After kicking off their pre-sales campaign last week for the upcoming TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming documentary, CreatorVC is bolstering the roster of participants for the five-part series. They’ve announced that in addition to the 35 participants (which you can check out from the official TerrorBytes website), an additional three personalities have been added: Denis Dyack, Sam Barlow, and Yoshiro Kimura.
For those who need a refresher, Denis Dyack is the director of the 2002 Lovecraftian GameCube horror title Eternal Darkness, along with being the director of the first entry in the Legacy of Kain series, 1996’s Blood Omen. Sam Barlow is the director of Immortality and Her Story (and currently working on two new projects), as well as a writer on Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Lastly, Yoshiro Kimura is mind behind the cult PlayStation 2 favorite Rule of Rose, and the executive producer of Grasshopper Manufacture...
For those who need a refresher, Denis Dyack is the director of the 2002 Lovecraftian GameCube horror title Eternal Darkness, along with being the director of the first entry in the Legacy of Kain series, 1996’s Blood Omen. Sam Barlow is the director of Immortality and Her Story (and currently working on two new projects), as well as a writer on Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Lastly, Yoshiro Kimura is mind behind the cult PlayStation 2 favorite Rule of Rose, and the executive producer of Grasshopper Manufacture...
- 2/15/2024
- by Mike Wilson
- bloody-disgusting.com
Matthew Byrd May 8, 2019
Cult classic horror game Eternal Darkness missed its release window due to concerns that emerged following the 9/11 attacks.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is one of the greatest horror games ever made, but according to Denis Dyack (former president of Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights) the game's road to becoming a cult classic was delayed due to the 9/11 attacks.
“After 9/11, there was a lot of talk about a 'new Crusade,' there was anthrax going through the mail, and anything with Middle Eastern content, people were like, 'Kill this game,’" said Dyack in an interview with IGN. "So we had to rewrite it and just remove all that stuff. There was nothing negative towards anyone. It was just a historical perspective about a fantasy game. So we would have made the launch of the GameCube. We were on target, but we had to rewrite several stories in the game.
Cult classic horror game Eternal Darkness missed its release window due to concerns that emerged following the 9/11 attacks.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is one of the greatest horror games ever made, but according to Denis Dyack (former president of Eternal Darkness developer Silicon Knights) the game's road to becoming a cult classic was delayed due to the 9/11 attacks.
“After 9/11, there was a lot of talk about a 'new Crusade,' there was anthrax going through the mail, and anything with Middle Eastern content, people were like, 'Kill this game,’" said Dyack in an interview with IGN. "So we had to rewrite it and just remove all that stuff. There was nothing negative towards anyone. It was just a historical perspective about a fantasy game. So we would have made the launch of the GameCube. We were on target, but we had to rewrite several stories in the game.
- 5/8/2019
- Den of Geek
Matthew Byrd Mar 26, 2019
Eternal Darkness creator Denis Dyack returns to gaming with Deadhaus Sonata.
Denis Dyack - the creator of Eternal Darkness and Legacy of Kain - has announced his next project, Deadhaus Sonata.
Deadhaus Sonata is a multiplayer action-rpg set in a gothic horror universe. Despite the tone of its universe, though, it doesn't sound like scaring the player will be the title's main objective. While the game's intentions still aren't entirely clear, we do know that it will utilize Amazon’s Lumberyard technology, will be a free-to-play title, and will be released on PC with future console releases currently listed as a possibility.
What we can tell you for sure is that Dyack isn't shy about comparing Sonata to his previous games.
“We are combining elements of many of my past games into Deadhaus Sonata,” said Dyack in an interview with IGN. "Deadhaus Sonata is a cooperative multiplayer,...
Eternal Darkness creator Denis Dyack returns to gaming with Deadhaus Sonata.
Denis Dyack - the creator of Eternal Darkness and Legacy of Kain - has announced his next project, Deadhaus Sonata.
Deadhaus Sonata is a multiplayer action-rpg set in a gothic horror universe. Despite the tone of its universe, though, it doesn't sound like scaring the player will be the title's main objective. While the game's intentions still aren't entirely clear, we do know that it will utilize Amazon’s Lumberyard technology, will be a free-to-play title, and will be released on PC with future console releases currently listed as a possibility.
What we can tell you for sure is that Dyack isn't shy about comparing Sonata to his previous games.
“We are combining elements of many of my past games into Deadhaus Sonata,” said Dyack in an interview with IGN. "Deadhaus Sonata is a cooperative multiplayer,...
- 10/30/2018
- Den of Geek
GameCube survival horror classic Eternal Darkness might - just might - be getting a sequel, as Nintendo renews its trademark...
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is the very definition of a videogame cult classic. Released in 2002 to relatively slow sales, the game brought a Lovecraftian sense of dread to the GameCube, with dark ancient gods and a story that takes place over the course of 2000 years.
