The Daily Verse: Bungie’s New Game, DarkSiders 2, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Nintendo’s E3
Details Emerge On Bungie’s New Game
Our friends over at NeoGAF have gotten ahold of some legal documents, disclosed by Activision. These documents detail the upcoming project by Bungie for them and reveal some juicy details we might not have seen until E3. These documents were required to be released due to a lawsuit in which Activision is involved with the creators of the Call of Duty franchise. Lucky break for all of us Bungie fans eh? All the important points have been handily summarized by the GAFfers below.
- Massively multiplayer style, sci-fantasy action shooter series codenamed Destiny with expansion packs codenamed Comet.
- Four games releasing in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019.
- Four expansion packs releasing in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
- The main games will be retail.
- There will be other DLC, subscriptions, microtransactions, and value added services.
- The first game will be an Xbox 360 and “Xbox 720” timed exclusive.
- Activision and Bungie are considering a PS3 version of the first game in 2014.
- The second game is targeted for 360, 720, PS4, and Windows PC, though the contract notes that some of those SKUs may be dropped if they decide they are not worthwhile or not technically feasible.
- Activision can terminate the contract without penalty if Destiny doesn’t sell at least 5 million units in the first six months, or for any reason they please after the second expansion pack releases.
- Bungie is also working on a Marathon game, but currently no more than 5% of their staff (nor more than 5% of their key staff) can work on it, and the amount of employees that can work on it goes up slowly as they hit cumulative profit goals. There are also limits on when Bungie can release Marathon. For specifics on this see the contract images at the bottom since it’s pretty lengthy.
- The game is targeting a rating of Teen/PEGI 16, but Bungie is not contractually held to hit this mark.
- The contract implies the game has in-game Game Masters, like those people who work for Blizzard and handle user requests in World of Warcraft while playing some kind of digital representation in the MMO world (or at least being accessible through in game chat).
- Bungie will receive a $2.5 million bonus if Destiny achieves a GameRankings.com rating of 90 or higher on Xbox 360 as measured 30 days after release.
- Bungie will also get a 20% royalty of the first $100 million in cumulative operating income, 24% on the income between $101-$400 million, and 35% on the income $401 million or above. These royalties are subject to a penalty of 2%, 2.4%, and 3.5% respectively if the games are delayed for reasons caused by Bungie within reason (i.e. if an earthquake destroys their studio they’re not at fault, but if they just don’t get the game done on time they are). These last two bullet points I’m leaving in the contract itself to cut down on OP length.
Nintendo Has Many Ways To Watch Their E3 Conference
REDMOND, Wash., May 21, 2012 – The 2012 E3 Expo is right around the corner, and fans from all over the world can look forward to accessing the latest Nintendo news right from the comfort of their homes. Nintendo will be using a mix of online, broadcast and social platforms to provide a steady stream of breaking news and announcements during the video game industry’s biggest annual trade show, taking place June 5-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Featured content will include the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012, which viewers can access online at http://e3.nintendo.com, watch commercial-free on Viacom’s Spike TV and MTV2 television networks or stream via Facebook on June 5 at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Fans also will enjoy easy access to news and updates from Nintendo on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook throughout the E3 Expo, including information about the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system and the upcoming Wii U console.
“We don’t want anyone to miss the energy and excitement of this year’s E3 Expo,” said Cindy Gordon, Nintendo of America’s vice president of Corporate Affairs. “By offering different ways to tune in and follow all the Nintendo news, we aim to make fans all over the world feel like they’re right there with us at the show.”
Consumers can choose from the following convenient ways to experience Nintendo content during the E3 Expo:
- Web: Starting today, fans can go online to visit the Nintendo All-Access @ E3 2012 website at http://e3.nintendo.com for the latest information about new and upcoming games and hardware from Nintendo. The site will be optimized for smartphones, so people can keep up-to-date while on the go. Visitors to the site also can watch a live stream of the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 starting at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, June 5.
- Television: Nintendo is partnering with Viacom as the exclusive television broadcaster for the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012. Viewers with access to the Spike TV or MTV2 networks can watch the presentation live with no commercial interruptions.
- Facebook: Facebook users can visit and Like the Nintendo page at http://www.facebook.com/nintendo to get regular updates from the E3 Expo and connect with other Nintendo fans. A special E3 Expo tab will make it simple to access E3 Expo content, including video clips and a Nintendo Instagram gallery. The Nintendo @ E3 Expo app will also allow users to stream the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 and other events on Facebook.
- YouTube: Nintendo will be posting video updates from the show on its YouTube Channels at http://www.youtube.com/nintendo. The lineup of videos will include sneak peeks at upcoming hardware and software as well as interviews with game developers.
- Twitter: Twitter users can follow Nintendo (@NintendoAmerica) to receive tweets from the show. Nintendo representatives will also be live-tweeting events such as the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 on June 5.
DarkSiders 2 – Death Strikes Part 2
Aliens Colonial Marines Release Date and Trailer
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (May 21st, 2012) – SEGA® Europe Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc., Gearbox Software and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products are thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated first-person shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines™ will be in stores worldwide on February 12, 2013. As the authentic addition to the ALIENS franchise canon, the game’s stunning visuals and adrenaline pumping action will deliver breathtakingly immersive single, cooperative and competitive multi-player modes. Providing for an innovative asymmetrical competitive multiplayer experience, Aliens: Colonial Marines lets players fight in first person as the ultimate combatants – the United States Colonial Marines, or in third person as the universe’s deadliest killers – the Xenomorphs. Plunging into familiar and new environments from the iconic film franchise, players will have to fight the fear and face the true horrors of the ALIENS universe.
“I am thrilled to announce the definitive launch date for Aliens: Colonial Marines,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “Aliens: Colonial Marines is the culmination of a life-time of inspiration from the films and relentless passion and drive from the exceptionally talented development team behind the scenes.”
“We knew this game would be incredible from the moment Gearbox began developing Aliens: Colonial Marines,” said, Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing for SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “Now that the title is in its final stretch of development, we can confidently release the exact date that gamers will finally get to experience this blockbuster thrill-ride.”
“SEGA has a proven track record with the ALIENS franchise. ALIENS vs. PREDATOR released by SEGA in 2009 became one of their top-selling titles,” said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President for New Media for Fox Consumer Products. “We look forward to working with them and bringing an exciting new way for fans to immerse themselves in the ALIENS world.”
In partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and developed by critically acclaimed studio Gearbox Software, Aliens: Colonial Marines will bring new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise. Aliens: Colonial Marines begins with an ostensibly abandoned ship, the U.S.S. Sulaco, recovered in orbit around LV-426. Players lead a group of highly trained United States Colonial Marines as they board the deserted craft to uncover the fate of the crew. They will have to fight to survive unspeakable horrors and their own anxieties as they chase down the truth behind a galaxy-spanning deception that places humanity at the mercy of the most murderous and deadly species in the universe. Aliens: Colonial Marines features authentic environments, such as the surface of LV-426 and Hadley’s Hope, weapons inspired by the film series and is designed to provide an exhilarating and engaging new chapter in the ALIENS universe.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available in stores across the globe on February 12, 2013 on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. A release date for the announced Wii U™ version will be revealed at a later time.
That’s all for today on The Daily Verse! Stop by every day for your gaming fix. Also, follow us on Twitter, and make sure to drop us a line down in the comments! We’re always keeping our eyes peeled to bring you all the best news in the ‘verse!
Colonial Marines looks awesome. I wouldn’t say it’s the most polished looking FPS, but they’ve certainly captured that “Alien” feel- and in a different way than WayForward did on the DS last year. I’m in. And not just because I want to support Craig Harris.