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Riccitiello: Mirror's Edge deserves second chance, EA still pushing new IP

EA CEO John Riccitiello told IndustryGamers that the company has no intention of reducing its reliance on new IP. "Does this mean EA is backing away from investing in quality and innovation?" Riccitiello asked. "Absolutely not. It's religion for me; I believe quality and innovation is what works."

EA faces a difficult task now: finding room in EA's now-reduced slate for the new content Riccitiello promises and the sequels the company must produce. But it's a task Riccitiello seems to believe is worth undertaking. "I believe there are publishers out there that are milking franchises at their peril," he said. "I do think you can sort of stop innovating and do well while you coast for a couple of editions before a product starts to fall apart or a sector starts to fall apart."

The juggle involves sequels like Mirror's Edge 2, perhaps. "There are some things we learned about that [first] game," Riccitiello told Kotaku. "It was, I think, a massively innovative product. To be honest with you, I think it's a game that deserves to come back." The CEO said he's "had several very lively debates" with the dev team about the design of a future game. "And they are working on it."

Mirror's Edge coming to the iPhone

EA has announced that they're bringing Mirror's Edge, the inventive "first-person jumper" title that intrigued gamers last year, to the iPhone and iPod touch via the App Store. I was disappointed to see that it's not actually just a straight port (it would be interesting to see how the topsy-turvy platformer would fare with some gesture and accelerometer input), but instead it's more of an isometric platformer. In fact, the screenshots kind of remind me of Canabalt, though this will probably be more complex, with occasional combat and a story.

Looks like it'll be fun, especially for Mirror's Edge fans looking for a little extra gameplay before the eventual sequel comes out. The game boasts 14 levels run by the game's original protagonist, Faith, and while there's no price mentioned yet, I'm guessing EA will start it out around $6.99, and then probably bring it back down to $4.99 once sales level off.

Gallery: Mirror's Edge (iPhone)

Mirror's Edge vaults onto the iPhone

Click to see all of Faith's roof-hopping antics.

So, hypothetical situation. You're perched on the roof of a skyscraper, peering across a lengthy chasm to the adjacent building, where your destination lies. You're suddenly overcome with doubt and uncertainty! If only you had some sort of portable parkour training manual which could show you the proper timing and form for such a jump. Fortunately, your hypothetical needs are being tended to. According to a recent EA press release, the high-flying, first-person adventure, Mirror's Edge, will soon land on iPhones and iPod Touches.

A few screenshots for the title (which is due out in January) show that while it will be in 3D, we'll be operating from a side-scrolling perspective rather than being stuck within Faith's head.
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Direct2Drive running '24 Days of Christmas' sale

Digital distribution service Direct2Drive is celebrating the 24 days leading up to Christmas by discounting a select PC title each day from now until December 25. As the math whizzes have no doubt already divined, that's 24 discounted games! Today's game is DICE's parkour-em-up, Mirror's Edge. At the ridiculously low asking price of $4.95, it'd be a crime for PC gamers to disregard this most excellent (and very much deserving of a sequel, EA!) game from 2008.

We can personally vouch for its high levels of quality, actually. In terms of fun-to-cents ratio, you're looking at about 16 gazillion wows of entertainment value. Trust us, we did the math.

[Thanks, Jordan]

Brief PC game sales hit Steam and Direct2Drive

Let's all of us take a breath now. Breath in . . . and out. Good. Because now that all those PC downloadable game sales are done the various services are starting all over again with some new savings deals to check out.

Steam is giving folks a chance to purchase the unusual first person action game Zeno Clash from developer ACE Team for just $5.10. The sale lasts through Thursday, December 3.
Direct2Drive has begun its 24 Days of Christmas sales event with one game on sale every day for 24 hours. They begin with putting EA's action game Mirror's Edge on sale for just $4.99. The sale lasts until 1 pm ET Wednesday

DICE lighting artist lists Mirror's Edge 2 on portfolio

Oscar Carlén, a lighting artist at EA's DICE studio, lists two "2009-present" projects in his portfolio: Battlefield 3 and Mirror's Edge 2. Not only do those games possibly exist, you'll be able to see what's going on in them.

Battlefield 3 was first mentioned in June at a conference by EA COO John Pleasants. At that time, Pleasants also revealed a Criterion-developed Need for Speed game, which was announced again during EA's latest financial conference call -- so Battlefield 3 is somewhat of an expected property, lending credence to the existence of Mirror's Edge 2 by association. The last we heard about a follow-up to Mirror's Edge was that a "small team" was working on something back in June. Carlén could be part of that small team.

It's possible, given EA's recent layoffs and turn toward more surefire franchises, that Mirror's Edge 2 did exist but no longer does. We're checking with EA to verify the information found on this portfolio and to determine the current state of the franchise.

