Batman: Arkham Origins - Official Trailer

Here's an impressive-looking trailer from Batman: Arkham Origins, the next installment in the blockbuster "Batman: Arkham" videogame franchise whic goes on sale in the UK in October. Developed by WB Games Montréal, the game features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise which spawned their own comic tie-ins.

Taking place before the rise of Gotham City's most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. (One shot suggest we might have a Green Arrow cameo, but that could just be a tease).

Deathstroke will be a fully playable character in the challenge mode for Batman: Arkham Origins, and will come complete with his own unique weapons and special moves. Fans who pre-order the game for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 system or Windows PC will receive exclusive early access to the Deathstroke pack containing two additional challenge maps and two alternate Deathstroke character skins.

• Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3, the Wii U system, and Windows PC. The game will release worldwide 25th October 2013 along with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for Nintendo 3DS handheld system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.

Marvel Heroes game makers announce Iron Man weekend as film breaks UK box office records

Marking the launch of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 movie, which opened in the UK last week in advance of the US release and has broken box office records (taking £11.4 million in its opening weekend), game maker Gazillion Entertainment will be kicking off a Marvel Heroes “Iron Man 3” Open Beta Weekend beginning on Saturday 4th May at 3.00 am BST / through Monday 6th May at 18.00 am BST. 

As part of the Weekend, new players who participate will be able to select an Avenger as their starting hero - including Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Black Widow.*

There are over 14 Iron Man armours that will be available in Marvel Heroes spanning the Golden Avenger’s illustrious career in comics and movies (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, The Avengers).

Gazillion Entertainment’s Marvel Heroes is an action MMORPG for PC created by David Brevik, the visionary behind  Diablo and Diablo 2. Set in the Marvel Universe,  Marvel Heroes combines the core game-play style of action RPGs and MMOs with an extensive original story crafted by Marvel super-scribe Brian Michael Bendis.

In  Marvel Heroes, players suit up and collect their favourite Marvel superheroes including Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America and many more as they team up with friends to try to stop Doctor Doom from devastating the world with the power of the Cosmic Cube. 

Marvel Heroes features a deep leveling system unique to each character, diverse locations set across the expansive Marvel universe, a robust crafting system and much more. Marvel Heroes will be making its debut on PC as a free-to-play game on 4th June 2013.

• In order access the Marvel Heroes “Iron Man 3” Open Beta Weekend, players should register now at www.MarvelHeroes.com. As the weekend approaches, an email will be sent with download instructions.

* Access to The Avengers characters as starting heroes in Marvel Heroes including Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America and Black Widow, will be available during the Open Beta weekend



 

BBC's Merlin turned into a game - so, where's the comic?

Yes, yes, we know this is a British comics blog. But what's wrong with a little bit of a distraction when Merlin, the one BBC show crying out to be a comic is developed as a game? (We're still hoping someone develops a comic although, five seasons in, we suspect the show may reach a natural closure before so long).

Anyway: Merlin: The Game, the work of award-winning London-based Bossa Studios, is now available to play in open beta via Facebook: a fun and beautifully crafted game that introduces casual gamers to a real-time, co-operative, role-playing experience on the world’s most popular social network.

Merlin allows you and six of your best friends to fight off hordes of monsters, complete quests and explore new exciting areas. As you battle across Camelot and gain experience points, level up, you can also customise your character with the skills you want to use.

Progressing through the game allows you to upgrade your equipment from the basic clothing of the medieval age to shimmering suits of armour, or colourful sorcerer’s robes; and be part of the story in the action adventure game that will always have new content for you to explore.

Bossa Studios say they have had a blast developing Merlin: The Game revealing, for lovers of such trivia that the most redesigned part of the game was Merlin's ears, the lyrics for  The Knights of the Round Table from  Monty Python and the Holy Grail were used as placeholder text during alpha stage; and, during the making of Merlin, the team consumed enough pizza to cover a tennis court.

From the visuals we've seen so far it looks great... so where, British publishers, is the comic?

• To play  Merlin: The Game visit the official website:  http://merlingame.com

Asterix game in the works

A new browser-based game based on the hugely popular Asterix series created by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny is in the works.


Already one of the best-known comic series in the world with thousands of UK fans, the new browser-based game is a project from Deutsche Telekom, Les Éditions Albert René and SEE Games, as DT increases its focus on the development and publishing of proprietary games and extending its portfolio of in-house game productions.

The game is being developed by Sproing in Vienna, which has many years of experience in the development of international productions, and has created major hits in the browser-based game space, including SkyRama, a massively popular management game.

“To develop an interactive adventure with such a legendary brand is an exciting challenge for us,” explains Marko Hein, Vice President Games at Deutsche Telekom. “We are working hard so that we will soon be able to offer devoted fans a unique experience and breathe new 'interactive' life into Astérix. This game is definitely the flagship of a range of products which will get Deutsche Telekom started in the growing area of game publishing.”

With 350 million comics sold, eight animated and three live-action movies produced, the Astérix Adventures are famous all over the world.

