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Report: Whore of the Orient gameplay footage leaks
The latest bit of hazy information about Whore of the Orient, the next game from the creators of L.A. Noire, is a leak that VideoGamer claims to be footage supplied by a "trusted source." The clip is the first we've seen of the game's... well, anything. In the footage we see the main character, some combat and get the sense the game is open-world. Currently we don't even know if Whore of the Orient is in production; the game's lead designer formed his own studio earlier this year following reported layoffs at Kennedy Miller Mitchell , the company that absorbed L.A. Noire dev Team Bondi in 2011. The game is allegedly targeted for 2015.
L.A. Noire, Whore of the Orient vets form Intuitive Game Studios
Two former Team Bondi employees established a new, independent studio in Sydney, Australia, called Intuitive Game Studios. Intuitive was founded by Alex Carlyle, design lead on Team Bondi's L.A. Noire, and Kelly Baigent, who worked on storyboarding for L.A. Noire and has a background in animation through Tui Studios. Carlyle was also design lead on Whore of the Orient with KMM, the studio that bought Team Bondi after L.A. Noire. KMM laid off Whore of the Orient staff and shuttered the game's division in April, multiple reports said. There's no word yet on what type of projects Intuitive will work on, but Carlyle said it will begin by hiring a small team as independent contractors, rather than building a full-time staff. The only hints we have so far as to Intuitive's direction is a shadowy Facebook profile picture and a single-page website.
L.A. Noire gag reel presents the uncanny valley of bloopers
Depth Anaylsis, the company behind the MotionScan tech used in L.A. Noire, published this gag reel featuring blooper cast recordings, but all animated in-game. Unless you regularly tune in to Takeshi's Castle, this is one of the oddest, coolest things you'll watch this week.
Rumor: Whore of the Orient action adventure aiming for 2015
KMM Interactive, the studio that picked up Brendan McNamara and the remnants of L.A. Noire's Team Bondi, posted openings that suggest the group's next game, Whore of the Orient, is scheduled to be complete in 2015.Spotted by Superannuation, job openings describe the game as a "narrative action adventure" that is "similar in style to LA Noire," and uses the same MotionScan tech that gave Cole his grisly demeanor.The job descriptions set a target for full production from early 2013 to mid 2015. Whore of the Orient is a next-gen console and PC game published by Warner Bros. Interactive, and McNamara first pitched it as "one of the great untold stories of the twentieth century."According to a website that went live for a spell in August, the game is set in 1936 Shanghai, China, and stars the International Police Force, a western group "hopelessly trying to keep the lid on and keep the peace." The website taglined the game as, "Whore of the Orient. Paris of the East."L.A. Noire spent seven years in development, so just two for a game "similar in style" and using the same technology, from much of the same team, seems ambitious. But hey, that's what energy drinks are for.
LA Noire team's 'Whore of the Orient' headed next-gen, published by WB
A new website for LA Noire dev Team Bondi's next game, Whore of the Orient, popped up this morning (as discovered by OPM), along with new information about the barely mentioned "great untold story." The game is headed to "next generation games consoles and PC" with Warner Bros. Interactive as publisher.The game's set in 1936 Shanghai, China – "Whore of the Orient. Paris of the East," as the website calls it. A "group of Western cops hopelessly trying to keep the lid on and keep the peace" seems to be the focal point of the game (the group's known as the "International Police Force"), though it's unclear exactly what kind of game it is. It sounds to be just as hard-boiled as Team Bondi's last effort, LA Noire, and the gritty look of the image above incurs the same comparison.Team Bondi leader Brendan McNamara is once again at the head of the project, leading the remnants of LA Noire's dev team picked up by Kennedy Miller Mitchell.
Hands-on with LA Noire on a tablet with OnLive
Getting a technically complex game like LA Noire running on a tablet is an impressive feat, and one that OnLive has every right to crow about. That Rockstar took the time to implement touch controls so that LA Noire could be played natively is equally laudable. That said, the touch support isn't nearly as well-implemented as it might have been and is, in fact, downright clunky.In short, it's LA Noire on a tablet with virtual controls, which plays out exactly how you think it does.
More LA Noire a possibility, Rockstar not in a 'rush' for sequel
Even following the closure of developer Team Bondi, Rockstar isn't necessarily giving up on more LA Noire. In a recent Q&A session, a Rockstar rep noted that while there won't be any more content released for LA Noire, fans shouldn't "count out the possibility of a new game in the LA Noire franchise in the future." The studio added that it is "considering what the future may hold for LA Noire as a series," and that it doesn't "always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean [it] won't get to them eventually." This isn't the first time LA Noire has been referred to as a franchise. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called it "a powerful new franchise" shortly after LA Noire's release last year, though that was before Team Bondi was shuttered.That Rockstar is still bullish on LA Noire is particularly noteworthy considering the fate of Team Bondi. In other words, if Rockstar pursues an LA Noire sequel, it will do so without the developer that made it a success. Then again, that's not anything new for Rockstar -- it's currently developing Max Payne 3, part of a series originally created by Alan Wake developer Remedy.
