Joystiq

Rumor: New Strider coming to XBLA, PC, Double Helix involved

JC Fletcher — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST

NeoGAF user canIhasAnAccount discovered a temporary XBLA box art and banner for a new Strider game. Subsequently, users found a Strider entry on the Steam database, complete with icon of Strider Hiryu's face from the Capcom ninja series.

To extrapolate further, user Sega1991 found a Steam Community page connected by number with the leaked Steam information, posted by a user "ascarlston" whose profile offers a first name "Andrew." A quick search finds one Andrew Carlston in the game industry, a junior programmer at Double Helix. He's Steam friends with someone named Jorge Oseguera, a name belonging to a producer at Double Helix. Double Helix is the studio behind Silent Hill: Homecoming, as well as Front Mission Evolved and the Battleship game (based on the movie based on the game.)

As we find ourselves trapped deep within this rabbit hole, we called out to Capcom for verification of any of this. Capcom told Joystiq only that "We have made no announcements in regards to that title." In the absence of more info about that, why not look back at the last attempted Strider reboot, by GRIN Barcelona?

Rumor: New Strider coming to XBLA, PC, Double Helix involved originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Details and images of canned Justice League game pop up

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

The Justice League and its members have shown up in a variety of different games on the current-gen consoles as well as PC, but we've yet to see a straight up Justice League video game for 360 and PS3. That doesn't mean that one was never in production, of course - former Double Helix art director and lead level artist Jon Gwyn reveals one such now canceled work-in-progress on his personal portfolio site, as discovered by Superannuation.

"The Justice League" was apparently a tie-in with George Miller's now-defunct Justice League film. The game project continued for another two years before being shut down as well. Few details about the game itself are available, but the images show a variety of superhero locales (Gotham, Metropolis) and Gwyn describes it as a "third-person brawler." A proposed versus mode was also included which put together a quartet of half good guys / half bad guys into an arena for a street fight.

Despite the cancelation, Gwyn says that "the team was brought onto another superhero project" rather than being canned - that project appears to be the Green Lantern game from Double Helix that was released in June of last year. Additionally, despite project similarities, no assets from the Justice League project transferred to the Green Lantern one.

Gwyn is currently working at Rockstar San Diego as a senior artist on a "confidential AAA title." Unfortunately, between the time it took to write this piece and ping Mr. Gwyn, he's password protected the images. If you'd like to share any information or assets regarding the Justice League game, don't hesitate to get in contact with us.

Report: Details and images of canned Justice League game pop up originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix

Jordan Mallory — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

Activision and Double Helix have announced a video game adaptation of Battleship, the Hasbro Studios/Universal Films adaptation of Milton Bradley's Battleship. Set for an April European release and a May North American release, Battleship will combine aspects of the classic board game with FPS gameplay. It will be available on PS3 and 360, with "uniquely designed versions" released for the Wii, DS and 3DS.

The player takes on the role of demolitions expert Cole Mathis, who somehow finds himself in charge of an entire naval fleet and must use said fleet to defend the Hawaiian archipelago from underwater space aliens. This is a separate storyline from the film -- however, given the abundance of extraterrestrials and a severe lack of white and red pegs, we figure it's still set in the movie's universe. Gameplay is split between FPS sections and a "Battle Command" map, which is somewhat akin to the classic Battleship grid we're all familiar with. Here's hoping for Electronic Talking DLC on day one.

Gallery: Battleship (2/8/12)

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Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010

David Hinkle — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:01:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

When we announced Front Mission Evolved's September 14th launch date we joked that Square Enix had neglected to check the calendar. You know, because September 14 is also "International Halo: Reach Day," a notable religious holiday. Also there's another video game coming out that day.

Now Front Mission Evolved has been pushed back two weeks, to September 28. The funny thing is, other high-profile games are arriving on that new launch date -- sometimes you just need to mecha decision, we guess. Update: Check out pre-order bonuses after the break.

Continue reading Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010

Front Mission Evolved pushed back to September 28, 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved dev diary is all about the wanzers

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:30:00 EST

Square Enix's Strategy RPG-turned-action title, Front Mission Evolved, largely gets by thanks to its gigantic, customizable mechs. Appropriately enough, the latest dev diary for the game focuses on how gigantic and customizable its mechs are. Man, these guys really know how to market a product.

