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Ubisoft officially publishing Wheelman

by Ben Gilbert { Feb 18th 2009 at 1:42PM }

And it's officially official, folks: Ubisoft is publishing the previously Midway-held title, Wheelman. Ubisoft's Jaime Borasi confirmed to us this morning, "Yes, the deal with Midway has been finalized and we'll be shipping to retail on March 24th." In case you had forgotten, Wheelman is the third-person shooter/action-driving game coming to Xbox 360/PS3/PC starring everyone's favorite street racer, Vin Diesel.

The deal comes in the wake of Midway's recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (that's the protection kind, not the liquidation kind) and a slew of rumors surrounding the sale of Midway by majority stockholder Sumner Redstone to mystery man Mark Thomas. Will Midway continue selling off its intellectual properties to stay afloat? Will that next Mortal Kombat game already in production soldier on? It remains to be seen. We've put in word to Midway for comment.

UPDATE: Ubisoft and Midway are calling the publishing deal a "strategic relationship", saying, "Ubisoft will handle sales, marketing, and distribution of the title in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Midway will continue to direct the development of the title and retains all future rights to the franchise and will sell the title in all other European territories." Looks like Midway's not out of the loop on Wheelman after all.

Rumor: Ubisoft picks up Midway's 'Wheelman'

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 13th 2009 at 11:37AM }

Employing a wheelman, especially one of Vin Diesel caliber, can get kinda pricey. Think about it: an ordinary personal driver is a luxury reserved for the Richies of the rich -- imagine what one who sees in pitch black, morphs into an iron giant, and walks around calling himself "Triple X" and still seems sorta cool would cost. Actually, never mind, you don't have to imagine it. According to a new rumor, only a profitable game publisher can afford that kind of wheelman -- indeed, The Wheelman.

While both Ubisoft and Midway have declined to comment on a insider's report that The Wheelman has been acquired by Ubisoft from Midway (in the wake of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing), the possibility remains strong (see this GameFly listing). The report -- again, still a rumor at this time -- does not speculate on what, if any changes Ubisoft would make to the game, which is actually a "groundbreaking action-entertainment property"" with a feature film tie-in supposedly hitting theaters some time this year. It is expected, however, that Ubisoft would further delay The Wheelman's currently scheduled March 2009 release, in turn, potentially affecting the movie's production. Heck, Ubisoft could possibly cut ties with the Diesel altogether and to turn the game into an ordinary Driver.

Gallery: Wheelman

Source - Rumor: Midway's Wheelman Is Now Ubisoft's Wheelman [Kotaku]
Source - Ubisoft refuses to comment on Wheelman acquisition [GI.biz]

Wheelman delayed, demo due before release

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jan 20th 2009 at 10:25AM }

Midway's gasoline-guzzling Vin Diesel vehicle, Wheelman, has been delayed, thus becoming the victim of insufferable motor-related phrases like "it stalled," "it swerved" and the somewhat esoteric "it pulled a Mika Hakkinen." Regardless, the information being conveyed here is that Midway has pushed Wheelman's release back to March 20th, but has also promised to release a demo on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime before then. Assuming the company's still around.

A PC demo for the cinematic drive-em-up is also planned, though Midway couldn't say whether it would hit hard drives before the game ~~cars~~ ships.

The Wheelman shouldn't look fun, trailer proves otherwise

by Xav de Matos { Dec 18th 2008 at 4:00PM }

Movie star. Pawned Hollywood story. Slowly dying publisher. Mix these elements into a blender with your favorite liqueur and you're typically going to get "crap in a glass." But, based on the cinematic trailer for The Wheelman the game actually looks entertaining. One part Burnout, two parts Transporter; The Wheelman could shape up to be a solid release if all the stars align in the favor of developer Tigon Studios.

And no, we're not going to hate on Vin Diesel in this post because the last time he was involved with a game, things got done right. We will however hate on the dialogue in the trailer, "A good driver knows when to start and knows when to stop." Really? Thanks, The Wheelman! That actually might be the first question on the learner's permit written exam. Not exactly brimming with the Hollywood toughness their script writer probably thought it was when he wrote it. But, we digress.

GC 2008: New trailer, screens for The Wheelman (not The Assassin!)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Aug 21st 2008 at 10:30PM }

That's right! As Vin Diesel so eloquently points out, he's a wheelman, not an assassin. Of course, this dramatic scene takes place just after he's mowed down countless bad guys and destroyed half the city in a dramatic and collision-filled car chase. It's all a bit frantic, frankly, but at least we have The Wheelman's lead mission designer, Mark Thompson, to guide us through the broken glass and mangled metal. Don't forget to check out fresh screenshots in the gallery below!

Gallery: Wheelman (Leipzig 2008)

Wheelman wheels its way to a Q1 2009 release

by Dustin Burg { Jul 25th 2008 at 4:45PM }

In other game delay news, Midway just announced that Wheelman, a game based on the Vin Diesel movie by the same name, will not make its originally planned Fall release and will instead be pushed back into the first quarter of 2009. Still plenty of time for the 2009 release of the flick and still plenty of time to make the game fun and enjoyable. Oh yeah, we went there ...

Gallery: Wheelman

Vin Diesel is looking for a job in new The Wheelman trailer

by Jason Dobson { Apr 18th 2008 at 2:44PM }

With a shaved head, chiseled jaw and a the voice of a chain smoker, Vin Diesel is tailor made for the central role of Milo Buick in The Wheelman, as well as the film's video game nod from both Midway and Diesel-powered developer Tigon Studios.

The game – which looks to headline Midway's new Hollywood-or-bust focus for 2008 – has now been revealed in trailer-form and – whether it's the ridiculous jumps, over-the-top explosions, or just Diesel's gravelly narration – you can consider our interest piqued. As 'The Pacifier' puts it, he's "looking for a job," something he should land when The Wheelman ships for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall.