| 19 SEP 2011 at 10:20pm |
AndromusGuild Master
Posts : 5537
Joined: 6 NOV 2002
Status : Offline | It's been talked about over the last few years, but apparently that's all the further it's gone. Back in February, Benoit Sokal said the game hadn't even been started yet due to lack of funding.
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| 20 SEP 2011 at 8:20am |
CulturaJourneyman
Posts : 1337
Joined: 1 SEP 2004
Location: NL, Amersfoort
Status : Offline | As far as i know the rights still belong to Benoit Sokal, and since his gamne studio (White Birds) has gone bust a couple of months ago, it seems very unlikely. The other possible shareholder in Syberia (Microids) is still in action, but does not seem to have any plans in this direction....
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| 20 SEP 2011 at 8:33am |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4040
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Hmm. According to Wikipedia: (See also: Anuman)
On 23 November 2009 Anuman Interactive announced that they were acquiring the mark of and all the associated licences of Microïds.[10] The Microïds deal between Anuman and MC2 was completed on 1 January 2010.[11][12]
On 8 April 2010 Microïds announced their strategy for 2010; this includes the PC development of Dracula 4 and Syberia 3 and the adaptation of many of Microïds game licences into episodic games for Apple's iPad and iPhone.
...but maybe they said that before White Birds went bust?
Hey, I certainly wouldn't mind a Dracula 4, either.. 8-)
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 21 SEP 2011 at 10:18pm |
Child Of DunwichPrivate Detective
Posts : 480
Joined: 25 MAY 2011
Status : Offline | It's very funny to me that Kate finished law school and doesn't know a word of Latin.
Nature's first green is gold,&&Her hardest hue to hold.&&Her early leaf's a flower;&&But only so an hour.&&Then leaf subsides to leaf.&&So Eden sank to grief,&&So dawn goes down to day.&&Nothing gold can stay.
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| 22 SEP 2011 at 12:20am |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1461
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | I just have a fear that if they do it (microids funding that is) it will be trimmed down for budget reasons.
Syberia I and II were so rich and full of detail, from the brilliant artwork of Benoit to the dialogue and cutscenes, etc.
I fear it will end up like Jane Jenson's Gray Matter, where it felt like she had to cut corners to stay in budget and it held parts of the game back.
Syberia is one of my all time favorite adventure series, and I'd just hate to see it end up like Still life 2 or something.
If they can't give Benoit the time/money to do Syberia III right, with his fully realized art, story, cinematics, etc then I'd rather leave the story up in the air then ruin it.
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| 28 SEP 2011 at 6:59am |
karlaAdministrator
Posts : 2589
Joined: 27 JUL 2003
Location: US, Close to the Edge
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Stiler (22 SEP 2011 12:19am)
Syberia is one of my all time favorite adventure series, and I'd just hate to see it end up like Still life 2 or something.
If they can't give Benoit the time/money to do Syberia III right, with his fully realized art, story, cinematics, etc then I'd rather leave the story up in the air then ruin it.
I completely agree, Stiler. I still cringe at the mention of Still Life 2.
Syberia I & II are enough for me. I think Microids really outdid itself with Syberia II in that I found it to be just as wonderful in every respect as Syberia I. In my experience, this is rare when it comes to sequels.
The two Syberias have been at the top of my favorite games list ever since I played them. I'd hate to see the series besmirched by a sub-standard Syberia III.
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| 28 SEP 2011 at 1:13pm |
Starchild with a bobgunIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 93
Joined: 22 AUG 2009
Location: NL
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By karla (28 SEP 2011 6:59am)
The two Syberias have been at the top of my favorite games list ever since I played them. I'd hate to see the series besmirched by a sub-standard Syberia III.
But on the other hand, if they can make a 'perfect' sequel, why not try to make an other one?
I would like that!
I also hope that they will rewrite them for iPad.
Still Intergalactic Janitor after all these years.
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| 28 SEP 2011 at 10:53pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
Originally Posted By Stiler (22 SEP 2011 12:19am)
I just have a fear that if they do it (microids funding that is) it will be trimmed down for budget reasons.
Syberia I and II were so rich and full of detail, from the brilliant artwork of Benoit to the dialogue and cutscenes, etc.
I fear it will end up like Jane Jenson's Gray Matter, where it felt like she had to cut corners to stay in budget and it held parts of the game back.
Syberia is one of my all time favorite adventure series, and I'd just hate to see it end up like Still life 2 or something.
If they can't give Benoit the time/money to do Syberia III right, with his fully realized art, story, cinematics, etc then I'd rather leave the story up in the air then ruin it.
Yes, it really is a shame that Jane Jenson's long-awaited Gray Matter suffered from those obvious budget-cutting measures. The so-called cut scenes (actually mediocre animatics made from storyboard stills) sucked compared to the in-game graphics and the ending just felt so abrupt.
Ah well, at least we got to play through a very intriguing, original story with superb dialog, voice acting, music, and some nicely integrated puzzles with that imaginative magic twist.
