TimeGate
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Report: Timegate closes its doors
Timegate, the studio behind Section 8 and Aliens: Colonial Marines, laid off its entire staff today, Kotaku reports. On May 2, Timegate filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a debt of up to $50 million. The filing revealed that Timegate owed large sums to 50 companies, including Epic Games, Agora Games and DJ2 Entertainment. In April, Timegate lost an appeal against publisher SouthPeak Interactive, potentially losing the Section 8 license and adding $7.35 million to its debt. SouthPeak fought for Timegate's closure in arbitration and won, leading to today's layoffs, the report says. Timegate let go 25 employees in March, citing a rough transition to next-gen consoles and a publishing deal that fell through. The studio's most recent project is Minimum, a free-to-play shooter for PC that was supposed to launch on Steam Early Access on April 16. Minimum is currently not listed anywhere on Steam.
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.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Wii U version overseen by Shoot Many Robots studio
Don't count out that Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines, despite Gearbox pushing its launch to an unknown spot beyond the 360/PS3/PC version's February 2013 date. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford says that Shoot Many Robots studio Demiurge Studios has been overseeing the Wii U version for the past nine months, alongside both Nerve and Timegate.Pitchford couldn't speak to many specifics of the game, but he did extol the Wii U controller. "When I play with the controller, I immediately realize that for the types of games I like to play and make, this is the best controller I've ever had from Nintendo." He also teases one potential use for the WiiPad, saying, "For Aliens: Colonial Marines, it's really exciting to have that screen there because I can do things that are very unique to this universe. For instance, we have a motion tracker in this universe. Now our motion tracker can literally be in our hands and we can see and hear it –and scan the room in 360 degrees, since it's a motion device."Aliens: Colonial Marines launches on February 13, 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The Wii U version is expected some time beyond that date.
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.
TimeGate expanding publishing biz, also working on 'very big project' for another pub
Like many indie developers, TimeGate Studios' origins are humble. "We set up a card table and called it TimeGate. That was a little over 12 years ago," president and CEO Adel Chaveleh recalled during our recent meeting. "We knew the game we wanted before we knew how the hell to make a game," he added with a wide grin. That game was Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, which went on to earn an 87 Metacritic score and a handful of awards. Today, TimeGate isn't far from launching its first digital-only title, Section 8: Prejudice -- the sequel to 2009's Section 8 -- and Chaveleh is noticeably excited about the prospects of the company's future in publishing. "In the midst of a year, not only did we finish development of the whole sequel, but we've switched our whole business model, and we've built that internal publishing infrastructure," he beamed. "Now that we've got that pipeline established, we're looking at more content -- both internally, and we're starting to talk with some external developers, as well, about being a conduit for either their content or helping us develop content." Chaveleh wouldn't reveal any of these collaborators, but it's clear TimeGate understands that, whether physical or digital products, the publisher still holds all the cards. %Gallery-115412%
Section 8 shows Prejudice against retail, will be a $15 download
The follow-up to Timegate Studios's coldly received 2009 multiplayer shooter, Section 8: Prejudice, will avoid the boxed-copy retail battlefield and will instead aim to "corner" the digital market. The developer announced today that Prejudice will come to Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC retail portals, including Steam and Games for Windows Marketplace, as a $15 download when it launches early next year. Prejudice will include a single-player campaign, support for up to 32 players in online multiplayer and a new four-player co-op mode called Swarm. Offline players will also be able to partake in multiplayer, as the game can swap out those pesky humans for emotionless, calculating bots. Timegate has also pledged to support the sequel post-launch through "a substantial downloadable content plan," though specific details have yet to be revealed.
Section 8: Prejudice preview: Turn on, drop in, tune out
Though many are now realizing its beauty in multiplayer shooters, the jetpack is a woefully underused tool in the FPS developer's work box. My love affair with the jetpack began many years ago on the PC with Dynamix's Starsiege: Tribes -- unfortunately, that love affair has taken a near 15-year, involuntary hiatus. Halo: Reach went a long way in sating my desire for airborne multiplayer combat, but it looks like Section 8: Prejudice will go even further toward addressing that desire. Jetpacks abound -- like they did in the original Section 8 -- as do a glut of other variables to turn the objective-focused multiplayer into a rock, paper, scissors playground. But while I was excited by a lot of the gameplay ideas I saw in Prejudice, I was just as concerned about the dated visuals and subdued personality.%Gallery-105937%
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.
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!]
