See screens, new info from XBLA Perfect Dark
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jun 8th 2009 at 11:30AM } 
We made plenty of new video game friends during E3, but, we still care about our old friends for, as the Girl Scouts remind us, one is silver and the other is gold. Why, just today we checked in on the upcoming XBLA version of Perfect Dark and walked away with a ton of new info.
Perhaps most excitingly, the game will include online multiplayer, according to the Xbox.com listing for it. Also, it's being developed by 4J Studios, which you may know from its PS3 ports of Oblivion and Overlord. Finally, we've got a few screens, which appear to indicate the game hasn't gotten too much sprucing up. What do you think?
[Thanks, Lee]
Perhaps most excitingly, the game will include online multiplayer, according to the Xbox.com listing for it. Also, it's being developed by 4J Studios, which you may know from its PS3 ports of Oblivion and Overlord. Finally, we've got a few screens, which appear to indicate the game hasn't gotten too much sprucing up. What do you think?
[Thanks, Lee]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 11:35AM
The resolution is a lot sharper, wishing for a PSN release! Online Multi fuck yea!
Shadow Hog @ Jun 8th 2009 11:39AM
Microsoft? Releasing a title on their immediate rival's service? Are you daft?
jeff @ Jun 8th 2009 11:41AM
I highly doubt a PSN release seeing as this is MS first party.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 11:44AM
They did it with Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, why not this?
I dont really care if they dont, i have the game for 64. Its such a low resolution i cant target long range very easy, so this would be nice just for that.
Shadow Hog @ Jun 8th 2009 11:44AM
Because Capcom isn't Microsoft, that's why not.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 11:47AM
"Also, it's being developed by 4J Studios, which you may know from its PS3 ports of Oblivion and Overlord."
What do you mean MS first party? Dont first party company's not port their games?
MooseMuffin @ Jun 8th 2009 11:50AM
Perfect Dark was originally developed by Rare, which is owned by Microsoft. Its their IP.
Jon2309 @ Jun 8th 2009 11:50AM
The game's rights are owned by Rare. Rare are now a company within Microsoft Game Studios.
Bumcats @ Jun 8th 2009 11:51AM
Rare is own by Microsoft. Even though another company is porting over the game over to XBLA, it's still a Rare game.
TherionMEC @ Jun 8th 2009 11:52AM
It is being developed by 4J Studios, but the fact that Microsoft is Publishing it means it will be exclusive to the 360.
mat parker @ Jun 8th 2009 11:55AM
idiot
Rocketboy @ Jun 8th 2009 11:58AM
Idiot.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 12:01PM
Well... Ill just be waiting for a cross release. If it happens yay, if not :(
Besides, we all know Perfect Dark Zero was the saddest day in Joannas life. Such great potential with that series, gone.
Thief @ Jun 8th 2009 12:01PM
Idiot.
Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Jun 8th 2009 12:07PM
Idiot.
Snowblind @ Jun 8th 2009 12:08PM
4J Studios are a small, Dundee based games developer, they typically handle ports. They also did Banjo Kazooe and Banjo-Tooie for XBLA, both of which are also owned by Microsoft and have zero chance of being released on anything else.
The same is true of Perfect Dark, it's simple been given to 4J Studios to get working on XBLA, but the fact the game, liscence, characters and everything else about it is completely owned by Microsoft means it won't be going anywhere.
You have the same chance of seeing Mario Galaxy 2 ported to the PS3 as you do seeing Perfect Dark coming to it.
Antagonist @ Jun 8th 2009 12:13PM
Somebody please tell this guy that the Perfect Dark franchise belongs to Microsoft Game Studios.
Blackmagic1o0 @ Jun 8th 2009 12:36PM
antagonist, lol do you see the other 20 ppl tried to explain it to him and he just doesnt get it. Microsoft OWNS RARE = rare has the rights to perfect dark since it was developed by them = Sony is microsoft rival = Perfect Dark (owned by rare, which is owned by microsoft) wont see the light of day on PSN. If he cant figure that out then i give up
Deric Lee @ Jun 8th 2009 12:51PM
Jack, let me simplify it for you.
Microsoft has outsourced the port to 4J Studios, Perfect Dark is owned by Microsoft, Microsoft just hired 4J Studios to do the port instead of having the process take time from an internal team, once they are done they will paid for their services and Microsoft will take their finished product and do what they want with it, which in this case is to put it up for sale on their Live Arcade service.
Think of it this way, if you hire a photographer who has taken pictures for a modeling agency in the past, to take pictures of your wedding, it does not give him the right to sell those pictures of your wedding to that modeling agency.
Get it?
If not, you are truly a simp.
Captain Planet @ Jun 8th 2009 12:56PM
Hi my name is Jack and I'm new to the internetz.
nutman @ Jun 8th 2009 1:02PM
Microsoft owns the Perfect Dark IP. Don't you get it? PD being released on PSN would be like Nintendo putting Mario 64 on PSN, or Sony putting Ratchet & Clank on XBLA. It ain't gonna happen.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 1:06PM
They wont own Rare forever.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6204772.html
melty3219 @ Jun 8th 2009 1:11PM
Jack you are wrong stop trying to prove that you are right, it will just make you look stupider then you already seem.
PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jun 8th 2009 1:13PM
Idiot.
MystileArmor @ Jun 8th 2009 1:14PM
Nutshit! I mean.. Idiot!
Tep @ Jun 8th 2009 1:30PM
I just wat'd at your comment
Sean @ Jun 8th 2009 1:44PM
@Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke
"They wont own Rare forever."
