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Microsoft and Ninja Theory are making games to fight mental illness
In 2015, Ninja Theory released Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, a journey through the mind of the Celtic warrior Senua as she faced anxiety, depression, hallucinations and delusions. The Microsoft-owned studio took careful steps to respect people suffering from those conditions, and it worked with Paul Fletcher, a professor at the University of Cambridge, to accurately portray mental illness. Beyond the award recognition, Ninja Theory and Fletcher were encouraged to keep going with their work around mental health. Today, they announced their next endeavor: The Insight Project.
Ninja Theory's 'Bleeding Edge' is 4-on-4 melee madness
Executives from UK game studio Ninja Theory, the folks behind Heavenly Sword and Devil May Cry, took to the Microsoft Theater stage on Sunday to reveal the trailer for their latest game, Bleeding Edge.
'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice' is getting the VR treatment
British developer Ninja Theory is bringing its critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later this month. The new version will be available as a free update for anyone that has already bought the game on Steam, starting July 31st. According to Ninja Theory, the VR version is almost identical to the original game -- this isn't a side story, or some kind of technical demo that you can blast through in 30 minutes. It will retain the original's third-person perspective, keeping the player locked behind Senua. You will, however, be able to turn the headset to look around and gently guide the Pict warrior in a different direction.
Microsoft bought five studios to fix its Xbox game problem
It's no secret that Microsoft's lack of exclusive games is partially to blame for the Xbox One lagging behind the PS4. To rectify this, the company's gone on a bit of a shopping spree, acquiring five studios under its Microsoft Studios umbrella. Four of these are existing outfits: Undead Labs (State of Decay), Playground Games (Forza Horizon), Ninja Theory (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice) and Compulsion Games (We Happy Few). The fifth is an all-new studio called The Initiative headed by Darrell Gallagher, the former chief of Crystal Dynamics who spearheaded the Tomb Raider reboot and joined Microsoft back in April.
The real-time motion capture behind ‘Hellblade’
In a makeshift changing room filled with Disney Infinity figures, I strip down to my boxers and pull on a two-part Lycra suit. It feels tight, and the top half shimmies up toward my waistline as soon as I stretch or stand up straight. How anyone is able to act in this thing is a mystery to me. Sheepishly, I gather my belongings and trot back to the motion capture studio that sits at the end of Ninja Theory's offices in Cambridge, England. Inside, a couple of engineers scurry about, prepping cameras and cables. For years, movie and video game studios have used mocap to bring digital characters to life. From detective Cole Phelps in L.A. Noire to the powerful Caesar in Planet of the Apes, the technology has delivered some truly moving, actor-driven performances. Normally, however, motion capture scenes are processed by an animator hours, days or weeks after they've been captured on set. It's a time-consuming process, and one that involves some guesswork. In a sparse, lifeless room, directors are forced to imagine how a take will look in the final sequence. Not so with Ninja Theory. The video game developer has a unique setup that allows Chief Creative Director Tameem Antoniades and his team to preview scenes in real time. Pre-visualisation, or pre-vis, has existed before in the industry, but it's typically limited to body tracking. Full-character modelling is rare, especially at the kind of fidelity Ninja Theory is shooting for with its next game, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.
'Hellblade' takes real-time motion capture to the next level
Yesterday, during the Epic Games keynote at GDC 2016, Ninja Theory showed off a live motion capture demo for Hellblade, its upcoming AAA indie title. The results are absolutely stunning. Tameem Antoniades, Ninja Theory's chief creative director, described the real-time animation performance as historic, and people at the event seemed to validate his excitement. Interestingly enough, the game has been renamed Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, paying tribute to the main character in this combat-heavy story. But you're probably here for the video, so have at it -- we promise it doesn't disappoint.