Continue reading Front Mission Evolved dev diary is all about the wanzers

Front Mission Evolved dev diary is all about the wanzers originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved shoots for September 14 release

David Hinkle — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:45:00 EST

Spring has turned to fall for Front MIssion Evolved, as Square Enix has announced the game will launch on September 14. The latest entry takes the SRPG franchise into a new direction: third-person shooter. Double Helix, of Silent Hill: Homecoming fame, is developing. Square Enix also announced that the PC version will be playable in stereoscopic 3D, which effectively swaps out the gameplay depth from the strategy games for visual depth.

It's great we finally have a solid release date, Square Enix, but you probably should've checked the calendar before deciding on September 14. Just saying!

Front Mission Evolved shoots for September 14 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 May 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Front Mission Evolved gears up for US release this spring

Randy Nelson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:34:00 EST

click to mech larger

Square Enix's third-person action treatment of the Front Mission games -- classically a strategy RPG series -- failed to really wow us when we played it during last fall's Tokyo Game Show, but developer Double Helix (Silent Hill: Homecoming) has a few more weeks to tighten its bolts and lube its actuators. That's because Front Mission Evolved has been given orders to deploy here in the US this spring, which, according to our calendars, begins at the end of March.

Here to tide us over is a batch of new screens from (presumably) the latest build of the game, which features on-foot combat in addition to its mechanized modes of transport.

Gallery: Front Mission Evolved (01/22/10)

Front Mission Evolved gears up for US release this spring originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming not coming home to Japan

David Hinkle — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:02:00 EST

Konami regrettably informs us that the latest installment in the Silent Hill series, the Western-developed Silent Hill: Homecoming, won't be making its way to Japan following its North American release last year and European release earlier this year. Konami blames "assorted issues" for the lack of a Japanese release, yet says Japanese gamers can "look forward to future releases in the series." Just not this one. Ever.

That doesn't mean Japanese gamers are without hope, however. If you've got a PS3, you can pick up the US version of the game and play it on your Japanese PS3, since there's no region protection. If you've got a Japanese Xbox 360 though, you're out of luck. Also, you're weird.

[Via Magweasel]

Silent Hill: Homecoming not coming home to Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foundation 9 closes Fizz Factor studio, cuts back at Double Helix

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

We had just grown accustomed to laying off gratuitous use of our dreadful "layoffs" tag, but alas, an unhappy economy continues to produce unhappy stories such as this one. In a move first reported by VentureBeat, Foundation 9 Entertainment has announced several cost-cutting measures to its employees. The company is currently working on various versions of G.I. Joe (pictured), Where the Wild Things Are and the PSP entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise.

The group's Austin, Texas-based Fizz Factor studio will be closed, while the Amaze and Griptonite teams (both based in Kirkland) will be merged under the leadership of the latter's studio head, J.C. Connors. According to a statement released by Foundation 9, "Having separate 'console' and 'handheld' studios under the same roof simply didn't make sense in light of the convergence in capabilities of modern game hardware!" Exclamation point.

Foundation 9 will also be implementing cutbacks at Double Helix, the Californian studio responsible for Konami's Xbox 360 and PS3 stab at survival-horror, Silent Hill Homecoming.

Foundation 9 closes Fizz Factor studio, cuts back at Double Helix originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Helix creating Green Lantern game with sheer will

Justin McElroy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:55:00 EST

Hot on the heels of the news that Warner Bros. has picked Ryan Reynolds to play the Green Lantern in an upcoming film, the company has announced that it will work with Double Helix (the studio behind Silent Hill: Homecoming and G.I. Joe) to bring the Emerald Knight to the video game world.

VentureBeat got the scoop on the Xbox 360/PS3 game, which it believes is connected to the film coming June 17, 2011. ... Wait, is this the first Green Lantern game? That can't be right, can it?

