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So for real guys: Is Silicon Knights making Eternal Darkness 2?

joedick

Member
They've hinted pretty strongly that they're working on it:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-03-07-silicon-knights-open-to-new-eternal-darkness

Also, to those worried about the quality of a potential ED sequel given SK's recent output need to keep in mind that when you make a game for Nintendo, you usually make a game with Nintendo. There'll be a handful of people from Japan making sure the game is top notch. I think that is why a lot of people hold ED so high while SD's games since have failed to impress.
 

Oddduck

Member
It just seems too coincidental that Nintendo renews ED trademark and then there's rumors that SK has Wii U dev kits because a former SK employee stated he had worked on a Project Cafe dev kit.

http://www.rocketchainsaw.com.au/speculation-eternal-darkness-2-wii-091/

This is detailed in a resume available for one Jeff Giffen, an ex-Silicon Knights tech and tools programmer, now working at Gameloft. His resume, available on his website, details work on both the Xbox 360 and Wii platforms. It appears Giffen worked heavily on X-Men: Destiny for the Nintendo Wii, but two lines in his resume also mentions the Wii U. In one instance he even specifies the system by its codename, ‘Project Café’. Work on the latter platform seems minimal at best, as no specifics are given, but it does imply that Silicon Knights does, or did, have interest in the platform and access to development tools.

Edit: HylianTom beat me with the link. :p
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Maybe. The known knowns:

- Dyack's statements "We’re working on an IP that’s our most requested" and 'we’re going back to our roots".
- Ex-Silicon Knights developer's resume reveals they have access to Wii U devkits, or at least intentions to work on the system.
- Nintendo has renewed the Eternal Darkness trademark quite recently. They did the same with Luigi's Mansion before the sequel was announced.
- Nintendo apparently still owns shares in Silicon Knights. Silicon Knights going under is bad news for Nintendo, simply because it would mean a poor investment and loss of money. Nothing significant, but it's in Nintendo's best interest to keep SK open while they're a shareholder.

Why it might not be Eternal Darkness 2:

- The "Dyack is full of shit" factor. He likes to blow his own horn and weasel word. It might seem like he's spelling it out, but you cannot take his words as truth or look too much into them. Their "most requested IP" could mean an IP they want to work on versus what fans want them to work on. It could also be Dyack simply blowing hot air, the IP itself not really what anybody wants them to work on, or even an IP they own. Going back to their roots could mean a franchise, or it could be just thematics and game style. You know, old school Legacy of Kain style days, or simply 'horror' themes.

- Silicon Knights might see interest in the Wii U, but may only be toying with the idea. The resume did not list anything overly specific other than Cafe/Wii U. It's also very likely that regardless of any game they were making, Silicon Knights would receive Wii U devkits, simply because of their close relationship with Nintendo.

- Nintendo renews trademarks all the time, constantly. They've renewed Eternal Darkness several times, and each time it causes a stir that maybe a sequel or re-release is coming.

- Nintendo may not feel any need to revive a franchise that sold poorly, with a developer they haven't worked with for an entire generation.

It entirely depends on Dyack's truthfulness and the accuracy of their statements, and whether or not a new Eternal Darkness is something Nintendo sees as viable. Hypothetically, if Dyack is correct and Silicon Knights is indeed working on a Silicon Knights franchise, and a sequel, there's not many games to pick from. The list, as per my article:

  • Cyber Empires (1992, DOS). IP published by the now defunct Strategic Simulations, who were absorbed by Ubisoft, the latter now owning the brand name.
  • Fantasy Empires (1993, DOS). Same situation as Cyber Empires.
  • Dark Legions (1994, DOS). Same situation as Cyber Empires and Fantasy Empires.
  • Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996, PSX/DOS). One of the studio’s more famous works. Published by Crystal Dynamics, who were absorbed by Square-Enix. The latter now owns the property, with rumours of Crystal Dynamics heading a Legacy of Kain reboot.
  • Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (2002, GCN). In IP limbo. Unknown if Nintendo or Silicon Knights has ownership of the property. Nintendo has some vague patent on ‘sanity effects’. Dyack has never specified who retains rights to the series.
  • Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004, GCN). The Metal Gear franchise is wholly owned by Konami.
  • Too Human (2008, X360). Microsoft published, though rights unknown. Possible Silicon Knights still retains ownership of the series.
  • X-Men: Destiny (2011, X360/PS3/Wii/DS). Marvel game license owned by Activision.

