Gamasutra feature on the knighting

[elmuerte]

Gamesutra has a feature on the knighting of the three game designers. This is more than just a simple news post about the three receiving a medal. They give some more attention to the gaming accomplishments of the French game developers (and not just Ancel and Raynal).

It also contain some interesting info

Frédérick Raynal remembered French game genius Paul Cuisset (Flashback, 1992, Fade to Black, 1995, Moto Racer 3, 2001) with whom he made Time Commando (1996) and might work with again in the near future.
...
Raynal seemed almost ready to make a come back: "What I miss most is the teamwork, this is the great part of this work, not the game that ends up in a box on shelves. It's the process that I miss, even if it is hard."

[ChaosFish]

Why none of these articles mention Little Big Adventure...

[Lightwing]

Michel Ancel was quick to point out the merits of compatriot Eric Chahi (Out of This World, 1991) who pursued other projects after the hard and too long development of Heart of Darkness (1998)

Yes, how I'm glad he was mentioned! "Out of This World" is a fucking gemstone in the video game history.

[Lightwing]

Originally Posted by ChaosFish

Why none of these articles mention Little Big Adventure...

Twinsen's Odyssey is mentioned on the side. But come on now, I think sometimes we forget just how unpopular LBA is (despite it selling so much more than more popular games like Psychonauts).

[Neko]

is 500.000 and 300.00 a real hit in the gaming industry? (I do not know really).

How much of a succes is that considered, big, slight, normal, or 'slightly above average' ?

[ChaosFish]

But LBA is like, better than Alone in the Dark. Ah well...

[Lightwing]

I think 600,000 and 450,000 is more like it.

I suppose at the time it was good enough for the company, but not enough to make it popular.

[Bot13]

Wow.
I'm hearing "It would be nice if" and "Well I want to.." and "Lets hope so" since a long time from Fred.
But now he looks more confident and he's really wanting to make a come-back (why else would you already say things like this to the press?)

[Lightwing]

Well, we already know he wants to get back in the game.

The question thats more so on our minds is, "will he pick up LBA3 as his next project."

He certainly seems very bent on it, but I think the publishers might be the final decision on this one, in which case, I'm semi-scared.

[elmuerte]

LBA aka Relentless isn't as well known as Alone in the Dark.
"Fred created Alone in the Dark" has more leverage. Ofcourse nobody will associate him with the movie of Uwe Boll.
Alone in the Dark is, in total, a more successfull game series (4 titles?).

[Lightwing]

Indeed. Plus AitD by itself sold over two-million (was it?) or at least over a million copies to date.

[Bot13]

Well to be honest.
I'm not going to scream when he's willing to make a new Alone in the Dark game.
Fully 3d, some nice graphics, etc.
That would be just as awesome (maybe a tiny bit less because AitD was a few years before my time) as a LBA sequence.

Anyway; when he has got a team put together, and a nice clear plan for a new game, I'm already statisfied.
When this new game isn't going to be LBA, it's still going to make some cash, and with that money he could easely invest in a LBA3.

[Lightwing]

Unless he makes that AitD sequel more adventure driven than the original, I'm not going to be nearly as happy as I would be with an LBA3 title in my hands.

[ChaosFish]

AitD was plain nice (when it was NEW). LBA is plain better.
I wouldn't be very happy if he starts making a new AitD.

[elmuerte]

iirc Fred doesn't control any part of AitD.
Also I'm not really interested in an AitD sequel. The world freedom is way to limited, I rather have Fred work on something completely new.

[Lightwing]

I have a strong feeling that an AiTD sequel is not on his mind.

[Darkflame]

He certainly wont do AitD, but I wouldnt be that supprised to see another Servival Horror game from him at some point.

He did invent the genra, after all

Yes, how I'm glad he was mentioned! "Out of This World" is a fucking gemstone in the video game history.

Yup, theres a freeware GBA port as well
(that is, a freeware GBA rom file for emulators, or those with the means to play homebrew)

I think sometimes we forget just how unpopular LBA is (despite it selling so much more than more popular games like Psychonauts).

More popular then you think.

While sketching away on the online-ds chat room, two people in the last week have recognised when I draw Twinsen

(both were no english, but I recognised the "LBA!!!!" scribbled on the screen )

Alone in the Dark is, in total, a more successfull game series (4 titles?).

But how well did the sequals sale?

[Neko]

So despite selling well it is not populair? That sounds kind of a contradict

[ellimac]

Originally Posted by Darkflame

sketching away on the online-ds chat room

geeeez you're doing that??

hehe well, good

[Lightwing]

Originally Posted by Neko

So despite selling well it is not populair? That sounds kind of a contradict

It is a bit of a paradox. Annoying, really. I think it might have to do with a lack of adverticement.

For example, I few people own Psychonauts, but many more have seen it on TV as trailers and G4 interviews, etc...

[Darkflame]

geeeez you're doing that??

yeah, still at the expiremental stage;
http://dschat.akkit.org/
http://bafio.drunkencoders.com/

[Q-Wi-Q]

rights of AitD lie with Infogrames and Darkworks afaik, so don't think we'll ever see him make another aitd

[master-ekianjo]

I confirm the fact that Fred is not interested in doing any sequel to AiTD. However, he mentionned explicitely in 2 of the interviews I had with him that he would definitely enjoy making a survival horror again. He seems to have lots of ideas in that area as well...

About Eric Chahi, it is also rumoured that he might be coming back to games development.

I met Paul Cuisset in december 2005 and this guy has an impressive track record : Eric Chahi worked with him on "les voyageurs du temps" (time travellers) on Amiga, Atari ST and PC (not sure). He is now working for Micro-Application, and Raynal wouldn't mind working with him (this part was cut from the interview released in SANQUA 17, however it was there to begin with). Micro-Application is now specialised in graphical adventure games. 2 of them are supposed to be released this month by the way...

The french scene is very active at the moment - the newcomers such as Arkane Studios (Dark messiah of Might & Magic) and Nadeo (trackmania) EUgen Systems (Act of war) are getting increasingly popular at the international level.