Xbox 360 & PS3 Set to Fracture in Summer 2008

[fitbabits]

GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6170061&part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6170061) is reporting that LucasArts is to publish the Day 1 Studios-developed [genre undefined] Fracture for both Xbox 360 and PS3.

Today, the unknown game got a name--Fracture--a release window--Summer 2008--and two platforms--the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Though LucasArts didn't reveal the game's genre, it did go into great detail about its plot. The game will be set in the year 2161, after the continental United States is bisected by massive earthquakes and a Mississippi River engorged with polar-ice-cap runoff. Following the catastrophe, the US splits into two countries: The eastern states form the Atlantic Alliance, which has close ties with Europe, while the West founds the Republic of Pacifica and allied with Asia.

The game begins with the Atlantic Alliance and Pacifica going to war following years of tension. Players will be cast as Mason Briggs, a soldier fighting for the Atlantic Alliance military, which relies heavily on cybernetic augmentation. Meanwhile, the Pacifican forces favor genetic engineering--which is an anathema to Atlantians--and have grown an army of supersoldiers capable of taking on cyborgs. Each side will have special abilities and tactics specific to its prefered method of human enhancement. Click on the Headline for the Full Press Release.

"Supersoldiers"? Next generation consoles? All the ingredients appear to be in place for another next generation title scheduled to hit next generation consoles. Featuring super soldiers.

[Vanthar]

LucasArts and Day 1 Studios Reshape Next-Generation Entertainment With Fracture

Futuristic Warfare Is Literally “Groundbreaking”

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – May 2, 2007 – LucasArts and development partner Day 1 Studios today announced Fracture™, in which players reshape the battlefields in a futuristic conflict with global implications. This epic war fought on American soil pits cybernetically enhanced soldiers against warriors augmented by the benefits of advanced genetic engineering. The company that brought you Star Wars and Indiana Jones, as well as successful new intellectual properties such as Mercenaries (the No. 1 new IP in 2005) and Thrillville (the No. 1 original children's IP of 2006), presents a new franchise full of groundbreaking next-generation gameplay, an intriguing storyline and compelling characters.

“Exciting new intellectual properties serve a vital role to the growth of LucasArts,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “Fracture represents the next step in this company initiative, complete with the intriguing story and compelling characters audiences expect of a LucasArts release.”

Fracture advances players to the year 2161, where ecological and seismological disasters have radically altered the planet’s landscape, and a clash in ideologies places society on the threshold of war. Players set foot on the frontlines of this epic conflict in the role of Mason Briggs, a demolitions expert fighting for the Atlantic Alliance, the side that relies upon cybernetic enhancement. Pitted against the genetically enhanced soldiers of the Pacifican army, players will experience a revolution in 22nd-century warfare. In utilizing the core gameplay mechanic of Fracture, a destructive next-generation technology known as Terrain Deformation, players are equipped with an arsenal of futuristic weaponry to strategically reshape their surroundings on the fly. Every action they perform dynamically reshapes the earth in ways no videogame has ever seen. When Briggs throws a tectonic grenade on a level battlefield, the ground blasts upward to provide access to an otherwise unreachable area. Moving on, when he comes across what appears to be an impenetrable structure, Briggs utilizes the alt-fire functionality on his rocket launcher to create enormous craters to burrow underneath the wall. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, Briggs heaves a vortex grenade, creating a swirling tornado-like mass of boulder, dirt and debris to dispatch his foes. These are just a few samples of the possibilities for Terrain Deformation. Players not only change the battlefield – they change the face of the battle itself.

“LucasArts sees simulation-based gameplay as an essential component of a true next-gen experience, and that’s exactly what Fracture delivers,” said Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. “Day 1 Studios has done a phenomenal job of creating true next-gen tech that not only dazzles on a visual level but also serves as a core gameplay mechanic. Unlike many other next-gen games on the market, Fracture simply isn’t possible in the previous generation of consoles.”

“LucasArts’ excitement for Fracture is palpable, and it only inspires us even further to ensure the game lives up to its lofty expectations,” said Denny Thorley, president of Day 1. “The opportunity to work with a company such as LucasArts, that knows not only how to launch large entertainment properties, but also successfully bring new IP to market, is truly a privilege. With Terrain Deformation leading the way, we know we’re creating something special, and we have absolutely no doubts that LucasArts is the only company to make sure Fracture receives its due.”

More information about the game can be found at the official Fracture website, www.fracturegame.com (http://www.fracturegame.com/), which will continue to release details throughout the year.

[TrackZero]

I hope there's more to the story rather than a literal "chasm" causing a country to decide to break up. That's being silly. Unless they're really going for a B movie angle with this...