Positive noises from creator Denis Dyack led to the hopes of a sequel in the years that followed, but those ultimately came to nothing. But Nintendo's never quite given up on the Eternal Darkness property altogether; even when Silicon Knights, the studio responsible for the game, went belly up in 2013, Nintendo has continued to renew the Eternal Darkness trademark.
According to this document, Nintendo of America extended its hold on the Eternal Darkness IP on the 22nd May, citing an "ongoing effort" in "product or service research or development.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is the very definition of a videogame cult classic. Released in 2002 to relatively slow sales, the game brought a Lovecraftian sense of dread to the GameCube, with dark ancient gods and a story that takes place over the course of 2000 years.
Positive noises from creator Denis Dyack led to the hopes of a sequel in the years that followed, but those ultimately came to nothing. But Nintendo's never quite given up on the Eternal Darkness property altogether; even when Silicon Knights, the studio responsible for the game, went belly up in 2013, Nintendo has continued to renew the Eternal Darkness trademark.
According to this document, Nintendo of America extended its hold on the Eternal Darkness IP on the 22nd May, citing an "ongoing effort" in "product or service research or development.
- 5/26/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Precursor Games has announced that Shadow of the Eternals, the self-proclaimed spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness, is officially no longer in development.
Denis Dyack, Precursor’s chief creative officer, made the announcement in a post on the company’s forums, which reads in part:
“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to put the Shadow of the Eternals project on hold. We are very happy with what we have accomplished both as a group and with the community. The community has blown us away and was the one thing that kept us going through it all – we cannot thank you enough.”
“Many of us will be taking a break. For those who are not aware, we all worked on this project as a labor of love and self financed 100% of everything for a over a year to try to make Shadow of the Eternals a reality. Although...
Denis Dyack, Precursor’s chief creative officer, made the announcement in a post on the company’s forums, which reads in part:
“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to put the Shadow of the Eternals project on hold. We are very happy with what we have accomplished both as a group and with the community. The community has blown us away and was the one thing that kept us going through it all – we cannot thank you enough.”
“Many of us will be taking a break. For those who are not aware, we all worked on this project as a labor of love and self financed 100% of everything for a over a year to try to make Shadow of the Eternals a reality. Although...
- 9/30/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
The second Kickstarter campaign to fund the development of Shadow of the Eternals has officially failed. Precursor Games was asking for $750,000 in crowdfunding for their self-proclaimed “spiritual successor” to Eternal Darkness, but the campaign ran out of time with just $323,950 pledged from 5,932 backers.
After shutting down both of their original crowdfunding efforts for Shadow of the Eternals on June 6th, Precursor Games relaunched the second Kickstarter (this time asking for half of their original $1.5 million goal) on July 25th. The first two days of the rebooted campaign gained over 3,000 backers and over $120,000 in pledges, however, things quickly fell apart after the first week and the campaign basically stalled out at 30% by the halfway point.
Crowdfunding for Shadow of the Eternals has been an uphill battle ever since it was first revealed last May. Initially, many were concerned about Denis Dyack’s involvement with the studio and the project. This aspect...
After shutting down both of their original crowdfunding efforts for Shadow of the Eternals on June 6th, Precursor Games relaunched the second Kickstarter (this time asking for half of their original $1.5 million goal) on July 25th. The first two days of the rebooted campaign gained over 3,000 backers and over $120,000 in pledges, however, things quickly fell apart after the first week and the campaign basically stalled out at 30% by the halfway point.
Crowdfunding for Shadow of the Eternals has been an uphill battle ever since it was first revealed last May. Initially, many were concerned about Denis Dyack’s involvement with the studio and the project. This aspect...
- 8/24/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
We're about a month out from the release of "GTA V" and developer Rockstar isn't slowing down with the reveals from their latest open world action game. This time out: new screenshots have made their way onto the Rockstar Games site, showing anti-heroes Michael and Trevor getting ready to do some crimes. Also: wallpapers!
We've collected some of the screens below, but the news that really piqued our interest today was a report from hardware maker Nvidia which points to a PC version of "GTA V" being available this fall. In a financial call with investors last week, Nvidia Senior Director of Investor Relations Chris Evende detailed some of the titles gamers could expect on the PC this fall including "Call of Duty: Ghosts," "Assassin's Creed IV," and the as-of-yet unannounced "GTA V."
Again, Rockstar Games hasn't made an official announcement about "GTA V" coming to the PC or any...
We've collected some of the screens below, but the news that really piqued our interest today was a report from hardware maker Nvidia which points to a PC version of "GTA V" being available this fall. In a financial call with investors last week, Nvidia Senior Director of Investor Relations Chris Evende detailed some of the titles gamers could expect on the PC this fall including "Call of Duty: Ghosts," "Assassin's Creed IV," and the as-of-yet unannounced "GTA V."
