Cory Davis, the creative director and designer of Spec Ops: The Line, is forming a new studio alongside Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck. Davis has a long history in the industry, including additional credits on Monolith’s F.E.A.R. and Condemned franchises. Finck worked with Davis on the indie horror game, Here They Lie. The new studio that the two are creating is called Eyes Out.
Robin Finck has provided music for a few titles himself, including Observation and Noct. In an emailed press release, Davis recounted his first fateful meeting with Finck:
“When I was finishing up work on Here They Lie, Robin wandered into our studio and I felt a very strong connection to his open, creative view of existence, and the power of music. We instantly started working on some prototypes I had in development at the time and together we launched straight toward something unexpected. Robin's vibrant and boundless approach to the creative process drives our work far beyond my previous experience. It's such an exhilarating trip to venture into the darkness together.”
As per its mission statement, Eyes Out is committed to creating atmospheric, digital experiences through the “imaginative use of audio and visuals.” The studio is already working on a single-player “cosmic horror” game with environmental storytelling.
Cory Davis’ Spec Ops: The Line was well-known for its unexpected finale and nuanced perspective on PTSD in a genre that prioritized shooting mechanics over narrative. In his review, Matt Bertz was a little more critical of the game. Still, he noted its lasting impact, “Spec Ops makes an admirable attempt to inject morality into a standard shooter experience. The narrative unravels at the end and the controls are subpar compared to the top-tier competitors, but the journey into madness is unlike anything I’ve played before.”
Hopefully, Davis and Finck successfully meld their expertise when Eyes Out’s first IP launches.
If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon for our community.
Life is Strange: True Colors is just around the corner, and while the team over at Deck Nine is working on Alex's story, as well as the Wavelengths DLC that stars Steph Gingrich, the studio did announce a delay for the Life is Strange: Remastered Collection.
Deck Nine offered an update on the Life is Strange series in a recent social media post, including confirmation that Life is Strange: True Colors will arrive on September 10, with the Wavelengths DLC slated for a September 30 release. Life is Strange: Remastered was originally expected to launch around the same time, but Deck Nine wants to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its team, which is incredibly important. To do just that, the decision has been made to push back the Remastered Collection to sometime early 2022.
In recent years, hidden studio culture has been slowly coming to light. We're seeing it now with the Activision Blizzard lawsuit. We've seen it with other studios like Rockstar Games, Riot, and Ubisoft, and we've even seen worrisome reports from indie studios, as well. Now, more than ever, teams must look out for one another to promote safe and healthy work environments. Not just in games but all industries. Though it's easy to be a little disappointed when an anticipated title is pushed back, it's better to take care of those crafting these adventures than to burn out the experience totally. Whenever the Remastered Collection arrives, we're excited to dive back into the journey of Max and Chloe once more.
UPDATE: The Nintendo Switch version of Life is Strange has also been pushed back:
Additionally, Life is Strange: True Colors for Nintendo Switch is running a little late.
— Life is Strange (@LifeIsStrange) August 12, 2021
We won’t be quite ready to release on September 10 – but we still plan to release this year.
Please watch our channels for a confirmed date over the coming weeks!
To learn more about the world of Life is Strange, be sure to check out our True Colors hub here to learn more about the newest protagonist and the darker side of empathy.
If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon so our community can go back to sharing their thoughts with us about everything gaming-related!
Amidst the ongoing investigation following details from a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) concerning reported toxic workplace conditions, three more high-profile developers have departed the company. Game Informer has confirmed reports that Diablo 4 game director Luis Barriga has joined Jesse McCree, a lead designer, and World of Warcraft dev Johnathan LeCraft in leaving the company.
“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said in response to a request for comment following a report that broke on Wednesday night. “We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place, and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all.”
The three employees have been removed from the official Blizzard press page and the studio's work assets, such as Slack and the internal directory. Barriga has been with the company since 2005 and has worked on several notable IPs under the Blizzard umbrella, most recently Diablo 4. McCree joined the company simultaneously as Barriga and has even had his name included in Overwatch as an official character. McCree was one of the developers named in the infamous "Cosby Suite" controversy, which you can learn more about here.
Other removals have already occurred, including former Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack and HR lead Jesse Meschuk. The latter was another developer seen in the photos that surfaced about the Cosby suite and the now-public group chat surrounding it.
In related news, Kotick released a statement last week addressing the concerns but seemingly skating around the demands listed in a public letter to leadership. That letter was followed by a company-wide walkout of Blizzard employees, a walkout supported by an open letter from Ubisoft employees that have been faced with similar instances noted within the California lawsuit. To learn more about the proceedings thus far, including details listed in the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, please review our previous coverage here.
If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon for our community.