prince of persia
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Gyllenhaal freezes time, becomes Prince of Persia
Just when you think Hollywood is getting hip to how game movies should be you're pushed down the well of reality. According to the Hollywood Reporter Jake Gyllenhaal, of Donne Darko fame, has been cast as the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's produced adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. To be fair, that's not what we're scratching our heads at.In the announcement Gyllenhaal is said to be cast as Dastan, for the first time naming the Prince since he was imagined by Jordan Mechner in 1989. Joining Gyllenhaal is Gemma Arterton who plays Dastan's love interest--the beautiful Princess Tamina. Yeah, they changed that name too. We don't know why the changes are needed, but we're sure to find out soon.In the film Dastan and Tamina join forces to prevent an evil nobleman from stealing the Sands of Time, which, remainning true to the game it's based on, allows its wielder to reverse the flow of time.Directed by Mike Newell, no relation to Gabe, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is set to begin filming in Morocco this July.[via Big Download]
Jake Gyllenhaal is The Prince of Persia, says Hollywood Reporter
Demented teenager, apocalypse survivor, bubble boy, bottom boi and now the Prince of Persia. Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast to play the title "roll" (tumble, flip) in The Prince of Persia movie adaptation produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Before the complaining begins, it could've been worse (read: it could've been Orlando Bloom).Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a sixth century Persian prince who joins up with Tamina (played by nooblet Gemma Arterton) in an attempt to prevent The Bad Guy from using the Sands of Time. Production begins in July, so Jake's got plenty of time for the serious waxing and spray-on tanning necessary for the role.[Via Cinematical]
Stay up to date with Prince of Persia screens and artwork
While the new Prince of Persia is still a little ways off, we have a few pieces of artwork and some old-ish screenshots for you to look at thanks to Game Informer Online. What we'd really like to see is this game in motion -- taking on the Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter art style is a big risk, especially for an established franchise. Still, it looks pretty nice on its own and the artwork shows off some potential areas to explore as well as the new main character's blade. Enjoy!
Prince of Persia hitting shelves before year's end, ideally
Consider the headline for what it is: an ideal. Ubisoft is quite optimistic with the idea they'll be able to launch the new Prince of Persia title in the third quarter of this fiscal year (October - December). This is, of course, pretty stunning to gamers because the title had been in the dark until very recently and is getting released in a matter of months. We say it's an idealistic goal because, like most games this generation, delays are nearly inevitable. We'll hear more during Ubidays at the end of this month, we're sure. Until then, fingers crossed!
Prince of Persia Speedpainting? Ready, Set, GO!
Do you like art? We here at X3F absolutely do, especially when it has to do with a game that sounds great and that we don't know a whole lot about yet. In a sped-up video of Ubisoft's character artist working his magic, we watch as twenty minutes (amazing!) of work flies by in about a minute, producing a stylized likeness of the protagonist. And as is becoming more common in the gaming world, there are plans to keep the short video clips of the game coming. With the job or introducing all the potential players to the world in hopes they'll eventually become actual players. A pic of the artwork can be found here.
New Prince of Persia not coming to a Wii near you
Despite us getting excited about a Prince of Persia prequel back in October, it looks like we're left out to dry on the new Prince of Persia game that was recently confirmed. According to a post over at Nintendic, the odds of us getting this new game are pretty slim.That's not to say that Ubisoft doesn't want to bring the franchise back to the Wii, however. They're currently investigating how to bring Prince of Persia back to the console. Let's just hope they put a bit more into it than their last effort, should it happen.[Via Joystiq]
New Prince of Persia info spotted in EDGE magazine
Wow -- Ubisoft wasn't kidding when they said they were going to take the Prince of Persia franchise is new directions. A new article in Edge magazine explains a lot of the concepts and ideas going into the game, so let us know if you decide this is too much of a change, too fast. The game remains in Ubisoft Montreal's hands -- so you're getting the same team that worked on the first trilogy of games. The team will be using the same engine used in Assassin's Creed (which we expected). The difference between this game and Assassin's Creed is the visual style. The team wants to go for "fantasy, but credible" like those found in the new Street Fighter or classic animated film like Princess Mononoke.This is a new story. The sands of time are gone and so is that cast of characters, including the prince. You're a wanderer lost in the desert. You're thrown into a conflict between two gods: Ormazd and Ahriman, light and darkness respectively. Ahriman has released a plague on mankind or something, so you decide to meddle in this war and stop it. This is where the changes happen.Past Prince titles launched you into a world that was filled with a room, then enemies, then another room in an incredibly linear, but satisfying, pattern. Say farewell to that. This game is truly non-linear and will allow you to progress the game in whatever order you see fit. Every fight in the game will be a duel -- you won't be slicing around bad guys like an overpowered acrobat anymore unless it's one-on-one. You don't even win a lot of these duels, apparently -- you just make the enemy retreat for a time and then fight them off again until you manage to defeat them. More secrets are being kept, so we'll inform you as soon as they are revealed!
