Category Archives: Empire

A video featuring various in-game Xbox 360 footage of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and narrated by the game’s narrative designer Mary DeMarle has popped up online.

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Rumor has it that the 1500 jobs and the dozen or so in-development games that were cut at EA affected studios Pandemic, Maxis and almost the entire Command & Conquer team.

According to a source close to Kotaku, the team working on Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight was notified today that once the game ships some time in 2010, almost the entire team is to hit the road.

While this is not a surprising move by the studio, as loads like it have a tendency to do that once a game ships, the cutbacks also landed blows to EA Maxis, Rupture Studios and Pandemic with remaining workers being relocated to EA Los Angeles and Redwood.

Rumors also state that EA has laid-off staff at Black Box, Mythic Entertainment and Tiburon.

We’ll sent out a mail and see if anyone gets back with us.

New York-based Zoo Publishing has purchased the rights to games previously owned by UK publisher Empire Interactive.

The company now holds the rights to create, distribute, license, port, publish and re-release Empire titles under an agreement with New World IP.

“I am incredibly excited about the prospects of remaking some of the Empire IP, bringing others online, and generating revenue from the current titles,” said Zoo CEO Mark Seremet. “Empire distributed my first company’s software in the EU back in the 1980s and while I’m sad to see this economic environment take its toll on Empire, I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with New World IP to continue the company’s franchises.”

Empire went into administration last week, and it’s intellectual properties were sold to New World.

More over on GI.biz.

Empire, as expected, has gone bust.

The publisher’s properties have been sold to New World IP in the US, and its 49 staff have been laid off.

Administrator KPMG Restructuring has been appointed to wind down the company and is not seeking to sell the business.

“Despite the fact that the gaming industry has been relatively unscathed by the current recession, trading losses, development spend and a delay in recent new product approval had a fatal impact on the Empire’s cash flow,” said KPMG’s Ian Corfield.

“We are not looking to sell the business as a going concern and are effecting an orderly wind-down of Empire’s operations.”

More on GI.

MCV’s published an internal Empire memo which suggests that rumour of the company’s demise were on the money.

“It has been widely reported online that we have entered administration – this has not yet occurred. However it is highly likely that administrators will be appointed in the next few days,” said the note.

“It is also likely that administrators will move to make all the staff redundant. I anticipate that formal redundancy notices will be sent out to all staff upon appointment of the administrators. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the unfortunate reality of our current situation.”

Sorry about that, Empire people. Full thing through the link.

According to this MCV report, Empire’s entered administration.

Says the piece, all staff have been sent home from the firm’s London offices and redundancies are being worked through.

An official announcement’s expected on Monday.

Empire and American Mensa are working together to create brain training games for console, handheld, Mac and PC, reports Gamasutra.

Like the British Mensa, subjects are admitted into the non-profit if they score high enough on a rigorous standardized intelligence test.

This is the first time Mensa has struck a deal with a games company.

Hopefully you won’t have to score in the 98th percentile to play the thing.

Empire announced Unsolved Crimes today, a DS adventure that casts the player as a “rookie detective – part of the Homicide Division.”

“An aspiring model, Betsy Blake has disappeared,” said the firm today in a press release. “A loner is the prime suspect. But this case is a whole lot deeper than it first appears.”

It’s out this autumn. We promise we won’t be writing about thing like this tomorrow. Press release after the link.

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According to this GI report, Silverstar Holdings is to drop 30 percent of Empire’s in order to improve efficiencies and save around $3 million per year.

The majority of jobs will go along with the sale of internal studio Razorworks, which Empire purchased in 2000.

The company also plans to relocate the Empire headquarters and shuffle a number of senior management.

“The changes at Empire mark an important new direction for the company as we head into fiscal 2009,” said Silverstar boss Clive Kabatznik.

“These significant cost savings and managerial changes, along with our planned fiscal 2009 game line-up, position the company for a strong fiscal 2009.”

More through the link.

Hot stuff. Empire’s announced a new Pipemania title for summer release on DS, Wii, PSP, PS2 and PC.

“The current generation of gaming platforms presented a great opportunity to re-create Pipemania with all-new features that are sure to challenge players of all ages and skill-level,” said Empire’s Karim Farghaly. “We are certain new and old fans alike will find it hard to put down the mayhem packed into the new installation of Pipemania.”

Pipe puzzle insanity. Press release after the link.

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The demo for FlatOut Head On, the PSP version of Empire’s smash-racer, will release for the handheld on February 22.

The taster will include Carnage Race and Deathmatch Derby modes, as well as one of the Ragdoll stunts. You won’t be able to save your progress or unlock any of the other features.

The full game releases on March 14.

According to this, Empire’s going to release a demo of FlatOut: Head On, the PSP version of the crash-racer, later this month. The taster will consist of three levels from Carnage mode: one Race, one Destruction Derby and one Ragdoll Stunt.

The game itself is out on March 14, complete with 40 cars and wireless play.

Destructo-racer, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage, will release for PC in June the year. Developed by Bugbear and published by Empire, the game is the latest title to be announced in a series that’s enjoyed more than 2 million sales up to now. Ultimate Carnage has previously been released on Xbox 360.

“Ultimate Carnage is an entirely new prospect for PC and we’re excited to be bringing FlatOut’s unique gameplay experience to PC gamers everywhere,” said Empire CEO Ian Higgins.