Blackwater (video game)
Encyclopedia
Blackwater is a first-person shooter
video game developed by Zombie Studios and released on the Xbox 360
on October 25th 2011, with the player assuming the role of a Blackwater Worldwide
contractor. The game was first revealed at E3 in 2011, and will use the Kinect-supported system. The games is the first Kinect for Xbox 360 shooter on the market. It was published by 505 Games.
approached 505 Games
to create and publish the game. Prince said "this game and its immersive Kinect-based approach will give players the chance to experience what it is like to be on a Blackwater team on a mission without being dropped into a real combat situation."
During development, 505 Games and Prince worked hand-in-hand with Zombie Studios and former Blackwater operatives to mimic the intensity of real-world missions.
Describing the game, Prince said, "This is not a training device. This is not a simulator. We're not doing this to teach folks how to conduct military operations in an urban terrain. That's not it at all. This is more along the lines of kids running around their neighborhood playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians." Prince sees the game as a potential franchise.
or Time Crisis
. The player moves along a set path and highlights targets with their hand, hovering over them for a few moments to take the shot. To take cover from enemy fire, the player must duck and lean side-to-side.
Describing the characters in the game, Richard Dormer of Zombie Studios said, “They're not commandos . . . They’re not in there saving the world against the next nuclear bomb. They’re there working with the UN and trying to protect people. No one wants to be a hero. Everybody wants to survive the next day. If there’s one thing that’s important to Blackwater it’s their 100% success rate for protecting people.” Throughout the game, the player will switch between squad members Devin, Baird, Smash and Eddi. While playing as Devin and Baird, the gamer will be firing an assault rifle. As Smash, the gamer will use a shotgun and as Eddie, a sniper rifle.
Blackwater gives players the ability to completely control the gameplay experience using a traditional controller or Kinect for Xbox 360's controller-free abilities which introduces an unprecedented level of immersion to the FPS
genre. Throughout each stage in the game, there are sequences where the player will have to perform actions such as jumping across gaps or busting down doors. Players can also kick away oncoming melee attackers.
Ian Howe, President, 505 Games said, “being able to get the controller out of player’s hands with Kinect and have them on the ground and immersed in the experience will give them a glimpse of what it takes to be a member of an elite fighting force.”
The average rating for the game based on 4 reviews on GameRankings is 36.25%.
Dan Chiappini, writer for GameSpot
, describes the game as "deceptively physical even for a Kinect title, and while it's not designed primarily as a fitness game, it could be a good way to shed a few extra kilos and get your shooter fix at the same time."
Soheil Rezaee of Examiner.com
said, "Despite this new take on the war shooter genre and the use of Xbox Kinect; Blackwater feels more like a failed public relations ploy."
James Newton of KINECTaku said, "Blackwater is to be commended for maintaining a fairly lively and varied pace." This is because the game switches between squad members often, giving the player the opportunity to use different weapons and have different game-play experiences.
The Official XBOX Magazine gave Blackwater a mixed but mostly positive review. While it noted some flaws such as obvious enemy paths and restarting from the beginning of levels, the review also noted that "where this game shines is its Kinect-based mechanics", saying that they "had a blast shooting, kicking, climbing, jumping, and repelling to complete objectives."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game developed by Zombie Studios and released on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on October 25th 2011, with the player assuming the role of a Blackwater Worldwide
Blackwater Worldwide
Xe Services LLC, better known by its former names, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.. Xe is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors...
contractor. The game was first revealed at E3 in 2011, and will use the Kinect-supported system. The games is the first Kinect for Xbox 360 shooter on the market. It was published by 505 Games.
Game development
Erik PrinceErik Prince
Erik Dean Prince is the founder and formerly the sole owner of the private military company Xe Services LLC, formerly Blackwater Worldwide. On March 2, 2009, Prince announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Xe. He is currently living abroad in the United Arab Emirates, where he is creating a...
approached 505 Games
505 Games
505 Games, formerly known as 505 Game Street, is an Italian video game publishing division of Italian company Digital Bros. group founded in 2006...
to create and publish the game. Prince said "this game and its immersive Kinect-based approach will give players the chance to experience what it is like to be on a Blackwater team on a mission without being dropped into a real combat situation."