[Thanks, Tim]

App Store devs get "edge"-y as a reaction to trademark threats

App Store developers can be a rebellious kind -- we've already covered the story of a company shooting their price up to $40 just to show their customers how much they could be charging, and now, in response to an overly defensive trademark owner, developers on the store are putting the word "Edge" in their titles. Even high profile releases like the sequel to Eliss and the popular Canabalt are becoming Edgeliss and Canabedge. Critter Crunch becomes Critter Edge on their main page, and so on.

The story starts with a guy named Tim Langdell, who started a company a while back named Edge Games. Since he founded that company, he has mercilessly gone after any other game company who dares to use the word "edge" in their title, claiming that he has the trademark to any and all "edge"-related gaming. He's gone after EA's Mirror's Edge and a few other titles, but the App Store has been a prime target, where he simply contacts Apple, claims the app is in violation of his trademarks, and gets apps pulled without a problem. The latest target is a title called Killer Edge Racing by a company named PuzzleKings, and reportedly Langdell has gone so far as to trademark that name, despite the fact that the game using it has been around for years.

Hence the indie game developers' "edge-volution." They aren't actually renaming their games in the store, just showing off solidarity with other developers against what they see as Langdell's wrongdoing, and getting the word out about his actions against "edge" on the App Store.

Interview: Rhianna Pratchett

With Rhianna Pratchett's most recent projects -- a trio of Overlord titles -- complete, the game scribe took some time out to discuss what it was like to write for three games at once, what she's looking forward to in the future, and why Faith in Mirror's Edge wasn't quite as talkative as originally planned:

Did you have any difficulties writing for three different platforms? What are the differences and limitations of writing for one platform over another?

It was mainly a question of age ratings. I'm sorry it's not more of an exciting answer. The Wii and DS, Dark Legend and Minions, were aiming for a lower rating than Overlord II, so there were certain things that I couldn't talk about in the scripts -- mainly to do with excessive violence and debauchery. You know, all the really fun stuff.

You can certainly get away with more by taking a comedic angle, but games ratings are actually pretty stringent. I don't think it impacted too much on the Overlord feel, although it was a shame to lose things like drunken minions and mistresses. Okay, in Dark Legend the lead character is only 16, so a harem might have been rather wishful thinking.

There was a definite need for economy of language when it came to the DS, which was a little more restrictive. Condensing a loquacious character like Gnarl was quite a challenge. Other than that it was really just trying to capture the right Overlord tone.

GoGamer.com breaks out some new PC game sales deals

It's Friday and while some are working for the weekend, some of us are also working to find new PC game sales deals and then reveal those price reductions to you. Our favorite retail gaming site GoGamer.com has their usual massive price cuts on a number of older and more recent PC games. The prices stick around until 3 am ET on Tuesday.

Among the games on sale are Mirror's Edge for $5.90, the original ArmA: Armed Assault for $9.90 and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for $4.90. More recent games are also on sale like Terminator: Salvation for $27.90 and X-Blades for $17.90.

Unseen64: Backbone made Mirror's Edge demo for Wii, PSP, DS

We love our Mirror's Edge as much as the next group of guys, but we don't really know what to make of this one. Unseen64 reports that Backbone Entertainment was asked by EA to make a demo for the game on Wii, DS and PSP, though the status of it is currently unknown.

Judging by the couple of pieces of concept art Unseen64 is sporting, the project looks suspiciously third-person, which is puzzling at best. But who knows? Maybe we're just old men set in our crotchety ways. Maybe it could have been awesome. But with less-than-stellar sales numbers for the flagship, we're doubtful EA will be willing to spend the cash to let Faith leap onto other boxes.

Mirror's Edge 2D - Time Waster

Mirror's Edge is a successful 3D first-person platformer where players take control of Faith, a runner who's job is to transmit messages without garnering the ire of government surveillance. If you're not familiar with the franchise, it doesn't really matter; Mirror's Edge 2D is still a fantastic 2D flash game based on Mirror's Edge.

In the 2D version, you control Faith by using keyboard keys to run, duck, slide, climb, wallrun, and jump. The style of the game reminds me of a classic version of Mission Impossible on the Commodore 64. The most charming element of Mirror's Edge 2D is the rapid yet smooth way that Faith moves. The game is all about maintaining momentum, and it's easily to see why after playing the game for only a few minutes.

Mirror's Edge 2D has both a story mode and time trial mode, giving it considerable replay value for a free online game. This game feels like what I wish side-scrolling platform games had been like in their heyday.

EA shatters our faith in future Mirror's Edge DLC

Mirror's Edge fans are going to have to wait for the sequel before experiencing any new leaps of Faith. EA has told ThatVideoGameBlog that there are no "immediate plans" for more DLC. A downloadable map pack was made available this past February.

Although not a runaway smash, Mirror's Edge did find success and some awards -- even from our little corner of the internet. Hopefully a sequel will address the multitude of frustrating gameplay issues found in the original -- like the combat system. We have fai... ahem, we believe DICE will do right next time.

