Pirates of the Caribbean: Black Flag...

I've loved pirate adventures since I was old enough to hold a toy sword...

Honestly, I believe my first experience with pirates was the "Swiss Family Robinson" film with my mom and uncle.  Followed by watching and then reading "Treasure Island" as an adolescent.  The ultimate experience of riding Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  I remember seeing old pirate films on cable growing into my adulthood.

In college I read the screenplay for the remake of "Captain Blood" that was to star Alec Baldwin when he was at right age with the right amount of buzz to star in it.  The adventure and excitement of being a pirate and sailing into the unknown with the chance of finding treasure was so alluring.  An aquatic Indiana Jones type of adventure almost if you think about it.

So when Disney announced that they were going to make a film adaption of their famous attraction I was both excited and worried about how it would turn out.  And when I saw it, I loved it.   I even like the slow, heavy layered story, but visually exciting sequels (the second was good, but overblown, and the third was bazaar and filled with bloated fun, the last one was simply an experiment carried too far in the wrong direction).

And then they began videogame adaptations of the films.

And most of what Disney Interactive came up with was disappointing to uninspired; a collection of mediocrity, with the exception of the Lego game.  It seems all Lego games are fun or at least playable.  From the original Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl for Gameboy to the Pirates of the Caribbean Online game, nothing was inspired, everything was average to unworthy.  With a franchise of so much potential, nothing was worthy of the film(s) they were trying to exploit.

Sounds a bit like Lucasarts with Star Wars doesn't it?

And then there was Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned and Pirates of the Caribbean: Master of the Seas.  Monumental games with hugely ambitious goals.  Put together by teams that were filled with disfunctional supervision and divided goals.  The companies that we're doing these games were not up to the task of such an epic scale.  Studios like Naughty Dog and companies like Electronic Arts should have done these, not the middling companies that Iger acquired as part of his digital strategy (still his greatest error as CEO).

So it looks like we'll never see a great Pirates game.

But it seems we will.  But it's actually not a Pirates of the Caribbean game, and it's not even made by Disney Interactive.  It's made by Ubisoft.  And if you want to see what a POTC game could/should have been, this is it:

Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag.

For anyone wanting to see the potential of what could have been, or someday might be, then check out the latest trailer for it.  Or check out the reviews and you'll know that it is possible to make a pirate game worth playing.  And therein, worth purchasing.  Are you watching Disney Interactive?  Here is solid proof that there is treasure out there if you care to find it.

You now have a map to find that treasure...

Star Wars 3 Battlefronts...

Yes, I know many were disappointed that Battlefront 3 won't be out till 2015…

And from what I hear it will look pretty impressive. But a little news to tide you over till then that just might make you a little happier, that game isn't the only one that Electronic Arts has planned for you.

In fact, they have a couple more plan for you.

They won't be released anytime soon, and they are in an embryonic stage at this time, but there are a total of three games in development at the gaming studio.  The plans are evolving and nothing is set in stone of course, but there are other games already on the fast track. one of them is a space action shooter, and you can guess what that would be about, and the other is currently being developed as a online role playing game.  Neither game is a continuation of any former series, at least as of right now.

So in addition to DICE's Battlefront game, two other development teams are fast at work to give you even more fun with the Force.  Well the details are scarce right now, but plans are for one of these titles to be released early 2016, or late 2016.  That could change, as videogame releases tend to be quite mercurial.  At this time neither game is definitively scheduled to be released before the other, but they are both actively being worked on by game planners and Suits at Lucasfilm.

Yes, even Kathleen Kennedy is providing input on some of these titles.  And I've heard that there is talk of the screenwriters helping out with suggestions as well.  It is unknown right now if J.J. Abrams will have any input, but with his micromanaging of all things Bad Robot it is likely.

It appears that the Force will be with us a lot more than just on the battlefront…

A Galaxy Far, Far E3...

Very soon we'll know what the direction of the Star Wars universe...

I mean the gaming part of it, of course.  EA will be at E3 next week and the announcement of their plans for the next few Star Wars games are supposed to be announced.  I don't think we'll see any game play as plans they have are still in the early stages.  The only way we'd see something like "Battlefront 3" would be if they had made a deal to acquire the already almost completed game: highly unlikely but not totally out of probability.  But at least we'll have a road map of what is to come.

Expecting artwork and titles isn't entirely out of the question, but the type of game and story that players will be involved in is what EA's head suit, Labels president Frank Gibeau will likely give us the 411 about.  Since it'll be a press briefing for their entire line up, the focus won't be on Lucas Arts/ EA Star Wars as the entire line of games they have coming out.

Still, having that Star Wars license will be something to brag about...

Apple Playing Games With Competition...

There's been many rumors lately about a certain Fruit Company going into the gaming business...

I remember the rumors months ago about Apple buying Electronic Arts or even a few about companies like Valve, sort of like the Micro$oft deal years ago for Bungie Software. Not much has surfaced, but there are people starting to state that Steve Jobs' desire to control the living room will have to involve games. From gathering content, to possibly creating a console. Some analyst are even speculating that they'll go head to head against Nintendo and possibly Sony with a creation that plays on the many converts that it's gotten over the past decade with iPods, iPhones and Macs. Jobs and Co. have turned Apple from a cool niche company to a super hot, brand named electronics maker (one that apparently doesn't follow the rules of a recession). I remember when Steve returned to the company he was asked what he wanted Apple to become and his response was: "the Sony of computers." Well, over the past few years it seems he misquoted himself, because it appears he wants to be Sony.

Or at least a very dangerous competitor of it...