Too Human and Eternal Darkness are the most likely candidates. SK probably own the rights to Too Human, and I suspect Nintendo still technically owns Eternal Darkness, though SK could make a spiritual successor of sorts.

End of the day, I don't know, simply because the Nintendo factor introduces too many unpredictable variables. A lot of assuming and good faith in Dyack's statements is required to be convinced it's Eternal Darkness 2, with a dash of hope that Nintendo actually wants it to exist at all. Saying "Eternal Darkness 2 is being made for the Wii U" is text book conjecture.

But I don't think it's a bad guess. There's enough bits and pieces there to suggest it's a real possibility. And there's also enough unknown to suggest it's something else entirely.
 

Neiteio

Member
If SK doesn't make ED2, I will bury their whole staff alive in a column of cement under some Middle Eastern desert, so that their ghosts have to commune with black Canadian industrial firefighters.
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
Well Nintendo still has some partial ownership in the company, albeit small. Their output isn't really a big deal, considering that many of the western companies Nintendo currently works with had pretty awful output until they were managed by Nintendo.

Unless Dyack is outright lying, they are probably working on ED2. IIRC they have WiiU dev kits, and its been said their game is for a next gen console.

Yeah, I'm still thinking there's a pretty good chance they are working on ED2. Another point that may support this point is the fact that if it is a Wii U game they would have to wait until E3 to show it off, which it seems like they are probably doing. Of course, they could easily have done this with TH2 as well, but still... it really seems like it could be a possibility.
 

Neiteio

Member
Random, but I always loved how this guy

eternaldark1.jpg


was in retrospect so totally a bone-thief, right down to the odd sunken facial features.
 
If it's Eternal Darkness, I wouldn't be surprised if it's an HD remake, with perhaps a new scenario added, tablet insanity effects, etc. Hard for me to imagine Nintendo footing the bill for a full-on sequel without testing the waters. Plus they could get this out in the launch window and have an exclusive "mature" title for the system.
 

Oddduck

Member
I don't think it will be Too Human after Dyack said SK is going back to its roots. Doing a sequel to Too Human doesn't sound like going back to their roots.
 
This game was amazing.

Flesh. Bone. Bound together with the oddest magical incantation. This wretched book is where it all began so long ago..."

I know this fucking games' script verbatim. I loved it so damn much and played it constantly when it came out. A new Wii U game would be amazing fun. Seeing as how I'm still not fully on board with purchasing the new system.
 

TriGen

Member
It's real, and it will be at the Wii U's launch. Nintendo knows how important exclusive software is to building an install base, and when you look at it a lot of their internal developers have been pretty busy lately. It makes sense that studios like SK are working on Wii U games.
 

Neiteio

Member
If there's an Eternal Darkness 2, what time periods and places would you guys like to see explored? They already did the Inquisition, though I'd love to see them revisit it. The Holocaust (as touchy as that is) could be interesting through the lens of the Ancient Ones. So could the Salem Witch Trials. Hmm...

This game was amazing.

Flesh. Bone. Bound together with the oddest magical incantation. This wretched book is where it all began so long ago..."

I know this fucking games' script verbatim. I loved it so damn much and played it constantly when it came out. A new Wii U game would be amazing fun. Seeing as how I'm still not fully on board with purchasing the new system.
My man, my man! *brofist*
 

Oddduck

Member
This game was amazing.

Flesh. Bone. Bound together with the oddest magical incantation. This wretched book is where it all began so long ago..."

I know this fucking games' script verbatim. I loved it so damn much and played it constantly when it came out. A new Wii U game would be amazing fun. Seeing as how I'm still not fully on board with purchasing the new system.

Seriously, such an amazing game. I loved it.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
If there's an Eternal Darkness 2, what time periods and places would you guys like to see explored? They already did the Inquisition, though I'd love to see them revisit it. The Holocaust (as touchy as that is) could be interesting through the lens of the Ancient Ones. So could the Salem Witch Trials. Hmm...

Holocaust would be touchy, but interesting. Salem Witch Trials were a pretty small, isolated event, but I'd like to see it as it would fit thematically. I'd love to see something in space, like the moon landing (Bonethief Aldrin and Armstrong please :p). Feudal Japan, ancient Egypt, 1800's industrial revolution in the UK or US. I'd like to see those.

