According to a report on CVG, IO's mystery game (so, it's not Kane & Lynch 2 or Hitman 5) is "unlike anything else", Unlike anything? Not quite. "Imagine all the violence of Hitman and Kayne & Lynch but not scripted", the site's source claims.

Well, if there's one thing IO do well, it's violence. Fingers crossed the studio's new owners, Square Enix, are a little better at PR than a standalone Eidos were.

Hitman dev's secret game "unlike anything else" [CVG]

Prey's World Gaming Magazine spoke to Livingstone at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, and he shot down the rumor.

This is the first I've heard about it. Hitman always has been and always will be IO Interactive's baby, which it still continues to be so. Rocksteady are not involved with the development of Hitman 5.

Sounds pretty definitive. Speculation had it that the actor was simply working through Rocksteady's studio, located in London, rather than go all the way to IO Interactive in Denmark. But "not involved" means what it says, and at any rate, we can expect that IO Interactive is in charge of the scene.

Ian Livingstone Says No to Rocksteady Hitman 5 Rumour [Prey's World Gaming Magazine via Blue's News]

Probably not as much as Hitman series developer IO Interactive—developers of the first four games in the Eidos published series—probably are. While Sloan may list Rocksteady Limited as responsible for motion capture duties on a "Hitman 5," that may simply be due to geographical convenience. Publisher Eidos owns a portion of Rocksteady, which is conveniently located in London. IO Interactive is located in Copenhagen, Denmark, a bit of a drive and swim for someone like Sloan.

Employees at Eidos and IO Interactive ranking high and low have already made public their intentions to develop a Hitman 5, even if Eidos hasn't officially announced the game's existence. Granted, development responsibilities could have switched, freeing up IO to work on games like Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days and Mini Ninjas, but we're willing to bet that Londoners Rocksteady are simply lending a hand in the motion capture department.

We're checking in with Eidos, Rocksteady and IO Interactive to get the story straight and will update if we hear back.

Mark Sloan [CastingCallPro - thanks, Garret!]

Twentieth Century Fox has scribe Kyle Ward (Uncharted movie script, Kane & Lynch script) attached to the Hitman 2 script. But is actor Timothy Olyphant, who played lead Agent 47 in the first film, returning to reprise his role?

"It's not on my schedule. If they want me to do another one," says the actor. "I supposed they could have me, yes... What I can tell you about Hitman is that I'm thrilled that it was as successful as it was and it was a really nice opportunity and I appreciate that opportunity."

Oh the enthusiasm! Can you feel it? Can you?

Hitman grossed nearly US$40 million in the US, but did much better abroad, pulling in over $60 million.

News: Will Olyphant Join Hitman 2? [Latino Review]

Variety reports that the movie, which we told you about yesterday, would "contain story elements from Hitman 5", a game due to be released "in late 2010".

While we knew the game was in development, but 2010? Handy. Been hanging out for some new Hitman.

UPDATE - IO's community manager has said "I can tell you that there is no way we will be basing a storyline for a new Hitman game on the story in a licensed movie. That's just not how we work so you shouldn't be concerned about that."

Fox sets sights on 'Hitman 2' [Variety]

Speaking to Gaming Indians, Livingstone says IO Interactive is working on a new Hitman title; Kane and Lynch 2 has a hoped-for release of September, and he doesn't exactly dispel the idea that Eidos Montreal's "secret project" is Thief IV.

That leaves Tomb Raider, which released Underworld last year to disappointing sales. Are they working on a sequel to that, too? Oh hell yes they are!

"The next Tomb Raider, I think, will surprise a lot of people and reinvigorate the franchise. There are some remarkable things we're doing in the next Tomb Raider to make you say, "Oh Lara, I love you so much!"

All this is in addition to Deus Ex 3, already underway at Montreal. (Livingstone indicates that might be released in 2010.) What, no Just Cause 2? Oh, right ...

That's five projects, all of them sequels. I think porn studios come up with more original IP. Of course, Hitman 5 probably sells better than "Donkey Punch 22."

