Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/BEHOLD: Activision Blizzard is bornhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/behold-activision-blizzard-is-born/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/behold-activision-blizzard-is-born/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/08/behold-activision-blizzard-is-born/#commentsFiled under:


Stockholders have approved the merger of Activision and Vivendi Games to form the goliath Activision Blizzard. GameDaily reports the deal officially closes on July 9 and the new company will trade on the Nasdaq under Activision's ATVI ticker. This instantly makes Activision Blizzard the new alpha dog in the industry with a value of $18.9 billion -- EA now trails with $14.1 billion.

Without getting into the nitty-gritty details, Activision Blizzard is expected to have the highest profit margins in the industry. Activision Blizzard should also continue to enjoy bagiggles of cash flowing into its coffers unless franchises like World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero suddenly self-destruct.

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardactivision-vivendimergervivendivivendi-gamesAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-08T17:00:00+00:00Metareview -- The Bourne Conspiracy (Xbox 360, PS3)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/metareview-the-bourne-conspiracy-xbox-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/metareview-the-bourne-conspiracy-xbox-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/06/metareview-the-bourne-conspiracy-xbox-360-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Despite our well-earned hesitancy about getting excited over a licensed game, we held out some hope for High Moon Studio's The Bourne Conspiracy. Maybe it was the kinetic energy of the trailers, or the company's insistence that they were putting a lot of thought into the game. Either way, we were ready to be hurt. But now that we're getting some of the first reviews we can see that our hopes for an above average game have not been dashed. Huzzah!
  • GamePro (75/100): "The Bourne Conspiracy, which is loosely based on the events of the first movie, doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty good. Sure, it's not a true blockbuster but it's not total garbage either."
  • IGN AU (73/100): "A trifle repetitive and brief, The Bourne Conspiracy is a diamond in the rough. Well worth a look but it's not going to change your life. However there're two more films worth of material to adapt so maybe future Bourne adventures will give a little more control to the player and a little less to the button pressing mini-game."
  • Game Informer (68/100): "Though The Bourne Conspiracy is weighed down by broken gunplay mechanics, its thrilling hand-to-hand combat, slick presentation, and relatively short time commitment (eight hours) make it a perfect rental for fans of the films."

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]]>bourne-conspiracymetareviewvivendiJustin McElroy2008-06-06T16:45:00+00:00EA knocks Activision/Vivendi for leaving ESAhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-knocks-activision-vivendi-for-leaving-esa/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-knocks-activision-vivendi-for-leaving-esa/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/ea-knocks-activision-vivendi-for-leaving-esa/#commentsFiled under: ,


EA's VP of corporate communications, Jeff Brown, says that Activision and Vivendi pulling out of the ESA shows a "lack of leadership" from the two (soon to become one) large publisher. Brown tells GI.biz that EA has no plans of leaving the lobbying and business affairs group, expressing that a big company like EA has a "responsibility to consumers" to work on policy issues and it should be done through "industry consensus."

EA will not be leaving the ESA, but Brown urges the organization to make a strong case to remaining members. He insists that it's the ESA's job to "prove" that membership is for the good of the publishers, but believes with Activision/Vivendi leaving, along with LucasArts announcing its departure last week, that the organization will be proving itself more. Now, whether that proving is in the public spotlight or behind the scenes (which is normal for a lobbying group) is something the ESA is going to have to work out after these very public publisher exits.

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]]>activiactivisionactivision-blizzardactivismbrowneaesalucasartsvivendiAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-19T10:55:00+00:00No WoW causes Vivendi Q1 sales to drop 24%http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/no-wow-causes-vivendi-q1-sales-to-drop-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/no-wow-causes-vivendi-q1-sales-to-drop-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/no-wow-causes-vivendi-q1-sales-to-drop-24/#commentsFiled under:


Vivendi Games, soon to merge with Activision and become the goliath Activision Blizzard, saw its sales fall 24% from Q1 last year, thanks to the lack of a World of Warcraft expansion. The percentage may be down, but the money still flows like an Azerothian river, with Blizzard contributing €192 million of Vivendi's €221 million in sales this quarter. Vivendi also announced that WoW added another 700,000 players and the Sierra divisions performed "slightly higher" than last year.

