Dying for your real, first look at the Prince of Persia film currently in production? Well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. However, the above image shows a behind-the-scenes shot of actor Jake Gyllenhaal in the titular role.
Think of Mirror’s Edge as the video game version of the chase scenes from the recent remake of Casino Royale. Or, you know, the chase scenes from the Bourne films…if there already weren’t a game. Whatever you think of it, just realize it’s one of the most interesting looking games to come along in a while. The developers seem fairly self-assured that they’ve finally conquered the problem of jumping in a first-person title. Regardless, they do know how to cut an exciting trailer that mixes some Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with the previously mentioned films.
You may not remember Dark Castle, but it already spawned one classic sequel. Think of it as a medieval Prince of Persia, but in black and white and for the Mac. The update is nothing graphically to crow about, but then again it isn’t trying to be. It’s classic 2D gaming celebrating its 2Dness. As this pseudo-retro-revival continues, it’s interesting to see just how much life is left in the classic gaming setup. Return to Dark Castle likely won’t win any awards or set sales records, just like those games of yore. And just like them, it remembers that isn’t always the reason for making a great game.
Bad games are everywhere. In fact, they seem to be more abundant in recent years than ever before. As the video game medium has increased in popularity, so have the number of releases and with that, obviously the number of bad titles. Still, what exactly makes a bad title?
Is it under funding? Is it a lack of development talent? Is it simply a bad idea from the ground up? Yes, sometimes to each and often to all three. Still, that doesn’t explain how even the most well funded and best development teams can make a bad game out of what sounded like a surefire hit idea. (more…)
The last useless lessons feature was incredibly popular, and many pointed out it wasn’t a comprehensive list. This is true, as five is rarely the comprehensive list for just about anything unless you’re talking about elements or members of The Beatles. With that in mind, here are five more of the useless lessons that video games teach.
Crates are considered decoration in some cultures
Just like the barrels in the original list, crates are a favorite staple of game design. Play just about any game and you will find copious amounts of crates lying about. Sure, much like barrels they often contain valuables, but unlike barrels they are also often part of the local décor. (more…)
As video games becomes bigger business in the world of media, so do the films based upon them and centering around the culture of gaming. Three new film projects are making news for gamers.
First, is the new Max Payne film. Based off the two game series, the film starts Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) and is directed by John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines). The movie is currently slated for release in 2009. Above you will see one of the first pictures of Wahlberg on the set, apparently in costume. It isn’t much to look at, and the film itself seems like even less of a big deal. Is anyone really clamoring for a Max Payne film after all these years? Click the image for a larger version. (more…)
In the Call Me Ishtar column we look back at some of the biggest bombs in video games over the years that have earned a special place in the infamy of the medium.
The original Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was about as close to a surprise hit as a major studio can release these days. After a couple of failed attempts to reboot the Persia franchise, The Sands of Time did so with style that few games can match. A year later the follow-up Warrior Within was released and with it Ubisoft showed in a short period the right way to reboot a franchise, and the right way to kill one.
So much negative has been said about Warrior Within that it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it is a fairly decent game in many ways. A lot of the adventure elements from the first game return, and it certainly packs a larger scope. What’s notable is not that the game wrong, but how it went wrong. Most sequels fail by not being enough different and ultimately feeling like an expansion pack. Warrior Within tried the opposite route. (more…)
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