It just looks so cool. It’s better than any motion capture movie I’ve ever seen, like Polar Express or Beowulf. I mean, just the design and the concept of lighting, even though it’s computer generated, the world itself is so unique and so dangerous. It’s shocking how unique it is. I would want to play the games just to immerse myself into that world.

Even if RE5 does not look better than those movies, the gap is certainly closing.

Interview with Ken Lally, the Wesker motion capturer for RE5 [RE Horror Thanks, Japan_Time!]

Long before Hollywood screenwriter (Pulp Fiction, Silent Hill) and director (Rules of Attraction) Roger Avary was writing movies, he was writing code. Avary, who co-wrote Robert Zemeckis' 3D computer-generated Beowulf with Neil Gaiman, never published a game, but he shared many with his friends.

"When I was a kid, Star Raiders on the Atari 800 was the be-all, end-all game," said Avary. "It was Star Trek and Star Wars rolled into one. You had a map and you could refuel at star bases and defend them. I'll never forget what it was like to warp from one location to another and try to keep centered or else I'd fall off course. I bought an Atari 800 computer because of that game and learned how to program on that computer using 6502 Assembly.

Avary regrets never submitting his biggest game, Shuttle Crash, to the Atari Program Exchange, which published games created by users. The game was an interpretation of Lunar Lander, but gamers had to perform a forced landing while doing as little damage as possible to the ship and keeping the crew alive.

"I was big into Dungeons & Dragons and my friends and I did all sorts of character-generation programs on the 800 that would do dice rolling for us," said Avary. "We also had dungeon creators that would generate halls and traps for us so that we could play without a Dungeon Master."

Avary never lost his love of gaming. In fact, he now collects and restores Atari vector machines like Tempest (for sheer balls-out adrenaline this was one of my favorites") and Battlezone ("this game is as fresh and playable today as when it was released").

Although he considers himself a "Wii guy" and has been an ardent Nintendo fan for years ("Nintendo 64 is the best game console ever made"), Ubisoft sent Avary an Xbox 360 and a copy of the Beowulf game for him to test drive.

"Beowulf, like a number of recent film-to-game projects, is interesting because we were able to share a number of assets with Ubisoft right up front, allowing the game and film to release simultaneously," said Avary. "I spent a good part of last night battling sea monsters and learning the control schema."

Avary loves the fact that the development studio explored 30 years of action not covered in the film. As he progresses through the game inspired by the movie he co-wrote, he'll be able to fight new monsters and go on new adventures that weren't in the original poem or 3D film adaptation.

"I'm totally going to take my 9 year-old son to see this movie at IMAX in 3D," said Avary. "He's a big gamer like me. I've been trying to explain the movie to him and I said it's like being inside the biggest and best videogame you've ever seen. I don't see that as a negative. I see that as a natural evolution to the form. What we're seeing is gaming consoles that are vastly becoming the predominant art form on the planet, is merging with cinema. Everybody should be happy about that because it flows in both directions. Games will get more cinematic and movies will get more limitless in what you're able to do. This movie is a beautiful hybrid of all of these disciplines I love."

Avary finds it weird that so many people who have only seen the Quicktime trailer of Beowulf say the movie looks like a videogame cut scene.

"I don't know of any game that looks like this movie," said Avary. "And if Robert Zemeckis was directing cut scenes in games, then maybe that would mean something.

There are plenty of haters out there who love to criticize something. That's like saying this movie is too much like a book or this book is too much like a movie. I see graphic entertainment as graphic entertainment. When you're given sensorial entertainment you just give yourself to it. Everything has its influence. Early movies look like theater with a singlewide shot without sound. The invention of the cut and the close-up was revolutionary. Television has had its impact on cinema, and I don't think it's necessarily been bad. And obviously, videogames are having a massive impact on cinema and vice versa. When I play the game, one of the things I can't help but wonder is how long is it going to be before games look like Beowulf. How long is it before we'll be able to share all of our assets seamlessly."

Avary believes what Zemeckis has done with his performance capture technology, which has been used in The Polar Express, Monster House and now Beowulf, is a magnificent task.

"Robert Zemeckis has collected a number of tools both hardware and software to create a work flow that allows for a film-like production that renders in this format and allows for performance and for story," said Avary. "It's literally like creating a production process. There will come a time where the development of the game will be able to use all of the elements. We were sharing a lot of the film elements with Ubisoft for this game and they ended up creating a lot on their own because they were far-reaching with what they wanted to do with the story. There will come a time where the exact elements and backgrounds that you render for a movie will seamless be able to travel into someone's home on their gaming system and you'll be able to have a nearly identical interactive experience to the passive experience you get in the theater."

