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American McGee says XBLA, PSN need to evolve
When it comes to digital distribution on consoles, American McGee feels that the model "still has some evolving to do." The game designer -- whose credits include Alice as well as Doom and Quake -- recently told Geek.com that while his ambitious 24-episode experiment Grimm could be ported over to such platforms as Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, the process needs some work before that would happen.
"Porting this sort of stuff is straightforward," claimed McGee, who added that "the biggest issue" sits with the platforms' content approval and distribution model. XBLA's certification process has long proved a cumbersome hurdle for developers, with McGee noting,"When a single title might take months to get through review and approval (take Braid, as an example), pushing 24 episodes through would translate to years of approval process."
McGee is currently spinning his creative wheels on the recently announced sequel to Alice, a property that's also been mentioned in movie circles for some time. The rights currently sit with producer Scott Faye, who was responsible for 2008's big screen take on Max Payne, a film McGee lambasted, saying, "I wasn't able to sit through the entire thing ... I just couldn't connect to the film version." You, sir, were not alone.
[Via 1UP]
"Porting this sort of stuff is straightforward," claimed McGee, who added that "the biggest issue" sits with the platforms' content approval and distribution model. XBLA's certification process has long proved a cumbersome hurdle for developers, with McGee noting,"When a single title might take months to get through review and approval (take Braid, as an example), pushing 24 episodes through would translate to years of approval process."
McGee is currently spinning his creative wheels on the recently announced sequel to Alice, a property that's also been mentioned in movie circles for some time. The rights currently sit with producer Scott Faye, who was responsible for 2008's big screen take on Max Payne, a film McGee lambasted, saying, "I wasn't able to sit through the entire thing ... I just couldn't connect to the film version." You, sir, were not alone.
[Via 1UP]
GameTap Thursday: Insecticide, Freak Out & McGee's Sleeping Beauty
Another week, another update to GameTap's service. This week three titles have been added as the company preps the service for a major overhaul. This week's offerings continue the Grimm franchise -- with what GameTap old us is the biggest episode in the series -- while introducing new gamers to the world of hard-boiled insect detectives. Yeah, you read that correctly.
- Insecticide, Part 1 (Windows) - A "hard-boiled film noir action-adventure game" set a bug-ridden future? Sounds like realism to us, kids.
- Freak Out: Extreme Freeride (Windows) - An extreme skiing simulator that combines two of our favorite things, freaking out and the word extreme.
- American McGee's Grimm: Sleeping Beauty (Windows) - The continuing episodic adventures of Grimm this time tackling the age-old story of Sleeping Beauty. This one is free to play but only for today! Hop to it!
GameTap Thursday: A Grimm Christmas Carol, Dawn of War: Gold
Grimm's second volume ends this week with the negative gnome's (dwarf?) take on A Christmas Carol. The good news is that, instead of the standard 24 hours of free play, the latest episode will be available to freeloaders from now until New Year's Eve.
- Grimm: A Christmas Carol (Windows) - Scrooge vs. Grimm: FIGHT!
- Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War: Gold (Windows) - The original Dawn of War, plus the (arguably) superior Winter Assault expansion. RTS fans owe it to themselves to play this.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm meets the Pied Piper

- Grimm: The Pied Piper (Windows) - Something tells the music won't be as innocently alluring.
- Digby's Donuts (Windows) - Mmmm, donuts.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (Windows) - Fun for the whole nuclear family! Okay, not really, but it is quite fun.
GameTap Thursday: Tuesday brings Golden Goose, Painkiller
GameTap will be updating with Painkiller and a new episode of Grimm today, due to the annual "gobble day" falling on this Thursday. Instead of the normal 24-hour grace period for freeloaders, the new episode of Grimm will be available to non-subscribers through Thanksgiving.
- Grimm: The Golden Goose (Windows) - This goose lays golden eggs and everyone lives horribly ever after. Mo' money, mo' problems.
- Painkiller (Windows) - An FPS that's filled to the brim with pew-pew pew-pew-pew and ka-booooom.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm, Lionheart, Elements of Destruction

