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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.
3D Dot Game Heroes coming to Europe May 14, playable at Midlands MCM Expo
It seems SouthPeak's taking its recently acquired role as European publisher for 3D Dot Game Heroes pretty seriously -- according to a recent press release, the company will release the PAL version of the bizarre action-RPG on May 14, just a few days after North America gets its hands on the game. In addtion, attendees of the Midlands MCM Expo, held February 20 in the heart of Shropshire, England, will be able to get their first hands-on time with the game. We'd book our flight to the event post-haste -- if we only knew how to speak Shropshirian.
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?
SouthPeak bringing 3D Dot Game Heroes to Europe
Here's an announcement for those of you across the pond, uncertain whether you'll experience the PS3's retro revival in From Software's 3D Dot Game Heroes this May. SouthPeak Interactive recently announced the European release of 3DDGH via its Euro distribution arm. The game is also set for a May 2010 release, though no date is specifically given -- it's said to be "in line with the North American release." For what it's worth, US publisher Atlus is totally stoked to be working with SouthPeak on the title. VP of sales and marketing at Atlus Tim Pivnicny noted in the announcement release, "SouthPeak Games is the perfect publisher for 3D Dot Game Heroes in Europe." He cited SouthPeak's "shared enthusiasm" for the title as a motivator for the partnership, not to mention the US publisher's desire to ship the game day and date in European markets. "[SouthPeak] also recognize the frustration of many European gamers to not get exciting releases until months after other regions, which is why we're working closely together to deliver a simultaneous launch for North America and Europe." %Gallery-70578%
SouthPeak bringing Blood Bowl to 360, PSP in 2010
The spectrum of available games distribution is wider than ever before, but we're not sure we've ever seen this exact configuration. After previously appearing as a downloadable PC game, fantasy footballer Blood Bowl will come to Xbox 360 and PSP, with an additional retail version on PC, courtesy of SouthPeak. The Warhammer-inspired game will take the field in January on 360 and PC, followed by the PSP in the more nebulous "Spring." Now's the time we turn the post over to your comments, and we can't wait to see what you have to say. We're sure someone has to be offended by this release constellation. %Gallery-81124%
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.
Dementium 2 jumps out at you in February
Jools Watsham's prediction of a "February-ish" release for Dementium II seems to have been right on target -- though Nintendo's release schedule wasn't. Rather than the February 2 date listed on that schedule, The company announced that the DS horror FPS will ship in North America on February 16 of next year. Europe will be subject to the horror two weeks later on March 5. SouthPeak reports that some Dementium II posters are still available to those who pre-order and send pictures of their receipts. Presumably more people will take advantage of the offer now that they now when the game they're pre-ordering will be released. %Gallery-80518%
TNA seeking 'long-term partner' for future 360/PS3 TNA Impact! games
Yesterday's announcement that TNA Impact!: Cross the Line would be heading to DS and PSP by way of SouthPeak Games (a game left over from the collapse of Midway Games) wasn't exactly a shock to ardent followers of the franchise. The question of whether or not TNA would pursue additional games on current-gen consoles (360/PS3/PC), however, remained up in the air. We spoke with a TNA representative last evening who told Joystiq that the company is "working on a long-term solution" for the development of said games. "We absolutely want a long-term partner for video games, and it's super important to TNA to have a long-term partner for games on the current consoles like 360 and PlayStation," the rep said. And though he admitted (after much prying, in fairness) that development of that next TNA game on 360/PS3 is "kind of open to the market" in terms of a developer/publisher, the company "likes SouthPeak as a partner now" and "would like to continue to work with them." For now though, SouthPeak will only retain the right to publish the TNA back catalog and the upcoming handheld title.
SouthPeak publishing TNA Impact! on handhelds 'later this Winter'
Truth be told, loyal readers, we kind of already told you about SouthPeak Games scooping up the right to publish the Midway-developed TNA Impact!: Cross the Line for the PSP and DS. So when the company recently announced that it would be publishing Cross the Line "later this Winter," we weren't exactly flabbergasted. However, when SouthPeak's Q1 2010 financial report revealed the aforementioned last month, it wasn't clear whether the game publisher had secured rights to future TNA Impact! games or not. Speaking with representatives for SouthPeak this morning, we were declined comment on who owns said rights "other than what's in the [press] release." We've followed up with TNA and will update this post if we hear back. %Gallery-79233%
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.