While movies will continue to evolve—Beowulf is the largest 3D opening in Hollywood history—they won't go away, according to Avary.

"Sometimes you don't want to be an active participant in a game," said Avary. "Sometimes you just want the story to be told to you and it's a different discipline that people love. It's what works best in a big room and it's why we love to get together around a movie screen and watch a story. Other times you want to become an active participant in the story. It's no better or no worse than being a passive participant. What will be really interesting in the future will be sharing in a much bigger way."

When it comes to performance capture, Avary believes the future of convergence between Hollywood and game creation lies in Zemeckis' pioneering technology.

"I think the next step in Zemeckis' process should be to further strengthen the ties between the developers you're working with and the actual film production," said Avary. "By inviting the developers into the production, they will bring a lot of skills that are out there in the game development community that could really apply themselves to Zemeckis' particular production process. They call it performance capture but I prefer to call it digitally enhanced live action. I think it will benefit us in the future in a great way. We're on the cusp of change and I think it's going to be really good. It's going to deliver a much more cinematic gaming experience and a much more limitless cinema experience."

Avary, who wrote Silent Hill and was once attached to direct the Driver film, will write and direct the big screen version of Return to Castle Wolfenstein for his next project.

I first saw Beowulf months before E3, in a backroom at an Ubi event. At the time my first, my only concern, was whether the game would be true to the epic poem or just a game that borrowed the tale's veneer. I was surprised to find that the team was as jazzed about Beowulf as I happen to be. In fact, they spent some of the time bemoaning the fact that no other journalists seemed to want to hear about the authenticity. I think this video might open a few eyes to why authenticity is important. Man, I can't wait for this game.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR HOLIDAY 2007 LINEUP

Q3 2007-2008 Lineup Showcases Some of the Industry's Most Anticipated Games

SAN FRANCISCO - September 21, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that its holiday 2007 lineup will feature an exceptional selection of titles. Covering all segments of video games - from hardcore to family titles, as well as games based on some of the most popular films and television series - the rich offering also includes some of this year's most anticipated new brands along with exciting new games from Ubisoft's multimillion-unit selling brands:

• Assassin's Creed(TM) - One of the most anticipated video games of the year comes to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in November, and to PC in early 2008.
• Beowulf(TM) - The video game, based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's "Beowulf," the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis, will be released in November on Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
• Blazing Angels® 2 Secret Missions of WWII - Currently available on Xbox 360, experience World War II on the PLAYSTATION 3 system coming this holiday. Play as an elite pilot in the follow-up to the successful Blazing Angels® Squadrons of WWII.
• Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway(TM), previously expected to be released for holiday 2007 will be released on next-generation platforms and PC in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007-08. Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 for Wii will be released in December.
• CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence - For the first time, CSI fans will be able to play CSI on Xbox 360 and the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo this holiday.
• Haze(TM) - Legendary development team Free Radical Design teams up with Ubisoft to deliver the mind-altering, technologically superior game Haze, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 system this holiday.
• Heroes of Might and Magic® V: Tribes of the East - Enjoy the dramatic evolution and conclusion of the Heroes® V experience this holiday on PC.
• Nitrobike(TM) - Navigate rocket-propelled motorcycles in this arcade-style game exclusively for the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo.
• NARUTO(TM): Rise of a Ninja - In a game exclusively developed for Xbox 360 from the ground up and for the first time ever, in October, gamers will experience Naruto starting from the series' beginning.
• Rayman Raving Rabbids® 2 - The bunnies are back and crazier than ever in this new game specially developed for Wii and Nintendo DS(TM) this holiday.

