Joystiq

Denis Dyack speaks up on X-Men: Destiny mismanagement allegations

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:30:00 EST

It may not be the timeliest response, but Denis Dyack is speaking out against allegations that the very poorly received X-Men: Destiny was the result of catastrophic mismanagement on the part of developer Silicon Knights. Dyack recently left his role as the head of Silicon Knights to join Precursor games, developer of the coming Eternal Darkness spiritual successor, Shadow of the Eternals. As Precursor is seeking crowdfunding for the project, and Dyack is serving as its chief creative officer, it seems the company believes he has some 'splaining to do.

The allegations sprung from a Kotaku article penned by freelance writer Andrew McMillen last October. In a 30-minute YouTube response, Dyack categorically denies statements made in the article, saying that "there isn't any hard evidence whatsoever besides non-credible anonymous sources." Dyack added that Silicon Knights refused to submit any comments for the article in question, as it would have appeared to lend credence to what he sees as untrue allegations.

Dyack then reads a letter he alleges was written by McMillen to an anonymous source. The letter states that McMillen's article was initially refused by Wired games editor Chris Kohler, who cited a lack of facts and documentation, apart from the comments from anonymous ex-employees. Dyack goes on to say that "not only did Silicon Knights not divert funds from X-Men: Destiny to our other projects, which I can't talk about, we actually put more money into X-Men: Destiny than what we were paid." Dyack says he and Silicon Knights worked with Activision and Marvel to make Destiny as good as it could be and, while he's sorry for how it turned out, he says, "We put nothing but our best efforts" into the game.

Dyack also admitted to saying some things he "shouldn't have said in the press" regarding X-Men Destiny, adding, "I've learned my lesson." The same mistakes won't be made again, he says. The video goes on to address other concerns, such as Silicon Knights' relationship with Nintendo, and Dyack has also posted a litany of related references on Precursor's forums.

Denis Dyack speaks up on X-Men: Destiny mismanagement allegations originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nine minutes of Shadow of the Eternals gameplay revealed

Danny Cowan — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:00:00 EST

Precursor Games has released nine minutes of gameplay footage from its CryEngine 3-powered horror-adventure game Shadow of the Eternals, giving a very thorough look at an early work-in-progress scene.

Pitched as a spiritual successor to Silicon Knights' GameCube cult hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Precursor's Shadow of the Eternals seeks backer support in an ongoing crowd-funding campaign. Backers have pledged over $134,000 toward Precursor's goal of $1.5 million, with 27 days left in the studio's funding campaign.

Developer Precursor Games purchased game assets and hardware from the now semi-defunct Silicon Knights, and several former SK staffers, including Eternal Darkness director Denis Dyack, have joined Precursor's team for the project.

Nine minutes of Shadow of the Eternals gameplay revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Silicon Knights closes office, unloads assets

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 EST

Something shady is going on in the province of Ontario with Silicon Knights and the full story is still shaking out. Yesterday it was reported that Precursor Games, which is working on the curiously funded Shadow of the Eternals - a "spiritual successor" to Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - bought and implemented Silicon Knights' assets into their new project.

Polygon also reported late yesterday that Silicon Knights' offices are now empty (stopping just short of closing), and that despite there being "no connection to Silicon Knights" according to Precursor Games' CEO Paul Caporicci, former SK head Dennis Dyack confirmed that he had left SK and was now chief creative officer at Precursor. Polygon has way, way more on this.

Silicon Knights lost a multi-million, multi-year lawsuit against Epic Games last year and there's still questions about the money the company may or may not have gotten from the Ontario government. More on this is sure to be revealed in its time.

Report: Silicon Knights closes office, unloads assets originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadow of the Eternals uses assets purchased from Silicon Knights

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:30:00 EST

A bit of that old Silicon Knights black magic lives on in Shadow of the Eternals, the "spiritual successor" to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem from Precursor Games. Art assets originally created by Silicon Knights employees have been bought, paid for and implemented into this new project.

"We did purchase some art assets from Silicon Knights," Precursor Games CEO Paul Caporicci told Wired. "We were very happy to be able to put those assets created by the talented past employees to use." It was reported last October that as much as 40 percent of Silicon Knights had been working on a sequel to Eternal Darkness, which may explain the existence of said art assets.

