“Order 67?” “Wookie Hunters?” “Gungan Frontier?” Could these be some of the new Star Wars titles coming to a theater, TV screen or video game shelf near you soon? IGN seems to think it’s a possibility.
Now since the Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm, they have taken the cap off on all sorts of Star Wars related developments be they movies, TV series or video games. The full list of URLs is below. Now you can click on them, but they won’t tell you anything about the nature of the project behind the URL, but the various titles listed do offer some intriguing possibilities.
While it’s a bit disturbing that Lucasfilm is planning not just one, but four “Gungan Frontier” projects, “Wookie Hunters” sounds interesting, and is maybe a chance to highlight a little appreciated bit of Star Wars mythology. Meanwhile, “Rebels” and “Alliance” sounds a little broad, “Order 67″ sounds a little vague, and “Wolfpack” or “Wolfpack Adventures” sounds rather generic. I wouldn’t bet the bank that these are projects on the front burner, but they maybe kicking around the Lucasfilm offices regardless. I guess we’ll find out.
Dead Space is a very popular video game franchise that obviously takes its inspiration from the haunted spaceship horror motif coined by Alien. So it would be a natural fit to have a horror movie director slip into the role and bring Dead Space to life in a live-action movie, right? But how about a horror movie legend like John Carpenter? Could you see the man behind Halloween, The Thing, Star Man and Assault on Precinct 13 directing a Dead Space movie?
Well, John Carpenter thinks he can? He told IGN that he was seriously interested in the possibility:
“I would love to make Dead Space [into a film], I’ll tell you that right now. That one is ready-made. You know it’s great. The first game was more – I guess it was like Alien – but not quite. It was a little different than that. I maintain that Dead Space would just make a great movie because you have these people coming onto an abandoned, shut-down space ship and they have to start it up and something’s on board. It’s just great stuff. I would love to make Dead Space [into a film], I’ll tell you that right now. That one is ready-made.”
Of course, Carpenter’s last trip into space, 2001′s Ghosts of Mars, didn’t turn out so well, but his last film, The Ward, I enjoyed a lot, so I wouldn’t mind seeing what Carpenter could do with an established brand like Dead Space.
Not long ago we shared the news of Telltale Games’ second, comic book based game releasing later this year. Based on the Vertigo series, Fables, from Bill Willingham the game, The Wolf Among Us, follows Bigby Wolf on a murder investigation and will serve as a prequel series for the comic. This decision to make the game a prequel allows for it to be accessible for newcomers as well as long time fans.
In the latest issue of Game Informer they preview the game in great detail. Talking not only about the advancements they’ve made with their narrative games since The Walking Dead but what other characters from Fables we’ll meet in the game. For instance, Snow White, readers know her as a love interest of Bigby and in The Wolf Among Us we’ll see that relationship develop. Snow White will also play a role in how choice effects the outcome of the game as the player can choose whether or not to betray her trust.
Here’s a few screenshots they shared,
As you can see it has a very similar style to The Walking Dead, but the character design and colors are more in line with Fables.
If you want to learn all there is to know about The Wolf Among Us, like how the fighting style will differ from The Walking Dead, do go read Game Informer’s article; it is, if anything, very informative. Did you play Telltale’s The Walking Dead? Are you excited for their take on the Fables‘ universe?
Disney and Electronic Arts announced today the completion of an exclusive deal for EA to develop and publish a new series of Star Wars video games. Frank Gibeau, the President of EA labels had this to say:
“The Force is strong with this one.”
I love that line. It instantly transports me back to my childhood, to an epic world that had a powerful influence on my life. Like hundreds of millions of people, I am a true believer – someone who can’t get enough of the story, the culture, and the ethos of Star Wars.
Today, The Walt Disney Company has announced that they have chosen EA to create new Star Wars experiences for gamers worldwide.
The magic of Star Wars is interwoven into the worlds, characters, planets and amazing battles. It is a universe that lends itself perfectly to gaming. Our agreement unlocks a whole new future of Star Wars games that will span consoles, PCs, tablets, mobile and more.
