One bullet can change history

Trailer gives first glimpse of Sniper Elite V2 with unique ‘kill cam’

Bones shatter, organs rupture and blood gushes – the explosive first trailer for Sniper Elite V2 shows that, in the ruins of Berlin in 1945, every shot counts.

Global publisher 505 Games and Rebellion announced in April that they are working on the long-awaited sequel to 2005’s critically-acclaimed Sniper Elite for the current generation of consoles.

The thrilling first trailer – released online today – is the opening salvo in the run-up to the release of Sniper Elite V2 next year, which is sure to revitalise a genre all of its own.

The trailer premieres the unique ‘kill cam’, which rewards a ‘good’ shot by explicitly demonstrating just how destructive a sniper’s bullet can be – following it along its path before switching to slow motion X-ray detail to show its actual effects on the target’s skeleton and organs. The kill cam rewards good gameplay but reinforces the chilling impact of the sniper on the battlefields of World War Two.

It also demonstrates the distinctive direction of Sniper Elite V2– this is no ‘run and gun’ shoot ‘em up. Players must carefully thread their way through the ruins and complete covert missions, otherwise hordes of German Wehrmacht will come running.

Released in 2005, Sniper Elite saw gamers playing an American OSS secret agent disguised as a German sniper in Berlin during the final days of World War II. It earned considerable public and critical applause with its blend of stealth action - which emphasised patience and cunning over reflexes alone - culminating in being awarded ‘Best PC/Console Game’ at the TIGA awards 2005.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“We’re really excited by the new teaser trailer for Sniper Elite V2. It gives a sneak peek at the kind of action you can expect from the game, as well as the chance to see what makes it so unique.
“This is no ‘run and gun’ game and you have to be strategic, take your time and think problems through rather than go in all guns blazing – exactly what made the original Sniper Elite such a great game.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, said:
“The kill cam is both a big part of Sniper Elite’s gameplay and a major technical challenge – recreating in exacting detail the effect of a bullet on the human body. This is just a glimpse for now, but we know fans of the original Sniper Elite will be thrilled to see we’ve taken what made Sniper Elite such a hit and built on it.”

Ian Howe, President of 505 Games US, said:
“Sniper Elite V2 will be the most brutally realistic military sharpshooter out there on the market. Our WW2 Berlin is utterly realistic in terms of locations, weapons, vehicles, uniforms, music and other important details. We want the player to really feel like they are really there at an important moment in time where WW2 started to drift into the beginning of the Cold War. We want them to feel the utter tension and completely get into the mindset where one bullet really does count.”

Rebellion to bring Sniper Elite V2 to PC

Rebellion is delighted to announce that it is planning to develop a PC version of its forthcoming third-person tactical WWII shooter, Sniper Elite V2.

International publisher 505 Games and Rebellion announced in April that they are working on the long-awaited sequel to 2005’s critically-acclaimed Sniper Elite for the current generation of consoles.

Now, due to unprecedented fan demand, Rebellion is to self-fund its own PC version of the game.

The PC title will be released digitally through Steam, and Rebellion is now looking for potential retail distribution partners worldwide.

Released in 2005, Sniper Elite saw gamers playing an American OSS secret agent disguised as a German sniper in Berlin during the final days of World War II. It earned considerable public and critical applause with its blend of stealth action - which emphasised patience and cunning over reflexes alone - culminating in being awarded ‘Best PC/Console Game’ at the TIGA awards 2005.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“We’re working with 505 on the console version of Sniper Elite V2 but it’s very important to us to support fans of the game who use PCs – after we made the announcement about Sniper Elite V2 we’ve had hordes of people get in touch to ask us to bring it out on the PC too.
“We’re pleased to say that the PC version will provide the same great storyline and gameplay as the console versions, but will be built specifically for PC to take advantage of the more flexible and powerful hardware, with strong support directly from Rebellion.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, said:
“We’ve not always had control over PC versions of some of our games but we believe that this is what our fans want and this is the right game to do this for. Our team are working simultaneously on the console and PC versions.
“At the moment, we’re looking for retail distribution partners and will be releasing more details in the months to come.”

“I don’t expect you to talk – I expect you to die!”: Fight your foes on Facebook as Evil Genius goes anti-social

Dust off your death ray, practice your ‘mwahahahahaaa!’ and prepare to do battle – Evil Genius now gives you the power to take the fight to your deadliest enemies!

Leading European games developer Rebellion is delighted to launch the battle phase on its first free-to-play anti-social game, Evil Genius: WMD.

Based on the critically acclaimed and much loved PC title Evil Genius, the game now gives madmen-in-training the chance to battle challengers to their malevolent authority!

Thousands of Facebook users have already created their own evil empires, undertaken dastardly missions and recruited friends into their evil syndicates.

Players can now engage their enemies – or even their friends – in mortal combat using everything from laser sharks to exploding hamsters, from wielding a friendly pirate cutlass to bringing out a deadly death ray!