Shadow of the Eternals is being built in CryEngine 3, Caporicci added - an important distinction to make considering the major issues Silicon Knights suffered after using Unreal Engine 3 and subsequently employing its own game engine. Though Nintendo owns the rights to Eternal Darkness and has patented the game's sanity mechanics, Caporicci said similar gameplay ideas can be safely implemented without breaking the law.

Shadow of the Eternals uses assets purchased from Silicon Knights originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Too Human pulled from Xbox Live Marketplace

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST

Even an electronic god is no match for Xbox Live administrators, apparently. Too Human and all related content has been removed from Xbox Live Marketplace. Though the game's Xbox.com listing is still active, containing screenshots, an overview and a trailer, all downloadable content has been removed. That includes both the full Games on Demand download of the game as well as items like themes and gamer pictures.

The action is likely the result of the recent court ruling against developer Silicon Knights, demanding that all copies of its Unreal Engine 3 games be recalled and destroyed. As of this writing, however, another Silicon Knights UE3 game, X-Men: Destiny, remains available via Games on Demand. We've contacted Microsoft for official comment on the matter.

Too Human pulled from Xbox Live Marketplace originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance resurrected on Steam

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST

Thanks to the power of the Elder God, the Legacy of Kain series is now on Steam. For $9.99 a pop, you can download Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

The Legacy of Kain games focus on vampire-turned-wraith Raziel and vampire demigod Kain. It's the series where Amy Hennig got her first crack as games writer and director. Hennig has since won two awards from the Writers Guild of America for her work on the Uncharted series.

Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance resurrected on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men: Destiny destined for unsure lifespan on Games on Demand

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST

X-Men: Destiny is available from today on Xbox Live Marketplace as part of the Games on Demand program, priced at $39.99. That's despite Silicon Knights being ordered by the US court to recall and destroy all unsold copies of its products using Unreal Engine 3, of which X-Men: Destiny is one. The company was also ordered to cease producing and distributing games using Epic's technology.

So what exactly's going on here? Well, the ruling in the Silicon Knights vs. Epic Games case dictates Silicon Knights notifies the US court by December 21 of its compliance with the injunctions ordered. This is presumably to give Silicon Knights adequate time to carry out the required actions; recalling and destroying every unsold copy of X-Men: Destiny and Too Human.

So the game newly appearing on XBLM might not contravene the injunctions, at least for now. It should also be noted that Too Human is also currently available on XBLM, while GameStop, Target, and Best Buy all have new copies of X-Men: Destiny listed as available.

X-Men: Destiny destined for unsure lifespan on Games on Demand originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights ordered to destroy all unsold games using Unreal Engine 3, award to Epic Games doubled

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST

Silicon Knights is being ordered by the US court to recall and destroy all unsold copies of games using Unreal Engine 3, including Too Human and X-Men: Destiny. The new ruling on post-trial motions for the case between Silicon Knights and Epic Games also saw Epic's jury award upped from $4.5 million to over $9 million.

The ruling, dated November 7, also orders Silicon Knights to cease using Epic Games's "Licensed Technology" and remove it from the company's game engine. Furthermore, Silicon Knights has until December 10 to destroy any code built using Epic's technology; the court order includes Too Human, X-Men: Destiny, Siren in the Maelstrom, The Sandman, and The Box/Ritualyst. Silicon Knights must notify the court by December 21 and again on February 21, 2013, concerning all injunctions ordered, and they are to be carried out at the company's expense.

"Epic Games appreciates the court's careful consideration of the motion and is gratified by the order," Epic Games told us when reached for comment.

The Box/Ritualyst represents an open-world horror game initially pitched to Sega but cancelled by the publisher in 2008. As for Siren in the Maelstrom, it was rumored to be upcoming after being outed by a Canadian cultural agency's list of newly funded projects. It's unknown if The Sandman is a project connected to the DC Comics series of the same name.

The case began with Silicon Knights suing Epic Games in 2007 for allegedly breaching the companies' agreement over Unreal Engine 3 licensing. Epic in turn filed a counterclaim, alleging Silicon Knights developed its own engine and games other than Too Human illegally by using Unreal Engine 3. In May this year, the court ruled in favor of Epic Games, ordering Silicon Knights to pay Epic $4.45 million in damages.

This week's ruling adds a further $4.7 million to be awarded to Epic, with $2.30 million in prejudgment interest, $2.09 million in attorney's fees, and $278,000 in costs.