While we don’t have any details to share today on specific titles, our development teams are already brimming with design ideas. The EA Studios that will develop these games are some of the most innovative and popular creative teams in the world, and include DICE and Visceral, in addition to the BioWare team, which is already developing for the Star Wars franchise. These imaginative teams will make games that may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories. Powering it all will be the Frostbite 3 development engine – guaranteeing incredible graphic fidelity, environments and characters.
We have lots of ideas, but we want to hear from you. Tell us what kind of games you want to play. Send us your suggestions and tag @EA_DICE@VisceralGames@BioWare and #starwarsnextgen.
Although the word exclusive was used, Disney does reserve the right to develop other new Star Wars games for mobile, social, tablet, and online platforms. Neither company divulged the financial terms of the agreement in their announcements, but it’s no secret the deal is worth millions to EA.
The question as to what this new deal means to existing Star Wars games like Star Wars 1313 is still unclear. Many already published Star Wars titles and those under development over at LucasFilm were shut down last month. A spokesperson for Disney has said that nothing was being announced about the pre-existing titles at this point, those decisions will most likely be made jointly by Disney, EA, and Lucasfilm.
EA has been struggling in the last few years, both creatively and financially, which has led to layoffs and shutdowns culminating with EA’s addition to the list of the worst companies to work for last year.
What should Star Wars fans expect from EA? My reaction to the news can be summed up in the picture below.
Disney has gone to the Dark Side of the video game industry. Most of the games developed by EA are crap and EA’s customer service is one of the worst in the business.
The “only hope” for Star Wars video game fans is that Bioware, a subdivision of EA and the one shining gem in a sea of EA mediocrity, should be taking a lead in the development of many of the new Star Wars games. A Star Wars based game in the style of Mass Effect or Dragon Age would be a welcome addition to the mix.
What do you think about the announcement? What would you suggest to EA and Bioware using the contact information given above?
With the release of Rockstar Games’Grand Theft Auto V still months away (damn you September 17th, haul ass… I am sick of all this natural light) they just released a 3-in-one trailer to up the anticipation. This time turning the spotlight on the 3 playable leads in the game. First we have Michael, a Sopranos-esque man in the middle of a midlife crisis, next a San Andreas style street thug named Franklin, and last but far from least is Trevor, the requisite hillbilly lunatic.
Damn this game looks good.
All three characters lives will intertwine in what looks like a big heist finale. The trailer is light on gameplay footage and mainly relies on cutscenes which is a little disappointing but I am willing to let that slide since the game is still months away. PLUS, it has a lot of Trevor, who has quickly become one of my favorite video game characters ever.
‘Do you want me to get my dick out again?’ HA! Classic Trevor.
Oh yeah, the trailer is a little NSFW due to crazy redneck, and its up after the jump. (more…)
Back in 2007 New Line picked up the rights to Epic Games‘ first person shooter hit, Gears of War. The production went as far as enlisting Len Wiseman to direct and Stuart Beattie to write the script, then the whole thing stalled out after New Line and Epic couldn’t come to terms about creative differences concerning the project, the project got shelved, and after a time, the rights reverted back to Epic.
The word now is that Scott Stuber (Producer of Battleship, Ted) has come on board to produce and begin the script development process with the creative team over at Epic Games. There’s no writer, director, or distributor attached yet, but Stuber does have a first look deal with Universal. You can bet they’ll also be shopping the project out to other studios.
The videogame story is set on the planet Sera and follows a former P.O.W. who is civilization’s best hope in the fight against the Locust Horde, a race of creatures who emerged from beneath the planet’s surface and are intent on eliminating humankind.
We’ll have to wait and see how far the project goes this time around. Epic has been burned once before and it’s not likely they’ll give up much creative control of the video game franchise’s film adaptation. Most video game companies are very tight when it comes to creative control of their properties. It’s hard to blame them though, one bad movie could kill a game franchise in the main stream public arena.