Eidos President Talks Arkham, Thief, Hitman, Tomb Raider and More [Gaming Indians]

They dealt with it with a videogame called Hitman that he used to watch, and it was a video game where you got impressions that you would kill somebody - hit them from their backside, where they were not aware that they were being killed.

CNN Video Report On Trial [CNN via GamePolitics ]

It may not have had the best response from critics, but the masses and Roger Ebert seemed to like it. And he knows what's what. Any huge Hitman fans picking this one up?

"Following our business review over the last six weeks, we are initiating a clear action plan based on three fundamental strands of activity: a radical change in our structure to a studio-led business, a top to bottom programme of product improvement and efficiency and a considerable cost reduction plan," Phil Rogers, Chief Executive of SCi Entertainment Group said, in a prepared statement. "To get SCi on track we have to act rapidly and effect change quickly. We must allow the world-class people that we have within the Group to focus on strong, profitable titles which will create the value our shareholders deserve."

A chief part of that plan is a fundamental change to the way the company does business with SCi shifting from the current centrally-controlled development and publishing model to a studio-led one, similar to the labels model that EA moved to last year.

Under the new structure, SCI would have studios based around "cornerstone products" like Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex. The company is also creating an Eidos PLAY studio which will "fuse together casual and new media resources." Finally, production services will form part of the studio group and be relocated to Montreal from London.

I blame the Wii... well that and a company that has essentially been living off of three franchises for nearly two decades.

SCi Corporate

Business review and half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 31
December 2007

COMPANY TO BE RE-STRUCTURED

SCi Entertainment Group plc ('SCi' 'the Company' or the 'Group'), today announces a group re-structuring plan following its business review and its interim results for the six months to 31 December 2007.

The business review led by new Chief Executive, Phil Rogers, has decided on the following actions:

Fundamental change in business structure:

* SCi's business structure will be significantly changed from a centrally controlled development and publishing model to a studio-led business focused around cornerstone products, such as Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex.
* Creation of Eidos PLAY to fuse together casual and new media resources to attack growing markets.
* Flexible and efficient approach to distribution.

Product improvement initiatives started:

* Cancellation of 14 projects which the Board considers are unlikely to generate an acceptable return on investment or are not of appropriate quality.
* Studios focusing on product innovation and delivery of high quality games.
* Production services to form part of the studio group, relocating to Montreal from London.

Cost reduction plan:

* New business structure targeted to operate with a maximum of 800 people, a reduction of 25% from current headcount.
* Annual operating costs to be cut by £14 million by the end of June 2008 at a one-off cost of £7 million

Phil Rogers, Chief Executive of SCi Entertainment Group said, 'SCi is in need of immediate change.

'Following our business review over the last six weeks, we are initiating a clear action plan based on three fundamental strands of activity: a radical change in our structure to a studio-led business, a top to bottom programme of product improvement and efficiency and a considerable cost reduction plan.

'To get SCi on track we have to act rapidly and effect change quickly. We must allow the world-class people that we have within the Group to focus on strong, profitable titles which will create the value our shareholders deserve.

'I am confident our staff share this vision and excitement for the future, and determination to build a working environment where our innovation and creativity can be commercially realised.'

"After working on top-rated shooters for years, we were ready to work in a smaller company and make smaller games. We started to notice how people with our background were making top hits in the casual games industry," explains Brian Meidell, co-owner of the Copenhagen based company, The Game Equation. "We realized that the high end of the casual games industry was within our reach, and that the shorter product cycles and smaller company setting was exactly what we wanted.

Top-tier developers making a switch to the casual games sector? It's happened before, and as the casual gaming market continues to grow in leaps and bounds it is bound to happen again.

The company's first game, Deep Blue Sea (demo for Mac and PC available here), is a pretty standard swap-three puzzler with a treasure hunting theme that adds a slight bit of strategy by requiring you get your diver and assorted treasures to the bottom of the screen in order to progress to the next level. It's got some lovely music, but for the most part it's just your standard, addictive little time-waster of a puzzle game. That doesn't really matter. What matters - and what is the main force driving the casual market - is that people are going to download the demo and a good number of them will pay $20 for this tiny little game.

