Joystiq

Hitman: Absolution using 'Avatar' mo-cap tech, hollywood actors

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 12 May 2011 09:34:00 EST

Hollywood Reporter has managed to sneak in a few questions to IO Interactive game director Tore Blystad about the forthcoming Hitman: Absolution, and got an earful back about the development process. "We've designed a more stylized, more serious, and darker game this time around in both the story line and the visuals," Blystad told HR.

Blystad also revealed that his studio employed Giant Studios for the game's motion capture -- the same studio that James Cameron used for Avatar -- and that Keith Carradine (Cowboys & Aliens) and Marsha Thomason (White Collar) will be voicing two main roles. Carradine is Agent 47's antagonist this time around, while Thomason will act as 47's handler. Blystad's betting that the theatrical approach his studio is taking to voice acting and motion capture will dovetail nicely into the next Hitman film. "The hope is that the movie will be going in a similar direction, and then when they both come out they will speak the same language," he said.

In Absolution, Agent 47 finds himself on the run from police while simultaneously hunting "his most dangerous contract to date." As promised, more details will be revealed next month at E3.

Hitman: Absolution using 'Avatar' mo-cap tech, hollywood actors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May 2011 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron says 3D being propelled by video games

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Speaking at the 2011 National Association of Broadcasters conference, director James Cameron had a lot to say about 3D display technology. After announcing the founding of his own 3D tech company, the Cameron-Pace Group, Cameron talked about gaming's role in the industry's growth. In an interview with Yahoo, Cameron sung the praises of the 3DS, saying, "Video games are going to help propel the autostereoscopic (glasses-free) play because that's going to be the entry level for most people."

Cameron seems to think that the 3DS is a kind of gateway drug to harder 3D displays. He added, "These single-viewing devices that are engaging the person to play these video games will drive a lot of investment in autostereoscopic displays for that very reason." Wow, Mr. Cameron's just chock-full of good ideas! In fact, later in the interview, he said, "I'd love to do an MMORPG experience inside the Avatar universe and I would like to see it authored in 3D." Oh, no. Oh. No.

James Cameron says 3D being propelled by video games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard holding off on StarCraft TV or film project, unless James Cameron is interested

David Hinkle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EST

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

You may think that reading your StarCraft 2 fanfic on YouTube is the only conceivable way Blizzard's RTS could transcend the realm of video games into TV or film entertainment -- but it's actually something Blizzard has considered for a while. The possibility is predicated upon finding the right person for the job.

"We've always had an interest in seeing our stuff on film or TV. It's just tricky to find the right partners," Blizzard's Rob Pardo told MTV Multiplayer. "We probably could have made a [StarCraft] movie or something on TV years and years ago, but it's really important to us that we find creative people that are really talented but also really excited about our properties. That's always been the challenge for us. I think if Jim Cameron came to us tomorrow and said, 'You want to make a StarCraft movie?' we'd probably sign that."

But we wouldn't suggest getting your hopes up: the World of Warcraft movie has been in limbo for a while now, so we wouldn't expect to see a StarCraft flick anytime soon. We will concede, though, that writing a StarCraft movie has got to be easier than writing a film about millions of dudes pretending to be chicks while cybersexing at the Inn. There's just no character progression there.

Blizzard holding off on StarCraft TV or film project, unless James Cameron is interested originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kojima says Peace Walker is a 'test' for Metal Gear Solid series

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima's recently-opened Twitter account has likely been a roller coaster of emotions for those among you who can read Japanese. Unfortunately for us, not speaking the developer's native language almost caused us to nearly miss out on all of his 140-character thoughts, not to mention a few recent Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker infobombs. Kojima said about the upcoming game (as translated by Andriasang) that "It's difficult to show the interest and freshness of PW [Peace Walker] through video. [James] Cameron's Avatar was a huge hit because of the 3D video. That can't be communicated through text and a trailer. It's something you won't understand unless you experience it for yourself in the theater."