This holiday, Ubisoft will also release games that appeal to all audiences, with its innovative and appealing Games for Everyone lineup:

• Chessmaster®: The Art of Learning for DS and Chessmaster®: Grandmaster Edition for PC - In both games, Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning (Free Press).
• Cranium® Kabookii - Designed specifically for Wii, Cranium Kabookii is an all-new game where families jam, draw, act and puzzle as they collect points and take center stage in the Kabookii Arena to win. Special Kabookii Decoder Glasses reveal secret answers for added fun!
• Imagine(TM) - The Imagine line allows girls to explore their favorite interests and hobbies - as indicated by extensive lifestyle research on this audience - in an interactive and entertaining way with titles such as Fashion Designer, Master Chef and Animal Doctor for Nintendo DS.
• My Coach - Play and learn with this suite of entertaining training coaches that will teach you languages (My French Coach, My Spanish Coach) or help you to improve your expression (My Word Coach) for DS and Wii.
• Petz® - This holiday will see the return of Horsez®, Catz®, Dogz® and Hamsterz on the DS, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PC - and for the first time on Wii!

I've been hearing about, even checking out, Beowulf for months now. The game based on the movie based on the epic poem. Normally, that sort of media skipping would be like fingernails down a chalkboard for me, but so far I remain highly impressed with the tact that Ubisoft is taking in turning the tale of a blood-soaked Danish king to the console.

Most important to me is that the developers will be using material from the entire poem to create their own epic, instead of focusing in on the oft-quoted-in-high-school Grendal bits. The game will have you play through 30 years of Beowulf's life, a deeper look than even the Zemeckis film will take.

Most important to you, likely, is that the game (xbox 360, PS3, PC and PSP) was built using the YETI technology used to create Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. Which means it looks like hot sex and controls like a dream.

In the game you will take control of an evolving thane army, ordering the thanes you rescue and recruit to help Beowulf progress through the game. The fighting system uses combos, parries and the ability to upgrade skill sets. You also have these thing called Carnal Power which can be used to top off attacks and weapons. The game even has a little Assassin's Creed in it, letting Beowulf hold onto walls and climb as well as fight up-close-and-personal with enemies and giant monsters (No crabs are reported in this game.)

Hit the jump for the official press release and the first ever video (18 or older) showing in-game play. I love me some jaw breaking.

EPIC TALE OF VENGEANCE, POWER AND GLORY COMES TO LIFE IN UBISOFT'S BEOWULF™ VIDEO GAME

Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's Feature-Length Film Becomes an Interactive Gaming Experience

SAN FRANCISCO - July 26, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's leading video game publishers, announced that Beowulf™, an action combat video game based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's Beowulf, the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert, is currently in development for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Windows® PC. The Beowulf™ video game is being developed by the award-winning team that created the original Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® in Ubisoft's Tiwak studio. The Beowulf™ video game is scheduled for worldwide release in conjunction with the movie's opening in November 2007.

The Beowulf™ video game takes players deep into groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis' vision of the classic saga, Beowulf. Gamers live the life of Beowulf, the legendary Norse warrior with the strength of 30 men who is torn between the nobility and brutality within him. Arrogant, self-serving and lustful for gold and glory, Beowulf will journey to Denmark to destroy a bloodthirsty beast wreaking havoc on a frigid land. But evil persists, and Beowulf succumbs to its lure of even greater fame, quietly maneuvering to claim the Danish throne. As King, Beowulf must face the consequences of ambition, even as war descends on the realm. As Beowulf, players lead their men, called thanes, into battle, slay the Titans of a dying age and crush the enemies that threaten to annihilate both their kingdom and people. Only then, when Beowulf looks Destiny in the eye, will he know what kind of hero he has truly become.

"Ubisoft, Paramount Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment have been working extremely close in developing Beowulf," said Gilles Matouba, creative director at Ubisoft. "From the very beginning, we have had an unprecedented level of access to information and assets from the movie. This access, coupled with the creative and technological abilities of our team, has allowed us to capture aspects of the film and translate them perfectly into compelling gameplay elements such as the visceral hand-to-hand combat, dynamic swordplay and amazing visuals, while giving us the creative liberty to go even further by creating exclusive content for the game that is unexplored by the film and even the classic tale."

Key features:
• Delve even deeper into the adventure as gamers will play through 30 years of the Beowulf story not seen in the movie to experience more of Beowulf's life and mold their own legacy.
• The mystical world of Beowulf comes to life in stunning fashion. Powered by the next evolution of the award-winning YETI technology used to create the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® 2, Beowulf™ delivers an unrivalled graphical experience.
• Army of up to 12 thanes to unlock as players increase their heroic experience (by saving thanes, killing giant monsters, etc.).
• Players use the thane army to their advantage by giving orders, assigning positions, tailoring weapons to the situation or enemy and by triggering in-game mechanisms.
• The thane army evolves with upgradeable weapons (swords, mace and spears), skills and abilities.
• Use legacy experience points to gain thanes, replace weapons and upgrade Carnal abilities.
• Carnal Power allows the use of stronger attacks and special weapons. Carnal upgrades include less daze after use and prolonged use of Carnal Fury. But if used too much, there will be grave consequences.
• Dynamic combat system including combos, parries and increasing skills as the player progresses.
• Grab ability allows Beowulf to hold on to walls or climb, as well as fight up close with visceral hand-to-hand combat against enemies and giant monsters.

