 | Activision PR boss took $29k from Call of Duty budget Apr 23rd 2013, 14:52 Funds from the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch event were used to pay for luxury shopping trips, holidays, iPads, and a bachelorette party. 
A former Activision PR boss in the UK has been convicted of defrauding the company out of £18,963 (approximately $29,000) and spending the funds on multiple shopping sprees, a luxury hotel break, and a bachelorette party. Former Activision PR manager Kathryn Kirton took the money from the budget of 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops London launch event, which took place in Battersea power station. She was aided by Frank PR consultant Jamie Kaye, who also admitted to taking £5,000. Kaye spent the money on six iPads and a £3,500 holiday to Florida. Blackfriars Crown Court was told (via the Daily Mail) by Kirton's defence that she was entranced by the "glamorous and luxurious" world of public relations. Kirton attempted to clear the purchases through Activision's finances by getting Kaye to pay for them on a company credit card. She then approved the expense claims. The purchases were made over multiple months in 2010, and were discovered in 2011 when Activision investigated the case further. Both Kirton and Kaye avoided prison, with Kirton being sentenced for 18 months with a suspended sentence of two years. Kaye was given a nine month sentence suspended for 12 months, and was also ordered to perform 80 hours of unpaid work. During the sentencing, Judge John Hiller said "What is surprising is that cases like this are happening more and more often in your industry. But this is not the place to explore the PR industry." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Analyst: Black Ops II on pace for record sales Apr 23rd 2013, 14:45 Cowen & Company industry watcher says post-holiday sales of latest Call of Duty game tracking better than Modern Warfare 3. 
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is on pace to become the best-selling entry in Activision's military shooter series to date, according to one analyst. In a note to investors today, Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz said post-holiday sales trends for Black Ops II have been "significantly better" than those for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Thanks to this sales jolt, Black Ops II will likely surpass the original Black Ops' estimated life-to-date sales of 25 million units to become the franchise's overall top performer. Activision has confirmed a new Call of Duty game for 2013, but has yet to divulge any details about the project. In an earnings call in February, Activision Blizzard CFO Dennis Durkin said the company does not expect sales of this game to match Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Activision Blizzard will report earnings for its latest quarter on May 8. Creutz believes the company will outperform guidance thanks to in-line or better-than-expected sales of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Skylanders. The analyst expects World of Warcraft to have lost as many as 300,000 subscribers during the latest quarter, though this attrition is in-line with expectation. The game had 9.6 million paying members at the end of December. Creutz described 2013 as a "bridge year" for Activision Blizzard, with strong earnings expected in 2014-2015 thanks to Bungie's Destiny, Blizzard Entertainment's Titan MMO, and the new console cycle. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ratchet & Clank movie hitting theaters in 2015 Apr 23rd 2013, 13:47 Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade tapped for franchise's first cinematic adventure; Insomniac will have a "hands-on" role in making the film. 
Insomniac Games today announced that an animated Ratchet & Clank film will hit theaters in 2015 from production companies Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment. Rainmaker Entertainment's first theatrical credit was February's animated film Escape from Planet Earth, which was released by The Weinstein Company. As for Blockade Entertainment, the company previously created a trailer for Electronic Arts' Dante's Inferno. "One of the biggest questions we've gotten in the last few years is 'When are you going to make a Ratchet & Clank movie?'," Insomniac Games community lead James Stevenson said in a statement. "The truth is, we've wanted to do a movie for a long time! Ratchet & Clank's action, humor and galaxy-spanning adventures have really been the basis for a fantastic game series, and we think it’d translate perfectly to the big screen." As for why the movie was not developed at Sony Pictures, Stevenson explained that "the movie business is crazy at times." Insomniac will have a "hands-on role" in the film's production, screenplay, character development, and animation consulting. In addition, Ratchet & Clank writer T.J. Fixman--who has written every Ratchet & Clank game--will pen the script for the film. IGN3 reports that primary production on the film has begun and voice actors from the game franchise will work on the movie. James A. Taylor (Ratchet), David Kaye (Clank), and Jim Ward (Qwark) are all aboard. In addition, the Rainmaker Entertainment president Michael Hefferon teased that the studio is "in discussion with potential celebrity talent" for the Ratchet & Clank movie. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Bulletstorm 2 was going to be 'more insane' Apr 23rd 2013, 13:05 People Can Fly founder Adrian Chmielarz says the "pulpiness" of the concept was "through the roof." 
