Naturally, you can’t get through the whole game injecting yourself with morphine – there are only so many syringes you can find in a level. The morphine bullet-time is mostly just a way to get you out of trouble when all else fails (and it is not so effective if more than one guy sees you). The developer has other interesting ways to kill people in mind for the player – such as the taint-stab (yes, taint-stab), the skull-shank, and the ever-popular “sneak up, pull pin on Nazi’s grenade, sneak away, boom!” attack.

You play Velvet Assassin as Violette Summer, who’s not really Violette Szabo from the real-life Allied spy corps, mostly because the daughter of the murdered spy didn’t sign off on the project. Developer Replay Studios did try to entice Tania Szabo into at least seeing the game, they say, but she just wasn’t interested.

Maybe it’s for the best – Violette Szabo died horribly; how fun can a game be if you know you’re going to end up raped and executed at the end? With Violette Summer, there’s some ambiguity as to what happens because she narrates the gameplay as a flashback from a hospital bed. She could be dying, she could be sick, she could be captured – we won’t know up until the very end when Violette finishes her story.

Thus, during the “flashbacks,” if Violette screws up and is about to be caught, the game allows you to shoot up morphine and run around in a hospital nightie – it’s not that she botched her mission, she’s just misremembering how it went and she needs a shot of the good stuff to recall exactly how it happened.

Gameplay is meant to be stealth, not action – so if you’re playing “the right way,” you ought not to be running and gunning. I’m not even sure you could get by in this game doing that because Violette dies after like three shots and there don’t seem to be that many ammo caches throughout the levels.

There are plenty of opportunities to increase your stealth, though. As you crouch, creep, or run (if you’re feeling bold) through levels, you’ll come across areas where you can affect the environment to up your chances of going undetected or of scoring an awesome stealth kill. For example, I crept into a hallway lined with floodlights. The blue tinge around Violette’s body faded, telling me I’d lost my stealth on account of being in the light. I could have risked it and run down the hallway because there wasn’t a Nazi in the way – but running creates noise, which can attract nearby Nazis and I could hear one whistling to himself somewhere nearby. So instead, I followed the cable running from the floodlight back behind me to a control panel. I pressed the action button, which shut off the light and then snuck down the hallway.

At the end, there was a door. I peeked through the keyhole and spotted another Nazi – but he wandered away into another room, leaving the radio (uh… gramophone? Whatever it was…) turned on. I snuck into the room and waited for him to come back so I could stab him without his buddies seeing (and hide his body – if the NPCs see bodies, they’re on to you), but he never reappeared. The PR rep gently suggested I try screwing with the radio and sure enough, an option appeared to let me shut it off. As soon as I did, the Nazi in the other room swore and started walking back into the room, swearing about the cheap thing being on the fritz. I took my chance and taint-stabbed him, dragging the body under a work table before creeping into the next room for my next kill.

After playing through that one level, my biggest beef was that if you dragged a body while crouching, you automatically stood up after letting go of the body. So you had to press another button to re-crouch; not very efficient. Other than that, obvious gripes about not having all the dialog recorded yet and Violette’s box-pushing animation being a little too sexy to be practical, I was actually pretty pleased with my experience.

But Velvet Assassin didn’t stop there for me. We went on to try the Warsaw ghetto level and I got a chance to examine the second thing that stuck with me: the visual style. Now, the build I saw was still early alpha, so textures weren’t all there and lighting wasn’t finished – but even with the kinks, I got a real sense of the “dynamic lighting” Replay Studios is so proud about. It was especially apparent when comparing the Warsaw level to the intro level in the French countryside.

Groups of levels are set in locales which look and feel distinct from one another and different from what you’d see in real life. The architecture is somewhat realistic (the developer got a hold of old aerial photos of Warsaw to recreate as much of the pre-bombed city as they could), but the lighting and coloring in each level creates a distinct sense of atmosphere. The French countryside had a lot of orange colors in it, creating a tense, cautious feeling. The later Warsaw level had more reds and blacks – evoking a sense of horror at the atrocities of war.

That was the biggest thing that struck me as I played Velvet Assassin: Replay Studios, a German developer, is not pulling any punches when it comes to representing the horrors of Nazi occupied territory. They’re not being over the top with the violence, or reducing the enemies to mindless hate-killers with bad dialog. Subtle scenes and story exposition hidden in levels (letters in drawers, NPC dialog, etc.) simply remind you that 1) you’re in one of the worst wars in recent history and 2) the bad stuff being done is being done by other people with families – people you’ve got to kill to succeed in your mission.

The Warsaw level was particularly hardcore. As I crept through the deserted streets strewn with furniture that had been thrown from windows as last-ditch attempts at barricade the roads, flashes in darkened windows and distant pops of gunfire and screams told me that the Nazis were still rooting through the town, looking for survivors and killing them. I turned a corner and came upon an execution ground – the blood still bright red on the brick walls, the bodies of women and children slumped against them with their hands tied behind their backs.

War is hell. William T. Sherman wasn’t kidding.

The moody feel to the levels adds a layer of emotional depth to Velvet Assassin that I wasn’t expecting to see in a Gamecock game. Not to diss on the publisher – but when I think of Gamecock, the last thing I think of is “serious war story.” But Gamecock says Velvet Assassin is very much a Gamecock game because of its uniqueness; and they’ll do what it takes to nurture out-of-left-field games like this, presumably even after being bought by SouthPeak Interactive.

That’s why we won’t be seeing a demo for Velvet Assassin, sadly. The developer wants to use that time to keep on polishing the game. And Velvet Assassin is going to need it, if some of the subtler stuff is going to get fixed.

At present, there are gameplay mechanics that don’t quite work or aren’t integrated well into the game. For example, there’s a sort of RPG element where you can find hidden items in a level, thus earning XP. You can spend the XP on buffing your stealth skills or your gun accuracy and stuff – but the developer says the buffs won’t make gameplay too different and they don’t require players to complete these “side quests.” So in other words, it’s a cool idea that doesn’t exactly have a place in the game yet – something you’d definitely want to fix or cut before release.

