prey
Latest
Man uses Prey to track stolen MacBook Pro hundreds of miles, calls thief
Here's an incredible story of how author Sean Power retrieved his stolen 17" MacBook Pro from 800km away, using Prey and Twitter. Sean's bag containing his laptop, some money and other important items was stolen. Three days later, he received a report from Prey noting the computer's location and a picture of the alleged thief, which was taken by the MBP's camera. Soon the man in custody of the laptop launched Skype from a bar, and Sean was able to learn his name. Sean then took to Twitter, explaining the situation to his followers, who began to do a Google search on the name, determining that he was part owner of the bar. Sean then contacted the police while a Twitter follower volunteered to wait for them to arrive at the bar, posing as a woman who was waiting on a friend. The police never arrived, noting that Sean hadn't filed a stolen item report. In the meantime, Sean watched as the man checked his email and even his bank account. Eventually, Sean called the man's cell phone. The man freely gave up the laptop, bag and all of the stolen belongings to people in the bar. It's an incredible story, and one that could have gone very wrong (approaching an alleged thief is best left to police). Prey played no small role. This piece of software can take photos of a person using a computer as well as sceenshots, all undetected. It will use either GPS or Wi-Fi triangulation to note its location, and it can keep your data locked down. It's an incredible story, and we're glad it worked out. Congratulations to Sean and Prey.
Zenimax picks up 'Prey' trademark
Though we heard about a planned follow-up to the gravity-twisting Prey way back in March of 2008, things have been quiet on the game ever since. Now, according to filings found by superannuation, Bethesda parent company Zenimax has acquired the rights to the series. Does this mean that id Software, which was recently acquired by Bethesda, is collaborating with the publisher on an incredible, post-apocalyptic open-world game filled with Native Americans and disturbingly vaginal doors? Yes. Yes, that's exactly what it means. But you didn't hear it from us.
Direct2Drive hosting huge 2K Games half off sale
Digital distribution retailer Direct2Drive is playing host to a pretty sweet deal for those who've been hesitant to pick up 2K's PC gaming offerings for reasons financial. D2D is offering a huge selection of their 2K Games catalog for half off until May 31. For just $9.95, you can nab Bioshock, Civilization IV, Serious Sam Gold, Prey and a few others -- or, for just $7.50, you can pick up the entire five-game X-Com series. That's $1.50 per game. If that doesn't blow your mind, you should really consider getting your frugality receptors examined.[Via Big Download]
Pray that Prey on iPhone is solid
Wall-walking sci-fi shooter Prey is set to blast away on the iPhone. IGN reveals that the title, based on the shooter for Xbox 360 and PC, is set to be released on the App Store in the "next few weeks." There's no shortage of experimentation going on with iPhone software at the moment, so perhaps there's room for first-person shooters to bring in the hardcore.Developer MachineWorks uses an "on-screen virtual analog stick" for players to control protagonist Tommy's actions, with on-screen "buttons" to shoot and use powers. A nice touch is that all the buttons are movable, so gamers can properly position them for maximum alien carnage efficiency. There's also various levels of transparency for the controls, so that you can have it just out of site and not cluttering your HUD. Look for Prey on iPhone it In when the title becomes available.
3D Realm: Prey coming to the iPhone
This is pretty exciting -- 3D Realms has announced that their 2006 first-person shooter, Prey, is coming to the iPhone. IGN has a preview up now, and it looks pretty impressive -- the texture work is very well done, and the gravity-defying puzzles that helped the original game stand out as an above-average shooter are back as well.As you can see above, the controls are overlaid on the touchscreen, and while IGN says they take a little getting used to (they're obviously not the usual WASD and mouse movement that most shooter fans are used to), they do work well once you figure them out (and you can change the transparency of the controls, so they won't get in your way while you're blasting aliens). 3D Realms says there's no release date yet (the port is being done by a company called MachineWorks Northwest), but it'll definitely be something to watch out for. Thanks, Nick!
First Prey 2 details and concept art revealed
It's been nearly two years since the release of Human Head Studio's nausea-inducing FPS, Prey -- and subsequently, since 3D Realms' Scott Miller dropped hints of a sequel for the game. From July 2006 to yesterday morning, no news of Prey 2 had surfaced, leading some to believe the franchise had gone the way of the Duke. Luckily, Shacknews caught wind of a Radar Group website (which, for some reason, was taken down shortly after its inception) with some concept art and juicy, but brief, details about the game.Tommy, the astral-projecting hero of Prey the first, will reprise his role as the brash protagonist. Blamed for the disappearance of his family, Tommy "escapes an Earth that no longer wants him for a future that cannot survive without him", according to the short-lived website. This short tidbit along with a single piece of concept art were all that Radar Group had to tease us with for now -- rumor has it that we'll be hearing more about the sequel some time this week. We'll let you know when that update narbuncularly drops into our hot little hands.
Duke Nukem won't be 3D Realms' next 'big announcement'
3D Realms has some big announcements coming in the next six months, but nothing about Duke Nukem Forever, according to new creative director Raphael Van Lierop."I can say that we have a big announcement coming in the next four weeks, and I'm not sure, but I believe we have another major announcement coming in the next four to six months," he said in an interview with Gamasutra. "While I can't say exactly what these are, are they about Duke Nukem Forever? No."Since beginning the DNF project just over a decade ago, the company has managed to release 12 titles, which can be summed up as Prey, two Max Paynes and nine Duke Nukem iterations. Van Lierop said that their business model benefits from a "very collaborative relationship" with other developers. If DNF isn't one of the company's next two big announcements, then we'll likely see another partnership, perhaps the Prey sequel that 3DR's CEO Scott Miller told Firing Squad in February was already mapped out from a "high-level story standpoint." The first big announcement will coincide with this year's E3 Media and Business Summit. Fun fact: In the span of two questions, or 521 words, in the interview, there are 9 mentions to Duke Nukem Forever, totaling 27 words (with only one of those references by the interviewer). That's over 5% of the words used in that section!
Human Head CEO forms new development company
Former Human Head CEO and chairman Timothy Gerritsen left the house that built Prey in November of last year to graze in greener, more independent pastures. Today his new game development studio Big Rooster has been formally announced, plunking Gerritsen in the growing list of game development folk striking out on their own. Big Rooster will focus on developing original titles with an emphasis on "combining depth of design with top quality visual and audio game content". Digital distribution will be a major part of the plan and the studio has already begun work on its first game, Talisman, due at the end of the year.
Human Head CEO quit in Nov, talks now
FiringSquad reports that Human Head CEO Timothy Gerritsen has left the studio; in fact, he did so shortly before Thanksgiving last year. When questioned, Gerritsen said he departed on friendly terms, but was driven to leave because of creative differences. Gerritsen did not like the direction the other owners were steering Human Head in.Gerritsen confirmed that he would remain in game development, though he declined to give specifics. Human Head co-founder and president Paul MacArthur has been acting as interim CEO.
Human Head hints at Prey 2 features
Prey was one of the first Xbox 360 games to really have a good deal of hype before its release. While the game itself may not have fulfilled all the hopes and dreams of its followers, it did turn out to be a fairly solid shooter. The level designs were interesting, the weapons were cool, and the story was neat, if a little sparse. In a retrospective interview with CVG, Human Head's Chris Rhinehart speaks briefly about what's in store for Prey 2. Rhinehart hints that portals will definitely have a larger presence, and that enemy AI will use them more effectively. He also mentions a Prey mod which gives players a portal generating wrench (not unlike the gun in Portal). We can only imagine that Human Head is considering something similar for the sequel. He concludes by saying that the team has ideas that are "way beyond" what was seen in the first game and that Human Head will "definitely be taking things in a different direction next time." We really enjoyed Prey, and we're looking forward to what Human Head will do with a sequel.What would you like to see in Prey 2?[Via 1UP]
Triton users to get replacement copy of Prey
With digital distributor Triton now six feet under, those who purchased Prey are now unable to use their copies. Fortunately, 3D Realms has already set into motion a solution: by sending the disenfranchised boxed copies of Prey to their credit card addresses. Furthermore, Triton staff member OBWANDO promised that they're trying to get a patch through that removes the downloaded copy's dependency on Triton. Tipster James raises an interesting question: what would happen if Steam shut down? Presumably, Valve would give enough of a warning to distribute patches that allow the games to work without Steam, but the Triton incident reveals some unintended ramifications of digital distribution.[Thanks, James]
Prey it forward; Prey downloads are free
Thanks to the generosity of the fine folks at 3D Realms, Xbox 360 gamers can save their precious Microsoft Points for some more Gamertag pics, or maybe buy some video manuals and missing soccer teams from EA while PC gamers can ... well, they're in a constant state of saving for new video cards, so they can just keep saving.The downloadable content for Prey has arrived and, as promised, it's free (as in beer). The Xbox 360 version has five new multiplayer characters and four new multiplayer maps, while the PC download has the same as well as some tasty bug fixes. [Thanks to all the cheapskates that sent this in!]Read - Prey 360 Additional Content Now AvailableRead - Prey v1.2 PC Patch Release
Prey content to be cheap as free
This just in: downloadable content for Prey -- to be available "when it's done" -- will cost you nothing. Absolutely nothing! To be fair, the actual price is zero MS Points. We'll leave it to our readers to make the conversion to their particular currency*.*Hint: it's nothing.[Via Joystiq]
Prey extras to cost $0 (that's 0 MS points)
Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace is like the wild west; a new frontier where bold pioneers make the rules as they go. First, a swarthy, mustachioed gent named Beth Esda (hey, it's a dude's name!) starting charging folks for what he called "horse armor." This armor was little more than a fancy horse blanket, but Esda ran a tough gang, and folks were curious, so he did all right by himself.Plenty of other shopkeepers came into town, hawking their wares with little regard for the "horse armor" precedent and finding some success ... and then a stranger came to town. D.D.D. Realms thought folks should get new multiplayer maps and skins for nuttin' so, before even opening up shop, he announced that all Native American-themed Prey content, both in his XBLA store and the PC store down the street, would be free of charge. Of course, folks know all about D.D.D. Realms, who's been promising 'em some Duke Nukem flimflam since as far back as the '90s and, just like that product, this new Prey content will be available "when it's done." It remains to be seen if other shopkeepers follow his low-priced lead or if it's still every publisher for himself.
