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Interview: Rhianna Pratchett
With Rhianna Pratchett's most recent projects -- a trio of Overlord titles -- complete, the game scribe took some time out to discuss what it was like to write for three games at once, what she's looking forward to in the future, and why Faith in Mirror's Edge wasn't quite as talkative as originally planned:Did you have any difficulties writing for three different platforms? What are the differences and limitations of writing for one platform over another?It was mainly a question of age ratings. I'm sorry it's not more of an exciting answer. The Wii and DS, Dark Legend and Minions, were aiming for a lower rating than Overlord II, so there were certain things that I couldn't talk about in the scripts -- mainly to do with excessive violence and debauchery. You know, all the really fun stuff. You can certainly get away with more by taking a comedic angle, but games ratings are actually pretty stringent. I don't think it impacted too much on the Overlord feel, although it was a shame to lose things like drunken minions and mistresses. Okay, in Dark Legend the lead character is only 16, so a harem might have been rather wishful thinking.There was a definite need for economy of language when it came to the DS, which was a little more restrictive. Condensing a loquacious character like Gnarl was quite a challenge. Other than that it was really just trying to capture the right Overlord tone.
Deal watch: Grab Overlord: Dark Legend for $37
Being that games are an expensive habit, we're always on the lookout for a decent savings. With that in mind, please direct your attention to Amazon, where you can pick up a copy of Overlord: Dark Legend for $36.99. That's $13.00 off the standard price of $49.99 and nothing to sneeze at. The game has been reviewed fairly well thus far and, at the very least, we can vouch for the charms of its PS3 and Xbox 360 brethren.If you like your games funny and evil, you might consider picking it up.%Gallery-45512%
E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup
Nintendo E3 2009 checklist: Mario? *check* Zelda? *check* Metroid? *check* Are we missing something? Head past the break to find out!
Hands-on: Overlord Dark Legend
Overlord Dark Legend is an all-new Wii adventure set in the fractured fantasy world of the dark lord and his minions. The game puts players in the steel shoes of a younger overlord in a more fractured fairy tale setting than those of the series proper.Despite Dark Legend taking the minion's debauchery down a notch (they don't get drunk, vomit or pee), the core evilness is still present in the adolescent Overlord. The title is still a "core" gamer's game, which is part of publisher Codemaster's strategy for the console. For those who have never played an Overlord title before, Dark Legend brings the authentic experience in a new package.%Gallery-45512%
New Overlord: Dark Legend trailer is adorable, tiny
Now, let's examine the difference between "bad" and "evil." Using your army of minions to wreak havoc in a fairytale land like you will in Overlord: Dark Legend? That's evil. Evil in a fun way that we can't wait to try out, but all the same, evil.But making a trailer available to the public for the aforementioned game but only allowing it to be viewed in a window the size of Hervé Villechaize's belt buckle? That's just bad.%Gallery-29623%
Codemasters wants 'gamer's games' on Wii, finds other publisher strategies 'bewildering'
Codemasters has a couple new execs talking about the publisher's "cautious strategy" on the Wii -- and, by "cautious," they mean making titles that appeal to core gamers. UK General Manager Jeremy Wigmore and Marketing VP Alex Bertie tell MCV that Codemasters "can't ignore Wii," despite the publisher's emphasis on next-gen titles. Bertie finds it "bewildering" to see what other companies are doing with Nintendo's juggernaut. He expresses that Codies isn't going to make "cheap, crappy ports" and expects the company to produce "gamer's games." Wigmore believes that other publishers constantly going to retail with a "mass-market product" only makes those games become "white noise." It'll be interesting to see if Codemasters retains its thinking about Wii after Overlord: Dark Legend releases in a few months and the publisher starts seeing sales figures.
