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New Prototype trailer examines mission types, sword-arming
With only two short months until its North American release, over the top action game Prototype got a new trailer today. Before you read any further, you must know this: Yes, you are able to mow down "infected" enemies (read as: zombies) using the (pilotable) helicopters. Finally!Now that we've gotten that out of the way, in the trailer above, Prototype's executive producer Tim Bennison explains the various mission types you'll be playing. Between "shank dude then appear as him" and "chase giant monster through the city" (clearly the official names), we're hoping the game has enough variation to keep us interested. But, then again, we could always just run up a building and then glide down to the ground off the side of it, killing helicopter pilots on the way down, in mid-air. Yeah, maybe we'll do that instead.
Prototype devs say delay helped realize 'huge' vision
Well, it's been a long time coming, but Radical Games' open-world action title, Prototype, is almost ready to hit store shelves. While many of us chalked up the title's year-long delay to the grand game of musical chairs that occurred around the time of the Activision Blizzard merger (and the accompanying culling of a number of Sierra titles), we recently heard a different reason for the game's belatedness: It's super freaking big.In a recent interview with VG247, Prototype executive producer Tim Bennison explained, "the original vision for the game was huge, perhaps a little too huge, so the extra time in development has let us realize that vision." Sure, Activision could have dropped the game in its original launch window last fall, but at what cost? The cancellation of the game's massive go-kart racing minigame? Or worse, the removal of the protagonist's smart-mouthed feline sidekick, Professor Whiskers?
Report: Activision putting Radical to work on Spider-Man, High Moon on Transformers
It's true! Ultra publisher Activision Blizzard is planning to release more games based on the lucrative Transformers and Spider-Man franchises. According to The Cut Scene's Ben Fritz, the powerhouse has already chosen which of its owned developers will sit next to the conveyor belt for upcoming (and currently unannounced) titles. Fritz and his sources suggest that High Moon Studios, developer of last year's The Bourne ConspiraQTE, will deliver a new Transformers game in 2010. Activision likely hopes to turn the robots in disguise into an annual franchise, even without an accompanying film for fans to despise. Likewise, with a Spider-Man 4 film nowhere in sight (we'll ask Spider-Man 3's CSI butler to get on the case), you can expect to see a new, unattached arachnid adventure crawling out of Radical Entertainment -- currently finishing the superheroic Prototype -- sometime in the future.Things you're unlikely to see sometime in the future: giant robots and agile superheroes losing their appeal.
Prototype smashes EU retail on June 5, America on June 9
Virtual NYC citizens better get some insurance now. Activision's Prototype finally has a release date: June 5 in Europe, and June 9 in North America. The super-powered action game has you playing as Alex Mercer, a genetically mutated bio-weapon that has conveniently lost his memory. Using ridiculously over-the-top superpowers, players will fight other mutants and zombies in order to -- you guessed it -- uncover a conspiracy that's "40 years in the making."Activision has just released the first half of the game's cinematic intro (embedded above) and a few new screenshots to peruse. If that isn't enough for you, check out our hands-on preview.%Gallery-49626%
Prototype dev diary surprisingly light on explosions
A new developer diary has been released explaining the story elements in Radical Entertainment's Prototype. According to the video, the game's main character, Alex Mercer, wakes up on an operating table as doctor's are beginning to autopsy his body. Not one to let himself be autopsied alive, Alex gets the hell out of there only to discover that he has lost his memory and gained inhuman abilities. Alex's task is to find out what happened to him, meeting friends and enemies along the way, by using his newfound abilities.One such ability allows Alex to consume people. When Alex consumes someone, he not only gains their appearance but also their memories. He can then piece these memories together using the 'Web of Intrigue' system. It uses an interesting visual style, offering what appear to be stream-of-consciousness snapshots of memory. Hopefully the story it reveals will be worth the effort. Of course, if it isn't, you can always drop elbows on tanks.
Video: Top ten reasons to play Prototype
Despite what the above trailer has to say on the matter, the number one reason to play Radical Entertainment's open world destroy-em-up, Prototype, is not "Deadly Shape-Shifting Action." No, the number one reason to play Prototype is because you can elbow drop a tank. More importantly, said action will cause the tank to explode. Sure, there are plenty of other cool things to do, like kicking people into tanks, throwing cars into helicopters or repeatedly power bombing soldiers off the sides of buildings, but come on: elbow dropping a tank.You may disagree, but let us offer a counterargument: You. Can elbow drop. A tank.
Prototype comic detailed, hitting stands in April
New details have emerged surrounding Wildstorm's upcoming comic book take on Radical Entertainment's Prototype. First announced last April, the graphic reworking will be penned by Jonah Hex writing duo, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, with illustrations by Transmetropolitan co-creator, Darick Robertson. The adaptation's debut issue will cut into comic book pull lists this April as the first in a six part mini-series. But read slowly. Even with a variant cover by veteran X-Men and WildC.A.T.s artist, Jim Lee, that's still just one issue for every two hours of game.