Next Prince of Persia will 'never' be ported to Wii
In much the same way that one might admire the Lillberg sofa-bed in an IKEA before throwing a mid-riot brick through the window, Ubisoft says it was impressed with the Wii's capabilities while bringing Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (by its own admission a "quick and dirty port") to the console. Nintendic reports that the company told Edge magazine that it would like to return the Persian prince to Nintendo's box, only (and presumably) it would put some actual effort into it this time. Ubisoft is also emphatic that this game, if ever given the green light, wouldn't be a port of the recently announced next-gen entry. In fact, it said, that will "never happen." So ... can we put that down for a "maybe?"
Prince of Persia franchise takes new direction in these scans
It's been a while since we've been able to really show anything off regarding the new story arc coming up in the next Prince of Persia game. Finally, some scans from the magazine Joypad show off the art style being utilized as well as some gameplay elements. We think. See, we don't speak French very well, but we can definitely look at pretty pictures. What do you guys think? The new prince and the new cel-shading: pass or fail? We'll find out.
Rumor: New Prince of Persia screens and info
It would seem that Ubisoft's new entry in the Prince of Persia series has become a little bit clearer thanks to French magazine Joypad. Purported scans from the magazine have hit the net with screens of a cel-shaded Prince doing his princely business (you know, running, jumping, killing monsters, that kind of thing). A rough translation of the info (courtesy of NeoGAF) reveals that the Prince must "unleash light-wells to heal a corrupted world." Doing so causes real-time changes to the environment (plants magically regrowing, etc.). Of course, it's the Prince's fault that the world is corrupted. He frees an evil god, you see (always getting into trouble, that Prince). The time mechanic has been ditched, though the Prince retains his athletic and acrobatic prowess. A new combat system has been devised to take advantage of this, featuring fewer enemies to make for more intense one on one combat. The number of bosses has also been reduced, the developers having decided to make them more central to the story and more memorable. Hit the "read" links for more details. Read -- NeoGAF translation (the forum is currently down) Read -- Prince of Persia screens [Via Joystiq]
Rumor: New Prince of Persia detailed in Joypad mag
Though it's been officially announced for a Holiday 2008 release, Ubisoft's next and "next-gen" Prince of Persia hasn't been glimpsed outside of some leaked concept art (seen above). Of course, that's not a situation the internet can tolerate for very long, with alleged magazine scans of the royal wall runner already popping up on several sites. New information and images, reportedly emerging from the pages of French mag, Joypad, reveal the cel-shaded prince leaping through several stunning environments. A loose (and unconfirmed) French translation from the NeoGAF forum indicate that our acrobatic pal has gone and done something regrettable again -- this time he's let an evil god out of its box and needs to restore the corrupted world (a la Okami) bit by bit. Quick, rewind the time! Oh, wait, that's supposedly not in the game anymore. Instead, it seems the Ubisoft Montreal team has started anew, with more open levels ("multiple paths can be taken"), a greater reliance on the environment ("Prince can slide along any walls using his glove") and fewer, more memorable bosses "inspired by" Metal Gear Solid. It's not specified whether you'll have to change wireless controller channels to defeat any of them.Read -- NeoGAF translation (the forum is currently down)Read -- Prince of Persia screens
Prince of Persia coming to PS3 by the end of 2008
Ubisoft Montreal have announced that the Prince of Persia franchise will be making its giant leap onto next-gen systems. The as yet unnamed sequel to the rejuvenate the action-adventure genre" with the next Prince of Persia as well as introducing a "brand-new illustrative art style" to the series. No doubt we'll hear more about this at Ubisoft's Ubidays at the end of this month. Until then you'll have to remain satisfied with the knowledge you'll be playing an all new -- next-gen -- Prince of Persia before the end of the year. Even if it doesn't have a name yet.[Via Press Release]
Ubisoft confirms new Prince of Persia for holiday 08
Today Ubisoft announced that a new title in the Prince of Persia franchise will release this holiday season. The latest entry, which is simply titled Prince of Persia, is currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal and will launch on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.According to the publisher the latest installment in the franchise, "[opens] a new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe" and will feature a new style of gameplay "poised to rejuvenate the action-adventure genre." Along with the new gameplay Ubisoft promises a new "illustrative" art style. Well, color us excited.[via Joystiq]
Prince of Persia bounding its way to DS
Talk about a blast from the past. We last heard about plans to bring Prince of Persia to the DS way back in August 2006, and now Ubisoft has dispatched another press release confirming that the next Prince of Persia title will indeed appear on our favorite handheld, as well as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It's being handled by the same folks who made the sublime Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (the DS edition is said to be "specifically designed" for the system, with a new storyline and new characters), and is scheduled to appear towards the end of 2008.Truth be told, we have no idea whether this is the same title that was being discussed almost two years ago, but really, who cares? As long as we're definitely getting more Prince of Persia on our handhelds, we're happy.* And this year as well! Hurray!* That is, providing it's very different from 2005's utterly mediocre Battles of Prince of Persia, because another game like Battles of Prince of Persia wouldn't make us very happy at all. Quite the opposite, actually. Oh, and this must be 2D, Ubi.[Via press release]
