Sounds like they're making every effort to make the game better this time around. Perhaps I'll finally give it a go when the PS3 drops in two months. Hit the jump for the full list of changes!

GAME FEATURES: PLAYSTATION 3

Full 360° camera control: enhanced camera controls allows complete freedom of the camera and better handling of first person view camera movement for even more immersive gameplay

Fine-tuned controls: quicker and smoother reactivity of the hero's movements in third person view make for more rapid movements in nail-biting situations

Inventory system more accessible: more logical jacket inventory system with the ability to combine objects using only the D-pad, and more fluid hero movement makes item selection a breeze.

More tips: players will get all the help they need to get through every situation and get the most out of the game

Spectral Vision tuning: a tutorial explains the need to burn roots in order to gain spectral vision and difficulty tuning means less spectral vision is required to reach the end of the game

Improved car dynamics and handling: car handling has been tuned to make driving a car a walk in the park in every situation, including increased suspension and reduced drift

59th Street level tuning: one of the game's most exciting sequences just got better. 59th Street has been tweaked for a more satisfying race against the fissure with difficulty tuning, an added checkpoint at Columbus Circle and clear voice directions given by Sarah

Brand new thrilling action sequence: an exclusive new sequence has been added in Episode 6 for even more pace and variety of gameplay in the episode.

Eden opened its AitD presentation at Leipzig by listing all of the flaws in the 360 game. "We have absorbed and taken every piece of criticism about the game that was constructive and would help," a rep said. Eden's spokesperson also explained why they thought the tight camera position was a good idea at the time. Writes Eurogamer:

"On the 360 version what we wanted was to have more immersion with the camera being really close to the player." Fair enough, but plenty of people found it clunky and irritating. Indeed, recent focus testing with the new system revealed that people didn't feel any less immersed anyway, but hey. Later, when pressed on its original choices, Eden admits it was simply too close to the project. It might well feel much more like an action game, as they say, but not enforcing the original claustrophobic viewpoint on players makes for a far more playable experience.

No word on when exactly the patch is coming out, but the hands-on descriptions of the PS3 version say it is a much more enjoyable and playable version.

Eden to Fix Alone in the Dark 360 and Alone in the Dark Hands-On [Eurogamer]

Atari execs likely have the universally 'meh'ed Alone in the Dark reboot to thank for that non-loss, but we're anxiously awaiting the publication of their 10-Q form to find out all the thrilling financial details.

I would say this gives PS3 owners a chance to read reviews, talk to their friends, and form some sort of conclusive opinion about whether or not to pick up the game or not, but after digging through review scores last month for the Frankenreview I still haven't decided whether or not I want to play it, and I bought Dog Island.

PS3 Alone in the Dark this November [Eurogamer]

After you answer it remember to send all five questions with all five correct answers (and links) to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. You also need to put "Here's Hoping I'm 11th" in the subject line. You *must* do this, exactly as written here, with quotes for your entry to count. Make sure you just read this carefully! And remember, you don't want to be first, you want to be eleventh.

There was even added bold text just to make sure people would actually read the post! But people didn't. Lots of people didn't — instead, they sent along the right answers and links, but put things like "Alone Contest" in the email subject line or forgot the quotes for "Here's Hoping I'm 11th." Scott S. was the eleventh person to do it correctly, but probably like the 50th person to send an email. (The folks who didn't follow the instructions were disqualified as mentioned in the post.) Hit the jump for the answers and links, which I embedded.

Answer 1: Okami sushi (Note: This post is also acceptable for an answer. Scott S. sent both.)
Answer 2: “A game of chess is like a sword fight.”
Answer 3: Waffle House
Answer 4: Carefully
Answer 5: “Tyler Stay Scared George Romero”

[Pic]

Tomorrow is the last question. It will go up at noon and hopefully will not be late. Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the third easy question — and the second and first ones, in case you missed 'em.

Fourth Question: How will we treat the steering wheel?

Previous: Third Question, Second Question and First Question

Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the second easy question — and the first one, in case you missed it.

Third Question Where did Fahey meet up with two former University of Georgia students that went on to create a parody of the chidlren's books?

Here are the previous questions: Question 1 and Question 2.

Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the second easy question — and the first one, in case you missed it.

Second question: What did a well-known recording artist say a game of chess is like?

Here's the first question for those who let it pass them by.

Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked.

First question: What uncooked food can Weekend Editor Owen wolf down near his other job?

Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.
Alone in the Dark [Official Site]

Sixteen years and three lackluster sequels later, Infogrames subsidiary Atari and developer Eden Games attempt to breath new life (and new death) into the series with an all-new Alone in the Dark, featuring a strangely displaced Edward Carnby in a modern-day setting. New setting, new gameplay, and terrifying new enemies, none of which are more terrifying than your average game critic.

IGN
I love a good yarn, and I was hoping to find one in Alone in the Dark. Instead I was introduced to yet another amnesiac fighting demons and carrying around a spooky stone. It doesn't help that our hero is challenged in the dialogue department, having been endowed by the game's writers with a nasty blue streak. You can count on hearing the words f*** or s*** nearly every time our scarred-up hero opens his mouth, an attempt at gritty realism that comes off as adolescent and trite.

Team Xbox
The problem is, who – if anyone – at the publisher or developer actually played this game and decided it was a good thing to unleash on gamers? Did they not realize how horrible the game is to control or how screamingly annoying the camera is switching from third person to a fixed shot is? Did no one say, guys we really need to make this game less of a frustrating mess, even for people who play lots of games? The answer to these questions seems to be “no”.
VideoGamer.com
For a game set in an eerie looking Central Park, with monsters around every corner, Alone in the Dark isn't really very scary. You'd assume this would be a given. You even have the trademark torch that runs out of batteries, yet there are few scares. When a monster lands on the roof of your car for the first time you might jump, but then when you've seen another magically fly 100 metres in order to do so it ruins the mood somewhat. There's a constant fear of death, but this isn't down to the setting but the inevitable fumbling in your inventory. One of the scariest moments occurred early on when Carnby appeared to be having some kind of seizure, his body uncontrollably gyrating on the spot. Alas, this was a bug, just one of many that occurred during my play through of the game.

1UP
As a lesson in ambition and creativity, AITD is an awkward (but welcome) role model. Though no one element is particularly polished, the game's plenty varied, and it happily defies genre characterization wherever it can — racing segments, rappelling, and a handful of great ideas keep things fresh. Though with such methodical, purposeful design every step of the way, it's tough to sit back and enjoy what's otherwise an engaging, surprisingly cinematic caper. You likely won't be thrilled by the time you sit through both of the equally lame lose-lose endings, but I can't imagine you'd regret your time in the Dark.

The game sounds like almost as much of a mixed bag as its review scores.

To say that I've personally paid little attention to Atari's resuscitation of Alone In The Dark would be an understatement. But with a trailer this oddball, featuring some curiously out of place stunt drivin' and an off the beaten path soundtrack — what, no nu metal? — I'm morbidly curious, despite the early poor reviews and current hubbub. Sure, it's a gray and brown mess that looks far too much like a Silent Hill B-side, but it has flying lamprey demons versus helicopters. This could be a disaster of delicious proportions.

4Players' EIC Jörg Luibl says that Atari's lawyers have accused them of "breaking the law and violating the rights of their client (Atari)", all because 4Players reviewed the game prior to its release, but without using a copy sent to them by Atari. 4Players maintain that, like many other games not sent to them by publishers, they secured a copy via a "trusted dealer". Which could well just be a firendly local GAME manager cracking open his shipment of the game before the street date, it could be point #1 (the leaked copies of the game), who knows.

It's interesting that Atari are so worried about publications securing their own copy of a game. Do they fear that, because these outlets may have received copies of the game "early" (ie from pirated copies), that they're somehow reviewing incomplete code, which could affect their opinion of the game? Maybe. Pessimists could, however, be forgiven for thinking it's a convenient excuse for Atari to attack negative reviews of the only game they're releasing in 2008 that has any chance of making them some money.

UPDATE - Tor-Steinar Nastad Tangedal, from Norwegian site Gamer.no, has contacted us with a similar story. He writes (though without proof we're unable to confirm this):

Gamer.no was the second publication in the world to publish a review, and we also gave it 3 out of 10. The review was based on a retail copy obtained from a store on Tuesday this week. Atari contacted us just minutes after it was published, claiming that our review is probably based on a preview or pirated copy, and requested it to be removed. We never removed it, of course.

It looks like Alone in the Dark is going to make some pretty interesting use of the Wii remote and nunchuk, I mean besides letting people drive and beat people with them. This sort of adventure game seems like the perfect fit for that... if it actually works.