Former 'DmC' devs are risking millions to make a 'AAA' indie
Hellblade, a third-person game seen through the lens of a mentally ill protagonist, is a multimillion-dollar risk for developer Ninja Theory. Its strong focus on building a unique world and narrative represents a huge shift in creative direction from the company's last AAA effort, the melee combat-heavy DmC: Devil May Cry. Rather than working with a big publisher, the Cambridge, England-based studio is self-funding Hellblade as an "independent AAA" title. It's a decision that's freed Ninja Theory from creative constraints, allowing it to tackle difficult topics and simply make the games it wants to make.
Video games are tackling mental health with mixed results
Mental illness occupies a strange place in video games. After centuries of misdiagnosis and misinterpretation, we've begun to comprehend the reasons behind disorders and their prevalence in modern society. Recent research shows that roughly one in five American adults suffers from some form of mental health issue each year. When it comes to the media, though, these conditions are frequently misrepresented and misunderstood, and video games in particular lean on lazy stereotypes and tropes. Mental illness is used as a motivation for villainy, thrown in as an "interesting" game mechanic or mischaracterized as the sum and whole of a character's personality. There's a worryingly pervasive stigma surrounding mental conditions, and as one of our most dominant art forms, video games need to do a better job in portraying them.
'Hellblade' is a terrifying journey through one person's mental hell
Hellblade has been shrouded in shadows since its announcement at Gamescom last year, but the veil is finally lifting. Developed by Enslaved, Heavenly Sword and DmC: Devil May Cry studio Ninja Theory, Hellblade is a dark, fantastical battle through the mind of the Celtic warrior Senua. Senua suffers from anxiety, depression, hallucinations and delusions, and the game presents some of these intangibles as literal demons for Senua to destroy. The studio wants to treat the subject with respect: The Hellblade team is working with Paul Fletcher, a professor of Health Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, and the game is supported by global mental-health foundation Wellcome Trust.
Ninja Theory partners with Chillingo to publish Fightback
Ninja Theory is an excellent game developer based in the UK that's produced Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and the recent Devil May Cry reboot. Now, Ninja Theory is releasing its first iOS title, Fightback, which EA studio Chillingo will publish. Fightback, as you can see above, looks like a fairly gritty arcade-style beat-em-up, and it boasts some AAA grade production values, as well as some interesting touch-based combat. Fightback is set for previews at E3, so we'll see more of the game in action then. It's set to launch on iOS later this summer. Chillingo is a very high-quality studio that's been doing plenty of good work lately, and with its ties to EA, it's no surprise that Ninja Theory gave it the go-ahead on publishing duties. Ninja Theory is a great studio, and we'll look forward to seeing how this one turns out. Show full PR text Chillingo Partners with Ninja Theory Ltd. to Publish Fightback on Mobile and Tablet Ninja Theory's Mobile Debut Playable at E3 MACCLESFIELD, U.K., May 24, 2013 - Chillingo, leading independent mobile games publisher and division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced that they are partnering with prominent Cambridge, UK-based independent video game developer Ninja Theory Ltd. to publish the studio's first mobile game, Fightback for the App Store and Google Play™. From the award-winning studio behind Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry, Ninja Theory's Fightback is a thrilling free-to-play action game with a striking 80s action movie vibe and a revolutionary touch-based combat system. "Chillingo is very excited to collaborate with such a talented, critically-acclaimed studio to help shape their first title for the mobile market," states Ed Rumley, COO, Chillingo. "Our team is working closely with Ninja Theory to ensure Fightback delivers a phenomenal experience for mobile and tablet devices." "Mobile and tablet gaming is a phenomenon that we just couldn't ignore as a studio and we're very proud to be working with one of the industry's heavy-weights on bringing Fightback to market. Ninja Theory has always strived for the highest production values and that absolutely remains the case in this exciting new space," said Dominic Matthews, Product Manager, Ninja Theory Ltd. Fightback is slated to launch this summer. Hands-on previews will be shared with press at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Additional details and information will be available at www.chillingo.com in the coming months.
