darkworks posts

3D gaming is supposedly the next big thing, according to a number of pundits. But the kind of 3D gaming that's being pushed by Nvidia's 3D Vision technology requires special graphics cards, monitors and expensive glasses. Another company, Darkworks, has been pushing their own solution, TriOviz, which requires no special hardware on the PC side and only the ultra-cheap red-blue 3D glasses for the gamer.

This week Epic Games announced that TriOviz's 3D gaming software will be offered for all licensees of its Unreal Engine 3 game development tools starting in November. Since Unreal Engine 3 is used by so many developers and games that could mean 3D gaming on the PC could be getting a big boost. The TriOviz tech has already been used in the Unreal Engine 3-based game Batman Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition.

The DRM-free web site GoG.com continues to add older games from publisher Atari to its line-up. Today the site has added the survival horror game Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare to its library of PC titles. This is not the more recent game in the long running series but the 2001 released title from developer Darkworks.

As with the other games in the series, this title has Edward Carnby as its main character as he tries to avenge the murder of a colleague via a visit to Shadow Island. And with a name like that, we are sure that the island has peaceful spas, relaxing pools and a attentive wait staff. Heh, we are kidding; there are lots of monsters to deal with. The game can be purchased and downloaded from GoG.com for $5.99.

Nvidia has been pushing its 3D Vision technology for 3D PC gaming for a while now. The problem with their set-up, though, is that it requires a compatible 3D capable monitor and expensive shutter 3D glasses. Now game developer Darkworks (who developed the survival horror game Cold Fear a few years ago) has announced at GDC 2010 their plans for Trioviz, a software wrapper that can convert any 2D game into a 3D experience. The technology does not require a special 3D monitor and the effect can be seen with passive (and cheap) 3D glasses.

Our sister site Engadget got to see the technology demoed at GDC 2010. Their verdict? "Not bad." They state, "We could very clearly see the 3D effect, and even though it was subtle, it definitely enhanced our experience." We are betting that a lot of game developers could be interested in using this tech for their own games.

Last time Ubisoft announced the release date plans for I Am Alive, the disaster-themed action game was being delayed to sometime in the publisher's 2010-2011 fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2010. Now IGN is reporting another delay that will keep the game from being released until sometime in the next fiscal year that begins on April 1, 2011.

The game was first announced in July 2008 but has had a troubled development history. In 2009, Ubisoft made a game change and pulled the title away from its original developer Darkworks. Now under development at their internal Shanghai studio, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated during this week's financial conference call, "It will use the Splinter Cell engine. We think it can become a very good quality product."

Darkworks, the French-based game developer who made the survival horror title Cold Fear for Ubisoft a few years ago, had been working on some time on the still mysterious disaster-action game I Am Alive. Now it appears that things are a-changin. While the game is still being made, Ubisoft has pulled Darkworks off the title.

A post on the Darkworks web site has the complete Ubisoft statement without any other comment: Here is is in full:

In order to respect the new launch date for this ambitious title, and Darkworks having other obligations, we have mutually decided to complete development of I Am Alive at Ubisoft Shanghai, as the two studios have collaborated on aspects of the title over the past year.

The team at Darkworks has respected its contractual obligations on the project and will be a part of the success of the game when it launches.

The sparse Darkworks web site gives no clues as the the "other obligations" mentioned in the Ubisoft statement. Originally planned for a March 2009 release date, I Am Alive is now scheduled for release sometime in Ubisoft's 2010 fiscal year which begins on April 1, 2009.

Ubisoft's upcoming release schedule has just thrown nearly everyone a curve ball as Eurogamer reports that the first person action game I Am Alive, previously thought of as a console exclusive, will also be coming to the PC. Even more bizarrely, Eurogamer reports the game will be coming out at the end of March.

I Am Alive was first revealed back in July at E3. The press was shown a CGI trailer to showcase the game's setting of a city that has been rocked by a massive disaster and one man's journey inside it. That's pretty much all the info Ubisoft has revealed about the game, which is being created by developer Darkworks (their last game was the survival horror title Cold Fear). Hopefully Ubisoft will step up the promotion of I Am Alive before its release.