Again, Rockstar Games hasn't made an official announcement about "GTA V" coming to the PC or any...
- 8/13/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
By Miguel Concepcion
Precursor Games' Denis Dyack (formerly of Silicon Knights) recently met up with us to reintroduce his studio's spiritual successor to their Gamecube cult hit, 'Eternal Darkness'. Titled 'Shadow of the Eternals', Precursor's Kickstarter for the game has 14 days left to reach its goal of $750,000. Looking at the higher pledge rewards, the idea of paying Precursor Games to be a product spokesman sounds unusual, but then again, some fans have already made such pledges. Moreover, the game has gotten endorsements from the likes of Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka and voice actor David Hayter, who also happens to play a detective in the game.
To give you a better idea of what 'Shadow of the Eternals' is about, we asked Denis to give us an overview while the game's video demo played:
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Dominic Monaghan Is Ready For Duty...
Precursor Games' Denis Dyack (formerly of Silicon Knights) recently met up with us to reintroduce his studio's spiritual successor to their Gamecube cult hit, 'Eternal Darkness'. Titled 'Shadow of the Eternals', Precursor's Kickstarter for the game has 14 days left to reach its goal of $750,000. Looking at the higher pledge rewards, the idea of paying Precursor Games to be a product spokesman sounds unusual, but then again, some fans have already made such pledges. Moreover, the game has gotten endorsements from the likes of Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka and voice actor David Hayter, who also happens to play a detective in the game.
To give you a better idea of what 'Shadow of the Eternals' is about, we asked Denis to give us an overview while the game's video demo played:
Related posts:
'PlayStation All-Stars' Arrives On iOS To Pimp Coke Zero
Dominic Monaghan Is Ready For Duty...
- 8/12/2013
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
As promised, Precursor Games officially launched their second Kickstarter campaign for Shadow of the Eternals today. In doing so the group of former Silicon Knights employees have unquestionably proved that it will take a whole lot more than Denis Dyack’s baggage, two failed crowdfunding efforts, and a few child pornography charges to stop the studio from potentially infringing on Nintendo’s Eternal Darkness sanity meter gameplay trademark.
The premise behind Shadow of the Eternals is basically the same as it was the first time around (Precursor is selling it as a spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness, that will “span thousands of years of history,” and shatter players’ perception of reality “as they try to balance the mechanics of combat, magick, and exploration as they progress through the adventure”), however, there are a few notable differences in the new Kickstarter campaign.
First, Precursor has overhauled the entire scope of the...
The premise behind Shadow of the Eternals is basically the same as it was the first time around (Precursor is selling it as a spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness, that will “span thousands of years of history,” and shatter players’ perception of reality “as they try to balance the mechanics of combat, magick, and exploration as they progress through the adventure”), however, there are a few notable differences in the new Kickstarter campaign.
First, Precursor has overhauled the entire scope of the...
- 7/25/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
Precursor Games has announced that they will launch their second Kickstarter attempt for Shadow of the Eternals — the self-proclaimed spiritual successor to the classic GameCube horror title, Eternal Darkness — on July 25th.
The Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter re-launch actually represents the third (fourth if you count Silicon Knights’ rumored effort to find a publisher for Eternal Darkness 2) attempt that Precursor Games has made at getting the necessary funds to develop the game. Their original self-run crowdfunding campaign was shut down alongside the first Kickstarter effort on June 6th. Officially, the campaigns were pulled after “a host of new exciting opportunities that will make the game better” were discovered. However, the reality of the situation is that the campaign had only met 9% of its $1.35 million goal, and there was only two weeks left before the deadline.
Shadow of the Eternals has faced an uphill funding battle ever since it was first revealed last May.
The Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter re-launch actually represents the third (fourth if you count Silicon Knights’ rumored effort to find a publisher for Eternal Darkness 2) attempt that Precursor Games has made at getting the necessary funds to develop the game. Their original self-run crowdfunding campaign was shut down alongside the first Kickstarter effort on June 6th. Officially, the campaigns were pulled after “a host of new exciting opportunities that will make the game better” were discovered. However, the reality of the situation is that the campaign had only met 9% of its $1.35 million goal, and there was only two weeks left before the deadline.
Shadow of the Eternals has faced an uphill funding battle ever since it was first revealed last May.
- 7/15/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
Kenneth McCulloch, a long time Silicon Knights employee and a founding member of Precursor Games (the company behind the recently suspended Shadow of the Eternals crowdfunding campaign), has been arrested and is facing multiple child pornography charges.
Ken McCullock (pictured above) was arrested after an investigation dating back to April 2013 resulted in the execution of a search warrant on a St. Catharines, Ontario home on June 27th. According to a report from Niagara Regional Police Service, a “significant number of computer systems and peripheral devices were seized as evidence” during the raid. The 42-year-old McCulloch is currently being held in custody on “one count each of Possession of Child Pornography, Making Child Pornography Available, and Accessing Child Pornography.”
