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240°

Ninja Theory reveals more Hell Blade Development

Heavenly Sword and DMC Developer has finally revealed more than just the new project's title; "Hell Blade", a new intellectual property, features a female protagonist who wields a sword engraved with strange markings. Additionally, this game also features detailed monsters and more in the screenshots. As such, interested spectators who wish to know more about the developing progress should read the entire article.

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gamerheadlines.com
MechaGear4289d ago

Very promising. Still love Heavenly Sword. Hope it all works out for NT.

blitz06234289d ago

I was wondering why it was announced together with 'smaller' games and it was timed exclusive. Good for them publishing their own game.

Jdoki4289d ago (Edited 4289d ago )

Yeah, I never understood why Heavenly Sword got such a backlash. I liked it and completed it a few times.

The conematic scope of it was brilliant, there were a couple of levels that were awesome (the one on the bridge defending the old dude was exhilarating).

So I am really looking forward to Hell Blade.

I've also seen a lot of comparisons between the woman in the trailer and Kai from Heavenly Sword. It may just be NT's general art style, but hopefully this game is more than a spiritual successor.

callahan094289d ago

Don't care if this game is exclusive, timed exclusive, or available everywhere, I think it just looks like a cool game, and it looks like a return to the kinds of things they were doing with Heavenly Sword, a criminally under-rated game and one of the best games of the PS3's early life. Very excited for this game!

morganfell4289d ago (Edited 4289d ago )

The article states, "...a female protagonist who wields a sword engraved with mysterious markings."

They are not all that mysterious. Those are Norse Runes. I am definitely looking forward to this game.

If people look at the video closer there are actually a few clues. The video commences with a paraphrase of Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. Depending on the translator, the full quote is, "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you."

The standing stones around the central character are literally covered in Norse Runes. Line after line. Such stones are normally associated with ceremonial traditions and practices in Asatru.

The circle on which she kneels is the symbol known as
Vegvisir - The Compass, and is intended to help one find their way in rough weather meaning trying times rather than literal conditions.

From what I can see on the blade it spells HEL SWERD (HEL SWERT) which is close to Futhark Norse and only off by one rune to spell Hell Sword.

The gold buckle appears to have a serpent on it and if so can only be Jormungand.

The person strung up in front of her appears to have been executed/sacrificed using the Viking technique known as the Blood Eagle.

The ring on her left handle middle finger has Norse Runes but I cannot make them out for a translation.

When the words Hellblade appear at the end it overlies the Norse symbol of Vegvisir.

andron4289d ago

Some people really want a Norse GoW, maybe NT will deliver
...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4289d ago
Omar914289d ago (Edited 4289d ago )

This looks interesting. NT is IMO under rated, they always have interesting characters and concepts with all their games including DMC which I enjoyed. Hoping this game turns out to be just as unique and amazing as their last games

Dudebro904289d ago

Their problem is PR. They have no idea how to communicate without sounding like complete jerks.

DMC rebooting and pissing off the fans was capcoma choice. But then NT just wouldn't shut up about how the fans were wrong and stupid, and thay NT knew more than the fans did about Devil May Cry.

Melankolis4289d ago

NT is a very good developer (not amazing like ND but still very good, the should be on par with Rocksteady), i enjoyed Enslaved and dmc (tbh more than previous DMCs).

Sony's marketing is now better than earlier time of PS3...hope this game will be positively accepted by reviewers and users...

the_dark_one4289d ago

im really looking forward to this game. but this name just as me thinking that it is really a sequel to Heavenly Sword (at least spiritual), but different name IP just so they can release it late on different platforms.
And the protagonist could be very well Kai but just different name

MechaGear4289d ago

The Heavenly Sword ip is owned by Sony, so there was really no other way. Good for NT's creative dpt. and hopefully good for us.

MilkMan4289d ago

Looks like Heavenly Sword to me.

PeaSFor4289d ago

Heavenly Sword, Hell Blade, Heavenly Blade, Hell Sword.

....nope, i dont see any connection....DuhhhrrrrrrDerpp

XtraTrstrL4289d ago

Really liking the atmosphere to this game.

Show all comments (22)
80°

Empowering Creators and Players With Muse, a Generative AI Model for Gameplay

"Introducing Muse, a new kind of generative AI model that lets you play and create. From developer ideation to one day supporting game preservation, Muse holds potential to unlock new possibilities." so says Microsoft

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news.xbox.com
Abriael446d ago

Absolutely slimy to use game preservation as a thinly-veiled excuse to continue peddling generative AI garbage. 😡

Eonjay445d ago (Edited 445d ago )

MUSE
Massive Unmitigated Suspension for Employees.

