Brenda Brathwaite: Cigarettes and Sir-Tech

Brenda Brathwaite, whose development credits include Wizardry, Jagged Alliance, Def Jam: Icon (I forgive her for that one), Playboy: The Mansion (and this one), and Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes, is one of the game industry’s most recognizable women. In an interview with Top Cultured, Brenda provides some background on how she got into the industry, her favorite games, what she expects from the students she teaches, what it is like to be a woman in a mostly male dominated industry and how non-menthol cigarettes helped her land her first gig at Sir-Tech Software.

One of the best parts of the interview is the advice she doles out to students that want to land a job in the industry: play lots of games and design lots of games. To me that says that you have to think of game development as more than a mere vocation, more than just a job where you hang your coat and hat at from 9 AM - 5 PM. Here’s an interesting exchange related to that:

TC –Do you have any general advice for people who are interested game design colleges or careers? How can they get a leg up?

Brenda – Yeah. The absolute single most important thing that you can do is to play games. And make games. The number one weeding out question is, “Have you made games or not?” I don’t really care if you can talk about how other people made games. I want to see that you can do it.

I don’t care whether I see your ability to do this in a digital or non-digital format, it doesn’t matter to me which way it comes…but I need to see that you’ve made games. I need to play your games and then see how good they are. Then there’s what I refer to as the “Question of Death”. That’s when I ask:

“So…what games do you play?”

“Oh well, I’m really busy in school and I don’t have that much time.”

“So let me get this straight. You think SCHOOL is busy, and you wanna come work for me? I can assure you that will be busier because now you’re in the game industry. And if you don’t have time to play games then, what, exactly is going to happen when you’re working for me and on the line? If you don’t have time to play games, then you’re not serious about this profession. And so we’re done. Get out.”

You can catch the entire interview at www.topcultured.com . It’s an excellent read.

Console Classix re-launches

File this one under “sounds questionably legal,” but Console Classix, a site dedicated to providing classic gaming to the masses, has re-launched with an improved user interface, additional video game platforms supported and a library of more than 3,000 classic console games. This library includes games for the Sega Genesis, NES, Super Nintendo, ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. A free version of Console Classix is now available, which includes access to hundreds of Nintendo (NES), Atari 2600, and ColecoVision games.

To access the additional classic console video games you’ll have to pay a subscription fees of $5.99 per month or $59.99 annually.

GameTap expands Atari relationship

Today GameTap announced and extended deal with Atari for distribution rights to several classic and modern Atari titles. This new agreement grants GameTap rights to a selection of Atari’s stellar and renews GameTap’s rights to distribute Atari’s classic console and arcade catalog. Atari’s games will be available through GameTap’s games-on-demand service and digital retail store. A few examples of the new games headed to GameTap thanks to this new arrangement: the 2008 release of Alone In The Dark, Indigo Prophecy, King’s Bounty, the Master Of Orion series, the Neverwinter Nights series, the excellent Test Drive Unlimited, The Witcher and Arma Combat Operations.

Originally launched by TBS in 2005, GameTap went on to merge with Metaboli merged in September of 2008 to form a new global network dedicated to the digital distribution of games. Metaboli has established distribution partnerships with many of the world’s leading internet, gaming, and e-commerce portals including Virgin Media, Game, Orange, Free, Neuf Telecom, AOL, Club-Internet, fnac, Telecom Italia, Wind, Web.de, Gamesradar, Eurogamer, pcgames.de and computec.de.

Atari reveals subscription pricing plans for Champions Online

Atari and Cryptic Studios have revealed details regarding Champions Online’s subscription programs, incentives, and final retail pricing. The super hero themed Champions Online, which is based on the Champion pen and paper role-playing game will be released in Sept. for PC and will carry an$49.99 USD, $54.99 CAN, €49.99 EUR, and £29.99 GBP.

Cryptic Studios and Atari will offer multiple subscription options for fans in monthly blocks, six month blocks and - for a limited time - lifetime game memberships.

The recurring monthly subscription will be offered for $14.99 USD, $16.49 CAN, €12.99 EUR, and £8.99 GBP. For a limited time Cryptic Studios is offering six-month and lifetime subscriptions at discounted rates. These deals come with many exclusives and incentives. The six-month subscription plan will be offered for $59.99 USD, $65.99 CAN, €44.99 EUR, and £35.99 GBP. Six-month subscribers will recieve guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta test and a Champions Online Retro-Future costume set.

The lifetime subscription plan will be offered for $199.99 USD, $219.99 CAN, €147.99 EUR, and £119.99 GBP. Lifetime subscribers will also receive guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta test, an exclusive Star Trek Online Mirror Universe costume set, eight additional Champions Online character slots, a Foxbat vanity pet, a Retro-Future costume set, and an Art Deco costume set.

Look for Champions Online this September. For additional pre-order and retail information, visit www.Champions-Online.com.

One million Ghostbusters games sold

Atari announced that it has sold one million units of Ghostbusters: The Video Game across North America since its release on June 16, 2009. This number - I am guessing - has to include games sold across all platforms including Xbox 360, PC, PS2, Wii, and DS.

Still, a pretty impressive feat for Atari and for the men that got behind this game including Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and various original Ghostbusters cast members - except Sigourney Weaver..

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available on the Xbox 360 ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PS3 ($59.99), PS2 ($19.99), Wii ($39.99) and Nintendo DS ($29.99).

Check out Gus Mastrapa’s excellent review now for an honest evaluation of this game: Crispy Gamer’s Ghostbusters Review.

Champions Online pre-orders detailed

Atari and Cryptic Studios have announced details on exclusive Champions Online pre-order and launch content for select retailers in North America including Best Buy, Amazon.com, GameStop and Wal-Mart. With the game coming out on September 1st, Cryptic is getting the buy early crowd revved up with specific retail pre-order bonuses.

GameStop customers who pre-order the game will receive access to the Early Start Program, the exclusive Insectoid Airfoil costume piece and the Experimental Anti-Graviton Generator flight travel power at character creation. Wal-Mart can get the Limited Edition Package with collectible lenticular cover that includes an exclusive zone map, iron-on decal and an additional ten in-game micro-transaction dollars.

Best Buy customers who pre-order will get the Lil’ Champ Pack, which contains a persistent pet from the Champions universe. Best Buy customers will receive a functional damage resistance item and access to the Early Start Program and head start weekend as well. Amazon customers will get the High Roller Pack with three unique apparel options (harlequin headpiece, black knight helmet, grenade chest strap), and an additional five in-game micro-transaction dollars.

Finally, all pre-order customers receive guaranteed access to the Champions Online open beta test on August 17, 30-days of free play and five in-game micro-transaction dollars.

Namco Bandai Partners forms

Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. today announced the completion of its purchase of Atari’s global PAL distribution operation (Europe), with the entity renamed Namco Bandai Partners with immediate effect. The company will, as of this announcement, distribute titles worldwide, excluding Japan and North America, from Namco Bandai Games, Atari and other major international video game publishers.

Operating in 50 countries with 17 offices including UK, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Nordic, Benelux, Greece, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, NAMCO BANDAI Partners is now one of the world’s strongest and most comprehensive video game retail distribution networks in the world.

In the UK, the company will operate as NAMCO BANDAI Partners UK, working with its partners in publishing, media and retail to bring a wide range of original video games to market for all audiences.