icarus-studios posts

A while back it was announced that the Showtime TV series Dexter would get a PC game adaptation. At the time the PC port of the iPhone/iPod Touch game was supposed to be out by February 2009. Now, over two years later, that PC port is finally available.

The game itself is an adventure-puzzle title where you get to play everyone's favorite serial killer who kills other serial killers. The game from developer Icarus Studios features voice work by Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall, and also has a storyline from the TV series' executive producer and writer Tim Schlattmann. It's priced at $9.99.

It's never a good sign when a game developer announces some kind of "restructuring". Today that was the announcement made by Icarus Studios, the North Carolina-based co-developer (with Fallen Earth LLC) of the 2009 launched post-apocalypse MMO Fallen Earth. The official press release states that Icarus Studios revealed a "restructure of the company resources and staffing, effective immediately."

Usually a "restructuring" is a big code word for "layoffs". While specific numbers were not mentioned our sister site Massively reports on rumors that as many as 80 percent of the developer's team members may now no longer be with the company. A post on the game's official message board by a staff member states, "As of today, there are 28 core staff members plus customer support staff and GMs." Even with this move, the developer still plans to support and expand Fallen Earth, including an upcoming patch slated for release on May 7 that will add "Blood Sports" PvP to the game.

This week has been filled with Mac-based gaming news. First there was the official announcement of Valve porting its games and its Steam download client to the Mac. Then the possible prospect of porting Battlefield Bad Company 2 to the Mac was brought up by its developer. Now developer Icarus Studios has announced that their MMO platform has been ported to Mac OS X.

As a consequence, the MMO that uses their tech, the post-apocalypse themed game Fallen Earth, now has a free 10 day trial available to download now for the Mac which requires Intel-based Macintosh machines to work. The 5.1 GB client uses the Wine open source software to port the game to the Mac. Mac and PC players of Fallen Earth will be able to play in the same servers.

Earlier today we reported that publisher Apogee and Icarus Studios were planning to revive Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure, the comedy themed action-adventure game that was first announced in 2006 as the big gaming comeback of Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe. The game's original creator iBase Entertainment went under less than a year after the game's official announcement.

So is Al Lowe involved in any way with the new version of Sam Suede? Big Download contacted Lowe via his web site for comment and he emailed us back this statement: "This is the first I've heard of it. It's been four years since I was involved. I wonder who's going to finish the design and add the humor?" The last game Lowe was directly involved with that was actually released was Leisure Suit Larry: Love For Sail! back in 1996. Two revivals of that game franchise (Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude and Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust) were done without Lowe's involvement and both were critical and sales bombs. Big Download has attempted to contact the game's new PR contact for more info but so far we have not received any response to our inquires.

Games, it seems, don't die off . . they just stay in the fridge until someone thaws them out. Last week, we heard that a once canceled MMO, Gods and Heroes, was going back into production. Today we got word that another title that was once thought to be lost is making a comeback.

That game is Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure, a PC humor-themed action-adventure title that was first announced in 2006 by iBase Entertainment. The game was promoted as the return to gaming of Al Lowe, the creator of the original Leisure Suit Larry series. However only a few months later word came out that the game was being put on hold due to financial issues. Today it was announced that the game is being brought back by developer Icarus Studios, the makers of the MMO Fallen Earth, and publisher Apogee.

The press release makes no mention of the game's previous history or Al Lowe's involvement nor does it reveal a platform for the game. We hope to get more info on the title soon.

This client installs the post-apocalyptic online first-person shooter / role-playing game hybrid, Fallen Earth and allows you to play for free for 10 days. Visit the official website for more information about the game and to register an account. System requirements can be seen after the jump.

"Mankind teeters on the edge of extinction, clinging to the bones of the old world while trying to recover long forgotten secrets. The Grand Canyon is the last bastion of humanity. The Shiva virus, which wiped out nearly all of humanity, has left the survivors and subsequent generations altered. The virus caused mutations, some of which were benign, some malignant, and just some incredible.

It is your choice to either rise above the hardships of the post-apocalyptic world and rebuild what was lost or embrace the destruction and erase the corrupt world that remains"

Download Fallen Earth 10-Day Trial (502 MB)
Check out all Fallen Earth downloads

If you're still wondering what the recently launched MMO, Fallen Earth, is all about, then this video should give you some clues. Like with many RPG's, it all comes down to choice. Players can work towards rebuilding civilization, or they could step on some faces. Most will probably enjoy stepping on faces while rebuilding civilization in their own image.

"Mankind teeters on the edge of extinction, clinging to the bones of the old world while trying to recover long forgotten secrets. The Grand Canyon is the last bastion of humanity. The Shiva virus, which wiped out nearly all of humanity, has left the survivors and subsequent generations altered. The virus caused mutations, some of which were benign, some malignant, and just some incredible.

It is your choice to either rise above the hardships of the post-apocalyptic world and rebuild what was lost or embrace the destruction and erase the corrupt world that remains."

Download HD Fallen Earth 'Marketing Meeting' Trailer (97 MB)
Check out all Fallen Earth downloads

The upcoming post-apocalypse MMO Fallen Earth from developer Icarus Studios has been hit with yet another slight delay. Originally the game was due to be released on September 8 and then the game was pushed back to September 15.

Now a new post on the game's message board has revealed yet another delay, this time by yet another week to September 22. A quote from the game's development team gives a rather vague reason for the new delay, saying, "Our main focus is to make sure that Fallen Earth is easily accessible to as many fans as possible. We are working on initiatives that are near fruition and we simply need more time." If you have pre-ordered the game you will still gain access to the full version on September 9. With this latest delay Fallen Earth will be releases the same week as another MMO. NCsoft's Aion.

One of the many retail MMO products due for released in the next month has been delayed but only by six days from its originally announced release date. Fallen Earth, the post-apocalyptic MMO from developer Icarus Studios, was to have shipped to stores on September 9 but will now be released on September 15. According to a note on the game's official web site, the delay was needed "to continue work on server and client optimizations as well as graphic improvements."

As we mentioned the next month will be full of MMO game launches. On August 25, Vogster Entertainment launches CrimeCraft via download and in Best Buy stores. On September 1, Atari and Cryptic Studios launch Champions Online. Fallen Earth is now set for September 15 and on September 22 comes NCsoft's long awaited fantasy MMO Aion.

We've been reporting a lot about closed beta tests and open betas for various games. Today we have one more to report on for all of you lovely people. The upcoming post-apocalypse MMO Fallen Earth from developer Icarus Games plans to launch its open beta this Monday, August 17. You will be able to register for the open beta on the Fileplanet site beginning on Friday.

Also, folks who pre-order the game now on Direct2Drive get automatic access into the open beta as well as a special in-game mount, the Wasteland Runner. They also get a five day head start on the launch of the final game before everyone else comes in to play on September 8.