Lets get this straight. When they say its to asisst creators, they mean assist executive managment. Tell me this, if companies stop paying real people to do real work, who is going to be able to buy anyone else's AI generated products in the first place?

Abriael445d ago

You're definitely preaching to the choir. If you read my own version of the news (it's in the alt sources), it's one of the few times I took the fuc*ing gloves on. I was pissed all day after reading this crap.

Jingsing445d ago (Edited 445d ago )

Microsoft's latest push into mediocrity and billions wasted. I do wonder if Microsoft will eventually meet the same fate as Intel.

staticall445d ago

They need to replace Xbox execs with generative AI. It'll do less damage than Phil and the gang for sure

> a first of its kind generative AI model trained on Ninja Theory’s multiplayer battle arena game, Bleeding Edge
Yikes
This is a "Coming soon" from their gaming copilot thingy they're so proud of https://www.youtube.com/wat...
Dunno, feels and looks awful to me

And they didn't explain how they're planning to preserve older games, just some world salad
> To imagine that beloved games lost to time and hardware advancement could one day be played on any screen with Xbox is an exciting possibility for us
This doesn't explain anything. How can they run the older games without hardware it's tied to? Magic?

Whole article actually feels like a world salad galore. Did they use AI to write this?

P. S.: Calling it «Muse» is disgusting.

jznrpg438d ago (Edited 438d ago )

At Xbox we shit on our employees and our customers. Now who is going to buy this nearly no effort game?

340°

Unfortunately, Ninja Theory Isn't Actually Safe From Microsoft

Ninja Theory might have games in the pipeline, but that doesn't mean Xbox won't close it for no reason

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thegamer.com
rlow1720d ago

Alot of speculation on their part. Ninja Theory has two games that have been green lighted and are in the works. Yes it’s always a possibility they could be closed but no matter how you feel about the Senua games. They do make a quality game. I personally think MS is going lay low for a bit, after the firestorm they experienced last week.

darthv72720d ago

I really hope one of them is a long awaited sequel of heavenly sword or enslaved. Both are good games that deserve a 2nd chance... or at least a reboot.

blackblades720d ago

I'm 100% doubt its heavenly sword for obvious reason and Enslave 99% doubt it.

720d ago
Rynxie719d ago

Santa Monica is a great studio, but I would rather the minds behind the original make it (ninja theory). I never liked sequels that were done by someone else, they are usually never as good as the original.

rlow1719d ago

Enslaved would be awesome. If they did a remaster, then the next game in the series…..one can hope.

Yui_Suzumiya719d ago

Hopefully they'd get Evan Wells back for a sequel to Enslaved. After the original Enslaved he went on to Naughty Dog and did The Last of Us.

neutralgamer1992719d ago

darth

HS IP is owned by sony and enslaved sold so poorly that you want a sequel now? let's say a sequel is made and sells like the first than this studio is for sure shut down. Their next game needs to be a big hit(if there is a next game)

rlow1

that's not how business works, if a studio needs to go it will go whether ot not that will come with negative PR. They just spent 100 billion and now they are in the phase to find out which studios will survive and which needs to go to cut costs. NT let a huge opportunity slip away, they had the backing of MS and the sequel has even less gameplay, that makes zero sense

Chevalier719d ago

How?! Sony owns one IP and Bandai owns the other one

Plague-Doctor27719d ago

Heavenly Sword IP is owned by Sony and Enslaved IP is owned by Namco Bandai

Hellblade was the only IP that Ninja Theory themselves owned when MS acquired them

Sonic1881719d ago

Heavenly Sword or Enslaved didn't sell that well

Cacabunga719d ago

NT completely lost it since dmc, their
last good game to date! And has been a long time since.
An average studio at best, got lured by MS money and forgot to improve

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 719d ago
Rynxie719d ago

They make quality games, but they're usually hit or miss. Either they are average, or they are awesome. However, besides heavenly sword and DMC, they aren't big sellers either. Ms is as big of a corporation as it gets. If ninja theory isn't making them money, they will shut them down. Simple as that.

MrDead719d ago

Studio survival no matter who is reliant on MS's quarterly reports, if MS is looking to save money then studios like Ninja Theory are gone as we've seen with Tango and others. MS has their IP's, the devs mean nothing to them but a handy tool to balance the books with layoffs.