What I personally find interesting is that this is sort of a de-evolution of the gaming industry. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, you would download shareware from companies like ID Software and Epic Megagames and then fork out money to download the rest of the game, allowing the companies to grow. Now the process is happening in reverse, as console developers migrate towards the casual market. Just a trend to keep your eye on, and a puzzle game to while away your first day back on the job.

Former "Hitman" programmers plunge into the casual games industry.

Former "Hitman" programmers launch their first casual game, Deep Blue Sea for PC and Mac, from their new game studio, The Game Equation.

Copenhagen, Denmark - January 2nd, 2008 - The hit game, Deep Blue Sea, is the first release from the brand new game studio, The Game Equation. "After working on top-rated shooters for years, we were ready to work in a smaller company and make smaller games. We started to notice how people with our background were making top hits in the casual games industry," explains Brian Meidell, co-owner of the Copenhagen based company, The Game Equation. "We realized that the high end of the casual games industry was within our reach, and that the shorter product cycles and smaller company setting was exactly what we wanted. These are games that remind us of the ones we played when growing up," he smiles.

"We studied the different options, and decided on the match-3 genre for Deep Blue Sea," explains Bo Cordes, co-owner of The Game Equation. "Our goal was to apply our knowledge and experience towards creating a casual game with totally smooth and responsive gameplay or, 'tight' gameplay as we call it." Deep Blue Sea's initial sales and feedback indicate that they have accomplished just that.

One challenge was creating an original soundtrack that sets the mood throughout the game. "We knew from working on the internationally best-selling 'Hitman' series that the game's sound and music mean a lot for its enjoyment, yet this is often the most overlooked element," Meidell clarifies. To this end, The Game Equation contracted a Danish composer, Rasmus Hartvig with years of experience creating music for films and theatrical productions, to create an integrated music and sound design for Deep Blue Sea.

"Making music and sound for computer games is a very different challenge from making music for films - you have to consider unusual factors like, 'would this be annoying to listen to after four hours,' and, 'what if these sounds are played simultaneously?' But I'm always up for a new challenge," says Hartvig.

Deep Blue Sea is the result of The Game Equation's experienced approach and dedication to detail. Deep Blue Sea is available for PC and Mac, both versions retailing at $20.

Deep Blue Sea and free demo for PC and Mac available here:
http://www.thegameequation.com/games/deepbluesea/

By John Gaudiosi

The R-rated Hitman made a respectable $21 million over the Thanksgiving weekend, facing off against heavy competition from Disney's Enchanted and Paramount's Beowulf, both of which were aimed at families. Robert Knepper, who's best known as T-Bag on Fox's "Prison Break," plays Russian chief agent Yuri Marklov in 20th Century Fox's Hitman movie.

In fact, it was his work in "Prison Break" that sealed the deal, because his first audition was bad and he sent in a tape afterward that got him another look. When director Xavier Gens saw it was T-Bag, he said Knepper had to be in the movie. But with just two weeks to go from southern pedophile to Russian agent, Knepper had no idea Hitman was a videogame.

"Fox eventually told me about the Hitman videogame, but I read the script and I honestly felt like I didn't need to see the game," said Knepper. "I didn't need to know anything about the videogame because everything that I felt as an actor that I needed to know about the story was in the script. It had a great beginning, middle and end, it had a great conflict, a great hero, and a great anti-hero."

Knepper said he loved that the script was filled with this charade and masking and keeps people guessing who's a good guy and who's a bad guy.

"The script was a great mixture of everything and there are people told me, 'Yeah, that is kind of like the videogame,' and I know there are millions of people that play these games, but I personally have never done it. I didn't immediately go, 'Oh yeah, that is Hitman' and then go play the videogame. I just had time to work on the damn dialect and get that thing going."

But Knepper did play videogames when he was younger like Pac-Man and Galaxian.

"They had pinball, Pac-Man and Galaxian at the student union at Northwestern University, and I was always there," said Knepper. "I loved that shit. I could play pinball for hours and I remember thinking, 'I've got to study,' but they were addictive and the student union was open late so I was always playing. I'd literally be drunk from playing it."