After learning of the charges against McCulloch, Paul Caporicci (CEO of Precursor Games) issued the following statement on the company’s forums:
“Having just learned of these disturbing charges today and based...
Ken McCullock (pictured above) was arrested after an investigation dating back to April 2013 resulted in the execution of a search warrant on a St. Catharines, Ontario home on June 27th. According to a report from Niagara Regional Police Service, a “significant number of computer systems and peripheral devices were seized as evidence” during the raid. The 42-year-old McCulloch is currently being held in custody on “one count each of Possession of Child Pornography, Making Child Pornography Available, and Accessing Child Pornography.”
After learning of the charges against McCulloch, Paul Caporicci (CEO of Precursor Games) issued the following statement on the company’s forums:
“Having just learned of these disturbing charges today and based...
- 6/29/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
Precursor Games has announced that they will be “temporarily” shutting down both the Kickstarter campaign and their own crowdfunding effort for Shadow of the Eternals on June 6th, and will re-launch a new Kickstarter for the game in the coming weeks.
The studio’s CEO, Paul Caporicci, made the announcement in a Campaign Update on their website today, adding that “not a single dime’ will be removed from supporters’ Kickstarter accounts and all donations made directly to them will be fully refunded via PayPal.
According to the post, the decision to end both crowdfunding campaigns was made after “a host of new exciting opportunities that will make the game better” were suddenly discovered. Precursor Games did not explain how any of these “opportunities” justified the decision to end the current Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter campaign, or the need to re-launch it in a few weeks.
Shadow of the Eternals...
The studio’s CEO, Paul Caporicci, made the announcement in a Campaign Update on their website today, adding that “not a single dime’ will be removed from supporters’ Kickstarter accounts and all donations made directly to them will be fully refunded via PayPal.
According to the post, the decision to end both crowdfunding campaigns was made after “a host of new exciting opportunities that will make the game better” were suddenly discovered. Precursor Games did not explain how any of these “opportunities” justified the decision to end the current Shadow of the Eternals Kickstarter campaign, or the need to re-launch it in a few weeks.
Shadow of the Eternals...
- 6/4/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
As promised, Denis Dyack and Precursor Games have posted a lengthy video response to the allegations made against Silicon Knights and Dyack in the October 2012 Kotaku article.
The first question that Denis Dyack tackles in the 34-minute video is why he waited until after the Shadow of the Eternals crowdfunding campaign started before responding to all the damaging allegations made in the Kotaku article. Dyack’s main response to this question reads in part:
“From my perspective, let me be clear on the position. When I first saw this article I believed because there was not a single credible source, where nothing could be verified, that anyone would actually believe this.”
“I knew what they were saying, and the accusations about me embezzling money from Activision and being terrible to people were not true. But, I never really thought that people would believe it. But, from my perspective, now that I look at it,...
The first question that Denis Dyack tackles in the 34-minute video is why he waited until after the Shadow of the Eternals crowdfunding campaign started before responding to all the damaging allegations made in the Kotaku article. Dyack’s main response to this question reads in part:
“From my perspective, let me be clear on the position. When I first saw this article I believed because there was not a single credible source, where nothing could be verified, that anyone would actually believe this.”
“I knew what they were saying, and the accusations about me embezzling money from Activision and being terrible to people were not true. But, I never really thought that people would believe it. But, from my perspective, now that I look at it,...
- 5/20/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
From the moment that Precursor Games announced their crowdfunding campaign for Shadow of the Eternals the project has been derailed somewhat by the studio’s decision to have Denis Dyack act as the game’s creative lead.
Dyack’s involvement with Shadow of the Eternals brings with it a ton of questions and baggage that basically stems from two related sources. The first is the fact that his last two titles (Too Human and X-Men: Destiny) dramatically failed to meet consumer expectations. The second, and more troubling, issue comes from an October 2012 Kotaku article titled “What went wrong with Silicon Knights’ X-Men: Destiny?”
The Kotaku article is based on accounts from several anonymous former-Silicon Knights employees, and paints a pretty grim picture of exactly how the studio fell apart after releasing Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for the Nintendo GameCube. The article contains...
Dyack’s involvement with Shadow of the Eternals brings with it a ton of questions and baggage that basically stems from two related sources. The first is the fact that his last two titles (Too Human and X-Men: Destiny) dramatically failed to meet consumer expectations. The second, and more troubling, issue comes from an October 2012 Kotaku article titled “What went wrong with Silicon Knights’ X-Men: Destiny?”
The Kotaku article is based on accounts from several anonymous former-Silicon Knights employees, and paints a pretty grim picture of exactly how the studio fell apart after releasing Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for the Nintendo GameCube. The article contains...
