Saints Row 3 'differentiating even further from GTA'

Wednesday 30-Jun-2010 11:25 AM New game will be "less urban" and definitely not "gansta", reveals boss

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Saints Row 3 will differentiate from the GTA series "even further", THQ's Danny Bilson has revealed.

The third game in the open-world series will be "less urban" and "definitely not about 'gangsta'", the core games VP told CVG at E3.

"We don't compete with GTA. We're differentiating even further with GTA with this one," Bilson said. "The new Saint's Row will be less urban - it's definitely not about 'gangsta' anymore at all. And it's more fun and almost sillier and wackier and weirder than the other one."

He digressed: "I love GTA - especially the last one, which knocked my socks off. That's almost like a Martin Scorsese cartoon, right? We are more like the Mad Magazine version of that or something. It's colourful, it's wild, it's fun.

"The only thing it has in common with GTA is open world, tonnes of options for the player and a certain amount of crime. But even in the new game, it's not exactly like that either. There are new gangs in a new world and it's not just about criminals."

Speaking at E3 this month , Bilson revealed "the most robust transmedia play on any game ever done," including plans to release a Saints Row movie.

The exec said the reason the third game skipped the Los Angeles show was in order to spend another year "rebuilding the technology."

This morning headlines also hit the net that Nintendo 3DS spin-off, 'Drive By'will see a release on Xbox Live Arcade - and the pint-size version will unlock content in the upcoming threequel.

We're looking forward to seeing this. Are you?

CVG Staff

Saints Row 3DS Based on XBLA Title, Includes Unlocks For Saints Row 3

Wed, Jun 30th, 2010, 12:08 pm (EST) by Jamie Courts

Those who watched the Nintendo 3DS reveal at E3 this year may have noticed one of the franchises included for the 3DS was THQ's Saints Row series. Quite a curious series to bring to the 3DS, though it makes some sense considering the Grand Theft Auto series has already made an appearance on Nintendo's current handheld. The biggest hurdle for THQ would most likely be designing a game in 3D on the console. As it turns out, THQ was already working on this game before even knowing about the 3DS. How does this happen? Through the coincidental Xbox Live Arcade version of the game that was already in progress. According to Danny Bilson, THQ's VP of Core Games, there was already a Saints Row game in progress to tie in with Saints Row 3, and it was already being produced in 3D. One exciting thing about both games is that they will have a tie-in with Saints Row 3 to unlock different things in game. Both games are yet to see a release date, but chances are they will come out some time around the 3DS release which will be somewhere between the holiday season and March of 2011. SOURCE: VG247 TAGS: Saints Row, Saints Row 3, 3DS, Nintendo, THQ, Danny Bilson, Xbox 360,Xbox Live Arcade

Saints Row 3D Coming to XBLA

June 29, 2010 | 9:33 PM PST

by: Jeff Grubb

Another tidbit from Core Games VP Danny Bilson's interview with IndustryGamers was thatSaints Row for the 3DS was actually already being developer for the Xbox Live Arcade. Not only was it being developed, but it was being developed in 3D.

It has been known that the 360 would be getting 3D in some form very soon, but it wasn't clear exactly when and whether many games would support it.

The game is being developed as part of the marketing blitz for Saints Row 3.

"We were already making it as our Xbox Live game and in 3D also," said Bilson in his interview with IndustryGamers, "anything in a transmedia play has a column called marketing in it. It's also a marketing tool."

"It's a killer game," continued Bilson, "it's got all the weird humor of Saints Row, and also its existence is part of the marketing plan to sell Saints Row 3."

The XBLA/3DS game will also work in conjunction with the console versions of Saints Row 3. "All these games have hooks where, if you play it, it unlocks things in Saints Row 3. If you play Saints Row 3, it will unlock things in the 3DS game or the Xbox Live game. All of our extension properties all connect and unlock things in each other."

This could be a mistake, but it looks like Saints Row 3D for the 3DS will be able to speak with the 360 version of Saints Row 3. Connectivity lives?

IndustryGamers is going to publish the rest of that interview with Danny Bilson soon, and hopefully it will include a lot more interesting news.

source: IndustryGamers

THQ: Saints Row 3 "Less Urban" And Not All "Gangsta"

It's easy to compare THQ'sSaints Row franchise to Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto series because, let's face it, they're pretty darn similar.

But THQ boss Danny Bilson says the upcoming third Saints Row installment will separate their series even further from GTA, as the biggest change will center on the atmosphere and setting. He told CVG it'll be "less urban" and "definitely not 'gangsta,' so be prepared for an overhaul in terms of storyline, characters, and environment. Said Bilson:

"We don't compete with GTA. We're differentiating even further with GTA with this one. The new Saint's Row will be less urban - it's definitely not about 'gangsta' anymore at all. And it's more fun and almost sillier and wackier and weirder than the other one.

I love GTA - especially the last one, which knocked my socks off. That's almost like a Martin Scorsese cartoon, right? We are more like the Mad Magazine version of that or something. It's colourful, it's wild, it's fun."

To be fair, Danny, it's not so much that you "don't" compete with GTA; it's that you can't. That's not a slight on the Saints Row games, either; we're just merely stating the obvious fact that almost nothing "competes" with GTA in terms of popularity and, in our opinion, open-world quality. Bilson does say there are "new gangs in a new world," so we won't be leaving all the grit behind in Saints Row 3, but he stressed that it's "not all about criminals." He also adds the game will boast "the most robust transmedia play on any game ever done." ...that includes plans for a "Saints Row" movie, by the way.

Well, we'll have to see what THQ is cookin' up, here. Personally, I was never a big fan of the previous settings, so perhaps this new idea will appeal more to me. As for the pic, how many times do I have the option of substituting a pornstar for a gameplay shot, and still be able to call it accurate for the story at hand...?

Related Game(s): Saints Row 3

Tags: saints row, gta, ps3, xbox 360

6/30/2010 10:49:42 AM Ben Dutka

THQ: "No Room" For Mediocre Games In This Industry

Thankfully, in this industry, quality sells. In fact, for the most part, the better the game, the better the sales (please bear in mind I said, "for the most part").

And don't think for a second that game publishers aren't aware. THQ has several promising titles on the horizon, and they're all the more promising now that we know the publisher's mentality: mediocrity just doesn't sell. So maybe we should all be a bit more excited about stuff like Red Faction: Armageddon and Saints Row 3. THQ Global Publishing Executive VP Ian Curran put it bluntly:

"We can't afford anymore to bring mediocre games to market. There's no room for them. You're either a standout, best in class, or you die. We won't bring bad games to market anymore. You can't spend $30, $40, $50 million on a bad game and expect to make a return."

Curran says one of the differences THQ has made is that they simply won't release a game until they're convinced it's top-notch quality. Simply put, "we will not release it until it's best in class and everybody's going to be blow away by what we have." He did mention the upcoming Saints Row 3; telling everyone the wait will be "worth it." Recently, the company has produced Metro 2033 and Darksiders but one gets the feeling that Curran and Co. are aiming even higher for the immediate future. They're also apparently working on a "high profile AAA multiplayer co-op action combat project" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, so stay tuned for the unveiling... No, we don't know what it is.

Regardless of what you think of past THQ games, you have to admit that such a philosophy is encouraging for consumers.

Tags: thq, quality games, industry

7/22/2010 9:10:03 PM John Shepard