New screens and a trailer for Prototype
click to enlarge (minus the hilarious speech bubble) Activision has dropped some new screens and a brand new trailer for Prototype, its upcoming mutant-powered destruct-o-thon. Every new screen has one thing in common: All of them are dripping with blood or some other variety of viscous goo. The trailer has its fair share of liquid life as well. Oh, and the video also features someone taking out a helicopter by throwing a person at it (that seems familiar somehow). See the glorious, gory action after the break and check out the new screens in the gallery below.If all that's not enough for you, you can also check out a new preview at IGN.%Gallery-41150%
Mysterious Prototype clock counts down
By pointing your clicker here and visiting the official Prototype website, you'll find yourself staring at an age gate. But that isn't the big news. After you successfully sidestep the age gating mechanism, you'll find the real news; a countdown clock. That's right, there's a Prototype countdown clock ticking-tocking its way along and counting down to a mysterious event that's a little over two weeks away.Wait ... two weeks is about the time CES 2009 kicks off. Second thought, the countdown probably has something to do with all those leaked CES assets. Mystery (not officially) solved.[Via IGN]
Leaky Prototype website bestows new video, screens
Ah leaks, what would the interwebs be without them? It seems Activision's Prototype website was having some issues earlier today. Apparently, upon passing the site's age gate, users were greeted with several new videos and screenshots that Activision was assembling for a presentation at CES 2009. Quick thinkers that they are, the fine folks at Joystiq grabbed them all and saved them (for posterity). Prototype, lest you have forgotten, is something like Crackdown, only with an incredibly super-powered protagonist with crazy mutant powers. You know, like knife arms and the ability to absorb people into his being. Check out some new screens below and four more videos after the break. Do it quickly, because Activision is bound to notice something's up eventually. Gallery: Protoype: 12/09/08
Activision's Prototype site breaks, spills some assets on web
Prototype, better known as Crackdown + The Matrix + Superman seems to have a busted website that confronts you with an age gate, and then gives up all of its secrets like the wimpy kid during recess. It appears that these are images and videos they are assembling for a presentation at CES in January, but Happy Holidaze! You get it a few weeks early.Check out the new images from the game in the gallery below, and there are four new videos waiting for you after the break. Just hurry and do it now before someone comes to their senses and flips the switch. Either this is a brilliant marketing ploy, or someone's asleep at the keyboard.%Gallery-38971%[Thanks Johnny Nobody]
Further details on Radical and High Moon 'realignment' post-Activision Blizzard
Further details on the fate of two of Sierra's four internal studios: Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios. While new parent-company Activision Blizzard pledged to "realign staffing" at Radical and High Moon, it's been unclear what form this realignment would take.Leah Rubin, Radical's vice-president of human resources, told Canada.com, "Activision Blizzard is committed to making the best games possible and has elected at this time to reduce the number of titles that Radical is developing from four games to two. Therefore, we will be proportionately reducing the size of our studio." The status at High Moon is less official, with "multiple independent" sources confirming to Gamasutra that "a notable portion – as many as 60 – but not a majority of the developer's more than 150 staff" has been laid off.So, the sorta good news: Radical and High Moon will stay inside the Blizzavision family, as will Radical's two games remaining in active development and whatever High Moon has in production. By our best guesses, Radical's two games are Prototype and Crash: Mind over Mutant though we're not certain about the other two, now canceled, titles in development: One was rumored to be a multiplayer installment in the Jason Bourne franchise titled Treadstone and the other a sequel to the developer's 2006 Scarface title (the license recently reverted back to Universal). As for High Moon, with the loss of the Bourne license, it's possible that whatever title it's currently developing will be the fifth, unannounced title retained by Activision Blizzard. Source – Radical layoffs at Radical EntertainmentSource – High Moon Lays Off Staff, Post-Vivendi Merger
Universal gets back Scarface 2 rights without a fight
The world is yours once more, Universal. Well, at least the world of Scarface as it pertains video games. Variety reports that the rights to a sequel based on the famous film franchise reverted back to their original holder after the recent mass dumping of properties by Activision Blizzard. Vivendi and Radical Entertainment produced the original Scarface: The World is Yours, sales of which the Variety piece places at a hefty 2.5 million worldwide. The story also mentions that a sequel to the game was at one time in development, although its current status remains a mystery. It's possible, as Variety speculates, that Universal itself could resurrect the title internally now that it is actively developing its own titles, such as the forthcoming video game treatment of the Angelina Jolie action vehicle, Wanted. Perhaps our dream mob-sim-meets-Halo-clone, Scarface: The Universe is Yours, just might happen after all.
'What is Treadstone?' A multiplayer Bourne sequel, apparently
While investigating the digital fate of Sierra's Bourne franchise – which, after being passed over by Bond-owning Activision Blizzard, returned to Ludlum Entertainment – Variety's Ben Fritz uncovered details on "Treadstone," the sequel to High Moon Entertainment's recent console debut, already under development at fellow Sierra developers Radical Entertainment."What is Treadstone?" you ask, in your best Matt Damon impersonation. According to Variety "it's a multi-player online game set in the world of the spy agency that trained Bourne." We'll assume that contraction is short for "it was" because, whad'ya know, "production has stopped" on the project. Perhaps once Ludlum Entertainment finds a new publisher for Bourne, whatever work Radical has already invested in "Treadstone" will find a new home, but that sounds unlikely to us. Instead, Treadstone will exist in that one place where They can never take it away from us: our imaginations.