Kojima further posits that Peace Walker is a "horizontal expansion" for the studio (read: gameplay) rather than a vertical one (read: graphics), all the while reiterating that the PSP isn't the "main platform" for the series going forward. He also says that the roast beef sandwich he had for lunch yesterday was positively delightful. (Okay, okay, we made up that last part.) He does, however, show some Duran Duran love. (And no, we're not kidding about that part.)

Kojima says Peace Walker is a 'test' for Metal Gear Solid series originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cameron entertaining possibility of doing more games with Ubisoft

Justin McElroy — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

Though it sounds intriguing and exciting on the outside, there's something about the X-Play interview with James Cameron we put after the break that kind of bums us out. The director recently told the show, "I've got a lot of stories and I don't have time to make them all as movies. That's something I'm exploring with Ubisoft, to see if there's maybe a relationship around just getting some of these story and world ideas into games."

It's good news if you're a fan of Ubisoft or Cameron, but bad news if you're not a fan of watching a man entering his twilight years, fully aware that his own mortality may keep him from sharing all the stories he wants to with mankind. That's kind of a total bummer. Look for James Cameron's Grim Realization and Acceptance of the Inevitability of His Own Death coming to PS3 and 360 in 2011.

Continue reading Cameron entertaining possibility of doing more games with Ubisoft

Cameron entertaining possibility of doing more games with Ubisoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron says Sigourney Weaver is smoking to criticize you

Justin McElroy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

We know you don't remember any of the parts in Avatar that weren't blue giants riding luckdragons, but take our word for it when we say that Sigourney Weaver's character Grace smoked in the movie. Director James Cameron told the New York Times that the character (who spends much of her day motionless and controlling her giant blue avatar) sports a disregard for her body as "a negative comment about people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning online and in video games."

We're assuming he means video games other than Avatar: The Video Game of The Movie That, Let's Be Honest, Is Pretty Much Already A Video Game and Not a Particularly Well-Written One At That. Naturally.

[Via Wired]

James Cameron says Sigourney Weaver is smoking to criticize you originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avatar's third dev diary is all about choices

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Okay, okay - we'll admit that the transparent dry erase board thing is a bit on the "too much" side of things, but Avatar's third dev diary contains enough interesting information about the game in it otherwise that we feel okay forgiving the clip's director. The emphasis here is on the game's many choices, and, more specifically, the one major choice which mirrors the movie's plot. Will you choose the path of the human and murder a tall blue alien ... thing, or stand up for all that is righteous and good in the world? The choice is yours (you monster!).

Gallery: James Cameron's Avatar (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

Avatar's third dev diary is all about choices originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avatar gameplay trailer shows off blue guy's athleticism

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

We finally understand why James Cameron spoke for nine-and-a-half hours about his upcoming film/game, Avatar, during Ubisoft's E3 press conference earlier this year. Without the context provided during his lengthy diatribe, we'd have absolutely no idea what was going on in the above gameplay trailer for his long overdue film's video game adaptation. However, now we understand perfectly: A blue alien guy is murdering humans with primitive weapons.

Now wait just a second. Let's forget the fact that when one brings a knife (or in this case, a long, spiked club) to a gun fight, one rarely claims victory. Instead, let's focus on the fact that Mr. Cameron wants us to root against humanity. "Oh, but they're polluting their planet," you might cry. No, they're doing their job. That's a thing humans have to do from time to time. They don't have the freedom to skip around lush jungles all day, riding around on pterodactyls. They have responsibilities, and we're not really comfortable with playing as the turquoise-toned authors of their eradication for that reason alone.

Avatar gameplay trailer shows off blue guy's athleticism originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron's Avatar launches for everything Dec. 1

Xav de Matos — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:00:00 EST

Ubisoft's website lists James Cameron's Avatar as launching across all platforms -- Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS, Wii, PSP, Wifi-enabled Toilets and Toasters that also cook hot dogs -- for December 1. As we're often skeptical with what we read on the Internet, we decided to find out if the listing was accurate. According to Ubisoft, the game will indeed launch in North America on December 1.

