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.”

Evil Genius becoming antisocial

This Week: Leading European games developer Rebellion is delighted to launch its first free- to- play social game, Evil Genius: WMD.

Based on the critically acclaimed and much loved PC title Evil Genius, the game challenges Facebook users to create their own evil empires, undertake dastardly missions and recruit friends into their evil syndicates.

Jason Kingsley, CEO, said “This is an exciting project for us. The team has done a great job and we’re thrilled at the amount of attention EG:WMD is already getting. We’re looking forward to expanding the game with big new features and additional content over the coming months.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO, said “Mwahaha!”

Start your own evil empire at http://apps.facebook.com/evil_genius

Judge Dredd takes on the US

2000 AD announce the launch of US Graphic Novel Line

Oxford, UK

Today: Rebellion Publishing is pleased to announce the upcoming US launch of iconic British comic 2000 AD’s US Graphic Novel list this June. The books are to be printed in the United States and distributed by industry major Simon and Schuster. The new North America-only list includes classic collections, outstanding new work from the hottest up-and-coming talents as well as thematic compilations which collect the work of some of the biggest names in comics, such as Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison, Alan Davis, John Wagner, Brian Bolland, Pat Mills, Mark Millar and many others.

2000 AD will be releasing two books a month, with the first two books going on sale June 15th 2010.
The first releases are:

• Judge Dredd Case Files 01, a 400 page collection of John Wagner’s iconic creation Judge Dredd – this starts an ongoing series of Judge Dredd collections which are already European bestsellers.
• The Complete D.R. & Quinch: Alan Moore and Alan Davis’ comedy masterpiece, featuring a new Alan Davis cover and excerpts of Alan Moore’s original script.

Founded in 1977, 2000 AD was acquired by the internationally-renowned independent video game developer, Rebellion, in 2000. In the ten years of its ownership, 2000 AD has gone from strength to strength, with the definitive Graphic Novel collections becoming best-sellers throughout the UK and Europe. Many of the biggest-names in comics today honed their skills and wrote their first important works within its pages.

For many years 2000 AD Graphic Novels have only been available in North America in highly sought-after imported editions through the direct comics-store market. 2000 AD has developed a large following in the United States, evident in the success the cult British comic has had selling out at every San Diego Comic-Con. This new list meets the clamouring demand from thrill-seekers throughout North America for Judge Dredd and 2000 AD’s roster of stellar characters.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: www.simonandschuster.com

Rebellion Publishing is a division of leading European independent video games developer Rebellion. It’s portfolio includes multi award winning British sci-fi comic 2000 AD, the 2000AD Graphic Novel line, Solaris Books, international acclaimed fantasy, sci-fi and horror imprint and Abaddon Books, the imprint delivering the best up and coming authors in genre fiction. Rebellion publishing is dedicated to providing the highest quality and invoative approach to the Sci-fi, horror and fantasy genre. For more information please visit: www.rebellion.co.uk

For all account queries please contact Ben Smith: ben.smith@rebellion.co.uk
For all press enquiries please contact Charley Grafton-Chuck: press@rebellion.co.uk

Available from June 15th 2010
Judge Dredd Case Files 01 by John Wagner Brian Bolland, Mike McMahon, Carlos Ezquerra et al,
978-1-906735-87-6, $19.99 US, $27.00 CAN
The Complete D.R & Quinch by Alan Moore & Alan Davis – 978-1906735-88-3, $17.99, $23.99 CAN

AvP Patch Coming Soon!

Rebellion today confirmed that analysis of player feedback following the launch of the chart-topping Aliens vs Predator will shortly lead to the release of a patch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Following updates to the PC, including integration of a Dedicated Server client, the company stated: “We are aware of and grateful to the community for communicating with us and helping this process along. The updates are going through rigorous QA and we hope to have them available publicly very soon.”

Among numerous balancing and weapon tweaks, Xbox Live players will see the removal of long waiting times reported by some players when searching for a ranked match, and improved support for southpaw players. Other modifications include XP being incorrectly affected by offline play and team balancing logic for applicable modes.

Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley added: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the response to AVP and want our fans to know if it’s within our power to keep them happy through on-going support then we shall do so. Some things just can’t be foreseen and it’s great that we are able to respond to requests for modifications in this way.”

AvP Hits Number 1!

At the time of writing AvP is the fastest selling game this year and number 1 on all formats!

Thanks goes as always to you, the fans, for your support!

What's being said about AvP?

"A game that's going to stoke the hearts of anyone who ever fell in love with the original films – which is likely anyone who's ever picked up a game pad."
IGN UK

"It's deliriously gory, unwaveringly confident and spectacular fun"
PC Zone UK

"Possibly the greatest movie-inspired title ever. This positively oozes atmosphere and is a must for the fans."
Playstation Official Magazine Australia

"AvP will carve a nice little niche in your gaming heart... and then probably burst out of your chest and eat your family. Excellent."
techdigest.tv

"AvP is a most-have for fans of the movies, as well as the games - especially if you're into absolute multiplayer-mayhem and don't mind "some" gore."
Gamers.at

"Aliens Vs Predator proves to be a well crafted FPS, fully able to recreate the engaging and terrifying atmosphere of its cinematic counterparts."
Eurogamer Italy

"Its atmosphere, concept and overall proposal are of great quality..."
Vandal Online

"AvP is well worth your time and, with the unique online offering as well, there's plenty to get your teeth, claws and wristblades into."
Official Xbox Magazine UK

"Despite the years since the last installment, the formula continues to be fresh and witty."
3DJuegos

"...an utterly enjoyable and unique experience..."
Gamervision

"Aliens vs Predator is a pretty cool addition to the epic of the two races, violent extraterrestrial beings."
Meristation

Rebellion shows off AvP at SFX!

Rebellion recently got offered the opportunity to showcase the multiplayer component of Aliens vs Predator ahead of the February launch date at the SFX Weekender, held at Pontins in Camber Sands. Upon arrival our three volunteers (Andy Dunn (QA), Eric Miller (Assistant Producer) and Oly Scott (QA)) met with a handful of SEGA representatives and set to work making the designated 'Games Zone' look a bit more befitting of our game. Following the delivery of some truly epic posters and after some pretty handy work with some camo nets and spinning amber lights our work was done. We then had a moment to stop and take in the atmosphere of what would be our home for the next three days.


Spread across a number of halls were a collection of stages and trader stalls exhibiting everything that is geek in all its Sci-Fi related flavours. Over the course of the weekend the Rebellionites would find themselves mingling with the masses to the promote the game whilst occasionally nipping out for a bit of hero worshipping of people such as Dave Gibbons, James Marsters and Gerry Anderson.

Over the course of our residency at Pontins hundreds of people came through the Games Zone doors to play AvP. With such a large audience we were dubious as to how well it would be received given the varying degree of prior knowledge and interest people had in the game, but after the first day we had our answer: people loved it, time and time again we received praise and positive comments about the game. Once people had gotten to grips with the controls they were encouraged to explore the combat system and before long we had people blocking, countering and grappling with as much fluidity as our in-house testers! Constant rotation of the maps and game modes kept the game fresh and we found people regularly coming back for a second play.


Its worth noting that while all this was going on SFX approved dance/circus/costume company Area51 were working the crowd with their extensive collection of spectacular costumes and circus performers. Stilt walkers, snake charmers, mad scientists, storm troopers and even the Stay Puft marshmallow man all made an appearance throughout the weekend - top notch entertainment for an already busy weekend full of celebrities, workshops and discussion panels.

