'I told them it was unsafe... and highly unstable... They wouldn't listen...'
A look at Singularity's alternate reality.
Published: April 1, 2009
So, you like conspiracies? With lots of suspense and mystery and the possible occurrence of time travel, UFOs, and Russian communist scientists doing dangerous experiments? Now if you also happen to have a healthy interest in islands that aren't marked on any world map but do accommodate all of the aforementioned then you are at the right address my geeky, freaky friend (no offense here...): In the following I will fill you in on everything I have learned about Raven Software's and Activision's new mystery shooter that ultimately has the potential of revolutionizing the genre. Of course we are talking about none other than Singularity.
Raven Software has made quite a name for itself by publishing a large number of great games, including some rather controversial ones. Besides being responsible for the not so great Quake 4, the company also made a total of four HeXen games (two of which were expansions), the two X-Men Legends titles, 2006's Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, 2000 and 2001's Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force 1 & 2, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars: Jedi Academy and the two most controversial of the bunch: Soldier of Fortune as well as Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. As you might know, most of these titles were rather hit than miss and even the two Soldier Of Fortune games weren't that bad underneath all the over the top gore and violence. Currently the studio is busy working on not one, but three games, all of which look interesting to say the least. For one there is, of course, Singularity. The second of the three is the shooter Wolfenstein (you know, the one where you fight Nazis) and the third is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a game that is set to be released along with the movie of the same title starring everyone's favorite Oscar night host and Wolverine, Hugh Jackman.
But let's come back to the game we're here for: Singularity. Raven Software and Activision actually tried to keep their lips as sealed as possible regarding their baby -- well... as long as it comes to standard press releases that is. Apart from some basic information regarding gameplay, a couple of screens and two trailers (which both contain more awesomeness than many blockbuster movies do in the final product), the hungry breed hasn't received much to chew on. Good for those who love diving into virtual fantasy scenarios in the form of "Alternate Reality Games." What, you don't know what that is? Well basically it's a more entertaining and mysterious way of getting people's attention on a product than old-school PR work. What a cunning and modern PR team does is set up one of these ARGs by creating a site that at first glance seems like a real site -- a company's homepage for instance. Of course that company doesn't exist in the real world and the site's only purpose is to give out bits of background information on a game's or movie's plot. Usually the first page or video is easy to find and only serves as a gate or key that leads watchful and dedicated fans deeper into the rabbit hole of hidden clues and information. (There is currently a PS Home ARG about Xi going on, just in case you want to try one out yourself.)
Raven Software has made quite a name for itself by publishing a large number of great games, including some rather controversial ones. Besides being responsible for the not so great Quake 4, the company also made a total of four HeXen games (two of which were expansions), the two X-Men Legends titles, 2006's Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, 2000 and 2001's Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force 1 & 2, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars: Jedi Academy and the two most controversial of the bunch: Soldier of Fortune as well as Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. As you might know, most of these titles were rather hit than miss and even the two Soldier Of Fortune games weren't that bad underneath all the over the top gore and violence. Currently the studio is busy working on not one, but three games, all of which look interesting to say the least. For one there is, of course, Singularity. The second of the three is the shooter Wolfenstein (you know, the one where you fight Nazis) and the third is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a game that is set to be released along with the movie of the same title starring everyone's favorite Oscar night host and Wolverine, Hugh Jackman.
But let's come back to the game we're here for: Singularity. Raven Software and Activision actually tried to keep their lips as sealed as possible regarding their baby -- well... as long as it comes to standard press releases that is. Apart from some basic information regarding gameplay, a couple of screens and two trailers (which both contain more awesomeness than many blockbuster movies do in the final product), the hungry breed hasn't received much to chew on. Good for those who love diving into virtual fantasy scenarios in the form of "Alternate Reality Games." What, you don't know what that is? Well basically it's a more entertaining and mysterious way of getting people's attention on a product than old-school PR work. What a cunning and modern PR team does is set up one of these ARGs by creating a site that at first glance seems like a real site -- a company's homepage for instance. Of course that company doesn't exist in the real world and the site's only purpose is to give out bits of background information on a game's or movie's plot. Usually the first page or video is easy to find and only serves as a gate or key that leads watchful and dedicated fans deeper into the rabbit hole of hidden clues and information. (There is currently a PS Home ARG about Xi going on, just in case you want to try one out yourself.)
