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Amnesia developer reveals Soma, hints at science horror project
Frictional Games, known for the Amnesia and Penumbra series, has revealed the first glimpse of its next project. The teaser site discovered last week now points to somasystems.org, which currently hosts a "case file," with the indication that more are on the way. The case file in question tells the story of a strange machine that was uncovered during a "salvage mission." The machine is described as "a heavily modified monitor fixed to a massive nest of cables and controls." You don't have to imagine it though, as the machine is featured in the live-action video above. Give it a watch, and be sure to wait for it. The case file is called "Vivarium," which is essentially an artificial habitat. Given the reference to a salvage mission, it's possible that Soma (if indeed that is the game's name) could take place in space, or possibly a ravaged Earth. Meanwhile, the word "soma" apparently refers to a ritualistic drink often associated with immortality. Finally, there appears to be a Philip K. Dick quote scrambled in an image on the Soma website: "It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane." The quote is taken from one of Dick's novels, VALIS, which deals with the nature of reality, consciousness and divinity. Whatever Soma is, it appears that the project is leaning toward science-related horror, and we're just fine with that.
Sunsoft acquires Telenet game catalog (think: Valis, Cosmic Fantasy)
As part of its relaunch, Japanese publisher Sunsoft announced that it has purchased the rights to the entire 100-plus game library of Nihon Telenet. Even if you're not familiar with the name, you probably remember the games (most of which were published by Renovation) and their (at the time) exotic-looking anime-style covers. Telenet was the creator of the Valis series, along with action titles like El Viento, shmups like Sol-Deace and Gaiares, and the Cosmic Fantasy RPG series. Sunsoft will begin releasing classics from the library on the Wii Virtual Console and other services -- and then it will start producing remakes and new installments. This could finally be our chance for that non-pornographic Valis sequel we've been waiting for! Gaijinworks – the new company started by Working Designs' Victor Ireland – has been working with Sunsoft on the company's relaunch and is named as instrumental in this deal. Working Designs' history with Telenet goes back to 1992, when the company agreed to publish Telenet's Cosmic Fantasy 2.
