split-second
Latest
Disney draws up 20 games on Steam, including Epic Mickey 2
Disney Interactive jumped into the magical world of Steam this week, launching 20 PC games on the platform. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two ($17.99) is among the list of games from the publisher now available on Steam, and the one on the list that is new to PC entirely. Epic Mickey 2 first launched in November 2012 to an unenthusiastic reaction at retail, leading to developer Junction Point's closure in January 2013. Disney also dropped the price on each game on Steam by 10 percent until Sunday, October 12. The complete list, which features Pure ($17.99) and Split/Second ($17.99 each), can be found after the break. The launch sale page also includes five game packs, such as the seven-game "Other-Worldly Adventure Pack." [Image: Disney Interactive]
Xbox 360 deals: BioShock Infinite, Modern Warfare 3
Today is the final day of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Ultimate Games Sale, and it's going out with a bang, a burst of speed and an "Ode to Joy." First, the bang: BioShock Infinite is 67 percent off ($9.89 / £6.59 / €9.89) today on Xbox Live, joined by Modern Warfare 3 at 60 percent off ($19.99 / £19.99 / €27.99) and Painkiller Hell and Damnation at 80 percent off ($5.99 / £4.99 / €5.99). Two racing games are discounted through Xbox Live today: NASCAR 14 and Split Second. Eutechnyx's NASCAR 14 is 58 percent off ($20.99) and Split Second is 75 percent off ($4.99 / £2.99 / €3.74). The best way for the Xbox 360 Ultimate Games Sale to close is with an Ode to Joy provided by Peggle 2, the lone discounted XBLA game in today's sale. PopCap's popular peg-destroying game is half-off today ($11.99 / £9.99 / €9.99). Remember, the final day's sales are joined by other ongoing deals, which also expire at the end of the day. [Image: 2K Games]
Split/Second, Pure developer Black Rock Studio closes today
Black Rock Studio's former studio director, Nick Baynes, tweeted earlier today, marking the last sunset for the developer of Split/Second and Pure. Disney made the decision to close the talented studio in July, after the house of mouse rejected Black Rock's final pitch, a freemium DOTA-style RTS named Champions Alliance (which Disney never intended to green-light, sources claim). At least two studios have emerged from the ashes of Black Rock: ShortRound and RoundCube Entertainment. If both studios delivers the type of quality we saw from Black Rock, we wish them a long, healthy existence.
Rumor: Black Rock never had a chance with Disney, employees say
Some former Black Rock Studio employees claim the developer never stood a chance of surviving Disney Interactive's new direction. Last week, Disney announced that it's looking to shut down UK-based Black Rock Studio, developer of Split/Second, after the studio's current project was declined by Disney brass. "Really, [Disney] were just paying lip-service to us with this talk of the pitch," one anonymous source told Develop. "Anything we suggested wasn't going to be accepted." The employees claim that Disney had planned to shut down the studio at the start of the year, and that it wasn't in Black Rock's power to change its fate. Given the specificity of UK laws, the timing of the studio layoffs does imply Black Rock's demise was etched in stone and being orchestrated by the House of Mouse all the way back in January.
Disney moves to close Split/Second developer Black Rock
Black Rock Studio, developer of Split/Second and Pure, will soon be blasted out of existence by the House of Mouse. In a statement provided to Eurogamer, Disney confirmed that none of the current projects at the studio were given the greenlight, and that employees had been told of an impending "consultation process" -- a 90-day phase under UK law warning of potential closure. It's a sad end for a developer that deserved better. Pure and Split/Second were both critically acclaimed racing games that had a rough time finding an audience. Layoffs began at the studio several months back and a few of the top brass have already formed new outfits. Black Rock Studio's General Manager Tony Beckwith tells Joystiq he can't "comment at the moment" on the situation.