I’m cautiously optimistic about this game. It probably won’t be the prettiest game on the market and there really isn’t much to the game besides sneaking and stabbing – no code-cracking mini-games or super cool gadgets (definitely not a Splinter Cell clone). Honestly, Velvet Assassin feels like it has more stealth than action – so you’ll spend a lot of time waiting. The steep punishments for being impatient (attracting more than two Nazis, getting sniped from two buildings over because you weren’t crouching, missing little details like the floodlight control box) might also get on a lot of people’s nerves. But the game takes its subject matter seriously, it doesn’t over-sex the heroine, and stealth is a genre of gameplay that usually gets crammed into shooters or the odd RPG segment instead of taking center stage. Even Hitman, Thief or other stealth-action games sometimes give into the “peer-pressure” of shooter action games instead of going all out on stealth.

Velvet Assassin ships sometime in “early 2009.”

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with SouthPeak to continue to bring great original titles from independent developers to market with a stronger sales and distribution reach,” said Mike Wilson, CEO of Gamecock. “We have followed each other's progress closely over the last two years, and combining our team with theirs results in a very strong and well-rounded force in the market."

The feverish coupling should have no effect on Gamecock's upcoming titles, with Legendary and Mushroom men still slated for release this quarter. Phew, I need a cigarette.

SouthPeak Interactive Corporation Acquires Gamecock Media Group

MIDLOTHIAN, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—SouthPeak Interactive Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: SOPK; SOPKU; SOPKW; SOPKZ), one of the fastest growing videogame publishers, today announced the acquisition of Austin-based Gamecock Media Group.

Commenting on the acquisition, Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak, stated, “Gamecock brings us a solid slate of upcoming titles, including Legendary, Mushroom Men and Velvet Assassin and supports our strategy of working with independent developers. We are excited to give the Gamecock titles a bigger platform to succeed.”

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with SouthPeak to continue to bring great original titles from independent developers to market with a stronger sales and distribution reach,” said Mike Wilson, CEO of Gamecock. “We have followed each other's progress closely over the last two years, and combining our team with theirs results in a very strong and well-rounded force in the market."

SouthPeak expects to ship Legendary and Mushroom Men in the current quarter.

Replay has pushed back the game's European release to early 2009.

This is ostensibly to bring the launch in line with the US release but will of course have the handy side-effect of extending the development time by a couple of months and avoiding the Christmas rush.

Velvet Assassin slips into early 2009 [Eurogamer]

Legendary: Behind the Scenes

The Wii version of the game will feature several customized control schemes, as well as all-new story and challenge modes to make the game worth of retail release. Hit the jump for the full press release, along with two more screens worth of hot pirate vs. ninja Wii action.

BLAZING LIZARD’S PIRATES VS. NINJAS™ DODGEBALL ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED ON Wii™

Intense Dodgeball Rivalry to be Settled on Wii Courts Everywhere This Winter

Cockpit, Austin, TX – August 28, 2007 – Gamecock Media Group announced today that Blazing Lizard’s Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will release on Wii™ this winter. The title features two ancient rivals, ninjas and pirates, along with several other teams, all looking to settle the score once and for all – on the dodgeball court.

“The competition between the Pirates and the Ninjas is so huge that battles are breaking out all over,” said Harry Miller, El Presidente of Gamecock Media Group. “We’re happy to bring this grand conflict to the Wii, and give players the chance to help determine who the ultimate champions are.”

Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will have scurvy thieves squaring off against crafty martial artists in large, detailed arenas. The game allows for up to eight players and offers a total of seven teams, including pirates, ninjas, robots and zombies plus three unannounced ball slingers. Each team utilizes its own unique techniques and strategies to try and ultimately defeat the enemies. Unique to Wii version, the game will offer all-new story and challenge modes, along with several customized control schemes.

Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball is scheduled for release this winter. For more information visit www.gamecockmedia.com and www.piratesvsninjas.com.

The game starts out with the protagonist Charles Deckard at a museum, about to insert a mystical key into a mystical box...well, the magical box. The one you don't want to open? Yeah, he opens it, and in return it brands his hand with a mystic rune and unleashes doom upon the human race as we know it. It's a damn good thing that box came with that branding featuring, allowing the bearer to absorb mystical energy in order to heal himself, hurt mythical beasts, and solve puzzles, because otherwise we'd be completely screwed. Let's hear it for escape clauses!

Anyway, as soon as you are branded the museum begins to shake and break, fires breaking out, the earth heaving, tossing passersby to their deaths, fire and brimstone, dogs and cats, living together, etc. Your character gains some basic knowledge about his powers as he escapes while everything goes to hell around him. It's a common FPS mechanic...essentially placing you in the middle of a disaster movie where you can't get hurt, but it's done really well.

Things get even more exciting when you exit the museum, as we see some magnificent cinematics that effectively amount to the entirety of New York City doing the wave, streets, cars, people, and all as a wave of otherworldly energy floods the surroundings. Streets crack, people run screaming, and then the griffons show up and start tossing cars about.

You navigate a maze of cars, new paths opening as the griffons toss vehicles about as if they were really big birds tossing about cars, until you get to a place where you are completely stuck. Then some seriously awesome shit goes down.

Suddenly cars and wreckage get sucking into this swirling vortex, slowly coalescing into a massive giant built from spare parts, easily the size of the skyscraper he then walks through, opening up your new path.

From there things move into more familiar puzzle-solving FPS ground, opening valves to put out fires as you make your way towards the subway system, hoping to find a way to escape the city. My last moments with the game were spent shooting at fire-spitting lava dogs in the ruined subway tunnels of New York. Th guy waiting in line for the game behind me had moved from intently staring to uncomfortably rubbing against me, so I fled.