Hands-on: Dementium 2 (DS)
Having not played Renegade Kid's first survival/horror-FPS on the Nintendo DS back in 2007, Dementium: The Ward, I had few expectations going into my recent hands-on with the game's sequel, the aptly titled Dementium 2. I knew that the first game enjoyed critical acclaim for more than adequately bringing survival/horror tropes to Nintendo's handheld, and ultimately scored pretty well with reviewers, but ever since Metroid Prime Hunters I've been wary of first-person mechanics on the DS. Thankfully, when first faced with manipulating Dementium 2's main character, it became quickly obvious that the game's slow pace helps to account for any discomfort issues that might arise from the control scheme. Over the course of 45 minutes, I put together puzzles, traveled between two dimensions multiple times, and even fought a boss who tried to throw up on me from the ceiling (what a jerk!). Though its content and storytelling seems to be a carefully crafted amalgam of games from the three or so genres it mashes up (fps, adventure, survival/horror) – a handheld Half-Life meets Silent Hill on Monkey Island, almost – the time I spent with a preview build of Dementium 2 earlier today felt like the beginning of what could be a very interesting game. %Gallery-78630%
Investigate a Crime Scene trailer
Having gotten the obligatory joke out of the way in the first post about SouthPeak's Crime Scene, we're now free to look at, you know, the game and stuff. And it certainly delivers on the promise of the title! It's basically a crime scene on the DS for you to explore. You have to comb through whole rooms, collecting fingerprints, footprints and other evidence. You get to tweeze -- and swab. Crime Scene is one of the few M-rated games on DS -- joining an elite club comprising games like Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, the Dementiums, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and, of course, Touch the Dead. With that rating, it may turn out to be a more realistic, serious take on crime than the other cop games on DS. %Gallery-71109%
Two Worlds II pushed into spring of 2010
After oodles of 2009 delays, this is one that really hurts. We're talking about a "getting bit on the finger by Charlie" level of pain here. Are you braced? OK. Two Worlds II -- which is not Two Worlds: The Temptation -- has been delayed by SouthPeak until the spring of 2010, according to GameSpot. The bigger question, of course, is, "What joke are we going to make about Two Worlds II being delayed?" We've gone back and forth, because we're worried about being too mean. We soon realized though that if you picked the joke, we wouldn't have to feel so guilty. Do our dirty work right after the break.
SouthPeak earnings report reveals acquisition of ... something involving TNA Impact
Remember way back in August when THQ picked up around 40 percent of Midway San Diego (following that whole full collapse thing), but left off the TNA Impact property? It would appear that the reason for this exclusion was due to SouthPeak Games snatching up the license, as revealed by a recent Q1 2010 financial report released by the company.The "acquisition" is first noted in the report's "Highlights of the Quarter" section. "Acquired in bankruptcy certain assets owned by Midway relating to video games based on the TNA iMPACT wrestling brand." We asked SouthPeak who would be in charge of developing the next game in that series, said in the report to be released "this year" (2010), and found out that such information has yet to be announced, unfortunately. Currently, SouthPeak is only known to be publishing TNA Impact: Cross the Line for the PSP and Nintendo DS.When we explored the SEC filing from Midway on the sale, the wording got much more ambiguous. One notable exclusion from the $100k purchase is, "the TNA License and Sellers' rights thereunder." When we asked SouthPeak to clear up exactly what the company bought, we were told that, while it "can confirm the details of the release and filing," no comment is currently available – though we were assured that we'll be hearing more details "soon."
SouthPeak doubles game sales in 2009 amid dropping profits
Though SouthPeak is keen to point out that its net revenues rose from last year by $7.2 million, the company's profits for the year remain firmly in the red, with a $12.1 million posted loss for the 2009 fiscal year ending June 30. SouthPeak's loss report comes confusingly paired with a 100% increase in units sold from fiscal year 2008 (from 1.2 to 2.4 million units) -- 2009's posted $12.1 net loss gets explained away by "approximately $12.5 million invested in game development and intellectual property for future title releases," among other things. The report also allows "$1.6 million of expenses relating to the Gamecock acquisition," hopefully some of which went to paying Gamecock debt now owed by SouthPeak -- this on top of another $4.6 million or so for "charges relating to write-downs on software values and sequel right values to certain titles." Unsurprisingly, the publisher hopes that upcoming titles Two Worlds 2 and My Baby: First Steps, as well as a "highly-anticipated sequel to Dementium," will bolster its next fiscal year. We're just hoping the games the company does sell will actually garner some profit this time around.
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.