'Whore of the Orient' is next game by LA Noire studio head
Team Bondi founder Brendan McNamara's next game will be titled Whore of the Orient, according to Australia's Financial Review. Little to nothing is known beyond the title -- which has already sent FOX News segment producers into a Bengay-rubbing tingly fervor -- with McNamara previously stating it is "one of the great untold stories of the twentieth century." The game will be produced by KMM Interactive, the studio that picked up the broken pieces of McNamara's Team Bondi after it imploded this summer despite the success of LA Noire.
Team Bondi founder McNamara writing game based on a 'great untold story'
Ever since Team Bondi got shuttered, Brendan McNamara has been all too willing to share his unique insight on L.A. Noire, the studio's final game. Based on comments made to Eurogamer, he's ready to move on now. McNamara claims to be writing a new game based on "one of the great untold stories of the twentieth century." This is a pitch he is making on his own -- one he says has a few publishers interested. But as of right now, he can't say much else. "Hopefully I'll have something to announce on that pretty soon," he concluded. If we were a betting blog, we'd say that great untold story is about the one time we found a $20 bill in the laundry. It won't have a really climactic ending, but the QTE segments are sure to knock your socks off.
McNamara explains why LA Noire's Cole seemed like a 'psycho'
Former Team Bondi head Brendan McNamara recently illuminated why L.A. Noire's Detective Cole Phelps would often ... overreact during interrogations. "When we originally wrote the game the questions you asked were coax, force and lie. It was actually force because it was a more aggressive answer. That's the way we recorded it," McNamara explained at the Bradford Animation Festival, reports Eurogamer. "But when the game came out it was truth, doubt or lie. Everyone always says Aaron on the second question is a psycho. So that's not his fault." McNamara also feels the reason some players felt the characters were dead from the neck down was because they were so lively in the face. He believes that players got used to seeing the facial detail and started getting picky about other stuff. "It's a subtle thing, but once you attune to that level of realism then you start looking for the other things," he said. "And we had some criticism from people saying people were a bit stiff in their clothes and from the way they were done. But they were only stiff in comparison to real life."
L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition coming to PS3, 360 this November
L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition is coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 15th in North America (and November 18th elsewhere), just a week after the game debuts on PC. And like the PC game, The Complete Edition comes packed with every piece of DLC released thus far. [Update: We've confirmed with Rockstar that this will retail for $49.99.] The bonus cases stacked atop your desk/disc include "The Nicholson Electroplating," "The Consul's Car," "Reefer Madness," "The Naked City" and "A Slip of the Tongue." They cover the arson, vice and traffic beats, and are offered alongside The Badge Pursuit Challenge and all unlockable outfits and weapons. There's also a new prologue that explains why Cole Phelps transforms into Sergeant Frank Drebin every time he gets behind the wheel of a car. (Or is there? Truth, doubt, lie, etc.)
Team Bondi owed $1.4 million to employees, faces tech company
LA Noire's defunct developer Team Bondi owed AU$1,425,156 ($1.4M USD) to creditors when the decision was made to shutter the studio. Edge reports over a million dollars was owed to the staff, with tens of thousands owed to developers who defended the working conditions at the studio, and nearly $100k apiece owed to the studio's controversial executives. The real kicker is that nearly $150K is still owed to Depth Analysis, Team Bondi studio boss Brendan McNamara's firm that created the MotionScan facial animation tech, unquestionably a major factor that helped the game stand out. Hold up, we take it back... the real kicker is that $54,427.01 is still owed to Bondi's accountants.
LA Noire developer Team Bondi shutting down
Team Bondi, developer of Rockstar hit LA Noire, is kaput. Edge reports that documents were filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, indicating that the studio would close. The studio entered administration in late August, with its assets reportedly sold to Australian production company Kennedy Miller Mitchell. Although LA Noire was an unquestionable hit for publisher Rockstar, becoming the "fastest-selling new video game IP ever in the UK," the game was on a separate narrative track from the internal drama going on at Team Bondi. Seven years of development took its toll on the staff and company. In time, the truth will shake out about what went wrong at Team Bondi, in a year that should have established the studio as a force ending with its demise. For those who only care about the future of LA Noire ... don't you worry, IP holder Take-Two Interactive (parent company of Rockstar) isn't about to let a new series -- that shipped 4 million copies -- just disappear.
Report: LA Noire dev Team Bondi enters administration
You don't normally expect a company to release a well-reviewed hit in May and then enter administration three months later, but L.A. Noire maker Team Bondi is following a strange, tumultuous timeline. SmartCompany reports that the Sydney-based studio has been placed into administration, with accounting firm de Vries Tayeh handling the ongoing process. A company in turmoil can be placed into administration to help facilitate payments to creditors, possibly through sale of assets or parts of the company. It's not known how exactly administration will proceed with Team Bondi, but earlier reports suggested that company assets were acquired by Kennedy Miller Mitchell (KMM), an Australian production company thought to be working on a Mad Max game. Staff at Team Bondi were reportedly offered jobs at KMM if they did not take severance pay. If you're looking for further developments regarding the L.A. Noire franchise, it will be have to be at Rockstar -- the publisher owns the rights to what is likely to be the last game from Team Bondi as we knew it.