"We didn't want it to come out and have less of an experience for the PS3 gamer," Polloni said. "We wanted to tweak that up and make sure they get the best experience on PS3 as much as possible."

Alone in the Dark for PS3 will be the same content as the 360 and PC versions but will still be "worth the wait." Those two consoles plus the PS2 and Wii versions will drop on June 24.

And, interestingly, he got real cagey about multiplayer possibilities in this franchise.

I won't try to paraphrase because I don't know what the guy is/not committing to, and it wasn't my interview. But it was a great question from VideoGamer.com's Wesley Yin-Poole, and it sounds like if Eden and Atari have plans for multiplayer, it's contingent on too many things right now.

VideoGamer.com: Looking at the open world style Central Park section, it looks like it would really suit something similar to what GTA 4 is doing with online multiplayer?

NP: It has the possibility yes. Today I can't confirm that that's the direction. But it doesn't mean that it's not possible. The idea is that we want to surprise the players, we want to have them blown away by the experience that they live and if that includes possibilities of multiplayer and online elements and that fits, that it entwines into the experience of the game, then why not?

VideoGamer.com: So would it be possible to add multiplayer elements to this game via downloadable content or would it have to be a completely different game?

NP: No. Today this game is single-player. It's not built for multiplayer.

VideoGamer.com: So it would have to be a completely new game?

NP: No. I mean we have a game engine that allows us a lot of possibilities, multiplayer being a part of it. Today we built the first season, maybe the next season you never know what's in there. It could be more features, maybe a single-player game or maybe more features with multiplayer options. Today I can't say. I prefer not to say.

So it would neither require a new title, but it can't be accomplished via DLC. I'm not sure what this "first season/next season" talk means, but there you go.

Alone in the Dark (2008) Interview [VideoGamer.com via St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Not a 1920-ish Alone in the Dark adventure, but an adventure game nonetheless. Check out the gallery below and see if the picture of Edward hanging halfway off a building ledge is as unintentionally hilarious to you as it was to me.

Host of Exclusive Content Including Making Of Documentary Feature, Figurine of Game's Hero, Full Colour Art Book and More

LYON, FRANCE - 22 April 2007 - Atari today announced details of the European Limited Edition of the highly anticipated action adventure game Alone in the Dark, scheduled for simultaneous launch with the game across Europe in June for Xbox 360, Wii and PC.

The full contents of the European Limited Edition box are as follows:
• Alone in the Dark game, one of the most anticipated games of the year;
• Figurine of the game's legendary hero, Edward Carnby;
• Official Soundtrack CD featuring 8 in-game tracks of original music by Olivier Derivière and performed by Grammy® Award-winning choir The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices;
• Full colour, bound art book featuring never before seen production sketches, storyboards and original artwork from Eden Games;
• 'Making Of' documentary feature DVD with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes footage and additional bonus content.

Exclusive items to the Limited Edition include the art book, hero figurine and 'making of' documentary DVD which are only available through purchase of the Limited Edition in Europe.

Released in a specially designed box, the Limited Edition takes fans deep into the world of Alone in the Dark, the innovative game that is set to break the boundaries of gaming genres with its action-packed survival experience. During one night in New York, the player takes the role of Edward Carnby battling to survive at all costs and uncover the earth-shattering secret behind Central Park.

Developed by Eden Games, Alone in the Dark uses state-of-the-art technology to create a fully interactive environment where all objects can be freely used to create tools, decoys and weapons. Told in the episodic style of popular TV drama series, the intense story grips the player from start to finish with action, plot twists, and cliff hangers. The DVD-style chapter select puts an end to frustration allowing the player to move on if they get stuck, and creating the first game that absolutely everyone can finish. The Limited Edition shows how these and other innovations were transformed from ideas and ambition into heart-stopping, nail-biting gameplay reality.

I'm making is that I think the game is very relevant to the market, and I think will do very, very well. Can we afford as a company to chase that up, to USD 80 million, without downstream revenue? The answer is no.

So can we take that kind of production value and smash it into an online community and social experience? I hope so, but it won't be Alone in the Dark.

Over the life of the product in this business year across platforms we are expecting between 2 and 3 million units.

The Xbox 360, PC, Wii and PS2 versions now hit on June 24 in the U.S. and June 20 in Europe with the PS3 version coming down the line.

Alright Harrison, I better see some high gloss bugs come June 24 on my Xbox 360.