The highlight of the weekend, however, came on Saturday evening when we were treated to the audible delights of Pat Sharpe DJing at the masquerade ball. By this point we had already spent a few hours in the pub downstairs chatting with the 2000AD gang as well as artists Leigh Gallagher and Clint Langley (obtaining personalised sketches to boot!) and so we ventured up to the ball en masse to enjoy Pat's cheesy 80s themes, surrounded by people in fancy dress of all shapes and sizes. Never has a room full of costumed convention-goers looked so pleased to be entertained by a long forgotten kids tv presenter. The cherry on top of the Rebellion AvP SFX cake!

AvP Matchmaking Patched

Unprecedented demand for Aliens vs Predator following the release of the cross-platform demo yesterday morning brought to light matchmaking issues resulting in players having to wait to join games, or even not find games at all.

We’re pleased to say later in the day the issue was corrected and a small patch to the PC executable next time you launch it from Steam will have you finding and playing games using Quick Match as it was intended.

While this issue did not affect the Xbox 360, we are with SEGA’s assistance investigating reports of a similar nature on the PlayStation 3 and working flat out on a solution.

The full game features the ability to browse for and create games but for the purposes of simplicity the demo was limited to matchmaking, alongside the ability to set up groups with friends which mitigated yesterday’s issues for many.

We’re really sorry that this issue tainted a day in which we saw many people get hands on with AvP for the first time and we’re hugely gratified by the positive feedback to the game.

Rebellion Group Positions itself for Growth in 2010

Leading independent videogames developer Rebellion today announced that corporate restructuring will take advantage of the expanded facilities at their Oxford Head Quarters and the Runcorn studio. The Derby facility, acquired from Eidos, is coming to the end of its lease, and staff are being consulted on its future.

Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion said, "We are very excited about the expansion of our Oxford offices, the home of Aliens vs. Predator. Recruitment is ongoing both in Oxford and in Runcorn. However, growth is sometimes painful, never more so than in the current climate and we have had to take a long hard look at how we operate our studio network. Strategically we have decided to review the need for the Derby facilities, and consultation with staff at Derby is ongoing.”

A further announcement on the restructuring of the Rebellion studio network will be made in the coming weeks.

AvP Dedicated Server Support

Despite rumours, Rebellion has always been planning to support dedicated servers for AvP PC and we can now officially confirm that this is the case. Rebellion has always appreciated fan support. We're really looking forward to the release of AvP as much as you guys are!

Aliens Vs Predator to take Centre Stage at Windows 7 Worldwide Launch

Aliens Vs. Predator, developed by leading UK studio Rebellion and published by SEGA, will be featured as part of the Windows 7 worldwide launch event in New York today.

An exclusive trailer of the new game, scheduled for launch in 2010, has been prepared to showcase the graphical quality and gameplay of Windows 7.

Rebellion, the studio responsible for the original Aliens Vs. Predator in 1999 and for franchises such as the Simpsons, Harry Potter and Star Wars, has been developing Aliens Vs. Predator over the past two years and has paid considerable attention to the visual and emotional impact that the game will deliver.

Working closely with AMD, Rebellion has utilised their new DirectX 11 hardware - designed specifically to operate with Windows 7 - to develop a game which could arguably become the benchmark for high impact 3D visuals, depth and tone in PC gaming for 2010 and beyond.

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion said, “For Aliens Vs. Predator to be an integral part of the Windows 7 worldwide launch is an honour for us. The Aliens Vs. Predator brand is very close to Rebellion’s heart, and when we had the opportunity to revisit the franchise we wanted to push some very big boundaries hence teaming up with AMD and a strong focus on developing the PC version for Windows 7.”

Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion said, “When Aliens Vs Predator was first launched in 1999, it completely engaged gamers with its terrifying atmosphere and the visuals, sound and script made it a classic. With Windows 7, AMD’s DirectX 11 and our own Asura engine, the technology we have been waiting for is now available and we have been able to realise our vision and put all of our ideas into effect. Windows 7 is a major step forward in PC gaming.”

Chris concludes, “We’ve been able to exploit areas never before attempted in 3D graphical terms. For example, the Shader Model 5.0 has provided incredible shadow and depth of field to the game, and also multi-threaded rendering has allowed enormous detail to be built into the characters and environments without incurring any frame rate issues.”