Double Helix creating Green Lantern game with sheer will originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: G.I. Joe impressions

Randy Nelson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

click to enlarge

It's always troubling when you're not allowed to actually play a game due out within a couple months. Such was the case with our GDC demo of EA's G.I. Joe: the Game. Sure, we could pretty much gather everything we needed to know about the canonical sequel to the film (yep, we guess COBRA isn't defeated) from watching two people play it, but, c'mon.

So, here's what we saw while being fed dozens of bullet points. Two Joes (out of a total 12) run forward through (in this case) desert and snow-covered environments. The play mechanics actually weren't as brutally simple as we'd expected -- there's a melee attack and charged melee attack that add to the "fire" button. Players can strafe, concentrating fire on the same enemy as your partner kills them faster (oh really?) ... and it looks like an up-rezzed PS2 or Xbox game.

Still, there were bits that should please G.I. Joe diehards -- but those couldn't get us over the fact that this isn't a PSN/XBLA title and is, in fact, a (likely much more expensive) retail release on PS3 and Xbox 360. (It's coming out for everything, by the way.)

Gallery: G.I. Joe: The Game

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GDC09: G.I. Joe impressions originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yo, check out new G.I. Joe screens

Randy Nelson — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

click to enlarge thisss ssshot!

G.I. Joe fights for freedom wherever there's trouble -- and, evidently, there's some to be found in the sparsely populated settings of EA's upcoming movie tie-in game. Snake Eyes features prominently in this first batch of screens from G.I. Joe: The Game, most likely because, as in the movie's trailer, he's the one character that actually looks remotely like he's from ... G.I. Joe (and not someone who raided the X-Men films' wardrobe storage).

Looking at these screens is only half the battle. The other half is reading our first impressions of the game in action. Your reward for victory: a trip back in time with Konami's equally deep 1992 arcade game.

Gallery: G.I. Joe: The Game

Yo, check out new G.I. Joe screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:16:00 EST

EA is talking up its first G.I. Joe game, a movie spin-off, as "cross-generational." It's so easy to control that even "mom" can play. Which means, moms -- if you're reading -- not only will you be subjected to chaperoning a mission to the local theater to suffer through the G.I. Joe film adaptation this summer, you also may be expected to idle away your weekends with the game. Let's hope it's a short one.

G.I. Joe: The Game plays as any generic third-person shooter, with the bonus of the aforementioned base layer Mom Controls(R). Literally, all that is needed to proceed is the left thumb steering the on-screen character and the right index finger, locked down on the designated shooting button -- just keep on holding it and the game will automatically target a new enemy once the current one has absorbed too many laser blasts and disappears into the well known in-game ether. Of course, "hardcore" gamers will find melee and character-exclusive secondary attacks, along with a rolling dodge and cover mechanic mapped to their controllers.

EA is throwing out some big-name inspirations for its game: Contra, Ikari Warriors and Ikaruga. We suppose you could consider G.I. Joe as a like-designed title in so far as it is built as an "arcade" throwback, with high scores being the ultimate reward. Actually, the ultimate reward is unlocking all twelve playable characters -- unlocking characters requires score points, though. Scoring is linked directly to difficulty setting and one's play. Dying, for example, decreases one's overall score, but, on the lowest difficulty setting, will not produce further setbacks. Think of this as a "no fail" setting -- you know, the one mom can play.

Continue reading Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions

Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming classified by Australia's OFLC

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

After being refused classification by the OFLC -- Australia's ratings board -- Silent Hill: Homecoming is finally coming home Down Under with an MA15+ rating. The game had earlier failed to net an MA15+ rating in September of 2008, effectively banning it from sale. It wasn't alone, as several other titles, including F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and Fallout 3, ran into the same situation (both of which were later classified). According to Gamespot, Silent Hill: Homecoming was apparently resubmitted to the OFLC and has now been classified MA15+, though it's unclear what changes were made to the game, if any.

Hopefully, the pervading creepiness is still intact, because that's all that matters.