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“This is the next stage in world domination for any would-be Ernst Blofeld or Dr No – taking on your rivals to become the ultimate Evil Genius! The team has done a great job creating an arena for the thousands who’ve already signed up to Evil Genius: WMD to do battle with increasingly dastardly weapons. We’re looking forward to continuing to expand the game with new features and extra content over the coming months.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO, said:
“If you keep your friends close and your enemies closer, then this new battle game on Evil Genius: WMD is the perfect way to do both. It brings to fruition our fiendish plans to make Evil Genius on Facebook the very first anti-social social network game.”

The update comes just weeks after Rebellion announced it is to create its own division dealing exclusively with games for social media platforms. Evil Genius has been regularly updated and expanded since its beta release last year, with Valentine’s Day-themed content.

The Oxford-based developer is best known for its best-selling title Aliens Vs. Predator – which became Sega’s fastest selling title of 2010 – as well as The Simpsons Game for Electronic Arts and such critical successes as Sniper Elite and Rogue Trooper.

505 Games and Rebellion on target with SNIPER ELITE V2

International publisher 505 Games and developer Rebellion has announced the long-awaited console sequel to third person tactical WWII shooter, with Sniper Elite V2.

Sniper Elite V2 will be a modern take on the critically and publically acclaimed classic Sniper Elite for the current generation of consoles – revitalising a genre all of its own when it is released in 2012.

Released in 2005, Sniper Elite saw gamers playing an American OSS secret agent disguised as a German sniper in Berlin during the final days of World War II.

It earned considerable public and critical applause with its blend of stealth action - which emphasised patience and cunning over reflexes alone - culminating in being awarded ‘Best PC/Console Game’ at the TIGA awards 2005.

“It’s very exciting to be working with one of the new breed of major publishers like 505 Games,” said Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion. “Sniper Elite was an important, genre-defining property and we’re hoping to have even greater success by teaming up with the talented guys at 505.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, also said: “It’s fantastic for us to be involved in the world of Sniper Elite again. We look forward to winning even more awards with Sniper Elite V2 and wowing the consumers with what will be a great game.”

“We’re very excited to be working with Rebellion on this highly anticipated sequel. Sniper Elite has always been the benchmark of the genre and never been bettered....until now,” said Ian Howe, Managing Director of 505 Games. “Guaranteed that the sequel will be the most authentic WW2 sniping experience ever – not just in terms of weapon ballistics, but also in delivering the heart-pulsing tension of those do or die moments where one shot really does matter.”

Notes:
505 Games are a global publisher of video games who publish games for all ages across multiple platforms including, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation™ 2, PlayStation™ 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii™ and DS, as well as PC and online titles.

Established in 2006, 505 Games have established offices in key territories around the world to publish and distribute its library of successful titles such as ArmA II, IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, the Cooking Mama World series, Naughty Bear, Backbreaker and Zumba Fitness.

The headquarters of 505 Games is based in Milton Keynes - UK and further offices are located in Lyon (France), Munich (Germany), Milan (Italy), Madrid (Spain) and Los Angeles (U.S.A). A further network of key distribution partners based in Nordic territories and Australia enable global distribution of 505’s titles.

To see the latest releases, news and more about 505 Games go to: www.505games.co.uk

Rebellion is one of Europe's leading independent video games developers and comic book publishers. With a diverse portfolio of publisher-owned and internally developed IPs, with hits such as worldwide number one Aliens vs. Predator, Star Wars BattleFront, The Simpsons Game and Sniper Elite, Rebellion prides itself on its unique and innovative approach to IP development and stewardship.

Oxford-based Rebellion's publishing portfolio includes multi award-winning British science fiction comic 2000 AD, the 2000 AD Graphic Novel line, the internationally-acclaimed fantasy, science fiction and horror imprint Solaris Books, and Abaddon Books. Rebellion is a privately owned company based in Oxford, United Kingdom.

Rebellion creates social games division

Games developer Rebellion is to create its own division dealing exclusively with games for social media platforms.

The move comes on the back of the beta launch of its free-to-play Evil Genius game for Facebook. Based on the critically acclaimed and much loved PC title, Evil Genius challenges Facebook users to create their own evil empires, undertake dastardly missions and recruit friends into their evil syndicates.

The Oxford-based developer is best known for its best-selling title Aliens Vs. Predator – which became Sega’s fastest selling title of 2010 – as well as The Simpsons Game for Electronic Arts and such critical successes as Sniper Elite and Rogue Trooper.

Evil Genius has been regularly updated and expanded since its beta release last year, with Valentine’s Day-themed content and exciting new developments to come in March.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“The release of Evil Genius has given us an appetite to look at other opportunities in the area. One thing that has become increasingly apparent over the last few years is that gamers can’t be defined as just people who own consoles – people who use social media like Facebook or use smart phones all play games and this is an exciting new opportunity that we want to explore.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, said:
“Evil Genius has been a fun and rewarding project for us and has proved that there is a lot of interest out there for games that don’t run on traditional platforms. Thanks to the internal technology we use and the great skills of our team here, we can bring our 18 years of console and PC games experience to this sector and produce games that reach new players who would never consider themselves to be gamers.”

