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Recommended Reading: Michael Jackson's music in 'Sonic 3'
The Michael Jackson Video Game Conspiracy Todd Van Luling, Huffington Post If you paid attention to the music in Sonic 3, you likely noticed some of the audio resembles Michael Jackson's tunes. While Sega admitted the King of Pop was involved with the soundtrack, it claimed to have nixed all of his work from the final version despite obvious nods to the singer. As it turns out, that's not exactly the case and Huffington Post details the a decade-spanning search for the truth from some of Sonic's biggest fans.
This is why 'Prince of Persia' has the legacy it does
Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time defined how the company looks at its properties. But before the publisher began pumping out annual sequels with a startling cadence at rapidly diminishing returns, there was just the Prince and his snazzy ability to rewind time while jumping, wall-running and shimmying from stone column to stone column. And it's the latest episode of DoubleFine Productions' "Devs Play" series that focuses on that seminal game and finds its director, Patrice Desilets, explaining what went into development.
Myst and SimCity enter the History of Electronic Games collection
Broderbund Software's legacy is sure to live on through ports, sequels and source code, but what about the game developer's behind-the-scenes history? Thankfully, it won't be fading away any time soon. Company founder Doug Carlston has donated Broderbund's software and corporate records to The Strong, a museum dedicated to all forms of play. The move should help illustrate the creation process behind every title that Broderbund published, including classics like Myst, Prince of Persia, the original SimCity and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. The collection isn't limited to game assets -- Carlston is donating correspondence, photos and other material that reveals the studio's culture. Few people will get to see this treasure trove of gaming nostalgia in person, but it should preserve Broderbund's accomplishments for a long time to come.
Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online
You wouldn't think it would take more than two weeks to extract some source code from a pile of 3.5-inch floppies and post it online, but getting files from 1989 to play nice with a MacBook Air is no simple feat. That's why we're so appreciative of Jordan Mechner, who put the time and effort into freeing his creation, Prince of Persia, from its magnetic prison. If you want to try and build the platforming classic for your own system, hit up the source link. Or, just wait for someone else to do it for you -- we're sure it wont take long for some friendly binary formats to hit the web.
Original source code for Prince of Persia posted to Github
Before Ubisoft, there was Jordan Mechner, a Yale University graduate and video game designer. He may not be a household name among younger Apple fans, but vintage Apple aficionados fondly remember his first title, Prince of Persia. The story about this game took an interesting twist recently when the source code for the title, presumed to be lost, was found by Mechner's father. The classic game was published by Brøderbund for the Apple II back in 1989 and became an instant hit. Variations of the game eventually made its way to almost every video game platform thanks to Ubisoft which joined forces with Mechner in the early 2000s. During this transitional time from indie title to video game stardom, Mechner stored the original Prince of Persia disks and forget where he put them. According to Mechner's blog post, his father was spring cleaning and found a box of odds and ends that he sent to his son. Mechner was shocked to discover the original 3.5″ Apple ProDOS disks containing the Prince of Persia source code in that box. With the help of digital archivist Jason Scott, Mechner was able to retrieve the code and view it on his Macbook. He has now shared it on Github for the world to see.
Prince of Persia creator finds lost source code, cues delicate chip fanfare
No, we don't mean the modern interpretation and its moody sequels -- this is the 1989 original. Jordan Mechner created the first Prince of Persia game for the Apple II. However, the source code ended up lost in the sands of time -- until Mechner's dad discovered a box filled with 3.5-inch ProDOS disks. The creator's now attempting to transfer the code across to his MacBook Air and get it working on modern platforms. We just have to remember how to beat our evil reflection.
Ubisoft founds motion picture division, vows to keep Jake Gyllenhaal working
Quick show of hands: how many of you like playing video games? And how many of you would like to watch movies based on video games you've played? No doubt slightly more sophisticated market research went into Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the game maker's unique approach to adapting games like Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell for film and TV, meaning we'll finally see movies about assassins. Last year's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time film grossed $335 million worldwide, surely thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's smoldering yet boyish intensity, and the French game publisher clearly wants a bigger slice of Hollywood pie -- it also recently bought visual effects studio Hybride Technologies. You might as well get in line now for Battle Tag: The Movie.