So the first 15 minutes of the game hooked me. I am dying to see what else happens over the course of the game now. Gameplay was fast and smooth, though I didn't get a chance to play enough to determine if I like the combat yet or not. So far it's just been standard pistol fare, so I've know idea what happens when the big guns come out.

Still, I can assure you that Legendary did manage to live up to the name several times during my brief encounter. I'm looking forward to playing more when I am not surrounded by touchy Germans.

In the meantime, the dev team has added new features, such as having up to five balls in play at once, an "old-school" dodgeball gameplay mode and an enhanced mode that follows traditional rules, but lets players — whether they be pirate, ninja, zombie or robot — use special moves.

You can check out our hands-on impressions of Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball to see the title sounds better or worse than the game's current dodgeball competition.

Even more exciting that the art book, Spark Unlimited is also releasing a 96 page graphic novel detailing Deckard’s fight against the Black Order, written by none other than Legendary comic book writer Mark Waid. See what I did there? It's a double meaning. Accentuated with a capital letter. Is the weekend here yet? Look for the graphic novel to hit around the same time as the game. Look for the box art after the jump!

“Gamecock is committed to providing gamers with original titles from the most talented developers,” said Gamecock’s ‘El Presidente’ Harry Miller. “With the growth and acceptance of digital download, gamers now have greater access to original titles. By partnering with GameTap, we have another chance to ensure that gamers can find and play great games made by independent developers.”

Both current and future titles will be made available for the service, from the intentionally buggy Insecticide to the sexy spy action of Velvet Assassin. If that doesn't interest you, then I offer the director's cut headline for this story, "GameTap Gets Stuffed With Cock."

GAMECOCK MEDIA GROUP SHAKES HANDS AND SIGNS DEAL WITH DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, GAMETAP

New Partnership Makes Available Original Titles like Insecticide and Stronghold Crusader Extreme for Purchase and Play!

Cockpit, Austin, TX – July 24, 2008 – Video game publisher Gamecock Media Group announced today that it has finalized a new partnership with GameTap, the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) network that is a leader in digital game distribution and broadband entertainment. The partnership includes the rights for the publisher’s titles to be available for digital download in GameTap’s online store, as well as for subscription and ad-supported play.

“Gamecock is committed to providing gamers with original titles from the most talented developers,” said Gamecock’s ‘El Presidente’ Harry Miller. “With the growth and acceptance of digital download, gamers now have greater access to original titles. By partnering with GameTap, we have another chance to ensure that gamers can find and play great games made by independent developers.”

“We are constantly looking for ways to expand our massive library of games by working with innovative publishers,” said Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content and creative director for GameTap. “Through this partnership, GameTap will now feature some of Gamecock’s best titles, including Insecticide and Stronghold Crusader Extreme.”

As part of the new agreement, future titles, such as Legendary and Velvet Assassin will also be available on GameTap. All games will be added GameTap’s online digital retail storefront at launch and later added to the subscription service and ad-supported website.

Here are tons of new screens of both the Wii version, Mushroom Men: Spore Wars, and the DS version, Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi.

Gamecock also provided further info on the four different "nations" of mushroom creatures - put simply, there are two tribes of good guys, the Bolete and Morels, and two tribes of bad guys, the Amanitas and Lepiotas. Hey, wasn't "Amanita" a poisonous mushroom in Symphony of the Night? It must be a real, actual thing that exists outside of video games. Amazing!

Full details and new screens after the jump.

An ichorous green meteor plummets through the Earth's atmosphere, fracturing and showering the earth with glowing green space dust that affects all forms of life nearby. Some plant life — mushrooms and cacti — acquire sentience while, the meteor twists and mutates other life forms, transforming insects and animals into semi-intelligent, warlike communities.

Nations



There are four Mushroom Nations. Each of these Nations has its own unique body shapes, clothing and weapons. These nations can be simplified into two groups: the non-poison mushrooms Bolete and Morels (the Good Guys) and the poison mushrooms Amanitas and Lepiota (the Bad Guys).

Bolete Tribe



Boletes are dark brown and green. They are short and stout with primitive but powerful weapons. They are good melee fighters. As hunter/gatherers, they would prefer to live at peace with the land and their fellow Mushroom Men. They have a native/aboriginal-turned warrior theme. Pax, the main character of the Wii version, embodies the naïve view of the Boletes have of the world outside.

Morels



Morels are the intelligent elite of the Mushroom Men and look more sophisticated than the other nations. Their colouring tends be saturated and bright. Their weapons are technically advanced. They are controlled by logic and reason; though sometimes they let complexity get in the way of elegance.

Amanitas Empire



The Amanitas are extremely pale, almost white and are very thin and creepy looking. They tattoo rank insignia into their bright red caps as part of their military. Their war machine is extremely powerful. Their entire culture exists to support their dominating march across the face of the planet. Unlike the other Mushroom Men who piece together weapons and armour from discarded human refuse, the Amanitas manufacture their weapons and armour in advanced forges. Roman-style conquerors, they rule through force and fear.

The Lepiota Order



The Lepiota are a very pale greenish colour and tend to be a lot thicker in build and stature. Though they have poison spore powers, they mostly rely on their blunt melee weaponry and dark magic to enforce their aggressive push for dominance. Ruled by powerful necromancers, the Lepiota are extremely evil and vicious. Their religion focuses on old human technology. They build shrines in antique human hardware like old jukeboxes and mid-century automobiles ('57 Chevy and 70's era VW Bus). . Their drive for dominance shows in all facets of their culture. Only the elite have free will while others are all mentally enslaved.

Other Species



In addition to the Mushroom Men, several other plants and animals have been affected similarly by the comet. While initially neutral and independent, they eventually team up with one side or the other.