Silicon Knights ordered to destroy all unsold games using Unreal Engine 3, award to Epic Games doubled originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Eternal Darkness 2 demo part of X-Men: Destiny's woes

Mike Schramm — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST

According to a report by Andrew McMillen, Silicon Knights was working on an Eternal Darkness 2 pitch demo that distracted the team from X-Men: Destiny during its development.

McMillen writes on Kotaku that there were a litany of problems around the terrible X-Men: Destiny, including a lack of direction, technical and publisher issues with Activision, and problematic management from studio founder Denis Dyack.

"SK didn't take the development of XMD seriously the entire time I was there," says an anonymous former Silicon Knights employee. "It seemed more like a job to get us by, until ED2 could be developed and sold to a publisher - which never happened." Another unnamed source says "SK had about 60% of the development team working on XMD and the other 40% working on ED2," which caused staffing problems and allegedly lowered the quality of the final X-Men release.

The piece also alleges that Silicon Knights earned the Activision contract and other contracts by "talking about Eternal Darkness endlessly," so if this is all true the very franchise that got Silicon Knights the X-Men project was the one that helped sink it. Given how certain Dyack has been in the past about an Eternal Darkness sequel, this might be one of several answers as to why X-Men: Destiny didn't get the focus it needed.

Report: Eternal Darkness 2 demo part of X-Men: Destiny's woes originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights cutting back after losing countersuit to Epic Games

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST

Silicon Knights has laid off a "a small number of people" following its $4.5 million loss to Epic Games' countersuit claims.

Silicon Knights first sued Epic Games in 2007, claiming unsatisfactory support of Epic's Unreal Engine 3, which led to what Silicon Knights said forced it to build its own engine for Too Human. The jury found in favor of Epic Games on all counts, including its counterclaims, and awarded the engine developer $4.5 million in damages; Silicon Knights has since said it will appeal the ruling.

Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack told Games Industry the studio is still operational and is even planning for the future: "Silicon Knights has unfortunately had to lay off a small number of people. We are scaling back to a core group and focusing all our efforts on future opportunities."

Silicon Knights cutting back after losing countersuit to Epic Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights plans to appeal in Epic case

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:36:00 EST

X-Men Destiny and Too Human developer Silicon Knights plans to appeal a recent court loss to Epic Games, studio head Denis Dyack told Joystiq. After losing a five-year-long lawsuit this week to Epic Games, Silicon Knights was ordered to fork over $4.45 million in damages to Epic. Dyack said he was "disappointed by the outcome," and that his company would appeal the ruling.

Silicon Knights sued Epic Games in 2007 due to a dispute over Silicon Knights' licensing of Epic's Unreal Engine 3. SK claimed that Epic intentionally withheld pieces of the engine - an engine that was originally licensed to help build Too Human - which resulted in repeated delays of that project. A jury in the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina disagreed with Silicon Knights' assertion, and found that the Canadian studio instead caused damage to Epic's license agreement and trade secrets.

Silicon Knights plans to appeal in Epic case originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 May 2012 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic: Silicon Knights lawsuit over, 'jury finds for Epic on all counts' [Update: Epic awarded $4.45 million]

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:40:00 EST

According to Epic Game vice president and co-founder Mark Rein, the years long lawsuit between Silicon Knights and Epic Games came to an end today. Rein took to Twitter to broadcast the news. "Case over. Jury finds for Epic on all counts," he said. Silicon Knights hasn't issued a formal response as of yet, though we've reached out for confirmation.

The suit arose over allegations from Silicon Knights that Epic Games was withholding pieces of its Unreal Engine 3 - pieces that were allegedly instrumental in the creation of Too Human. Due to the alleged delays, Silicon Knights says it was forced to implement its own game engine (known only as "Silicon Knights engine") to complete the project.

Since Too Human, Silicon Knights went on to create the critically-panned X-Men: Destiny and suffered major layoffs. Epic, however, has seen its Unreal Engine 3 thrive across the current generation of consoles, not to mention the success it's seen with the Gears of War franchise.

Update: Epic issued a statement this afternoon stating that "The jury rejected Silicon Knights' claim that Epic breached its Unreal Engine 3 license agreement with Silicon Knights. The jury also found in Epic's favor on all of its counterclaims, namely that Silicon Knights breached the license agreement, misappropriated Epic's trade secrets, and infringed Epic's copyrights in the Unreal Engine 3 code. The jury awarded Epic damages totaling $4.45 million." The full statement is below the break; we've yet to hear anything from Silicon Knights.

