leisure-suit-larry posts

Earlier week we reported that Sarien.net, a web site that offered free browser-based versions of classic Sierra Online adventure games, was shut down after nearly two years after those game's current IP owners Activision sent a "cease and desist" order to the owner of the site, Martin Kool. Now Kool has posted up word that most of those games will be coming back to the site after a deal was arranged between Kool and Activision.

In short Sarien.net will be allowed to offer up HTML5-based versions of the Sierra Online games that Activision currently owns with links to purchase the downloadable PC games via Steam and other outlets provided on the site as well. The only games that won't be a part of the deal, at least at the moment, is the Leisure Suit Larry games as Activision sold the rights to that franchise to Codemasters. Kool has already sent a request to Codemasters to arrange for a similar deal but so far there's been no response. There's no word on when exactly the games will be back online at Sarien.net.

Last week, we reported that a revival of the once canceled action-adventure game Sam Suede would go on, at least for now, without any involvement from the game's original writer Al Lowe. Lowe's most famous game creation, the highly funny and adult Leisure Suit Larry series, was one of the most popular adventure game series of all time when Lowe was in charge but after 1996's seventh game Leisure Suit Larry: Love For Sail (pictured to the right) he was never directly involved in the game future incarnations which were critical and sales bombs.

However Lowe just recently updated his personal web site with his basic idea for his planned follow up to Love For Sail. In a nutshell, "Larry 8" would have seen the goofy Lothario in outer space with women who wanted to . . you know . . .to him. However they turn out to be aliens who want to use Larry to propagate a species that looks human and would try to infiltrate and take over the Earth. Naturally only Larry could stop this plot.

Lowe states that the new owners of the game's publisher Sierra Online tried to get him to work on the game without signing a contract. He states, "I refused to flesh out the design until we reached an agreement on terms. They didn't want to negotiate, so I left." Our loss indeed.

[Via Blue's News]

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.

There is clearly a fanatical audience for the classic adventure games made by the now defunct Sierra Online publishing company. While many of the Sierra games are now technically the property of Activision Blizzard they don't seem to be interested in releasing new games.

Enter Sarien.net. This new web site created by programmer Martin Kool has adapted a number of the classic Sierra Online titles (Space Quest 1 and 2, Police Quest, The Black Cauldron and Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards) to play for free via the site. In addition there's cool a new twist; you can actually see other people playing online in their own games and even chat with them. We do hope this site is allowed to keep going (although it's certainly possible Activision Blizzard could shut them down).

The Leisure Suit Larry adventure game series has gone through a couple of facelifts over time, not the least of which being its main character (Larry Laffer) being replaced by his nephew, Larry Lovage. Although the original Larry still makes an appearance, this gameplay trailer for Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust shows just how much the series has changed. In this new game, the original Larry becomes a movie mogul and hires his nephew to work on the set.

Unlike the previous game, Magna Cum Laude, Box Office Bust will not have any nudity, but it will feature notable voice talent from actors like Jay Mohr and Carmen Electra. Also, the game will have an open world environment with platforming elements, created using the Unreal 3 Engine. The game released today in Europe and is expected to hit the US in April. Continue reading after the jump to see video interviews with Jay Mohr and Carmen Electra.

Download HD Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Gameplay Trailer (70 MB)
Check out all Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust downloads

Codemasters has taken an almost stealth approach to their handling of Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust. The latest game in the mature-themed humor adventure game series was originally to be published by Vivendi Games before the title was dumped by the new Activision Blizzard management in 2008.

Codemasters bought the rights to the Team 17 developed game but didn't make any official announcements. Indeed the publisher only just admitted via a press release that they plan to release the game next week in the UK (retailers have a March 31 release date for the US). So we have some doubts that this title will have the legs that the classic Al Lowe-created games have had. Codemasters has finally released some screenshots from the game. However their lack of marketing and PR for the title makes us think they are just trying to get this thing finishing without a lot of fuss.

A few weeks ago we reported on rumors that Codemasters was planning to publish Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, the latest game in the adult-themed adventure series. The title was a previous Vivendi Games release but the merger of that company with Activision to form Activision Blizzard left that title, like so many other orphened.

Now it looks like the Codemasters rumors are in fact true. While the publisher has yet to send out a press release the game is now listed on the company's official web site as coming out this April for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 with a "M" rating from the ESRB. Develoed by Team 17, the game as you playing the original Larry's nephew Larry Lovage as he helps his uncle in the movie business. According to the header on the Codemasters game page the new Larry title will be handled by Codemasters' casual game label Funsta.