Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Dyack touted Ontario as a potential global leader in the games sector once the economy recovers, and rather pointedly mentioned the rarity of his own studio's lifespan and that it makes him a well-positioned survivor amidst the bloodbath. Said Dyack:

It's been really a rough year and a half for the industry as a whole. The number of layoffs in the industry has been staggering. As an external developer it's been tough. I actually don't know anyone who's older than us any more. There used to be four or five people I knew of but I feel right now that we're one of the last of the V8s. I've talked to a lot of people and I know a lot of people who have gone out of business.

Further:

What that means for us is we're really excited because we're going to be able to come out, and the industry is going to rebound and grow, and we'll be one of probably five companies in the world that has any serious business beyond ten years.

"Serious business beyond 10 years"? Is he talking about the development of Too Human?

Dyack: Developer Layoffs and Closures have been "Staggering" [GamesIndustry.biz]

We haven't heard of this Siren in the Maelstorm. What the heck is it? "Silicon Knights is busy working on several exciting projects," a spokesperson told game site Eurogamer. "Unfortunately, it is too early to disclose any details."

Then, we shall wait.

Besides Too Human, Silicon Knights has also developed Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Eternal Darkness and now "several exciting projects".

Silicon Knights quiet on Siren name News [Eurogamer]

Mays will work closely with Denis Dyack to "to drive the company forward by fostering continual growth for Silicon Knights, as well as the games industry in Ontario and the Niagara Region. "

No exactly sexy, exciting stuff, but it is the sort of thing that can keep a developer from going belly up in harsh economic times. Of course within his first month on the job, Mays was handing out actual swords to Silicon Knights employees with ten years service, so maybe not.

"The sword ceremony only confirmed for me what I already knew – Silicon Knights attracts talented individuals that are devoted to being at Silicon Knights and to creating groundbreaking video games," said Mays. "I am very excited to be working for one of the largest independent game developers in the world."

Dyack says Mays arrive marks a step forward in the development of Silicon Knights.

"His keen business acumen and financial knowhow makes him the perfect leader for us and for working with the Ontario government to help build the video game industry presence in the Niagara Region and Ontario," said Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights. "Michael brings a fresh and knowledgeable perspective on business growth and partnerships, and I am pleased to be working with him to expand the company and move our guild forward."

According to DePetris, "I’m just looking for something different." What exactly that is, DePetris does not yet know, adding, That’s something I am going to worry about in the new year,” he said. “But I am going to stay involved in the community, and I am not planning on leaving."

The exec was instrumental in collaborating with the Ontario government on various game initiatives that helped fuel the company. DePetris is not severing ties as he will continue to work "closely" with SK president Denis Dyack (pictured), Silicon Knights stated.

Silicon Knights exec calls it quits [St. Catherine Standard via ENDSIGHTS]

The soundtrack, which was originally scored by Steve Henifin and performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra and Choir Prague, is selling for $10 to $17 through Amazon.com, Best Buy, iTunes and CD label's Sumthing Distribution's website.

I can dig listening to a bit of Too Human when relaxing, maybe as ambient sound. But the write for the soundtrack's release totally lost me.

The music ranges by location and scenario. There are moments of long beds of orchestral music, followed by electronic/metal sounding tracks that put the listener into a different space altogether. There are also vast ambient tracks that are made of layers upon layers of sample-based sounds and evolving electronic sounding textures as well.

OK, I've got you so far...

So while the music and audio is Norse in its presentation, it is not exclusively Norse in its sound. It branches out quite a bit, but still stays in the realm of an ancient lost world of technology. It also has its moments using a more aggressive contemporary sound. In places, the Silicon Knights audio team brought in layers of electronic elements, but in a more subtle way. The cyber elements are more elegant and organic in style. In some cases the song style was influenced by the style of the instrument itself, whether that be a Balaban, Bone flute, Frame Drum, Bagpipe or something else, making the phrasing and general feel of a song constructed around the characteristic of that one instrument.

Annnnnnd, I'm lost.

Silicon Knights was reported to be working on a "third-person action/psychological thriller" and enjoying a long term relationship with Sega. It is also not ruling out revisiting Eternal Darkness.

We were told by Sega reps back in June to expect the unveiling of the Silicon Knights project "in the coming months" after a video, incorrectly identified to be that project, was leaked from market research firm Intellisponse.

We've contacted Sega reps to get confirmation on the rumored change in plans.

