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Starbreeze attempting acquisition of Payday: The Heist studio
Starbreeze, the Swedish studio that brought the world the surprise hit Chronicles of Riddick and the recent reboot of Syndicate, is attempting an acquisition of Payday: The Heist studio Overkill Software. Pending approval by Starbreeze's shareholders, the move will see Overkill's IP (including Payday) and staff become part of Starbreeze's stable.Beyond the acquisition of IP and staff, Overkill is set to establish a new Starbreeze office based out of Stockholm, Sweden. "Starbreeze has graphical emphasis, and Overkill has total focus on innovative gameplay. Together we form a unique constellation of creative forces," Overkill creative director Ulf Andersson said of the acquisition in a press release.Overkill Software was formed in the ashes of former third-party mega studio Grin Software back in 2009, after it collapsed following several commercially unsuccessful projects. Brothers Bo and Ulf Andersson started Overkill, and it's unclear how their roles will change (if at all) in the new setup. The acquisition – if approved by Starbreeze's shareholders – is set to go into effect in mid-June.
Starbreeze working on free-to-play title 'Cold Mercury'
Syndicate and Riddick developer Starbreeze's next project will be a free-to-play title. GI.biz reports the title will be called Cold Mercury, but any further details would require Syndicate-style deep extraction on Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark. The exec also noted the title does not mean the company is moving away from AAA development."We are discussing with several leading game publisher on publisher financed games, but we will broaden our product portfolio of games in the new business models and segments that have arisen in the games industry," said Nermark. "I am convinced that Starbreeze will be successful with the new games."The company is also currently seeking a distribution deal for P13, the project announced late last year in collaboration with Swedish film director Josef Fares.
Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion
Fans were perturbed when they learned the classic Bullfrog-developed strategy series, Syndicate, would be rebooted in first-person form. The original was a beautiful and brutal affair, set in a cyberpunk world filled with corporate conspiracy. In its reboot, developer Starbreeze manages to hold onto some of those elements that made the original such an intriguing beast. Syndicate showcases its own beautiful brutality, shaking off the label of "just another shooter."It's 2069. Corporations have ascended beyond the reach of simple governments and battle one another for technological advancement. Civilians are inconsequential, seen merely as pawns in the midst of each company's boardroom brawl, and are often gunned down by characters throughout the campaign simply for "getting in the way." You take the role of the mostly faceless Miles Kilo, an agent at the industry giant EuroCorp, where you have been outfitted with a prototype version of a chip that gives you control over connected devices around you, as well as a number of other abilities. Like other agents, you must work to keep your corporation at peak profitability. %Gallery-138068%
Syndicate's launch trailer reminds us how messed up the violence is
You remember that first time you saw the Syndicate dude make a security guard dude shoot himself in the head? Surprise, surprise, it doesn't get any less messed up when you see it performed in subsequent trailers, as evidenced above.
Syndicate employs Brian Cox, Rosario Dawson and Michael Wincott
In the future, your brain will be infused with special technology to unlock the massive potential within you. Also, the company you work for will be headed by a surly Scot and a beautiful wherever Rosario Dawson is from.EA's announced both Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson will lend their voices to Syndicate, the Starbreeze reboot of the classic strategy game from the '90s. Joining them is Michael Wincott, who you may remember as the bad guy from The Crow. Gamers may better recognize his pipes as The Prophet of Truth in Halo 2, and as Death in the upcoming Darksiders 2. Dawson will play Lily Drawl, a "rising star" at EuroCorp; Cox plays Eurocorp board member Jack Denham and Wincott plays veteran agent Jules Merit.