With Vivendi expecting the next WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, sometime later in 2008, we'll plan on a Naaru size jolt to Activision Blizzard's cash flow at that time. For now, Vivendi will just have to enjoy the disgusting amounts of cash it gets from WoW, instead of the nauseating amounts Activision Blizzard will make from the WotLK release.

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]]>activision-blizzardblizzardsierravivendivivendi-gamesworld-of-warcraftwowAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-14T18:15:00+00:00Vivendi: Wrath of the Lich King coming second half of 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/vivendi-wrath-of-the-lich-king-coming-second-half-of-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/vivendi-wrath-of-the-lich-king-coming-second-half-of-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/vivendi-wrath-of-the-lich-king-coming-second-half-of-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

In a press release announcing Q1 2008 results (PDF File), Blizzard owner Vivendi Universal asserts that the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King is "anticipated to be released in the second half of 2008." Mark your calendars, as we suspect the Christmas season is going to be a lot less productive.

While we always expected release this year, Blizzard, who has yet to make a formal announcement, is notorious for delaying games until they've met some in-house standard of quality. Our attention is now focused intently on Blizzard's WWI event in Paris next month.

[Via Big Download]

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]]>blizzardbreakingnewsvivendiworld-of-warcraftwotlkwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingRoss Miller2008-05-14T17:15:00+00:00Breaking: Activision and Vivendi discontinue ESA membershiphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/breaking-activision-and-vivendi-discontinue-esa-membership/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/breaking-activision-and-vivendi-discontinue-esa-membership/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/breaking-activision-and-vivendi-discontinue-esa-membership/#commentsFiled under:


Following up on a rumor posted on Kotaku, we've just learned that Activision and Vivendi Games has discontinued its membership with the Entertainment Software Association. This information comes in the wake of yesterday's announcement that Activision and Vivendi would not attend E3 this year.

The ESA's Rich Taylor, senior VP of communications and research (full quote after the break) says, "We can confirm that Activision and Vivendi Games opted to discontinue their membership. The ESA remains dedicated to advancing our industry’s objectives such as protecting intellectual property, preserving First Amendment rights, and fostering a beneficial environment for the entire industry."

"While the Entertainment Software Association remains the preeminent voice for U.S. computer and video game publishers, we can confirm that Activision and Vivendi Games opted to discontinue their membership. The ESA remains dedicated to advancing our industry’s objectives such as protecting intellectual property, preserving First Amendment rights, and fostering a beneficial environment for the entire industry. Our high level of service and value to members and the larger industry remains unchanged."

-- Rich Taylor, Senior Vice President of Communications and Research, Entertainment Software Association

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardBreakingNewse32008esavivendivivendi-gamesAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-02T11:12:00+00:00EU greenlights Activision-Vivendi mergerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/eu-greenlights-activision-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/eu-greenlights-activision-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/eu-greenlights-activision-vivendi-merger/#commentsFiled under:


The European Commission has given permission to the games division of French telecom and media group, Vivendi, to run free into the arms of Activision. This is one of the final loose ends left in the $9.85 billion deal spawning the behemoth known as Activision Blizzard (or by its street name: Actilizzard? Blizzavision?). Vivendi will procure a 52% stake in the EA rival and is expected to have annual revenue of $3.8 billion.

The Commission essentially needed to approve that there weren't any antitrust issues in the mega-merger. In its report the group stated that there are several effective competitors in the market, such as EA and the game console manufacturers. Guess it's time to start ordering the office stationary.

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardmergervivendiAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-16T13:00:00+00:00Bourne Conspiracy unravels on June 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/bourne-conspiracy-unravels-on-june-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/bourne-conspiracy-unravels-on-june-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/bourne-conspiracy-unravels-on-june-3/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Against our better judgment, we've been getting progressively more excited for the non-Matt Damon, don't-call-it-a-movie-adaptation Bourne Conspiracy. We learned this morning that we'll figure out if we picked a winner or got bourned again when the game drops on June 3.