Los Cactos Mutantes



Stubby little spine-covered saguaro men roam the wastes. Cactos focus and use their spines in a fashion similar to the Mushroom Men's spores, launching aggressive ranged strikes and defensive barriers. By their very nature, Cactos automatically inflict damage when attacked, making enemies think twice before striking. They come in two varieties. Red, feral cacti are berserker beasts, incapable of reasonable communication or interaction. They operate in packs with a poorly-defined social structure. Green, intelligent cacti are the social equivalent of the Mushroom Men (and are therefore the ones who offer their allegiance to the Mushroom Men).

Kudzu



While they can operate as separate entities, Kudzu's true strength lies in their ability to merge and spread, consuming all in their path. Only vaguely humanoid, individual Kudzu Men are thick masses of sentient vines capable of locomotion. Due to their hearty regeneration rate, they recover from virtually any attack if given a few moments and some fresh soil/water. Early on, the Kudzu Men are very few and scattered, barely surviving the constant attack of the voracious herbivores in their region. Once the hero eliminates the herbivore threat, the Kudzu Men ally themselves with the Bolete and begin to spread, grow and expand. By the start of the Spore War, the Kudzu have regrown for a future encounter.

Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars for Wii & Mushroom Men – Rise of the Fungi for DS will be available across North America & Europe from October 2008. For more information about Mushroom Men please visit www.gamecockmedia.com. For more information about Red Fly Studio please visit www.redflystudio.com.

We also understand that Gamecock is "a welcome solution to the bloated and originality-starved video game industry." That's the press release talking again. We'll believe anything you say, press release! Command us!

Up to four players can compete together locally or co-op, and online multiplayer is for up to eight. You can also compete against three AIs all by your lonesome, so there are a lot of options - You get the idea.

So did I get creamed on the video game the same way I used to as a little geek?

Short answer is yes - but my team actually won one round, too, thanks to my heroics once my partner got knocked out. Gameplay's actually quite simple; you can jump and throw the ball from midair, dodge backward with the right shoulder button, or pick up the ball simply by running over it. There are several different pirates and several different ninjas to choose from, and each one has its own special move.

The character animations are really cute, and the different characters are all rather different (surprised?) One of the ninjas looks more like a samurai than a ninja, technically. I tried playing a female ninja who did one of those spread-armed crane-winged jumps in the air. One thing I didn't know is that zombie and robot teams will also be featured as unlockables, with sets of abilities all their own. When I played as a robot, the sprite I chose was able to stun both her enemies and allies via a bright laser beam from her chest.

Essentially, two teams scrabble for the ball and beat each other senseless with it until all the members of one team are out of stamina. You can recoup your stamina by catching the ball instead of being hit by it. Making things a little more wicked is the fact that you can perform normal attacks on your opponents with weapons to drain their stamina as well, or to keep them from reaching the ball so that your own teammate can get it.

Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball was actually supposed to be out earlier this year, but the rep told me the reason for the delay was to add additional game modes - for example, if you'd just like to play straight dodgeball without the ability to hit and be hit with the weapons, you can now do that.

I played a few rounds of two-on-two local against the reps, and had a blast. It's a little bit like the fun and chaos of Smash Bros. but without all the complexity. It's simple enough that even your non-gamer buddies would probably want to play it with you when they're all over for beers or something. Not that you'd need to drink to enjoy it, mind you, but it feels like a great party title.

A war story influenced by real-world events that prioritizes stealth action? Sounds like a certain other title that I can't take my eyes and hands off of lately, so I was eager to get a look at Velvet Assassin today.

Violette's story is told through flashbacks and memories - in the opening of the game, she's in a hospital, remembering back on her career, and in the scene I saw, Violette was sneaking through the sewers and up into a Warsaw ghetto under patrol by Nazi soldiers. The PR rep told me that the team is prioritizing authenticity in creating the WWII environment, with the aim of recreating the grittiness of that war's horrors.

For example, a man would be seen hanged in the sewers, as the Nazis actually did back then to try to warn people off attempting to escape through there. During my demo, I watched soldiers taking turns shooting at the walls of buildings, as they often did to try and kill or scare out anyone who might be hiding.

If Violette keeps to the shadows, a purple aura covers her, letting the player know she can't be seen by enemies in the light. The shadows are sharp-edged, and the contrast between them and the sunbathed, forbidding landscape was very eerie, exactly the sort of spooky atmosphere you'd expect from a story about what goes on behind enemy lines in WWII.

I was told there are over 50 different kinds of stealth kills in the game that Violette can perform when she sneaks up behind an enemy quietly - I watched her seize a soldier around the neck and stab him in the back before he could alert his compatriots. Though I was watching a very early build, the rep told me that in the final game, players will be able to drag enemy bodies out of sight to keep the Nazis from catching on, similar to the way it's done in Metal Gear.

Also, Violette can enter "Morphine mode" in an emergency. The painkiller ties into the fact that we're playing through Violet's memories while she's hospitalized, and if you use morphine, you can kill a target in range quickly and directly - for example, if a soldier sees you, you can run right up and kill him, the screen a white, violet-blotted haze, before he has the opportunity to alert his mates.

Throughout the gameplay, Violette narrates her story, woven together with factual information about the progression of the WWII story. She has a lovely English accent, and the voice acting in conjunction with the imagery was lovely.

While it was too early for hands-on with this game, and some of the features, like the body-dragging, haven't been implemented yet, I definitely saw enough to pique my interest and let me know that this stealth war drama, featuring what looks to be a strong, compelling female protagonist, is worth keeping an ear attuned to.

I mention this because the werewolves in this latest batch of screens from Spark Unlimited's PS3, Xbox 360, and PC game Legendary (formerly Legendary: The Box) look exactly like the ones I used to have nightmares about. Could be time for a little virtual catharsis.

Gamecock demoed its lineup in more detail earlier this year at its EIEIO press event in Austin, Texas, where amid burlesque dancing, truckloads of Corona and lots of talk about Rollergirls, the developer seemed to want to show off its progressive vibe. Given that many are looking to digital download platforms for the future of PC gaming, it seems a modern-minded move for Gamecock.