360 games rock the sales charts
Microsoft released some updated retail sales numbers yesterday, and the results are good. First, the big M reiterated its goal of shipping 10 million Xbox 360 consoles by the end of Holiday '06, and 13-15 million by the end of the fiscal year in June '07. As for the numbers, the 360 has maintained a very high accessory attach rate at 2.9 accessories per console (apparently a record). Of course, this is somewhat misleading as Microsoft has made accessory purchases somewhat essential (battery chargers, play n' charge, memory card, etc.). It would be interesting to see what the attach rate is for optional accessories like faceplates.Software attach rates are also becoming larger, with an average of 4.6 games sold per console. Most of our readers will know that 4.6 is a very high attach rate for games. Also mentioned in the announcement, the 360 has four of the top ten games sold in the US this month, including: Chromehounds, NCAA Football 2007, Prey, and LOTR: BFME II. Don't be shocked if Madden '07 and Dead Rising make that list as well.Very encouraging numbers for Microsoft, indeed. Now if they could just get some momentum going in Japan ...
Prey gets patched, new content soon
Some of you may have noticed an update last time you loaded Prey. This may or may not have been a recently announced patch from 3D Realms -- according to their site, the ETA for the patch is still "soon". Looks like ten years just wasn't enough time to test and polish all the bugs (I keed! I keed!). Seriously though, the patch should address the multiplayer lag issues on the 360 version and a few other bugs as well. In addition to the patch, expect to see some new content soon. Included in the content will be some new maps tooled for smaller groups. These should accommodate 2-4 players (and possibly limit lag). 3D Realms will be releasing 6 new player models as well (4 female and 2 hunters). Thus far, none of this content has been priced and no release date has been given. New content is great, fellas, but how about some more multiplayer modes?[Via Joystiq]
A Prey patch in the works [update 1]
3D Realms released news that patches are on the way for both the PC and 360 versions of their cool, but short first-person shooter Prey. If you're like us and finished Prey long ago and were left with nothing else to do but watch a horrid multiplayer slug along, this is great news.While the single player side is a truly solid game, the multiplayer version of Prey -- at least on the 360 -- is a complete mess of epic proportions. Here are some fixes coming to the PC version: Fixed a crash at startup on some machines Fixed a crash on some machines when reading saved games Fixed multiplayer weapon exploit The studio announced its fixes for the console version as such: "[The] 360 patch for Prey which will address the network lag issues on the 360 as well as fix several bugs there as well." No date has been announced for the patch releases, but they promise to have them out "very, very soon."[Update: Apparently "very soon" means today. If you start up Prey, an update will be waiting for you. We tested multiplayer to see if it was fixed and it wasn't. The game was still very laggy and close to unplayable. In fact, in one game we tried to get into, the game completely froze. Thanks for the tip, Grim]
PLAY! Symphony plays Prey in Phillay tonight (we'll be there)
Philly is racking up the video game concerts this summer. First, the Video Games Live concert at the Merriam Theater in June*, and now rival production PLAY! at the Mann Center tonight, 8:30.Just to make the evening super special, the promoters added some music from the (better than you'd think) Prey soundtrack to the already impressive program. Other titles on the RPG-heavy lineup include Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross and Trigger, Morrowind, Kingdom Hearts, Shenmue, and more. Tickets are still available so if this is the first you've heard about it, get buying.I'll be at the show tonight with (just a) couple oddly sized Joystiq shirts to give away so, if you can answer me who composed the music for Sonic Rush (don't answer it here!), you may get yourself a fancy tee.*I promise I'll recount my very tardy VGL experience in addition to PLAY! so y'all can compare and contrast.
This news is so old! Prey video circa 1998
Prey is old. No, seriously, Prey is really old. No, you're not listening. Prey was in development for almost as long as Duke Nukem Forever. That's how old it is. As a little blast from the past, check out this video interview from 1998 with Prey developer Paul Shuytema. This video shows off some of the original concepts for the portals and more than a few weapons that didn't make the cut -- some of them looked pretty nice, too. And of course, you get to see the jaw dropping graphics that only a Voodoo 2 could muster (in truth pretty amazing for 1998). We're rocking 266 megahertz, boyeee![Via Evil Avatar]
Promo card hints at Prey movie
Let's all hope that Uwe Boll doesn't catch wind of this, but an astute Joystiq reader brought something very interesting to our attention. In true Wheels of Fortune style, our little tipster figured out that according to a Prey promotional card included in the 360 game, a movie based on the newly released title could be in the works. Filling in the blanks of the secret code "prymvyscrnplycmng2007" reveals the possible: Prey movie screenplay coming 2007. Now granted, the people behind this may not know how to spell the word "movie" correctly (notice it says "mvy"), but it can't be sheer coincidence that this just happens to spell out this particular message, can it?For those of us who've spent some time with the game, we know how good the story is. So, put in the right hands, it could make for a very entertaining movie. So long as you know who doesn't take charge.[Thanks, Chris Soulodre]