ShortRound Games established by former Black Rock staffers
ShortRound Games is the latest studio to pop up from the discarded talent at Split/Second developer Black Rock Studios. GI.biz reports the team consists of game director Andrew Hubbard, technical director Kim Burrows, technical art director Stuart Pharoah and creative and art director Steve Uphill. The studio currently has two demos in production and expects to reveal some footage in the coming weeks. Hubbard says they are currently in talks with various publishers and are "keen" to work on iPad or Sony's Vita. The official announcement of ShortRound's formation comes a few weeks after two of Black Rock's heavies formed RoundCube Entertainment. That studio was created by Split/Second game director Nick Baynes and senior producer Ian Monaghan.
OnLive gets Disney Interactive support, universal controller, heading to UK this fall
Black Rock Studios' excellent racers, Pure and Split/Second, are sliding to OnLive, the streaming game service announced today. The duo of arcade racing titles will lead the charge for Disney Interactive titles on the service, with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean up next on the list. And that's not all -- OnLive had a bunch of news to drop just before E3 begins next week. For starters, the service will be officially launching in the UK at some point this fall. As with the company's North American debut, UK residents are encouraged to sign up for early "Founding Members" access -- the official UK site goes live in the coming days. Additionally, OnLive revealed intentions to make its way to a variety of "Intel-based consumer TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes" later this year. The first such devices will begin arriving this fall, and will reportedly stretch beyond the company's currently deal with consumer electronics manufacturer Vizio. Alongside the Intel deal, OnLive plans on launching a "universal wireless controller" that will work with said Intel-based devices. It looks and operates very much like the OnLive MicroConsole controller, and will come with a USB dongle for non-wireless devices. It's said to contain several different radio signals for working with a multitude of devices. You'll be able to brag to your friends all about how you're playing high-end PC games on your Intel-based TV on a wireless controller right from within games, pushing brag clips to Facebook. Which is to say, yes, OnLive is getting Facebook integration as well, starting June 7. Now, you'll excuse us if we take a moment to catch our breath.%Gallery-125195%
Split/Second game director, producer form RoundCube Entertainment
Two of Black Rock Studios' biggest players have decided to form their own thing: RoundCube Entertainment. Nick Baynes, game director on Split/Second, will head up the new outfit, while Ian Monaghan, previously senior producer at Black Rock, will now act as development director. Both were affected by the latest round of layoffs from parent company, Disney. According to GI.biz, about 30 currently remain at Black Rock, toiling away on a project for Disney. As for RoundCube, they haven't announced what they're going to do next, but if you ask us it should have something to do with tiny increments of time.
Disney confirms layoffs at Split/Second dev Black Rock
Last night, word came in that around 40 jobs were in danger at Split/Second developer Black Rock Studio. Disney issued a statement to Eurogamer confirming cuts at the company, though not a number: "Disney Interactive Studios confirms a reduction of its workforce from its Brighton-based internal game development studio, Black Rock Studios," a representative said. " The studio will continue its work on its current project." While Disney didn't offer an official number, Eurogamer's tipster clarified that it wasn't 40 jobs that were in danger, it was 40 jobs that weren't. According to the anonymous source, "Around 100 jobs are at risk." Black Rock survived the layoffs that came from Disney's "restructuring" in late January. At that time, studio head Tony Beckwith told Joystiq the studio was "fine."
Report: Split/Second dev Black Rock facing layoffs
UK-based developer Black Rock Studio is said to be on the verge of eliminating as many as 40 positions. Eurogamer cites an unnamed source at the company, who says the layoffs are coming Thursday morning "with the aim of reducing the studio to a single game team." The source goes into further detail about recent happenings at the studio, including the cancellation of a Split/Second sequel during pre-production and the shooting down of multiple game pitches by its parent company, Disney Interactive. Nearly half of Black Rock's staff is said to have been spinning its wheels without a project for several months as a result, so the source says the layoffs -- which have been hitting in waves across Disney's gaming unit since last year -- don't really come as a surprise. There's evidently a silver lining on this most recent unemployment-spawned grey cloud, at least; according to the source, the slimmed-down Black Rock will continue work on a "promising" but "new and risky" title that's already in development. We've reached out to Disney for comment on the report and our best wishes go out to anyone affected by the layoffs. If you're among that group and would like to share your story, contact us.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2010: Split/Second
Attractively molded metal cages hurtle through a sequence of man-made disasters as part of an overblown reality TV show. Despite the prevalence of appealing buzzwords, Michael Bay is the first to turn his nose up at such a stupefying 'splosionfest. "Send this one to Paul Anderson," he says with a smirk. In the realm of racing games, however, it's a tire-squealing departure from the player's usual point of entry. Ask the sincerely obsessed Kazunori Yamauchi where you fit in, and he'll point to the high-tech cradle behind the wheel. The point, surely, is to make you feel like you're inside a growling machine that sniffs out the perfect racing line on a static course. ("Surely, because I've spent half my life doing this." He wrings his hands.)