- Grimm: Cinderella (Windows) - We doubt there will be singing mice. If there are, they'll probably die in some gruesome way.
- Lionheart (Windows) - An action-RPG from 2003 that uses Fallout's SPECIAL system, coupled with Diablo-esque hack n' slash.
- Elements of Destruction (Window) - Be a mad scientist who likes to destroy cities. In the end, it's a little cathartic.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm's King Midas, Space Hack

- Grimm: King Midas (Windows) - Grimm goes after the man with the golden touch. Not to be confused with the man with the golden gun. That's Bond.
- Space Hack (Windows) - A sci-fi RPG with "Diablo-inspired gameplay mechanics."
GameTap Thursday: Grimm's 'The Singing Bone,' Red Faction II

Grimm's second volume continues on GameTap this week with The Singing Bone. The site also adds THQ's Earth-bound FPS Red Faction II, created by Volition, developers of the Saints Row franchise.
- Grimm: The Singing Bone (Windows) - The game is available to non-Gametap subscribers for the first 24 hours after release.
- Red Faction II (Windows) - Sorry, Mars. The red planet just wasn't cool enough for the sequel. This Earth-based FPS totally missed the boat by not calling itself Blue Faction. Just ignore the historical basis for the series' name and the color change would have been fine.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm Vol. 2 begins, Fallout Tactics

Grimm, GameTap's original series, returns this week with The Master Thief. Volume 2 will have eight new episodes leading up to Christmas, with the last one being the series' take on A Christmas Carol. Subscribers can play Grimm at any time, but freeloaders can check out The Master Thief for the next 48 hours.
- Grimm: The Master Thief (Windows) - American McGee's Katamari-esque, fractured fairy tale returns.
- Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (Windows) - A tactical RPG, set in the Fallout universe, following the Brotherhood of Steel. The game is briefly mentioned in GameTrailers' Fallout retrospective.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm's Beauty and the Beast

- Grimm: Beauty and the Beast (Windows) - Remember, it's free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours after release.
- Mission: Runway (Windows) - Like Project Runway, but without any of the entertaining elements. Worst of all: No Heidi Klum.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm's Godfather Death, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
American McGee's Grimm introduces the title character to Godfather Death this week. GameTap continues to offer each new Grimm episode free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours after release. There are a couple other new games this week, with one taking us 20,000 leagues under the sea, and the other us remember: We may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but we sure as heck are bigger and stronger!
- Grimm: Godfather Death (Windows) - *Grandpa Simpson voice* Death! Deaaaaaaaaaaath!
- Sub Command (Windows) - Another submarine simulation.
- Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (Windows) - Fine FOX programming, now on your computer screen.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm dirties another tale, Puzzle Quest drops some runes

- Grimm: The Girl Without Hands (Windows) - Katamari Grimm-acy do your thing!
- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of Warlords (Windows) - It's time to finally play this game if you've somehow missed out on it.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm vs. Puss in Boots; Patrician gets all medieval
This week American McGee's Grimm retells the story (in Grimm's special way) of the anthropomorphic Puss in Boots. The episode is free for everyone the first 24 hours after release and will be available only to GameTap subscribers after that time.
- Grimm: Puss In Boots (Windows) - Cats are evil and Puss is no exception. Dogs rule!
- Patrician III (Windows) - How to describe ... how to describe? Oh, it's like playing "Medieval Tycoon."
GameTap Thursday: Grimm meets The Fisherman and his Wife; Prince of Persia also flips in
Katamari Grimm-acy rolls on this week as American McGee's Grimm tells the tale of The Fisherman and His Wife. Remember each episode is available for free to all for the first 24 hours after release, after which it becomes available to GameTap subscribers only.
- Grimm: The Fisherman and His Wife (Windows) - Greedy wife is bound to get what she deserves!
- Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (Windows) - The final chapter in the Sands of Time trilogy brings back some of the first game's charm and cuts out a lot of the second title's emo.
GameTap Thursday: Grimm meets Little Red Riding Hood
Despite some awkward news today that parent company Turner is trying to unload GameTap, the show must go on. With that said, American McGee's Grimm adds a new episode this week, Little Red Riding Hood, which will be available to everyone -- not just subscribers -- for the first 24 hours after release.
- Grimm (Windows) - The ornery dwarf meets the naïve girl in the red coat.




