We're happy that we're not going to have to wait to much longer, but it's also nice to see a major release in the heart of the summer. If only more publishers would realize that dropping a fun oasis into the summer desert could translate into a lot of extra attention (and dollars) for them.

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]]>bourne-conspiracyBreakingNewshigh-moon-studiossierravivendiJustin McElroy2008-04-02T12:00:00+00:0050 Cent: Blood on the Sand revealed for PS3, Xbox 360http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/50-cent-blood-in-the-sand-revealed-for-ps3-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/50-cent-blood-in-the-sand-revealed-for-ps3-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/26/50-cent-blood-in-the-sand-revealed-for-ps3-xbox-360/#commentsFiled under: ,

g-g-g-g-unot
When we first read the title 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (the previously untitled sequel), we, like you're surely doing right now, prayed for Fugitive Hunter-esque hi-jinx that would have Fiddy & friends sorting out the U.S.'s problems in Iraq and getting home in time to record a new smash hit with Rhianna ("I'll stop those terrorists ... or die tryin'"). Sadly, MTV has shattered our dreams, reporting that the game "sets 50's character against a cabal of international gangsters on a far-flung, bullet-riddled adventure." Missed opportunity? Table for 1? (There are some screenshots here if you want to get a better feel for the new setting.)

On the plus side, the game will have nothing plot-wise to do with the poorly-received 50 Cent: Bulletproof. There's also encouraging word from Vivendi producer Aaron Blean who said, "We've emphasized the gameplay quality [more] than anything this time around." We think we speak for everyone when we say, "Yes. Yes, that's a good choice."

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]]>50-cent50-cent-2blood-in-the-sandbreakingnewsg-unitgears-of-50vivendiJustin McElroy2008-03-26T15:30:00+00:00Activision investor sues over Vivendi mergerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/activision-investor-sues-over-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/activision-investor-sues-over-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/activision-investor-sues-over-vivendi-merger/#commentsFiled under:


Turns out not everybody's happy with the recently-announced formation of super-company Activision Blizzard. One particular investor group is suing Activision, claiming that the merger will leave its shareholders in an "unfavorable minority position."

Since Vivendi comes out on top in the merger -- with 52% majority ownership of Activision -- the Wayne County Employees' Retirement System believes Activision didn't think of the stockholders when accepting the deal, which it claims otherwise could have proven more lucrative. No further details of the lawsuit are known at this time. The Activision Blizzard merger is scheduled to occur sometime in the first half of this year.

[Via Next-Gen]

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzardlawsuitsvivendiScott Jon Siegel2008-02-27T10:00:00+00:00GDC08: The 'New York in a room' Prototype partyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-the-new-york-in-a-room-prototype-party/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-the-new-york-in-a-room-prototype-party/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-the-new-york-in-a-room-prototype-party/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Desperate for "more" open-world action, the Joystiq crew stopped by Vivendi's Prototype shindig on Thursday evening. To experience the event's "New York crammed into a room" theme for yourself, give the above image a good ol' clicking. Perhaps you'll have better luck than us when it comes to stalking spotting Barry Pepper in the crowd.

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]]>GDC08PrototypeVivendiLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-22T06:00:00+00:00The Green Mile actor Barry Pepper to voice Prototype leadhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/the-green-mile-actor-barry-pepper-to-voice-prototype-lead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/the-green-mile-actor-barry-pepper-to-voice-prototype-lead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/the-green-mile-actor-barry-pepper-to-voice-prototype-lead/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


New details have emerged surrounding Prototype, Radical Entertainment's sandbox-style successor to Hulk:Ultimate Destruction, specifically concerning whose voice we'll be hearing when the shape shifting protagonist Alex Mercer flaps 'genetically mutated' lips. Mercer will be voiced by Barry Pepper, who some may recognize for his role as Officer Dean Stanton in The Green Mile, or for his arguably most memorable work as Jake in one episode of Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.