Split/Second PSP launch trailer and demo hit the gas, break the glass
Do you need to be convinced of Split/Second's capacity for stock car annihilation on PSP? Sony's offered you two ways to do so, the most thorough of which is a brief demo that's currently available on the PlayStation Store. What better way could there be to preview the miniaturized, bombastic racer than to actually get your hands dirty? Well, we're not sure about a better way -- but there's certainly an easier way. See, downloading and playing that demo? That would require hundreds of button presses. Watching the launch trailer posted after the jump? That's like, two button presses. Maybe three, if you have to scroll down. Talk about efficient! Also, lazy.
Split/Second going for $20 at Best Buy
Best Buy is selling Split/Second on Xbox 360 and PS3 for only $20. It's a great game, so it shouldn't take you very long to decide to pick it up. Like, not even a few seconds. Or maybe just one second. It should take, like, no time to make this decision. Is there anything less than a second?
Additional Split/Second DLC revealed; 'Survival at the Rock' out now
Some Split/Second DLC is pulling into the left lane -- wait, we can't do this. It's not fair to you and it's not fair to us. We're better and more capable than pulling these types of shenanigans. Let's put it in park, take a second to collect ourselves and take another lap around the track. ... Okay, now that we've got that out of our system: today, fans of Black Rock Studio's racer can download some additional content with the Survival at the Rock DLC pack. Within you'll find the Minepit Park track and a new game mode called Survival Race -- it's a take on Survival mode where instead of lapping semis beneath the shadow of the looming clock 'o doom, players will be tasked with simply completing a set number of laps. Survival at the Rock is available for download right now on Xbox Live and PSN for 400 MS Points and $4.99, respectively. Throughout the next month, however, Disney will also be dishing out two more DLC packs. On October 19 you can download the Deadline pack, which adds four new vehicles -- the Ryback Coyote Special, Cobretti Centaur, Ryback Javelin and Hanzo Kanobo -- and Deadline mode, a clock-based race mode where players can freeze the timer by picking up items on the track. Finally, on November 2, you can snag the Quarry Onslaught pack, adding the titular Quarry track and a new game mode, Onslaught -- a single player and multiplayer-compatible mode where drivers dodge "waves of missiles from a circling helicopter." This game mode will be compatible across nine different tracks in the game, including Deadline. These packs will join the currently available Elite Vehicle Livery and the High Octane Supercar packs. The Deadline pack will set you back 400 MS Points ($4.99), while Quarry Onslaught will cost a bit more: 800 MS Points ($9.99). Head past the break for a trailer showcasing Survival at the Rock. Heads-up: it in no way involves Sean Connery. Yeah, we were kinda bummed about that too.
Split/Second gets minute on PSP this November
Disney Interactive Studios has sent us a note announcing a November 16 release date for the PlayStation Portable version of Split/Second, the demolition racer that debuted on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in May. The new game will introduce an additional track (for a total of 13) and challenge mode to the explosive proceedings, and offer four-player ad-hoc multiplayer. Hint: Don't worry about burning bridges so much as dropping them on your former friends and opponents. We hope the art of catastrophe evasion translates well to PSP -- you'll note the graphics haven't avoided a significant downgrade -- and that Disney's promise of platform-specific control tweaks holds up. We don't need high-definition to spot the plane coming right at us, do we?