During development, 505 Games and Prince worked hand-in-hand with Zombie Studios and former Blackwater operatives to mimic the intensity of real-world missions.
Describing the game, Prince said, "This is not a training device. This is not a simulator. We're not doing this to teach folks how to conduct military operations in an urban terrain. That's not it at all. This is more along the lines of kids running around their neighborhood playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians." Prince sees the game as a potential franchise.
Game Details
The game will be set in a fictional town in North Africa, where players will lead a team of operatives. Players are tasked with protecting aid workers and other dignitaries in a volatile nation overrun by a warlord named General Limbano. The game-play is described as on-rails, similar to the style of arcade games Virtua CopVirtua Cop
Virtua Cop is a lightgun shooter arcade game created by Sega-AM2, and headed by Yu Suzuki. Its original incarnation was an arcade game in 1994 and it was later ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995, and Microsoft Windows in 1997...
or Time Crisis
Time Crisis
Time Crisis is a light gun shooter arcade game produced by Namco in 1995 and released in early 1996. It was later ported for the PlayStation in 1997, bundled with the G-Con 45 controller.-Gameplay:...
. The player moves along a set path and highlights targets with their hand, hovering over them for a few moments to take the shot. To take cover from enemy fire, the player must duck and lean side-to-side.
Describing the characters in the game, Richard Dormer of Zombie Studios said, “They're not commandos . . . They’re not in there saving the world against the next nuclear bomb. They’re there working with the UN and trying to protect people. No one wants to be a hero. Everybody wants to survive the next day. If there’s one thing that’s important to Blackwater it’s their 100% success rate for protecting people.” Throughout the game, the player will switch between squad members Devin, Baird, Smash and Eddi. While playing as Devin and Baird, the gamer will be firing an assault rifle. As Smash, the gamer will use a shotgun and as Eddie, a sniper rifle.
Blackwater gives players the ability to completely control the gameplay experience using a traditional controller or Kinect for Xbox 360's controller-free abilities which introduces an unprecedented level of immersion to the FPS
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
genre. Throughout each stage in the game, there are sequences where the player will have to perform actions such as jumping across gaps or busting down doors. Players can also kick away oncoming melee attackers.
Ian Howe, President, 505 Games said, “being able to get the controller out of player’s hands with Kinect and have them on the ground and immersed in the experience will give them a glimpse of what it takes to be a member of an elite fighting force.”
Reception
Blackwater was available to be played at E3 2011. Describing the game, one reviewer said, "what I found – rather than some more fuel to stoke the controversy – was a surprisingly competent title."The average rating for the game based on 4 reviews on GameRankings is 36.25%.
Dan Chiappini, writer for GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, describes the game as "deceptively physical even for a Kinect title, and while it's not designed primarily as a fitness game, it could be a good way to shed a few extra kilos and get your shooter fix at the same time."
Soheil Rezaee of Examiner.com
Examiner.com
Examiner.com is a media company based in Denver, Colorado, that operates a network of local news websites, allowing "pro–am contributors" to share their city-based knowledge on a blog-like platform, in 238 markets throughout the United States and parts of Canada with two national editions, one for...
said, "Despite this new take on the war shooter genre and the use of Xbox Kinect; Blackwater feels more like a failed public relations ploy."
James Newton of KINECTaku said, "Blackwater is to be commended for maintaining a fairly lively and varied pace." This is because the game switches between squad members often, giving the player the opportunity to use different weapons and have different game-play experiences.
The Official XBOX Magazine gave Blackwater a mixed but mostly positive review. While it noted some flaws such as obvious enemy paths and restarting from the beginning of levels, the review also noted that "where this game shines is its Kinect-based mechanics", saying that they "had a blast shooting, kicking, climbing, jumping, and repelling to complete objectives."