GamersGate and Gamecock join forcesNew York, USA (May 8, 2008)- Leading global PC download portal GamersGate announced today that much talked about publisher Gamecock Media Group has joined the increasing group of established publishers on GamersGate. The first title to be released under this agreement is the Strategy title Stronghold Crusader Extreme in May, followed by the bisodic Action-Adventure game Insecticide, with the first episode available in June. Upcoming additions include among other titles Velvet Assassin, planned for Q3 2008. "Gamecock has taken the entire gaming industry by storm and we are thrilled to add their exciting titles to our growing portfolio," said Theodore Bergquist, CEO of GamersGate. "This is an important partnership for us because GamersGate really delivers to players," said Harry Miller, El Presidente at Gamecock. "Working with GamersGate to support independent gaming is awesome. Now fans will have a one stop online shop to get the goods." To find out more about GamersGate, please go to http://www.gamersgate.com. About GamersGate GamersGate is a leading digital distribution platform creating easily accessible gaming experiences for gamers worldwide- anytime, anywhere. Seen as a strong contender on the digital download arena, GamersGate continues to redefine the download industry and future strategies include the launch of several accompanying services in addition to an aggressively growing product portfolio from a wide range of internationally recognized publishers. http://www.gamersgate.com. About Gamecock Media Group Based in Austin, Texas, Gamecock Media Group offers a welcome solution to the bloated and originality-starved video game industry. A well-funded, independent, artist-driven company, Gamecock favors the most innovative and original video game developers in the industry. Publishing games for all platforms, Gamecock offers its developers a high degree of participation, freedom and financial incentives, allowing them to perform and create to their utmost ability. For more, please visit http://www.gamecockmedia.com.

Pirates Vs. Ninja Dodgeball Info Dump
Hail to the Chimp Info Dump
Stronghold Crusader Extreme Info Dump
Dungeon Hero Info Dump
Velvet Assassin Info Dump
Legendary Info Dump
Insecticide Info Dump
Section 8 Info Dump
Mushroom Men Info Dump

Here's my entry for the contest. I made it out of organs, fur, a kitten strap and some butterfly wings!
It even moves on it's own and doesn't even use electricity OR batteries.
The only thing i haven't figured out yet is making it fly...

That's it.

You can use anything to make it EXCEPT CG. So yeah, if you want to make a bug outta newspapers, sticks, clay, whatever, DO IT. Send entries to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line "Insect." The contest ends March 7th. The winner's fame is ENDLESS.

I made the hornet from plastic bottles, the antenna from the rings around the opening, and the legs from coat hangers.

That's it.

You can use anything to make it EXCEPT CG. So yeah, if you want to make a bug outta newspapers, sticks, clay, whatever, DO IT. Send entries to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line "Insect." The contest ends March 7th. The winner's fame is ENDLESS.

"Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like 'Sabotage,' 'Velvet Assassin™' captures the heart of what we're trying to accomplish," said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. "From the start we've wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue."

The "Velvet Assassin" Strikes Down Sabotage

REPLAY STUDIOS ANNOUNCES NEW NAME FOR THEIR WORLD WAR II STEALTH ACTION TITLE

Cockpit, Austin, TX - February 29, 2008 - Today developer Replay Studios, along with publisher Gamecock Media Group, have announced the official name change for 'Velvet Assassin™', their upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as 'Sabotage'. The new title creates a perfect marriage between the story of real life hero Violette Szabo and the clandestine art of sabotage she championed. From the incredibly innovative art style, storyline, and combat gameplay, Velvet Assassin™ is poised to revolutionize the stealth-action genre later this year.

"Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like 'Sabotage,' 'Velvet Assassin™' captures the heart of what we're trying to accomplish," said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. "From the start we've wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue."

Inspired by the true story of British Agent Violette Szabo, players will take on the role of Violette Summer. Behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied Europe, Violette risks her life fighting to fell the Third Reich with anything she can get her hands on, including enemy soldiers. With no support or official backing from the British Government, Violette puts everything on the line to defeat the German war machine - one mission at a time. Velvet Assassin™ combines lush, surreal visuals, a ground-breaking stealth combat system and one of the most unique perspectives ever brought to gaming. Velvet Assassin™ is planned to release in Fall 2008 on PC and next-generation consoles.

"Most of the time a name change happens because it's not 'catchy' enough or because the marketing team didn't like it," said Tim Hesse, Executive Producer at Gamecock Media Group. "I have to say, the Replay crew have outdone themselves by making Violette into one of the best looking stealth-killers ever. This game has come so far since last year that Sabotage just didn't do the game justice - 'Velvet Assassin™' sums up every aspect that makes this game great."

"Gamecock wants YOU to vote in the human American presidential election," said Mike Wilson, Gamecock Media Group's Grand Champeen and CEO. "And, perhaps more importantly, to check out Hail to the Chimp's candidates and get involved in the first ever presidential election for the new animal republic!"

Gamecock Media Group Supports Rock the Vote With CockTheVote.us!

Non-Partisan Site Promotes Voter Registration to Video Game Audience and Offers Comic Relief With Party Game Hail to the Chimp's Animalistic Approach to the Political Process; Campaign Bus in Los Angeles for Super Tuesday

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 5, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Fired up and ready to go! Today video game publisher, Gamecock Media Group, announced the launch of CockTheVote.us, a site aimed at video gamers to promote voter registration using its special brand of animalistic political humor. Their GRRNews.com campaign bus will be traveling around Los Angeles all day today for Super Tuesday.

"Gamecock wants YOU to vote in the human American presidential election," said Mike Wilson, Gamecock Media Group's Grand Champeen and CEO. "And, perhaps more importantly, to check out Hail to the Chimp's candidates and get involved in the first ever presidential election for the new animal republic!"

