Joystiq

Telltale drops King's Quest plans

JC Fletcher — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST

Two years ago, adventure game specialist house Telltale Games revealed plans to make an episodic game based on King's Quest, the classic Sierra adventure game series about accidentally walking into alligator-infested waters and/or dying in the desert. However, those plans have gone yonder.

"While we deeply love King's Quest here at Telltale, we can confirm that we are no longer working on the franchise," Telltale Senior VP of Publishing Steve Allison told Digital Trends. "There was a time last year that we investigated partnering with third party developers to produce the game as a partnership but decided against outsourcing. We are not privy to what plans Activision has for the franchise, if any."

Rights holder Activision has its own episodic King's Quest series. The Silver Lining was originally conceived as a tribute project by fans, but developer Phoenix Online Studios later gained non-commercial license permission from Activision.

Telltale drops King's Quest plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space (and other) Quests half off on GOG this weekend

JC Fletcher — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

If you grew up on the LucasArts side of the adventure game turf wars, you missed out on some really wonderful Sierra stuff -- specifically, the Space Quest series; a consistently funny, wonderfully designed set of sci-fi adventure games.

GOG just happens to have them on sale this weekend for 50% off, so you can get the entire series for ten bucks. Other Sierra adventure game packs are marked down too, including King's Quest and Police Quest. Those are fine, but they lack a certain something. There are no pet facehuggers, for example.

Space (and other) Quests half off on GOG this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights/Epic lawsuit turns in Epic's favor, reveals past SK projects including King's Quest

JC Fletcher — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST

Silicon Knights' 2007 lawsuit against Epic Games, over 'inadequacies' in performance and support of Unreal Engine 3, continues. Last week, a judge delivered a damaging blow to SK's case when he granted a motion to exclude testimony from financial analyst Terry Lloyd, who was retained by SK to offer an expert opinion about the damages sought.

Judge James Dever III concluded that Lloyd delivered "his own subjective conclusions about an industry in which he had no prior knowledge or experience." His choices of competitors to compare sales against was called into question, as games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Gears of War didn't meet his criteria of similar marketing budgets or genre.

Court documents also reveal what Silicon Knights was up to elsewhere at the time of filing. The company was pursuing "development opportunities" with Vivendi, THQ, Capcom, and Namco. It had plans for Sandman and King's Quest games, and had gone so far as to make a prototype for King's Quest. Ironically, this would have been taking place right around the time a letter-writing campaign revived the fan-made The Silver Lining project ... which went on to be shut down, and then re-revived. And after all that, the King's Quest franchise is now in the hands of Telltale Games.

Silicon Knights/Epic lawsuit turns in Epic's favor, reveals past SK projects including King's Quest originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space Quest and other Sierra collections on sale at GOG

JC Fletcher — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Your weekend itinerary has just been officially cleared by Good Old Games. Your new task? Buy and complete all six of Sierra's delightful Space Quest games. Each pack of three is on sale for $6.99, 30% off the usual price.

You can also get King's Quest or Police Quest collections for the same price, but we suggest going through those only after you've experienced the epic space opera of interstellar janitor Roger Wilco, full of thrilling action, spacefaring adventure, time travel, cowardly hiding, and floor waxing.

Space Quest and other Sierra collections on sale at GOG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third episode of The Silver Lining out now

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

Phoenix Online has announced that the third episode of its Activision-sanctioned King's Quest game, The Silver Lining, has been released. Entitled "My Only Love Sprung from My Only Hate," the episode was delayed from its original January 29 date in order to add more polish to the project.

Those who have already installed the first two episodes may download the third by itself, while those who are new to The Silver Lining can grab all three episodes in a single, free download. Note that users will have to register for the Phoenix Online fan club in order to download the episode.

Check out a trailer for the third episode after the break.

Continue reading Third episode of The Silver Lining out now

Third episode of The Silver Lining out now originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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King's Quest reboot coming courtesy of Telltale

David Hinkle — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST

Telltale has plans to take us back to the kingdom of Daventry, confirming its King's Quest reboot is currently underway. "We have agreed to a multi-title, multiplatform deal to reboot the King's Quest franchise," Telltale SVP of marketing, Steve Allison, announced during a press event last night. "Much like we did with Tales of Monkey Island, we're rebooting King's Quest with all new episodic games and multiple series." He provided no details beyond that, but promised more would be revealed at E3 this June.

King's Quest is one of the most influential and highly-lauded adventure series of all time, spanning eight canonical games (and a trivia game) throughout the '80s and '90s. The series is the brainchild of Roberta Williams, co-founder and former co-owner of Sierra Entertainment. Currently, the rights to the franchise are owned by Activision.

King's Quest reboot coming courtesy of Telltale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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King's Quest 3 fan remake announced, The Silver Lining episode 3 delayed

JC Fletcher — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EST

Two separate, but oddly parallel, developments in the world of King's Quest fan games were announced this week, in what must be the biggest week for King's Quest news in years.