Other voices confirmed for Prototype include NYPD Blue's Gordon Clap and CSI's Paul Guilfoyle, both of which publisher Sierra note as being appropriate additions to the cast given the game's "uniquely mysterious and conspiracy-filled plot." Prototype is expected to change shape and smash New York City later this year for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

[Via press release]

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]]>barry pepperBarryPepperhollywoodprototypesierravivendivoicesJason Dobson2008-02-04T19:55:00+00:00How Activision Blizzard almost didn't happenhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/how-activision-blizzard-almost-didnt-happen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/how-activision-blizzard-almost-didnt-happen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/how-activision-blizzard-almost-didnt-happen/#commentsFiled under:


A proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission tells the tale of how the Activision Blizzard merger almost didn't happen. GameDaily sifted through the massive document to discover that discussions about the possible merger go back to November of 2006, with things really heating up going into last summer. After little progress on transaction terms, Jean-Bernard Lévy, CEO of Vivendi, called up Activision head Bobby Kotick in June to say that he "did not think it made sense to continue discussions concerning a possible transaction at that time."

Around July, Kotick contacted Lévy with Activision's new proposal. The lawyers went to work and sometime around September, with "little progress on open issues," Kotick called the deal off. Strangely, Blizzard's Mike Morhaime and other Blizzard managers (who were under the Vivendi umbrella at the time) stepped up and got things back on track with a management structure proposal. By November the Activision Blizzard deal was final and the industry got another 800 lb. gorilla to keep EA company.

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]]>activisionblizzardkoticklevymorhaimevivendivivendi-gamesAlexander Sliwinski2008-02-01T17:30:00+00:00Wow, Vivendi made $1.5 billion in 2007 thanks to WoWhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/wow-vivendi-made-1-5-billion-in-2007-thanks-to-wow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/wow-vivendi-made-1-5-billion-in-2007-thanks-to-wow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/30/wow-vivendi-made-1-5-billion-in-2007-thanks-to-wow/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Vivendi Games' revenues totaled €1.02 billion ($1.5 billion USD) in 2007, with much of the cash flow thanks to World of Warcraft's 10 million players and the €814 million ($1.2 billion) Blizzard brought in, an increase of 58% from 2006. WoW's next expansion Wrath of the Lich King is expected later this year and should keep this little phenomenon on track.

Proving how much of a work horse Blizzard is in Vivendi Games, the Sierra Entertainment, Sierra Online and Vivendi Games Mobile businesses saw combined revenues of €204 million ($301 million), a 29% decline from last year. Timeshift and World in Conflict drove sales but didn't perform as well as 2006's Scarface, Ice Age 2, Eragon, Spyro: A New Beginning and F.E.A.R. Now forget all you know of Vivendi Games -- here begins the age of Activision-Blizzard.

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]]>vivendiworldofwarcraftwowwrathofthelichkingAlexander Sliwinski2008-01-30T21:00:00+00:00Take-Two CEO sees industry consolidation as 'inevitable'http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/take-two-ceo-sees-industry-consolidation-as-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/take-two-ceo-sees-industry-consolidation-as-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/take-two-ceo-sees-industry-consolidation-as-inevitable/#commentsFiled under:


It doesn't matter where your office is located or how high it is -- if you're an executive in the video game industry, you can stare out your window and spot the looming shadow of the colossus, Activision Blizzard. Ben Feder, CEO of Take-Two, shared this view at a recent UBS investment conference (as reported by Reuters), where he stated that the soaring costs of game development make industry consolidation "inevitable."

"Video-game development is not getting any cheaper," said Feder. "It's a capital-intensive business, and I don't see that going away. That will drive some of the smaller competitors out." If the last few months have been any indication, rising costs and expectations are prompting publishers to snap up notable developers and even each other, much like [disturbing Hungry Hungry Cannibal Hippos reference removed]. A stable financial base and a desire to best the competition may provide an incentive for taking new IP risks, but the cynic among us would more quickly rub his hands together in anticipation for UbEAsoft's Madden's Assassin 2k7.