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]
'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?
Prince of Persia heads to Morocco for film shoot
The transition between video game and film is typically no different than one of those trap-laden corridors Ubisoft's princely protagonist dashes through on a regular basis. Though we yearn to say otherwise, Disney's Prince of Persia: Sands of Time film hasn't shown to be particularly adept at running the gauntlet. Coupling mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement with director Mike Newell's promise (of having his assistant play through the game) leads us to believe that the crew has fallen into the very first pit and succumbed to one of those spinning blade thingies.Still, we'd best give them a chance to finish shooting in Morocco this June, which Variety notes will have a positive effect on the North African film business. Scenes for the Jeffrey Nachmanoff- and Jordan Mechner-written project will also be filmed at the UK's Pinewood Shepperton studios. Cross your fingers and hope for something more than a literal explosion of bullet-time sword fights, churlish chariot chases and liberal lingering on Farah's faucets.
New Prince of Persia is official for fiscal 08
Alright readers, are you sitting down? You should probably sit down, because we have some shocking news. Okay, everyone ready? Good. Ubisoft has confirmed the existence of a new Prince of Persia. We know, right? We never saw it coming either. Not in a million years. And yet, it's true. The game was mentioned in an Ubisoft financial release alongside other games planned for their fiscal 2008, which begins this April. No further details were unveiled, even a vague release window. For instance, we don't know if the game will tie into the upcoming film expected in 2009 or if it will be part of the rumored prequel trilogy. Maybe our dreams of Altair making a guest appearance will come true (historical accuracy be damned!).[Via Joystiq]
Prince of Persia creator talks film adaptation, pitching project
If you're curious to know how Prince of Persia became a film, series creator and movie screenwriter Jordan Mechner spoke with GameDaily to talk about how he went about pitching the idea to Disney, who told him he needed a producer like Jerry Bruckheimer, and then how he took that to mean "pitch to Jerry Bruckheimer" and subsequently won him over. Mechner described writing the screenplay as a 21-month process (three months for first draft, 18 months of revisions), "not counting the 15 years of preparation before that," he said.Said Mechner about changes from the game's plot, "If I'd tried to adapt the game's storyline beat for beat into a screenplay, we would have wound up with a 'B'-level survival-horror movie about a warrior prince who spends most of his time fighting off ravaging, zombie-like sand creatures -- basically, Resident Evil in the desert." Did he just call the Resident Evil films B-level? Oh snap!
Bruckheimer might change Prince of Persia time period
Jerry Bruckheimer spilled a little bit to Collider.com about the upcoming Prince of Persia film that he hopes to start filming in June. Though it seems to still be in the pretty early stages, Bruckheimer says he sees a lot of possibilities for the franchise. One of the things still in flux, he says, is exactly what time period the film will be set in. Though he says it's not going to be in modern day, he won't rule anything else out.So, let's recap what we know so far: Director Mike Newell isn't playing the game and isn't making a 'videogame movie.' Meanwhile, the movie could be set in any period since the beginning of time. Does anybody else smell a hit? And why do hits smell like diapers?[Via Shacknews]
NBC's 'Life' investigates Prince of Persia
Writers -- the unsung heroes of television detective work! Sprinkling logic crumbs throughout the investigation and frequently bending reality to ensure those pesky crooks get captured, the behind-the-scenes scribes are the ones doing the real dirty work. Witness the investigative team of NBC "Life" being given a bona fide boon in the improbable decision of a drug dealer to hide incriminating files inside his console, which we're helpfully informed is "just a hard drive with games on it." Accessing the evidence requires an embarrassing plot device yanked straight from the zeitgeist: The detectives must dramatically reach "Level 10" in Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, preferably with the aid of a stealth gurrrl gamer.[Thanks, Hashbrown_Hunter]
Newell: Prince of Persia 'not a video game movie'
