According to the Microids - Games For All page on Facebook:

Q: Any news about the Syberia 3 release?
A: Not for the moment. But for all adventures games question, please use http://www.facebook.com/microids fanpage

Exciting, is it not? 

.

This game was originally due for release in 2008.  Then in 2010.  It has been postponed (read "shelved") for two primary reasons:

1) Sokal insists that the engine he used in the first two games is obsolete and can't be used for S3.  Instead, he wants to use a "dynamic" 3D engine he has been developing.  However, he lacks the funding to implement it.  Starting up White Bird took a fair amount of cash, and his White Bird releases haven't exactly been mega-hits.

2) Sokal intends to make S3 a "cooperative cross-platform" game.  That is, he envisions releasing it both for PC and Nintendo DS, with portions of the solutions for puzzles available only on each platform, forcing PC and DS users to communicate and cooperate in order to solve puzzles.  The logistics (and business model, I suspect) for this have yet to be developed.

Although the first part of your post is true, Someguy, I suspect that the dual-platfrom thing is a carry-over from an old April Fool's joke. I remember when it was announced, and then afterwards laughed off as a "joke" .  The idea is preposterous, in any case.

To be quite honest, I think his 3-D  ideas are almost as silly.  Still Life 2 is proof of this. Still Life one, in it's "primitive" 2.5 D was a much more attractive and visually appealing game than SL2, 3D and all.  The 3-D might make it easier on the programmer, but in an adventure game, it  can  actually makes things worse from an adventure player's POV.  It makes the game look uglier, and leaves the door open to more bugs, for starters, not to mention that a 3-D game automatically requires higher-end hardware. 

One has to take into account that what made Sokal special, was that he was a graphic artist by vocation, and therefore the artwork in his games were what appealed most, and made them stand out from many other games.

If there was something so wrong with the engine he used for Syberia 1 & 2 why are the games STILL so popular?

..but I guess Sokal won't listen, and we might never see Syberia 3.

Perhaps we should accept that Benoit is burnt out.  Sinking Island might be our clue.

I agree with virtually every word you said, Traveller.  I suggest you don't mention your feelings about 3D over at the AG forum, should you ever venture there.  They worship 3D and will burn you at the stake as a heretic.

Thanks for the heads-up about the "joke."  I wasn't aware that Sokal wasn't serious.

too bad he is wasting his time and our patience on dumb desires for 3d, 3d is 3d, it is not the end all of be all, 2d and 2 1/2 d are just fine if well done. People need to get off the make it bigger and better trip.

i hope he wakes up and smells the coffee before there is none.

Originally Posted By SomeGuy

I agree with virtually every word you said, Traveller.  I suggest you don't mention your feelings about 3D over at the AG forum, should you ever venture there.  They worship 3D and will burn you at the stake as a heretic.

 

Thanks for the heads-up about the "joke."  I wasn't aware that Sokal wasn't serious.

Well, don't take my word as gospel.   But when that announcement was made, gamers all over the 'net recoiled in disbelief and horror.  Whether he really intended it and decided to lay it to rest afterward as a joke, I'm not sure, but I hope the idea remains where it belongs - on the shelf.

As for 3D, I personally have no problems with 3d in action games:  in fact, I enjoy my 3d as much as the next gamer who has invested in a fairly high-end PC rig.  However, many hardcore AG gamers who prefer to stick with AG's exclusively, run with rather older/lower spec hardware, and why shouldn't they, if most of the games they play are satisfying enough to them with lower hardware requirements?   Just saying.

As for 3D, I personally have no problems with 3d in action games:  in fact, I enjoy my 3d as much as the next gamer who has invested in a fairly high-end PC rig.  However, many hardcore AG gamers who prefer to stick with AG's exclusively, run with rather older/lower spec hardware, and why shouldn't they, if most of the games they play are satisfying enough to them with lower hardware requirements?   Just saying.

I just stumbled across a copy of Mission Critical.  I'll take good FMV over unneccessary 3D every day.  That's why God (and the Vogons) gave us Dosbox.

On a completely unrelated topic, I see that CrisGer has an "Anachronox 2.0" patch.  Does that compile all of the first three patches?  If so, can you PM me?  I'd like to get such a patch archived at Mystery Manor.

I will contact the Admins of Mystery Manor and ask them if they would like it.

Anyone wanting to know more about the Microids April Fool's Incident of 2009 can have a look at this: http://www.justadventure.com/forums/posts.asp?t=20556. You might want to pay particular attention to posts #55 & #68.

Alas, the press release referenced there isn't currently on the JA site, but I found one at http://www.microids.com/en/press/28/microids-launches-syberia-3-on-ps3-.html

I'd forgotten the part about Kate meeting "a weird Vic McPherson..." In retrospect, this whole thing seems rather hilarious, in a bizarre sort of way.

Here is a second thread that ties in with the one above: http://www.justadventure.com/forums/posts.asp?t=20625

The press release referenced in this posting isn't on the JA site either, but I found one at http://www.microids.com/en/press/30/returns-on-the-syberia-3-announcement.html

Ah, April 1 2009 revisited...    ..and how prophetic were these words not - in fact, they were even too optimistic:

Originally Posted By Caroline
The disillusioned among us will remember what happened with Syeria 2.  It was delayed and delayed and then er... delayed a bit more.  So perhaps we shouldn't all get too excited about Syerbia 3, just yet.  We could be looking at oh... somewhere Q4 2011....  

Indeed.  However, remember the games that followed Syberia 2 from that developer?  I'm keeping my optimism in check.

Well, I always like the games from that company. I would play Siberia 3, if there were one. Just my tastes, I guess.

I've just started a new thread with good news about Syberia III here .