Gamecock has been on the campaign trail adding some humor to the intensity of the election process and hoping to inspire the vote in the process. With a cast of furry animal candidates from its upcoming politically charged party game, Hail to the Chimp, Gamecock has partied with Rock the Vote at the Iowa Caucus, and, most recently, visited with the University of South Carolina and their newspaper, The Daily Gamecock, at the South Carolina Primary. Today, the cast of candidates will be bringing their message to Los Angeles.

Mike continued, "Our original intent was to join the campaign trail with Hail to the Chimp to provide much-needed comic relief from the election season. And, now that Colbert's not running, we thought we'd better focus our attention on those who are. However, our meeting with Rock the Vote inspired us to use our gaming muscle to energize people in the election process. Thus was born, CockTheVote.us."

CockTheVote.us will include an embedded widget where gamers can register to vote. The site will also feature campaign trail video clips and images of Hail to the Chimp's giant, furry-costumed animal candidates — from Crackers the monkey to Hedwig the polar bear. Woodchuck Chumley, Hail to the Chimp's animal kingdom woodchuck newscaster, will be on assignment, and even a cock-masked Gamecock or two will make an appearance.

Created by Wideload Games, Hail to the Chimp is a fast-paced party game that delivers exciting gameplay, lush interactive environments, and a comic look at politics. It is a bare-knuckled fight to win the crown of President of the animals. The Hail to the Chimp ballot now boasts ten candidates, each with their own personality, platforms and style. Just like any political race, mud is being slung, names are being named, alliances are being made and broken, and the candidates are clawing up the ladder to reach that golden seat.

Mr. Wilson needed to email Kotaku a nice long letter to recount his version of events at Ion Storm and slam my personal life - way to go Mike! Media manipulation at its saddest. It's analogous to a crotch shot of Britney in Hollywood's media circus.

Anyway, I think we're both mature enough to end this flame war. I just wanna see the cool games that gamecock is gonna release.

It's ok guys - no need to continue this worthless fight and commentary. Mike emailed me and apologized for his response.

But developing a game and publishing a game are completely different things. Gamecock is PUBLISHING other developer's games with the money they have from their investors, it's not personal money. Developers, on the other hand, get money from publishers to create their games. They're the guys with the ideas and the blood, sweat and tears putting in the work to make it all happen. Without the developers there are no games.

Without the publishers......the developers become their own publisher.

...and...

Yeah, approval process of bitch ad:

mike: hey, here's the kickass ad the richards group did - i think it's great and we should do it

john: uh, i would never say that to someone "you're my bitch" - that's kinda gay

mike: don't be a pussy! people will get it - it's trashtalking.

john: ok, whatever...

In the same post, Romero also placed part of the blame on Wilson for the laughable "John Romero's About To Make You His Bitch" print ads that ran prior to the release of the ill-fated shooter Daikatana.

Wilson responds in an open letter to Romero, sent to Kotaku, that he will "not allow you to rewrite the history of it all, more to your liking and to my public detriment, and I will in no way take the rap for what you did (or didn't do) with your dream company", going on to defend his character and refute certain claims.

It gets particularly nasty near the end of the letter, when Wilson says to Romero "your unparalleled work ethic and strong character has [...] left only a bloody trail of ex-wives, fatherless kids, and ill advised breast implants strewn across this fair nation." Insert stunned silence here, then continue for the full "Dear John" letter.

Dear John, I'm writing this letter from Moscow, having just read your lovely post about me, which a good friend forwarded me and implored me to reply to. I really never thought I would relive the joy that was Ion Storm, circa 1997, or that the memories of those times still troubled you so 11 years later. Then again, I would guess you live in the memories of your twenties as much as you can, given the reality of your thirties. Glad to know I'm still in your thoughts.

I enjoyed your comments very much, but several of my friends (especially those that were around for those heady time to witness the truth of it up close) did not find it quite so funny, and thought that I should take the time to set a few things straight as publicly as the flame you chose to randomly launch my way.

While I am not at all interested in reliving those days, I will also not allow you to rewrite the history of it all, more to your liking and to my public detriment, and I will in no way take the rap for what you did (or didn't do)with your dream company. So here are just a few reminders to jog your memory.

While my job title (which you gave me) was CEO of your company, I was one of two "junior partners" in a partnership of 6. I made about 1/3 of what the 'big boy partners' (as you liked to call yourselves back then) did and owned less than five percent of your company. I wasn't awarded a 250k signing bonus like you were for signing up to your own startup and I didn't have a personal assistant like you, nor occupy one of the 4 corners of power in the original Ion Storm building. And unlike you, I didn't get to file a federal trademark for my own personal catch phrase," Suck it Down." I remind you of these things only to remind you that there was absolutely nothing done by me or Ion Storm, including the advertisements which bore your name and which you happily posed for, that didn't require your full approval and grand signature.

And while I did think that famous Bitch ad was pretty funny, I'll remind you that you signed that one too, and I'm fairly certain I wasn't holding your hand or using a Jedi mind trick on you when you did it. I'll also remind you that the whole reason for running the teaser ad was that we felt we should be starting to advertise the game since it you said was shipping so soon, for Christmas in 1997. Even though we had nothing but a logo and that signature promise to use for an ad 6 months before you promised Eidos and your partners that Daikatana would be ready to redefine shooters on shelves worldwide.

Our former employee also reminded me that I fought on a daily basis to try to save that company from the poison which you had invited into it (and watched spread like a cancer while you kept your head in the sand), only to find myself ushered out the door, since it was such a buzz kill to hear my incessant complaints about the way things were being run, which were really those of the 80 or so young fresh faced developers we hired in the 10 months I was there. But hey, it was clear that I was the problem there, as you guys really took off the year after I left. Or, more accurately, nearly every one of those 80 hires did.