The date thrusts gamers into the Avatar universe more than two weeks before the film hits theaters on December 16. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players -- with the proper set up -- will also be able to experience the game in 3D. Whether or not James Cameron will record what seems like an hours-long video introduction outlining every detail of the game and movie experience to accompany the launch is unclear.

Gallery: James Cameron's Avatar (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

James Cameron's Avatar launches for everything Dec. 1 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avatar: The Game: The Developer Diary

David Hinkle — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:00:00 EST

Ubisoft has released the first of its developer diaries for Avatar: The Game. This video mainly covers the Avatar universe and how the game will be directly related to the film. Avatar: The Game is not your typical licensed game -- at least in respect to its story, by being officially recognized as canon in a larger universe.

Those of you looking to see some gameplay will notice some snippets above, though the video is mainly developers and Cameron talking about the game. Don't worry, though: Cameron doesn't pull another Cameron.

Avatar: The Game: The Developer Diary originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron's Avatar gets PSP incarnation with PS3 connectivity

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST

Not much is known about the upcoming PSP version of Avatar: The Game. Heck, we didn't even know it existed until just now. According to PlayStation: The Official Magazine (via IGN), the handheld game has you taking up arms as the film's blue-skinned Na'vi aliens after their village is destroyed by the human RDA force. Based on the plot similarities, it's likely that the PSP game is based on the Wii version and not the PS3/360 game.

Like Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, the two PlayStation Avatar games will be able to communicate with each other. One feature revealed so far is the ability to transfer "Effort Points" from the PSP game to the PS3. That's not immediately exciting stuff, but we're hoping that more interesting connectivity features will be revealed at a later stage.

James Cameron's Avatar gets PSP incarnation with PS3 connectivity originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avatar's first gameplay trailer unsurprisingly full of blue people

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EST

We imagine you're just as excited for James Cameron's upcoming film, Avatar, as we are. How can you go wrong with blue people, right? The game's first trailer though -- it unfortunately lives up to our expectations for games based on licensed properties, including cheesy rock music right on cue at the one minute mark. We're hoping a demo lands before the game's planned December release window.

As pointed out in our hands-on with the game, the visuals certainly do pop with color, but the action itself seems to lean toward the generic side of things. That being said, we hear the blue giants are playable in the game. That's something different, right? Right?!

... where are you going?

Avatar's first gameplay trailer unsurprisingly full of blue people originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: James Cameron's Avatar

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST

Today being "Avatar Day" (what, didn't your calendar tell you?), we figured it's the perfect time to fill you in on what we've seen of the gaming side of James Cameron's much-talked-about mega-project, James Cameron's Avatar. The Game, as it's subtitled, is split into two distinct products on consoles. (Additionally, there will be portable versions for DS and PSP.) The games aren't typical movie-license rehashes and tell their own stories, separate in plot from the movie, in turn contributing unique elements to the Avatar universe.

Ubisoft likens Avatar to Harry Potter, "an incredible entertainment phenomenon." Understandably, you might not have made the same connection, but then, the marketing push is only now beginning to rev up (did you catch the movie trailer yet?). Excuse us then, if we prematurely deflate some air out of the tires:

Xbox 360
(PS3/PC)

Wii

Jump to a platform-specific preview above or read both after the break.

Continue reading Impressions: James Cameron's Avatar

Impressions: James Cameron's Avatar originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft sees Avatar as 'world-changing,' compares to Harry Potter

David Hinkle — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST

Having left EA and joined Ubisoft, Murray Pannell is finally getting out and about to promote Ubisoft's upcoming titles. One of its biggest is the tie-in to James Cameron's upcoming movie, Avatar. Pannell recently spoke about the IP to MCV, commenting, "Avatar looks set to be a world-changing kind of cinema given its pedigree and elements like the 3D." Pannell also compared work on the game to his time spent working on the first Harry Potter game for EA, which he described as "an incredible entertainment phenomenon."