- 5/16/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
Precursor Games Focuses On Shadow Of The Eternals Kickstarter, As New Silicon Knights Details Emerge
Precursor Games has announced that they have shifted their Shadow of the Eternals crowdfunding efforts from their self-run campaign to Kickstarter. At the same time, some interesting new details have emerged about Silicon Knights, the Eternal Darkness IP, and all those computers that Precursor Games “bought” from Sk last July.
Shawn Jackson, Precursor Games’ Chief Operating Officer, announced the focus shift to Kickstarter in a video posted on the Shadow of the Eternals website, saying:
“Now we are going to be solely focusing on Kickstarter. If we reach our goal via Kickstarter, Shadow of the Eternals will happen. We will have reached our goal to release, or start development of, the pilot episode. And, get it out to everyone so that they can play.”
The website itself has been updated to reflect this change in crowdfunding focus, however, it is unclear exactly how Precursor Games will handle past and future...
Shawn Jackson, Precursor Games’ Chief Operating Officer, announced the focus shift to Kickstarter in a video posted on the Shadow of the Eternals website, saying:
“Now we are going to be solely focusing on Kickstarter. If we reach our goal via Kickstarter, Shadow of the Eternals will happen. We will have reached our goal to release, or start development of, the pilot episode. And, get it out to everyone so that they can play.”
The website itself has been updated to reflect this change in crowdfunding focus, however, it is unclear exactly how Precursor Games will handle past and future...
- 5/15/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
To celebrate the start of Precursor Games’ second week of crowdfunding for the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, the studio (which is totally not connected to Silicon Knights in any way that can be proven in a court of law, so take that Epic Games!) has launched a second Shadows of the Eternals crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
Precursor Games CEO Paul Caporicci made the Kickstarter announcement on Shadows of the Eternals‘ original self-run crowdfunding website, claiming that the second effort was started due to “overwhelming popular demand.” He also noted that the new Kickstarter campaign (which ends on June 19, 2013) will not replace the existing campaign for your money, but will “run in parallel” with it.
Last week the company claimed that the reason why they chose not to go with Kickstarter in the first place was due to the studio not having a presence in the U.
Precursor Games CEO Paul Caporicci made the Kickstarter announcement on Shadows of the Eternals‘ original self-run crowdfunding website, claiming that the second effort was started due to “overwhelming popular demand.” He also noted that the new Kickstarter campaign (which ends on June 19, 2013) will not replace the existing campaign for your money, but will “run in parallel” with it.
Last week the company claimed that the reason why they chose not to go with Kickstarter in the first place was due to the studio not having a presence in the U.
- 5/13/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
Details are still coming out and being pieced together, but it is starting to appear that much in the same way that Shadow of the Eternals is a “spiritual successor” to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Precursor Games (the project’s developer) is a bit of a “spiritual successor” to the almost-defunct Silicon Knights.
Officially (and more important legally), Precursor Games “has no connection to Silicon Knights,” the company’s CEO Paul Caporicci told Polygon. According to Caporicci, the studio is “a completely separate and independent entity [from Sk] and always [has] been.” This is important to point out, because if Precursor was associated with Silicon Knights it could put the studio on the hook for $4.45 million in damages owned to Epic Games and another $4 million in loans that were backed by Ontario’s Federal Economic Development Agency.
While there may be no legal connection between Precursor Games and Silicon Knights (and their...
Officially (and more important legally), Precursor Games “has no connection to Silicon Knights,” the company’s CEO Paul Caporicci told Polygon. According to Caporicci, the studio is “a completely separate and independent entity [from Sk] and always [has] been.” This is important to point out, because if Precursor was associated with Silicon Knights it could put the studio on the hook for $4.45 million in damages owned to Epic Games and another $4 million in loans that were backed by Ontario’s Federal Economic Development Agency.
While there may be no legal connection between Precursor Games and Silicon Knights (and their...
- 5/10/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
There is no doubt that the sudden appearance of Precursor Games’ Shadow of the Eternals last week has stirred up some mixed emotions within the gaming community. On the one hand, the very thought of a spiritual successor to the GameCube classic Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is more than enough to open up wallets for Precursor’s crowdfunding campaign. On the other hand, there is Denis Dyack.
Apparently, Denis Dyack’s role as creative lead on Shadow of the Eternals has resulted in so much angst from gamers, that Precursor CEO Paul Caporicci has updated the project’s website with a note defending the decision to bring Silicon Knight’s president (and last remaining employee) on board.
“As many people can relate, being laid off is an emotionally distressing experience. When this happened to me, I was determined to turn this toward more positive ends. I began reaching out...
Apparently, Denis Dyack’s role as creative lead on Shadow of the Eternals has resulted in so much angst from gamers, that Precursor CEO Paul Caporicci has updated the project’s website with a note defending the decision to bring Silicon Knight’s president (and last remaining employee) on board.