“Working with Deutsche Telekom as the publisher of the browser game is particularly groundbreaking for us.," says Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Games. "Their coverage and marketing skills at a global level will guarantee that this new Astérix adventure will be a huge success for fans around the world.

"The Astérix online game is a flagship for SEE’s newest Hollywood-based product line, and we are proud to have Deutsche Telekom as a partner.”

Fans will soon be able to find Astérix as a free-to-play browser game also on the Deutsche Telekom games platform Gamesload.

 

Lancaster Game Designers win top award

Lancaster-based game designers Peter Cakebread and Ken Walton have won the award for Best Role-Playing Game at this year’s UK Games Expo in Birmingham, for their table-top steampunk role-playing game, Abney Park’s Airship Pirates.

Based on the songs of Seattle-based steampunk band Abney Park, the game book – lavishly illustrated by some of the top steampunk artists in the business – plunges the players into an alternate steam-powered future of strange cultures and weird gadgets. Players take on the roles of the crew of a time-travelling pirate airship in a game of storytelling and imagination.

“When we first contacted Robert Brown, lead singer of Abney Park, about the possibility of creating an RPG based on his songs, we didn’t realise how popular it was going to be,” said Ken Walton. “Steampunk is a much bigger phenomenon in the Unoted States than it is in Britain, so all the interest came as a bit of a surprise! It’s a great honour to win this award and we couldn’t have done it without all the contributions made by Robert, the artists, our publishers, and all the people who voted for us on the day.”

The game has already won the Diehard GameFANS Award for Best RPG Rule Book of 2011 and the Steampunk Chronicle Readers’ Award for Best Steampunk Game, and was shortlisted for an Origins Award too, which is given at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio.

Cakebread & Walton: Purveyors of Fine Imaginings, was set up in Lancaster in 2010. Airship Pirates RPG isn’t the only role-playing game they’ve written; the team have also produced the critically-acclaimed Clockwork & Chivalry, game set in an a fantasy version of the English Civil War, fought with magick and clockwork war machines. Both game lines are supported by an increasing number of supplements, and new games are in the pipeline.

Their games are distributed worldwide by Cubicle 7 Entertainment, who also market the Starblazer game based on DC Thomsons 1980s SF comic.

• For more information visit www.cakebreadandwalton.com

Judge Dredd takes on Zombies in new App Game

Fuse Powered Inc. and Rebellion, the owners of 2000AD, have just released Judge Dredd vs. Zombies for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

In Judge Dredd vs. Zombies, players are the Law, taking on the role of one of the world’s most famous comic book heroes as Judge Dredd declares a (second) death sentence on invading zombies. Using simple, “single-stick” controls, players shoot up zombies across thirty levels of over-the-top undead mayhem, unlocking weapon and equipment upgrades as justice is served. Judge Dredd vs. Zombies is available now on the App Store for $.99.

“When we met with Rebellion to discuss bringing their Judge Dredd brand to iOS, we saw right away that Judge Dredd vs. Zombies was a winning formula,” said Jon Walsh, CEO at Fuse Powered.

“In one corner, you have an iconic character from one of the most-loved comic book series of all time, and in the other corner – an endless horde of zombies. Rebellion is a proven world-class independent console developer and we’re thrilled to bring The Law to the iTunes App Store.”

Judge Dredd is of course none too pleased when zombies invade Mega City One and player s can help him punish these unlawful undead invaders with their Lawgiver and a devastating arsenal of powerful weapons. (You can increase your “Law Meter” by slaughtering the zombie horde and earn credits to unlock new guns and upgrades).

"From our first meeting with Fuse we realized that there was strong potential for a great partnership. Their analytics, marketing tools and expertise are invaluable assets for iOS developers." said Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion. “It’s a great cultural fit. We get to do what we do best - make great games - and Fuse does what they do best - maximize each game’s chance of success.”

Key features include:

• 30 levels packed full of zombies to slay, set across three different episodes
• Single-stick controls – minimal learning curve equals maximum excitement
• Upgradeable weapons from the Judge Dredd universe - including the Lawgiver, the Spitgun, the Scattergun and the Hi-Ex Launcher
• Equipment upgrades, from Body Armour to Iron Will – each with a different combat advantage
• Star and commendation system – players are recognized for their shoot-em-up skills
• Game Centre support with 16 achievements to collect!

• Download Judge Dredd vs. Zombieson the iOS App Store for $.99: http://bit.ly/vH5EDQ

Games awards event set to attract top talent to Brighton

While downthetubes focus is British comics, we're aware that many creators do work for the games industry, so readers might be interested in the upcoming Develop Industry Excellence Awards in Brighton tomorrow (20th July).

Over 550 top designers, programmers, artists and studio bosses from around the world - representing some of the hottest games development talent in the world - are to attend the Awards, which will also be getting a huge national media presence.

The creative teams of many critically-acclaimed and best-selling games will be in attendance to find out who has won key awards that acknowledge technical innovation, pioneering visual arts, attention-grabbing audio accomplishments and commercial and business prowess.

Amongst them will be the minds behind hit titles such as Angry Birds, Crysis, Bulletstorm, Limbo, Minecraft and Need for Speed, plus the companies that invented the best-selling Kinect and PlayStation Move motion controllers.