Cheers, Terry
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| 28 SEP 2011 at 11:40pm |
Igor HardyIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 67
Joined: 27 SEP 2010
Status : Online | The so-called cut scenes (actually mediocre animatics made from storyboard stills) sucked compared to the in-game graphics
That's a bit of an exaggeration. The general idea for the cutscenes was entirely fine and was actually a nice stylistic touch, it's just that they were awfully inconsistent in quality - images and editing varied from strong and inspired to dreadful and rushed.
I think the budget wasn't the main factor affecting the cutscene quality here.
Covering independent adventure games in [URL=http://hardydev.com/][B]A Hardy Developer's Journal[/B][/URL]
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| 29 SEP 2011 at 4:25pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
Originally Posted By IgorHardy (28 SEP 2011 11:40pm)
The so-called cut scenes (actually mediocre animatics made from storyboard stills) sucked compared to the in-game graphics
That's a bit of an exaggeration. The general idea for the cutscenes was entirely fine and was actually a nice stylistic touch, it's just that they were awfully inconsistent in quality - images and editing varied from strong and inspired to dreadful and rushed.
I think the budget wasn't the main factor affecting the cutscene quality here.
The cut scenes were nothing more than animatics and I think it was a budgetary decision. If not, it was very poor art direction.
Cheers, Terry
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| 29 SEP 2011 at 11:52pm |
karlaAdministrator
Posts : 2589
Joined: 27 JUL 2003
Location: US, Close to the Edge
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Starchild (28 SEP 2011 1:13pm)
Originally Posted By karla (28 SEP 2011 6:59am)
The two Syberias have been at the top of my favorite games list ever since I played them. I'd hate to see the series besmirched by a sub-standard Syberia III.
But on the other hand, if they can make a 'perfect' sequel, why not try to make an other one?
I would like that!
I also hope that they will rewrite them for iPad.
My long-winded researcher has sprung to life (ouch) and compelled me to find the following. I invite you to read it or not, draw your own conclusions or not. I just needed to write it, and the non-researcher part of me is easy.
Syberia I and II were released in 2003 and 2004 respectively, and a lot has happened since then.
In 2003, between Syberia I and II, Microids went bankrupt. It was the first French company of the interactive software industry put in legal rectification to avoid liquidation, and it was able to recover and release Syberia II (2004) as well as Still Life I (2005) under the name MC2/Microids. It went through several subsequent mergers/acquisitions and, long story short, was acquired by Anuman Interactive in 2010.
The following is from a 09 Feb 2011 Plantéte Aventure interview with Benoît Sokol. The original is in French, but I believe I have the gist of it:
Syberia 3 was to be released at the beginning of 2012. Although Anuman Interactive intends to develop this game and Benoît Sokol is interested in the project, ongoing lack of funds is preventing its startup.
According to Benoît Sokol, Syberia 3 cannot reuse the same technologies as Syberia 1 or 2, because although it would satisfy hard-core fans of adventure games, the age of the technologies would lead to commercial failure.
For Syberia 3, Benoît Sokal envisions splendid 3D graphics as breathtaking as those of Assassin's Creed. However, this requires a large, currently unattainable budget. Therefore, work has no begun on Syberia 3, and no work is scheduled to begin in the foreseeable future according to Benoît Sokal. Therefore, it will be necessary to be very patient regarding finding Kate Walker in a new adventure, unless it continues as a cartoon or movie.
________________________
Here is an excerpt from an Adventure Classic Gaming Interview with Benoît Sokol dated 27 June 2008, updated 04 June 2009 (this was after he had formed White Birds Productions in 2003):
Why did you decide to release Syberia I and Syberia II as separate games, rather than a single big game? Were you concerned that fans of the first game might expect more changes to the interface, given the added development time for the second game?
The original concept was a single big game. Mainly for budget reasons, it was decided to cut it into two parts. I have to say that "Syberia" is part of the past for me. I really appreciated making this game, and was very happy with its sales, but it's behind me now.
The reactions from gamers were far more mixed for Paradise than Syberia. How successful did you personally feel about the game, both artistically and commercially?
Artistically: satisfied
Commercially: disappointed...
Paradise is probably a transition in my work. If I was listening only to the messages from the adventure community, or from the trade, I would have done an endless 'Syberia' series... But that reminds me of this novel/movie called "Misery" in which an author is forced to rewrite a story the way a fan wants it...
Reality is that the adventure genre is a tough market, and that there is a kind of vicious circle in which lower sales gives you less production budget...
After awhile, you have to think of solutions that allow you to tell a story, with the quality you want, but in a smaller budget range. This is how "Sinking Island" was created: strong story line, lots of characters, but less settings and more puzzles. In the end, the result seems to please. In Europe the sales are very good.
__________________________
If you want an eye-opener concerning White Birds and its philosophy concerning adventure games, have a look at Taking Flight with White Birds, Part One at Adventure Gamers.
On 09 Jan 2011, Worthplaying.com published the following in White Birds Productions Shut Down:
Formed by Benoît Sokal, French developer White Birds Productions, known for such adventures games a Sinking Island, Nikopol, Paradise and others, shut down late 2010 after several months of financial troubles, mainly caused by an important unpaid/canceled project, according to co-founder Michel Bams. Formed in 2003, White Birds Productions recently successfully released Criminology and Babel Rising on iPhone, but the damage had already been done.
