“The Conduit is one of the most talked-about Wii games this year and High Voltage Software has only scratched the surface of the game in terms of what they have shown so far...They have proven that graphical and technological innovation can be exciting to the Wii market, and SEGA is thrilled to partner with a team that truly shares our belief in the Wii’s gaming potential beyond the casual market.”

I'd have to agree wholeheartedly. The Conduit is the most exciting thing the Wii has going for it right now. Nice catch, Sega! Hit the jump for the full press release, along with some juice new screens of The Conduit in action.

SEGA Gets Zapped by High Voltage with The Conduit

SEGA to Publish Highly Anticipated Wii Title in Spring 2009

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON—(BUSINESS WIRE)—SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® of Europe Ltd. today announced a worldwide partnership with High Voltage Software to publish and distribute the Wii™ home video game system-exclusive title, The Conduit. The first-person shooter garnered multiple awards at E3 2008, including Best Wii Game by GameTrailers and three awards from IGN: Best Shooting Game (Wii), Best Graphics Technology (Wii) and Best Overall Wii Game. The Conduit is a stunning, futuristic title powered by a new game engine technology that delivers remarkable visuals and effects, as well as a rich interactive experience that is unlike any other title on the Wii.

“The Conduit is one of the most talked-about Wii games this year and High Voltage Software has only scratched the surface of the game in terms of what they have shown so far,” says Simon Jeffery, President of SEGA of America, Inc. “They have proven that graphical and technological innovation can be exciting to the Wii market, and SEGA is thrilled to partner with a team that truly shares our belief in the Wii’s gaming potential beyond the casual market.”

“High Voltage Software's partnership with SEGA to publish The Conduit represents an important milestone for this studio,” said Kerry Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software, Inc. “SEGA shares our vision for the title and its tremendous potential, which is why we chose them from a long list of potential partners. With their support, we are confident that The Conduit will deliver the definitive shooter experience that Wii fans have been waiting for.”

The Conduit takes players into a dark story in Washington D.C. after a vicious alien invasion has rocked the country. An organization called the Trust has sent in Secret Service agent, Mr. Ford, to go up against the insect-like alien race known as “The Drudge.” Armed with an array of futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device simply called the “All-Seeing Eye,” players follow an intricate storyline filled with conspiracy, shady government activity and terrifying aliens.

The Conduit’s detailed control system allows players to customize and configure look sensitivity, turning speed, the dead zone and much more. As players delve further into the mystery behind the extraterrestrial invasion, shocking details reveal that the invasion may have been brought on with help from the government itself.

Powered by High Voltage Software’s groundbreaking Quantum 3 engine, The Conduit ensures that players will experience single and multiplayer gameplay with graphical fidelity never seen before on the Wii. The Conduit will also support the recently announced Wii Speak peripheral, allowing online multiplayer gamers the ability to chat as they destroy aliens in each terrifying level. Additionally, the game will take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus for optimal control.

Ubisoft confirmed today that they were at one time interesting in picking up Lara Croft publisher SCi, but are now totally over her the company and want nothing to do with purchasing it.

"Ubisoft has no intention to make an offer and will not make an offer on SCi." Ubisoft reps told Thompson Financial News. Ouch, sounds like someone got hurt.

Ubisoft Ends Interest in Acquiring SCi [Gamasutra]

Ninjabread Man Candy Land is under attack! This once sweet and tasty land has been taken over by hordes of snapping Cup Cakes, Angry Bees and Jelly Monsters. Only one man can stop this evil army of monster cakes. He's one tough cookie; a guy that wonn't crumble under the pressure...... 'Ninjabread Man' is here!

Apparently, that one came out for the PS2 back in 2005, and features a grumpy little gingerbread man. If you could design your own gingerbread man, that would be cool, but not as cool as having a gingerbread version of your mii. Just suggestions. Kim Phu

Data Design Interactive Goes all Nintendo [Go Nintendo]

By: Brian Crecente

First things first: Mike Wilson wants you to know that he didn't take the money and run.

When he helped found Gathering of Developers back in 1998 he did it with money that came with some significant strings attached and those strings, he says, choked the life out of the company.

"We sold to Take-Two with a gun to our heads," he said in a recent phone chat. " It was more of a foreclosure."
While the absorption of Gathering of Developers by Take-Two and its slow death may seem like a footnote to the history of the game industry, it's important to note because Wilson promises that this time around that's not going to happen.

Gathering of Developers was founded with the idea of bucking the big name publishers, he said. The idea was to create a truly indie publishing system and leave the creative process and a good chunk of the money in the hands of the developers that made the games.

But that never really happened, instead of igniting a revolution in game publishing, they were more a flash in the pan, publishing a handful of notable new titles before vanishing.