[Via Joystiq]

Silent Hill: Homecoming classified by Australia's OFLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview - Silent Hill Homecoming (PC, PS3, 360)

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure

Within the circle of paranoid and traumatized Silent Hill fans, there are two fundamental truths that must be embraced upon the release of each new entry in Konami's survival-horror franchise. The first, and more difficult to accept, is that the core gameplay in Silent Hill is sort of awful. Oh, but that gripping atmosphere! That inescapable miasma of melancholy! That's where the second truth comes in: if series sound maestro, Akira Yamaoka, composed the soundtrack (and he did for Homecoming), then it's probably an experience worth having. What say you, early reviews?

1UP (B): "Homecoming stays true to the macabre Silent Hill atmosphere without feeling stagnant. Exploration's perfectly in line with previous games, complete with tons of locked doors, decaying structures, and doubling back between the real world and its hellish counterpart -- but some little nuances intrigue."
Cheat Code Central (84/100): "This game delivers on the experience you have come to expect from the franchise. It will also give you reason to begin clamoring for the next installment. The folks at Double Helix gave me the Silent Hill I wanted: a nerve-racking, scary as hell experience to hold me over this Halloween season."
IGN (67/100): "Unfortunately, I admit that the game feels like a bit of a letdown. The gameplay has been reduced from a tense psychological experience fraught with spine tingling jumps and scares to a generic, predictable action title set in the location with good graphics and a great soundtrack."

Metareview - Silent Hill Homecoming (PC, PS3, 360) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq E3 hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, E3

A few things. First, I love the Silent Hill series. Second, E3 really isn't the venue for demoing a Silent Hill game. Even in Konami's relatively quiet meeting room, it was impossible to hear any dialogue or music in Silent Hill: Homecoming -- headphones were available, but they were broken ... grrr. Considering that the soundscape of any given Silent Hill game is responsible for half of the atmosphere (arguably more), it makes it hard to judge how the game feels. So, you'll just have to settle for a look at how the game plays.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming (5-21-08)

Continue reading Joystiq E3 hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming

Joystiq E3 hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotted in Silent Hill Homecoming: Pyramid Head

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, E3

There are two things we know about Pyramid Head. One, he is a physical manifestation of guilt. Two, he generally causes the physical manifestation of crap in your pants. Oh, actually, there is a third thing we know about Pyramid Head: he makes an appearance in Silent Hill Homecoming. This raises the question: what is protagonist Alex Shepherd guilty of? Our guess is that he feels guilty about the desperate fan service required to keep gamers interested in this series.

Stay tuned for hands on impressions.

Spotted in Silent Hill Homecoming: Pyramid Head originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scared stiff: Why should we care about Silent Hill: Homecoming?

Jason Dobson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Interviews

Konami's Silent Hill franchise has forgotten more about keeping us hiding beneath our covers than most games will ever know. Even EA's own Glen Schofield tips his hat to the series, telling us earlier this week that he considers the 1999 PlayStation original to be among his favorite survival horror games ever. But after nearly a decade of stumbling through the fog, it's easy to feel that the dilapidated burg of Silent Hill has gotten a bit too long in the tooth.

For the series' sixth installment, Konami has handed the blood-soaked baton over to external developer Double Helix Games, a recent mash-up of The Collective and Shiny Entertainment. The result is this fall's upcoming release, Silent Hill: Homecoming, and we recently puzzled our way out of mist long enough to ask the game's lead designer, Jason Allen, just why we should care about this latest return trip to Silent Hill.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming

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Scared stiff: Why should we care about Silent Hill: Homecoming? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming preview discusses combat, branching conversations

Nick Doerr — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Are you still worried about Silent Hill: Homecoming being in the hands of a Western developer instead of Team Silent? Konami producer William Oertel put it pretty well: "Much of it is very deliberate. You don't have to go into every single detail. You leave it to the fans to decipher...In a sense, the whole game is like a puzzle." This is part of the ideology of the development staff -- to keep the game more on the psychological level like the legendary Silent Hill 2 and less on the literal side, like the first and third installments. We support this move.

A preview of the game doesn't go into the storyline very much, since they claim it is quite on-track with previous titles and wish to refrain from spoiling anything. However, they do comment on the new battle system and how it, actually, works in favor of the Silent Hill style of play. Every weapon as a finishing move, dodging is challenging ... combat is, essentially, more difficult. Enemies detect sound and light pretty viciously now -- they reacted before, but now it's clear when you knock over any of the surrounding stuff, the enemy comes running.