Heavenly Sword dev working on new IP for 360, PS3
With the story's second part already scribed, fans of big-haired action epic Heavenly Sword have eagerly been awaiting confirmation of a sequel. Though it hasn't arrived just yet (possibly waylaid by disappointing sales of the original), developer Ninja Theory has revealed to Gamesindustry.biz that it's no longer entangled in Nariko's mess of red hair. A new intellectual property for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is now being assembled, with some thought spared to a CGI movie tie-in. "We're certainly targeting a triple-A blockbuster, with two and a half years in production – a big game that builds on our core strengths of story-telling, cinematics and combat," said Ninja Theory co-founder and chief developer, Nina Kristensen. "But we're actually looking at something in addition to that – we're considering opportunities in creating a CGI movie using the game engine alongside the game itself." Kristensen went on to say that the company hopes to maintain its relationship with the world of film, which seems to imply that Ninja Theory's next game will boast the same high production values and cinematic flair seen in Heavenly Sword. Right, is this where we make a joke about running time?
Andy Serkis spearheading East England game industry network
Gamasutra reports that Andy Serkis is to become a ringleader of sorts for a new game industry network in the East of England. The actor, best known for his motion-captured portrayal of Gollum in Lord of the Rings and Bohan in the PlayStation 3's Heavenly Sword, will kick off "Games Eden" in the hopes of encouraging and supporting game development within the region. The endeavor aims to keep industry members in touch through an international website and a series of networking events, with the envisioned result being the growth of the economy within the region. Awfully nice of him, really.Funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), East of England International (EEI), Screen East and FDMX, Games Eden will be guided by one of those committee things (we're told Princess Leia is a poor example of one) comprised of representatives from the likes of Sony, Zoonami and Ninja Theory. As gaming continues to grow larger and more lucrative, you can likely expect similar initiatives to take root in industry hot spots around the world.
Ninja Theory wants Heavenly Sword sequel [update 1]
We can't say we didn't see it coming -- Ninja Theory is willing to give us a second Heavenly Sword game. Chief developer for Ninja Theory (always get the two ninja companies confused), Nina Kristensen, issued this statement: "We'd certainly like to do the sequel with Sony but nothing's been set in stone ... We're looking to expand and do new things but certainly we want to continue the Heavenly Sword franchise." Ultimately the decision comes down to Sony and we're sure their decision will be based on sales of the first game.Reviews are starting to come in for all of Sony's anticipated, heavy-hitting games. While there aren't a lot of reviews for Heavenly Sword just yet, it's getting mostly positive responses. Also, since it is so heavily anticipated, we think it'll sell well enough for Sony to "okay" a sequel. Even though most of us haven't gotten our hands on the final version, do you think Heavenly Sword should turn into another sequel-churning franchise, or is there just something a little more special about a single game that tells a whole story?[Update: changed "Team Ninja" to "Ninja Theory"... seriously, these companies need to think a litter harder about their names.]
