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Tigon's Ian Stevens: For Hollywood, 'making video games has been the same thing as making action figures'

by Ben Gilbert { Jun 30th 2009 at 2:15PM }

Running Tigon Studios is a bit of a strange job to have. Ian Stevens, the man in charge, is responsible for not just organizing development talent to make games like this year's Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, but also working with Hollywood. And, unsurprisingly, he says it's a bit of an uphill battle, telling GamesIndustry.biz, "It's really hard to take something that's native to a certain medium and just draw a line, which is what people are usually trying to do [with games based on movies.]"

He equates the attention Hollywood has been giving to game versions of its films with "action figures, pictures on cereal boxes, and [themed] pajamas," saying it's just part of the "licensing and merchandising" of a property, rather than creating something unique and well-crafted from the start. Furthermore, Stevens says that the development studios who are working with nothing (think Ben 10) and making something -- anything -- out of it, are the real talent in the industry. "If you gave that team in Newcastle [Midway Newcastle] - through all that they've struggled with, technology, corporate business, all these different things - the kind of opportunity that someone like Valve has," he says, leaving us to postulate on the ending there. We'll let you guys fill that in all by yourselves.

Tigon's Ian Stevens sees an evolving relationship between gaming and Hollywood

by Ben Gilbert { Jun 25th 2009 at 1:00PM }

No stranger to the Stiq, Tigon Studios head Ian Stevens has been talking Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena post-mortem recently. While speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, though, Stevens discussed the game industry and Hollywood becoming closer bedfellows, mostly due to -- wait for it -- money! Considering the $22 billion gaming made in the US in 2008, we're not exactly surprised when he says, "Hollywood and games, over the next decade, you'll see some really interesting things happen."

When asked whether he believes Hollywood's attitude towards gaming has changed over the past five years, he seems somewhat wishy-washy, saying, "It certainly has [but] people in Hollywood struggle to understand the creative decisions that we make." And that's likely how we end up with treasures like 2004's Van Helsing, which Stevens says took precedence over the first Chronicles of Riddick game, Escape From Butcher Bay. How the tables have turned, eh Ian?

Starbreeze: Indie studios 'always' more creative than corporate studios

by Richard Mitchell { May 19th 2009 at 11:00PM }

Speaking with Develop, Starbreeze Studios CEO Johan Kristiansson discussed his feelings about game development, specifically as it relates to independent studios. The subjects of the interview range from the decision to release Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena in April -- the game debuted at #2 in the UK but failed to make the top 10 in North America -- to the advantages of using established franchises versus creating new IP. Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview comes near the end, when Kristiansson discusses the differences between the independent and corporate development environments.

According to Kristiansson, corporate development environments can stifle creativity, as decisions are made more slowly. He stated that independent developers have "a stronger feeling of ownership-attachment to their properties," adding that indie studios can develop "a more tightly knit team" over time.

"An independent studio is always going to be more creative," said Kristiansson, noting that publishers should allow developers to maintain control over production. He concluded, "If indies are too close to their publishers, that can also damage the decision making process and the overall game quality."

NPD chronicles 100K debut for Riddick's Assault on Dark Athena

by Ludwig Kietzmann { May 15th 2009 at 4:10PM }

Despite staying well outside the game media's chronicles of ridicule, Starbreeze's Vin Diesel star vehicle (note: not the one that's about him driving vehicles) failed to appear among the NPD group's list of top sellers for April. According to the NPD's Anita Frazier, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena sold 100,000 units across all platforms during its debut month. Oddly, the NPD data includes figures for March, even though the official North American release was on April 7th.

Since Starbreeze's previous effort, gothic comic adaptation The Darkness, broke into the top ten in June 2007, Riddick's performance may seem disappointing, especially in the face of positive word-of-mouth and a relatively quiet release month. Without a new tie-in film to generate buzz, the impetus fell on Atari's marketing -- and it seems to have failed to convince gamers that Vin Diesel still has some gas left in him.

Atari hadn't responded to our calls at the time of publishing, nor our suggestion to feed Vin a spicy burrito.