Syndicate co-op demo, term life insurance available now
The co-op demo for Syndicate is ready to infiltrate Xbox 360s in North America and Europe right now. The PlayStation Network will likely gain access today at the close of business on the East Coast, which is when the PSN usually updates in North America. The PSN version for Europe will have open enrollment tomorrow.The demo covers the "Western Europe" co-op mission, as your team steals blueprints for Cayman Global (the TCBY of the future) and assassinates what may or may not be a bad guy. Hey, it's business, there's very little room for ethics. XBLM Syndicate Co-op Demo
Starbreeze self-funding original IP
Starbreeze, the developer behind The Darkness, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and the upcoming series reboot Syndicate, is looking to expand its developmental output beyond the intellectual properties of other creative minds."We want to make our own IP; no doubt," Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark told Gamasutra. "We're actually self-funding one original IP right now. If we're going to take it to market ourself -- I haven't decided yet. It's always about how you maximize what you can do." Nermark's current strategy is to continue working on high-profile titles like Syndicate while simultaneously looking for opportunities to launch the developer's own original IP. As the old saying goes, "You can only milk another man's cow for so long." Or something.
Syndicates get by with a little help from their friends
When a solo trip over to the neighboring corporation's top secret vault is too big a job for one person, Syndicate offers four-player co-op to help. Securing that Big Mac secret sauce recipe should be a cinch. %Gallery-142811%
EA not releasing Syndicate in Australia, notes 'arcane censorship'
Syndicate will not launch in Australia next year and EA will not alter the original game or seek an appeal. The publisher informed Joystiq this afternoon that it finds the Australian government's policy to deny adults the right to play Syndicate "regrettable." "The game will not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government's recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies," EA Corporate Communications' Tiffany Steckler wrote Joystiq in a statement. "We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today's market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices." Syndicate was recently refused classification in Australia, due to it being "unsuitable for a minor to see or play." Australian classification standards reject classification for video games only deemed suitable for citizens over the age of 15.
Syndicate refused classification in Australia, called 'unsuitable for a minor' [update]
Syndicate has been refused classification in Australia, due to being "unsuitable for a minor to see or play." The current Australian classification standards still reject classification (i.e. ban) for any game that is only suitable for citizens over the age of 15. "Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated or bisected by the force of the gunfire. The depictions are accompanied by copious bloodspray and injuries are shown realistically and with detail," reads the Classification report obtained by VG24/7. "Flesh and bone are often exposed while arterial sprays of blood continue to spurt from wounds at regular intervals," the report states, discussing an example mission." The most high-profile Aussie rejection in 2011 was Mortal Kombat, which tried to appeal the decision and lost. The Witcher 2 avoided the issue with a small edit to pass the board. We've contacted EA to find out if the publisher will appeal or resubmit the title with alterations. Update: EA not releasing Syndicate in Australia, notes "arcane censorship."
Syndicate displays agent tech, extracts more through stabbed eye socket
The future of business in Syndicate is violent. Everyone comes to work dressed up in armor, keeping arsenals under their desk like ladies in cubicles keep sneakers under theirs. A workman's comp case must be resolved in the classic and genteel style of dueling pistols.
Syndicate trailer goes to the gun show, plays with ballistic toys
Good day, agent. The latest trailer for corporate infiltration simulator Syndicate gives a taste of the available arsenal. It's the best that money can buy to obtain the recipe for Coke Classic.
Syndicate's protagonist isn't a good guy
Syndicate's protagonist won't be helping Granny cross the street or rescuing any kittens stuck in trees -- well, okay, maybe there's some kind of holo-tree mission, we don't know. The point is that you won't be playing the classic hero in EA's reboot. He's a bad dude there to do bad things. "You're certainly not playing a good guy," producer Ben O'Donnell told Videogamer. "You follow him in the narrative, and that narrative will obviously unfold in different ways. When you first start you're playing as this agent working for EuroCorp, and you do their wet work for them. You have this really high-end chip in your head, and you can do things to people that they really wouldn't want to do -- like commit suicide or change allegiance. You're by no means a good guy, you're there to do the dirty work." However, if you're expecting the main character to have some great moral epiphany or change of heart, don't. This isn't a game about "good and evil," O'Donnell promises. Sounds fine to us, especially since we just got one of those.
Syndicate assembles four-player co-op trailer
The latest Syndicate trailer suggests your team will sport enough extraneous buckles on their clothes for a fluid Final Fantasy crossover. %Gallery-138068%
Syndicate broadcasts 10 minutes of gameplay
Syndicate is looking pretty hot so far, but you don't need to take our word for it. Here's 10 minutes of gameplay featuring corporate espionage. Actually, is it still "espionage" when one kills everyone in sight?
