230°

Velvet Assassin's Developer Shuts Down

Worthplaying.com writes:

"Set in WW2, Velvet Assassin is a 3rd person shooter combining intense battles with guerrilla missions, featuring extensive stealth elements and challenging puzzles. Rumored over the past few days, now confirmed by lead game programmer Claus Praefcke, German based Replay Studios is shutting down."

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worthplaying.com
Elven65382d ago

This sucks, Velvet Assassin had some really good ideas in it. Giving the Germans a human element was a great touch, differentiating between Nazi, Heer, etc was a welcome addition. Some guys you felt really bad for killing, others you couldn't wait to kill.

This is what the second German dev to shut down this week?

Good luck guys, you're a talented bunch and I hope you find work quickly.

erathaol5382d ago

The Dev's knew that the game wasn't that great, they weren't going to support it with DLC and they confirmed that they would never make a sequel. They were ready to abandon the franchise upon release and wanted never look back. Problem is that next-gen titles are risky business and when you roll the dice you pay the price.

Germany seems in a bad way when it comes to Video Game Developer's shutting down. Didn't Crytek threaten to leave Germany because of some harsh laws being enforced?

cyclindk5382d ago

Yeah, they did take a risk... I think they should have gone with a sort of dystopian psedo-futuristic setting, but with the same stealth elements. A lot of clean whites, static, antiseptic looking environments like THX-1138. That would have been tight.

Elven65382d ago

They did have plans, books, comics, etc were all announced around release. I haven't finished the game yet but from what I can gather so far, it was supposed to be a 1 time thing from the get go.

cyclindk5381d ago

I guess we'll all just have to swallow the sequels publishers keep dolling out.

At least some PSN/XBLA titles are proving more innovative.. I think it's a great place for new devs or new ideas to test the waters. And if they don't pan out for a full-fledged game, there's really no loss.

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Myst5382d ago

I'm sad to hear this and this was one game I was looking forward to at least playing after getting my 360. In fact I was going to rent it a few days before school started. Well I do hope those who made the game are able to find another form of work as soon as possible.

5382d ago
NotSoSilentBob5382d ago

Well I guess that all the talk of doing a ps3 exclusive will cause a studio to fail now also can apply to any 360 exclusive.

Elven65382d ago

How? Velvet Assassin was a PC title as well. It doesn't matter how many platforms your game is on, if no one buys it no one buys it. The fact that the game released at a time when games sold like crap probably didn't help either.

erathaol5382d ago

Bionic Commando tanked pretty hard and so did Wanted. I don't think Grin is looking to good right now.

peacock15382d ago

"Velvet Assassin was a PC title as well"

so its not exclusive to 360 when it fails so hard the studio has to close...

I wish we could all decide if we are counting these 360/pc games as exclusive or not already -.-

raztad5382d ago

Well Do PC games counts are 360 exclusives? My answer: No, a pc is just a pc game. If game happens to be on Pc AND x360 then it is multiplat. No way around it. There is not such thing like "MS exclusive". PC is an open heterogeneous platform, devels dont pay royalties nor ask MS for game approval.

It's really sad when a group of talented workers are left out in the cold. Even if VA was not good, sure they gained a good experience at what they do. Lets hope the best for them.

Elven65381d ago

peacock1: When have I ever said the game was a Xbox 360 exclusive? Please do find it, I would love to see if I put these words in my mouth.

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Lord Shuhei Yoshida5382d ago

Where is your messiah now xbots? LMFAO

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100°

Can Video Games Affect Children Negatively?

Games have changed dramatically from where they were more than two decades ago. What were once small, 8-bit characters on our SNES or Genesis have now become a façade of real flesh on our screens. It’s an incredible triumph for the industry, but with all this realism, how safe is it for children to play violent video games?

Is it credible to say that children may be slightly affected by what they see in video games? Could they be influenced by what they see in this media form to act violently upon others? Watch the video above and let me know!

