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Colonial Marines co-dev TimeGate files for bankruptcy protection
Section 8 developer and Aliens: Colonial Marines co-developer TimeGate Studios has filed for bankruptcy protection in the Texas Southern Bankruptcy Court, revealing that it owes its creditors between $10 million and $50 million in debt. Court documents note that TimeGate seeks protection from creditors while it reexamines its finances, Polygon reports. Currently, the company owes large, unspecified amounts to partners such as Epic Games, Agora Games and DJ2 Entertainment. The petition names nearly 50 creditors in all. TimeGate recently lost an appeal in its long-running legal battle with publisher SouthPeak Interactive, potentially owing $7.35 million in damages and losing its rights to the Section 8 intellectual property. Aliens: Colonial Marines, which TimeGate developed in partnership with Gearbox Software, is the subject of an ongoing class action lawsuit. TimeGate's current project, the minimalist free-to-play shooter Minimum, was announced in April.
TimeGate loses SouthPeak appeal, faces $7.3M in damages
TimeGate Studios lost the latest round in court of its battle against publisher SouthPeak Interactive, which could result in the studio paying $7.35 million in damages and losing the Section 8 intellectual property. Polygon obtained the court documents that SouthPeak recently won its appeal of arbitration handled early last year.The two companies have been fighting in court since 2009, when TimeGate sued SouthPeak for embezzling royalties and SouthPeak took on Timegate for fraudulent misrepresentation in its publishing agreement.TimeGate most recently co-developed Aliens: Colonial Marines and laid off 25 employees. It is currently working on the free-to-play shooter Minimum. Meanwhile, Southpeak is busy... um, looks like it's busy making money through litigation. The publisher hasn't produced a game since Stronghold 3 in 2011 according to its own website.
Minimum: a free-to-play shooter from TimeGate [update]
Texas-based developer TimeGate Studios has announced that it's working on a new free-to-play, third-person match-based shooter called Minimum.Minimum boasts a simplistic look, and has you building a character up during each life, adding more and more power-ups to your weapons (ranging from ice-powered sniper rifles to flaming katanas) as you go. In Titan, the "signature" game mode according to the FAQ, players support two giant creatures fighting each other during the match.TimeGate also says it hopes to bring "everyone to the development table to influence how the game grows and changes." Minimum will be in closed alpha soon, and is set for a Steam release whenever it's ready.TimeGate is probably best known at the moment for its work on Aliens: Colonial Marines, but the company also made Section 8 and Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns in the past, so Minimum is coming from a substantial history of development experience for PC.Update: The game will be available through Steam's Early Access channel on April 16 in North America.
Timegate wins arbitration dispute against SouthPeak
Texas district Judge Keith Ellison has invalided an arbitrator's ruling that ordered Section 8 developer Timegate to repay the game's publisher, SouthPeak, $7.3 million in allegedly misused development funds. The ruling also rewrote Timegate's publishing contract with SouthPeak, granting SouthPeak a permanent license for Section 8's IP and its sequels.The arbitrator's decision was thrown out on the grounds that the rewritten publishing contract did not match the intent of the original document. Arbitrators are allowed to rewrite legally binding agreements, but only so long as the resulting agreement matches the spirit of the original document. Timegate and SouthPeak's original publishing agreement was very clear that Timegate would retain all IP rights for the brand -- changing this was beyond the scope of the original contract's intent and was therefore inappropriate.This all started back in the neolithic caveman days of 2009, when Timegate sued SouthPeak, claiming that the publisher had altered revenue reports in order to retain royalties meant for Timegate, which is embezzlement.SouthPeak countersued, claiming that Timegate fraudulently misrepresented itself in order to convince SouthPeak (which acquired original Section 8 publisher Gamecock) to enter into the publishing agreement. It also claimed that Section 8's lackluster retail performance was solely Timegate's fault, and that Timegate had failed to contribute a required $2.5 million in development funds, misused the $7.5 million in development funds provided by SouthPeak, and failed to give SouthPeak revenue from Section 8's PC sequel and PS3 port.This tale is likely far from over, however, as SouthPeak still has the ability to appeal Judge Ellison's ruling.
Section 8: Prejudice diving into PlayStation Store July 26
Timegate's undeniably beefy multiplayer-centric shooter, Section 8: Prejudice, has been racking up kills on Xbox Live Arcade since late April. In a little under two weeks, PS3 owners will get to see what all the fuss is about (hint: skydiving), as PlayStation Blog just announced the downloadable, $15 title will touch down on PSN July 26 in North America, and July 27 in Europe. To help jump-start the community's growth on the new platform, Timegate is handing out the Blitz Armor Pack and Overdrive Map Pack to anyone who grabs the game during its first week on PSN. What's more, the first 1,000 PlayStation Plus users to download the title will receive in-game Hunter Armor, as well as a free download of the original Section 8. You're essentially doubling your bang for your buck, and by "bang," we mean "whoosh," because that's the sound you make when you're skydiving.