An anonymous reader contacted us this afternoon to let us know the Canadian-based developer behind Too Human has let us know that about 10:30 a .m. today 25 to 30 employees were brought into the lecture theater inside the office and told they were being laid off.

"It seemed as though most of those laid off were people who had been hired to work for the company within the last year or so, however many had been heavily involved in the production of Too Human."

Reached for comment Monday Silicon Knights officials had this to say:

After any big game ships, there is often some attrition. Teams are lean and mean in the beginning, grow toward the end of the project, and then whittle down once the project is finished. To that end, Silicon Knights temporarily laid-off 26 employees today while they ramp up on other projects. All the company’s directors and leads are still at Silicon Knights and working on its next projects.

The slight cutback comes after four years of unprecedented growth for the St. Catharines’, Ontario (Canada) company, during which its headcount had expanded to more than 180 employees.

Denis Dyack, President and founder of the company, stated, “Silicon Knights is currently working on several new and exciting games that will be announced to the public in the coming months. In addition to those projects, Silicon Knights continues to develop and promote other new and original ideas, which will become the innovative games of tomorrow. These 26 individuals are hard-working and valued team members that we hope to bring back as we ramp up on our future projects.”

Carman Dix, Art director of Too Human:
Underneath, Denis is still that boy that genuinely loves video games with a passion.

Henry Sterchi, Director of design of Too Human:
Denis is sincerely passionate about the quality of everything Silicon Knights does, and with that passion comes some of his outspokenness and desire to interact with the community.

Steve Henifin, Audio director of Too Human:
One of the things I like about Denis is that he is a tenacious person and he takes risks. I respect him for that, because I’m the same way.

That's nice and all... What do you really think?

‘Too Human’ Developers Share Impressions Of Denis Dyack [Multiplayer] [Pic]

X3F Presents: Silicon Knights studio tour [X3F]

[2chan]

Microsoft Game Studios and Silicon Knights are committed to finishing the first instalment, but Too Human is an overarching epic with a rich and vast game universe that cannot be told in one instalment.

This game will begin the saga of the god Baldur in the narrative tradition of classic trilogies, such as Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. We will talk about the full trilogy and we are very excited about its potential.

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Too Human? All in the same Microsoft breath.

Too Human trilogy ‘very exciting’, says Microsoft [MCVUK]

We've been lucky enough to make Legacy of Kain, Eternal Darkness, Too Human and if you look at all of those they're all really different. The next game that we're going to announce, not including the sequels to the trilogy, it's nothing like anything else we've ever made before...We want to continue to do that to keep fresh. That's really what's important, and making sure that we continue to make new IPs but also continue to innovate in the genres that we try to... create content in, I suppose is the best way to describe it.

He still thinks a second and third Too Human are going to be made? Bless him. As for this mystery project, it'll be with Sega, and if he's teasing us like this a more formal announcement can't be too far off.

Silicon Knights' next game "nothing like" Too Human [CVG]

Hit the jump for the full press release with pre-order info:

Now is the Time to Become a god Amongst Men; Xbox 360 Exclusive Too Human has Gone Gold

Xbox LIVE Marketplace demo downloads surpass 900,000

Microsoft Game Studios and Silicon Knights announced today that the blockbuster action RPG “Too Human” has gone gold and will be shipping to retailers throughout North America on August 19. In anticipation of the title’s release, gamers can jump into the first level of “Too Human” with a demo now available on Xbox LIVE. The Too Human demo has already been downloaded more than any other action demo on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in its first week of availability and has been one of the top played titles on Xbox LIVE overall. In addition, gamers that pre-order will get access to five exclusive armor sets, one for each class in the game.

A modern take on classical Norse mythology, the Xbox 360 exclusive “Too Human” chronicles the epic story of cybernetic god, Baldur, and his quest to save humanity at the potential price of sacrificing his own humanity. By combining elements of both action and RPG genres – along with the ability to fully customize Baldur’s weaponry, armor, and combat techniques – Too Human creates a truly unique gameplay experience. Players can also invite a friend to join the explosive combat via advanced, online two-player co-op gameplay on Xbox LIVE *.

“Too Human” will have an estimated retail price of $59.99 and is rated “T” for Teen. For more information, visit www.xbox.com/toohuman.

*Online co-op play requires Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.

Too Human Gold [Gamerscore Blog]

You're not still reading, obviously, but keep an eye peeled for our similar line of interviews coming soon. They'll feature myself and Mike Fahey in Craftmatic adjustable beds interviewing industry luminaries in our PJs. As soon as someone agrees, we'll start filming. Any day now...