"The talented creators at Ubisoft are transforming our vision of the film into an interactive experience that extends the epic adventure far beyond its classic storyline," said Robert Zemeckis, director of Beowulf. "We've been thoroughly impressed with what we've seen from the game makers and are confident that gamers will find it to be an immersive and entertaining experience that goes far beyond the traditional movie-licensed game."

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the Beowulf saga that has never been told before. In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous, yet seductive, mother in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend. Beowulf stars Ray Winstone in the title role and Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother. Paramount Pictures, in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, Presents an ImageMovers Production of a Robert Zemeckis film, Beowulf.

For more information about the Beowulf™ video game please visit www.playbeowulf.com.
For more information on the film please visit http://www.beowulfmovie.com

It turns out that Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf will be entirely digital (as in Polar Express digital) meaning that the actual assets for the movie, not just some pictures but the actual digital content will be used to help create the video game.

"'Beowulf' is particularly well-suited for the video game format," adds Robert Zemeckis. "Not only does the film have a compelling story and strong visual style that will translate well into a game, but because the film is entirely digital, we are able to share our assets with Ubisoft. Audiences will be able to make a seamless transition between the film and the game."

Normally, I'd say that's just a bunch of crap coming from one more movie producer who doesn't really care what his film looks like when it hits a console, but I've got hope for this game. High hopes.

The film, and thus the game,will stars Ray Winstone in the title role and Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother.

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the "Beowulf" saga that has never been told before. In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous, yet seductive, mother in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend.

I hope the game does a better job of digging into the source material then do most high school classes on the subject, which tend to focus entirely on that battle with Grendel and never seem to touch on the before or the after.

Both the movie and the game are expected to hit this November. Brian Crecente

SAN FRANCISCO - May 24, 2007 - Ubisoft, one of the world's leading video game publishers, announced that it will develop and publish the video game based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's "Beowulf," the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis. Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary adapted the legend for the screen. The film is produced by Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke. The executive producers are Martin Shafer, Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman.

"Ubisoft is excited to be partnering with Paramount Pictures and Shangri-La, and the creative teams at ImageMovers, to leverage the 'Beowulf' movie assets and storylines and extend them into the interactive video game universe," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "Ubisoft has quickly become an industry leader in creating high-quality movie-based video games that deliver a compelling experience to both casual and hardcore gamers alike."

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the "Beowulf" saga that has never been told before. In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous, yet seductive, mother in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend. "Beowulf" stars Ray Winstone in the title role and Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman and Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother. Paramount Pictures, in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, Presents an ImageMovers Production of a Robert Zemeckis film, "Beowulf."

"'Beowulf' is particularly well-suited for the video game format," adds Robert Zemeckis. "Not only does the film have a compelling story and strong visual style that will translate well into a game, but because the film is entirely digital, we are able to share our assets with Ubisoft. Audiences will be able to make a seamless transition between the film and the game."

"Robert Zemeckis and Ubisoft represent creative leaders in their fields and we're thrilled to be collaborating with exceptional filmmakers and game development talent," said Sandi Isaacs, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Mobile at Paramount Digital Entertainment. "We are confident the epic story of 'Beowulf' will not only translate in to a phenomenal movie, but also a compelling video game experience."

The game is expected to release in conjunction with the movie's planned opening in November 2007. Visit http://www.beowulfmovie.com for more information on the film.

Ubisoft quietly announced that they have penned a deal with Paramount to work on a game based on the upcoming Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf movie expected to hit this holiday.

The movie, and thus the game, will be based on the epic poem of the same name and stars Angelina Jole and Anthony Hopkins, both of whom have signed on to appear in the game as well. Better still, much better, is the fact that the adaptation of the adaptation will be developed by the same French team who worked on Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.

Sounds like I'm going to have to dust of my Seamus Heaney copy of the book. I can't wait to play, not listen, to the lays of the victories of warriors. Brian Crecente