Heavenly Sword packed with 10 GB of sound data
Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword has some beautiful music -- anyone with the demo can testify to that. An interview with lead audio Tom Colvin has quantified the developer's focus on aural satisfaction: 10 GB of sound data is included in the game, according to Develop. That sizable number includes approximately three and a half hours of music, sound effects and 4,500 lines of dialog. "There's an hour and a half's worth of cut scenes in eleven languages," said SCEE's Garry Taylor. A dual layer DVD disc has an 8.5 GB capacity; will Sony be touting that its competition couldn't even fit the audio onto their discs? We'd be surprised if they showed restraint.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Heavenly Sword dated Sept 12
Sony's laying its exclusive bait early this year-end season, announcing a September 12th release date for Heavenly Sword. The crumb of a demo might be enough to whet the appetites of software-starved PlayStation 3 owners leading up to the full game release (really, what PS3 owner isn't gonna bite?), but the 5-minute tease hasn't generated the level of buzz that already surrounds two Xbox 360 console-exclusives, which sandwich Heavenly Sword's mid-September debut; that's BioShock (Aug 21st) and Halo 3 (Sept 25th). Of course, for those of us who devour games regardless of platform, it's time to loosen our belts -- let gluttony commence!%Gallery-3174%
Heavenly Sword's origin is on first Xbox
Heavenly Sword could have been an interactive version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon exclusively for Xbox One. Gametrailers chronicles the history of the now-PS3 exclusive by Ninja Theory using trailers that have been shown since May 2003.Originally, protagonist Nariko had black hair, a more traditional Chinese attire, and a voice eerily similar to Michelle Yeoh. Even more reminiscent of films like Crouching Tiger and Hero were scenes of combat on top of water and gravity-bereft air fights. By May 2004, Nariko's hair had turned red and her clothes had all but disappeared. It wasn't until May 2005 that Heavenly Sword began to look like the final version we know today. A trailer from E3 2006 is not in the video montage, but trust us, it was there.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Heavenly Sword demo'd
That was it...? As the most significant chunk of data to hit PSN since Gran Turismo HD (CAC didn't live up to the hype), and weighing in at 996 MB, the Heavenly Sword demo merely offers a beefy pinch of tease. Call us biased. We are. At E3 we were able to play well past where this demo ends, and we've had the itch ever since.For most PlayStation 3 owners, today's download is the first opportunity to see and play Heavenly Sword. However brief, the experience does highlight some of the combat differences between Ninja Theory's forthcoming epic hackumup and the God of War series; namely an inability to jump (except at key moments with a touchy Sixaxis jerk) and a focus on defense and counter-attacks (some, but not too many, with accented camera angles). Still, the demo is cramped into three small game spaces (outdoor "rooms" separated by timed-press rope running), with one that lacks anyone to maul, and another that's cut maddeningly short.
Heavenly Sword planned as trilogy, part two penned
In an interview with AMN during E3, Ninja Theory co-founder Tam Antoniades said that Heavenly Sword is being planned as a trilogy and that the story of part two has been written."When we set out to do Heavenly Sword ... we wanted it to be a three-game story," he said at around the 11-minute mark. "We've had the story for the sequel for awhile now. Hopefully if this game is successful, then there's no reason why there shouldn't be a sequel and we'd very much like to go into that."Given the hype for the title and our impressions playing it, Heavenly Sword is very likely poised to be one of the standout PlayStation 3 titles this holiday season. Just don't be surprised if you defeat the final boss and receive a cliffhanger ending.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Sony confirms Heavenly Sword demo in Europe this Thursday
We knew the demo was done, but now we officially find out that many will get to experience the intensity of Heavenly Sword this Thursday. We hope it ends up being everyone, but we only have confirmation of Europe at this point from EuroGamer. IGN says it should "hit other territories around the same time as Europe, according to Sony." Hopefully this Thursday, PS3 owners will be able to experience the demo – the same one used at Sony's Gamer Day – that everyone has been desperately trying not to call Goddess of War. Heavenly Sword is expected in September, giving PS3 owners something to play while Xbox owners immerse themselves in all things Halo 3. Heavenly Sword is one of the games coming this fall which will hold the system together through this non-critical holiday season. We're just glad to finally be able to play a good PS3 exclusive that doesn't start with Resistance and end with Fall of Man.
Heavenly Sword is a trilogy -- second story already complete
Following even further into the footsteps of action-gaming-powerhouse Kratos and the God of War games, Heavenly Sword was recently given the trilogy treatment. In an audio interview with co-founder of Ninja Theory, Tam Antoniades, this information was divulged to us in addition to the exciting tidbit that the second part of the story is already complete! By complete we mean "written" and not "developed". If you're curious, it's right around the 11:00 mark in the interview (the last minute of it, really). Also mentioned were downloadable content possibilities (based on what players would like to see added) and support for Home. The sequel depends on the original game being treated to a successful run, so let's all pitch in and make sure Heavenly Sword makes it through the trilogy loop.[via N4G]
