainy day / DMV visit / Doctor's Appointment, but it's not so amazing that you should rush out and buy it right away. It's amusing, it's well made, and I hate that music. TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.
Tradewest continues ex-Midway Europe exec hirings
Having worked with Nick Howard in the past at Midway Europe where he acted as head of sales, Tradewest Games head Martin Spiess recently added Howard to the growing roster of ex-Midway Europe employees now employed by his newly formed outfit. "Nick has been a key contributor to our business over the years and we are confident that his appointment will accelerate Tradewest's growth strategy," Spiess told MCV. Howard will act as managing director for the nascent company, specifically looking over UK sales and marketing. We've still yet to hear what Tradewest Games is up to in terms of, well, games, but hopefully this new hire is bringing the company closer to revealing some details.
SouthPeak earnings report reveals acquisition of ... something involving TNA Impact
Remember way back in August when THQ picked up around 40 percent of Midway San Diego (following that whole full collapse thing), but left off the TNA Impact property? It would appear that the reason for this exclusion was due to SouthPeak Games snatching up the license, as revealed by a recent Q1 2010 financial report released by the company.The "acquisition" is first noted in the report's "Highlights of the Quarter" section. "Acquired in bankruptcy certain assets owned by Midway relating to video games based on the TNA iMPACT wrestling brand." We asked SouthPeak who would be in charge of developing the next game in that series, said in the report to be released "this year" (2010), and found out that such information has yet to be announced, unfortunately. Currently, SouthPeak is only known to be publishing TNA Impact: Cross the Line for the PSP and Nintendo DS.When we explored the SEC filing from Midway on the sale, the wording got much more ambiguous. One notable exclusion from the $100k purchase is, "the TNA License and Sellers' rights thereunder." When we asked SouthPeak to clear up exactly what the company bought, we were told that, while it "can confirm the details of the release and filing," no comment is currently available – though we were assured that we'll be hearing more details "soon."
Smash TV creator talks potential sequel
Speaking to RetroGaming, Mark Turmell, co-creator of Smash TV, revealed that a sequel to the game might be forthcoming. According to Turmell, design for a sequel began some time ago, with the developers opting for a 3D game that maintained the top-down viewpoint of the original. Programming for the game had actually begun, but further progress was halted thanks to the Midway meltdown earlier this year. Turmell noted that Warner Bros. obtained the rights to Smash TV in its acquisition of Midway, adding that the company has "already identified that there's interest in some of that old Midway IP." When asked whether we'd still see a Smash TV sequel, Turmel said, "I'm sure you'll see a Smash TV that will rise again." Turmell admitted he wouldn't take part in such a project, saying, "It's a shame that I won't be involved with it this time around." [Via 1UP]
Midway execs found not guilty in conspiracy suit
You know how this works: You're a shareholder in a major company -- let's say a major video game publisher like ... Midway Games -- and while the suits assure you that, despite lagging sales and a lousy portfolio, everything's going to be "OK!" Things started looking dodgy when CEO David Zucker abandoned ship in March of 2008. "Everything okay in there?" you ask. "Yup, everything's fine," Midway responded, while installing Matt Booty into the position. Then chairwoman Shari Redstone, daughter of owner Sumner Redstone, resigned in November 2008. "Alright, this sounds really bad!" you cried. "Seriously, don't worry. It's fine," Midway responded (they'd put Booty in that position in January of the following year). And then, in December, Sumner Redstone sold his shares in the now clearly troubled publisher for the bargain basement price of $100,000 to mysterious investor Mark Thomas ... and then, the layoffs began. So now you, and the rest of the shareholders in NYSE: MWY want to hold the executives who kept you in the dark accountable. According to Develop, after months of hearing allegations, District Court judge David H. Coar found five Midway executives – including former CEO David Zucker and CFO Thomas Powell – "innocent of conspiracy to deceive the public about the health of the fallen company." The reason? The shareholders had not "adequately alleged the direct liability" of the execs. Okay, so it wasn't a "conspiracy" (or whatever other fancy law school words the "law" requires) but we understand your pain. Now, have we told you about the opportunities at Joystiq Publishing ...
Ex-Midway guy named VP of sales for Sega
Sega of America enthusiastically announced today the hiring of Brad Wildes as senior vice president of sales at the publisher. According to the company's press release, Wildes brings 15 years of "successful management experience" to the job. Skills he acquired at Microsoft, Mattel, Konami and, most recently, Midway Home Entertainment. Yes, Wildes' most recent gig was as VP of sales for North America and Asia at Midway, where he -- according to Sega, once again -- "successfully managed such titles as Mortal Kombat; Game Party; the Unreal franchise and NBA Ballers." Midway is dead, friends, due in large part to low sales numbers for major franchises. Our definition of "successful" is obviously slightly different from that of Sega of America's.
From the ashes of Midway Newcastle, Atomhawk Design rises
One of our favorite things about the game industry (not the game business, mind you) is its unflappable resilience. Take, for instance, the story of Midway Newcastle. Even after the staff got a 60-day warning of the studio's imminent closure and was shut down preemptively, some members of the team were able to band together and form a new company, Atomhawk Design.Billing itself as "a leading creative visualization and digital art production company," Atomhawk plans on creating digital art for not just video games, but also "film and online." We're not sure how much of the ex-Midway Newcastle folks made the jump to the new company, but we've asked Atomhawk for comment.