First, Phoenix Online announced a delay for the third episode of the officially Activision-blessed fan series, The Silver Lining, from January 29 to early February. In the announcement, the developer claimed that the episode, which is "more than twice the size of Episode 2," and which necessitated the hiring of 20 additional animators, needed extra polish.

In other "third King's Quest game" news, AGD Interactive announced a fan remake of King's Quest 3: To Heir is Human, which it says it has been "covertly developing" over eight years. The planned release date? February!

Gallery: King's Quest III Redux: To Heir is Human

King's Quest 3 fan remake announced, The Silver Lining episode 3 delayed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sierra On-Line games playable on iPad via web app (for now)

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:32:00 EST

It's almost certainly a matter of time before the subject of this post is struck down with an Activision-branded cease and desist, so listen up: Using a bit of sorcery, Sarien.net has made its catalog of Sierra On-Line adventure games (including hits like Space Quest, King's Quest and Leisure Suit Larry) playable on the iPad. To access the games, just visit Sarien's website, pick your game and bookmark it. It's alarmingly easy.

Again, we can't imagine Activision smiles upon any of its IPs being distributed so freely and simply, so the games probably won't be available for long. We suggest you get to perp-busting/galaxy-saving/womanizing at your earliest convenience.

Sierra On-Line games playable on iPad via web app (for now) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Silver Lining chapter out in September, old King's Quest games on GoG now

JC Fletcher — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

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

Phoenix Online Studios announced that the second chapter of its Activision-approved(ish) free King's Quest game, The Silver Lining, will be released next month. In a post on the game's site, Phoenix's Cesar Bittar notes some of the improvements that have been made based on feedback from those who played the first game.

Thanks to you, Episode 2: Two Households will have better pathfinding, the option to switch between "extended" and "short" narration, new walking animation (with a walk/run toggle), more subtitle options, and widescreen support. In terms of gameplay, there are 17 new locations, a roughly 4-hour-long quest, and "puzzles a-plenty to keep you entertained."

If you want to catch up on this King's Quest business so you can understand why fans would go to the trouble of making a tribute game, GoG.com just added a King's Quest 1-3 bundle to its shop, for $9.99. You can get a pack with 4, 5, and 6 for the same price. We'll warn you now: these games look and sound quite vintage.

New Silver Lining chapter out in September, old King's Quest games on GoG now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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King's Quest fan project revived, coming July 10

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST

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

After shutting down Phoenix Online Studios' lovingly crafted King's Quest fan project due to a licensing conflict back in February, it seems Activision has reconsidered its position. According to the indie developer's blog, Activision has rescinded its cease and desist, and has granted the studio a non-commercial license to release the game.

On July 10, Phoenix will release Chapter One of its 3D tribute to Roberta Williams' beloved adventure franchise, titled The Silver Lining. Thanks to Activision's demands, the game will be released for free. Click past the jump to see the title's (re)announcement trailer, or check out our impressions of an early demo of the game we checked out earlier this year.

Continue reading King's Quest fan project revived, coming July 10

King's Quest fan project revived, coming July 10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play)

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST

Here's the real reason Activision doesn't want you to play this fan-made sequel to the legendary King's Quest series: It caught a whiff of money. Rather than working out a deal with with the developer, Activision sent it a cease and desist, even after a deal had been worked out with Vivendi Universal games that would allow the game to be distributed for free (as long as King's Quest was taken out of the title).

But the game does indeed exist. At least, one episode out of a proposed five does, although the developers are no longer actively working on it due to Activision's legal saber-rattling. I played it at PAX on a laptop belonging to one of the developers, and I'm desperately hoping that this will make its way into the wild so you can play it for yourself. If the developers are able to buy the license from Activision, that might actually happen. The Silver Lining might not have the words "King's Quest" in the title, but the heart of that series definitely beats in this game.

Gallery: The Silver Lining

Continue reading Hands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play)

Hands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision shuts down fan-made King's Quest sequel

Xav de Matos — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST

After successfully fighting a cease and desist order by Vivendi Universal five years ago, the unofficial continuation to the King's Quest series has been shut down for good. In 2005, fans successfully convinced Vivendi to allow the indie team behind The Silver Lining to continue development, thanks in part to a letter writing campaign. The original deal would see the game's authorized release as part of a non-commercial fan license; however, current King's Quest IP holder Activision has decided (after "talks and negotiations") it is not interested in entering a similar agreement with the indie team. In 2008, Activision said it didn't have any immediate plans to utilize the classic licenses (including King's Quest) it received in the infamous $18 billion merger with Vivendi.

What concludes is eight long years of development by a dedicated fan base. On the fan project's official site, a letter from the development team thanks fans for their continued support and shares its disappointment in the decision. It's always difficult when hard work goes unnoticed and we wish everyone involved the best of luck.