A sequel to 2011 first-person shooter Bulletstorm was going to be "an amazing game," according to People Can Fly founder Adrian Chmielarz. Speaking with Eurogamer, the developer--who has since left the company--claimed that this game was conceived as over-the-top and believable at the same time. "It was gonna be actually more insane in a way," Chmielarz said. "It's still kinda believable but the pulpiness and the craziness of it was through the roof." He did not divulge any specifics, but pointed to Rick Remender's comic books as examples, specifically the Fear Agent series. "Things are really truly insane in his signature series Fear Agent. But reading his Fear Agent series was like OK, this is madness, but you care about the characters and it's good storytelling," he said. Former Epic Games president Mike Capps confirmed last year that Bulletstorm 2 was in production before the company decided to shift People Can Fly to another project, which turned out to be Gears of War: Judgment. At the time, he explained that Bulletstorm sales were "good, but not amazing," noting that he believed publisher Electronic Arts hoped the game would do better. Chmielarz echoed this sales sentiment, saying it would have been a "big risk" to pursue Bulletstorm 2 when sales of the original were "so-so." "We analyzed what we could for the sequel, what we have control over, and it would be an amazing game," he said. "But it was also very risky, because you don't have that many examples of games where the first part was doing so-so; it wasn't a failure but it was very so-so. And then the sequel suddenly kaboomed. So it was a big risk." For more, check out GameSpot's review of Bulletstorm. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Splinter Cell's complexity hurting its popularity, says Raymond Apr 23rd 2013, 12:13 Ubisoft Toronto head Jade Raymond says stealth-action franchise not at the level of Far Cry or Assassin's Creed due to its complexity. 
The Splinter Cell franchise's complexity is hurting its popularity, according to Ubisoft Toronto head Jade Raymond. Speaking to Eurogamer, the designer explained that the Sam Fisher stealth series has not achieved Far Cry or Assassin's Creed numbers because of the way it challenges gamers. "One of the things that held it back is despite all of the changes that have happened over the years, it's still one of the more complex and difficult games to play," Raymond said. "Even though we do have core fans who are like, 'Oh, I want to have more of this experience,' when you play any other game that has stealth elements, they're all a lot more forgiving than Splinter Cell." Raymond explained that most contemporary stealth-oriented games do not require the player to plan out their routes of attack on the level that the Splinter Cell series does. In fact, she said many games today are quite the opposite. "By default there aren't many games where that's the phase," Raymond said. "Most games you can walk in and you start shooting right away, or you just walk in and you improvise as you go along." Overall, Raymond said Splinter Cell is really a "thinking game," and one that requires players to take their time and plan out how certain objectives should be approached. This is still appealing to gamers, she said, but it represents a different approach than most games. "That's where you get the thrill, but it's a different way of playing than most games on the market these days," she said. Splinter Cell: Blacklist-- which launches in August for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U--is attempting to offer a "broader range of play." This includes the hardcore stealth experience for longtime fans, as well as action-focused elements that Raymond said she hopes will broaden the game's player base. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Xbox 360 owners get Pizza Hut ordering app Apr 23rd 2013, 11:26 Customers in North America can now use Kinect to order pizza. 
Microsoft and Pizza Hut have launched Pizza Hut for Xbox, an app that allows customers to tailor and submit takeaway orders through the pizza delivery chain. The entire Pizza Hut menu is available through the application, and pizzas can be assembled using the controller, Kinect, and voice commands. The app will also connect to Facebook, allowing customers to automatically promote their upcoming delivery of pizza to colleagues, acquaintances, and family. Customers can link accounts on Xbox and PizzaHut.com for easy ordering. "If you look at our audience, they love pizza," said Microsoft spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb to Polygon. "I mean, who doesn't? It has international appeal, and Pizza Hut is a recognised brand that matches up well with the Xbox brand." Pizza Hut for Xbox launches today in North America, with a 15% discount on offer for the first two weeks. GameSpot has contacted Microsoft about European availability. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Saints Row IV preorders get Commander in Chief Edition Apr 23rd 2013, 10:52 Commander in Chief Edition comes with an exclusive weapon, vehicle, and outfit. 
Players who preorder a copy of Volition's Saints Row IV will receive the Commander in Chief Edition, publisher Deep Silver has announced. The Commander in Chief Edition will feature The Uncle Sam Suit, which drapes the player in a fetching stars and stripes ensemble; the 'Merica, which packs many of the game's weapons--such as the dubstep gun and rocket launcher--into one massive gun; and the Screaming Eagle Jet, which fires rockets from its talons and emits a powerful disabling shriek. The Saints Row IV Commander in Chief Edition will be available globally at participating retailers. In Saints Row IV, players have superpowers and moonlight as the President of the United States. One of the objectives of the game is to save Earth from an alien invasion. Last week Volition said Saints Row IV's "juvenile" tone doesn't damage the game's sales potential. Saints Row IV will be released on August 20 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. A worldwide release will follow on August 23. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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