When asked if "Prison Break," the show he's been a part of for the past three years, would make a good videogame in the wake of other hit Fox shows like "24," "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" making the leap, Knepper said he'd heard there was already a game in the works.

"I don't think it's quite done, but I heard that on the wind last year that they were trying to do it," said Knepper. "You know the whole thing with an escape, they were working on a videogame where you plot your own escape from prison."

Knepper, who's nothing like the creepy character he plays on TV (he's married with a kid), is often surprised by how fans of the show react to him in person. He almost gave one lady, who was about to enter an elevator he was in, a heart attack. Other fans, some with kids, come up and embrace him. T-Bag has definitely made his mark on TV.

"I'm just a pig in shit about it right now about it because I'm just really happy, I'm particularly happy about Hitman because I was starting to feel like, 'Oh no, I'm going to end up like that guy who gets famous from something and then they can't shake it.' People know you for that one character and that's it," said Knepper. "I'm like, 'No, wait a minute, I'm an actor. I've spent 20 years playing different characters, and now I'm gonna be relegated to traveling the country and doing county fair circuits in the summertime.' Then Hitman came along and I was like, 'I'm going to go after that thing like I'm gonna die tomorrow, and if I don't get it, I'm gonna' go on.' I 'm so happy that I got it because even though he's a bad guy, he's just so totally different from T-Bag with the Russian accent and everything. It's just amazing."

Knepper also enjoyed his time opposite Timothy Olyphant, a fellow actor who also made a name for himself embracing a role on television. And if Hitman continues to score at the box office, more movies could follow for both actors.

What I found intriguing about the movie was the lonely self-sufficiency of Agent 47, his life without a boyhood, his lack of a proper name, his single-purpose training. When Nika comes into his life, he is trained to guard against her, but he cannot, because she is helpless, needy...To the degree the movie explores their relationship, it is absorbing.

Other scenes, which involve Agent 47 striding down corridors, an automatic weapon in each hand, shooting down opponents who come dressed as Jedi troopers in black. These scenes are no doubt from the video game...It has a high body count but very little blood and gore. I wish it had less. It's the people we care about in movies, not how many dead bodies they can stack up. "Hitman" stands right on the threshold between video games and art. On the wrong side of the threshold, but still, give it credit.

Anyone see it yet?

Hitman Review [rogerebert]

Maybe the Detroit News, who is quite down on the flick and writes that it's "peppered with gratuitous nudity" like that's a bad thing. Or maybe the Boston Globe and you agree that Hitman watches like a "computer wrote and directed it." Golly! That'd be keen, if true!

Maybe you'll agree with Roger Ebert, who actually quite liked it, but devotes a paragraph to regurgitating his crusty opinion that Hitman somehow "serves as an excellent illustration of my conviction that video games will never become an art form." Oh, Rog! We've already ruled your opinion on the matter as archaic and out of touch, no need to trot that old horse out again.

For those who put such weight in things, Hitman is currently sporting a 7% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes. However, it may have been boosted by the errant inclusion of a review of Disney's Enchanted, which the Dallas Morning News says is a great "screwball comedy". Guess I'll be seeing that!

Hitman Reviews [Rotten Tomatoes]

I pass about 20 of these everyday on the subway, this is the only one I could find that didn't have a set of cock and balls drawn on the girl.

Please be advised that the feature film "HITMAN" has been given an "R" rating for, "Strong bloody violence, language, and some sexuality/nudity.

Well, that's a relief. I still don't have much hope for the film, but at least it won't be the eunuch version.

Kyd has a slew of gaming soundtracks under his belt, including various Splinter Cell and Hitman jams. His musical contribution to Assassin's Creed has been described as "fused with both traditional medieval instruments and modern synth sounds" by producer Jade Raymond. She, by the way, has great taste in sneakers. Kyd describes his own work as having been taken "to the max." I deem this description totally badical.

