Lorenzo Carcaterra Scripts Alone in the Dark

Atari today announced that New York Times best-selling author Lorenzo Carcaterra has teamed up with the company as scriptwriter on Alone in the Dark. Poised to redefine action gaming, Alone in the Dark will deliver blockbuster-action on a cataclysmic scale set in New York City’s iconic Central Park. Alone in the Dark is being developed by Eden Games for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Windows platform.

With more than twenty years of writing experience, Carcaterra lends his creative pen to provide the most authentic NYC experience yet in a video game. Born and raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, Carcaterra has covered the city in both fact and fiction, beginning as a reporter for the NY Daily News in 1976, becoming a successful television consultant and writer for shows including Law and Order and achieving success as the best selling author of such books as Apaches, Gangster and Sleepers, the latter of which became the hit film starring Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt.

Carcaterra delivers riveting stories filled with graphic narrative that have earned him international acclaim,” said David Nadal, Studio Head, Eden Games. “Gripping, compelling storylines are the basis of what differentiates a good game from a blockbuster. With Alone in the Dark, Carcaterra has crafted a meticulously engaging storyline that will grab the player from the start and send them on a journey through Central Park they will never forget.”

“Alone in the Dark was a challenge which allowed me to bring a realistic feel to an apocalyptic situation facing New York City and really dig into the Central Park conspiracy idea,” said Lorenzo Carcaterra. “It also allowed me to write for hard-edged characters, some good, some bad, all forced to confront a force whose power they could never imagine. The story never stalls, always moves in overdrive and the characters zoom right along at warp speed, stopping long enough along the way to say a few lines that keep driving the plot forward. The end result is, I hope, a roller-coaster of a thrill ride that should be tons of fun to play.”

Taking inspiration from today’s globally popular TV action dramas, Alone in the Dark delivers a new level of gripping narrative intensity, presented as a complete season format of episodes each containing action, plot twists and cliff-hangers. With a script written by best-selling author Carcaterra, players take the role of Edward Carnby as over the course of one apocalyptic night he must uncover the earth-shattering secret behind Central Park.

With a dramatic, graphic and fast-paced storyline, unprecedented levels of real-world interaction and physics, advanced artificial intelligence, stunning visuals and uniquely immersive interface, all set in a meticulously detailed, wide-open environment, Alone in the Dark is set to break gaming clichés, fulfill the next gen-promise, and deliver a new kind of entertainment experience.

Myst Online: Uru Live Goes Episodic

Myst Online: Uru Live

GameTap is taking its exploration and puzzle-driven massively multiplayer online game “Myst Online: Uru Live” to the next level. Being a leader in episodic gaming, GameTap is applying this successful model to the dynamic world of Uru. This new gaming approach enables players to schedule each month around when the latest updates are going live, while also providing a solid window of time to delve into the existing content more deeply.Beginning on Saturday, May 19th, all of the future episodes’ content and story (e.g. new Ages, pages, clothing, character interaction, story revelations, artifacts and intrigue) will be released within a single week each month.

In “Scars,” the first of the new episodes, the D’ni Restoration Council (DRC) is preparing to grant Explorers access to the never-before-seen Age of Minkata, but calamity arrives when someone close to them dies. The effects of this tragedy will change the course of the restoration forever. Minkata features a vast landscape with hours of unique gameplay that can be enjoyed as a single player or multi-player experience.

To celebrate the launch of the new episodic content, Myst Online’s creator Rand Miller and various members of the Cyan Worlds development studio will be hosting an in-game event to interact with players and take part in a casual Q&A.

Details as follows:
What: Rand Miller In-Game Meet-&-Greet
Date: Thursday 5/24
Time: 6pm PST/9pm EST
Location: A Beginner’s Bevin

To keep up to date with the latest news and screen shots for “Myst Online: Uru Live,” visit www.mystonline.com.