Alone in the Dark pushed back to June [Eurogamer]

Exclusive Trailer [Mulitplayer Blog]

We want everybody to be able to finish our game, so one of the other new features we've added is the ability to skip sections using a DVD-style menu if you get stuck.

Heart-Stopping Action Of 'Alone In The Dark' Comes To Wii And PlayStation 2

Atari's Apocalyptic Action Blockbuster Coming to Five Platforms, Gameplay Uniquely Adapted to Wii Control System

LYON, FRANCE - 13 November 2007 - Atari today announced that its forthcoming apocalyptic action blockbuster Alone in the Dark will launch for Wii and Playstation®2 in addition to Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3, and Windows. Alone in the Dark will continue the legacy of innovation started by the first Alone in the Dark game with state-of-the-art technology driving a captivating and entertaining original gameplay experience.

Developed by Hydravision, Alone in the Dark for Wii and PS2 follows the same story as the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC version, where over the course of one apocalyptic night, hero Edward Carnby must uncover the earth-shattering secret hidden in New York's iconic Central Park.

Hydravision has tackled the innovative and highly advanced technology driving Alone in the Dark on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC head-on, using the company's wealth of experience and proven technology. The versions for Wii and PS2 have been developed in parallel specifically to take full advantage of each console's capabilities. Both games push the hardware hard, incorporating many of the gameplay features found in the Xbox 360 version. On the Wii, the control system is specially adapted to make full use of the Remote and Nunchuck to manipulate objects in real-time, a key gameplay feature of Alone in the Dark, enhancing the player's immersion in the experience.

"Realising the enormous ambition of Alone in the Dark is a huge technological challenge, which becomes even more demanding on Wii and PlayStation 2," said Mathias Hautefort, Executive Vice President of publishing and production, Atari. "However, we're certain players will be impressed with what Hydravision have achieved on the two consoles, not least with the Wii game which is perfectly adapted to the gameplay thanks to the console's unique controllers."

Designed in the spirit of blockbuster entertainment and inspired by the gripping style of contemporary TV dramas, Alone in the Dark delivers a new level of narrative intensity, packed with action, plot twists and nail-biting cliff-hangers. With a story written by Eden Games and scripted by New York Times best-selling writer Lorenzo Carcaterra, Alone in the Dark sees one of video gaming's original innovators return to deliver an outstanding action gaming experience.

First 'Alone in the Dark II' Casting News, Plot! [Bloody-Disgusting via Gay Gamer]

I know what you're thinking. Why god, why? Apparently someone thought it would be funny to buy the movie as a gag gift on DVD. 1.1 million somebodies. Guys, seriously. I know it was you. Next time just buy one and we'll set up a mailing list or something to pass it around. Don't encourage him.

The good news is that Boll is far too busy to handle the project himself, and will be handing it off to an as-of-yet unnamed director. The bad news is Boll is too busy? Boll should never be too busy. He should be desperately trying to secure licenses from belligerent game companies. Not too busy. Never too busy. Hold me, I'm scared. Michael Fahey

Uwe Boll game for $7.5m horror sequel [Screen Daily]

Sleeper Writer Pens Alone in the Dark [Next Gen]

Ok Atari, this is your last chance. I'm a real "once bitten, twice shy" kind of girl, so although I want to believe all of this is, in fact, fantastic in-game footage, and that this game is going to scare the fur right off my teddybears, I have my reservations.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the clip didn't peak my interest. The new Alone in the Dark according to Wikipedia is:

Set during 2006, the story continues with Edward Carnby, the main protagonist from the original game, looking for answers to strange supernatural and bizarre occurrences while battling his way through the opposition in New York City's Central Park. It has been mentioned that Atari wouldn't reveal exactly how Carnby is still running around in the present day considering that the first installment took place during 1926, but the game is most likely a franchise reboot.

It also mentions the existence of another Alone in the Dark movie, but I'm not even sure Christian Slater will even be considered an actor any more in 2009. As for the game, it's wait and see time, peoples. Status on teddybears will have to come from future updates. Kim Phu

Alone in the Dark Trailer (PC PS3 X360) [Gamertag Radio via Godfree]

In high school I wrote a pirate play for my drama class which was titled "Deep in the Caribbean", so the thespian object above struck close to home.

I have scoured the Kotaku archives via Google and our own tapeworm-riddled internal search system, but I still cannot be absolutely sure that this has not been posted before.

