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.

Napoleon Dynamite The Game

Napoleon Dynamite

Wow. I didn’t know that there could even be a game based on this movie! It’s coming out to the PSP and DS. It is being developed by Crave Entertainment

Napoleon Dynamite quickly gained cult-classic status with its quirky look at life in rural Idaho. Teens and adults alike love the movie’s colorful characters and offbeat take on teenage awkwardness. Napoleon Dynamite catchphrases (Vote for Pedro!) have become pop-culture fixtures, with references to the movie popping up everywhere from T-shirts to ice- cream flavors.

Crave’s upcoming release will feature favorite Napoleon Dynamite characters including Kip, Uncle Rico, Pedro, Tina the llama, and of course, Napoleon himself.

“Napoleon Dynamite is one of the great cult classics of the past decade,” said Mark Burke, senior vice president of product planning and business development at Crave Entertainment. “It’s one of those films that has great memorable lines and characters, and we expect that fans of the movie will really like the game.”

Gradius III, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Battle Lode Runner

Wonder Boy in Monster World

Three games that you might have never heard of have been added onto the Wii’s Virtual Console! As always here’s the full press release:Admit it. Somewhere deep inside, you’ve always wanted to go for the gold, take down Monster World, and have people call you Vic Viper. How cool would that be? Well, pay a visit to the popular Wii video game system’s Wii Shop Channel, and all those fantasies can now come true.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points(TM) to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games
are:

GradiusIII (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points):
Return as the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire. Blast through 10 action-packed levels in space, destroying everything in your path. Customize and power up your ship with weapons and upgrades including speed-ups, missiles, lasers, options, and shields.

Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points):
Monster World was a peaceful, happy place until one dark day when an army of BioMeka monsters invaded. As a young man named Shion, you’ve vowed to defeat the hostile foes and make the land peaceful again. You’ll attack enemies with swords and spears and guard against incoming projectiles with shields and armor. As you travel through the many different regions of Monster World, you’ll talk to the townspeople, collect money to buy items, and gather a large variety of weapons and magic. The further you venture, the more powerful your weapons and equipment, including suits of armor and boots,
will become.

Battle Lode Runner (TurboGrafx 16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points):
This upgraded edition to the famous Lode Runner series includes a 5-player versus mode. Gold funds have been stolen from the Time Machine Research Center, and the group responsible used a time machine to escape and hide the gold throughout time. The center sends an elite team of “Runners” to go and retrieve the gold.

In addition to the familiar Puzzle mode, the game features Battle mode, where up to 5 players can compete, and Edit mode, where you can create your own original stages. You can enjoy Battle mode in a number of different ways. Be the last one standing to win in Survival. Grab items from enemies and escape to win in Escape. With 4 players, you can separate into two teams to do battle in Tag Match.

Beautiful Katamari

 

Beautiful Katamari

NAMCO BANDAI announced today that The King of All Cosmos, everyone’s favorite pint-sized Prince, and the whole wacky and wild Katamari crew will be making their hilarious next generation debut in Beautiful Katamari for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft later this year. The newest installment in the insanely popular and highly captivating Katamari series will be rolling into the next generation world with Katamari-style quirky and unique high-definition graphics, an unforgettable new soundtrack, and a new online multiplayer feature that will have old and new players alike spinning when the title hits store shelves.

 

Experience the new high-definition, next generation sights and sounds of Beautiful Katamari as the Prince takes on a new high-rolling adventure, with his famous cousins in tow, to save the Katamari universe once again after the King of All Cosmos has a very un-royal and unfortunate accident. As usual, the King of All Cosmos demands the service of his son, the Prince, to roll anything and everything up into massive clumps and set things right, bringing harmony once again to the Katamari Cosmos.

 

Take the Prince for a spin in astounding 720p next-gen graphics, that stay true to the quirky yet captivating art direction the series is known for, but glistening with a new coat of paint in high-definition, as the Prince is tasked to roll up bizarre objects in brand new environments. To keep his son inspired, the King of All Cosmos will provide another fresh and memorable soundtrack that will have players moving and grooving to the beat as they roll through the absurd, yet wonderful world of Beautiful Katamari.

 

One is a lonely number, but thankfully the Prince can humbly ask the aid of over 50 of his cousins to get the ball rolling through his quest. The cousins have discovered new games to play since last time out, and love to compete with friends in multiplayer Katamari rolling games either together or online over Xbox Live and the PLAYSTATION Network. The Prince and his cousins’ online adventure won’t end there as a variety of future downloadable content will become available, continuing to expand on the amazing world of Beautiful Katamari, long after the game has launched. More online features will be rolled out at a later date.