Peter Molyneux's Plans Thwarted by NASA

The first game created by Peter Molyneux since his departure from Lionhead is apparently undergoing a name-change thanks to NASA.

The project, called Curiosity, is being developed by Molyneux's new studio 22 Cans and was recently delayed until next month.

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Due to NASA and the Martians we are wondering what we should officially name our first experiment Curiosity...

But it appears Curiosity will never be released, at least not titled as it is, due to the Washington-based NASA being uncomfortable with the game sharing a name with its Mars Rover.

Taking to his Twitter account, Molyneux asked fans for help, writing "Humm there is a problem the the name curiosity, we can't use it because of NASA. I wonder what one word would sum up curiosity:the cube."

The news appeared to be verified when the 22 Cans account posted a similar question, sharing "Due to NASA and the Martians we are wondering what we should officially name our first experiment Curiosity..."

There's already a wealth of suggestions out there, including Cuberosity, but there's still time to share your ideas.

Due out next month, Curiosity will launch on PC, iOS and Android platforms. The game is planned as a social experiment which revolves around breaking apart a giant black cube with the help of thousands of gamers worldwide.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and would quite like Molyneux to knuckle down on Black & White 3. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Witcher Dev: DLC Should be a Free Service

CD Projekt RED’s Konrad Tomaszkiewicz believes that DLC should be given to gamers for free as thanks for legitimately purchasing a title.

In an interview with VG247, the Witcher developer shared his view that downloadable content should be viewed as a post sale service for consumers.

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Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"We’ve always believed in free DLCs. The thing is that we consider DLCs as a normal post sale service, which shouldn’t be priced," he said.

"Back when retail games were dominant, we had expansion packs. These were really large chunks of content, which were worth their price.

"If today’s DLCs offered the same amount of content, they would be worth paying for, but in most cases players think they are overcharged for what they receive. That’s why we offer expansions to our game for free. This is also a way of saying “thank you” to the people who decided to buy our game instead of copying it from an unauthorised source."

It's the latest in a series of comments from within the industry that suggests big companies are starting to reassess the role of downloadable content in games. In May, Capcom revealed it was re-evaluating its attitudesto on-disc DLC following fan backlash. Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi also recently labelled DLC characters in fighting games as "unfair", and announced none would be present in Dead or Alive 5.

There's still no concrete word on whether CD Projekt RED is planning to make a third instalment in the Witcher franchise, though a recent batch of job postings suggests it could be on the cards.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and has never bought DLC in his life. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com