Metareview - Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

by Xav de Matos { Apr 9th 2009 at 6:45PM }

It's a strange concept, but Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena might be 2009's answer (in value) to The Orange Box. Riddick's return essentially includes three games for the price of one, with Butcher Bay, Assault on Dark Athena and new multiplayer features rounding out the retail package. Sure, the quality bar may not be as high as Valve's five-game release, but value is important. Here's the word around the industry campfire about Riddick's HD outing (a second opinion since you've already read our review, right?):

GamePro (90/100): "But when you step back and consider the entire package, you start to appreciate Dark Athena for what it truly is. Instead, look at Dark Athena as a flawed yet enjoyable way to extend the thrill ride that is Escape from Butcher Bay."
GameTrailers (84/100): "The Escape may handily trump the Assault, but neophyte Riddicks have a unique experience to work through. Though vets who return may begrudge Athena, it's doubtful they won't finish. It's an abridged effort, and more of a dreaded point-five than a true sequel, but with both missions it still reigns as the best first-person, melee, stealth, parkour game featuring Vin Diesel."
1UP (B-): "As a product, this package is recommendable to anyone who hasn't experienced the first game, or wishes to add it back to their current library. It also includes a surprisingly fun multiplayer suite, with the Riddick vs. Everyone Else mode "Pitch Black" as the main attraction. But as single-player games, the unsatisfying Dark Athena should be played as a curiosity and then put back where it belongs: in Butcher Bay's shadow."
Worthplaying (75/100): "Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is half excellent game, half mediocre game. Unfortunately, the excellent half is the same game that was released years ago, just with a small new segment taken from the PC port."

Source - Metacritic: Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (X360)
Source - Metacritic: Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PS3)

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Joystiq Review: Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

by Justin McElroy { Apr 8th 2009 at 2:45PM }

This is an exceedingly weird release. On the same disc, you've got an older, graphically-juiced version of the classic Escape from Butcher Bay paired with Assault on Dark Athena, a modern take on the same game, but one that never feels like anything more than an expansion.

So, as the game's targeting a lot of different audiences, I thought I'd write short, separate reviews for each of these groups. I know, it's totally Web 3.0.

If you played and liked Butcher Bay: You're going to want this. You can't play your old version on your 360, and besides, the new version looks great. The one thing you may have forgotten from BB that hasn't aged so well? Load times. Seriously, when you're going from one area to another in the prison, it's brutal. We're talking 13 to 15 seconds every couple of minutes in some sections. The good stuff's still there, though. Melee combat is satisfyingly brutal, voice acting's great, and the stealth is really intuitive and well-handled.

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Continued →

Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena trailers to tide you over

by David Hinkle { Apr 2nd 2009 at 3:45AM }

For some, the April 7 release of Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena can't come soon enough. To help ease the pain of waiting, we present two new trailers from the game (viewable after the break). The first clip shows our anti-hero storming one of the ship's generators, while the second clip showcases the many enemies that try to get in Riddick's way. Oh, you silly NPCs ...

If you want your experience to be extra authentic, shave your head, turn off the lights, and don some shades while watching. Around the office, we call that Vin-O-vision.

Source - Generator room gameplay
Source - Riddick's enemies vignette

Continued →

Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena getting DLC map pack

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 28th 2009 at 12:00AM }

Fans of the surprisingly well-crafted Escape from Butcher Bay have likely been salivating over the brutal possibilities offered by the multiplayer mode featured in its successor, Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. With six different gameplay modes and 15 levels to choose from, the "shiv-happy" among you will probably have enough to keep yourselves busy for quite some time -- just in case, developer Starbreeze Studios will reportedly be dropping a five-map DLC pack some time after the game's release.

Little is known about the pricing, release schedule or arrangement of these extra maps, but given the gaming community's lack of enthusiasm for DLC that's announced for yet-to-be-released games, we suggest the additional levels have some extremely catchy titles. We suggest Shanktown, Knifewound Central, Laceration Station, or Stabbythroat Junction.