Conversations branch, too. During some of the games discussions between characters, you can choose from a couple of different answers that will yield different reactions or get you a little more background information. It doesn't sound overly complex, but it'll be interesting to see if these branches actually influence the type of ending you get. All in all, it's sounding pretty well done.

Silent Hill: Homecoming preview discusses combat, branching conversations originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some worries put to eternal rest in Silent Hill Homecoming interview

Nick Doerr — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

An exclusive interview was snagged by SilentHill5.net with the game's lead designer over at Double Helix, Jason Allen. Since this is more of a fansite than anything else, the questions are actually geared toward easing the thoughts of longtime Silent Hill fans -- which means the questions are probably what you want to hear answers to. Our summary, naturally, will cover the answers as well.

While the game appears action-oriented, the developers have focused primarily on the signature atmosphere of the series. However, Double Helix was asked to create the game to appeal to a larger audience and they felt a revamped fighting system would assist in that regard. This change may also be felt with the puzzles -- they're a more seamless experience now, instead of moving to a static screen with a puzzle, they will be viewed in a more seamless manner (that's probably easier to see than explain).

The game is trying to remain true to its roots. The developers understand people's hesitations and have done several things to keep the game in-line with its roots: the text, map system, sounds, picking up notes and other items has remained the same as ever. Difficulty settings will exist for the game, but they will not have an option for puzzle difficulty. They hope people realize they've kept the heart of the game alive and the magic is still there. There are more questions to go over, like boss battles, objectives, and item management. However, they didn't really give any valuable answers to them, so we'll leave checking those out to you. We'll remain cautiously optimistic about this game, but our anticipation is growing.

Some worries put to eternal rest in Silent Hill Homecoming interview originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Silent Hill: Homecoming screens damage psyche

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Silent Hill: Homecoming

It's a strange kind of excitement when a new batch of Silent Hill: Homecoming screenshots is released. There is happiness at the prospect of any news regarding Silent Hill and there is also the lurking fear that accompanies it. The latest screens keep most of the fear in check, thankfully, as creepiness is kept to a minimum. Sure, we do get some new shots of the nurses (as well as a new monster apparently obsessed with yoga), but we've learned to deal with them. Psychologically, at least, we can (mostly) handle the nurses. Check out the new screens and hope that Homecoming lives up to its predecessors.

New Silent Hill: Homecoming screens damage psyche originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 'scream' shots of Silent Hill: Homecoming

Randy Nelson — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure

click to make with the zooming

Did we mention just how creepy the latest Silent Hill installment is in our most recent update on the game? Let's see ... yes, we did. Still, for those who either refuse to believe us - in which case you're meanies - or aren't yet convinced of its (dare we say?) fear factor, we offer you a ghastly gaggle of new shots from the game, by way of Konami. Just don't blame us if you have trouble ~~breathing~~ ~~eating~~ ~~seeing~~ ~~walking~~ ~~talking~~ sleeping after viewing them.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming (5-21-08)

New 'scream' shots of Silent Hill: Homecoming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funny endings return for Silent Hill: Homecoming

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Silent Hill: Homecoming

Speaking to GameTrailers, Silent Hill: Homecoming producer and composer Akira Yamaoka has revealed that funny endings will be returning in upcoming Double Helix (formerly The Collective) take on the series. When asked about what elements from previous games would be returning in Homecoming, Yamaoka said (through a translator), "I think humor is important. A lot of Silent Hill fans enjoy different endings, like the UFO ending, the dog ending, right? Those funny endings are an important part of Silent Hill."

We'd be hard-pressed to disagree, as the humorous endings (spoilers ... sort of) serve as a much needed counterbalance to the disturbing, soul-shattering imagery that the series is known for. Oh, and Yamaoka's favorite entry in the series? Silent Hill 2 (ahem ... duh). Check out the full interview after the break.