Denis Dyack Explains Too Human To Our Penthouse Pets, Part 1 [Das Gamer]

Dyack recognizes this dichotomy, and says that cut scenes in themselves are not a problem, but rather his fellow designers have implemented them poorly:

Over the last five to ten years, so many games have been released where cut scenes are absolutely meaningless. They don’t contribute to the content and don’t contribute to the characters. They’re almost like some kind of reward for completing the level, and that makes absolutely no sense.

As game designers we have to go beyond that. Cut scenes have to contribute to the game. That’s a really good rule for people to follow. And it shows you that the classics, well, we still have a lot to learn from the classics.

So what will he do about cut scenes in his Too Human?

Too Human will have cut scenes, but I think that we've managed to blur the line between what people would consider a cut scene and what people consider in-game. See, part of the reason we as designers want to use cut scenes is because it allows us to be cinematographers, and that's fine. But in-game, Too Human will use a dynamic, intelligent camera system that presents the in-game in a more cinematic light, at the same time being conducive to good gameplay.

Seems to me that's the logical goal, given both the advantages and disadvantages of cut scenes. And I'd guess that most of the games we've got these days that use cut scenes badly were actually an attempt to do them well. Easy to say, hard to do?

Denis Dyack Writes for Edge [Edge Online]

The demo was unveiled on Xbox Live last week — were you too caught up in E3 craziness, or did you catch it? We had a lengthy discussion on it here at Kotaku last week, in case you missed it. What do you think, Europe? Looking forward?

And on the off chance you have no idea what we're even talking about, Microsoft has helpfully offered full details in the announcement after the jump.

The Epic World of Too Human is Available Across Europe this August, exclusively on Xbox 360

Microsoft today announced the European release date of “Too Human”, the epic third person action game from renowned Canadian developer Silicon Knights. Exclusive to Xbox 360™,“Too Human” will be available across Europe from 29th August 2008.

In this modern take on classical Norse mythology, players are thrust into the midst of an apocalyptic battle that threatens the very existence of mankind. Playing as the divine cybernetic son of Odin, Baldur, you are one of the Aesir, humanity’s protectors charged with defending mankind from the onslaught of ancient machine armies.

As“Too Human” chronicles this epic story, the game breaks the genre barrier by combining elements of both the action and RPG genres. Players are treated to a non-stop barrage of action, powered by the seamless integration of melee and firearms combat, with the deep role-playing game elements fuelled by breathtaking visuals. Battles unfold on awesome scale as players engage with vast numbers of enemies, and gamers can also take this to the next level playing cooperatively on Xbox LIVE.

“Too Human” is produced by Canadian-based Silicon Knights, bringing a wealth of knowledge, story-based design and gameplay expertise to the next generation of video gaming, and committed to elevating games to the prime form of entertainment.

For more information, please visit the official Too Human website at www.xbox.com/toohuman.

The polarizing Xbox 360 hack and shoot adventure will join the festival of downloadable delights at some point next week, as Microsoft attempts to distract you from coverage of its competitors by offering up free trailers, demos, news from the E3 show floor and other shiny objects. Look forward to it, won't you?

Pre-E3 2008: Too Human Demo Finally Coming [IGN]

I was basically calling out people who had no way of assessing the game... All I wanted to point out to people is that this is so ridiculous... I went through all of this for two reasons.... If you're going to look at the NeoGAF forum as a non-profit organization, if it does not reform itself, it's eventually going to crumble. There's going to be a point where they step over the line where someone's going to shut them down. That would be a loss for everyone.... The question I have to ask the moderators of GAF: Are you going to follow your own rules? With people making GIFs of myself that are, I would say, attacking me.... Why haven't 180 people been banned now? If I wanted to move in and shut that place down, do I have grounds under their own forum policy?

There's more. Oh, yes. More. Hit the jump for more excitement!

NeoGAF and other forums like this that don't have good management are not only hurting society and hurting the videogame industry, they're in decline, and they need to reform quickly before people stop listening to them... If the moderators and people who run the site think they aren't doing any damage, they are sorely mistaken, and it's only a matter of time before something bad happens.

This all has basis in philosophy, science fiction, and social theories that Dyack has been reading and pondering. No, really. Those interested in learning more about NeoGAF, its influence and who owns it, 1Up has a insightful feature.

Dyack Talking Gaf [1Up]

We met up in an Aesir lobby this morning, my level 28 veteran named Shin rubbing elbows with his freshly created level 1 Berserker known as TotiloTheBold. After a few minutes of finagling - his main character, a Berzerker, couldn't join my game because of some DLC downloading snafu - we got into a game of my creation.