• More info and full list of nominees at: www.develop-online.net/events/281/Develop-Awards-2011

Spider-Man Total Mayhem game for iPhone out next week in UK

Gameloft's Spider-Man: Total Mayhem game for iPhone and iPod touch will be available in the UK on the 1st September 2010.
Sure to be promoted in Panini's superhero comics, the new title offers ultra dynamic gameplay with more than 20 fighting combos, challenging players to master the mayhem by using Spidey's agility to master tricky platforming and quick time events. (Use your Spider-Sense to avoid danger and get in the best position to counter-attack!)

The games storyline inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man comics as Spidey faces off against six of his toughest enemies gathered in one game for unprecedented mayhem.

In addition to the game, you can even capture your greatest combat moves with a Photography mini-game and search for collectibles to unlock.
• For full details about the game visit Gameloft's official website: www.SpiderManTotalMayhem.com

Doctor Wii?

It looks as though we can expect a new Doctor Who game for the Nintendo Ds and Wii.

The Newsround website is reporting that the game should be released in time for Christmas.

At this early stage, the baddies in the new game have not been revealed, but our money's on the Daleks.

There have been several Doctor Who computer games in the past. Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror, a game for the BBC Micro in 1986, was too large to fit the Micro's memory and came with its own ROM chip which had to be installed before the game could run!

Destiny of the Doctors ten years later featured original dialogue from Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy and contained Anthony Ainley's final performance as the Master before his death.

Paul Dini Signing in London Friday 28th August

Marking the highly anticipated release of Batman: Arkham Asylum in the UK, Emmy award-winning script writer Paul Dini will be signing copies of the game at Game 100 Oxford Street, London tomorrow (Friday 28th August) between 1 and 2.00pm.

Paul, whose credits include Detective Comics and is currently writing Batman: Streets of Gotham and Gotham City Sirens, also produces his own comic, Jingle Belle, about the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. For TV, his credits include Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series and Lost. He wrote the original script for the Batman: Arkham Asylum game and helps to bring the universe of DC Comic’s detective to life.

Paul has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work: he was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a dark, action packed videogame adventure for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows. In the game, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. There, the imprisoned super-villains have set a trap and an immersive combat gaming experience unfolds.

The game has been awarded a Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’ before it has even hit the shelves - an impressive achievement.


Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movies and leading television and stage actor Kevin Conroy lend their voices to the videogame. Known as the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne for over 15 years in various animated films and television series, Kevin Conroy repeats his role as the caped crusader, while Mark Hamill, also a veteran of many animated Batman properties, again stars as legendary villain The Joker.

• More Info on the Game: www.batmanarkhamasylum.com

Adventure Come To... Kirkcaldy

In these downbeat times, it's rare to have something to celebrate - especially the opening of a new comic shop. But that's exactly what's just happened north of the border.

Kingdom of Adventure, which opened complete with a visit from Darth Vader and Stormtroopers on 20th June, intends to offer comic and games fans across Fife the chance not just to buy comics and games -- but play the games on show as well. And not in any small way: while game areas are nothing new in specialist stores, KOA is spread over two storeys and is fully kitted out to deal with up to 40 players at any one time.

The store will also be running classes including sessions on how to play the games on sale and others on how to paint the miniatures used to play them.

"Up until now Fife comics and games fans have had to travel to Edinburgh and Dundee or further to get the latest range of products, services and knowledge that Kingdom of Adventure will offer," says Dave. "Now they will have one of the best stocked shops of its kind in Scotland on their doorstep."

Despite the economic downturn and the closure of comic shops elsewhere in the UK, Dave believes that Fife is the ideal location for Kingdom of Adventure this nee store.

"Fife has a thriving comics and games community and Kirkcaldy feels like the ideal location for this new kind of shop. Plus, we’re a first in Scotland – offering the comics and games with plenty of space to play them in.

“I’m really hoping that the shop can play a big role in the Fife community," he continues. "I've ran games clubs in Edinburgh so I know that the facilities that we offer are in demand.

"I’ve already had a phenomenal response in talking to people about the shop, so I’m hopeful that people will come along and see what we have," he reveals enthusiastically. "There’s a huge demand out there."

Expect various events to be part of the store's schedule in coming months. "As well as the day to day running of Kingdom of Adventure, I'm also in talks with various comic and gaming industry celebrities about having signings and other special events," says Dave. "We've already had a special guest for the launch with Dungeons & Dragons writer Keith Baker in the shop running games and chatting with fans."

For Dave, the new venture is more than just a commercial venture he's been planning for years.

“I live and breathe comics and games," he says, "and I can’t wait to get started turning my hobby into my business.”

• Kingdom of Adventure is located at 21-23 Whytescauseway in Kirkcaldy. Tel: 01592 328121 or e-mail shop@kingdomofadventure.co.uk. Web: www.kingdomofadventure.co.uk

Doctor Who RPG Release Date Announced

Cubicle 7, producers of the new DC Thomson-comic inspired Starblazer game, have just announced that their Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space RPG will be released in October 2009.

There's no more details yet about the game.