DarXyde719d ago

Eh, maybe. Microsoft seems like a phenomenally wealthy company that's (generally) wise with how they handle their finances. What they're not wise with is how they spend social capital. As soon as they get it, they spend it by doing something nefarious. Can't say they're the only ones of course.

Will they get rid of Ninja Theory? No earthly idea. Honestly, I have a hard time even speculating about it because we don't have any details on performance metrics. If I had to guess... And really, this is is a guess... It's just about engagement. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. If you've got a popular mobile game or MTX-heavy multiplayer game, you're safe. King and Activision aren't going anywhere. Even if player count tapers off, MTX keep them in the game as a form of engagement.

But then you've got single player games. I suspect that's a losing battle because single player games, unfortunately don't get long term engagement broadly. So games launching half baked is perhaps a strategy for the studios themselves to get people coming back to their games? It would make some sense, but it doesn't match with studios being surprised at the closures.

All of this to say, we'll just have to wait and see. The simplest explanation with the most streamlined thinking on the matter is just that they're getting rid of studios they see as dead weight in the long run. HFR was quite well received, but I guess it doesn't translate into happy investors because it's critical acclaim and not commercial success exactly. Bethesda isn't going anywhere. Making very long RPGs kind of saves you automatically in terms of engagement.

But on the other side of this, while studios don't close per se, nothing stops them or any other company from just cutting the work force within each studio.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 719d ago
Einhander1972720d ago

It's not for no reason.

The reason is they made two games that were underwhelming (Bleeding Edge) and didn't/aren't going to grow the user base for game pass.

They spent 5-7 years and this was what they produced, it's easy to see how they would be on the short list for termination at this point.

Sciurus_vulgaris720d ago

One thing to point out was that all the recently closed studios were under Bethesda. Before being purchased by MS, Bethesda had a slew of poor or under performing titles (Evil Within 2, Prey (2017), Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, Young Blood, and initially Fallout 76 ). I don’t think, Ghost Wire Tokyo, Deathloop, Redfall and sadly even High-Fi: Rush performed well after the buyout.

Einhander1972720d ago (Edited 720d ago )

I bet this game with a 5-7 year dev cycle being launched directly onto game pass is going to generate less tangible cash profit than any of those games.

I'm sure Microsoft will brag about players or sword swings or some other pointless statistic, but those don't make cash money.

Chevalier719d ago

You do realize it took 3 platforms and like 2 years to sell 1 million for Hellblade 1 right? Added in 3 more platforms and it didn't move much.

Now cut our 4 platforms. How many copies do you think this will sell?! Not just played on Gamepass

Lightning77720d ago (Edited 720d ago )

Apparently Ninja Theory is safe From being closed down https://www.gamespot.com/ar...

Already working on a new game. They are a 80 person team and relatively inexpensive I suppose to any other publisher

Buuuuut.

Yeaah sorry this is MS, I don't believe anything MS says. They have to be joking if they think anyone will believe them besides gullible Xbox fanboys. Once again MS needs to earn my trust back. Just when they earn some trust back, they always seem to destroy it and have to work to get it back. I still think they're getting shut down and canceling whatever game they're making because the game won't sell, again MS fault for not advertising it.. This company man...

FPSRUSSIA720d ago

the article talks about that to i recommend checking it out when you get a chance.

720d ago
outsider1624719d ago

The problem with this game probably not selling will be because of Gamepass. Every comment i see from xbox players are "dude, no need to buy this amazing game, just get it on gamepass"

Will it sell well based on word of mouth? Will they release it on ps5? Will ps players buy this game vs free on gamepass? Time will tell.

JBlaze226719d ago

Look at what happened to Hi Fi Rush.The game was sold on PS5 and didn't sell well.

JBlaze226719d ago

I mean Sony has done worst and no one speaks up about it.

outsider1624719d ago (Edited 719d ago )

Well i dont know about hi fi rush..as i didnt buy it. I mean others are getting it on gamepass..so ill just wait it for psplus. Im guessing others are doing the same..soo..

Sure Sony has done it too..and people are vocal about it. Look at the helldivers fiasco for example..they got called out.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 719d ago
Knightofelemia720d ago

I don't see Microsoft shutting off the lights to Ninja Theory. As a studio they actually have talent and have released some decent games. I love Enslaved maybe a sleeper hit but it's one of my favorites. Only way I see Microsoft shutting off the lights is if Ninja Theory releases games that sink faster then a lead weight. And there are fans of Ninja Theory one thing I would hate to see is Ninja Theory ending up like Bioware. Loosing all their talent and being a former shell of what they use to be.