Joystiq hands-on: Overlord: Dark Legend
click to enlarge "Not a port." Those were the words used by Overlord: Dark Legend producer, Carl Johnson, used convey the fact that the Wii's first taste of the darkly humorous action-strategy series is, well, not a port of the upcoming Overlord II for the HD crowd. No, this is every bit its own game -- apart from the basic premise, that is -- that takes good advantage of the Wii's controls, doesn't phone in its visuals and, so far, is a fun (yet sinister) adventure best described as a sort of "Pikmin Gone Wild."%Gallery-45512%
Overlord: Dark Legend, Overlord: Minions unleashed this June
The Overlord (and his minions) are ready to wreak havoc this June with their two exclusive titles for Wii and DS. Overlord: Dark Legend, starring a younger -- but, no less evil -- dark master, will subjugate the masses on Wii. Meanwhile, the DS title will star an elite squad of "four heroic Minions" in a puzzle action game.We'll be sure to update if a clearer date for the dark lord's arrival becomes available. In the meantime, check out the latest trailer for Dark Legend after the break. Beware the evil Gingerbread Men!%Gallery-29623%%Gallery-29628%
Codemasters talks Overlord, working with Wii
It might not be a good time to port your game to the Wii right now. With Dead Rising causing many jaws to hit the floor in disgust, confidence isn't in ready supply. Enter Overlord: Dark Legend brand manager Dan Robinson, who doesn't want you to think his game is just being slapped together.Codemasters "realized quite early on if we just did a port of 'Overlord' or 'Overlord 2' onto the Wii, we'd get slighted," Robinson told MTV Multiplayer. The most important thing for his company is that "the game works with the control system." He explained that when making a game on a Nintendo console, a developer has to "make sure that it hits all the buttons that Nintendo fanboys want," because it can be "dead in the water before you've even started." Viewing the Wii as something more than a system to make a quick buck on ... that is a good start! Codemasters, like Sega, is looking for that hardcore buck, too. "I think it's definitely more of a hardcore game than you've got on the Wii at the moment," he said. "I think this gives us an opportunity to show them that the Wii can actually do games like this, and it actually works and it can make good fun." Casual players need not feel left out, however, as he thinks there are "elements of it" that will appeal to them.Overlord: Dark Legend is currently slated for release this summer.%Gallery-29623%
Overlord: Dark Legend producer says game 'looks like the 360 version'
Overlord: Dark Legend Associate Producer Dean Scott admits it may be a "lame cliche," but he believes the dark master's Wii incarnation "looks like the 360 version." Speaking with Videogamer.com, Scott could hardly keep his composure as he detailed how confident he was in the visuals for the upcoming action-adventure game, exclaiming it "blows away just about everything else" on the Wii.Scott may be biased, considering he is the producer of the game, but Wii owners may want to take notice if for no other reason than to help fill the dark Pikmin-sized void in their hearts. Overlord: Dark Legend lands on the Wii this summer; a companion DS version, Overlord: Minions, will release later this year.
Overlord footage features minions, bosses, pumpkin armor
The first video of Overlord: Dark Legend might be off-screen and a bit blurry, but we don't require high-resolution, direct-feed footage to tell us that the game will keep all the charm and personality of the original Xbox 360 title.Producer Dean Scott can be heard commentating throughout both this and the video after the jump, enthusing about how nicely the Wii's controls suit Overlord, and discussing how Climax want to avoid fashioning a Morrowind-esque grey and brown fantasy world. So far, it's working; this looks visually closer to Fable. We'll be keen to see how many minions we'll be able to gather at once in Dark Legend -- the first game on the 360 allowed players to assemble around forty or fifty at some points, and a similar number would be welcome here. Also worth noting: Scott currently thinks this will be ready in time for June or July next year.To see a boss battle in action, arm yourself with a pumpkin and charge past the break.%Gallery-29623%
Overlord overload: Sequel incoming, new versions planned for Wii, DS
Triumph Studios' excellent (but flawed) Overlord will receive a sequel on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, along with new versions for the Wii and DS, all scheduled for 2009. IGN reports Overlord II will have smarter minions who can ride mounts, use war machines and sail ships. The scope of the game world has been broadened in the sequel and the controls for the Pikmin-style gameplay have been "greatly improved." We loved the first game, and it's great to hear about all these improvements for the sequel, but we hope "polish" is a word that Triumph doesn't forget this time around.The Overlord franchise will also spawn Overlord Dark Legend on Wii by Climax Studios, an "all new game" penned by Rhianna Pratchett. The game seems to be set in the original Overlord's world with many of the same characters, but with the inclusion of some fractured fairy tale aspect. Finally, on DS (and also by Climax Studios), Overlord Minion will present players with a puzzle action game. OK, does that about cover all the Overlord info? Good, all hail the Overlord!Source -- Overlord 2: Xbox 360, PS3, PCSource -- Overlord Dark Legend: WiiSource -- Overlord Minion: DS
Overlord moving his minions over to Wii
Click to see more screens Remember that PS3 and Xbox 360 game Overlord? No? Well, you aren't alone (it was kind of like Pikmin, only less good), but Codemasters has decided to bring the IP over to Wii anyway. Thankfully, though, they're building a new title from the ground up.Development for the new game, titled Overlord: Dark Legend, will be handled by Climax Studios. They're aiming for a 2009 release, and the producer of the game, Dean Scott, assures that this is "an all new game, designed especially for Wii," with a "new story, new characters," and "new gameplay." Based on his brief chat with IGN, it sounds like a majority of the game will be a pointer-based affair, with gamers using the Wiimote's IR sensor to direct their horde of minions. And what about those minions? "It's the same four minion types, but we've given them new abilities," said Scott. "Some of these may be themed around bodily functions that childish folk like us find hilarious."Be sure to check out first screens from the upcoming game in our gallery below!%Gallery-29623%