Rebellion’s innovative Asura Engine comes to the Nintendo 3DS

Rebellion is delighted to announce that its internal technology, Asura, now fully supports Nintendo’s new 3DS system – days before the games industry meets at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Asura has driven commercial hits such as the best-selling title Aliens Vs. Predator – which became Sega’s fastest selling title of 2010 – as well as The Simpsons Game for Electronic Arts and such critical successes as Sniper Elite and Rogue Trooper.

It is now up and running on the Nintendo 3DS, the new portable system due for release later this year that can play 3D games without requiring glasses.

The engine is a complete package with no middleware required for game elements such as physics or lighting, meaning there is no reliance on third parties – perfect for games that need an efficient way of working across different platforms

The team at Rebellion, one of Europe’s most successful games developers, has worked hard to adapt the technology for this new platform – meaning it is ready for publishers keen to tap into this new generation of portable consoles.

The news comes just a fortnight after the Oxford-based games developer announced that Asura is now demonstrable on Sony’s NGP handheld console, with a fully playable demo of a multiplayer third person shooter – a considerable time before the console goes on sale.

As well as supporting PC and all current high definition consoles, Rebellion’s Asura toolset already has a proven track record on handheld platforms such as the original PSP, with titles including the multi-million selling Stars Wars Battlefront series.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“This development really is very exciting – the Nintendo 3DS is an impressive machine that will back integrate into our Asura tech, so we can continue our policy of multi-platform development to help reduce risks for our clients. We’ll be attending GDC next week to show what we have created and look for business partners.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, said:
“Engine technology that works easily across platforms is key for us and, we believe, for future games development. Our Asura technology was created from the outset to be easily transferable to new platforms and yet again has proved its adaptability on another forthcoming console. This is testament to the talent of our staff and the way we develop and manage our technology.”

Rebellion’s groundbreaking Asura™ Engine ready for Sony's NGP

Rebellion is delighted to announce that its internal technology, Asura™, now fully supports Sony's exciting new Next Generation Portable (NGP) platform.

Asura has driven commercial hits such as the best-selling title Aliens Vs. Predator – which became Sega’s fastest selling title of 2010 – as well as The Simpsons Game for Electronic Arts and such critical successes as Sniper Elite and Rogue Trooper.

The Asura engine is now demonstrable on NGP with a fully playable demo of a multiplayer third person shooter – a considerable time before the console goes on sale.

As well as supporting PC and all current high definition consoles, Rebellion’s Asura toolset already has a proven track record on handheld platforms such as the original PSP, with titles including the multi-million selling Stars Wars Battlefront series.

The team at the Oxford-based developer has worked hard to adapt the technology to the successor of the PSP over the last few months – meaning it is ready for publishers keen to tap into this new platform.

Rebellion has been able to support the NGP so quickly because the Asura engine is a complete package, with no middleware required for game elements such as physics or lighting – meaning there is no reliance on third parties.

Jason Kingsley, CEO said:
“The technology, design and art teams have worked incredibly well with Sony’s newest device. We have managed to make our engine fully functional, and looking great on the hardware in double quick time. We’ll be attending DICE and GDC to show what we have created and look for business partners.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO said:
“Our Asura technology has been architected from the outset to be transferable to new platforms. The ease in which we did this is a testament to the talent of our staff and the way we develop and manage our technology.”

New PR Coordinator at Rebellion

Computer game developer and book publisher Rebellion has appointed Michael Molcher as its new PR coordinator.

One of the largest independent games development studios in Europe, Rebellion also publishes the legendary British comic book 2000 AD, as well as the critically-acclaimed science-fiction and fantasy book imprints, Solaris and Abaddon Books.

Michael's role will be to coordinate the PR across the Rebellion group, supporting the developers and editors to maximise awareness of the firm's new and existing products.

He will be working with industry and fan contacts to boost awareness of the firm's fantastic brands, as well as establishing a greater presence in markets in both the UK and abroad.

He joins the innovative games developer and publishing house in Oxford after five years as a press officer for the second largest local authority in England, Leeds City Council, following a career as a local journalist in Rochdale and Harrogate.

For the past five years, he has also been a feature writer for 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, for which he has interviewed some of the biggest names in British comics such as Carlos Ezquerra, Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons.

Jason Kingsley, CO of Rebellion, said:“I'm delighted to have Michael on board at Rebellion, he'll be working closely with our fantastic creative teams to bring our games, books and comics to audiences both at home in the UK or abroad.

“Whether on the games front or in the pages of 2000 AD and our book imprints, 2011 is promising to be a great year for Rebellion.“

Michael said: “I've been reading 2000 AD since I was 11 and was a science-fiction fan well before that, so to now be part of the team at Rebellion is really exciting.

“It's shaping up to be a fantastic year ahead for Rebellion – with everything from the new Dredd movie to great titles from Abaddon Books and new releases for Solaris from debut and New York Times Best Selling authors.

“Bringing these to new and existing audiences alike is going to be both thrilling and challenging.”