Live action movies based on video games have never had a solid history in Hollywood, even with all the fan hype and promotion, most end up floundering at the box office and then go straight into the discount movie bin. On the other hand, animated movies based on video games have done quite well. Just look at Disney‘s latest success with Wreck-It Ralph.
Variety reports that Insomniac Games decade old franchise Ratchet & Clank is being adapted for it’s first feature-length film. Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment are behind the production. Directed by Jericca Cleland and written by TJ Fixman, who gamers will recognize as Ratchet & Clank‘s senior writer, the film is slated for an early 2015 release date. Development is already started in the right direction, with the studio releasing an announcement video featuring voice actors James A. Taylor, David Kaye and Jim Ward, who reprise their roles from the franchise. Finally, a studio knows what people want to see and hear.
Check it out below.
Founder and CEO of Insomniac, Ted Price said:
“We’ve always thought Ratchet and Clank would be a fantastic all-ages movie and are thrilled our intergalactic heroes will finally get their chance to shine on the big screen, Insomniac is especially, honored to play a hands-on role with the film’s production, including the screenplay, consulting on character development and animation, and adding support to the film’s marketing.”
The only real worry is Rainmaker Entertainment, who’s first actual theatrical release was last year’s Planet 51 rip off Escape from Planet Earth, but that accounts for experience…..right? Should we all be worried about this or is Ratchet & Clank in good hands?
There was a time when what could arguably be dismissed as “kids’ stuff” (comics, cartoons, toys, video games) had little or no chance at being adapted into successful, never mind respectable movies. Hell, to make Superman – the most famous and universally recognized comic book character on Earth – into a film people took seriously, they had to put Marlon Brando in the cast and get the author of The Godfather to write the script.
Things have changed: Nowadays studios drool over the chance at getting their mitts on nerdy properties. The children who grew up with cartoons, action figures, and comic books are now the adults buying movie tickets and DVDs/Blu-Rays. Marvel is close to becoming better known as a film studio than a comics publisher, video game flicks are no longer a running joke in the movie business, and cartoons designed to sell children overpriced hunks of plastic are now fodder for summer blockbusters.
Now, however much we as nerds want to see Michael Bay die in a fire for what he did to our sacred Transformers (or what he’s currently doing to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), it’s impossible to argue that the man made serious bank for Paramount. Sure, Bay might bathe in the tears of geeks, but the financial success he’s had is opening doors for live action adaptations of many of the programs we grew up with (some of which probably won’t completely suck). GI Joe: Rise Of Cobra may have been underwhelming, but its long-awaited sequel is proving to be a smash hit with audiences, critics, and nerds alike. A Robotech adaptation is reportedly in the works, and there’s been a great deal of talk about a Masters Of The Universe live action film that might actually take the subject matter seriously.
But what about the shows from our childhoods that are not quite as well-remembered? Shows that were largely forgotten by all but hardcore ’80s nerds? Could any of them possibly be resurrected as serious, profitable, well-received live action films? Well, here are ten we think might have a shot:
Every day the internet produces an astounding amount of goodies and gems. Most hilarious, some amusing, but all worth at least a few seconds of your time. We here at Nerd Bastards try to bring you the best bits of news and nerdery the webz has to offer, with a bit of snark thrown in. But sometimes not everything makes the cut. Monday through Friday we’ll be bringing you our inbox leftovers, our forgotten bookmarks, the nerdy bits that simply slipped through the cracks. You can submit items to Nerdy Bits by emailing us at nerdybits@nerdbastards.com.
ABOVE: Australian model and Nerd Bastards fan Isabelle Deltore wanted to say hello from down under. [Isabelle Deltore]
All those rumorsabout the next installment in the Batman: Arkham Asylum/City game franchise have come true. Announced today,Batman: Arkham Originsfrom Warner Bros. Games Montreal, will be released on October 25th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC. The announcement video, which you can watch below, comes from Game Informer who will also feature the game in their May issue with complete, in depth coverage on what we can expect from this Arkham prequel.
More info, plus a look a the front and back cover of Game Informer featuring Bats and Deathstroke, below the cut.
Advertisement
Like Us
Follow Us