• Look out for more details in the coming months on the Cubicle 7 web site: www.cubicle-7.com

Mindjammer is first Starblazer Adventures game add-on

Rebellion-owned role-playing adventure games and card and board game publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment has just announced Mindjammer, a self-contained campaign setting designed to bring the transhuman space theme to its new Starblazer Adventures role playing game, just released in the UK.

The UK release of Starblazer Adventures caught even Cubicle by surprize after their UK distributor unexpectedly brought the release date forward, but early response to the game has been positive, with the new release already attracting plenty of press interest.

Mindjammer, set for release in November, is a sourcebook for the Starblazer Adventures game inspired by the 1980s DC Thomson comic and is set in the strange and distant future of our own planet Earth, "a cool yet believable science-fiction setting of lost worlds, incredible technologies, and clashing civilizations," according to the company. It draws upon the "far future" works of writers like Cordwainer Smith, Larry Niven, Iain M. Banks, Dan Simmons, and Peter F. Hamilton for inspiration, with nods to the pulps, space operas, and planetary romances of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Harry Harrison, and Leigh Brackett.

"It was the Second Age of Space, the Rediscovery of Mankind. The light of human civilization, which had flickered and threatened to die, suddenly burned bright again with contact with the thousand worlds of space. Humankind laughed, filled with the joy and power of a new-found youth, and strode forth to bring its message of hope and regeneration to the stars..."

The Mindjammer setting, which provides everything needed to play using only the Starblazer Adventures rules, introduces the New Commonality, the nascent interstellar state attempting to dominate the Rediscovery Era, a time when ultra-advanced technologies rub shoulders with lost and regressed worlds. Offering a unique and action-packed setting of epic high adventure, Cubicle 7 describe it as "something a little different from more conventional space opera settings."

"Were we on the brink of extinction? I'd say so, yes. Three or four centuries ago, no one had any interest in anything. It was like everything worth knowing had already been known, everything worth doing already done, and a million times over. We were happy enough, with our drugs and our slaves, and our endless diversions. But we were on our way out: something had gone, some zest, some spice, that made it all worthwhile.Now you get to live as long as you want, as long as you don't get killed. Life is dangerous again. And, somehow, that suddenly makes it all worth living."

Mindjammer contains exotic races and new careers, sentient starship characters, far future technologies including the interstellar "Mindscape" and technological psionics, new skills and stunts, new starships, rules for interstellar cultures and cultural conflict, starmaps, worlds and a detailed background of a huge Star Empire and its allies and foes.

There's also a complete campaign of four linked scenarios, "The Black Zone", including some spectacular Starblazer action with combat walkers, mass battles, and terrifying alien technologies.

Mindjammer is the work of a passionate industry writer Sarah Newton, whose work includes post-apocalyptic, horror, and techno-fantasy material for Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying and soon-to-be-published short Lovecraftian fiction. She's also working with Starblazers' Chris Birch on the forthcoming Starblazer Adventures: Chronicles Of Anglerre fantasy RPG and is currently writing several adventure supplements for Mindjammer.

"Mindjammer and Starblazer is a match made in heaven for me," said Sarah. "Starblazer has the rules, the flexibility, and the sheer gaming vision to allow for truly up-to-date, 21st century science-fiction with its hyper-advanced technologies and transhuman themes. It's a game which gives you tools for some spectacular action, and with Mindjammer we've really tried to take full advantage and blaze some new trails through the stars!"

It's a busy time for Cubicle 7 whose games include not only Starblazer Adventures but Victoriana and SLA Industries. Last week, they announced joined the Rebellion Group of companies.

Founded in 2006 Cubicle 7 Entertainment was set up by Angus Abranson and Dominic McDowall-Thomas, two gaming entrepreneurs who wanted to create a games publisher fostering some truly iconic brands. The company joins 2000AD, Abaddon Books, Mongoose Publishing (another British RPG publisher) and Rebellion itself, the massive UK based video games developer established in 1992 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley.

The company will be now based out of Rebellion Group offices in Swindon, UK and spokesperson Chris Birch told downthetubes Rebellion's support will allow Cubicle 7 to focus on a major, as-yet-unannounced licensed mainstream release later this year as well as a busy monthly release schedule.

"This is a great move for the company and one that will certainly benefit the fans of our games.” feels Angus Abranson of Cubicle 7. "It allows us the time and resources to fully support our existing lines as well as giving us the backing to bring new ideas – and licenses – to the marketplace."

“It places us firmly were we wanted to be in several years time, right now,” added Dominic.

Jason Kingsley felt Cubicle 7 was a great addition to the Rebellion Group’s circle of creative companies. “We have been aware of Cubicle 7's ambitions and enthusiasms for some time and approached them with a view to combining resources to make a good thing great. Rebellion is very excited to be welcoming C7 into its family. Wonderful things await!”

• The Starblazer Adventures game is on sale now in the UK and available from the Cubicle 7 online store: it goes on in the US in July.

• The 160 page Mindjammer supplement is due to be released in November with further supplements due in 2010. Mindjammer has its own dedicated website at www.mindjammer.com

• You can find out more about the Mindjammer supplement by downloading the Introduction To Mindjammer free pdf over at www.mindjammer.com or www.rpgnow.com where you can also find the free introductory adventure Escape From Venu.

