Jamba Posted April 17, 2007 Posted April 17, 2007 From GamesIndustry.biz: Jet Black to focus on Nintendo hardware Former EA Canada veterans responsible for working on FIFA, Need for Speed and James Bond titles have announced the formation of new development team Jet Black Studios. The independent studio will focus solely on Nintendo hardware, creating new and licensed products for the Wii and DS. "With the launch of our new studio we've brought together all the key elements to develop top games," commented co-founder and CEO Roger Freddi. "Both the Nintendo DS and the Wii's Wi-Fi capabilities provide an advanced medium for Jet Black to bring already popular franchises to an even broader worldwide audience," he added. Jet Black is working with Flashman Studios, a business management firm which has recently had a hand in licensed projects for Disney/Pixar, Ignition, Warner Brothers and Sony Online Entertainment. "We are confident in the capabilities of Jet Black's exceptional team, and know our strong global alliances and years of game experience will help grow its business," said Brad Young, CEO of Flashman. "Our proven success in cultivating the right match of intellectual property, publisher and developer will allow Jet Black to do what they do best – build great games, create inspirational ideas and develop great technology." Nice to see this happeneing. Unfortunately though, I don't know if they will be working on new IP. Sounds like a tie-in specialist.
DCK Posted April 17, 2007 Posted April 17, 2007 Seems to me that this means more movie licenses on Wii and DS.
mike-zim Posted April 17, 2007 Posted April 17, 2007 looks like they will be called in to add wifi to games, reading between the lines.
raven_blade2006 Posted April 17, 2007 Posted April 17, 2007 Its still another exclusive dev studio being formed. Thats good news anyway. They should bring something original in the future.
Dante Posted April 21, 2007 Posted April 21, 2007 IGN Inteview: Jet Black Games Veteran game developers come together to make Wii and DS projects. The company's CEO tells us why. Earlier this week we learned of a new Wii and DS-dedicated software upstart called Jet Black Games. The company, comrprised of former EA veterans, announced that it would only be creating software exclusively for Nintendo's platforms. We recently talked to Jet Black Games' CEO Roger Freddi to find out what we can expect from the developer. IGN: How many people does Jet Black Games employ and what kind of experience do team members have? Roger Freddi: The company will have ramped up to 13 employees by mid-summer. Most team members have extensive experience on all major platforms. IGN: We've seen companies like EA and Disney dedicate studios to Wii and DS development, but from what we can gather, Jet Black Games is an independent developer. Why go that route? Roger Freddi: It allows us to maintain creative freedom and be selective in the projects we choose to develop. IGN: Why have you chosen to focus on DS and Wii? Roger Freddi: To paraphrase Mr. Satoru Iwata, success on these platforms will be based on the best ideas and not the biggest budgets. Jet Black Games' official mascot. Just like the company, he's all over Wii. IGN: Do you have experience with Nintendo and Nintendo platforms? Roger Freddi: Our team members have worked on GameCube, DS and Wii, including lead programmer and technical director roles. IGN: What do you think of Wii's overall horsepower? And second, what do you think of the controller? Roger Freddi: It's not as much about the horsepower as it is about the idea. Having worked on Xbox 360 and PS3 we still would rather develop for the DS and Wii since it allows us to focus more on gameplay aspects. We love the Wii controller and plan on giving it as much attention during the development process as any other aspect of the game. IGN: Do you believe that Nintendo could become market leader with Wii? Roger Freddi: I think that's a possibility. Given the price point and uniqueness factor, many PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will be tempted to buy it. IGN: How many projects do you have in development for Wii and DS? Roger Freddi: We have one DS project in development and are currently negotiating another for both DS and Wii. IGN: What types of games are you interested in making for these platforms? Roger Freddi: We'd like to make games that take advantage of each platform's unique controls and focus on bringing gamers innovative gameplay mechanics. IGN: Your background encapsulates such games as Need For Speed, FIFA and James Bond. Can we expect similarly styled, teen-and-up titles for Wii and DS? Roger Freddi: Yes, we definitely hope to bring more games to that segment of the market. IGN: When will we start to see the first efforts from Jet Black Games? IGN: Are you planning to include Wii-to-DS connectivity and support for Nintendo's online network (Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24) in your upcoming games? Roger Freddi: One of our internal IPs currently being considered makes extensive use of the Wi-Fi capability. IGN: Any final words for Wii and DS fans anticipating your future projects? Roger Freddi: Look for our ninja mascot to come to life. Think Super Mario meets Ninja Gaiden.
Kav Posted April 23, 2007 Posted April 23, 2007 IGN Inteview: Jet Black Games...IGN: Any final words for Wii and DS fans anticipating your future projects? Roger Freddi: Look for our ninja mascot to come to life. Think Super Mario meets Ninja Gaiden. I love that idea! Ha ha!
McMad Posted April 23, 2007 Posted April 23, 2007 I love that idea! Ha ha! That formula's been used before, it was called 'I-Ninja'.
Cube Posted April 23, 2007 Posted April 23, 2007 That formula's been used before, it was called 'I-Ninja'. And Ninjabread Man.
Kav Posted April 24, 2007 Posted April 24, 2007 That formula's been used before, it was called 'I-Ninja'. Oh yeah, totally forgot about that game! Wonder why I never got it...
antster1983 Posted April 24, 2007 Posted April 24, 2007 And Ninjabread Man. Which, of course, is heading to Wii.
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