Obviously, Ubisoft hopes to attain the same success with Avatar as EA did with the Harry Potter games, which have become a staple for the games giant. If that's going to happen, we have one suggestion: don't give James Cameron any monologues.

Ubisoft sees Avatar as 'world-changing,' compares to Harry Potter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Avatar' game requires HDMI for 3D effects

Xav de Matos — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST

Avatar, the upcoming Ubisoft title based on the film James Cameron could not stop talking about during E3 2009 will require an HDMI port for 3D effects, leaving early Xbox 360 owners out in the cold. Luc Duchaine, senior international brand manager for the game adaptation of James Cameron's Avatar confirmed to MTV Multiplayer that a full 1080p setup will be required to play the game with 3D effects.

Although all Xbox 360 consoles are now capable of upscaling content to resolutions as high as 1080p, the Avatar game requires a native 1080p output which is only achievable through HDMI (something that is common knowledge for 3D geeks, we're told). Users with an HDMI equipped console now only need a pair of 3D glasses included with the game and a compatible 3D 1080p, 120Hz TV set! If 3D isn't an option, the game is still playable the old-fashioned way; however, the 40-minute introduction video starring James Cameron explaining the entire Avatar universe that we expect to see when the game inserted into our console will be slightly less awesome.

Gallery: James Cameron's Avatar (Concept Art)

'Avatar' game requires HDMI for 3D effects originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voice cast for Avatar announced, trailer coming next month

JC Fletcher — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST

Ubisoft revealed today that actors from the new James Cameron film Avatar will voice the same roles in the game adaptation. Sigourney Weaver, not seen recently in the Ghostbusters game, will play Dr. Grace Augustine in the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC versions of the game. Michelle Rodriguez will appear as helicopter pilot Trudy Chacon in the PC, PS3, and 360 games, which will also feature bad guy Col. Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang. Giovanni Ribisi (from My Two Dads) will appear only in the Wii version, as "the arrogant Parker Selfridge." The best news out of all of this, of course, is that none of these actors are James Cameron.

Chances are we'll get to hear these voice actors at work in the new Avatar game trailer, which will be released on August 21, the same day a 15-minute preview of the movie becomes available at IMAX theatres.

Gallery: James Cameron's Avatar (Concept Art)

Voice cast for Avatar announced, trailer coming next month originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Cameron drops Avatar game details, everything ever about the movie

Xav de Matos — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:51:00 EST

During Ubisoft's Pre-E3 press briefing, director James Cameron took to the stage to explain the process of developing Avatar the game ... and the film. In fact, Cameron explained so much of the film that we no longer feel obligated to see it when it hits theaters.

As for the game, Cameron notes Avatar has been in development for two years and will attempt to break free of the "bad movie game" stigma. In Avatar, players will enter the world of Pandora -- a moon around a gas planet. According to Cameron's lengthy presentation, the team at Ubisoft is committed to making Avatar the first major stereoscopic 3-D title. In the game, players may choose to adopt a Navi perspective during certain events of the game. Although details were slim (unlike Cameron's screen time), Ubisoft promises new details for the game will land sometime tomorrow.

James Cameron drops Avatar game details, everything ever about the movie originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avatar game is 3-D, coming mid-2009, Ubisoft confirms

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

Speaking during the Ubidays 2008 conference in Paris today, Yves Guillemot confirmed that the "wonderful" game adaptation of James Cameron's Avatar (not The Last Airbender) would use a new, true 3-D technology developed by Ubisoft, which will presumably be used in other unannounced projects as well. Guillemot did not comment on Cameron's so-called revelation that Avatar will require ~~standard, polarized~~ some form of 3-D glasses to enjoy the screen-popping action (though we continue to assume it will). He did note, however, that the game is expected to ship in the middle of next year, likely coinciding with the fim's release (also 3-D) in summer 2009.

Continue reading Avatar game is 3-D, coming mid-2009, Ubisoft confirms

Avatar game is 3-D, coming mid-2009, Ubisoft confirms originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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