Grand Adventures from Wallace & Gromit

Model citizens Wallace & Gromit have appeared on screen and in comics, and now they're back once again in a game: this time in Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, a new game series debuting today at www.telltalegames.com.

"Fright of the Bumblebees," the first of four digitally-distributed games starring the popular Plasticine duo, is available now and subsequent installments will be delivered in May, June, and July.

Wallace and Gromit's most recent TV outing, Wallace & Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death, out now on DVD, aired with record-setting viewership this past Christmas in the UK.

Alternating between the roles of both Wallace and Gromit throughout the game, players will banter with a charismatic cast of characters, tinker with Wallace's creative contraptions, and enjoy four all-new stories set in the colorful Wallace & Gromit universe. In today's debut episode, "Fright of the Bumblebees," Wallace attempts to save his bumbling honey business through the growth of supersized flowers. When these giant flowers lead to an unintended consequence, giant bees, Gromit must step in to save the town from the angry swarm.

"The partnership with Telltale was a natural one," says Sean Clarke, Head of Aardman Rights. "Their talent for crafting engaging adventures with humour and charm fits well with the Wallace & Gromit style, and the four games of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures make excellent new additions to the series."

To celebrate the series premiere, Telltale is offering the full series on PC for the limited-time special price of $29.95 (around £21), a 15% savings on the regular price of $34.95 (about £24). During the launch week, customers who purchase Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures will also get an amazing 50% discount on all other items in Telltale's store, including the acclaimed Sam & Max games, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, and related merchandise. These special offers expire 29 March 2009.

• To buy Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures or download the free demo, visit http://www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit

Wallace & Gromit Game Peek

It seems to be a day for Wallace & Gromit news - no surprise, perhaps, given the ratings success for the pair over the festive season.

Telltale Games have just released the first in-game screenshots from their upcoming new series, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, which is based on the award-winning franchise.

This new series of interactive Wallace & Gromit stories will be launching in 2009, with players assuming the roles of both the quirky inventor and his faithful canine companion as the duo embarks on a series of ambitious business ventures, then scramble to pick up the scattered pieces when plans go awry.

We’ll have a lot more details later in the year – including the release timeframe and platform announcements – but for now, here's a couple of in-game screenshots...

• For more imagery, information and a game trailer visit: www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit

Starblazer Sale and Game News

One downthetubes reader has been in touch to tell us he's offering a number of Starblazers via eBay, including the first three issues of this collectable SF comic published by DC Thomson. He tells us all of the comics are in excellent condition with no rips or tears.

Given interest in the title from our readers we've offered to plug the sale here. (Please note, downthetubes has no connection with the seller).

Talking of Starblazer, a new official blog about the comic is in development and we'll have more information on this soon.

We're also pleased to report that new content, free downloads and previews of the Starblazer Adventures game are now available over at Cubicle 7.

Published by DC Thomson, Starblazer was the home to some of the best British science fiction space opera first published in April 1979 with its last issue released in January 1991. Featuring some stunning art and classic space opera stories, comic creators such as Grant Morrison and John Smith, artists Enrique Alcatena, Mike McMahon, Cam Kennedy, John Ridgway, Alan Rogers, Jaime Oritz, Ian Kennedy, Colin MacNeil and Casanovas Junior helped bring the fantastic 'spacefiction adventure in pictures' to life.

The Starblazer licence was picked up by British games publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment, who also publish SLA Industries and Victoriana and the core release utilining the FATE rule system will include three detailed settings from the very best of Starblazer, detailing recurring characters, organisations, empires and aliens such as the Fi-Sci (the Fighting Scientists of Galac Squad), The Star Patrol, The Suicide Squad, The Planet Tamer, Cinnibar the barbarian warrior of Babalon and galactic cop Frank Carter to name just a few.

As well as the FATE rules system, you’ll find maps, galactic histories, stories of civilizations spanning thousands of years, technology from across time and space, details of the equipment and starships of the human civilisations and their alien neighbours. Cubicle 7 has also created some big picture gaming rules that will allow you to lead an armada or Star Empire, plan a network of secret bases, thwart a galaxy wide conspiracy, invoke ancient treaties and inspire politicians from across the universe or hold off hordes of terrifying creatures with hundreds of marines.

The official Starblazer Adevntures website features updates on the action, and releases, backstories, development news, comments from previous writers, excerpts from original scripts and will also feature exclusive interviews revealing some of the hidden treasures of the Starblazer stories.

Planned for the site are downloadable accessories, excerpts of comic strips, rules supplements, adventures, a fan community and much more bringing the Starblazer universe to life and giving you the tools to extend the gaming experience.