[Sandman]

It'll probably just be another meh FPS.

[fitbabits]

It'll probably just be another meh FPS.
Or a futuristic third-person action-adventure.

[Spigot]

I thought it would be a licensed game based on the recent film starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.

It'd be like Ace Attorney, only gory.

[GigaFuzz]

Atlantic Alliance and Republic of Pacifica? I hope this is all tongue-in-cheek.

Sounds vaguley interesting though. Makes a change from WW2 and current-day settings.

I thought it would be a licensed game based on the recent film starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.

It'd be like Ace Attorney, only gory.

That was my initial thought, followed by "That can't be right, that would be crazy."

[The_Darr]

did anyone notice this is FINALLY a game to take advantage of real-time deformation (hopefully) ALA red faction 1? if its anywhere near as cool as that and its on next-gen im sold...

[Wraith]

The divided U.S. setting is slightly reminiscent of Crimson Skies...

[Draft]

That is pretty much the worst teaser trailer I've ever seen, from the terrible music to the corny ass "definitions" in the beginning, and the amazing coup de grace of making... a LAVA PLATFORM. And the guy looks like Time Commando. Come on, tell me I'm wrong.

http://www.technofile.com/images/timecomm.jpg

That's definitely the Time Commando.

[Manzy]

Why does it say FPS if the quote says "Though LucasArts didn't reveal the game's genre?"

[Royal Fool]

did anyone notice this is FINALLY a game to take advantage of real-time deformation (hopefully) ALA red faction 1? if its anywhere near as cool as that and its on next-gen im sold...
The newspost doesn't do anything to highlight that fact, heh. :)

I checked the trailer out, it's... interesting. Not sure if the deformation is just a gimmick, though (much like how it was in Red Faction)... in which case this game probably doesn't have many other redeeming factors. Like Draft says, everything except for the landscape deformation was pretty lame.

Also, let's poke fun at LucasArts some more, because I love doing that:

Mercenaries (the No. 1 new IP in 2005)
Haha, but you let Mercenaries 2 slip through your fingers and into EA's grasp. Good job.

Thrillville (the No. 1 original children's IP of 2006)
Haha... no.

[UnderHero5]

I think the majority of Lucas Arts games suck pretty bad, these days.
They get lucky sometimes and release a decent game though. I liked the Jedi Knight series. Battlefront wasn't bad (that was developed by Lucas, I assume, right?). Mercenaries was good, from what I hear. I only played about a half hour of it.

Most everything else of their kind of sucks though.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure which games they've developed and which ones they were simply the publisher of. Bah, whatever. I stand by my commend that most games with the Lucas name on them suck.

[Shodan2020]

Sounds pretty sweet to me.

[Loganrapp]

Why does it say FPS if the quote says "Though LucasArts didn't reveal the game's genre?"

System Shock 2 was an FPS. Was it in the same genre as Counterstrike?

[Manzy]

System Shock 2 was an FPS. Was it in the same genre as Counterstrike?


Genre and subgenre are two different things, but I suppose it's a dick thing to point that out. :p

(I also don't want to argue if FPS is the subgenre or RPG)

[Lothair]

I think the majority of Lucas Arts games suck pretty bad, these days.
They get lucky sometimes and release a decent game though. I liked the Jedi Knight series. Battlefront wasn't bad (that was developed by Lucas, I assume, right?). Mercenaries was good, from what I hear. I only played about a half hour of it.


I'd never realized this before but both George Lucas and Lucasgames have "pulled a lucas," that is come out with products of incredible quality and then spend the rest of their lives putting out crap that disappoints everyone.

[Scaryfaced]

Somebody wake me up when that new Jedi game with the fancy tech demos comes out.

[The_Darr]

The newspost doesn't do anything to highlight that fact, heh. :)

"In utilizing the core gameplay mechanic of Fracture, a destructive next-generation technology known as Terrain Deformation, players are equipped with an arsenal of futuristic weaponry to strategically reshape their surroundings on the fly. Every action they perform dynamically reshapes the earth in ways no videogame has ever seen."

After reading through the whole newspost (and the links provided) the only thing that caught my attention WAS the real-time deformation via weapons. The rest was obviously "Meh" (how many more directions can game stories really go--just pick a genre you like), but real-time destruction of levels including the ground sounds like a fun-ass gimmick to be, much like Red Faction 1. Hell, maybe they could make it open-ended, instead of only cetain places are affected...

[The_Darr]

After inspecting the video over and over, it seems that there is no "destruction" of any kind, more like the earth is turned to gelatin for a brief period as it fluzuates and reshapes. Cool as hell (especially if its open-ended like it seems), but not the Red Faction gimmick I was hoping for. Still looks cool in my opinion.