Author: Jeff Morgan (Page 255 of 260)

      Sam Raimi to Direct Warcraft Movie

      July 22, 2009 /

      What will a Warcraft movie look like?Today Warcraft is synonymous with long hours grinding, more long hours raiding, and potentially socially destructive behavior. But do you remember the franchises humble roots? The simple graphics? The excellent campaigns? The franchise has been pegged for a movie for some time, and now there’s finally some real news to speak of. According to Variety, Sam Raimi has officially been pegged to direct the upcoming Warcraft movie.

      Raimi, who is famous for movies like Spider-Man and Darkman is excited about the project. “At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story,” said Raimi. “I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen.” Who’s the dynamite production team? That would be Chris Roven’s Atlas Entertainment, the folks behind The Dark Knight. Production is set to begin after Spider-Man 4, which Raimi is supposed to finish in 2010.

      There are still a lot of details missing from the movie. No one yet knows whether it will be live action or CG, and there’s still that issue of release date. If they’re not getting started until 2010, we’re years away from actually seeing the thing, time during which the franchise’s flagship, World of Warcraft, is likely to see slumping subscriptions in the face of new IP.

      Then there’s the ubiquitous concern about games turned into movies. They’re notoriously horrible, but hopefully with Blizzard and Universal involved this one might be the exception to the rule.

      Games in Media, News, Video

      Ghostbusters Game Cost $15-20 Million to Produce

      July 21, 2009 /

      Marshmallow Man wants another movie.The Star-Telegram in Texas got to sit down with the development house for the new Ghostbusters game, Terminal Reality. The game, which released about a month ago to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first movie, has apparently sold over a million copies. That’s pretty impressive for a non-franchise launch (games like Halo blow through the million mark). Perhaps more surprising, the game cost between $15M and $20M to make according to Terminal Reality.

      No, that’s not huge for a blockbuster title, but is Ghostbusters a blockbuster? I remember when I first heard about the game I immediately dismissed it as another cheesy movie knock-off product. Apparently it’s a bit more than that, though there are a whole load of complaints about the PC and PS3 versions of the game. i

      The most interesting part of this whole thing, though, is something Terminal Reality co-founder Mark Randel has heard. Apparently someone told him the success of the game has sparked interest in a third movie, one that would pick up where the second film left off. Yes, you read that correctly. A movie that picks up where this very game picks up. A new movie set off by a game that was made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a movie that was made and a franchise that got revived by a game made to stand in as the third movie. It’s all very convoluted you see.

      Could this possibly be true? I’ll say yes, though I’d be surprised if it was the game that really made the franchise interesting. Would a movie version of the game turn into another Hitman or Silent Hill film? Or is there more meat to Ghostbusters because it was a movie first and a game second?

      News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

      Historical Battle Map Pack is Live for Halo Wars

      July 21, 2009 /

      New Halo Wars maps.Everyone’s favorite Major updated early this morning to let everyone know that the Halo Wars Historical Battle Map Pack is now live and ready for download. The DLC will run you 800 MS Points (can’t wait for them to do away with these things). The maps come with some familiar names – Blood River, Glacial Ravine, Barrens, and Memorial Basin. So that last one is a newish name.

      Here’s the blurb from Nelson’s blog:

      Expand your Halo Wars experience with the Historical Battle Map Pack Add-on. These four new maps highlight key turning points in the epic war between the UNSC and Covenant forces. The maps include: Blood River – battle a single opponent over a treacherous natural chokepoint; Barrens – engage your enemy in the midst of the Flood; Memorial Basin – two vs. two team play in one of the bloodiest battles in Halo history; and Glacial Ravine — three vs. three action as you fight to control a narrow corridor flanked by energy walls.

      Got $5 sitting around? If so, you can go get yours right now.

      Image: CVG

      News, Strategy, Xbox 360

      Microsoft Opens Opt-In Style Live Preview Beta

      July 20, 2009 /

      Xbox Live downloadable games.There’s a lot of pride and one-upping that comes along with beta testing in the video game world. It’s not exactly the same for OS upgrades, but for the super nerds out there, OS betas sport the same clout.

      Microsoft has just unveiled their version of an OS beta via Xbox Live update previews. To sign up, just sign in to Live using your Gamertag, fill out the Xbox Live Update Preview Sign Up survey and you’re good to go. From there, Microsoft will select “multiple thousands” to participate in the preview for load testing.

      What’s in the update? You’ll get access to the new Games on Demand section, Netflix Movie Parties, and Avatar Awardables. Not a bad lineup for the new update. The program will be open to both Gold and Silver members, with preference given to the Golds. Microsoft said they’ll be contacting people who have been awarded a spot in about a week. Stop back and let us know in the comments if you’re one of the lucky few (relatively speaking, of course).

      News, Previews, Xbox 360

      Key to Scribblenauts: Move Slowly

      July 20, 2009 /

      Scribblenauts water level.Ars Technica recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Jeremiah Slaczka, creative director and co-founder of 5th Cell, the gaming studio responsible for the upcoming Scribblenauts. You remember that game that the entire world is raving about, right? The one where you get to write stuff in and it magically appears on screen to help you solve the game’s many puzzles? I thought so.

      The best part of the interview deals with the development process, which Slaczka gladly lays out. The development team started with their object handler, named Objectnaut, which was just a database framework for all of the objects players would be able to use and their methods of interaction. From there it was just a matter of words.

      Scribblenauts makes use of a massive word database, the only exceptions being proper nouns, copyrighted or trademarked words, and nothing vulgar. It took five people about six months to come up with the initial “tens of thousands” of words that would be used. Then it was just a matter of playtesting to see what was left out. When asked how many objects players could actually use, Slaczka simply said, “More than you’ll ever be able to use!”

      The game almost has me worked up enough to go buy a DS, though for now I’ll wait. We already know the game could be coming to other platforms. I just hope I can wait that long.

      Reviews

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