Syndicate trailer recalls the past
Syndicate's latest trailer does a little peep show of the past, which may be painful for some with fond memories of the original. But, with how the new game is shaping up, we look toward the future.
Syndicate trailer shows off Starbreeze's vision
Starbreeze's slick, deadly and dour vision of the future is compiled with panache in this first trailer for Syndicate, the FPS reboot of Bullfrog's classic tactical game of the same name. Backed by a Syndicate remix from electro house producer Skrillex (download it here), the visuals cut between flashy combat, aerial takedowns and remote brain-hacking. The trailer concludes with a tease for "The Executive Package" pre-order bonus, likely another one of EA's "limited edition" bundles tied to first-run copies of the game. It's out on February 21, 2012 (or: 0221 2012). %Gallery-135195%
Starbreeze concocting new IP with film director
Starbreeze Studios, which has its hands full with the Syndicate reboot, announced today that it is working on a new intellectual property. In collaboration with film director Josef Fares (pictured, right, with Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark) and The Story Lab AB, Starbreeze is currently developing the concept after being won over by a prototype. No release window was provided for the game. Starbreeze is known for The Chronicles of Riddick games and The Darkness. Fares is known in Sweden for movies like Jalla! Jalla!, Kopps, Zozo and other stuff that isn't available on Netflix.
Syndicate reboot (finally) confirmed by EA and Starbreeze, coming 'early 2012' to 360, PS3, and PC [Update: New images!]
EA and Starbreeze Studios' remake of PC gaming classic Syndicate has been one of the industry's worst-kept secrets. First unveiled as "Project Redlime," copyright filings fingered the actual product over a year ago. And this morning, after leaking details of the game on its own Origin service over the weekend, EA and Starbreeze are finally ready to "reveal" Syndicate to the world. "We are excited to finally reveal what we've been working on the past couple years," Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark told a press release. "It's been a great experience working with EA, and an amazing opportunity for us to use our expertise in the first person shooter and action genres to bring back, and reignite, the signature action/espionage gameplay of Syndicate." In Syndicate, you play "Miles Kilo, Eurocorp's latest prototype agent," tasked with navigating a "Machiavellian world run without government oversight with many syndicates vying for total dominance of their local market place," set in the year 2069. Helping you navigate that complex web of intrigue: GUNS! "Our goal with Syndicate is to provide a challenging action shooter for today's gamers as well as fans of the original," says EA Partners' Jeff Gamon. But if you're worried you won't have enough guns, Syndicate offers "a separate and deep 4-player co-op mode featuring missions from the original cult classic." And while it may have taken EA and Starbreeze some time to officially announce the project, it isn't wasting time in getting it into our hands; Syndicate is expected to be released in "early 2012" for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. %Gallery-133251%
Rumor: Syndicate script slips out
Siliconera has published alleged "chunks" of a script for Starbreeze's long-rumored Syndicate game. If authentic, the excerpts would join some trademarks in a modest pile of evidence pointing to a reboot of EA's dormant cyberpunk series, created by the now defunct Bullfrog Productions in the early 90s. The narrative and dialog excerpts share some commonalities with the old Syndicate games' bleak, corporate cyborg–regulated world -- namely, the suggestion of brain-implanted "chips" -- but don't otherwise let on to any gameplay elements. In June 2009, Sean Cooper, who designed the original, isometric tactical shooter, commented on EA's failed attempts to revive the franchise. "Every time I've seen a prototype of a new Syndicate it's just been misguided," he told IncGamers. Cooper did not appear to have any knowledge of Starbreeze's possible recreation, which is rumored to have been in development since August 2007. "The essence of the game was killing people -- and that was it," Cooper said of Bullfrog's 1993 classic. "Big guns, strong dudes; Terminators essentially. If I have to kill everyone, I will. That to me was the essence of the gameplay." [Screenshot source: MobyGames (with script overlay)]
