Tag Archives: Sierra Spring Break 08

Julian Widdows, game director of 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand, has told videogaming247 that developer Swordfish Studios removed the “n-word” from the final script, but that it may make an appearance in the final game.

“In the original scripts we actually took it out,” he said, speaking at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca.

“We’ll see how the finished game works out. In the first game it was included as it was all part of the street environment so it was deemed acceptable, but watch this space on that.”

We interviewed Widdows later that day and brought up the subject again.

VG247: Is that a decision you guys have to make, or is that upstairs?

Julian Widdows: That’s upstairs. However, we obviously have our own thoughts and feelings on that and they’re shared with [Vivendi Games]. It isn’t our decision as a developer. That’s done in the recording studio. That’s done by 50 Cent and G Unit.

VG247: So you don’t write the script?

JW: We do write the script, yeah. We absolutely say what the script is, but that goes through a pass in the US.

VG247: So you haven’t actually put that word in it?

JW: We haven’t, no.

VG247: But if they add it then it’s ok?

JW: If 50 Cent and G Unit add it in the studio then they add it in the studio.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is out for PS3 and 360 later this year.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Terminal Reality president Mark Randel said that there will be exclusive downloadable content for both PS3 and 360 versions of Ghostbusters, although there will also be some content available for both.

“You have to buy the PS3, 360, Wii and DS [versions],” he said when asked how gamers would get the complete Ghostbusters experience.

“In a cross-platform game, it’s a good idea to have a little bit of exclusive content for each system. It makes everybody happy.”

Any money involved?

“No, there’s no money involved. It just makes everybody happy.”

Ghosbusters will be out this October for everything apart from PSP.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Terminal Reality president Mark Randel said that Peter Venkman will have a love interest in the upcoming Ghostbusters game, a lady that doubles as the game’s heroine.

He also told of the enormous input Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis had on the game.

“They co-wrote the script for the videogame. They introduced a lot of stuff that we didn’t think of,” he said.

“They took the game to higher level than we could have done. Harold Ramis added a heroine for example, so now Peter Venknman has a love interest in the game.

“Dan Akroyd went so far as to write down all the equipment that you use and write that in to the Ghostbusters mythology.”

Ghosbusters will with us this October for PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and DS.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Terminal Reality president Mark Randel admitted that Ghostbusters on PS3 has been held back by the fact will also release on 360, saying that the game would have double the amount of objects on screen if it had been PS3-only.

See below.

VG247: Why choose to lead on the PS3?

Mark Randell : Very simple reason: Ghostbusters is the property of Sony Pictures.

VG247: Right. But the game will be coming out on the 360, it’s a simultaneous release. Did Sony insist it was lead?

MR : Personally, I want to show off our PS3 technology. We’re one of the few developers who love the PS3 and have a great time with it. We have great technology for the PS3 and we want to show it off.

VG247: Isn’t it the same for the 360?

MR: We’re running the same game for both platforms but if we made a PS3-only game, for example, you could double the amount of objects on screen that you’re seeing. The PlayStation 3 has seven processors and the 360 only has three, so seven versus three means you can do a lot more on the PS3. We’re keeping the game the same over both platforms so we don’t want to take out any features.

VG247: So is the game scaled down because of the limitations of the 360?

MR : For example, we’ve reserved one whole processor on the PS3 for Dolby Digital 5.1 sound whereas on the 360 you have part of one processor to do that. So we can have a lot better sound mixing and a lot more effects going on at the same time. That kinds of makes us do a little bit less in the game [360] but makes for better audio. If we’re doing a PS3 only game however, we could be doing a lot more. We could be pushing a lot more on the screen.

Ghostbusters is out this coming October for PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and DS.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Radical Entertainment marketing director Chris Hansell said DLC for upcoming open-world action game Prototype is being seriously looked at, but that the price would have to make sense.

“We haven’t announced… plans yet but we intend to really look at DLC and see how we can extend the experience,” he said.

“There’s a lot of cool things you cool do. In fact, we’ve thought about getting feedback from our fans and asking them what they’d like to see added into the game.

“We’re still working on what the content is. DLC is a luxury right now. We’d love to extend it somehow, that makes sense… for the right price.”

The gory super-power extravaganza releases for PS3 and 360 in the fourth quarter of this year.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Radical Entertainment marketing director Chris Hansell said that Prototype has been heavily influenced by the story of classic Korean movie, Old Boy.

“There are a huge number of influences,” he said. “The guys who make this game love everything.

“Especially Old Boy where the main the main character does very bad things. But you see that really bad things that have happened to him before, so you have a kind of empathy with that character. So even though it’s a dark story, there’s a context as to why he’s doing these terrible things.”

All sounds very dark and broody, doesn’t it?

Mega-violent super-mutant free-roamer Prototype is out on 360 and PS3 in the fourth quarter.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon senior producer Chris Wilson said the game will be the last in the current trilogy.

This is part three of the Spryo trilogy, this is the last chapter” he said. “Back in 2006 we more or less re-launched the franchise with The Lend of Syro: The New Beginning. Last year we had the follow up to that with The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night. And now we have the final part of the trilogy.

“We’re really excited because players will finally be able to see the Dark Master character and really see the story come to a close.”

From what we saw in Spain, the next gen platformer looks like it could take a lot of people by surprise.

Spyro will be released PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and DS in October.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault product manager Peter Sydow admitted that you won’t be able to play the 360 version against the already-released PC game as the latter has more options and is therefore geekier.

“We’ve kept the console versions nice and simple,” he said, “which makes for a different interface, thus making cross-platform [play] not a viable option.”

He added: “The PC game is more geeky than the console version. In fact, most PC games and gamers are geekier than console games and gamers.”

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault releases this autumn for PS3 and 360.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Massive Entertainment project manager Peter Sydow, said that voice commands will be included in the console version of World in Conflict: Soviet Assault.

“The software is phonetically-based, so 90 percent of accents should be recognised,” he said. “I have some trouble with a couple of commands though myself,” he explained in his thick Swedish accent.

Hopefully the game won’t suffer the same fate as Brain Training, then.

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault comes to next gen consoles this autumn.

By Mike Bowden

The Americans appear to have got first bite at the cherry on Sierra’s 2008 line-up, with the American embargo lifted on content from the publisher’s US spring showcase.

The UK embargo is at 1pm today, and we’re going to be posting a ton of news from the European Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, but for now take a look at previews from the San Francisco equivalent.

Ghostbusters – Kotaku, Joystiq
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon – Kotaku, Joystiq
Various XBLA stuff, including Assault Heroes 2 – Kotaku, Joystiq
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault – Kotaku, Joystiq
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand – Joystiq
Prototype – Joystiq