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]]>ActivisionActivision-BlizzardTake-TwoTakeTwoVivendiLudwig Kietzmann2007-12-03T20:25:00+00:00Joystiq Podcast Roundtable - Blizzavision ... Actiblizzard?http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/joystiq-podcast-roundtable-blizzavision-actiblizzard/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/joystiq-podcast-roundtable-blizzavision-actiblizzard/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/joystiq-podcast-roundtable-blizzavision-actiblizzard/#commentsFiled under:


The Joystiq Podcast Roundtable returns to dissect the latest megatons in the video game industry. This installment we're talking about the new corporate entity of Activision Blizzard ... err, Blizzavision ... err, Actiblizzard? Whatever you call it, it's complicated.

To make sense of the deal, and its ramifications, we've assembled an all star panel. Seated at the roundtable are James Brightman, Lead Business Editor for Game Daily BIZ; Simon Carless, Editorial Director of the CMP Game Group (think Game Developer Magazine and Gamasutra.com); and lastly the alphabetically prejudiced Michael Zenke, Editor at Slashdot Games, blogger at Joystiq's own Massively.com, as well as blogger at his own MMOGNation.com. Topics discussed include Blizzard's independence, Activision's gains, Sierra's status, the possibility of console games from Blizz, the possibility of MMOs from Activision, and whether or not EA needs some new drawers, so give it a listen.


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]]>ActivisionActivision-BlizzardBlizzardJames-BrightmanMichael-ZenkeRoundtableSierraSimon-CarlessVivendiChristopher Grant2007-12-03T18:29:00+00:00Activision stock way up after merger newshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/activision-stock-way-up-after-merger-news/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/activision-stock-way-up-after-merger-news/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/activision-stock-way-up-after-merger-news/#commentsFiled under:


Though some World of Warcraft fans may be in a tizzy over the news that Vivendi and Activision would merge to form Activision Blizzard, it seems that shareholders in the two companies weren't put out in the slightest. GameDaily is reporting that Activision saw a NASDAQ bump of 16 percent ($3.55) in their stock since the news was released, bringing its worth to $25.70. Vivendi got a three percent jump.

Not every investor is smiling though. When faced with the news that the company would have a new, super-powerful competitor, EA's stock tumbled 91 cents to $55.29. We're sorry, Electronic Arts, but at least you can take comfort in the fact that (at the moment, at least) your company has the far better name.

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzardstocksvivendivugamesworld-of-warcraftworldofwarcraftwowJustin McElroy2007-12-03T14:57:00+00:00GameSetWatch analyzes Activision/Vivendi mergerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/gamesetwatch-analyzes-activision-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/gamesetwatch-analyzes-activision-vivendi-merger/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/gamesetwatch-analyzes-activision-vivendi-merger/#commentsFiled under:

While their enormous press release ironed out all of the technical details behind the Activision/Vivendi Games merger which occurred earlier today, there are still a number of questions left unanswered by the two companies. How is control over the new company going to be distributed? Will you be developing games together? What was the main reason for the merger? Will Activision now use a new logo and brand name? Where you get them jeans?

Basing his analysis on the tone of the press release, and on recent movements in the video game industry, Simon Carless over at GameSetWatch addresses some of those outstanding questions. Apparently, Activision is going to be in charge of running the business, Electronic Arts has cause for concern, and Blizzard has more money than a number of countries, including Grenada, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands. Thanks, Wikipedia!

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]]>ActivisionActivision-BlizzardBlizzardVivendiVivendiGamesGriffin McElroy2007-12-02T20:15:00+00:00Activision and Blizzard parent merge in $18 billion dealhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/activision-and-vivendi-merge-in-18-billion-deal/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/activision-and-vivendi-merge-in-18-billion-deal/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/02/activision-and-vivendi-merge-in-18-billion-deal/#commentsFiled under: ,


File this under "straight out of left field" -- Activision, the publishing powerhouse behind the Call of Duty and Tony Hawk series; and Vivendi Games, owner of Blizzard Entertainment, which you probably don't need us to tell you is behind the Warcraft and Starcraft series, are coming together to form "the world's most profitable games business," cleverly named Activision Blizzard.