Tradewest Games hints at upcoming IP lineup reveal
Martin Spiess has been busy the past few months, between raising €1 to buy Midway UK and France and resurrecting the long gone Tradewest Games moniker. The ex-Midway exec's acquisition of the two company branches went light on the details in the SEC filing, leaving us with a handful of questions for the recently re-branded company. We contacted Tradewest to find out exactly what the acquisition means for the future of the company, in terms of assets gained. "We`ve got a portfolio of [our] own IPs and will announce highlights from our line-up over the next weeks," a representative told Joystiq. And what does it mean when the filing says Mr. Spiess has acquired the UK and France offices, specifically? "This includes all of the companies assets ... that also means that Tradewest has direct access to two of Europe´s biggest markets for games products." Unfortunately, the rep couldn't tell us much more at the moment. And yes, we're still keeping our fingers crossed for Battletoads.
Midway Europe buyout complete, renamed Tradewest Games
GamesIndustry.biz reports that the acquisition of Midway's English and French offices, by Martin Spiess, and the German office, by Uwe Fürstenberg and Hans Meyer, for a single Euro combined has been finalized. On the way more exciting side of this news, however, is the announcement that the UK and France offices will be re-branded as Tradewest Games, resurrecting the name from its rather dusty tomb. According to Spiess, Tradewest will become "a European full service provider in the fields of game distribution and publishing," a transition made possible by "a well-experienced European team behind [TG] that has proven its expertise and know-how in the past years by bringing to market some of the biggest games projects in the world." Interesting that you note that, Mr. Spiess, as none of the games released in "the past years" have been Battletoads. What of that, then? We've contacted Tradewest to find out exactly what this will mean for those classic IPs, among other things, and will update this post if we hear more.
Midway UK and France offices bought for 1 euro (combined)
In a move that leaves us scratching our heads, ex-Midway Europe managing director Martin Spiess has purchased the Midway UK and France executive offices for a combined amount of one euro. According to the SEC filing, Mr. Spiess formed Spiess Media Holding UG to purchase the companies, in what MCV UK calls a "management buyout." Additionally, Midway Germany's general manager, Uwe Fürstenberg, has purchased the German branch for an undisclosed amount.The kicker on all of these business dealings? In buying the UK and France offices, Spiess has tied his company to "a payment of approximately One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,700,000) from [Midway Games Limited] to [Midway USA]" at the "closing of transactions." Spiess has 90 days to turn around the Midway-branded stock. Good luck, Mr. Spiess! From what we've seen of Midway over the past six months, you're going to need it.[Via MCV UK]
Silver lining: THQ acquires 40 percent of Midway San Diego employees, maybe more
You've been reading an awful lot about Midway business minutiae over the last six months, so we won't bore you with too many unexciting details about THQ buying Midway's San Diego studio for $200k last week. The most important thing for you to know is that out of 100 employees, 40 have been offered jobs by THQ, and more positions may be opening, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to the SEC filing, the TNA iMPACT! license wasn't part of the deal, a strange omission considering THQ publishes UFC games. The deal is all but finalized, awaiting Midway's bankruptcy court's approval and an agreement between THQ and Warner Bros. over the sharing of certain undisclosed IPs (the terms of which have already been settled). Considering the sad tale surrounding the shuttering of Midway Newcastle, we're glad to finally be writing something somewhat positive in the wake of Midway's collapse.[Via Kotaku]
Warner Bros. trademark transfer of Midway begins
According to recently filed trademarks, the transfer of Midway's various game licenses to Warner Bros. Interactive has begun. Supererogatory spotted the first group of games that have been approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office -- including Robotron 2084, Defender, Joust and Wheelman, among others -- and asserted that the rest have yet to go through. With the possible re-branding of the ex-Midway Mortal Kombat team to WB Games Chicago and dissolution of Midway's executive ranks a few weeks ago, it appears as though the dismantling of Midway Games as it once was is nearly complete. We'll always have NBA Jam, right Midway?
Ex-Midway Newcastle dev spills the beans on the studio's closure
GUI artist Steven Pick has detailed on his blog the last five or so months of working at Wheelman developer Midway Newcastle (with heartbreaking detail, might we add). In doing so he reveals the various happenings at the developer while things at Midway HQ were falling apart. "The company was still operating as normal, but the Chapter 11 thing was like a silent dread-spectre hovering over all of us," Pick says of the February bankruptcy filings. And as for Necessary Force, the IP from Midway Newcastle that was revealed not too long ago? "We got to a point where the game could be pitched - at the same time, we had a 60 day notice through from the London office," Pick says. Unfortunately, the pitches fell through and the game disappeared -- aside from a handful of Edge Magazine writers who saw it, that is.Though he notes that a group of employees were picked up prior to the studio's closure by Crackdown 2 dev Ruffian Games, the remaining employees in Newcastle were caught off guard by a surprise early studio closure -- a surprise that brought with it the news that they wouldn't be receiving their final paychecks. In all honesty, it would be impossible to do Mr. Pick's entire story justice in a concise blog post, so do yourself a favor and give the whole thing a read at his site.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