Elda720d ago

Never say never. Tango Gameswork were just as talented as Ninja Theory & they were shut down.

darthv72719d ago

And they were also under Bethesda... Ninja Theory is not.

Profchaos719d ago

I honestly blame starfeild and Microsoft for the closure of arkane and tango it didn't turn a profit like other huge Bethesda games. If it .are fallout 4 money Bethesda would have had the capital to share among the other studios. Microsoft should of also had the ability to step in and save the studio but decided to kill them instead likely because of Bethesda's financial failure with starfield and Microsoft's stupid goal of turning gaming into a subscription that everyone and their grandmas subscribe to

shaenoide719d ago

To be honest for Microsoft (not Microsoft gaming) it's all about making for the 70 billion purchase of AKB. No matter how good the games are. If they don't generate sales or new gamepass subs the studios can be shutted down.

Rynxie719d ago (Edited 719d ago )

Yes, they make decent games, but do they sell? Unfortunately, no. Heavenly sword sold 1.5 million, even when the ps3 had a much lower install base than the 360. However, it's not a ninja theory ip. Enslaved sold poorly. DMC, sold well, but that's also not a ninja theory ip. Hellblade was a hit, but in my opinion, barely. Hellblade 2, unfortunately, might be a flop. There's no bigger corporation than Ms, they are as corporate as they come. If ninja theory isn't making them money, they will get shut down and their ips giving to another studio.

Elda720d ago

It was just announced that MS gave NT the greenlight for its next game. I just hope it's not another Hellblade. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/...

shaenoide719d ago

Tango was working on a new game.

jznrpg719d ago

Xbox - Green light
MS - Red light

Show all comments (49)
250°

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 launch trailer will send shivers down your spine

Ninja Theory's latest trailer for their highly anticipated narrative action-adventure Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is absolute cinema.

Reaper22_721d ago

Like I said before, buying Ninja Theory was one of the smartest moves by Microsoft. Games looks incredible.

Rynxie721d ago

Unfortunately, their games aren't big sellers. Will MS shut them down if hellblade 2 sells below expectations?

outsider1624721d ago

If it sells below expectations, then i expect it to come to PS5.

Elda721d ago

The game may be a critical hit & still can get shut down. I highly doubt most XB owners will buy this game including the fact that it's digital only at $50. Most folks that have Gamepass will play the game through the sub service. If the reviews tomorrow are just average to low then that's another problem.

Obscure_Observer721d ago

"Like I said before, buying Ninja Theory was one of the smartest moves by Microsoft. Games looks incredible."

Indeed.

Just a few hours to go

I can´t wait!

z2g721d ago

badass. already installed via gamepass. if its as great as the first one I will pay for the whole game.

glenn1979721d ago

I just don't understand why all the down votes

jwillj2k4721d ago

Here we go again. Is this a game or a choose your own adventure???

purple101721d ago

if you choose left, turn to page 39, if you proceed forward, turn to page 43, to turn right, page 209, you finished the book early,

no but seriously this looks like Microsofts first hit, or should I say, first game of standout quality.

jwillj2k4721d ago

Never questioned the quality. Question is will there be a need for the controller.

anast721d ago

The time machine 'choose your own' were awesome.

Tedakin721d ago

If it's anything like the first game, you will spend a lot of timing walking and solving puzzles, with some fights thrown in.

Elda721d ago

LOL! Didn't send any shivers down my spine but I'll demo it after midnight tonight through Gamepass to see what it's giving.

Obscure_Observer721d ago

After the midnight? I see...

Day one as expected for another game that you said you had zero interest.

Elda721d ago (Edited 721d ago )

Finally making a re-appearance. When the heat was on about XB closing studios you were crickets on all articles. Now that the heat has died down all of a sudden you're here on an XB exclusive article or should I say a timed exclusive...lol!! If you must know I can demo this game at midnight because the University I work at is closed for the summer so I can play video games until my heart's content until the end of August when I go back to work. That's what Gamepass is for, knowing I would not spend $50 on Hellblade 2 because the first one I thought was boring so I'm going to see if this one is still boring or is it interesting by demoing the game.

PhillyDonJawn721d ago

I'm surprised you're interested

Elda721d ago

Why not I have a year subscription to Gamepass, I don't have to spend $50 on a digital only game that I may not like including I'm on a lengthy vacation from work.

rlow1721d ago

It looks amazing, I’m hoping the reviews are solid. You can tell the studio really poured their heart and soul into this one.

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