I guess there’s something to be said for knowing the precise moment where your new franchise will crash upon the rocks, shattering its newborn body upon the shore to bleed out amidst its murderers. I know that this sounds overly maudlin, but if you look up “fucked” in the dictionary you’ll probably find Kane & Lynch. which now has a release date opposite of Mass Effect this November. Oh, and, uh, a few other games you may have heard of:

If that date sounds familiar, it’s because it’s also the specific release date for a few other anticipated games. Microsoft is releasing BioWare’s Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 on November 20, while Sony has Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune for the PS3 set to drop the same day. And while Rock Band’s release date isn’t official, GameStop is guaranteeing customers who preorder that it will have the game to them “on the street date of Tuesday, November 20.” And then there’s Assassin’s Creed, Unreal Tournament III, and a number of other titles floating around with vague “November” release windows.

I am a fan of Io Interactive. I love the Hitman series, probably more than is healthy. I’ve gotten some hands on time with the game, and my impressions were pretty positive. I think that released at the right time, it could be a sleeper hit, as it does some cool things narratively and stylistically with a gravitas that hasn’t really be seen in many other games. But it really does seem like Eidos wants Io’s new game to fail. I hope they prove me wrong; the game should be pushed back.

-Aegies

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Eidos Interactive recently announced a newly established label, SoGoPlay, that is geared towards capitalizing on the popularity of casual games like Puzzle Quest and Lumines. I’ll admit, I was initially excited at the announcement, since I have long since been a fan of casual games. However, upon reviewing their website, and reading that one of their next big titles was fucking Merry-Go-Round Dreams, my growing curiosity popped like a balloon.

Nevertheless, Eidos has made some pretty bold statements about their fledgling company. The goal is to become “THE flagship casual brand” for “not just PC games,” but “also console and mobile games.” In addition, they hope that SoGoPlay will become “synonymous with compelling gameplay, immediate playability and mass market appeal at an affordable price.” Whether or not these are attainable goals, well, I suppose only time will tell. Personally, I think that its universal appeal will depend largely on their ability to appeal to all audiences, and not just prepubescent girls.

One thing is certain, however, and that is the growing appeal for casual games that allows companies like SoGoPlay to become viable market options. 2005 is when the numbers really exploded, as the total revenues for casual games just in the US alone was $314 million, and by 2008, the niche market is expected to become a billion dollar industry. And for those of us with extremely busy lives, casual games are the perfect outlets, so long as we’re not inundated with trite product. You know, like silly games involving merry-go-rounds and dreams, those kinds of games.

Wait . . . shit.

-Bedlam-

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