Starblazer Adventures will be released later this year. Join the RPG.Net discussion to follow the development process or find them at Live Journal. They also have a MySpace page

downthetubes Starblazer Features:

• Blazing through the secrecy
Jeremy Briggs ponders DC Thomson's secretive nature about its creators diown the years, and explores the secrets of its science fiction title Starblazer, whose creators included a young Grant Morrison and artist Ian Kennedy...
• A checklist of every issue, including known creator credits
• Starblazer Abroad
A checklist of known foreign language reprints of the title
• Behind the Lines
Writer Ray Aspden reveals his approach to writing Starblazer

New Chernobyl-inspired Game goes on sale

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, a nifty looking First Person Shooter inspired by the 2007 Shadow of Chernobyl release, should now be on sale in your local games shops from Koch Media -- and we liked the imagery so much we decided to make an affectionate parody comic out of it over using ROK Comics, embedded here.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a 'what-if' scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game created by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio, released in 2007. The game is set in 2011 and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone centre.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

• Official game site: www.stalker-game.com
• More information about the game is available on the official S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/stalkerofficial

Abnett, Swallow To Appear at October GamesFest

Top British comic writer and author Dan Abnett and Star Trek author James Swallow are among several writers, including Stan Nicholls and James Barclay, who will be appearing as part of an impressive line up of creative talent, game demonstrations and more at the next GamesFest (www.gamesfest.co.uk), a one day convention in Tring, Hertfordshire on 4 October.

The event aims to showcase the best of role playing, wargaming, boardgaming and science fiction and fantasy literature.

"We want to pull all the strands of fantasy and science fiction together and create a unique experience for the fan/enthusiast in one convention," say the organisers. "Ours is a unique vision and we want to focus on customer satisfaction and a totally enjoyable day dedicated to players and fans alike."

The hope is that GamesFest will enable people to play games in an informal, friendly environment, let fans sample the best the gaming industry has to offer through Trade Stands and demo games, let fans meet the creators/designers of the games and give fans an opportunity to meet the writers/artists of their favourite comics and books. On the guest list are:

• Stan Nicholls who has been a full-time writer since 1981. He is the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the internationally acclaimed Orcs First Blood series. (Orcs will be released in a paperback edition in September). In 2007, he was awarded the Le'Fantastique Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Literature at the Trolls & Legendes Festival in Belgium.

• Dan Abnett is well known for his comic work: he has written everything from the Mr Men to the X-Men. His prolific work for the Games Workshops Black Library includes the popular strips Lone Wolves, Titan and Darkblade, the best-selling Gaunt's Ghosts novels (Only in Death is released in October), and the acclaimed Inquisitor Eisenhorn trilogy.

• Star Trek author James Swallow has also written many stories set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe include Faith & Fire, the Blood Angel books Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius, as well as short fiction for Inferno! and What Price Victory. His Black Flame books include Jade Dragon, the Judge Dredd novels Eclipse and Whiteout, Rogue Trooper: Blood Relative, and the novelisation of The Butterfly Effect. James is, to date, the only British writer to have written for any of the Star Trek TV series and has written many scripts for video games and audio dramas.

• Graham McNeil is a noted Games Workshop games developer and author of numerous novels set Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Fantasy universes, including Fulgrim, part of the best-selling Horus Heresy series. His latest 40K novel, The Killing Ground, was released earlier in the year.

• Mark Chadbourn is a British fantasy, science fiction and horror author with eleven novels (and one non-fiction book) published around the world. Six of his novels have been short listed for the British Fantasy Society's August Derleth Award for Best Novel, and he has won the British Fantasy Award twice, for his novella The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke(2005), and for his short story Whisper Lane (2007). His most recent novel, The Burning Man, was released by Gollancz back in April.

• David J Rodger's first novel God Seed' is a cyber thriller that follows the journey of a documentary filmmaker, Adam Kyle as he covers a group of Corporate Mercenaries. Kyle is propelled into a web of lies, treachery and murder involving fascist extremists, Islamic Terrorists, corrupt government officials an a religion as old as Mankind. David has taken influences from writers such as William Gibson, Robert Ludlumand H.P Lovecraft. He has also created a role-playing game on his fictional world entitled Yellow Dawn.

• Juliet E. McKenna is a professional writer of fantasy novels and short stories, with the occasional foray into science-fiction and dark fantasy. Her first novel, published in 1999, first of The Tales of Einarinn. Her second series, The Aldabreshin Compass, concluded with Eastern Tide in 2006 and she's now working on a new trilogy charting the course of The Lescari Revolution. The first volume, Straws in the Wind (working title, so that may change.), will be published in the UK and the US by Solaris in the spring of 2009.

• Deborah Miller (a.k.a. Miller Lau) has been writing fiction all her life, mainly fantasy but also some science fiction and horror. In 1993 she was short listed for the Ian St James award, reaching the top fifty from a record entry of 8,000 for her short story 'Dinosaur.' Since then, she has worked on novel length fiction although also working full-time as a Technical Editor. In 1999, after reaching agreement with Simon and Schuster's Earthlight for the sale of her first novel Talisker she decided to dedicate herself to her writing full-time.

• Stephen Hunt is a British fantasy author living in Spain. He is the author of The Court of the Air, a fantasy adventure set in a Victorian alternate world with the addition of magic in various forms. The nation in which the plot is largely set is recognizably based on Victorian Britain and the main neighbouring country is presumably inspired by the Paris Commune (and communist revolutions in general). His second novel, set in the same fantasy world, is The Kingdom Beyond the Waves. Stephen owns and runs the Internet's second most popular sci-fi web site, www.SFcrowsnest.com which gets about 40 million hits a month.

