Allesandro Taini (Talexi) is/has been visiting the Art of Games exhibition at Valle d’Aosta. He’s been kind enough to show us a peek inside and with that, a brand new never before seen image of Nariko.
For more pictures from Art of Games 09, check HERE. Also check out Talexi’s website for more of his work.
“This year and next I look forward to further collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Opera House, Ninja Theory, Deepa Mehta and Salman Rushdie, amongst many others.” – Sawhney
Read full article: Nitin Sawhney on the Evolution of the Composer/Songwriter.
In a Q&A with Rhianna Pratchett, story writer of Heavenly Sword, she made it clear that she is not working with Ninja Theory on their next project.
SPOnG: Are you working with Ninja Theory on a follow-up to Heavenly Sword?
Rhianna Pratchett: It’s been wildly reported that Ninja Theory aren’t working on a sequel to Heavenly Sword and I’m not even sure that a sequel even exists anywhere anymore, which is a real shame. Who knows, maybe one day Sony’ll bring it back. I’m not involved with the Ninjas on their next project, but I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic. They’re a very strong and talented team.
Sorry guys for not updating much, I can’t seem to find anything new that even has the words ‘ninja theory’ in it. .
Something else, there’s another Press kit of the HS game for sale on ebay, don’t know if anyone’s still interested. Link.
Ok ok, I wasn’t going to post this but since the lack of news recently I figured any news would do.
Representatives from ten development studios have pledged support for Dare to be Digital, an upcoming game design competition developed by the University of Abertay Dundee. The studios will provide mentoring support for this year’s student design teams, and will help to determine which teams will become finalists in the competition.
Black Rock Studio, Blitz Games Studios, Cohort Studios, Denki, Ninja Theory, Rare, Realtime Worlds, Rockstar North, Sega and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have all joined Dare to be Digital’s “Developer Accord.” The Accord will judge entries and pick finalist teams at three selection events to take place in London, Liverpool, and Glasgow.
Student-led development teams chosen by Abertay judges and by the Developer Accord will travel to the “Dare Hothouse” at Abertay University to complete their proposed design project for the competition. The design period will last ten weeks, during which the teams will receive a stipend and mentoring from the Developer Accord.
“The combination of experience and expertise brought by the members of our Developer Accord is second to none,” said Abertay University director of business development Paul Durrant. “We have attracted support from the cream of development studios throughout the UK. The students taking part in this year’s competition will benefit from the experience of the best in the business.”
Sometimes the game industry seems so submerged in established franchises and straight-off-the-conveyor-belt sequels it seems impossible that any new IP has a chance of being noticed. But for every twenty Christmas cash cows that infest store shelves with their mediocrity, there is that one sequel we deeply yearn for – that great game that demands another shot at the big time but is bewilderingly ignored. Maybe it has merely become lost in the forgotten back catalogue of a now defunct publisher or perhaps it has been buried beneath the egotistical loggerheads of past-it developers, given up on and stuck in developmental hell. Unable to find the light as fans yell from their couches… encore! Encore! Encore!
In 2010 there is every reason for seemingly dead and buried mythologies to rise again. The successes of downloadable content has shown that there is plenty of love out there for the games of yore, and much like films which flop on release but make a fortune on DVD, the massive growth in the pre-owned games market coupled with the quick-to-sale mentality of today’s retailers means brands have a much greater chance of building a following beyond what initial sales figures may suggest. We’ve looked through our back-catalogue of games and found a few worthy contenders for belated sequels or, dare we say it, re-imaginings in this new generation of gaming. Could any of these be the ‘surprise’ announcement of E3 2009? Source
Heavenly Sword
Why?: One of the first PlayStation 3 exclusives to catch the eye, Heavenly Sword’s smart combination of spontaneous-explosion hot chicks and lighting fast action was buoyed by cracking graphics.
Probability: We’re not too sure. The ending certainly suggested a sequel was on the cards with Kai left to ponder the true origins of the titular sword (in fact a trilogy was mentioned initially. The thing is, Ninja Theory’s have stated that a sequel is currently not on the cards as they work on multi-format releases. Does that mean Sony will give the Heavenly Sword IP to someone else – please God don’t be the Genji team!
Developer Status: Ninja Theory, working on something unknown but made all the more curious by its Xbox 360 listing and NaturalMotion licensing agreement.
Possible Title: Hell Stick