“As many people can relate, being laid off is an emotionally distressing experience. When this happened to me, I was determined to turn this toward more positive ends. I began reaching out...
- 5/9/2013
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
If there's a co-op mode that requires constant, almost obsessive communication, it's the one in "Splinter Cell: Blacklist." In my time with attempting to secure nukes on an Islamabad military base, I found myself relying on the voice chat in "Blacklist" co-op more than I have traditionally in cooperative modes in other games. Chalk it up to the deliberate pace and a mission which required me and my partner (a fellow journalist getting his hands on the co-op for the first time) to call our shots, pick our targets deliberately, and most importantly, never once alert the guards.
Even with an instant fail state after being detected, even after dying a dozen or so times because my partner or I neglected to pay attention to our corners, the co-op in "Blacklist" on display at the recent preview event makes me wish Ubisoft had found a way to create an entire campaign around the mode.
Even with an instant fail state after being detected, even after dying a dozen or so times because my partner or I neglected to pay attention to our corners, the co-op in "Blacklist" on display at the recent preview event makes me wish Ubisoft had found a way to create an entire campaign around the mode.
- 5/7/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Let's get the snark out of the way up front: it's like the two evil empires have united, right?
Disney and EA have entered into an agreement where the latter will develop and publish games based on storylines and characters set in the "Star Wars" universe, with "Dead Space" developer Visceral and "Battlefield" developer Dice tapped to make a "Star Wars" titles. Also, BioWare might be up to something.
The press release simply says that BioWare "continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise," and presumably that's referring to "The Old Republic" and another pitches/concepts that might be on the table set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Visceral and Dice announcements are slightly more concrete, with EA and Disney tapping the two studios to make some undetermined amount of games, presumably for consoles and the PC.
Discussing this with my colleague Clint Mize,...
Disney and EA have entered into an agreement where the latter will develop and publish games based on storylines and characters set in the "Star Wars" universe, with "Dead Space" developer Visceral and "Battlefield" developer Dice tapped to make a "Star Wars" titles. Also, BioWare might be up to something.
The press release simply says that BioWare "continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise," and presumably that's referring to "The Old Republic" and another pitches/concepts that might be on the table set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The Visceral and Dice announcements are slightly more concrete, with EA and Disney tapping the two studios to make some undetermined amount of games, presumably for consoles and the PC.
Discussing this with my colleague Clint Mize,...
- 5/6/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
The ultimate downfall and dissolution of Silicon Knights is one of the uglier stories out of the business side of gaming in the last few years. Rumors of mismanagement alongside actual terrible games and a protracted lawsuit against Epic left the once-beloved developer a shell of itself. In all of the press surrounding those last days of Sk, Denis Dyack could be alternately seen as a visionary hustling to realize innovative game ideas or a huckster who misused resources to fob off a bad games to consumers in order to fund his grand visions.
The narrative out of Silicon Knights founder is that his latest endeavor, "Shadow of the Eternals" from the new studio Precursor Games, is a chance to work directly with the audience and fans in the creation of their next project, a followup to the Gamecube classic, "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem."
"Shadow of the Eternals" is being...
The narrative out of Silicon Knights founder is that his latest endeavor, "Shadow of the Eternals" from the new studio Precursor Games, is a chance to work directly with the audience and fans in the creation of their next project, a followup to the Gamecube classic, "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem."
"Shadow of the Eternals" is being...
- 5/6/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
On the offhand chance you wanted to pick up Silicon Knights' action-rpg this weekend, it looks like you're out of luck as Microsoft pulls it from their download service according to Eurogamer.
The 2008 release was pulled from the Games on Demand service, along with its associated content without explanation from Microsoft. Eurogamer's Wesley Yin-Poole questions whether this has to do with November's court ruling requiring Silicon Knights to destroy any games or code found to have exploited Epic's Unreal Engine. This seems to be more than likely the reason for "Too Human's" removal, but again, no one on any side of this issue is saying anything.
Curiously, the Activision-published "X-Men: Destiny," which was found to have appropriated Unreal tech in its development, is still available on the Games on Demand service for the highway robbery price of $39.99. Although Epic was ordered to destroy all copies of that game and code associated with it,...
The 2008 release was pulled from the Games on Demand service, along with its associated content without explanation from Microsoft. Eurogamer's Wesley Yin-Poole questions whether this has to do with November's court ruling requiring Silicon Knights to destroy any games or code found to have exploited Epic's Unreal Engine. This seems to be more than likely the reason for "Too Human's" removal, but again, no one on any side of this issue is saying anything.
Curiously, the Activision-published "X-Men: Destiny," which was found to have appropriated Unreal tech in its development, is still available on the Games on Demand service for the highway robbery price of $39.99. Although Epic was ordered to destroy all copies of that game and code associated with it,...