EDIT: Eternal Darkness was the first game to grab me for the GCN, based on Nintendo's pre-release media. It took forever to come out in Australia, but I got it at launch and loved the shit out of it. It's aged a bit: the combat needs work, and the design itself is pretty standard, but I still really enjoy it. I love the Lovecraftian lore and themes, and the story that spanned several time periods was really cool. I also though the climax, where you
play the ghosts of all previous characters, emerging from their statues
was cool.
 

Izick

Member
I don't think it will be Too Human after Dyack said SK is going back to its roots. Doing a sequel to Too Human doesn't sound like going back to their roots.
This thread inspired me to look back on the whole Dyack Debacle:

dyackmadred.gif


So good.
 

Oddduck

Member
Holocaust would be touchy, but interesting. Salem Witch Trials were a pretty small, isolated event, but I'd like to see it as it would fit thematically. I'd love to see something in space, like the moon landing (Bonethief Aldrin and Armstrong please :p). Feudal Japan, ancient Egypt, 1800's industrial revolution in the UK or US. I'd like to see those.

I love all of your ideas, and want to see as much of this in a sequel as possible.

Salem Witch trials and holocaust are so perfect for this.
 

Neiteio

Member
Holocaust could be handled respectfully. They don't have to show starving prisoners being gassed or bodies piled up in trenches. Rather, they could have a player character that's an escapee from a concentration camp and the chapter begins with her stumbling through the neighboring woods on a dark and stormy night. And maybe she comes across some ancient ruins in said woods that suggest a correlation as to why the concentration camp was built where it was...

The great thing about Eternal Darkness, by far, was the sense you were never safe because anything could change at any time. In reality, every moment was scripted, but playing through it the first time, I was always on edge whenever I returned to the Roivas estate in between chapters, since the house was so quiet and there was always something changed, usually subtle, but you had to seek it out, and when you found it it could scare the bejesus out of you. I think a few chapters into the game, when you're back in the hub mansion you can check the bathtub upstairs and... Well, simply put, best jump scare in any game ever, and I say this as someone who's earned his stripes with reputedly scarier fare like Amnesia. The hanged man in the kitchen is another one... In general, I love how you explore the mansion at sunset, rather than at night. The idea of darkness gathering over the water outside and the last remaining rays of daylight slanting through the windows in this shadowy space was so atmospheric and creepy. Gah! Shiver just thinking about it!

And what the FUCK was up with the bust on the second floor that tracked you as you walked by?! I hate moving statues!
 

Sagitario

Member
EDIT: Eternal Darkness was the first game to grab me for the GCN, based on Nintendo's pre-release media. It took forever to come out in Australia, but I got it at launch and loved the shit out of it. It's aged a bit: the combat needs work, and the design itself is pretty standard, but I still really enjoy it. I love the Lovecraftian lore and themes, and the story that spanned several time periods was really cool. I also though the climax, where you
play the ghosts of all previous characters, emerging from their statues
was cool.


Yes. I loved how they gave
each character the chance to
beat the crap out of
Pious
!
And the music was SO GOOD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma63YQg6xrA
 

Ysiadmihi

Banned
Is there any chance SK could make a satisfying sequel to ED? As much as I want a sequel, I can't see it being anything but a disaster.
 

Neiteio

Member
Is there any chance SK could make a satisfying sequel to ED? As much as I want a sequel, I can't see it being anything but a disaster.
The odd thing about ED is it told such a complete story, with three playthroughs acting as three alternate dimensions that eliminate each of the three antagonist gods so that only Mantorok remains... and then the cliff-hanger is the question of whether Mantorok is worse than the lot of them and -you- just helped him by killing off his competition. It makes you wonder where the story could go from there, and how it could possibly rival the epicness of ED1's 2,000-year-long plot.

I also remember Dyack hinting after the game that there's something to the fact that defeated enemies dissolve in yellow magic. Remember, red magic, blue magic and green magic were each tied to a different god... and purple magic was tied to Mantorok... so who, Dyack would hint, is the source of the yellow magic? Perhaps there's a fifth god mixed up in all of this who would serve as the counter to Mantorok in an ED2.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Yeah, there's a fifth party in ED that is never explained, and tied to the yellow magic. If I recall correctly, the yellow magic is used to teleport Pious to the temple, curse Charlemagne, and appears before Ellia to give her strength and protect Mantorok's essence.
 

bomma_man

Member
Holocaust would be touchy, but interesting. Salem Witch Trials were a pretty small, isolated event, but I'd like to see it as it would fit thematically. I'd love to see something in space, like the moon landing (Bonethief Aldrin and Armstrong please :p). Feudal Japan, ancient Egypt, 1800's industrial revolution in the UK or US. I'd like to see those.