Riddick dev diary drones on about drones

by Richard Mitchell { Mar 20th 2009 at 8:10PM }

Atari has released a new developer diary video for Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. The video centers around the game's story, which the developers at Starbreeze consider the next chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick saga. The video also spends a great deal of time talking about the drone enemy. The drone is essentially a cyborg with rudimentary AI that can also be controlled remotely. Kind of a crappy life, really.

Finally, the video highlights the different ways the game can be played. According to the developers, it's possible to play the game guns blazing or in a stealthier manner. Us, we'll probably opt for the method with the heaviest use of Riddick's razor-sharp "ulak" blades.

Check out some new screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (3/20/09)

Trophies: Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 10th 2009 at 4:06PM }

	1 Platinum 3 Gold 5 Silver 45 Bronze	Difficulty: Difficult Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 30 hours DLC Trophies? No
	View Trophy List	Read More About the Game

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

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Riddick's Assault on Dark Athena demo up on XBLM, full of 'ulaks'

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Mar 4th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Gravelly-voiced space crook news now, with a demo version of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena arriving on the Xbox Live Marketplace. In addition to piloting Vin Diesel through the presumably dark corridors of the titular Athena, you'll be able to pilot a "drone" through one of the demo's segments. We're not really sure how different those two really are, but the latter makes for an interesting bullet point in the press release.

Those uninterested in bullets can also take a stab at wielding Riddick's "razor-sharp ulaks," though we'll remind you that bringing an ulak to a disintegrator fight is always a bad idea. Look for the demo on PSN later this March, and the full game on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 7th (April 24th if you live in Europe).

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (3/4/09)

Riddick assaults Dark Athena April 7 in North America, Europe April 24

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 23rd 2009 at 1:00PM }

Riddick better get all those dark, monotone soliloquies out of his system before assaulting the Dark Athena crew on April 7 in North America, and April 24 in Europe. Atari sends word that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will be available for PC, PS3 and X360, with demos releasing in March for the console versions.

Don't forget that Dark Athena also comes with an enhanced Escape from Butcher's Bay, so there'll be plenty of Riddick packed onto the disc come April.

Update: Big Download has word that a PC demo is in the works. No word of when it'll release, though.

Gallery: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena gets new trailer

by Justin McElroy { Jan 22nd 2009 at 3:45PM }

We hope we're not alone in this, but we sure miss Vin Diesel when we don't get to see him for a while. The reasons should be more than evident in this new trailer for Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which we've just lifted from our friends at Xbox 360 Fanboy.

Vin Diesel is a video game character. He's bald, he's buff, he speaks only in low growls and he loves to kill people. All he's missing is a bitchin' rock guitar soundtrack to follow him around everywhere, and we think you'll agree that the above trailer fills that need effortlessly.

Video: Riddick - Assault on Dark Athena 'Desperation' trailer

by Xav de Matos { Jan 22nd 2009 at 9:00AM }

We couldn't have been more excited when we heard that one of the most under appreciated original Xbox titles, The Chronicles of Riddick, was going to get a next-gen upgrade. When we heard the upgrade also included an entire new campaign plus new multiplayer modes, our heads nearly exploded. Above is the latest trailer, titled "Desperation," for The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which showcases stealth action, both hand-to-hand and weapon combat, and more legendary Vin Diesel dialog.

Dark Athena is an 'episodic expansion'

by Jason Dobson { Dec 17th 2008 at 1:20PM }

Even with a new 10-hour campaign to its credit, we'd suggest portioning out your time with Starbreeze's shiny remake of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay when it arrives next spring. According to Eurogamer, Tigon Studios views the upcoming Assault on Dark Athena as an "episodic expansion" to the original Xbox classic, while an actual sequel is still "a couple of years out."

The Diesel-fueled developer calls the theoretical sequel "ambitious," adding that its arrival is largely contingent on whether or not the fans like the upcoming title and "tell us [they] want more." In short, money talks if players want to continue to live vicariously through Vin Diesel's manly virtual physique. Then again, there's always The Wheelman ... maybe.