Section 8 price cut down to $15 on PlayStation Store
To attract players to the game's recently announced, prejudicial sequel, Timegate has cut the price of Section 8 to $14.99 on the PlayStation Store. We think this is a great move, only because the company didn't cut the price of the 360 version of the game, which is, in a way, kind of prejudiced.
TimeGate judges Section 8: Prejudice ready for debut, 'early 2011' release
TimeGate Studios has just announced a sequel to its multiplayer-focused 2009 multiplatform FPS, Section 8. Titled Section 8: Prejudice, the game -- destined for yet-unknown platforms, though the original hit PC, 360 and PS3 -- is targeted for an "early 2011" release. Based on the first trailer (which you can find after the break), we're looking at new abilities, locations and weaponry. The title, as the clip's narrator so gruffly puts it, comes from the fact that in the game's universe, wars are being fought based on -- wait for it -- prejudice. In this universe, we do our best to combat prejudice through tolerance, understanding and generally not pre-judging people. We don't need fancy power-armor, though it's admittedly pretty damn cool.
Grab Section 8 for $15 on PSN this week
TimeGate and Southpeak have taken serious measures to help move their download-only PS3 version of Section 8 -- for the next week, the game's price will be dropped by fifty percent. For $14.99, you can pick up the full version of the game and its three DLC multiplayer maps on the PlayStation Store. It's hard to say no to that price -- especially since you'll need to absorb the game's rich backstory in order to have any idea what's going on when you play Sections 9, 10 and 11.
PS3's Section 8 lands in Europe on April 15th
Like in North America, TimeGame Studios' jetpack-powered FPS will be making an exclusive run on the PlayStation Network in Europe. While Section 8 was originally a PC/Xbox 360 retail game, the PSN version adds extra features, like maps not found in the original game. Section 8 will be available during next week's European PSN Thursday update, on April 15th, for €24.99.
Section 8 coming to PS3 download-only with added content
We brought word yesterday that Section 8 was on its way to PS3, and that's simultaneously gotten more and less solid -- a phenomenon we're pretty sure would freak even Bill Nye out. While we know concretely that it will arrive on Sony's console this spring, we also learned it won't be arriving in a solid form at all, as the title will be exclusively available on PSN. Moreover, this new version will include the three maps 360 and PC players had to pay extra for and the ability for players to host games on their PCs (as seen in the Xbox 360 version). We worry that a bit too much time has passed to get PlayStation owners interested in Section 8, but putting it on PSN seems like a darn smart way to do it. We also suspect that a certain legal commotion might have a little involvement with the decision.
Section 8 still preparing to drop on PS3
The possibility of jetpack-rich, Tribes-esque action on PS3 just got a little less nebulous. Speaking with IGN, a TimeGate spokesperson said that the developer's Section 8 would be coming to PS3 at some point, though no formal release window has been settled on. The news shouldn't come as a surprise to the Joystiq faithful, as we reported last December that TimeGate had alleged that publisher SouthPeak entered into an unauthorized PS3 licensing deal for the game with Russian company 1C. Whether or not the suit will keep the game in legal limbo (and for how long if so) remains to be seen.
Section 8 map pack now available for 360
360 players must be jealous of their PC brethren no longer, as they can now finally download the "Seek and Destroy" DLC for Section 8, which PC players have been exploring since late November. Despite the passage of time, the pack, which adds three new maps -- "Devil's Backbone," "Hornet's Nest," and "Azure Basin" -- and 10 new achievements, is still priced at 560 points ($7). That seems a little steep for a game we haven't seen a lot of people playing online lately ... or ever. Don't you think?
TimeGate sues SouthPeak for alleged breaches in publishing agreement
Chalk up another frustrated party accusing SouthPeak of wrongdoing. The company has been sued by Section 8 developer TimeGate, which alleges that the publisher has withheld royalty payments and entered into a PS3 licensing deal on the game with Russian company IC, an arrangement that TimeGate claims SouthPeak had no right to make. In legal documents obtained by Joystiq, TimeGate also alleges that this SouthPeak T-shirt promotion was unauthorized, that the publisher had mislead TimeGate about sales figures and that the publisher has stated it should not have to adhere to TimeGate's original agreement, as it had been made with Gamecock, which SouthPeak purchased in late 2008. We've reached out to SouthPeak for comment. If you prefer your language far more formal, the lawsuit puts it like this: "[SouthPeak] failed to provide a sufficient sales report, withheld royalty payments and did not adhere to the obligation to act in good faith and fair dealing when they established the sham transaction in order to deprive TimeGate of royalties despite the special relationship between the parties and being in a position of trust." No specific amount is mentioned in the suit, with TimeGate asking only for "compensatory damages in an amount to be determined" following an independent audit of Section 8's sales.
