Software:Perfect Dark (upcoming video game)
Perfect Dark | |
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Developer(s) |
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Publisher(s) | Xbox Game Studios |
Series | Perfect Dark |
Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
Genre(s) | Action-adventure, first-person shooter |
Perfect Dark is an upcoming video game that is being developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics and published by Xbox Game Studios. It will be a reboot of the Perfect Dark series.
Premise
Perfect Dark will take place in a near future world that has been torn apart by ecological disasters.[1]
Development
Perfect Dark is the first project by The Initiative, a Microsoft studio founded in 2018 and headed by Darrell Gallagher.[2] Gallagher, who had previously worked on the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, chose to work on a Perfect Dark reboot after Microsoft presented him with a few opportunities.[3] Plans for the game had already been discussed before Gallagher joined The Initiative,[4] with Xbox head Phil Spencer stating that the game is seen as an opportunity for protagonist Joanna Dark to diversify the Xbox family.[3] According to a source, the game will run on Unreal Engine 4 and feature "various weapons, gadgets, and a camera surveillance system".[5] Design director Drew Murray revealed that the game is being envisioned as a spy shooter, and that the studio wants the player character's physicality to play a bigger role than in traditional first-person shooters.[6] In February 2021, Murray left The Initiative to rejoin Insomniac Games.[7] Shortly afterwards, God of War producer Rhonda Cox joined the company as senior producer for the game.[8]
In September 2021, The Initiative announced they would be partnering with Crystal Dynamics on the game's development.[9] Daniel Neuburger, who had previously directed several Tomb Raider games at Crystal Dynamics, was the game director,[10] until he left The Initiative in February 2022.[11] In the previous 12 months, a substantial number of developers had also left the company, citing a lack of creative autonomy and slow development progress as the reason for their departures.[12] In May 2022, after Embracer Group announced that they had entered an agreement with Square Enix to acquire Crystal Dynamics, The Initiative confirmed that they would still continue to co-develop the game with the studio.[13] In November 2022, Xbox Studios boss Matt Booty revealed that, after the departure of several senior staff members at The Initiative, the Perfect Dark team has been slowly rebuilding while dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and starting up a new studio.[14]
By June 2023, Perfect Dark was still in pre-production and roughly two to three years away from release. It was also revealed that Certain Affinity was involved in its development before The Initiative announced that they would co-develop the game with Crystal Dynamics. Due to multiple factors, including poor management and creative differences between both studios, progress on the game stalled. In 2022, after The Initiative partnered with Crystal Dynamics, development restarted under Unreal Engine 5 and was a bit more productive. There are plans for the game to follow an episodic format, but it could still change before release.[15]
Marketing and release
Although work on a Perfect Dark revival was rumored in early 2018,[16] Perfect Dark was officially announced at The Game Awards 2020 with a teaser trailer,[1] after development on the game had been hinted by some sources earlier that year.[5] The game will also be available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Goslin, Austen (December 11, 2020). "A new Perfect Dark game is on the way from The Initiative". https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/10/22168765/perfect-dark-game-awards-reveal-reboot-xbox-trailer-initiative.
- ↑ Grant, Christopher (June 10, 2018). "Microsoft has five (!) new internal studios". https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/10/17446694/microsoft-xbox-internal-studios-exclusives.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dane, Patrick (June 30, 2021). "Perfect Dark allows Xbox to focus on 'modern opportunities' says Phil Spencer". https://www.gamesradar.com/perfect-dark-allows-xbox-to-focus-on-modern-opportunities-says-phil-spencer/.
- ↑ Stanton, Rich (July 5, 2021). "Phil Spencer admits Xbox needed the Perfect Dark reboot to make its firstparty lineup less male". https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/phil-spencer-admits-xbox-needed-the-perfect-dark-reboot-to-make-its-firstparty-lineup-less-male/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Maher, Cian (April 27, 2020). "It sure sounds like The Initiative is working on a new Perfect Dark". https://www.vg247.com/2020/04/27/the-initiative-perfect-dark/.
- ↑ Calvin, Alex (December 11, 2020). "The Initiative confident Perfect Dark won't be like other FPS". https://www.vg247.com/2020/12/11/initiative-perfect-dark-shooter/.
- ↑ Oloman, Jordan (February 23, 2021). "Perfect Dark Design Director Leaves The Initiative, Rejoins Insomniac Games". https://www.ign.com/articles/perfect-dark-design-director-leaves-the-initiative.
- ↑ Apsey, Joe (March 11, 2021). "God Of War Producer Jumps Over To The Initiative To Work On Perfect Dark". https://www.psu.com/news/god-of-war-producer-jumps-over-to-the-initiative-to-work-on-perfect-dark/.
- ↑ Grubb, Jeff (September 29, 2021). "Why The Initiative hired Crystal Dynamics to help with Perfect Dark". https://venturebeat.com/2021/09/29/why-the-initiative-hired-crystal-dynamics-to-help-with-perfect-dark/.
- ↑ Ivan, Tom (October 20, 2021). "Xbox says it 'jumped at the chance' to work with Crystal Dynamics on Perfect Dark". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-jumped-at-the-chance-to-work-with-crystal-dynamics-on-perfect-dark/.
- ↑ Robinson, Andy (March 12, 2022). "It looks like Perfect Dark has lost its game director". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/it-looks-like-perfect-dark-has-lost-its-game-director/.
- ↑ Robinson, Andy (March 15, 2022). "Insiders describe 'fast and furious' exits from Xbox's Perfect Dark studio". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/insiders-describe-fast-and-furious-exits-from-xboxs-perfect-dark-studio/.
- ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (May 2, 2022). "Crystal Dynamics Will Continue to Co-Develop Perfect Dark With The Initiative Following Embracer Deal". https://www.ign.com/articles/crystal-dynamics-to-still-co-develop-perfect-dark-with-the-initiative-following-embracer-deal.
- ↑ Bonthuys, Darryn (November 7, 2022). "Perfect Dark Reboot: Xbox Boss Gives A New Update". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/perfect-dark-reboot-xbox-boss-gives-a-new-update/1100-6508938/.
- ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (June 27, 2023). "Xbox's Perfect Dark Reboot Is Still Years Away". https://www.ign.com/articles/xboxs-perfect-dark-reboot-is-still-years-away.
- ↑ McFerran, Damien (January 16, 2018). "Rumour: A New Perfect Dark Game Is In Development, But Rare Isn't Involved". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/01/rumour_a_new_perfect_dark_game_is_in_development_but_rare_isnt_involved.
- ↑ Tolbert, Samuel (December 16, 2020). "Perfect Dark: Everything you need to know". https://www.windowscentral.com/perfect-dark.
External links
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect Dark (upcoming video game).
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