With that bitter disclaimer firmly installed, I offer up on the sacrificial altar this faboy gem: a high school play adaptation of the Secret of Monkey Island.

There are serious problems, of course. The acting, at its best, approaches "charming" (the Voodoo Lady was the best bit), and the necessary edits made to avoid high-budget things like cannons and shoes are never very palatable, but the raw spirit of the production is notable, as is the fact that they pulled it off at all.

Some stuff that doesn't matter, and then links to the rest of the videos after the jump.

As a teeth-gritting aside, the acting in this play is vastly superior to Alone in the Dark, which I watched last night out of a sick sense of duty to my Kotaku Scouts. I had never seen an Uwe Boll film, you see, and felt remiss in being confined to generalized statements of negativity regarding that horrible man. Now I can cite specific examples of his oppressive lack of talent. Such as: when Slater goes home to the orphanage and meets his step-nun, a redheaded girl comes down the stairs and offers to make them tea.

That one line is so horrendously delivered, so talentlessly pitched and poorly intoned, that it made me simultaneously sob with hopelessness at another forty minutes of boring swill, and titter like a club kid after a hysterical whippet binge. Seriously, that one line. I wish I could find it on YouTube. Eliza gaugarrrrr

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/video_player.php?id=IXExlmSq5b4PvQ">See list of videos here. [GameSpot]

The website for upcoming shriekfest Alone in the Dark is live with new screens and a trailer, as well as a newsletter or sorts. If only the name didn't summon up images of Christian Slater and Tara Reid running around all higgily-wiggily through a Uwe Boll-created plotless gutting of a once spectacular game. Brian Crecente

Alone in the Dark

Last week, Uwe Boll proved that he wasn't only a stinky filmmaker, but batshit insane by offering to physically beat-up his critics, film the bouts and put them in one of his cruddy "movies."

Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka from internet site Something Awful has thrown his hat in the ring and will be going head-to-head with looney director. Rich writes:

I sent Mr. Boll and email, asking him if his offer still stood. Would he still fly me up to participate in one of his unintentionally horrific non-horror films, this time with the lure of physically kicking the snot out of me on film? Well folks, I'm proud to say the answer was 'yes.' Mr. Dr. Sr. Boll replied and 'added me to the list,' the list of folks he plans on beating up because we talked bad about him on the Internet. In exchange for this incredible privilege, I promised Dr. Mrs. Boll PhD that I would actually sit down and review his films 'Alone in the Dark' and 'House of the Dead' so people would know I'm completely serious about hating this man and letting him punch me in the face until he decides to stop.

I've never met Lowtax, but do wish him luck. Is Kotaku going to throw its hat in the ring? No. We'd rather sit around the office, sip chocolate raspberry coffee and make snide remarks about "Alone in the Dark". Because no matter how many journalists that "director" beats up, the facts do not change: Uwe Boll is a chowderhead, and his movies are rotten. Brian Ashcraft

Full Article Here [Something Awful] via Destructoid

What more could we possibly add? Although Uwe's right: Tara Reid does look intelligent with those glasses! FLORIAN ECKHARDT

So we're excited to see a new Alone in the Dark has been announced. Alone in the Dark is not only the grandaddy of survivor horror, but one of the earliest Lovecraftian games out there, as well as a truly excellent film by cinematic artist Uwe Boll. Ha ha ha. No, just kidding on that last one... like you, we wish someone would plunge syringes full of ebola right into Uwe Boll's eyeballs.

Few details are available, except that it will take place in Central Park (?) and Edward Carnby will be back. Excellent news. Let's see if the new Alone in the Dark can take back the survival horror crown from Resident Evil 4 and the Silent Hill series.

The Return of Alone in the Dark [1UP]

Just when I was starting to take a liking to chowderhead Uwe Boll, the pundits swing in and nominate the good doctor "Worst Director" for his sadistic cinematic butchering of Alone in the Dark. During the past twenty-six years (Hey, that's older than Luke!), the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has been giving out RAZZIE Awards and restricted marks for the Worst Achievements in film. Besides chowderhead, Miss Frankenboobies Tara Reid and The Rock were nominated for their work in Alone in the Dark and Doom respectively. Uwe, you deserve better. And one day, when you figure out how to make a proper motion picture, you'll get it. I promise.

More Info Here [Razzies ] via GameSetWatch