[Image credit: 'bloomsberries']

Continue reading Epic: Silicon Knights lawsuit over, 'jury finds for Epic on all counts' [Update: Epic awarded $4.45 million]

Epic: Silicon Knights lawsuit over, 'jury finds for Epic on all counts' [Update: Epic awarded $4.45 million] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 May 2012 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights entitled to $1 per claim if it wins court case against Epic Games

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:00:00 EST

Silicon Knights will be entitled to $1 in damages, per claim, if it wins a court case against Epic Games over inadequacies in the support of its Unreal Engine. Silicon Knights first sued Epic in 2007, alleging Epic didn't fulfill the promised delivery time or expectations of Unreal Engine 3, forcing Silicon Knights to build its own engine for the production of Too Human.

Silicon Knights didn't provide a breakdown of the damages it sought, and the judge assigned his own value of $1 per claim, Polygon reports. If Silicon Knights wins the case, it will be able to appeal how the value was chosen and perhaps raise it to a figure that can't be found on neighborhood lemonade-stand signs.

The case is in court this month and is expected to run for another week.

Silicon Knights entitled to $1 per claim if it wins court case against Epic Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 May 2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights: we never received any of Canada's money

David Hinkle — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST

Last year, Silicon Knights was awarded a grant by the Canadian government, in part to self-publish games, and to hire 80 employees. But it turns out the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade never handed over the funds -- a promised sum of $3 million Canadian.

"There hasn't been any funding. There were announcements and no money received," Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack told GI.biz. "That's one of the strangest things. So, at one point, there was a loan that we got. That's it." Dyack said he's following up on the money, but to no avail so far.

It could be an alarming issue for Silicon Knights, considering the state of affairs at the Ontario-based studio. Late last year the developer had to let 45 go, and it remains embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with Epic over the use of Unreal Engine 3 during the development of Too Human.

Silicon Knights: we never received any of Canada's money originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:00:00 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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Silicon Knights confirms layoffs of 45 employees [update]

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:46:00 EST

Silicon Knights has confirmed the layoffs that were reported earlier this week, though the company has reduced the lost headcount from a rumored 72 employees to 45. Company CFO Mike Mays told the Financial Post this morning that "just under 40" people are still currently employed by the studio, ~~and that the sudden layoffs were the result of a canned project the studio was working on for X-Men Destiny publisher Activision~~.

"We just finished a project with [Activision] that got completed," Mays said. Apparently, the developer had another project that was already "in the works for months" when an unnamed publisher pulled out, but Mays said it directly caused the layoffs. "That resulted in us having too many people so we had to do a layoff," he explained. Mays also noted that SK is in the process of negotiating new projects, and that if things work out, he's hoping to rehire as many people as possible.

Update: This post originally stated that Activision was the publisher cited as canceling a project with Silicon Knights, as reported by Financial Post. The source has since altered its text from "We just finished a project with [Activision Blizzard Inc.] that got canceled," to "We just finished a project with [Activision Blizzard Inc.] that got completed." We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Silicon Knights confirms layoffs of 45 employees [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Silicon Knights cuts staff by nearly 75 percent, from 97 to just 25 [update]

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:47:00 EST

X-Men Destiny and Too Human developer Silicon Knights may be in dire straits, with a report today stating the company is down from 97 employees to just 25. 1UP cites "two credible independent sources" as telling the news site of the massive layoffs over this past weekend.

The report seemingly flies in the face of a $3 million Canadian government grant given to Silicon Knights this past July, intended at the time to "create 80 new jobs and protect 97 existing positions." It was also supposed to make SK into a self-published dev house -- something that company head Denis Dyack has continually pushed for. As of this publishing, representatives from Silicon Knights had yet to respond to request for comment.

Update: The company has since confirmed layoffs, although the number is lower than originally reported in this piece.

Report: Silicon Knights cuts staff by nearly 75 percent, from 97 to just 25 [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny review: Destined for failure

Justin McElroy — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:05:00 EST

Sometimes you read about a canceled game and think, "Oh, that's too bad, that could have been fun. I wish they'd just release what they had finished so I could check it out."

Do me a favor. The next time that thought should happen to flit across your mind, remember X-Men Destiny. Because when someone has a cool idea and releases it unfinished, this is exactly what it looks like.

