prince-of-persia posts (Subscribe to this feed)

This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and – before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside – we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here's what we learned from Nolan North.

You're quickly becoming one of the recognizable stars of video game voiceover acting. How did that happen?

You know ... I don't really know how that happened. I was lucky to land a lot of good roles in good games that became really popular ... Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, Prince of Persia, and they became really popular so fast and my name just happened to be attached to them. And you know, with the success of Uncharted -- the first one and then the second ... I don't know. It's just a phenomenon that I'm just lucky to be a part of.

Claudia Black told us that the motion capture sessions were the real key to making the relationship between Nathan and Chloe seem real. What do you think?

Absolutely. A lot of times we're just in a booth behind a microphone, unshaven and just ready to go ... and alone, more than anything. I mean, working with all of these actors, it's like doing theater somewhere. As a matter of fact, it's like what we used to call Black Box Theater back in college. There really wasn't much of a set ... we were just out there doing our thing, but the interaction was there and I think that's what translated so well to a video game.

We've been doing this Joystiq thing for a while now and, after sifting through years of traffic data, we think we finally know what you're all here for: shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal. It's okay, we're big fans of the guy's pecs, lats, abs, and peclatabs too. As such, we knew we had to post this behind-the-scenes look at Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, not for its juicy interview bits nor to see the picturesque locales where the crew filmed, but for those few seconds of Gyllenhaal in all his shirtless glory. The video is right after the break. You're entirely welcome, internet.

[Via Latino Review]

During a recent Ubisoft preview event, Michael McIntyre, director of level design for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, talked to Joystiq about the new sequel to the old trilogy, establishing its connection to the Sands of Time game series and the Bruckheimer film. The Forgotten Sands is a side story, based in the Sands of Time universe, bridging the seven-year gap between the original Sands of Time game and its sequel, Warrior Within.

Clearly, Ubisoft has positioned the next game to piggyback on the Bruckheimer blockbuster and ideally generate renewed sales for the brand (which underperformed in its 2008 iteration). Forgotten Sands is also an opportunity for Ubisoft to finally justify the Prince's remarkable transformation from carefree hero to brooding, emo warrior.

Continue reading for our full interview with Michael McIntyre -- after the break -- in which he reveals new (and rewinding revisited) elements in the game and the return of a familiar voice.

We're not sure if it's possible to Gyllenhaalify a game, but that's exactly how we'd describe what's happened to the Prince in the latest trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Premiering last night on the Spike Video Game Awards, the first footage from the game doesn't show us much in the vein of actual gameplay, but it does remind us repeatedly of the everlasting nature of sand. Unfortunately, we won't get to control Prince Dreamboat through Sandland until sometime in May. In the meantime, we have the trailer for you just after the break.

The 2008 reboot of the Prince of Persia franchise (which, apparently, is getting shut down) featured some of the most enjoyable snark and pith we've ever heard in a video game. Fortunately, Andy Walsh, the man responsible for the Prince and Elika's sharp-tongued exchanges, was recently recognized for his witty dialogue when he won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Games Award last night in London.

Normally, this is where we'd drop in a quote from Walsh about how excited he was to receive the award, but it doesn't seem that anyone initiated the optional dialogue with him following the Writers' Guild awards ceremony. Too bad, something tells us we've missed out on the best part.

Ubisoft has just announced a new Prince of Persia -- but it's not a sequel to 2008's polarizing adventure (if desired, add unhappy emoticons to sentence). Instead, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will continue the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time trilogy series, complete with "many of the fan-favorite elements" and "new gameplay innovations that gamers have come to expect from the Prince of Persia brand." Oh, and an accompanying film!

You can catch the game's premiere trailer on Spike TV's Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is scheduled for release on "consoles and handhelds" in May 2010.

The next-to-last day of Steam's "Early Holiday Sale" brings with it an eclectic collection of discounted PC titles, including last year's Prince of Persia ($14.99), Battlefield 2 ($14.99), Lucidity ($2.49) and Guild Wars Trilogy ($24.99). Also, here's a link to a Black Friday sale for a 1TB internal HDD. If you've been following this Steam sale for the past few days, you're probably hurting for hard drive space right about now.

Make sure you free up some room before tomorrow -- at 8 a.m. PST, the last batch of 24-hour sales will be announced. Stay tuned!