• Joseph D'Lacey first short story Getaway Car was published in 2001 by Cadenza. Since then his work has appeared in anthologies, magazines and online. Meat, his first published novel, was released earlier this year.

• James Barclay is a British fantasy author who has been publishing novels since 1999. He is best known for his action fantasy thrillers concerning the mercenaries-turned-world-savers The Raven. The six novels in this series are to be joined by a seventh in November 2008. The genesis of The Raven was on the percentile dice RPG tables of James’s youth and unsurprisingly, he has a big following from the ranks of the gaming community. The Raven novels have been translated into eight languages across Europe. Latterly, James has published an epic fantasy duology called ‘The Ascendants of Estorea’ and is currently working on a trilogy concerning the elves of The Raven’s world. Elsewhere, he is working as an actor on a British crime thriller, writes screenplays and is developing young adult fiction.

• Bill Hussey has a Masters Degree in Writing from Sheffield Hallam University. His first novel, Through A Glass, Darkly, was inspired by the lonely Fen villages of Lincolnshire and by a lifetime devoted to the horror story. Bill lives in Skegness and writes stories about things that go bump in the night.

• Peter Mark May was born in Walton on Thames, Surrey in 1968. Married with two young sons, he has been writing as a hobby since he left school. After the sudden death of this brother in 2004, he decided to take voluntary redundancy from an eighteen year Civil Service career and completely changed his life emphasis. He has just taken two years off work to enjoy life with his family and working on getting his latest horror novel finished (Demon) and is now writing a new personal horror novel entitled Kumiho, set during the Korean War.

• Frazer Lee is the award-winning writer/director of short horror films On Edge and Red Lines, both starring Doug Bradley (Pinhead from Hellraiser). He also directed the commercial campaign for True Horror with Anthony Head (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) for the Discovery Channel. Frazer's new projects include the feature length horror movie Urbane from his screenplay with co-writer Max Kinnings, also in development as a graphic novel with art by Shane Oakley. Frazer is also working on more feature-length, short and literary fiction projects. His first book, Urbane and Other Horror Tales is out now, available from www.frazerlee.com along with the DVD of On Edge and Red Lines.

• David Michael Wright was born in 1979, and lives in Royston an old ex-mining village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. Working as a Freelance Illustrator specialising in fantasy, Sci-fi & RPG art, he has among numerous private commissions, produced images for Wargames Foundry, Alderac Entertainment Group, and Redbrick. View his online portfolio at www.davidmichaelwright.com.

• Garry Charles has been working as an author for four years. He has three novels already published by HadesGate Publications: Heaven’s Falling Volumes One and Two, which span the genres of Dark Fantasy, Horror and action packed adventure, and Hammerhead which is an out and out Horror novel. Slavis and Stone Cold Snake Eyes (both co-written with US author Erik Enck) will be released later this year by US publisher Blu Phi’er. Also slated for release is Tranquillity, a novella from Screaming Dreams Publications. His short stories can be found online and in print in such publications as Estronomicon, Sien Und Werden, The Horror Express, Whispers of Wickedness and NVH, to name a few.
Garry is currently working on a third Heaven’s Falling novel,and two other Dark Fantasy tales entitled Bookend and Hotel Hollywood. Whilst juggling these three projects he is also developing a sci-fi project for TV.

• Steve Dean was born and still lives in Nottingham with his wife and three children. He has been writing for many years, mainly Science Fiction and Fantasy. To date, he has had more than a dozen short stories published in various independent press magazines. He also has three novels in the shops, published by Hadesgate Publications; Soulkeepers, a fantasy novella for the whole family, The Servicing and Maintenance of Wayland Snowball, an adult SF comedy, and Mage Reborn, an adult Fantasy. On the RPG side, Steve worked with ForeverpeopleRPG where he released three books and ideas collections; Wilderness Encounters 2 - Into The Mountains, Wilderness Encounters 3 - Desert Encounters and Wilderness encounters 6 - Into The Mountains. These were joined by three complete scenarios in the Opus Operandi series; Chains in the Dark, A Pool of Clear Water and Tower Down. He was also one of the contributing editors for the short lived but very popular Wyvern roleplay magazine.
In January, Steve made the leap to Talisman Studios, and Adventure Zone: Barbary, a pirates and cannibals expansion for the Suzerain system quickly hit the shelves. Adventure Zone: Wolfpaw, a horror western expansion, will join it by the time you read this, followed quickly by Adventure Zone: Sanxesta, this time a land-based swashbuckling extravaganza. An as yet untitled illustrated pirate story is also in the pipeline. If that wasn't enough, Steve also writes book reviews for the British Fantasy Society. Currently Steve is writing novels four and five, and continues to create for the ever-expanding Suzerain multiverse.