Report: Team Bondi sells assets to Mad Max studio, KMM; staff offered new jobs or severance
Following last weekend's rumor that Sydney-based L.A. Noire developer Team Bondi was to be acquired by Kennedy Miller Mitchell, the Australian production company thought to be working on a Mad Max game, comes a report from UK trade site Develop seemingly corroborating the rumor. "Game IP and other remaining assets owned by Sydney studio Team Bondi have been sold off," Develop reports, citing a single anonymous source "who engages with both companies locally." The staff at Team Bondi were reportedly "given choice of new job at Kennedy Miller Mitchell or severance pay." Develop doesn't know if Team Bondi will continue to exist and the developer has declined to comment. Develop lists several additional, unconfirmed rumors or bits of speculation, including whether or not the studio has "gone bankrupt" or whether Brendan McNamara would join KMM as well, reuniting the Team Bondi leader with the "many staff" that left during L.A. Noire's troubled development. While the sale ostensibly included "game IP," one thing KMM won't be getting is the L.A. Noire IP, which is owned by publisher Rockstar. Depth Analysis, the company whose technology powered L.A. Noire's eye-catching facial animation, "is not thought to be affected" by the sale, Develop reports.
Rumor: Team Bondi to be acquired by Mad Max studio, KMM
Mad Max's George Miller is playing host to the artists behind L.A. Noire, Team Bondi, as the developer faces a tortured reputation, burned bridges with Rockstar and is in need of fresh studio support, according to sources at Kotaku. Team Bondi bossman Brendan McNamara has been spotted touring Miller's KMM Studio in Sydney, including a stop at Dr. D, the animation shop currently finishing Happy Feet 2, one person said. A few former Team Bondi employees -- the same ones who reported terrible work conditions under McNamara -- work at Dr. D and found it unsettling that McNamara was touring the offices, the source said. Apparently Miller is a fan of Team Bondi's work and is sympathetic to McNamara's reputation as a strict taskmaster, according to one employee at Dr. D: "The word is going 'round that Team Bondi is being folded into KMM studios; Team Bondi is pretty much doomed after the scandal and can't find any new supporters, so by doing this they can hide their name."
Amazon Alert: L.A. Noire on sale for $37.00
Listen up, gum-shoes! Team Bondi's homicide-homage to 1940s Los Angeles is on sale at Amazon for the criminally low sum of $37.00. At a nearly 40-percent markdown from retail, we think this deal warrants some investigation.
L.A. Noire lead programmer defends Team Bondi, admits development hardship
Team Bondi has caught a lot of flack from ex-staffers recently about unfair work hours in the final weeks of L.A. Noire development. Lead gameplay programmer Dave Heironymus recently defended the company to the IGDA in a letter republished by Gamasutra, explaining that he "didn't want to see [Team Bondi] destroyed by anonymous ex-employees." Taking a similar stance as studio boss Brendan McNamara, Heironymus says that while employees worked long hours, they weren't being asked to do anything that their superiors weren't also doing. Heironymus also downplayed the 100-hour weeks that some staffers have claimed, saying that he would have discouraged any members of his team attempting to work that much. However, Heironymus isn't claiming innocence for Team Bondi's management. He writes, "no-one at Team Bondi is under the illusion that crunching is a good way to work and we're actively working to learn from our mistakes for our next project."
LA Noire's 'Reefer Madness' going green next week
The debut trailer for LA Noire's next downloadable case, "Reefer Madness," has been released, showing off the illicit substances Cole will tackle when the DLC drops July 12. You know what substance we're talking about, right? Mary Jane. Jazz cigarettes. Um ... lung whiskey.
Report: Emails show Team Bondi/Rockstar schism, long hours for L.A. Noire devs
More and more, its seems that L.A. Noire's most perplexing mystery is how the detective game got made without any of its developers sizing each other up for concrete shoes. Late last month, a story in IGN Australia painted a pretty miserable picture of the working conditions at developer Team Bondi. Now, original author Andrew McMillen has returned to GamesIndustry.biz to reveal some of his whistle-blowing emails. In the story, we see a fracture begin to form in the developer's relationship with publisher Rockstar when the latter pulled out of E3 in 2010. We read why some environments in L.A. Noire seemed lifeless, and about developers scared to quit before the production wrapped, for fear that they wouldn't received accrued overtime pay. We're familiar enough with crunch time in the industry, but this sounds like a particularly egregious case. We know we should be able to separate art from its artist but, frankly, stories like this make us appreciate the end product just a little bit less.