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie won't be in theaters until May 2010, but the marketing winds are already picking up with the release of the first full-length trailer (above) -- and it looks ... kinda good. What's more, the original game's creator, Jordan Mechner, has filed an application for the trademark, "Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands," suggesting that a new game could be in the works. More recent remarks, like those found in this Q&A, seem to indicate that an announcement from Ubisoft is coming shortly.

We attended a group Q&A session with Mechner and movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer last week during the unveiling of the trailer and heard about the legacy of the franchise, casting of Jake Gyllenhaal, plans for a movie sequel, Easter eggs hidden on-screen, and hints of a new game. Leap across the break for the full discussion.

The first official trailer for Jerry Bruckheimer's The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is now up for all the internet to see [update: we've added our embedded version above -- and read our in-depth analysis right here]. The long and short of it, it actually looks pretty good. Of course, the trailer is comprised mainly of quick cuts of action and narration filled with cliched adventure story tropes. Then again, as a video game adaptation, maybe that's to be expected.

Still, there doesn't appear to be anything overtly awful just yet, so the hope is still alive. If Bruckheimer can turn a theme park ride into a successful film franchise, maybe, just maybe, he can do it with a game too.

We were invited out to Jerry Bruckheimer Films earlier this week to watch the trailer for The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The good news? It looks like a Jerry Bruckheimer film. The bad news? Well, It looks like a Jerry Bruckheimer film. He's put together a formula that combines stars -- Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley -- a lot of bombast and CGI. What usually comes out is a loud, boisterous film that makes a lot of money at the box office. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

The only hitch is that it's a videogame adaptation, and those just never seem to turn out very well. It certainly doesn't help that Ben Kingsley, the one who starred in the ill-fated and ill-conceived film version of BloodRayne, has returned in another villainous role. Still, we have to admit that what we saw (reminder: just a trailer) looks to be an exciting jaunt through swashbuckling adventure.

Read on for the highlights -- and take your time. The movie that doesn't come out until May 2010.

Prince of Persia series creator Jordan Mechner came up with a pretty ingenious way of making sure that the upcoming film adaptation of his beloved action-platforming franchise wouldn't diverge wildly from the source material. After the jump you'll find a trailer which Mechner himself cut together in order to pitch the film to Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney -- a trailer composed exclusively of clips from his well-received game, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

On his personal blog, Mechner pointed out a number of elements sparsely used in the aforementioned trailer: Time travel, sand monsters, clairvoyant visions -- basically any supernatural plot devices which were apparently cut from the pitch he presented to the studio. Without these aspects, we wonder exactly what the film will focus on. Had they been stripped from the game, it would have been approximately four minutes long.

[Via Big Download]

Super sleuth Superannuation has uncovered a new trademark filed by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner. The game-related application, which seeks to register the title "Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands," may concern a new entry in Ubisoft's storied franchise. Whether it manifests as a sequel to 2008's cel-shaded outing, a spin-off or as a tie-in product to 2010's film adaptation is a matter of speculation. That is, if the name ends up being used at all -- Mechner's last trademark, "Prince of Persia Prodigy," never saw official use.

It would be shame if that were to happen again. We quite like the ring of "The Forgotten Sands," even if the prince's knavish attitude in the last game might better suit a title like "Dude, Where's My Sand?"

Sure, we get it. You're interested in seeing the last chapter of the new Prince of Persia, you're just not quite as interested as some of your buddies. It's hard to put a number on, but let's say you're ... 30 percent less interested.

Well, friend, your moment has arrived: the Prince of Persia Epilogue DLC has bee slashed from 800 ($10) to 560 ($7) as the latest XBLM Deal of the Week. If you've already purchased the content, you may want to ask Elika to rewind time and let you try again, but wouldn't that make it all too easy?

It seems that GDC China attendees have more than just a Video Games Live performance to look forward to, as it was announced today that Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner will be keynoting the event. According to a release issued today, the acclaimed designer will be speaking on "the success of the Prince of Persia series, as well as his own success as a game designer, programmer, and finally, director and screenwriter." You read that right, folks -- the man most recently penned Jerry Bruckheimer's film adaptation of the PoP series, among other screenplays.

Unfortunately, those attending GDC China won't be getting the traditional, mandatory shock treatment at the show, as that has been recently banned. For shame, China! Hopefully Mechner will be enough.