Gallery: X-Men Destiny (Gamescom 2011)

Continue reading X-Men Destiny review: Destined for failure

X-Men Destiny review: Destined for failure originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny launch trailer needs a decision, pronto

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:30:00 EST

We know you've been putting off deciding whether you want to be an evil mutant or a good mutant for a while now; however, judging by the X-Men Destiny launch trailer posted above, you're going to have to make your decision sooner rather than later. (We'd go with evil. Their coffee's better.)

X-Men Destiny launch trailer needs a decision, pronto originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny trailer encourages choice in your mutanthood

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:40:00 EST

While some folks in the X-Men universe didn't have much of a choice in their particular mutation, the characters of X-Men Destiny seem more than happy to forfeit their boring old humanity for a taste of the wild side. That very choice becomes yours when X-Men Destiny launches next month.

Continue reading X-Men Destiny trailer encourages choice in your mutanthood

X-Men Destiny trailer encourages choice in your mutanthood originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny preview: Designer genes

Mike Schramm — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:50:00 EST

Silicon Knights founder Denis Dyack is happy to hear that X-Men Destiny looks unlike many of the games already based on Marvel's mutant universe. "We've been collaborating with Marvel and Activision to do things very differently," he says.

In most X-Men games, you pick a familiar hero, like Wolverine or Gambit, and then explore the world from his or her point of view. In X-Men Destiny, however, Dyack and his team have been given free reign to separate powers from characters. Your custom-built hero can play through the RPG-driven side of the game by equipping powers as you would gear. You could combine Cyclops' eyebeams with Juggernaut's charge, or Wolvie's healing factor, all while finding a place in the campaign somewhere between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

Unfortunately, while there are a lot of interesting touches in the story and powers system, X-Men Destiny's core game struggles to hold the higher ideas up. The graphics look only marginally better than those leaked screens, and even in the short demo I played the game's combat and enemies teetered on the verge of becoming notably repetitive.

Gallery: X-Men Destiny (Comic Con 2011)

Continue reading X-Men Destiny preview: Designer genes

X-Men Destiny preview: Designer genes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision reveals April launch for Prototype 2, September for X-Men Destiny

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST

Kicking off its San Diego Comic Con announcements, game publishing giant Activision today revealed two solid, very different release dates for two hopefully solid, very different games. First up, Prototype 2 will surf victims' bodies into retail on April 24, 2012. A new trailer for next year's sequel is available just below the break, fresh from San Diego.

Additionally, a new trailer for X-Men Destiny was released, which puts a September 27 launch date on the next project from Silicon Knights. Given the origin of both pieces of info, SDCC attendees should be aware that X-Men Destiny will be playable at this week's show, while "15-minute live stage presentations" for Prototype 2 will be going off at the Activision booth.

Still here? Both trailers are just below -- follow us!

Continue reading Activision reveals April launch for Prototype 2, September for X-Men Destiny

Activision reveals April launch for Prototype 2, September for X-Men Destiny originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights receives Canadian gov. grant to hire 80, self-publish

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:15:00 EST

The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade announced yesterday that it gave Too Human and Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights "support" that will help the company become a "self-sustainable, self-publishing" company. According to the St. Catharine Standard, the developer received nearly $3 million in provincial funding. The money is also intended to create 80 new jobs and protect 97 existing positions.

"This will enhance our competitive edge within the highly-competitive video game market ... and allow us to enter lucrative global markets," Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack said in a statement. Dyack had hinted toward Silicon Knight's self-publishing future in an interview with Joystiq in May.

The latest batch of cash will be added to the $4 million the company received from the government last year. Silicon Knights is currently working on X-Men Destiny.

Silicon Knights receives Canadian gov. grant to hire 80, self-publish originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny grants Grant new powers

JC Fletcher — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:25:00 EST

The latest screenshots of Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny show off some new mutant abiilities, including some kind of earth-shaking punch, rock arms (identified as "density control") and ... some blue sparkles or something.

They're modeled by "Grant," a college kid who just wants to play for Berkeley's "Varsity Squad" but instead finds himself destined to have awesome superpowers. Looks like he's going to skip the Varsity Squad and go straight into the Major Leagues of beating up henchmen. The perks of this new lifestyle include a private jet and being called "bub."