- 1/18/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
As the five-year court case between Epic Games and "Too Human" developer Silicon Knights winds down, it looks like the Denis Dyack's company's future is in doubt. After having to pay out $4.5 million back in May (and another $4.7 million in court fees) for breach of the Unreal licensing agreement, Silicon Knights will now have to destroy all code which used Epic's engine as well as initiating a complete recall of all unsold copies of "Too Human" and "X-Men: Destiny."
Keep in mind, this all stemmed from a suit Dyack brought against Epic, alleging insufficient support for the Unreal Engine while Silicon Knights was developing the action-rpg "Too Human." Epic countersued, maintaining that Silicon Knights was breaching the terms of the original licensing agreement for the code, accusing the Canadian developer of effectively re-compiling Unreal in their own proprietary engine.
In the judgement, handed down in a North Carolina court by District Judge James Dever,...
Keep in mind, this all stemmed from a suit Dyack brought against Epic, alleging insufficient support for the Unreal Engine while Silicon Knights was developing the action-rpg "Too Human." Epic countersued, maintaining that Silicon Knights was breaching the terms of the original licensing agreement for the code, accusing the Canadian developer of effectively re-compiling Unreal in their own proprietary engine.
In the judgement, handed down in a North Carolina court by District Judge James Dever,...
- 11/12/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
The good news: according to a Kotaku report, Silicon Knights was actively developing a follow-up to the acclaimed Gamecube-era horror title. The bad news: it was part of the collateral damage in what ex Silicon Knights employees are saying was the disastrous development of last year's X-Men: Destiny.
Eternal Darkness II was being developed in parallel with the Marvel license, at the time severely splitting the the resources at Silicon Knights. The picture painted by the Kotaku piece is of a Silicon Knights' founder Denis Dyack robbing Peter to pay Paul--in this case, using the resources publisher Activision supplied for the development of X-Men: Destiny to quietly develop Eternal Darkness 2, which he hoped to shop out to potential publishers. According to one unnamed source, Silicon Knights would quietly pull team members off of X-Men: Destiny to work on a demo for Eternal Darkness 2 for potential publishers, leaving Xmd without any...
Eternal Darkness II was being developed in parallel with the Marvel license, at the time severely splitting the the resources at Silicon Knights. The picture painted by the Kotaku piece is of a Silicon Knights' founder Denis Dyack robbing Peter to pay Paul--in this case, using the resources publisher Activision supplied for the development of X-Men: Destiny to quietly develop Eternal Darkness 2, which he hoped to shop out to potential publishers. According to one unnamed source, Silicon Knights would quietly pull team members off of X-Men: Destiny to work on a demo for Eternal Darkness 2 for potential publishers, leaving Xmd without any...
- 10/29/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
It seems that these days you can’t go for long until someone else from within the games industry tries to attack second hand games and point out how they’re going to be death knell of the big game companies. The most recent crusade against this evil comes from Denis Dyack from developer Silicon Knights who claims that used games threaten the health of the industry.
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz Dyack says that,
“There used to be something in games for 20 years called a tail, where say you have a game called Warcraft that would sell for 10 years. Because there are no used games, you could actually sell a game for a long time, and get recurring revenue for quite a while. Recurring revenue is very key. If used games continue the way that they are, it’s going to cannibalize, there’s not going to be an industry.
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz Dyack says that,
“There used to be something in games for 20 years called a tail, where say you have a game called Warcraft that would sell for 10 years. Because there are no used games, you could actually sell a game for a long time, and get recurring revenue for quite a while. Recurring revenue is very key. If used games continue the way that they are, it’s going to cannibalize, there’s not going to be an industry.
- 3/29/2012
- by Corey Milne
- Obsessed with Film
Silicon Knights has hinted that its next game may be a follow-up to Eternal Darkness. In an interview with GamesIndustry, studio head Denis Dyack commented that it is currently working on a game for the next generation of systems that has been highly requested by fans. "We're really excited and we're working on our next generation stuff. We're working on an IP that's our most requested and we're really excited about that," he said. The intellectual properties that Silicon Knights is best known for are Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Too Human and Eternal Darkness: Sanity's (more)...
- 3/27/2012
- by By Scott Nichols
- Digital Spy
From BigGameHunter, Sneak Peek the new video clip "X-Men: Destiny: Behind The Scenes at Silicon Knights", following Denis Dyack and the team at developer Silicon Knights, as they explain how they created the upcoming "X-Men" video game.
"X-Men: Destiny", developed for publisher Activision, is scheduled to be released in North America, September 27, 2011.
The branching storyline is written by Marvel Comics' Mike Carey, allowing players ultimate control over their character's destiny :
"...players control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction, customizing the path, powers and development of their character.
"Players can also decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest 'X-Men' franchise characters, including 'Magneto', 'Cyclops', 'Wolverine' and 'Gambit'.