Activision Blizzard staff layoffs may nix WoW mobile
Previously we reported that a mobile version of WoW was being seriously considered at Blizzard. However, with the finalization of the Activision Blizzard merger, the odds of being able to play WoW on your iPhone just got a lot lower. The newly-merged company is laying off 53 employees in the Issaquah, Washington area by September 27, 2008. Additionally, they are evaluating whether they will keep Vivendi Games Mobile, an arm of the company which develops games for the various mobile markets, like phones. If Activision Blizzard does decide to divest themselves of VGM, you can probalby kiss your hopes for WoW mobile goodbye since the synergy and cost-effectiveness of having the mobile developers under the same roof will disappear. I'm not saying that the WoW developers aren't beyond creating their own mobile infrastructure, or even paying higher prices for it to an external company, but it will be much less likely if they don't have the luxury of teaming with folks who all report up the through same corporate food chain. Among the other companies which Activision Blizzard says are eligible for the chopping block are Sierra Online, Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios, with staffing "realignments" likely at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios -- the loss of any of which will likely have no effect on WoW development, but may affect other games. Activision has announced that a few highly-anticipated titles are on the bubble, including Ghostusters and Double Fine's Brutal Legend among others. I sure hope they don't mess with Double Fine, since I am a huge Tim Schafer fan, but the upside is that it looks like the new company will have an even stronger focus on keeping their cash cow, WoW, healthy and grazing in the pasture for a long while to come.
Blizzavision keeps Crash, Spyro, Ice Age, Prototype; loses Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, and more
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Blizzavision_keeps_Crash_Spyro_etc_loses_Brutal_Legend'; One of the major outstanding questions surrounding the Activision Blizzard merger was: "What the hell is going to happen to Vivendi's other video game division, Sierra?" The new super-publisher announced it will be keeping five of Sierra's franchises total: Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro, the still-in-development Prototype, and another as-yet-unannounced title. We're currently looking into the fate of Sierra's other publishing arrangements: Tim Schafer's Brütal Legend (oh, Brütal Legend, we're so sorry!), Ghostbusters: The Video Game, WET, and Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. Activision Blizzard is also reviewing Sierra's other properties that they will not be publishing: think Bourne, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, World in Conflict, et al. Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith says, "We are reviewing our options regarding those titles that we will not be publishing." Those games won't be published by Blizzavision because they're not "a strong fit with [Activision Blizzard's] long-term product strategy." No word on the fate of Sierra's classic adventure games like King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, etc. As for the status of Sierra's in-house developers, Blizzavision will "realign staffing at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios" – the developers of Prototype and The Bourne Conspiracy respectively – while "exploring options regarding Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios" – the devs behind World in Conflict and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, respectively. Those "options" include "the possibility of divestiture." Also potentially up for sale: Vivendi Games Mobile and Sierra Online, the latter notably responsible for a large amount of XBLA and PSN games. More on this story as it inevitably unfolds.
E308: Crash Bandicoot crashes the party
We're not sure if this Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant trailer embodies the spirit of the Crash we used to know and love, but we'll probably be giving this platformer some looks anyway. What we've heard so far sounds good, and as Wii owners, we like being catered to. Do you still have room in your heart to give Crash another chance? Or is this series long dead and buried in your mind? Gallery: Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant
Video: All you wanted to know about Prototype
Gametrailers posted a four part series detailing all aspects of Radical Entertainment's Prototype and even included some new gameplay footage to boot. The first of four videos (embedded above) showcases some of main character Alex's abilities, how he uses his shape shifting abilities to kill and what destruction can be dished out. In the other three Prototype videos (viewable after the break) you'll hear the dev team talk about the game's Artistic Vision, Environmental Interaction and the Story of Alex Mercer. It's a lot of Prototype info, a lot to take in and we think you'll enjoy what the team has done with the game. Still, we wish they would have kept co-op ...
Want some Prototype gossip? Check out this Q&A
Tim Bennison, Executive Producer at Radical Entertainment, has taken part in a Q&A session with PS3 Attitude, in which he speaks about various aspects of the upcoming sandbox title Prototype. Well, we say "upcoming," but the game won't be available until sometime in 2009. The team at Radical Entertainment are taking their time and intend on delivering a fully polished game when it's ready. Commendable. If Prototype turns out the way they intend it then it should be an excellent title. There's an emphasis on multiple play styles, allowing you to smash your way through the game or progress using stealth and deceit. Check out the full interview over at PS3 Attitude if you're interested in finding out more.
Mind over Mutant has Wii focus
Reading favorable impressions from the Joystiq crew about Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant helped put the game onto our selective radars. Watching this video, which features the game's senior producer Kristen Forbes, then got us even more intrigued. Forbes points out a lot of issues that bug Wii gamers to no end -- the lack of commitment to the Wii's graphical capabilities, for one, and unnecessary waggle, for another. If the next Crash iteration can really fix these problems, though, we'll definitely be looking forward to the game's release this fall.