Section 8 gets new maps on PC only
TimeGate has announced an expansion of its multiplayer-focused shooter, Section 8, with the "Seek and Destroy Map Pack," which adds three new maps and 10 new achievements for 560 ($7). Though the game is available on Xbox 360 as well, the company is only making mention of PC availability for the content at the moment. The industry has become so skewed towards a console focus as of late, it's kind of nice to see PC players getting some exclusive love. Now, let's all be real quiet and see if we can detect the exact moment their heads explode when they hear they have to pay for it. [Via BigDownload]
Section 8 update fixes matchmaking, Achievements, more
Timegate has released a title update for Section 8, which should fix several bugs in the game and tweak a few things. The main fixes include improved matchmaking, a fix for faulty Achievements and improved tank controls. AI bots will now also follow and defend human players, and the update also fixes latency problems and lost stats. There's a host of other smaller tweaks and changes as well, which you can read about on the Section 8 forums. Likely not fixed by the patch, a precipitous drop in players since November 10.
Market Section 8, win an HDTV and a 360
Unless your title begins with Halo or Gears -- or ends with Duty -- it's hard to get your shooter recognized on the Xbox 360. It seems that the cats at SouthPeak understand this, and have come up with a particularly sneaky contest. You see, the contest asks fans to design the official shirt for the game. Naturally, the winner will receive a fabulous prize, in this case a 32" HDTV, an Xbox 360 and a copy of Section 8. The ingenious part is this: It's a contest, which is designed to generate interest in the game. But the goal of the contest is to design the official shirt, which will also be used to generate interest in the game. Pretty sneaky, SouthPeak. The contest opens September 11 and closes on September 30. For more details, head over to the official contest page.
Section 8 prepares for retail drop: releases new trailer, screens
Having released today on Xbox 360, and with three days to go until it drops on PC for North American retailers, Section 8 has only a few scant opportunities for a pre-release volley of teaser materials. The latest assault is a new trailer and a couple images for the shooter. Don't let the lack of hype for the title fool you; fans of objective-based multiplayer should definitely try out the demo, which doles out a taste of the game's dynamic mission system. Oh, and it has jetpacks. Everyone likes those, right? Drop into a game and check it out. Update: Fixed release dates. %Gallery-4522%
Section 8 dated, clan and stat portal detailed
First off, as the headline eloquently suggests, Section 8 has been blessed with a release date. The game will hit North American shelves on September 4, the UK and Asia / Pacific regions on September 11 and the rest of Europe on September 18. So there's that. In other mechanically enhanced soldier news, TimeGate has announced its plans to open a clan and stat portal for the game. The clan portal will allow users to access lots of special features, including automatically updating clan tags, establishing clan hierarchies, and reviewing the stats of new applicants. Meanwhile, the stats page will (obviously) list comprehensive stats for the game, including career statistics, records achieved in a single "life," as well as the number of badges earned and feats accomplished. Leaderboards can also be organized by overall stats or restricted to just those within an individual clan. Finally, both Xbox 360 and PC players will enjoy "mutually exclusive" stats, which should hopefully avert any potential "mouse vs. keyboard" flame wars. The stats page, located here, will launch next week alongside the North American release of the game.
Section 8 demo slams onto Xbox Live
We have to admit that we really dig the concept of Section 8. First, you've got power-armored super soldiers that drop into the battlefield from 15,000 feet -- kind of like ODSTs without those pansy drop pods. Players can run across the battlefield in seconds, jump 20 feet in the air, and even have a tank hot-dropped right into the action.We liked what we saw of the game at GDC, and now everyone can get their hands on the game, thanks to a demo that just dropped (geddit?) onto Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo allows players to try out the game's multiplayer mode. It's similar to Battlefield, in which points are earned by performing team objectives, only with a twist. The objectives aren't determined by game type, but pop up dynamically during gameplay. One minute you might be disrupting an enemy caravan, and another you could be escorting a VIP to your base. Check out the video above for a quick explanation, then download the demo and give it a try.[Thanks, scott!]
Section 8 open beta is go
TimeGate Studios has announced that the Section 8 open PC beta for North America, Europe and Australia is now ... open. The beta grants users with access to two of the game's multiplayer maps and offers up "a variety of some of the vehicles, weapons, deployables, missions, and equipment." The beta is free, and all that's needed to get fragging is a Fileplanet, IGN or GameSpy account. To sign up, simply visit this link and fill out a few forms. You'll then be given a CD-Key and access to download the beta. The beta is on a first come, first serve basis, so hop to it if you want in. To find out if your rig can handle the game, check out the PC specs after the break.