The reports we've read so far seem to confuse the matter of Vivendi's role in the merger, and who will be "wearing the pants" in the relationship, so to speak. As we understand it, Vivendi and Activision will be the ones who are merging, despite Blizzard's name being in the company's new moniker. Vivendi will own approximately 52% of the ownership stake in Activision Blizzard, though Activision's current CEO, Bobby Kotick, will take the chief executive position in the new company.

Jean-Bernard Lévy, Vivendi's chief executive, expressed his excitement about the supercollision -- "We look forward to being an active and supportive majority stockholder in a company that is poised to lead the worldwide interactive entertainment industry in the years ahead."

We'll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we get a clearer understanding of the details of the merger. No doubt the internet will be abuzz with industry analysts chiming in about the ramifications of this huge business deal. We predict to see elves on skateboards by first quarter 2008, but we'll leave the conjecture up to the big dogs.

Update - 6:00PM EST: Worried about WoW? Blizzard wants to brush your hair and tell you everything is going to be alright. Also, the Vivendi Games/Activision management team will hold an investor conference call tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning, EST. We'll make sure to keep you updated on the full details of the merged company's future plans, should they arise during the meeting.

Update - 8:15PM EST: GameSetWatch's Simon Carless analyzes the combination of the two gaming colossi.

Update 12/3/07 - 11AM EST: We've written up our notes from this morning's Activision Blizzard conference call.

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]]>ActivisionActivision-BlizzardBlizzardbreakingnewsMergerVivendiWorldofWarcraftWoWGriffin McElroy2007-12-02T12:43:00+00:00Metareview: TimeShift (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/metareview-timeshift-xbox-360-ps3-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/metareview-timeshift-xbox-360-ps3-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/31/metareview-timeshift-xbox-360-ps3-pc/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The flood of games isn't stopping any time soon, so it's best to pick your purchases wisely this holiday season. Sadly, unlike the main character in TimeShift, you won't be able to purchase, play, reverse time, and get something else in an endless loop for the last two months of '07. TimeShift's demo was not impressive, forcing us to call the game TimeScript because we had severe issues not being able to save characters in scripted events that could easily be saved. If the main hook in the game is about messing with time (a convention we're well versed in at this point), it better work right and bring something new to the table.
  • Game Informer (78/100): "The arsenal used to dispatch these smart soldiers has some definite standouts. While the standard rifle is handicapped due to its much-too-large reticle, most players will gravitate towards two particular guns. ... While exploring your time-altering gifts will keep your attention for several levels, halfway through the game you'll start to feel déjà vu as you move through the clichéd warehouses and engineering plants. To make matters worse, the simplistic environmental puzzles feel recycled from past titles. TimeShift also isn't above the occasional laggy sequence or game freeze."
  • GamePro (75/100): "Maybe if the game had actually met its original development schedule, its gameplay mechanics could have come across as innovative, but at this point in time, TimeShift comes across as derivative and a little tired. That doesn't mean the game isn't good. It definitely has its moments, especially once the time bending powers become unlocked. There's something definitely satisfying about freezing time, chucking a grenade into a pack of soldiers and watching as the hilarity ensues. But as I was playing the game, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I had done it all before."
  • GameTap (60/100): "Several times you have to use time manipulation just to make platforms move around because whoever built these magical blocks of metal apparently forgot to make them logically functional. Seriously, who would build an elevator that moves so quickly that the only way you can make it from the switch that turns it on to the elevator itself is to break the flow of the space-time continuum? ... Oh yeah, and fire? Forget about it. If you don't pause time while traveling down a conveyer belt with fire spewing from both sides, you're toast. I don't necessarily hate the fact that you have to use time control to get by these obstacles, but I do dislike the fact that a good number of these obstacles are old first-person shooter standbys that have been given a thin coat of paint by the time-shifting mechanics. "

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]]>fpssierratimeshiftvivendiAlexander Sliwinski2007-10-31T10:45:00+00:00