Gallery: X-Men Destiny (5/23/11)

X-Men Destiny grants Grant new powers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack still wary of game previews, hints at studio's self-publishing goal

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:00 EST

During GDC this past March, I met with Silicon Knights head honcho Denis Dyack under the condition that he wouldn't be discussing the studio's upcoming action-RPG, X-Men Destiny (pictured above). The game is slated for release this year, yet we know relatively little about it -- and we've seen even less. Save for OXM UK, no outlet has published a preview (nor been offered one, as far as I know).

I asked Dyack about his outspoken views against the preview process. "In my view, the ultimate model requires our industry to not show games until they are ready," he told me, echoing his past sentiments. "I'm not saying get rid of previews, because previews are a good thing," he clarified. "What I am suggesting is that our industry should not do previews until the game's completed."

Continue reading Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack still wary of game previews, hints at studio's self-publishing goal

Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack still wary of game previews, hints at studio's self-publishing goal originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights' Dyack on Too Human: 'we do plan on finishing the trilogy'

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:30:00 EST

During the Game Developers Conference nearly two months ago, Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack met with me in a hotel overlooking that week's event at the Moscone Center. He wasn't there to show off his studio's next game -- X-Men: Destiny -- to press, but for unspecified "meetings" with unnamed folks. Spooky.

And while we touched on the subject of XM:D during the half hour, the first questions I had for Dyack were about his studio's last major release, Too Human. Primary among them: Is the Too Human trilogy dead? "No, not at all," Dyack told me. "It is still on the table and we do plan on finishing the trilogy."

When it came to other questions about Too Human, however, Dyack was far more verbose. With the intention of setting the record straight, as it were, Dyack outright denies that Too Human was in development for 10 years. "It is true that an earlier version of the general 'Too Human' concept was first shown on the PlayStation in 1998, but that was a completely different game than what was released on the Xbox 360," he said. "Among other things, the original concept was a single-player, third-person action/adventure game based on a detective called John Franks trying to discover who had killed his partner." It's a far cry from the Norse mythology-based dungeon crawler we played in 2008.

Continue reading Silicon Knights' Dyack on Too Human: 'we do plan on finishing the trilogy'

Silicon Knights' Dyack on Too Human: 'we do plan on finishing the trilogy' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny's new character has the power of petulance

Randy Nelson — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:10:00 EST

Aimi Yoshida is an all-new mutant created for X-Men Destiny by developer Silicon Knights. According to her bio, she "feels only the bitterness and anger of abandonment." She also feels the need to dress like Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill. See what we mean in these new screens.

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X-Men Destiny's new character has the power of petulance originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny screens leaked (a bit too early, by the looks of it)

Randy Nelson — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:05:00 EST

We got a bit of background information on Silicon Knights' upcoming Marvel Comics RPG, X-Men: Destiny, last week via OXM UK -- now what are said (and appear) to be screenshots from the game have made their way online. Gamekyo has the shots at the source link, which originated from a slideshow which can still be found on YouTube (until Activision has it pulled, at least).

We can't imagine this is the first impression of the game its developer or publisher would like the public to have; it just frankly doesn't look very good at all. Then there's what appears to be one of the new characters created specifically for players to control. He apparently has the mutant ability to look like a model for Ed Hardy. Hopefully the official reveal will cast the game in a better light -- and reveal a better cast.

X-Men Destiny screens leaked (a bit too early, by the looks of it) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men: Destiny previewed in OXM UK

David Hinkle — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST

The latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK contains the first in-depth preview of Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny, as summarized by affiliate CVG, and would seem to confirm the game for Xbox 360 (though the game's official target platforms remain unannounced). The article reveals that the game will emphasize the "tough decisions that an average X-Man has to make" and will feature a darker tone than some past takes on the X-Men. Destiny is said to unfold when anti-mutant sentiment is at an all-time high, with mutant hate crimes an everyday occurrence. The X-Men have suffered some kind of loss, pushing players toward pivotal "decision moments" in the game.

Players will select from three different characters, according to the OXM preview, each a child of a "human zealot," one of the card-carrying members of the anti-mutant establishment. Memorable mutants will make appearances -- Gambit, Magneto, Quicksilver and Surge are mentioned by OXM -- along with an X-Gene upgrade system through which players can modify their unique powers by borrowing genes from other mutants. Apparently splicing isn't as big a deal in the Marvel Universe as it is in other places.

The full, four-page preview is featured in issue 69 of OXM UK.

X-Men: Destiny previewed in OXM UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men Destiny teased again

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST

When will you get to see Silicon Knights' X-Men Destiny in action? We just don't know. You can, however, watch this total teaser for it from the latest episode of GTTV. We're hoping that the X-Men among you will dissect the trailer and let us know of any interesting tidbits in the comments below.

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X-Men Destiny teased again originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights is X-Men: Destiny developer

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:20:00 EST

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

Perhaps you were expecting Too Human 2? Though Silicon Knights claims that the trilogy treatment is still planned for the Too Human series, Activision has confirmed that Denis Dyack's studio is in fact developing X-Men: Destiny.

Outside of this confirmation, IGN has the debut trailer for the game (embedded after the break), which echoes this morning's announcement -- X-Men: Destiny will be a choice-driven game. With New York Comic Con kicking off this weekend, hopefully we'll learn more about just what kind of choices we'll be asked to make.

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Silicon Knights is X-Men: Destiny developer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-Men: Destiny coming to consoles in Fall 2011

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:54:00 EST

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

Activision and Marvel have announced a new X-Men game, due to "invade game consoles" in Fall 2011. X-Men: Destiny has you playing a new recruit amongst comic's motley mutant band, and promises a "branching storyline that features a deep element of choice." Dare we envision a Marvel-fueled Mass Effect?

Activision also notes that X-Men: Destiny will grant "players ultimate control of their destiny," which means at least one mutant will have the uncanny ability to spontaneously alter and contradict the contents of a dictionary. The story will be penned by X-Men: Legacy's Mike Carey.

You can check out a sparse teaser website now, and get a peek at the game itself during this weekend's New York Comic-Con. We're attempting to confirm the identity of the developer, in light of earlier rumors that suggested Too Human studio Silicon Knights was creating a Marvel RPG.

Update: Silicon Knights has been confirmed as the developer.

[Image: X-Men: Legacy #208 cover]

X-Men: Destiny coming to consoles in Fall 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights gets $4 million from Canadian government

David Hinkle — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:30:00 EST

Silicon Knights has been shoving the beggar's cup in the face of the Canadian government for some time now and The Welland Tribune reports that a grant has been approved. This means Silicon Knights has been awarded $4 million (pretty big cup, eh?), which it will use to recruit 65 new workers for the Ontario-based studio to help create its next game -- the rumored Siren in the Maelstrom.

President Denis Dyack is obviously stoked about the influx of cash, but offered little on the studio's next game. "We can only say it's a next generation title and a high production value game," he offered. "That's all we can say." Hey, that's all well and good, but we don't want to hear jack about a siren and some maelstrom or whatever. Give us an Eternal Darkness sequel, please. Please?

[Via GI.biz]

Silicon Knights gets $4 million from Canadian government originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyack dismayed by layoffs, anticipates growth in Ontario

Xav de Matos — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Following yet another report of company restructuring resulting in job losses, outspoken industry veteran Denis Dyack called industry-wide layoffs within the last year and a half "staggering." However, the Silicon Knights boss does see a brighter future for development over the next five years, at least in the Canadian province of Ontario.

"Before, Ontario was a little isolated, there wasn't a lot of videogame companies here. But that's going to change. With all the positive steps that the government's done," Dyack told GamesIndustry.biz. Dyack's hopeful outlook for Ontario comes, in part, from Ubisoft's July announcement to open a new studio in Toronto -- a move Ubisoft hopes will bring 800 new jobs to the region over the next decade.

According to Dyack, new business in Ontario means the province will be able to combat recruiters who remove developer and designer graduates from the area. "It's really depressing going to [University of] Waterloo to recruit and we see that Microsoft was there before us and took all the best people. The tax payer paid for that education," he lamented. With development expanding in Ontario, Silicon Knights can finally start combing schools for talent to help produce the (Sweet Lord, make it happen) sequel to Eternal Darkness.

Dyack dismayed by layoffs, anticipates growth in Ontario originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyack predicts more publisher consolidation

Justin McElroy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Publishers have been disappearing faster than Ludwig's snickerdoodles at Joystiq's Mid-Autumn Tea Social lately, both through bankruptcy or (for the lucky ones) being purchased. Designer and industry soothsayer Denis Dyack told Gaming Union he expects that to continue, comparing the shift to that of Hollywood which went from hundreds of individual studios to the six major houses we know today. Dyack expects the role of publishers to change as well, though he's less specific on exactly what that means.

Boy, one console and now fewer publishers? Sounds like Denis has been listening to too much They Might Be Giants.