Continue reading Funny endings return for Silent Hill: Homecoming

Funny endings return for Silent Hill: Homecoming originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming

Randy Nelson — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure

click to ~~enlarge~~ scary-size

What's scarier: Silent Hill, or finding out that the latest game in the series isn't being developed by the folks who made the last five games? For many fans, it was the latter when, at E3 2007, Konami revealed that Western outfit The Collective (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marc Ecko's Getting Up) - now Double Helix - would be crafting the creeps this time 'round.

Things, as they are wont to do, change ... but from our time with the latest playable version of Silent Hill: Homecoming, we were more scared by the game than we were about how it's going to turn out. The generally positive vibe was generated in large part by what lead designer Jason Allen told us is changing - but also what isn't. Full impressions after the break.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming (PS3)

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming

Joystiq hands-on: Silent Hill: Homecoming originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 May 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming creeps out of hiding

Randy Nelson — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure

click to enlarge

Wait ... where are the floats, the cheerleaders, the awkward slow-dancing? Oh, its not that kind of homecoming. No, it's a Silent Hill homecoming, which means it's really foggy, those "cheerleaders" are grotesque creatures, and the dance move of choice is called "running for your life."

Konami finally rolled out a playable build of the series' fifth installment at its press event last night, and we were on hand to, well ... get our hands on it. We're writing up our impressions, along with Double Helix design lead Jason Allen's musings on bringing the series to a new generation. For now, get tickled by the first screens (on your console of choice) -- and several new videos embedded after the break!

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming (PS3)

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming (Xbox 360)

Continue reading Silent Hill: Homecoming creeps out of hiding

Silent Hill: Homecoming creeps out of hiding originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vampires rejoice, Harker on "indefinite hold"

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

After a brief burst of early hype, The Collective's Harker -- a vampire slaying action game -- completely disappeared. Of course, that makes sense when you factor in the fact that The Collective (who have now been combined with Shiny to form the new Double Helix studio) was later handed the reins to the latest entry in the Silent Hill series. If Konami decided to let us make the next Silent Hill (note to Konami: not a good idea), we'd drop whatever we were doing too. Unfortunately, it looks like Harker might be buried in an early grave, as Double Helix's parent company Foundation 9 has announced that the project is on "indefinite hold." Frankly, we were looking forward to killing vampires using the game's environmental hazards and brutal combat engine.

Here's hoping Harker gets another chance to prove his undead-slaying worth.

[Via Joystiq]

Vampires rejoice, Harker on "indefinite hold" originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silent Hill V now 'Homecoming,' dated for September

Justin McElroy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

When you're a blogger and you don't have a lot of facts to go on, one of your greatest tools is hypothesizing, or as it's more commonly known, guessing. For example: Konami has announced that Silent Hill V has been retitled Silent Hill: Homecoming. Now, we don't know the reason for the change, but we're going to hypothesize that people were uncomfortable with an American-developed game that appears to be a departure from previous Silent Hills being one of the main, numbered series. See what we did there? That was just guessing.

They also say that the game will be out in Europe at the end of September. We're going to hypothesize that it will also arrive in America around that same time, but honestly we have no idea. [Update: Hypothesis correct!] Feel free to offer your slightly less authoritative hypotheses about the name change below.

Silent Hill V now 'Homecoming,' dated for September originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foundation 9 melts together Collective and Shiny into Double Helix

Jason Dobson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Whatever last remnants of identity clung to by both Shiny and The Collective were lost today as the duo were merged together by owner Foundation 9, creating a new, wholly unfamiliar entity known as Double Helix. Studio head Michael Saxs Persson calls the new name and logo, which were chosen from a pool of employee submissions, a "perfect" match for the company, adding that "making games is in our DNA."

The founding follows the initial merger, announced last October, and according to Foundation 9 creates a studio "that is now able to build upon its previous experience to gain new heights in quality and efficiency." And all it cost us was our fond memories of a simpler time spent playing the likes of MDK and Earthworm Jim. While the company remains coy regarding what it's up to currently, today's announcement notes that Double Helix is developing a trio of multi-platform licensed games, one of which we assume to be the already announced Silent Hill V.

Foundation 9 melts together Collective and Shiny into Double Helix originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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