What about Australian penal colonies! Port Arthur is fucking creepy.
 

Izick

Member
Holy shit....just listened to the 1Up Yours segment with him....wow. Really. Wow.

Anyways, I personally would love to see ED 2 for the Wii U, but I'm curious to see what exactly it wold look like. I wonder what the main gameplay would feel like, how it would look. I think it's all really up in the air. A ton of shit has changed since 2002. So I'm at least intrigued.

I'm hoping that Nintendo has learned from their mistakes, and instead of waiting for the holiday season, they have some killer apps at launch.
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
Holy shit....just listened to the 1Up Yours segment with him....wow. Really. Wow.

Anyways, I personally would love to see ED 2 for the Wii U, but I'm curious to see what exactly it wold look like. I wonder what the main gameplay would feel like, how it would look. I think it's all really up in the air. A ton of shit has changed since 2002. So I'm at least intrigued.

I'm hoping that Nintendo has learned from their mistakes, and instead of waiting for the holiday season, they have some killer apps at launch.

They are probably going to launch in the holiday season unless for some reason they launch in September.
 

Antioch

Member
Honestly I'm not too concerned about the quality if it is being made. A lot of the other western 3rd parties Nintendo work with have pretty bad track records and then make good games with Nintendo, no reason this wouldn't be the same in that regard, especially considering that Miyamoto and Iwata were producers on the first one.

At the same time though I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see this at E3, as it might be a bit further out than we'd like. Has there been any indication of how long SK has had Wii U dev kits? Or anything else that might provide some info as to how long this game might have been in development already?
 

Neiteio

Member
I love the idea of the Upad's touchscreen being the Tome of Eternal Darkness, leafing through its flesh-and-blood pages by swiping my finger on the touchscreen like an ebook. Having it persistently displayed would make item management, spell-casting and spell-crafting a cinch, as well. Since your character always had the tome on them in ED1, it would make sense from a world-building standpoint as well. They could also use the Upad to trace the patterns of runes when casting or learning spells, and maybe for some puzzle-solving like dusting off ancient tablets to read inscriptions. And then there's the potential for sanity effects with the Upad, which could be all sorts of crazy...

It would also be great if a potential ED2 utilized the Wii Vitality Sensor. The accessory never came out, so it's hard to say how well it works, but it -seems- like a perfect fit for ED2. Imagine: You reach a door in a temple and the game prompts you to take your pulse with the Vitality Sensor. The game then assesses how nervous you are based on your pulse, and adjusts the pacing of its scares accordingly. For instance, if the Vitality Sensor tells the game you're on edge, they may jump-scare you at the next corner; if you're calm, on the other hand, it might start slowly building suspense with strange sounds and phenomenon. Hmm...
 

Jhriad

Member
Would anyone honestly want Silicon Knights to make Eternal Darkness 2 at this point? After Too Human & X-men Destiny I'm not sure I'd trust them with any IP I'm interested in.
 

rpmurphy

Member
Yeah, there's a fifth party in ED that is never explained, and tied to the yellow magic. If I recall correctly, the yellow magic is used to teleport Pious to the temple, curse Charlemagne, and appears before Ellia to give her strength and protect Mantorok's essence.
I guess that is supposed to tie into the light and darkness plot elements that were mysteries that the game didn't reveal. Were there multiple Cities of Light? I forget...
 

rpmurphy

Member
From the Wii U community thread:
Emily Rogers posted some patent on twitter too.

I don't know if this is old.

Denis Dyack and Miyamoto were inventors of patent. Nintendo filed it 2010. It was published in patent office in 2012. So it was filed 1 year after Too Human was released

http://www.google.com/patents/US7928986?printsec=drawing#v=onepage&q&f=false

First they file a patent in 2010. Then they re-register the Eternal Darkness trademark. Seems like something is going on.
Patent related to character animation based on proximity to other environmental objects.
 
From the Wii U community thread:

Patent related to character animation based on proximity to other environmental objects.

Flipped through. Looks a hell of a lot more like Eternal Darkness game mechanics than Too Human.

EXCITE! Man, think of all the cool shit they could do with ED2 on WiiU. They are made for each other. Assuming they're making this (still nowhere close to a sure thing), this is a system seller for me.
 