"Gamers will evolve their mutant skills in unique ways and engage in fast and furious combat, spectacular combo-driven attacks and rewarding finishing...
"X-Men: Destiny", developed for publisher Activision, is scheduled to be released in North America, September 27, 2011.
The branching storyline is written by Marvel Comics' Mike Carey, allowing players ultimate control over their character's destiny :
"...players control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction, customizing the path, powers and development of their character.
"Players can also decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest 'X-Men' franchise characters, including 'Magneto', 'Cyclops', 'Wolverine' and 'Gambit'.
"Gamers will evolve their mutant skills in unique ways and engage in fast and furious combat, spectacular combo-driven attacks and rewarding finishing...
- 8/31/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Everyone has one. That one game that they think needs more to be done in that universe, either via a remake or sequel. We all know of the hordes of fans calling for a certain RPG to be remade.
Instead, here we will look at only a small selection of brilliant examples in gaming. By no means is this the ultimate list, as gaming is all relative, but see what you think. Take note, some titles didn’t make the list as sequels have already been announced.
So here are What Culture’s Top 8 games that deserve sequels.
8. Chaos Legion
Released back in 2003 for the PS2, Chaos Legion was based on the first of a series of books. The storyline was twisted, and in honesty I didn’t follow the storyline as much as I ran about making good use of the games combat system, but it was a fun game.
Instead, here we will look at only a small selection of brilliant examples in gaming. By no means is this the ultimate list, as gaming is all relative, but see what you think. Take note, some titles didn’t make the list as sequels have already been announced.
So here are What Culture’s Top 8 games that deserve sequels.
8. Chaos Legion
Released back in 2003 for the PS2, Chaos Legion was based on the first of a series of books. The storyline was twisted, and in honesty I didn’t follow the storyline as much as I ran about making good use of the games combat system, but it was a fun game.
- 8/4/2011
- by Harriet Jones
- Obsessed with Film
[Editor's note: This "Immersion" article is the second in a three-part feature about the innovative role that video games have played in pushing ahead the medium. You can read the first, which examines the impact of Valve's Portal video game, here. -- Patrick]
Silicon Knights, based in St. Catharines, Ontario, is a relatively young (its founding was in 1992) and small (consisting of roughly 150 employees) developer, but it is not too much of an exaggeration to say that it’s been one of the most influential over the past decade-and-a-half, as well. It is the creator and champion of smaller titles with high production values – the videogame equivalent of Miramax, though the pre-Disney version from the '80s and early '90s, and without the Weinstein-fueled, vitriolic theatrics of megalomania. Games such as the PlayStation's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) or, more especially, the GameCube's Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002), a cult classic rivaling Dark City in quality of construction and obsessive allegiance of its fanbase, have not only stood the test of time as solidly replayable experiences, but have also historically been at the forefront of interactive storytelling, to boot. (It was such qualities,...
Silicon Knights, based in St. Catharines, Ontario, is a relatively young (its founding was in 1992) and small (consisting of roughly 150 employees) developer, but it is not too much of an exaggeration to say that it’s been one of the most influential over the past decade-and-a-half, as well. It is the creator and champion of smaller titles with high production values – the videogame equivalent of Miramax, though the pre-Disney version from the '80s and early '90s, and without the Weinstein-fueled, vitriolic theatrics of megalomania. Games such as the PlayStation's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) or, more especially, the GameCube's Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002), a cult classic rivaling Dark City in quality of construction and obsessive allegiance of its fanbase, have not only stood the test of time as solidly replayable experiences, but have also historically been at the forefront of interactive storytelling, to boot. (It was such qualities,...
- 1/11/2011
- by msunyata
- Corona's Coming Attractions
The Canadian Government has shelled out a whopping 4 million dollars to gaming company Silicon Knights (who were the company behind Too Human, an XBox 360 game released in 2008), which may lead more game developers to think that Canada is becoming the gaming development capital.
The move, announced by local MP Rick Dykstra, was made at the steps of the company’s office in Saint Catherines. Silicon Knights was jubilant over the development (who wouldn’t be?) and said that all the money will be poured into their next title, and that the money from the government immediately created positions for 65 more jobs within the company. Company President Denis Dyack said several things about their sudden increase in funding:
“This is going to benefit Silicon Knights in ways that are profound and long-lasting. We are blown away and we’re happy with the support we’re getting, it is something that couldn...
The move, announced by local MP Rick Dykstra, was made at the steps of the company’s office in Saint Catherines. Silicon Knights was jubilant over the development (who wouldn’t be?) and said that all the money will be poured into their next title, and that the money from the government immediately created positions for 65 more jobs within the company. Company President Denis Dyack said several things about their sudden increase in funding:
“This is going to benefit Silicon Knights in ways that are profound and long-lasting. We are blown away and we’re happy with the support we’re getting, it is something that couldn...
- 4/13/2010
- by John Jacques
- GameRant
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