Mike Newell had only been at the helm of the upcoming Prince of Persia movie for five days when he started insisting that it was a great story first, and a video game movie .. well, not at all. "It's not a video game movie," Newell told Rotten Tomatoes. "It's a great story. If you had read the script, you would know that it wasn't a video game. It's very exciting and it's immensely romantic and it's like Lost Horizon. It takes you to somewhere you've never been." Sure, that doesn't fill us with loads of confidence, but if you consider the "video game movie" canon, we can't blame him for wanting to distance his film from that pile of wickedness. Besides, if you're worried about him staying true to the series, Rotten Tomatoes reports he "has an assistant playing the video games to brief him on key details" ... so you're completely justified in your concern. Well done.[Thanks, Hashbrown_Hunter]
Harry Potter director offered Prince of Persia movie reins
Variety reports that mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer has offered director duties for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to Mike Newell. Although Newell directed Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco, we're guessing Bruckheimer is tapping Newell because of his work with Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Newell is currently meeting with Disney studio execs this week and an announcement will probably be made shortly thereafter.The script for Prince of Persia was written by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (The Day After Tomorrow) and PoP creator Jordan Mechner. All we can say at this point is this movie is sounding like a popcorn munching friendly theater experience.
Prince of Persia prequel confirmed
It looks like that rumored Prince of Persia prequel is going to be a reality soon, as word hits that the title has been confirmed in the latest issue of Computer and Video Games Magazine. Dubbed Prince of Persia: Ghosts of the Past, the title is supposedly headed in a more fantasy-like direction, ditching the dark material of the last two titles in the trilogy. People are saying it's going to be a mix between Ico, Zelda and Sands of Time.Sounds like it already has some awfully large shoes to fill.[Via Go Nintendo]
Rumor: Prince of Persia prequel trilogy incoming
After the Bungie/Microsoft split debacle, we're not going to discount anything out of hand, which is why we're bringing you this news of a rumored Prince of Persia prequel trilogy first reported by a blog called, and we're not making this up, "Surfer Girl Reviews Star Wars."According to the site, which has displayed a couple of early images from the alleged game, Prince of Persia 4/0/Ghosts of the Past is supposed to be released in the latter half of next year. According to the author, "stylistically and gameplay-wise, the game has abandoned the dark edginess of the last two titles in favor a fantastical cross between The Sands of Time, Ico and Zelda." ... Wow. Now we really hope it's true.[Via Gamespot]
FarCry, Prince of Persia, Rabbids, Ghost Recon for free on PC
ShackNews leads us to free ad-supported PC games for this lazy holiday in the US. You'll be able to play full versions of FarCry, Raving Rabbids, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Ghost Recon, though you'll need a US Ubi.com account to install the games. We aren't aware if the ads are just in loading screens, or if you'll find empty McDonald's fry boxes washed up on FarCry's pristine shores. Here are the links: Far Cry full game Rayman Raving Rabbids Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Ghost Recon Non-Ubisoft bonus: Command & Conquer Gold Just remember to take it easy on this ironically named holiday. The only thing that should be working today are your thumbs and trigger fingers for console gamers, and general hand stuff for PC gamers.
Parkour-based FPS in the works
In development by Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment (DICE), the upcoming PS3, Xbox 360, and PC title Mirror's Edge hopes to bank on the success of the Prince's acrobatic abilities in Prince of Persia in a first-person 3D environment. You play the role of Faith who climbs, sprints, and leaps around a utopian metropolis fighting the corrupt authoritarians in power. The main character's moves were inspired by parkour and have been kept deliberately simple. Mirror's Edge aims to give players a better sense of being in a body, forcing you to pay attention to things like acceleration and the way your head moves as you walk or come to an abrupt stop.While the game will be packed with action, don't expect shooting to be the central focus, as realistic physics play a huge role in the gameplay. Ever try bouncing off a wall holding a heavy assault rifle?