Dyack predicts more publisher consolidation originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyack muses about clouds, won't abandon current consoles

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:45:00 EST

"We have no intentions to stop making video games for the current consoles ... that would be nuts." That was Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack's response to our question about whether his musing about cloud technology had anything to do with a new direction for the company. During Dyack's "musing about clouds" presentation today at GDC Europe, the SK president mentioned a belief in systems like OnLive -- but he's not ready to take a walk in the clouds just yet.

The outspoken executive said that he doesn't believe people should be investing in game stores at the moment, though he was unsure how long the cloud model will take to gain a foothold. According to Dyack, cloud computing could become the dominant form of distribution and access for consumers within the next 20 years. In the meantime, Dyack told us Silicon Knights will keep doing console-based games "as long as the market is there."

Dyack muses about clouds, won't abandon current consoles originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Possible Silicon Knights project title leaked: Siren in the Maelstrom

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST

A Canadian cultural agency known as Telefilm Canada recently posted a list of 56 new media projects it's helping to fund over the next year. One name on this list sticks out more than all the others: St. Catharines, Ontario-based developer Silicon Knights' apparent new project, which is titled "Siren in the Maelstrom." We know the developer is up to something, as hinted at by a few recent help wanted ads -- could this be the something for which it's hiring? We've contacted Silicon Knights to try and find out.

We're pretty upset that the leaked title isn't "Eternal Darkness: Siren in the Maelstrom." On the other hand, it's also not "Too Human: Siren in the Maelstrom," so we guess we should count our blessings.

[Via VG247]

Possible Silicon Knights project title leaked: Siren in the Maelstrom originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights hiring, possibly for Too Human 2

JC Fletcher — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST

Would you like to become a Silicon Knight? If so, you'll be pleased to learn that the Ontario-based developer is hiring game designers for a new project, according to a Gamasutra job listing posted on July 10. We must note that we aren't sure if employment at Silicon Knights entitles you to call yourself a Silicon Knight.

Destructoid speculates (to its horror) that the project is a Too Human sequel, which seems likely, given that the job requires "familiarity with the fantasy and science fiction genre and role-playing games." With the current state of the industry, we're delighted to see more job openings, even if they result in more Too Human.

Silicon Knights hiring, possibly for Too Human 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embattled Midway caught in Epic vs. Silicon Knights suit

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:35:00 EST

As Midway continues to fend off the courts and the government whilst floating in bankruptcy limbo, Edge Online reports that the company is now fighting yet another legal battle, this time over attorney fees in the Epic vs Silicon Knights lawsuit. Yeah, it's been a while since we wrote about that. Quick refresher: Silicon Knights is suing Epic over the "inadequacies" of the Unreal Engine used by licensees, which the developer originally used to craft Too Human before opting to create its own engine instead. As part of the proceedings, subpoenas for Unreal Engine records were issued to licensees, one of which was Midway.

Now, Midway is asking the court to defer all costs of the record review process to Silicon Knights. Additionally, the publisher is asking that certain documents be redacted so that Silicon Knights will not be exposed to any trade secrets. Midway cites its bankruptcy proceedings as preventing it from paying any costs associated with the review, including the hire of attorneys and former Midway employees.

The request resulted in a tit-for-tat between the companies' attorneys, with Silicon Knights responding that Midway's creditors have already approved a monthly expenditure of $35,000 over three months to pay for the review. Silicon Knights' attorneys also state that the company has "taken extraordinary steps" to prevent any "undue burden" on the beleaguered publisher.

This is normally where we would make a Mortal Kombat "Finish Him!" joke but, frankly, our hearts just aren't in it.

Embattled Midway caught in Epic vs. Silicon Knights suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silicon Knights exec departs, looks for 'something different'

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business

"I'm just looking for something different," said Rob DePetris, former Vice-President of Finance for Silicon Knights. The executive, who recently bid adieu to the Too Human developer, has yet to decide where he and his trusty HP-12C will head next. Speaking to The St. Catherines Standard, DePetris did note that he would remain involved in the community and was not "planning on leaving."

DePetris will be replaced by one Mike Mays, who will "help usher in a New Year of continual growth for Silicon Knights, the games industry in Ontario and the Niagara Region," according to a company statement. We wish Mays and DePetris the best of luck, even though we had no idea who they were until today.

[Via Endsights]

Silicon Knights exec departs, looks for 'something different' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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