More info after the jump, with a score provided by me.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES ASSASSIN'S CREEDTM VIDEO GAME SCORE COMPOSED BY AWARD-WINNING JESPER KYD

London, United Kingdom - October 16, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced the score for the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed™ video game is being composed by British Academy Award-winner Jesper Kyd. Players will become truly immersed into the mindset of Altair, the game's main character, and the rich environments of the game through Jesper's thematic score. The combination of epic orchestral compositions with acoustic, percussion and vocal performances delivers a deeply spiritual aesthetic with Hollywood flair. The rich and melodic palette, created exclusively for Assassin's Creed, will be discovered by players worldwide this November.

"We listened to many composers before finding the right person for Assassin's Creed. Jesper Kyd turned out to be the perfect match for the title because he is able to create epic historical pieces fused with both traditional medieval instruments and modern synth sounds," shared Jade Raymond, producer of Assassin's Creed. "For Assassin's Creed we wanted the score to capture the gruesome atmosphere of medieval warfare but also be edgy and contemporary. Jesper not only achieved this balance but also underlined the changes in gameplay and pacing in a way that immerses the player even further into the
Assassin's Creed experience."

While the graphical beauty and detail of Assassin's Creed is quite evident visually, the music takes on the same level of precision and attention. Each setting within the game has its own theme and distinct musical identity, ranging from the tragedy-stricken city of Acre to the proud stoic stronghold of Damascus to the powerfully spiritual and multicultural capital of Jerusalem.

"I was inspired by the deep and engaging world of Assassin's Creed and working with the visionary team at Ubisoft Montreal was a fantastic experience," said Jesper Kyd. "It was truly refreshing to be given so much creative freedom for such a high-profile blockbuster title and I believe we took it to the max."

In such instances as the surreal and hypnotic compositions that accentuate the Assassin's approach to his target, Kyd instilled his immersive style and film scoring techniques in Altair's interior meditation and stealth modes, while also capturing the action, combat and escape sequences with measured tone that crescendos into a fast-paced fervor.

About Assassin's Creed
The game is set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart. Shrouded in secrecy and feared for their ruthlessness, the Assassins intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict. Players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and truly experience the art of a master assassin.

In 2006, Assassin's Creed received the Game Critics Award: Best of E3 2006 for "Best Action-Adventure Game" and swept the "Best PS3 Game" category across numerous video game websites.*

For more information, please visit www.assassinscreed.com.

*1UP "Best PS3 Game," GameSpot "Best PLAYSTATION 3 Editors' Choice Winner," GameSpy "Best of E3 PS3 Game of the Show," Games Radar "Best of E3 PLAYSTATION 3," GameTrailers "Best of Show," IGN "Best PS3 Game of the Show"

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million Euros for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2007 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Studio sources tell me that yesterday's rumor that Hitman was getting de-gored so it could catch a PG-13 rating were just that: Rumors.

The sources tell me that director Xavier Gens is still working on the film and that Nicholas De Toth has just been brought in as a consultant not as THE editor.

In fact there will likely be a team of editors involved in working with the film. More importantly I'm told that the studio realizes that to capture the essence of Agent 47 they have to make an R-rated film and that's definitely what the studio expects the film to get when it hits the MPAA "soon." In fact they are "embracing" the R.

While I take this latest revelation with a healthy dose of anti-spin skepticism I am, once more, giddy with anticipation.

Movie site Twitch reports that Fox has stepped into what was shaping up to be perhaps the best video game movie ever made, and "improved" it. And by improved I mean screwed it all up.

Apparently the studio has yanked director Xavier Gens from the film and put Nicolas De Toth in the saddle. De Toth, apparently, is the guy who watered down Live Free or Die Hard.

Fox made this move, Twitch reports, because they wanted to avoid the hard R rating the movie was headed for, what with all of its gore, headshots and inspiration drawn from action films like The Killer and A Bittersweet Life.

That's right, they don't want Hitman to be too gory. Next!

Fox Yanks HIT MAN From Director Xavier Gens [Twitch, via First Showing]

...the important thing is I really think we did as best we could to be really respectful of the game. The filmmaker's a real big fan of the game going in. I was not familiar with it at all, so I really came at it from a fresh look. The script in front of me was my primary focus of the story that they handed me. We had a lovely combination of, on one hand, to be respectful of the source material and, on the other hand, not be a slave to it but be inspired by it.