I do owe you a thank you for that little shove to get me started on Gathering of Developers, a company that I was an actual partner of, and which Take Two 'reigned in' buy buying for 30 million dollars, two years after we opened an office, which resulted in no less than eight million unit selling PC games and over 350 million dollars in revenue for TTWO (my investors) during roughly the same amount of time that it took you and the remaining 'big boy partners' to shit away Eidos' (your investors) 30 million and deliver one of the biggest heaps of dung ever put onto a CD Rom, just before being foreclosed on. Thank god for Warren Spector, who was also made a 'junior partner', and later delivered Eidos Storm's only salvation in the form of Deus Ex.

And please don't be too concerned for the independent developers I work with... just like with GodGames, and like the deal I struck for you with Eidos, Gamecock owns their IP and is branded above the publisher on everything, and has a great royalty rate. Royalty rates are what you make if you actually make a game that is good and sells. Remember Quake one?

I'm also grateful for your concern over my incessant partying, which has somehow led me to be married to the same beautiful woman for 17 years now, while raising two incredible daughters together. You should maybe try the partying, since your unparalleled work ethic and strong character has (just in the time I've known you) left only a bloody trail of ex-wives, fatherless kids, and ill advised breast implants strewn across this fair nation, even before you flew all the way to Romania for your latest wife. If she's not still around, let me know, and I'll see if I can pick another one up for you here in Russia.

Its been great catching up, but I'm off to dinner now with Harry Miller, my best friend and business partner for the past decade (ever had one of those, John?), and our very happy new investor, followed by some crazy partying to keep it real, just for you.

You take care now, and remember just because id, Eidos, and then Midway fired you doesn't mean you're not still awesome!

Suck it down,

Your pal Mike

Happy weekend, everybody!

I got a chuckle out of reading the reader's comments on the article. People are now starting to get a clue about how Mr. Wilson operates. Hey everyone, he hasn't changed in over 10 years — these are the kinds of jackass stunts he pulled at Ion Storm with Daikatana. Remember the bitch ad? Yeah. He also ran ads ("image ads") that just had pictures of Ion Storm founders, himself and our COO. That was just the beginning of his madness.

It got much worse at Godgames where he pretty much just partied all the time and after the whole thing got reined in by Take 2 he went underground for a while, waiting for his next victim/investor so he could go hogwild all over again. And thus was born Gamecock.

Earlier today Gamecock announced that their annual mini-con, EIEIO, was moving from California to Texas to coincide with South By Southwest. While the company only has only brought two titles to market so far, they have a ton in the wings. Here's how things official stand with their upcoming games, from Mushrooms to Insects:

Pirates Vs Ninjas Dodgeball XBLA - Feb
Insecticide DS - 2/26
Insecticide Episodes 1 & 2 (Downloadable PC Episodic) - March and April
Hail to the Chimp - May
Mushroom Men:Rise of the Fungi DS - June
Legendary PC Next Gen Consoles - Summer
Mushroom Men:The Spore Wars Wii - Fall
Sabotage 360/PC - Fall
Dungeon Hero 360/PC - Spring 09
Section 8 Next Gen Console/PC - Summer 09

This year's event, still labeled a showcase for independent developers, will take place on March 6 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q and will feature a day of gaming and a night of "Texas hospitality."

"South by Southwest is known as a mecca for indie film makers and musicians and there are a ton of game makers in Austin, so it seems like a natural fit," said founder Mike Wilson.

Gamecock decided to move their Expo For Interactive Entertainment, Independent and Original from Los Angeles' E3 to Austin because Wilson said they feel like SXSW is a better fit for their event.

Wilson said there will be eight games on hand, including titles from Wideload, Red Fly Studio, Spark Unlimited, Replay Studios, Firefly Studios and TimeGate, as well as a few surprises.

"While we have enjoyed providing an entertaining respite for the industry during the painful California-based trade shows of years past, it has always been our dream to show people how we really do it down in Texas," he said. "We want this E.I.E.I.O. to be part video game expo, part backyard carnival, part indie revival. And, as E.I.E.I.O. leads right into SXSW — the annual mecca for independent artists from all walks of life — we are heading-up the charge to get the best and most original games here."

So far, the publisher, a rebirth of 90s' publisher Gathering of Developers, has brought two games to market, Auran's poorly received Fury and Nintendo DS thriller Dementium, which arrived to above average but mixed reviews.

"IGN gave (Dementium: The Ward) shooter of the year for the DS, we were happy with it, it didn't review as well as it could of because of one flaw," Wilson said. "We want to work with (developer Renegade Kid) again), that game we're very proud of."

The company will hit its stride this year, Wilson said, with the release of a slew of games including Mushroom Men, Hail to the Chimp and Xbox Live game Pirates Versus Ninjas Dodgeball. Wilson said that the publisher may also be looking to the Playstation Network and WiiWare as potential future platforms.

"This is kind of a make it or break it year for us," he said.

Woodchuck Chumley and Crackers the Chimp (who looks suspiciously like a current, high-level politician, will be on location at the Iowa Caucus Thursday covering the latest news for "GRRNews.com". The live coverage also coincides with the launch of the game's official site.

Publisher Gamecock promises that the team of crack cosplay reporters will be delivering election polls, gossip, stock tips and interviews with candidates. Man, I hope they have a camera recording when they go for their first interview with a real politician. I can't wait to see the look on Hilary Clinton's or Mike Huckabee's expression when faced with a grown man dressed up as a Woodchuck wearing a fake hair piece and carrying a live microphone. If bullets aren't involved it should be priceless.

"After conducting extensive polling and scrutinizing all the candidates' stances on various issues, we came to the conclusion that Stephen Colbert has shown strong leadership and best represents the interests of the video game playing community," said Gamecock CEO and Grand Champeen Mike Wilson. "Stephen Colbert had Will Wright on his show and he pummeled Nancy Pelosi's Mii in Wii Boxing. These decisive actions have earned our vote."

The game publisher urges Stephen Colbert to not lose hope, suggesting that he come to their home state of Texas to continue his run for president and extend his endorsement deal with Doritos brand snack chips, the crunch heard round the world.

