A trio of former Relic Entertainment staffers announced today they have formed Smoking Gun Interactive, an independent development studio that aims to create titles that push the envelope and redefine the art of gaming. John Johnson will lead the company as CEO and creative director, while Drew Dunlop will serve as CTO and technical director and Angie RadwanPytlewski acting as CCO and art director. All three worked on last year's critically acclaimed PC hit, Company of Heroes.
Wait a second. What's the deal with Hellgate hitting you up for a monthly fee? Isn't this one of the premier titles that Microsoft pimps for the Games for Windows initiative?
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That old adage seems particularly appropriate for the new Command Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the latest in the futuristic RTS series pitting the Global Defense Initiative against the Brotherhood of Nod.
What's the game about: As a new housewife mysteriously afflicted with amnesia, you're tasked with cooking, gossiping, and having extramarital sex with plumbers.
For fans of the Massive genre there is some interesting stuff here, as the generally very traditional company discussed new titles and initiatives that move SOE beyond its current crop of fantasy and scifi titles.
It's 1943, Operation Husky. The Allies begin their assault on Sicily, and we get the go ahead to drop in from the air. As I jump out of the plane, I see smoke grenades marking supply points and German antiaircraft guns firing below. I decide to veer over to a safe zone near a tall church steeple, but the quickly drawn battle lines force me into a corner. It isn't long before I fall, my outstretched hand on the ground in front of me.