___________________________
So at present, we have Sokal -- who appears to have a less-than-desirable opinion of adventure games/gamers -- without a production company, Microids as part of Anuman and no Syberia 3 in the foreseeable future.
I could write a lot more but instead, I'll just reiterate something I said in an earlier post: Syberia I and II are enough for me. Ta-ta.
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| 30 SEP 2011 at 8:09am |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4040
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Let me just say one thing. I really need to it off my chest: [smiley=hair_pull.gif] Why the obsession with 3-D for an adventure game when 2/2.5-D looks much more appealing? I would have been fine with a Syberia 3 in 2D, FPsakes!
As you know, Karla, I personally enjoyed Still Life 2 , much as you hated it, so apologies for my different opnion on that, though I must say that graphically and engine-wise, the 3-D used for Still-life 2 was IMO a mistake.
I know some devs around here will tell me otherwise, and that 3-D is much easier to program with, blah blah less work, blah blah, but unless you're using next-gen tech, it just looks bad. Still Life 2 looked a lot worse than Still life 1, and than Syberia 1 and 2.
Sadly the story and environments were also not quite as rich and original as you had in SL1 and the Syberias.
...so maybe you're right. If Benoit is stuck on "using "up-to-date" " tech (as in 3-d as opposed to 2/2.5-D) and doesn't realise that the story and environments were what made SL1 and Syberia 1 & 2 so attractive, then he obviously has the wrong end of the stick, and it might after all, be better for all of us if he ends his career in the gaming industry. Right there.
Ironic that these oh-so-popular causal games and HOGs started off with just having painted stills as a background. A lot of them didn't even have any movement , let alone 2/2.5-D movement, and they took off with a bang! [smiley=shaking_head.gif]
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 30 SEP 2011 at 8:46am |
karlaAdministrator
Posts : 2589
Joined: 27 JUL 2003
Location: US, Close to the Edge
Status : Offline | No need to apologize for liking a game I think is crappy, Trav!
Concerning 2D/2.5D v 3D, both Syberias still look absolutely gorgeous to me. Why fix something that isn't broken?
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| 30 SEP 2011 at 2:20pm |
Jenny100Guild Master
Posts : 3510
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By karla (30 SEP 2011 8:46am)
Why fix something that isn't broken?
Because Sokal isn't interested in making another Syberia game, and the only thing that could induce him to make one would be the opportunity to play around with cutting edge 3D graphics. Of course no company will give him that sort of budget for an adventure game, so it's not going to happen.
I kind of resent the way Sokal has treated the fans of Syberia, giving them a false hope for a sequel when the chances for one are virtually nonexistant. Every so often we see posts from a Syberia fan asking about when the sequel is coming out, and it's just sad that they'll never see one.
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| 30 SEP 2011 at 8:42pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
Fortunately, Syberia and Syberia 2 combined to make one truly wonderful, epic-feeling adventure with a logical, satisfying conclusion. The fates of Hans and Oscar were revealed, and Kate had already grown into a brave, independent women by the end of her journey. So there is no compelling "need" for a sequel to wrap-up the story.
It's also kind of nice that we won't have to live through the disappointment of clumsy, frustrating, 3D game mechanics in a highly anticipated sequel like we did with Dreamfall. I mean really, the combat controls just plain sucked and the awkward camera angles made some of those unavoidable stealth sequences a nightmare to get through.
Hey, I don't mind when a mediocre action game has those problems. I just stop playing the damned things and chalk them up to bad buying decisions. But when the sequel to such a marvelous, story-driven game as The Longest Journey becomes an aggravating chore to play, it's a real shame.
Cheers, Terry
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| 1 OCT 2011 at 7:13am |
Lurker01Private Detective
Posts : 411
Joined: 23 JUN 2004
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Terry_Penrod (30 SEP 2011 8:41pm)
.
Fortunately, Syberia and Syberia 2 combined to make one truly wonderful, epic-feeling adventure with a logical, satisfying conclusion. The fates of Hans and Oscar were revealed, and Kate had already grown into a brave, independent women by the end of her journey. So there is no compelling "need" for a sequel to wrap-up the story.
It's also kind of nice that we won't have to live through the disappointment of clumsy, frustrating, 3D game mechanics in a highly anticipated sequel like we did with Dreamfall. I mean really, the combat controls just plain sucked and the awkward camera angles made some of those unavoidable stealth sequences a nightmare to get through.
Hey, I don't mind when a mediocre action game has those problems. I just stop playing the damned things and chalk them up to bad buying decisions. But when the sequel to such a marvelous, story-driven game as The Longest Journey becomes an aggravating chore to play, it's a real shame.
Cheers, Terry Yeah, I'd definitely rather that they didn't do a Syberia 3 than that they screw it up in the manner of so many other sequels to games.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein
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| 10 OCT 2011 at 10:24pm |
J.HIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 6
Joined: 10 OCT 2011
Status : Online | The company folded I believe.
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