...but they will own Rare's IP forever.
Unless they shut Rare down and somebody buys it from them. Besides, I think MS likes Rare and has them doing more than just games devlopment. UI, Avatars, etc.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ Jun 8th 2009 1:50PM
Idiot.
internet is serious buisness.
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jun 8th 2009 1:53PM
People not recognizing IP ownership and hoping for improbable/impossible outcomes... multiple people reiterating the same point... sarcasm flying over people's heads...
Yup, Grade A Joystiq.
Snowblind @ Jun 8th 2009 2:44PM
Even *if* they shut down Rare, or they leave to form a new studio, Microsoft would still own Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie and everything else Rare has ever made (that isn't owned by Nintendo).
Mics @ Jun 8th 2009 2:58PM
Idiot.
Just wanted to join in and feel apart of the group. =P
Shagittarius @ Jun 8th 2009 3:00PM
Li-Lu Dallas Multi-fuck.
My love for you is like a truck.
chenry @ Jun 8th 2009 3:06PM
Microsoft OWNS Rare. Rare made Perfect Dark. Hence, MS owns Perfect Dark.
You have a better chance of laying a golden egg than seeing this game on PSN.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 3:16PM
Can you show me where is says Rare released the PD franchise to MS? Just cause MS owns Rare, doesnt mean they own PD, Rare still owns PD, if Rare leaves, PD does too.
Correct me if im wrong, but please give me a source that says MS is the owner of PD.
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jun 8th 2009 3:30PM
It's time to give up, man. It may be Rare and not MS that owns Perfect Dark - likely, since if Nintendo had owned Perfect Dark while they owned Rare, Rare wouldn't have it back - but since MS owns Rare, they'll dictate where their releases are headed. Given that Microsoft is in the console business, Rare's games are headed NOWHERE other than the Xbox 360. (Rare has developed some GBA/DS games since the acquisition also, but Microsoft has no competing device in that space)
Shmil @ Jun 8th 2009 3:42PM
*In Farsworthian voice*
MORON!
Wilhelm @ Jun 8th 2009 3:51PM
Idiot.
Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 8th 2009 4:00PM
So now your back peddling. So if Rare leaves MS or gets bought by another company PD will be on that console if Rare chooses to do that, which is what i was saying the whole time. You all seem to think MS owns PD, which i was saying they didnt, yet im still the idiot?
What it is: MS----Rare----Rare franchises
What you seem to think it is: MS------Rare franchises------Rare
Talk about denial. To much pride to even say i was right, still have to down vote me even though i am only stating facts. You guys are talking out your asses.
Down vote this too, its full of logic and common sense.
Roto13 @ Jun 8th 2009 4:09PM
Oh, internet. How I love and hate you.
Captain Planet @ Jun 8th 2009 4:16PM
Why don't you check out rareware.com and look all the way at the bottom. See that? The Microsoft Games Studios logo? See what's next to it?
© Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Remember 2 years ago when Bungie announced it was going independent again? What happened Halo? Microsoft still owns it. Same thing here kiddo.
/thread
Cellien @ Jun 8th 2009 4:52PM
Nintendo NEVER owned Rareware, only 49%. MS bought that from Nintendo and the remainder from the founders, totaling 100% ownership. MS owns all the IPs in full no matter what happens to Rare.
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jun 8th 2009 5:10PM
@Cellien: Yes, I think you're right... my bad.
FNG @ Jun 8th 2009 11:36AM
I think if you are going to redo a game of this magnitude, you need to update the graphics and also include the old ones as an option to play with.
Thief @ Jun 8th 2009 12:07PM
Well that's a touchy situation. Personally if they update the graphics and make it all spiffy, all the old-school tards like myself will look away, but if you're new to Perfect Dark or any other remake, it's hard to look at a game with such outdated graphics.
I think as long as you can add in shaders and lighting effects, fix some obvious broken models and have it look good, it's way too much work to update ALL of the models in a game.
HitNRun @ Jun 8th 2009 1:01PM
Yeah, I can't see myself buying an "updated" Perfect Dark. More to the point, I can't see the devs updating all the graphics in a full-length game that they plan to charge 10 or 15 dollars for.
The FRAMERATE, however, should be helped as much as possible. I think we can all agree on that. Though we tend to remember them through rose-tinted glasses, N64 shooters had a very poor framerate. I'm not even sure old-school retards like myself and Thief would be able to stomach it, much less anyone playing it for the first time.
MystileArmor @ Jun 8th 2009 1:17PM
I don't care as much for the graphics as for the fact they need to cram all the Goldeneye levels in here as possible.
shibathedog @ Jun 8th 2009 1:55PM
They have already been beaten to it:
http://www.pdark-mod.com/joomla/
In case your wondering, they are doing Goldeneye too:
http://goldeneyesource.net/
Both of them free of charge (assuming you own a copy of HL2)
Tiptup300 @ Jun 8th 2009 3:00PM
They could have updated the UI. I mean honestly!
jeff @ Jun 8th 2009 11:39AM
This looks like a huge upgrade to me.
Snowblind @ Jun 8th 2009 11:41AM
It does look a lot better, even though It hasn't really recieved any upgrades, which I wouldn't have expected anyway. The higher resolution and lack of blurryness helps a lot, and the 60fps should make it less of a pain to play.
With online deathmatches, co-op and counter-op this is easily going to be worth the 1,200 points. They still haven't said anything about the Goldeneye content though, so I think we can assume that's coming as a seperate game, which is a little disappointing.
Still, can't wait to see Nintendo and Activisions faces when they release James "Bean" 64 :)