Now with secret investors, a larger bankroll and a handful of developers backing him, Miller and Wilson are back to give it another go, this time as the head of the Gamecock Media Group.

"The industry is totally creatively starved right now and it we also have a bit of unfinished business," Wilson said. GOD president "Harry (Miller) and I felt we failed on that great crusade. It was heartbreaking to sell the company to Take-2 and we tried to make it work, but there was no way it was going to. We didn't have enough money to do it right and we didn't have the experience."

Wilson shrugs off the fact that so many gamers have forgotten who first published games like Max Payne and Serious Sam.

"Part of the reason we are calling this company Gamecock, other than to amuse me, is because I don't think gamers care who the publisher is, I don't think they should care," he said. "People don't have favorite record labels or book publishers."

Earlier this week Wilson and Miller announced that Gamecock is backing five games from a variety of developers, most notably Wideload, headed up by Bungie Founder Alexander Seropian.

"Wideload's business model centers around creating and owning new IP," Seropian told me today. "That's something pretty fundamental and that's part of Gamecock's strategy as well."

Seropian says it also helped that Wideload and Gathering of Developers were "bastard step-brothers", a bond forged from similar distribution deals Bungie and GOD had with Take-Two.

"That's how I know Mike," Seropian says.

Wilson says a big part of how he was able to land the likes of Wideload and Firefly Studios, the team behind Stronghold, was by asking them to work on their dream projects instead of sequels or safe bets.

"With several of these guys, the unifying thing was that they are working on the games that the developers really wanted to work on," he said. "They're their babies

"The Stronghold guys, those guys made megabucks and then heard we were back in business and came to us. They said we could do Stronghold 3 for us or they could do this original game they've been dying to do. I told them to do the one they want to do."

The developers are coming to Gamecock, Wilson says, because they industry is becoming increasingly risk averse. Many publishers would rather have a developer squeeze out a sequel then work on an original title.

"Even guys like Alex have to fight to get their games published."

Wilson says Seropian knew that Gamecock was coming and sat on his game, Hail to the Chimp, for about a year so he could sign it with them.

"They have a very similar model to us," Seropian says.

Both companies do the core work themselves but outsource the "dirty work."

Seropian points to Wideload's Hail to the Chimp, which Gamecock will be publishing, as a good example. They still only have a core team of 16 people working on it, but outside groups are doing some of the heavy lifting for them.

The same was true with their last game, Stubbs the Zombie.

In the press release Hail to the Chimp is described as a next-gen party game set in the animal world. Seropian declined to further detail it saying only that it will be easy to understand, be very funny and have broad appeal.

While he declined to say what console or consoles it might hit, he did say that he isn't adverse to distributing games through the Xbox 360's Live Arcade or Playstation 3's online store.

"I think we will digitally distribute stuff at some point," he said. "XBLA, and even look at something like iTunes, they are just these mammoth distribution channels."

Episodic content is also something Seropian is looking at. He says he likes the idea of being able to deliver a gaming experience that ends with a cliffhanger and then follows up quickly with the next episode.

And yes, Seropian says, there is a good chance Gamecock will be involved in future Wideload games.
While Gathering of Developers published computer games, Gamecock will focus mostly on console titles, Wilson said.

"The PC business, while we think it's going to enjoy a little resurgence, is clearly a shrinking business," he said. "Clearly console is where the market is. The pc is still a better platform and a richer experience, but it's just not as big a market anymore."

Wilson says he expects there will be a lot more interest in Gamecock and its indie approach to game publishing after the first games start to hit.

" I think more money will follow when we prove out this model," he said. "There is this perception out there that games cost $20 to $30 million to make, you can do that, but you don't have to."

"We believe indie developers out there will bring the most innovative stuff to the industry and we want to be the path of least resistance for those guys."

Mott's move means that Edge deputy editor Margaret Robertson will take on the lead roll at Edge.

I'm sure we'll see a renewed interest by magazine publishers in Nintendo with the tremendous success of the DS and the buzz surrounding the soon-to-be released Revolution console.

New Nintendo Mag from Edge Editor [C3]

I did actual historical research, with books and everything. I read about Romans and Celts, their lives and their beliefs. Within the limits of my puny budget, I got authentic-looking art. I had a cool scene of Druid human sacrifice, adventures in the land of the dead, and all sorts of freaky faerie action. I paid a quality artist to do an awesome painting of a Roman kicking a Celt's ass. It was a really cool game.

And what happened when I released it? How were sales? Well, in gaming terms, I got pwned.

The article's a bit short and fluffy, but interesting nonetheless.

View From the Bottom #3 [RPG Vault]