saw posts

The main Big Download page and its download files are back up and running again. We want to thank everyone with their patience with the situation. Now onto the news bits, please:

• The first Saw game from Konami is now available via the OnLive streaming PC game service.
• Look! It's another minor Easter Egg in StarCraft II.
• Steam has offered bug updates for Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter, Garry's Mod and Monkey Island 2 Special Edition.
• Minecraft's maker is making money thanks in part to a mention on Team Fortress 2's blog.
• Pax Prime 2010's web site has revealed the full list of exhibitors.
• The Elemental War of Magic web site has some info on the upcoming game's mod tools.

Last year Konami released Saw, the survival horror game that's based on the long running Saw horror movie franchise. The game was released for the PC exclusively via digital download. The first Saw game, developed by Zombie Studios, sold well enough that Konami decided to commission a sequel, Saw II, that will be released in the fall of 2010.

While Konami's official press release only mentioned Saw II as a PS3 and Xbox 360 game, Big Download has learned that the sequel could still be released for the PC as well. We spoke with John Williamson of Zombie today who told us that while nothing is definiate yet, Konami is still considering a PC release for the title. If they do decided to release Saw II for the PC it will be as a digital download title only like the first Saw game. In its press release announcing the sequel, Konami states that Saw II will have "all-new stomach-twisting traps and puzzles, more visceral combat, and an all-new storyline that takes place between the second and third movie."

Just in time for the release of Saw VI in movie theaters today comes the long delayed release of the Saw survival horror game for the PC. The title from developer Zombie Studios and publisher Konami, is now available for download via Steam and Direct2Drive. As Big Download reported earlier this month, the PC version of Saw will be a digital download product only and won't be sold in stores in the US, although it now looks like Steam won't be the only digital download site the game will be made available, as we were originally told.

The Saw game, which features many of the types of traps and torture devices that the movies have, was first announced a couple of years ago by the now defunct Brash Entertainment. When that publishing company went belly up, Konami picked up the rights to the game. Now you can grab the game and see if the wait was worth it . . . kind of like that Droid phone that all the kids are talking about.

Earlier this month Konami released Saw, the horror-action game based on the long running movie series, for the PS3 and Xbox 360. However Konami also announced plans for a PC port of the game. Now the Steam web site is showing that the PC version will be coming to Valve's download service sometime later this month.

The game was developed by Zombie Studios and Big Download has learned that Steam will be the only place North American PC gamers will be able to purchase the Saw port as it will not be made available in retail stores. Konami did the same thing last year when it released the PC version of Silent Hill: Homecoming as a Steam download exclusive.

A couple of months ago Variety posted up rumors that Konami was going to take over as the publisher of the game based on the Saw horror films. Today Variety has now confirmed those rumors, saying that the publisher will release the Zombie Studios-developed game for the PC and other platforms this fall, around the time Saw IV is released to theaters by Lionsgate.

The Variety article also has the first actual screenshots from the game (reproduced here) The game itseld will have an original story and not an adaptation of any of the films. The game has your character trying to solve the nasty torture puzzles put in place by the movie's villain Jigsaw. The game was one of the many titles under the now defunct Brash Entertainment which went under in a rather spectacular fashion lasf fall.

Brash Entertainment had one of the biggest flame outs in game publishing history but at least one of the games that was orphaned by the company's collapse may be getting some new life. Variety is reporting via unnamed sources that the long-in-development title based on the Saw films may be going to Konami.

According to the story the Saw game, which was under development at Zombie, went back to the movie's owners at Lionsgate after the collapse of Brash. After considering the possibility of publishing the game themselves, Lionsgate decided to go the more traditional route and give the game to an established publisher. The story claims the Saw game will be released this fall around the time Saw VI is in theaters. So far Konami, Lionsgate and Zombie have not said anything official about this development so treat it as a rumor for now.

Remember how the CEO of game publisher Brash Entertainment, Mitch Davis, denied his company was in trouble just a few weeks ago to our sister site GameDaily? Yeah..about that. GameDaily is now reporting that the company, which has released poorly received movie-based games like Alvin and the Chimpunks and Space Chimps, has now laid off 20 of its employees and is trying to find some cash to stay afloat.

This is the company that supposedly raised $400 million about 18 months ago to start up their business. A story posted on Variety's web site, using unnamed sources, says that the truth is a tad different as Brash has only been able to access a portion of those private equity funds and is now needing cash. The article claims Brash is trying to sell back its many movie based licenses to their owners. Those licenses include making games based on Superman, 300, Night at the Museum 2, Tale of Desperaux and others. The article claims that Brash will still publish a game based on the Saw horror movie franchise next year.

Yesterday, Variety reported on the departure of Brash Entertainment co-founder Thomas Tull and described the new video game publisher as being "in turmoil" due to the poor reception of the company's first three games. Now our sister site GameDaily has a new Q&A with the company's CEO Mitch Davis who gives his side of the story. In short, while Davis admits to some mistakes in their first year he denies the company is in serious trouble.

Davis admits that the first three games released by Brash (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Jumper, and Space Chimps) did not perform as expected, saying, "we were overly ambitious in putting out three games in our first year of business. We certainly took our lumps on those titles.." However he adds that they have decided to no longer release games on a quick development cycle and will now concentrate on titles that will take longer to create, as long as three years. Some have been critical of Brash's theme of only making games based on licensed properties but Davis states, "...creating a successful original game is a difficult business-we are focused on the core business of building great games around compelling licensed properties."