Mirror's Edge DLC now free on EU PSN

All of you Europeans who enjoy a bit of the parkour-inspired gameplay of Mirror's Edge now and again, we've got a treat for you. PSN now has all of the Mirror's Edge DLC content available at the low, low cost of free. The news comes courtesy of TheSixthAxis, and we've logged on ourselves to confirm that, yes, you can now nab all of the game's content with no need to spend anything. If you don't own Mirror's Edge, it's got to be on sale somewhere around you -- and honestly, there is no suitable excuse for not owning it.

Oh, and before you US residents go rushing to turn on your PS3, know that we already checked PSN for this and the content is still priced as usual.

[Thanks, Josh!]

Next Mirror's Edge game in the works

Digital Illusions already has a full plate. It has several Battlefield games at some point of development (including the recently revealed Battlefield 3). But according to Videogamer.com the next game in their other major franchise Mirror's Edge is also in the works.

Patrick Soderlund, the current senior vice president at Electronic Arts' Games Europe division, stated, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do." He didn't say if this would be a full-fledged sequel, a spin-off or what form the new game will take.

EA VP: 'Small team' working on more Mirror's Edge

Joy be thine, as EA has confirmed Joystiq GOTY Mirror's Edge won't be the last we see of Faith. In speaking with Videogamer back at E3, EA's senior VP of EA Games Europe, Patrick Soderlund, stated, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do."

Of course, one mustn't jump to conclusions and automatically label this as a sequel. Soderlund could've meant anything based on that comment. EA could be working on a full-fledged sequel (something we desperately need), sure, or could be adapting a port for some other system. Or, the company could be making a spiffy new Flash game for all we know. Only time will tell, but the important thing is that no matter what this project turns out to be, we all have more parkour-based gameplay to look forward to down the line. And that's a very good thing.

[Via VG247]

Gorgeous Mirror's Edge inspired photo set leaps into view

Savage Land Pictures have revealed a gorgeous photo set inspired by the 2008 Electronic Arts action title, Mirror's Edge. The shoot, which Savage Land Pictures notes took months to plan, includes sixteen images of a model dressed as Faith traversing rooftops and interacting with armor-clad enemies. The set isn't completely realistic however, as "Faith" is shown holding a pistol and the image doesn't completely break... like the game did when she picked up a weapon. Just kidding, kinda.

[Via SlicedLime Twitter]

Real first-person parkour to make Faith blush

Fans of the first-person parkour simulator Mirror's Edge are bound to enjoy this video discovered by the BBPS (embedded after the break). In the video, you'll see a very talented man perform all kinds of parkour antics, all shot from a first-person viewpoint. He even managed to find some surprisingly colorful surroundings to make it feel more like the game. It's all very impressive until around 2:05 into the video, at which point we realized it was filmed by a wizard.

To think such a powerful man would waste his time making silly videos.

[Via The BBPS]

PC game weekend sales deals hit the Net

As we work for the weekend, we all need a second chance to go off the deep end . . . and find some great PC game deals. Over at GoGamer.com the have a number of retail box copies that are for sale, including Overlord for just $5.90 and Mirror's Edge for just $19.90.

Direct2Drive has a few titles of interest that are on sale until Sunday including Major League Baseball 2K9 for just $9.99. The recent Midway action-driving game Wheelman is on sale "for a limited time" for $29.99. GamersGate has Kane and Lynch: Dead Men on sale for just $14.95 this weekend. They also have the upcoming RTS game Stalin Vs. Martians on sale for 20 percent off before its release next week. Finally Steam's weekend sales deal is for Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009 which has had its price reduced 50 percent to $14.99 this weekend.

Gitcha SecuROM de-authorization tools! Git'em ova hur!

EA's perpetual joke -- on you -- comes to an ironic end on April Fools' Day with the release of de-authorization tools for each of its 19 PC games with SecuROM copy protection (full list and download links after the break). If you've been working on that class action lawsuit against EA for bundling SecuROM with The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff, you can drop it now -- your flat-pack furniture can finally be moved to a new machine.

In the spirit of generosity, EA's giving you two options for managing your authorizations:

Option 1: Download and install yet another "tool" in order to scan your computer for EA's SecuROM games and find out how many computer authorizations you have (or don't have) left for each title.
Option 2: Cut to the chase and download the game-specific de-authorization tool you need.

Mirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards

Nordic Game 2009 is fast approaching and, like you, we're gearing up by listening to loads of ABBA, driving Volvos and wearing nothing but H&M clothing. That's all they do over there, right? Anyway, with the conference comes the obligatory awards show, though this one comes with a uniquely nordic theme. While über nordic games like LasseMajas and Englekræsj show up on the list, EA DICE-developed Mirror's Edge and Funcom-developed Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are duking it out for two major awards: Artistic Achievement and Best Nordic Game.

We can't speak to the ... ahem ... games we've never heard of running against Mirror's Edge and Age of Conan, but retro remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed is also competing for the Best Nordic Game award, while Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes on the two for Artistic Achievement. The awards are set to be a veritable smörgåsbord of gaming, if you will. (Those are Swedish, right?)

[Via Edge]