“Aliens Vs. Predator is a great example of how game makers can take advantage of the Windows 7 technology,” said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft. “The 3D rendering coupled with DirectX 11 raises the bar on the gaming experience.”

The Windows 7 worldwide launch event takes place in New York on Thursday 22nd October 2009.

Addition of DirectX 11 To Offer High Impact 3D Graphics With Unprecedented Detail And Depth

In 1999, Rebellion developed a PC game that earned a place in gaming history with its innovative blend of cutting-edge gameplay and technology to provide a truly terrifying gaming experience. Ten years on, and Rebellion is at the helm of Twentieth Century Fox’s Aliens Vs. Predator franchise, and once again, they’re pushing some very important boundaries with the inclusion of DirectX 11.

The addition of DirectX 11 hardware tessellation enables Rebellion to capture the detail, essence and tone of the Aliens and Predator movies, providing players with the most unique gaming experience in franchise history.

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion said,, “DirectX 11 provides opportunities never exploited before in 3D graphical terms, with features such as the Shader Model 5.0 providing better shadow and depth of field aspects to the game, and also multi-threaded rendering enabling the Aliens Vs. Predator futuristic characters and environments to be realised in exacting detail but with absolutely no frame rate issues. We are confident we will deliver a game the fans have been waiting for and one of which we will be very proud.”

Chris Southall, Technical Director at SEGA Europe added, “With the advent of DirectX 11 on PC and the new DirectX 11 class graphics hardware, the increased speed, realism and fidelity of rendering mean that it’s possible to achieve more in a videogame than ever before. SEGA is delighted to be working with Rebellion and AMD to maximise the use of this new technology for Aliens vs. Predator, and we feel both these partners are really doing something very special. Aliens vs. Predator is set to be one of SEGA’s biggest ever titles, and we are very happy that it will also be one of the very first DirectX 11 titles out to market.”

Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President, New Media for Fox Licensing commented, “Rebellion knows the Aliens Vs. Predator franchise almost as well as we do. We can’t wait for gamers to see what they’re ready to unleash now that they have the ability to craft a game in even greater detail. It’s going to be great.”

Aliens Vs. Predator is the property of Twentieth Century Fox and licensed through Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising (Fox Licensing).

Click here to view an DX11 AvP Tech Shot

Rebellion Aquires Solaris Books

This week, Rebellion, Europe’s leading independent games developer and owner of the iconic comic 2000 AD and sci-fi and fantasy imprint Abaddon Books, completed the acquisition of the Solaris book publishing imprint from Games Workshop for an undisclosed sum.

This well-known and highly successful brand offers a mixture of new and traditional science fiction, fantasy and horror books and has many bestselling titles from both upcoming and established names such as Brian Lumley, Gail Z. Martin, Eric Brown and Simon R. Green, amongst others.

Solaris will sit alongside, and be run in parallel with, Rebellion’s own Abaddon Books.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion said, “We’ve been aware of the Solaris imprint for some years now and have admired its success with fantastic stories and great writers. Acquiring Solaris will allow us to continue to push our publishing trajectory upwards and expand the quantity, whilst maintaining the quality, of all our titles.”

George Mann, Games Workshop’s Head of Publishing said, “We’re delighted that Solaris has found a new home with Rebellion. After a period of fantastic growth with our Games Workshop related titles, we decided the time was right for us to focus all of our attention on our Black Library imprint. We’re sure Rebellion will now take Solaris forward to even greater heights.”

Rebellion has also entered into a sales and distribution agreement with Simon and Schuster. Under the agreement, Simon & Schuster will continue to handle sales, distribution and fulfilment of all Solaris titles for all new and backlist titles to trade and specialty accounts. The agreement is effective August 31st, 2009.

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
For more information, visit our website:

www.simonandschuster.com

Distribution for Solaris will continue to be represented by Simon and Schuster.

www.solarisbooks.com