Prince of Persia officially returns this holiday
Ubisoft announced today that the next installment in the Prince of Persia franchise will release by holiday '08. The game, at this time simply called Prince of Persia (not Prince of Persia Prodigy), is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal (Assassin's Creed and the PoP: Sands of Time trilogy) and will launch on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.According to the publisher, this new Prince of Persia "is opening a new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe" and will feature a new breed of gameplay "poised to rejuvenate the action-adventure genre." The company also states the game will introduce an "illustrative art style." The DS isn't left out in all this, as it'll receive a game -- albeit one with a different storyline and new characters. With a holiday release confirmed, we'll be sure to get some hands-on time with the game at E3.[Via GameDaily]
Ubisoft registers PrinceOfPersiaProdigy.com
How can a mysteriously cryptic countdown site get even more cryptic? Well, it can eventually lead to a picture of Daniel Day-Lewis. Or, it can be discovered before the cryptic marketing campaign even begins. What an enigma! That's exactly the case with whatever "Prince of Persia Prodigy" is. First, the phrase was trademarked by series creator Jordan Mechner, now the domain (www.princeofpersiaprodigy.com) has been registered by Ubisoft.It once redirected to this odd page, which features a series of glowing blue characters being obscured by black goo, symbiote style. Now, the domain doesn't even do that! So, what does it all mean? ... We don't know, and we're not going to put the energy into finding out. Much like Danny Glover or Castro, we're getting too old for this doody. But maybe you youngsters can piece it together.[Via X3F]
Ubisoft trademarks Prince of Persia Prodigy
It's been rumored for a while, and even officially confirmed for fiscal year 2008, but we really don't know much about the next Prince of Persia game. The loose talk is that the next trilogy will be a form of prequel, and it looks as though the first game of said trilogy could be called Prodigy. Recently trademarked by Ubisoft, Prince of Persia Prodigy is an admittedly vague title and could possibly refer to another PoP product, but with a new official teaser site up and the game rumored to be hitting this fall, an official name hitting now feels about right.Furthermore, other rumors say that the game will be shown at Ubidays (an editorial event) sometime in the near future and that the game's REAL title is in fact Prince of Persia Zero. We'll just have to wait for Ubidays for more concrete info, but those with time to kill can endlessly refresh the official page to attempt to quickly decipher the writing before it's covered.%Gallery-21364%[Via NeoGAF]
'Prince of Persia Prodigy' trademarked by Jordan Mechner
Trademork brings us word that Jordan Mechner, creator of wall-running time reverser, Prince of Persia, has filed to protect a new trademark. "Prince of Persia Prodigy" is now listed in relation to "game software and electronic game programs; electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers." With Ubisoft suggesting that a new entry in the franchise is due to PoP up on modern consoles, one could speculate that "Prodigy" will serve as a subtitle to the royal acrobat's next adventure. One could also speculate that it implies a tie-in with the electropunk group of the same name, taking us back to the dark and angst-ridden tone of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. That being the case, one should hope that one counts the number of people seriously considering such a project.A second paragraph of speculation might also draw a connection between the trademark and next year's "not a video game movie" adaptation of Prince of Persia. How could anybody resist a game based on a movie based on a game?
Orlando Bloom not the Prince of Persia [updated]
Update: Well, that's a relief. ComingSoon.net relays word from Disney that Orlando Bloom has not been cast as the eponymous prince. As for David Zandi ... we're still rooting for you, mate!Original post:Just forget about focus group-favorite David Zandi; who needs a real Persian prince anyhow? Instead – in what must have been a fevered race to cast the prettiest, and least Persian-looking, male actor working in Hollywood – Orlando Bloom apparently edged out Zac Efron for the title role in Jerry Bruckheimer's mega-budget "not a video game movie" adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.The downside: Bloom's reportedly pulling in $40 million for the role (fun fact: that's $40 million more than any of us will ever see). The upside: We're glad to know there's at least one casting director in Hollywood who probably doesn't disagree with our choice of Woody Allen as Marcus Fenix in Gears of War.[Via Cinematical]%Gallery-1859%
Survey favors Persian prince for Prince of Persia role
Normally, we're not in favor of stunt casting, but this may be almost too good to pass up. IESB.net got its hands on a casting survey that was circulated asking participants who they'd select to play the titular role in an upcoming film version of Prince of Persia. Their top pick (by an impressive margin) was David Zandi, an actor and movie executive who is, himself, a Persian prince.But the type-casting doesn't stop there. A quick look at his IMDB profile reveals that he's also a champion equestrian and has trained in fencing and Roman sword fighting. Also, he's in possession of a magical dagger that allows him to bend the very flow of time, which moves it from coincedence to just plain eerie.