Pociask

Member
Oh based God, please be true. Eternal Darkness was one of my favorite Gamecube games. Wii pad doing sanity effects? HD Lovecraftian world? Yes please!
 

Shiggy

Member
I really fear that this game gets cancelled :(


From the Wii U community thread:

Patent related to character animation based on proximity to other environmental objects.

That filing date is a bit misleading. Henry Sterchi is named as an inventor, but he joined MGS in June 2009. The patent is probably just related to Eternal Darkness.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Maybe. The known knowns:

- Dyack's statements "We’re working on an IP that’s our most requested" and 'we’re going back to our roots".
- Ex-Silicon Knights developer's resume reveals they have access to Wii U devkits, or at least intentions to work on the system.
- Nintendo has renewed the Eternal Darkness trademark quite recently. They did the same with Luigi's Mansion before the sequel was announced.
- Nintendo apparently still owns shares in Silicon Knights. Silicon Knights going under is bad news for Nintendo, simply because it would mean a poor investment and loss of money. Nothing significant, but it's in Nintendo's best interest to keep SK open while they're a shareholder.

Why it might not be Eternal Darkness 2:

- The "Dyack is full of shit" factor. He likes to blow his own horn and weasel word. It might seem like he's spelling it out, but you cannot take his words as truth or look too much into them. Their "most requested IP" could mean an IP they want to work on versus what fans want them to work on. It could also be Dyack simply blowing hot air, the IP itself not really what anybody wants them to work on, or even an IP they own. Going back to their roots could mean a franchise, or it could be just thematics and game style. You know, old school Legacy of Kain style days, or simply 'horror' themes.

- Silicon Knights might see interest in the Wii U, but may only be toying with the idea. The resume did not list anything overly specific other than Cafe/Wii U. It's also very likely that regardless of any game they were making, Silicon Knights would receive Wii U devkits, simply because of their close relationship with Nintendo.

- Nintendo renews trademarks all the time, constantly. They've renewed Eternal Darkness several times, and each time it causes a stir that maybe a sequel or re-release is coming.

- Nintendo may not feel any need to revive a franchise that sold poorly, with a developer they haven't worked with for an entire generation.

It entirely depends on Dyack's truthfulness and the accuracy of their statements, and whether or not a new Eternal Darkness is something Nintendo sees as viable. Hypothetically, if Dyack is correct and Silicon Knights is indeed working on a Silicon Knights franchise, and a sequel, there's not many games to pick from. The list, as per my article:

  • Cyber Empires (1992, DOS). IP published by the now defunct Strategic Simulations, who were absorbed by Ubisoft, the latter now owning the brand name.
  • Fantasy Empires (1993, DOS). Same situation as Cyber Empires.
  • Dark Legions (1994, DOS). Same situation as Cyber Empires and Fantasy Empires.
  • Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996, PSX/DOS). One of the studio’s more famous works. Published by Crystal Dynamics, who were absorbed by Square-Enix. The latter now owns the property, with rumours of Crystal Dynamics heading a Legacy of Kain reboot.
  • Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem(2002, GCN). In IP limbo. Unknown if Nintendo or Silicon Knights has ownership of the property. Nintendo has some vague patent on ‘sanity effects’. Dyack has never specified who retains rights to the series.
  • Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004, GCN). The Metal Gear franchise is wholly owned by Konami.
  • Too Human (2008, X360). Microsoft published, though rights unknown. Possible Silicon Knights still retains ownership of the series.
  • X-Men: Destiny (2011, X360/PS3/Wii/DS). Marvel game license owned by Activision.

Too Human and Eternal Darkness are the most likely candidates. SK probably own the rights to Too Human, and I suspect Nintendo still technically owns Eternal Darkness, though SK could make a spiritual successor of sorts.

End of the day, I don't know, simply because the Nintendo factor introduces too many unpredictable variables. A lot of assuming and good faith in Dyack's statements is required to be convinced it's Eternal Darkness 2, with a dash of hope that Nintendo actually wants it to exist at all. Saying "Eternal Darkness 2 is being made for the Wii U" is text book conjecture.

But I don't think it's a bad guess. There's enough bits and pieces there to suggest it's a real possibility. And there's also enough unknown to suggest it's something else entirely.

Which to me has always been the downfall in this speculation. Do. Not. Believe. I do, however, expect there to be some convenient excuse later (and which was totally not Dyack's fault).
 
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