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thekoalition.com
MrKennedy4089d ago

I do think they are affected. Affected as in the way they play with their mates when they're 7. (When I say play with their mates I mean toy guns etc)

Not growing up to be fuck-nuggets who blow shit up.

But movies done that for me when I was a boy, not really games.

But as you say, games are now more realistic so they'll probably substitute todays generations void of Arnold Schwarzenegger Aly Stallone films that we had.

Redgehammer4089d ago

Being a father of 4 sons, I know that anything can affect your children negatively, if allowed. I am very careful in what I let my kids watch and play. I have tried to make sure they are grounded in reality, but can have fun in a fantasy. In the same way premature exposure to pornography corrupted my young mind, I believe violence can do the same.

kreate4089d ago

Anything can negatively affect a person or child.

zerocrossing4089d ago (Edited 4089d ago )

Yeah, but so can movies, music, books, parents, adults and even other children.

So what's so special about games? other than the fact the word "game" implies they are for children, the simple fact being though that many are not.

Zodiac4089d ago

Yes. Most people don't know that negative affects don't only mean blowing stuff up or shooting a bunch of people.

JBSleek4089d ago

Sure. But please blame parenting, mental disorders, and upbringing before we scapegoat media all the time.

Why are we so afraid to blame humans for what humans do and simply say movies, video games, TV is the problem. Ever thought the people who did this are the problem.

I had to write a ten page paper on this. It's just so sad.

ElectroJade4089d ago

I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. I find it so silly that President Obama is funding more than ten million dollars in research to understand this. Video games may trigger some effect, but the real catalysts to youth violence are bad parenting and bad upbringing. You’re right, it’s definitely sad. I hope you did well on your paper though.

BanBrother4089d ago

Yes, they definitely can. Isn't that why we have ratings? I think even those little phone games can do good though, as they keep the mind active, and encourage problem solving. In saying that, I wouldn't let my angel watch a sex scene from The Witcher 2, or play The Darkness 2.

Games are good and bad, just like anything else in life. It is like banning cars because some people die from them. Humans have to adapt and deal with these things. Life has never been a case of one answer.

ElectroJade4089d ago

You're definitely one of the better parents out there. Great job in setting ground rules for your kid when it comes to gaming!

I’ve been talking to a few parents regarding the rating system in video games. As it turns out, a lot of them are unaware of what these ratings mean! There definitely needs to be more education on parental controls in gaming. A lot of parents may just be oblivious to this entire situation.

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160°

The 8 Best Videogames Made By Closed Studios

Dorkly writes: Studios can close for all kinds of reasons – talent has moved away, bankruptcy, breaking off into smaller entities, EA – but when that happens, their deaths are often not noticed nor remembered by the gamers who played their products. Some properties are bought by larger distributors, and many more are simply forgotten forever. We wish to remember some fallen studios and their finest games. These are 8 of the best videogames made by closed studios.

zeal0us4301d ago

Some studios should have been sold instead of being closed down.

da_2pacalypse4300d ago

I came in expecting Mortal Kombat games.... I did not get that lol

itBourne4300d ago

How is Okami not on this list? = /

aPerson4300d ago

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning should be on that list...

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200°

Best of the worst habits in gaming

Megabits of Gaming looks at five of its favourite gaming characters who have bad or slightly seedy habits

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megabitsofgaming.com
BlackTar1874311d ago

i don't agree with Kratos replaced snake

WeskerChildReborned4311d ago

As much as i like Kratos, i still like Solid Snake better but that's just me.

AntoineDcoolette4311d ago

What? There are people who like Kratos? Guy is a bag of dicks. Liking Kratos is akin to admiring Joseph Stalin for his genocide of the Soviet people

WeskerChildReborned4311d ago (Edited 4311d ago )

It's not like Kratos is Hitler or anything. I just like him cause he is a true badass. It's not like Kratos is causing genocide.

HammadTheBeast4310d ago

Another news story with a... lets just say 'pleasing' image... with hardly any comments. Shocking.