• Derek Gunn, who lives in Dublin, Ireland, is the author of the Vampire Apocalypse series, the first book, Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder released towards the end of 2006 Derek's debut novel. The film rights are under option and a movie is in development with producer/screenwriter Richard Finney (Miaximum Risk, 100 Girls, Carver, Ye Older Times) and producer Robert Lawrence (Die Hard with a Vengence, Clueless, The Last Castle). The second book in the series, Vampire Apocalypse: Descent into Chaos, is due to be released in the US this autumn and the third, Vampire Apocalypse: Fallout is due out in 2009. Derek has also had short fiction published in anthologies from Black Death Books and Permuted Press.

• Gav Thorpe works for Games Workshop in his capacity as Warhammer Loremaster (whatever that is), something to do with making stuff up and designing games, apparently. He has written an armful of short stories for Inferno magazine, and people constantly nag him for more Last Chancers stuff. You may be worried to known that when he is thinking really hard he has a tendency to talk to the mechanical hamster with whom he shares a flat.

• Richard Williams was born in Nottingham, UK and was first published in 2000. He has written fiction for a range of publications on such diverse topics as gang initiation, medieval highwaymen and arcane religions. In his spare time, he is a theatre director and actor. He has written two books, including the novel Relentless published by the Black Library, and had his work printed in Inferno! and in the anthology Status: Deadzone. Visit his official website at www.richard-williams.com

• Isabel Joely Black is the author of the fantasy fiction series Amnar, available as a podcast at www.joelyblack.net and via subscription at iTunes. She doesn't have a fantasy fiction author hat yet, but has been promised one in the very near future.

Along with the authors, companies attending GamesFest 3 will be Games Workshop, maker of Warhammer, Esdevium Games, Pinnacle Entertainment, makers of Deadlands and the Savage World RPG system, Wizards of the Coast, who will be attending the Fest for the first time this year and are looking to run demos of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering, Project Hydra, a gaming store located in the town centre of Northampton, Calamity Comics, House Atreides, who supply single cards for every CCG imaginable, Games Bazaar, Cubicle 7publishers of games such as the new Starblazer adventures based on the 1980s DC Thomson comic, Qin and Doctor Who, Leisure Games, Simple Miniature Games, the independent miniatures company Otherworld Miniatures, The Black Library, the imprint of the British publishing house BL Publishing, the new international horror fiction imprint Bloody Books:, published by Beautiful Books of London, mass market publisher Hadesgate and CCD traders Cardbreakers.

Along with demo games, this looks to be a truly impressive day's entertainment for gamers.

• GamesFest 3 will be held on Saturday 4th October 2008 at the Victoria Hall, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire. Doors open 10.00am until 7.00pm. More info at www.gamesfest.co.uk

Alison Carroll is Tomb Raider

Meet Alison Carroll – actress, gymnast and arguably the greatest living embodiment of Lara Croft so far.

There have been several memorable real-life incarnations of England’s first lady of adventure over the last decade, but few have managed to capture what Lara embodies with quite so much gusto.

Carroll not only bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara, but by checking out this video you’ll also learn how she flawlessly embraces Lara’s attitude, physicality and bravado. A naturally confident speaker, her transformation to become Lara Croft is breathlessly captured in this exclusively behind-the-scenes exposé.

The next Tomb Raider rleases is Tomb Rraider: Underworld, which will have a blanket release on 21st November and will see Lara Croft storm all formats in similarly impressive fashion: Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Wii, PlayStation2, Nintendo DS, and PC Games for Windows platforms.

• For more information visit: www.eidos.com

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Computer Adventure!

With Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park in the news as guest editor of the 70th Birthday Beano, Telltale, Inc., the leader in interactive episodic entertainment, have just released a cinematic teaser trailer and new details about the Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures computer game.

The upcoming game series joins Telltale's all-star lineup, which includes the award-winning Sam & Max series and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, debuting soon on WiiWare and PC.

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures will combine the rich and imaginative storytelling the quirky inventor and his faithful canine sidekick are known for with the critically-acclaimed writing, fun gameplay, and unique TV-style format Telltale has pioneered. Assuming the roles of both Wallace and Gromit, players will spend each episode exploring a vivid world, assembling intricate contraptions, and getting the duo out of the sticky situations they frequently find themselves in.

"Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures extends our vision for delivering new kinds of entertainment to everyone who enjoys a good story," says Telltale's CEO and co-founder Dan Connors. "Wallace & Gromit has a long history of entertaining people of all ages, and the world Aardman has created is rich with humor and storytelling possibilities.

"Our team has been enjoying the process of adapting this series for new audiences, and we look forward to reintroducing it to long-time fans in the episodic format that Telltale has been innovating."

"Wallace and Gromit are much-loved characters with cross generational appeal who will work perfectly in this kind of game-playing environment," feels Sean Clarke, Head of Marketing & Licensing at Aardman. "Telltale is a leading producer of interactive gaming and we are delighted to partner with them on this exciting new project."

Telltale's new series is one of several upcoming Wallace & Gromit releases. Later this year, the characters will return to TV with an all-new and original Aardman short entitled A Matter of Loaf and Death. DVD compilations of the duo's best shorts to date are also coming soon from Aardman.

• The new trailer, artwork, and additional information about the series can be found at www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit