Bizarre Creations

Announcing James Bond 007: Blood Stone!

2010-07-16 16:03:48

The new James Bond action game from Bizarre Creations

Santa Monica, CA - July 16, 2010 - Grammy and BRIT award winning artist Joss Stone is set to debut as the newest Bond girl in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s James Bond 007: Blood Stone, an original Bond experience from screenwriter Bruce Feirstein. In addition to stepping into a leading role, Stone will create original music for the game, luring players into an explosive third-person action adventure where they will unravel an international conspiracy across exotic locales and experience full-throttle, behind-the-wheel action on land and sea while using the most high tech gadgetry known to James Bond 007, the world's most skilled secret agent.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone captures the cinematic intensity of a Bond film by immersing players in an intriguing conspiracy that will require them to think and act like James Bond," said David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing. "In addition, the game will feature a diverse array of multi-player modes and debut strategic objective-based gameplay that will allow Xbox 360, PS3 and PC players to battle as teams of spies and mercenaries through authentic Bond locales."

James Bond 007: Blood Stone features the likeness and voice talent of Daniel Craig, Joss Stone and Judi Dench and features an epic, original story developed by screenwriter Bruce Feirstein.

Players can engage in cover-based firefights, lethal hand-to-hand combat and speed their way through explosive adrenaline-fueled driving sequences as they embark on a global chase leading to action on land and sea through Athens, Istanbul, Monaco and Bangkok.

Gamers can also feel what it is like to be a 00 agent, as they take the battle online in several robust 16-person multi-player modes that require skill, teamwork and strategy as players compete in matches that will have spies battling mercenaries.

Joss Stone provides an original musical track to the game titled, "I'll Take it All" written and performed by her and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The song will be featured exclusively in James Bond 007: Blood Stone.

The James Bond 007: Blood Stone video game is being developed by critically acclaimed developer Bizarre Creations for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC under license from EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. The NDS platform is being developed by n-Space.

New Blur feedback forums now open!

2010-05-26 13:54:38

We want to hear what you think of the full game

We learned a lot from the Blur Multiplayer Beta. We were lucky enough to tens of thousands of responses to our online surveys, and thousands of forum posts too. We took all of your feedback and acted on it, and we feel that the finished game is better because of your input. Thanks very much everybody!

However, there's no reason why we should stop here. Now that you guys have the retail version of Blur (or we hope you do anyway!), we're eager to hear what you think of the full game. So much so that we've setup a bunch of new feedback forums for you to make use of. Each forum will be haunted by a specialist from Bizarre who works in that discipline, so your voice will be heard by the relevant person.

Please head over to each of these forums and let Bizarre know what you think of Blur!

Blur is released in North America!

2010-05-25 15:07:34

Have you played it yet?

Bizarre Creations are pleased to announce that Blur, our latest Powered-up Racing game, was released in North America today. You should be able to pick up a copy wherever videogames are sold. We hope you all enjoy it!

The game will be released this Friday 28th May in Europe.

We'd love to hear what you think of the game - both your first impressions and also your thoughts after spending a few hours behind the wheel. Please do jump into the conversation on our forums and tell us what you think!

Blur Beta is now closed

2010-05-10 16:26:10

Thanks for testing! We love you guys!

Hey everybody,

We all knew that sooner or later this day would come... but come it has. I regret to inform you that the Blur multiplayer beta has now closed. Sorry. We knew that a bunch of you guys were really enjoying yourselves... but it was never designed to last forever.

To all testers: Thank you SO MUCH for your help during the beta period. Bizarre have been watching very closely, and we've been able to make numerous improvements to the game based on your feedback. The full game will have more efficient network code, as well as gameplay changes which balance the game even further.

So the beta has ended, but the full game is just weeks away now. You can pick it up in stores on the 25th May in the States, and the 28th May in Europe.

Thanks again for all your help - we'll see you online in the full game!

GWRE2 price cut!

2010-03-30 10:39:40

Will cost 400pts starting next week...

Hey everybody!

Great news! The price of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is being halved! Instead of the usual 800 points, it'll now cost 400 points! However, this price drop is only in effect for a limited time so make sure you're quick!

You'll see the new price from Monday 5th April. It'll run through until Sunday 11th April. If you don't already own GWRE2 then this is your perfect opportunity.

You can download GWRE2 at the Xbox Live Marketplace. Enjoy!

Blur Stability Update

2010-03-23 10:26:40

To all testers: please keep testing. Kthnxbye.

Hi everybody,

Bizarre Creations are pleased to announce that a Title Update has been published for the Blur Multiplayer Beta. This update addresses a variety of issues, including:

Bandwidth - Optimisations which reduce the amount of traffic being sent around the network, thus reducing any lag problems.
Stability - Fixes for rare 'Dirty Disc' errors and rare game crashes.
Connectivity - Prevent players trying to get into lobbies when they won't be able to see everybody, improving matchmaking times.
Disconnects - We now show more informative messages when players are disconnected from game sessions.
Host Migration - Fixed occasional random disconnects when migrating to a new host.
Split Lobbies - Reduced the frequency of 'split lobbies' which were occurring occasionally.

To all those who are currently participating in the beta: Thank you so much! You diligent bug reporting and feedback, as well as the statistical server data of hundreds of thousands of matches, has meant that we've been able to fix lots of issues already, as well as tuning the overall experience.

A quick note about two suggested changes from the community: wall riding and power-up shuffling. We have made changes to the full version of Blur based on your feedback. You won't see these changes in the beta as we're concentrating on testing networking and connectivity first and foremost. That said, your feedback and suggestions are helping to shape the game so please keep it coming!

Please discuss the Title Update in this forum thread.

Thanks again, and we'll see you on the track!

Studio Update 33

2010-03-02 18:08:46

You wanted details on Blur? Heh, how much can you read?

The moment is now - we're finally able to prise open the box of secrecy which Blur has been hidden in the last few months. As you all know, Bizarre were given a little extra time to make Blur the absolute best game it could be. Today is the day we're ready to talk about exactly what we've changed, and how we're really proud of what the game has turned into. Yay!

First things first - we're running a worldwide beta test of Blur throughout the month of March. You, yes you, can get involved and play the game way before it's official release date. Oh, and this is a proper beta test - we are actually going to be listening to you guys and gals and improving the game based on your feedback. In fact we've been playing a few games with our Activision friends across the pond already, and we've learnt quite a bit as a result...

Getting on the Beta

There are quite a few ways of getting on the Beta test for Blur. We've got loadsa keys to give out, so wanted to provide lots of different opportunities for you to get one. One way is to tap your details into the official Activision Blur page at www.blurthegame.com (look for the "Blur Beta" signup box in the bottom right of the page).

We've also distributed keys to the gaming press. The first few outlets have already started posting their keys or announcing their competitions to obtain keys... here are a few links for you:

There are loads more of these coming online all the time. I'll try and post them to the Bizarre Creations Twitter feed as and when I hear about them... so follow us on Twitter for the fastest news and best chance of getting a key.

Note: these keys allow you to enter your details into the official Activision sign-up page. The Beta is taking place on Xbox 360, so obviously you'll need an Xbox and a Live-enabled account to take part. You'll be sent a proper Xbox Redeem code when the public phase of the Beta kicks off on March 8th.

What's in the Beta?

14 cars in four different car classes (A through D). Some are nippy (Koenigsegg CCX-R), some are beautiful (Volkswagen Scirocco), some are tough (Land Rover Defender SVX), and some are just plain cool (Chevrolet Camaro 1969).
4 different race tracks: Barcelona Gracia, Tokyo Shutoko, Amboy, and Long Beach Docks. Each provides a totally different racing experience, from wide-open off-road races to tight, technical inner-city tracks. My personal favourite is the Docks - it's got alternate routes through shipping containers, and one particular crossover which is going to ruin a few bumpers...
Twitter support. You can enter your Twitter credentials and share a Tweet or two DIRECTLY from the game. And it won't spam your account either - nothing is posted without your say-so. Just hit the left-bumper from anywhere in the menus to bring up the "Share" menu.
...And of course, 8 meaty power-ups. These really are what make Blur different to every other racer out there. They're so important that we've built a brand new section of our website to tell you about them. More details at the end of this post.

Remember the Beta is multiplayer only! You'll need an active Internet connection and an Xbox Live account to play. Obviously there will be a full and complete single player game when Blur hits the shelves, but this Beta is really for us to make sure all the cool network code we've written works as we hope it will when hundreds of thousands of people try to play simultaneously. It's kind of tough to test that from our studio. :-)

Power-up Survival Guide

As if all of that wasn't enough, we've also put together a brief guide on each of the Power-ups, and how they'll affect your race in Blur. The Power-ups really are one of the most important factors which make Blur's gameplay so unique - hopefully you guys will see that during the Beta.

