Saturday, February 16, 2008

Alone in the Dark 5 tech demo raises the survival horror bar




by Tiberius Jonez
email tiberiusjonez@gmail.com

While Resident Evil and Silent Hill are the most famous names in the survival horror genre, we musn't forget who created the genre in the first place, Alone in the Dark. The tech demo for Alone in the Dark 5 (AITD5) shown in this video is absolutely stunning and shows some fantastic gameplay possibilities.

No release date has been announced, but we do know that AITD5 will be released on both the Xbox 360 and PS3. In the video, producer Nour Polloni of Eden Games, the studio developing AITD5 for Atari, demonstrates some of the game's amazing visuals and gameplay possibilities. Sticky tape and everyday objects are used in ways that would make MacGyver proud. Atari may very well have a much-needed hit on their hands. We'll be following this one closely as more details come to light. See what I did there? :0-)




Monday, February 04, 2008

"Ender's Game" game in the works


by Tiberius Jonez

Ender's Game
and the "Ender" series of novels are some of the most memorable books I've read, so I am excited to see Orson Scott Card, the series' author has given permission for a game to be developed based on his work.

Chair Entertainment Group, developers of the Xbox Live Arcade game Undertow, and author Orson Scott Card announced a partnership that allows Chair to develop the first video games based on Ender’s Game. Details of the announcement were specific in scope, stating that Chair would focus on the Battle Room, a central aspect of the novel. Development will begin later this year, with the first games coming as downloads. Chair said its games will be available on all next-gen consoles, handheld platforms and PC.

"I have been a huge fan of Ender's Game since I was ten years old, so it is a true honor for our team to be entrusted with creating the first video game inspired by this classic story," said Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair. "Our goal is to create an authentic Ender's Game experience that delivers awesome gameplay and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and gamers new to the series."

In Ender’s Game, Earth’s best and brightest children are enlisted in the fight against a vicious alien enemy, the Formics. There, the kids are taught military tactics through battle simulations in the Battle Room.

"From the moment I started working with Donald Mustard and his team at Chair, I knew that these were the guys I wanted to do the first Ender's Game video game," said Orson Scott Card. "It's not enough to slap the Ender's Game name on just any game - it has to be exciting, memorable, and endlessly replayable. Chair shares my understanding of this and I am looking forward to working with them to ensure the game is as authentically Enderish as possible."