Two new DLC packs crash into Split/Second
Two DLC packs are set to liven up Split/Second this week (as if it needed any livening up). The Elite Vehicle Livery Pack adds new liveries for the Brawn, Vixen and Raptor cars and, as a nice bonus, it's free. Meanwhile, the High Octane Supercar Pack adds three new supercars and a new livery for the Ryback Cyclone. The High Octane Supercar DLC isn't free, but it's pretty close, clocking in at 160 MSP or $2 on Xbox Live and PSN, respectively. Both DLC packs should be available today on Xbox Live, though currently only the Supercar Pack is listed (along with an unannounced Ryback Cyclone Special Edition pack). The Livery and Supercar DLC are slated to hit PSN tomorrow, September 1. %Gallery-100787%
Black Rock Studio opening its doors to Disney XD viewers
As part of a mentorship campaign initiated by Disney's XD channel, England-based developer Black Rock Studio will welcome some young viewers into the exciting world of game development. Kids will get to see what's under the bonnet of Split/Second, the studio's disaster-driven racer that debuted in May. Black Rock audio director Steve Rockett values the positive message and "inspirational format" of Disney's campaign, telling Develop, "I think this idea is comparable to what has been going on in the music industry in the past few years in that it shows we are becoming much more accessible, and now people see it for what it is – a great place to work." Rockett will be showing his informal pupils how engine sounds are recorded and implemented in the game (it's just a guy going "VRROOM!" into a microphone, right?), while lead designer Ian Hudson will delve into Split/Second's unique track creation. Cars go here, explosions go there. This bit collapses. Got it! According to Hudson, allowing players to participate in this manner will help sell them on game development as a viable and fun career. "When they see their ideas appearing in those games, well that's just thrilling, and it definitely gives them the idea that this isn't that hard to do and they have the ability to do it," he said. "I think it will attract a lot of people. The kids will get to say 'oh that's how you do it, I understand it now'." But remember, kids: don't release anything alongside Rockstar's latest game.
Split/Second online lobbies updated, Black Rock surveying for future plans
Yesterday, Split/Second developer Black Rock Studios patched its highly volatile racer, adding a feature that's frequently been requested by its loyal players: The ability to filter multiplayer lobbies, only allowing players to drive certain classes of cars. Having solved the "monster trucks vs. high performance Formula One racers" dilemma, the developer turned its eyes towards the future, and recently issued a survey inquiring what players would like to see introduced in future updates and DLC packs. We'd participate in the survey, but we're not sure Black Rock would appreciate our answers, which would pretty much boil down to "we'd like to see a space ship crash into a nuclear meltdown site which is also an aircraft carrier made of dynamite and fire." That's not too much to ask, is it?
Split/Second getting three DLC packs in August, 'major DLC pack' in September
If you're still racing around the structurally unsound tracks in Split/Second, you'll be pleased to note that developer Black Rock Studios plans to release three DLC packs "in the next couple of weeks," as well as a fourth in September. The first three packs will introduce new cars, while the pack coming next month is said to be "major" and will come packed with an entirely new environment (we're hoping that means new powerplays as well). No pricing has been offered for any of the packs, but the game's Facebook page (where all of this was announced) says that the third DLC pack will be free "as a way of saying thanks to our awesome community," and will contain a "special edition vehicle based on the original classic Ryback Cyclone." Solid launch dates weren't given either, and nothing's showing up on XBLM or PSN just yet, but we do have this one screenshot above from the second DLC pack of a "High Octane Supercar." Don't say we never gave you nothin'!
Split/Second 'sploding on PSP this holiday
Disney Interactive has announced that its havoc-wreaking racer, Split/Second, is drifting onto the PSP in time for the holiday. The basic structure of the game will remain intact -- players drive across booby trap-infused tracks, attempting to take out the competition by setting off hazards at opportune times. Online multiplayer is a no-show, but up to four players will be able to engage in ad-hoc races. We're awfully curious about how Disney plans on porting Split/Second's big, blockbuster feel to a much smaller device. More than that, though, we're looking forward to the game's first commercial, where a kid is playing his PSP in the back of his mom's minivan, and oh no, the road's blowing up in real life! And the mom's swerving out of the way, like, why is this happening? And the kid smiles, knowingly. %Gallery-97064%