Setting up a Too Human co-op match was rather straightforward, choosing a chapter, a looting type and the number of private slots. I threw Stephen in the deep end, perhaps a bit unfairly, as we tackled the game's third chapter "The World Serpent." Looting was set to "Round Robin" so we each got our fair share, but greedy loot hoarders can set their games to "Free For All." The third Loot Distribution type, Random, should be self-explanatory.

We set off...

Our first task, before setting off to battle, was attempting to trade some of our items. Being the generous guy I am, I pored through my inventory in a vain attempt to find something for TotiloTheBold. Not much luck, as most of my stuff had level requirements in the 20s, but we found a couple of ludicrously named items that worked.

Trading was initially a bit awkward as the game won't display the HUD icon that permits a trade unless two Baldurs are in just the right proximity. You can't just drop items for others to pick up in Too Human, you have to agree to trade and use the Trade menu interface. I assume that's due to the game's magnetic loot that floats toward Baldur after it drops and to prevent the stealing or duplication of items.

To get Totilo up to a point where he could use some of this stuff, we had to slay some of Too Human's beasts.

Turns out the third chapter isn't the best place to start. Devoid of any story, narration or cut scenes, the beginning of that particular level can be a bit confusing. There's an anomalous Cyberspace transition here, something that was unsettling to both of us. It's designed that way single-player, but in co-op and for the uninitiated, it doesn't quite work. We soldiered on, whacking away at dozens of spawning robo-Goblins, robo-Trolls and robo-Elves, chatting about the game's quirks and our complaints.

Since we were both offensively geared classes, there wasn't much talk of strategy. Just lots of juggling, hacking and shooting. It wasn't long before TotiloTheBold was leveling up. That meant plenty of pausing, then waiting for my partner to spec out his skill tree, combing through his newly acquired armor and weapon drops while the menu screen was up. After some brief character management we'd head into the next room, dispatch a few more Goblins, rinse and repeat. All the way to level 8 for Totilo, up to 30 for me.

Two-player co-op can bog down during these moments, as one waits for the other to futz with the menu screen. The implementation of dealing with all these things isn't the speediest or most elegant, making me think it might not have been a bad idea to whittle down four player co-op to two. Add to that common frame rate chug and the lack of a radar, map or compass that would indicate where your teammate is, and we might sign a petition against four-player co-op in the inevitable sequel.

That absence of a mini-map or radar on your HUD can lead to some confusion about the location of your co-op buddy. It doesn't help that the environments are both somehow lackluster and overly busy. And that the camera ranges from awful to sometimes serviceable. After a handful of deaths and the following trip to Valhalla (read: the previous room), we had a hard time reconnecting. We had to talk it out.

Which wasn't the worst thing in the world, as Totilo pointed out in his impressions. It's "better than a phone call" he wrote, offering some mindless grinding fun and the chance to chat. Probably not a good pull quote for the box art, but it's a positive.

I think that Totilo enjoyed the reaping of loot more so than I did. I had already gone through dozens of pieces of armor, many more weapons and runes, salvaging all manner of sword, staff and shoulderpad. But the core concept of loot gathering and level grinding may just be enough for Xbox 360 gamers looking for such a thrill.

My particular issue with all that grinding, all that collecting is that little of it feels like it has any real impact on Baldur's performance. That may be due to this being the first in a planned trilogy and that the real good stuff is coming down the line. But Baldur doesn't start his Too Human adventure with anything simple or even identifiable. Equipment names are ridiculously flowery, resulting in everything sounding like a showpiece item. Are Proficient Shockplate Blast Shields of Reinforcement more covetable than Gallant Gunslinger's Blastshield of Urd? There might be just too much in the way of variety here, because I'm not sure if my Imperial Deathguard of Hypnosis with a +6 Annulment bonus is any good or not.

Baldur's skills don't pack much of a punch either, as my desire to allocate skill points to increasing my reload speed by 2.5% doesn't sound as thrilling as it might in print. Spider cool-down rates and higher juggle heights, similarly, just don't quite do it for me. This is where some of the game's urging to clear just one more room might sound a bit more muted.

That said, all of this stuff may just be right up your alley, if you're done with the game's somewhat brief single-player experience and are looking for more. If there's one thing Too Human definitely has, it's a well of depth. The well may be a bit too murky, perhaps a bit too deep, but it's there if you feel like diving in.