Archive for February, 2011

What is FindMakarov.com? Indie Short Film, Photo Below14 Comments

UPDATE, SUNDAY AT NOON PT: An individual who claims to be tied to FindMakarov has emailed me what is purportedly a still frame from the “FindMakarov” production. Call of Duty fans will instantly recognize the character as Simon “Ghost” Riley from Task Force 141 in Modern Warfare 2.  Based on this image it seems that FindMakarov is a live-action short film inspired by MW2.

ORIGINAL STORY: Yesterday the Internet was buzzing with rumors that Activision is set to announce the next Call of Duty on Wednesday, March 2. Those rumors started when a website, FindMakarov.com, began a mysterious countdown that ends on Wednesday morning. That’s two years to the day when Infinity Ward revealed the teaser trailer for Modern Warfare 2 during the Game Developers’ Choice Awards at GDC.

So, on the surface, it was natural to assume we were days away from the announcement of the next Call of Duty. That theory was only reinforced by the site’s Modern Warfare 2-style visual identity, not to mention the obvious reference to MW2 villain Vladimir Makarov in the site address.

The only problem? Six hours after the site went live Activision did something no one expected: It released a statement calling FindMakarov an outright hoax and confirmed it has no plans to announce the next Call of Duty on March 2.

I began to wonder what was going on here. Is Activision pulling a fast one, trying to draw players even deeper into an elaborate ARG for the next Call of Duty? Or is the site a parody effort on the part of Electronic Arts, which recently poked fun at Call of Duty with an elaborate game called Duty Calls? On Tuesday night EA is scheduled to reveal the first demo of Battlefield 3, its Call of Duty competitor set for release this Fall. It would be a ballsy move for the FindMakarov countdown to end, only to reveal a Battlefield 3 video from EA.

It turns out both those theories are wrong. After some sleuthing I can confirm that the site has nothing to do with a game publisher or developer. Don’t expect a game announcement to pop up when the countdown ends.

Instead, I can exclusively report that Findmakarov.com is the creation of We Can Pretend, an independent Toronto, Canada-based creative collective that is expected to launch a project inspired by Call of Duty on March 2. Production sources who worked on the self-funded project call it visually spectacular.

From what I can tell Activision has no involvement and was seemingly as surprised as we were when the teaser website went live yesterday morning. I’ll update this post as I learn more.

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Infamous 2 and SOCOM 4 on GTTV This WeekNo Comments

Here’s the latest episode of GT.TV. I took a look at 2 PS3 exclusives coming out later this year: INFAMOUS 2 from Sucker Punch and the stealth missions in SOCOM 4. Plus we’re first on set with Felicia Day for her Dragon Age: Redemption web series.

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GTTV: Duke Nukem Forever and Madden BowlNo Comments

This week’s GTTV takes place in Dallas, Texas. We braved a blizzard to bring you coverage of Madden Bowl 2011 with EA Sports President Peter Moore, as well as a first look (finally) at Duke Nukem Forever. Was it worth the wait? Watch the footage and decide.

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GTTV Extended Cut: Reggie Fils-AimeNo Comments

We’ve posted a longer 15 minute version of my interview with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Conducted a few weeks ago at the Nintendo world store, we discuss the 3DS, 3d movies, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the future of augmented reality.

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New GTTV: Nintendo 3DS with ReggieNo Comments

Here’s this week’s GTTV episode.  I chat with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime about the Nintendo 3DS.  We mash our faces (watch to understand) and Reggie explains why he thinks so many iPhone games are “disposible.”

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