I myself cannot throw my support behind Colbert, mainly because of his campaign promise to South Carolina. "I promise, if elected, I will crush the state of Georgia." Georgia is where I keep all my stuff. Can't have that.

GAMECOCK ENDORSES STEPHEN COLBERT FOR PRESIDENT

Videogame Publisher Refuses To Accept "South Carolina Setback", Pushes for Texas Run

COCKPIT, Austin, Texas - November 7, 2007 - Gamecock Media Group, an Austin, TX based publisher of videogames, announced today the company's endorsement of Stephen Colbert for President of the United States of America and is encouraging him to begin his campaign in Texas.

"After conducting extensive polling and scrutinizing all the candidates' stances on various issues, we came to the conclusion that Stephen Colbert has shown strong leadership and best represents the interests of the videogame playing community," said Gamecock CEO and Grand Champeen Mike Wilson. "Stephen Colbert had Will Wright on his show and he pummeled Nancy Pelosi's Mii in Wii Boxing. These decisive actions have earned our vote."

"Politicians have long demonized videogames for short term gain," added Wilson. "This has, of course, been hilarious to watch. But Stephen Colbert will definitely be funnier than anything Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney can come up with."

South Carolina Democrats' decision to keep Colbert off the ballot will not stop Colbert's campaign, pledges Gamecock. "While the South Carolina Gamecocks are standing in the way of greatness, the Texas Gamecocks are fully behind Colbert. We encourage him to come to the elite state of Texas to launch his campaign, where 'his people' will undoubtedly support him. He can use the Gamecock office as campaign headquarters," stated Harry Miller, El Presidente of Gamecock.

In addition to this bold offer of help, Gamecock said it would get into the Colbert campaign's spirit of commercialism by encouraging gamers to check out its upcoming politically-charged party game, Hail to the Chimp, where animals duke it out to be president of the animal kingdom (www.chimplove.com). No other efforts will be made on the part of Gamecock to mobilize the tens of millions of voting-age gamers. "I wish the best for Mr. Colbert, but what do we look like, political strategists?" Miller concluded.

It's a really huge deal in the industry right now...[Gamestop's] pre-order program, which they base their buys off of, is so important now. It's like life or death for some of these original, independent titles.

If not enough people pre-order a game, [retailers] will lower their order to where poor sales become a self-fulfilled prophecy...[and] the other retailers, especially the mass merchants, tend to follow Best Buy's, GameStop's and Game Crazy's lead...If a game doesn't do anything in those stores, it might not make it into Target and places like that.

Gamecock Warns of Almighty Pre-order [nextgeneration]

Finalist #1

Neo_Dues writes:

This is me wrapped up in toilet paper, cosplaying as....a bride? Yes, that is a wedding dress, and yes, I did make it myself. You'll find it's fairly difficult to wrap toilet paper around your own (pale) torso. That's why I had to stop sorta halfway through. However, I was sure to cover the nipples. 'Cause, you know, a wedding dress that doesn't conceal nipples isn't a very good wedding dress...

Finalist #2

Albert writes:

I was walking home from a hard days work when I saw a flash of white coming towards me. Luckily I had just enough time to hit the shutter button. What a fake this guy is. As you can clearly see he doesn't really need t.p to cover up. I think he's got a fetish for toilet paper.

Finalist #3

Angel writes:

Well, only thing I can say is my girlfriend said she'd kill me if I ruined another pair of her scrubs... which in this case I didn't. However, does anyone know how to get food coloring out of skin?

Finalist #4

Paul writes:

I decided to do this because there was only one hour left, and nobody had used band-aids, despite the fact that it was a bandage contest. I figured that somebody had to do something outside of toilet paper, so I found a box of band-aids, and covered my face in them.

Finalist #5

Kyle writes:

Mummy Link may seem like an odd idea, but I just can't imagine a better way to wrap yourself up. I suppose this is what happens when Link is caught by a Gibdos (the mummies in the Legend of Zelda games).

Finalist #6

Stephanie writes:

I am not only playing for a chance at the DS Game -Dementium: The Ward.
I am playing for INTERNET FAME! Even though the came looks pretty awesome!!

Finalist #7

llia wrote:

I believe the total cost of materials is less than $1 - just a little bit more than a roll of Zewa toilet paper, some glue + crafty handiwork of my wife, since wrapping YOURSELF in TP is a feat I haven't yet mastered.

Finalist #8

Andrew wrote:

I love that movie so I just had to do it.

Finalist #9

GeeQzilla writes:

I thought to myself, if I unroll 24 rolls of TP on myself, and lose the contest, I have to buy the game AND more toilet paper. So I figured this way not only will I be one of a kind, but I'll be able to actually use the stuff later too. Heh.

Of course, 2 of them are half useless after I walked into my ceiling fan.

Finalist #10

Daniel writes:

Errrm, I was reading about the bandage cosplay thing just before I left work and so dropped in at the local supermarket on the way home to pick up cheap toilet paper, mince meat, tomato sauce, whole "somethings" out of a cow (I just pointed at the butchers display of tasty animal product pieces)...

I believe the total cost of materials is less than $1 - just a little bit more than a roll of Zewa toilet paper, some glue + crafty handiwork of my wife, since wrapping YOURSELF in TP is a feat I haven't yet mastered.

We'll be so much better off having a presence over there and really controlling the marketing, PR and creative... It's mostly about us trying to give our developers the best deal we can across the PAL territories too, when doing a co-publishing deal, it's really hard to do that.

Good for you, Mike! You go over there and show those UKers just what Gamecock is all about. I was lucky enough to get over and check out Gamecock's offerings at E3 and was really impressed by the innovation and originality that shined through in all the titles I saw. I'm glad to see them doing well enough to be able to make an expansion like this and look forward to seeing their many projects come to fruition.

Gamecock Founding UK Cockpit [Next Generation]