[Thanks, Chris]

Activision shuts down fan-made King's Quest sequel originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gabriel Knight 2 now within GoG, King's Quest 4-6 following soon

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:00:00 EST

Since the addition of Activision (by which we mean Sierra) titles to its catalogue of classic PC games, Good Old Games has become one of the most worthwhile game retailers online. This week, another Sierra adventure game makes its way into the shop, with an announcement of more -- two wildly different styles of point-and-click adventure game.

Today, you can get Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within for six bucks (warning: it is an FMV game). In the same announcement, GoG noted that a pack containing King's Quest IV, V, and VI is coming soon, as is the strategy game Call to Power 2.

Gabriel Knight 2 now within GoG, King's Quest 4-6 following soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Space Quest and King's Quest Collections join Steam, with other Sierra titles

Christopher Grant — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:19:00 EST

> CHECK CALENDAR

Your Hot Men of Activision calendar reveals that it's July ... 2009, of course. And wow, that Bobby Kotick must work out.

> PINCH CHEEK

You pinch your cheek so hard, you bruise it. Hey, that almost looks like facial hair, Mr. Manly Man!

> DOWNLOAD CLASSIC SIERRA GAMES OFF OF STEAM

What do you think this is? The 90s? Go shoot some space marines like a real man.

At least, that's how this scene would've played out only yesterday. While adventure games are seemingly in the middle of a resurgence in popularity - thanks in large part to LucasArts classics making their way to places like Steam and Xbox Live Arcade - the availability of Sierra's classic adventure games has been a slightly more complicated affair. Of course, they became the property of Activision Blizzard following last year's mega-merger wherein Activision had its sights set squarely on profit, not nostalgia.

In fact, when asked explicitly about the Sierra classics, an Activision rep told us: "We are retaining only those franchises that are a strong fit with our long-term strategy ... We will not publish any other titles that previously were part of the Vivendi Games portfolio and we are currently reviewing our options regarding those titles." Well, that review is apparently over and, after what we can only imagine was a great amount of deliberation - "can we make a rhythm game out of it?" - the "King's Quest Collection" and "Space Quest Collection" both find themselves on Steam for the more-than-fair price of $20 for each set ($15 if you buy before July 30). We could tell you about Aces of the Galaxy, TimeShift, and 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures - other Sierra back-catalog titles that are hitting the service today - but we really want to save our last paragraph for one very special message:

GIVE US THE QUEST FOR GLORY GAMES. That is all.

[Thanks, Jason]

Source - Activision Expands Catalog with Space Quest, King's Quest and More
Source - King's Quest Collection
Source - Space Quest Collection

Space Quest and King's Quest Collections join Steam, with other Sierra titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios hires World of Warcraft UI, King's Quest music vets

Jason Dobson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Retro, MMO, Business

When filling the ranks at his game development brainchild, 38 Studios, it makes sense that MMO-fan Curt Schilling would look to his pastime of choice. The company announced that it has hired former Blizzard UI maestro, Irena Pereira, as 38 Studios' senior UI designer, bringing her interface grinding expertise not only with World of Warcraft, but The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King to the fledgling company as well.

Additionally, when setting the mood in its secretive MMO project codenamed Copernicus, the dev will look to the musical styling of newly hired composer and sound designer, Aubrey Hodges, whose familiar tunes can be heard in such adventure game greats as King's Quest, Space Quest, Quest for Glory and Conquests of the Longbow. Hodges is credited as one of the chief pioneers of in-game MIDI music, and also helped make us jump with his ambient tracks heard in both Doom and Quake.

Both Pereira and Hodges are just the latest seasoned vets to join 38 Studios, following the hiring of former Everquest designer Travis McGeathy and THQ artist Thom Ang, making us all the more curious just what the company is working on behind that curtain.

38 Studios hires World of Warcraft UI, King's Quest music vets originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision won't publish Sierra legacy titles

Justin McElroy — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Retro, Adventure

When we heard that Sierra was divesting itself of much of Vivendi/Sierra's portfolio post-merger, most of us on staff were worried about what it meant for interesting upcoming titles like Brutal Legend or Ghostbusters. But a few of us (and a few of you, we'd imagine) hear the word "Sierra" and still think Quest for Glory, King's Quest and all the other great Sierra legacy franchises, despite most of them being dormant for more than a decade.

Here's the word, straight from Activision: "We are retaining only those franchises that are a strong fit with our long-term strategy including Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age and Spyro, as well as Prototype and a second game that has not yet been announced. We will not publish any other titles that previously were part of the Vivendi Games portfolio and we are currently reviewing our options regarding those titles."

According to the PR-Decode-A-Tron 3000, that means you shouldn't expect to see a next-gen Space Quest any time soon, but we'd bet if we all put the money in our couch cushions together we could buy the whole lot. What do you say?

Activision won't publish Sierra legacy titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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