Anyway, you can read the guide by clicking on this giant image:

Hands-on coverage

This past week we invited a few press to Liverpool to get a bit of early access to the MP Beta. They all got some decent time with the game, and we're happy to announce that the initial feedback has been really positive! Don't take my word for it though - check out the write-ups yourself:

Total Video Games - "Bring on the end of May, racing games just got enjoyable again"
ScrewAttack - Video Interview
IGN UK - "...prepare to be surprised by one of the most exciting racing games in many a year."
Eurogamer - "...I'm desperately weaving through EMP strikes, dropping mines by respawn points and shaking homing missiles off my tail with reverse fire. Quite unlike any other Bizarre game, sure, but enormous fun."

Again, I'll post more of these to Twitter as they come online.

So when's it out?

Blur will be released in Europe on 28th May 2010. It'll hit the USA slightly earlier, on the 25th. You can play the Beta from the 8th March onwards... but for now you'll have to make do with these screenshots:

Thanks for reading - catch you later! Ben

Tweet Tweet

2010-02-24 21:50:25

Feature announcement: Blur Twitter integration

Hey guys!

Exciting news... You're in for a reeeeal Tweet :-)

We can now officially reveal that we have Twitter functionality integrated into Blur! Players will have the opportunity to share the Blur world with the real world at the touch of a button!

Tweet about who you've just annihilated, cool cars you've unlocked, leaderboard ranks, events you've completed, stickers, Friend Challenges... whatever! It's all Tweetable!

And IF that's not enough - you'll be able to Tweet from the Beta when it launches in March! So happy Tweeting (We spoil you.. we know :-))

You can see the first ever Tweet from the game right here! Be sure to follow Bizarre Creations on Twitter for more info on Blur over the next few weeks.

We're also happy to bring you the first screenshots of the Twitter functionality in-game. Check this out, and be sure to click the thumbnails for larger versions:

We'll be revealing more about this cool feature in the coming weeks... so stay tuned for more info!

Toodles

Site update, and JOBS JOBS JOBS!

2010-01-26 16:57:48

We need a few good men. Or women. Or whatever - as long as you're awesome

Hey folks, long time no speak. How are you? I hope you are well. Anyway, enough about you. Let's talk about us. Sooooo, we've finally got round to updating the website - tidying up some of the older stuff and bringing Blur into front and centre.

The update was pretty long overdue but it comes with it's share of cool new stuff, including: the much-requested forum stretchiness feature. So now if you maximise the browser window the site will grow with it. It's only a little thing, but it's one which you guys have been asking for since the beginning of time. So here it is. :-)

There's also a few other smaller changes to both the site and the forum. I hope you'll see that things fit together a little better now. Expect to see more on Blur over the next few weeks - things are really starting to come together at the studio now. That, and we've got another project ongoing which we haven't even ANNOUNCED yet. That'll be happening soon(ish) as well...

...Which brings me to my next point. We're hiring. And hiring in a big way! Most notably, we're looking for talented people to join our action team, who are working on the aforementioned unannounced project. In fact, we can say a little more than that. It's an extremely high-profile movie license which you definitely want to work on. Like, definitely.

Check out our Jobs Page for more details. We are hiring in virtually all disciplines, including Design, Code, Production, Animation, and QA/Test. If you'd like to work with us then please do get in touch.

Oh, and check out our advert in Edge this month if you need more convincing. Well, I'm hoping the job itself does more convincing than the advert for it... but you know what I mean. But it is a really nice advert...

Speak to you all soon! Ben

New Blur Trailer released

2009-11-26 14:42:22

Get on the Fast Track!

A brand new video for Blur has been released, aptly named the "Fast Track" trailer.

The trailer shows off a bunch of new cars, tracks, characters, and power-ups. It also demonstrates some of the new graphical effects that have recently found their way into the build recently - including the Shock, Mine, Shunt, Nitro, and Barge power-ups.

You can watch the trailer exclusively on GameTrailers... it'll be available on other websites next week.

Looking forward to hearing what you all think! Let us know in the Comments section!