I’ve been collecting some info and decided that I would just post it all together today.

Gauntlet Coming to DS, Finally

It looks like Warner Bros is getting ready to publish Gauntlet on the DS, judging from the DNS records of the recently registered domain:

http://www.gauntletds.com

http://www.gauntletthegame.com

 Domain Name Administrator
        Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
        4000 Warner Blvd. 
         Burbank CA 91522
        US
         +1.8189777900 Fax: +1.8189773135

Perhaps this will usher in a new era of Gauntlet titles or perhaps they just want to get some cash back from that Midway Games purchase (they are one of the rights holders for the title).

According to Wikipedia:

Gauntlet is an unreleased Nintendo DS hack and slash video game, based on the 1985 arcade game by the same title (see Gauntlet). The game was originally announced in April 2008 by publisher Eidos Interactive to be developed by Backbone Entertainment, and was scheduled to be released later that year, though as of 2010, it was still unavailable and may have been canceled.

EA’s New Spore title: Dark Spore

It sounds like a page out of George Lucas’ playbook. You’ve got good and now you need evil? It could be that Dark Spore expands on the gameplay of the original and creates a more devious version of the game. Perhaps where domination and destruction are key. EA, in a previously released financial statement, had a new Spore title listed. Superannuation found the registration for several trademarks in the following categories:

• Computer game software
• Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices
• Video game software
• Action figures
• Board games
• Hand held units for playing video games other than those adapted for use with an external display screen or monito
• Modeled plastic toy figurines
• Playing cards
• Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line computer games
• Motion picture film production
• Provision of information relating to electronic computer games provided via the Internet

So it certainly seems like that is what it is. They definitely want to get the title out there and make it a major brand. Or else they’re just covering all the bases so if it does outsell its predecessor, they can make all the money possible on it.

At $1M in sales, Wolfire and friends will release source code for three titles

Yesterday I reported that the Humble Indie Game Pack had topped $500K in sales. I also saw that in the video talking about the pay-what-you-want pack of indie games (roughly worth $80 separately) there was a line that stated if $1M was reached they would release the source code for the following three titles:

• Gish
• Lugaru
• Penumbra Overture

The game pack is available on Windows, Mac and Linux and a quick check today showed they’re just about to reach $600K. I sent an email to Wolfire Games but have yet to get confirmation on the source code rumor. Gamers have truly shown their giving side as the top purchase of the game pack was for $1000.

Purchases support the amazing Child’s Play charity and Electronic Frontier Foundation. By default, the amount is split equally between the seven participants (including Child’s Play and EFF), but you can tweak the split any way you’d like if you want to give a little more here or there.

Alan Wake DLC to Improve Facial Animations

The character faces in the game are stiff, plastic and generally lackluster even though they’ve got great texturing. It’s been said that an update to the game later this year will include some tweaks to the animations. I for one, having been playing the game all weekend, will be glad. At present they look almost lifeless with their jaws flapping out of synch with the words and generally appearing unmoving and lifeless. It’s quite distracting during the otherwise great cut scenes.

There’s no clear word on if the tweaks will be included in the upcoming DLC, but let’s all hope they do it. Of course, by that time most of us will have finished the title and it would only really affect any type of DLC action I’m sure.