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THQ Bringing WALL●E To Life
Posted by Mike Fahey at 2:20 AM on January 4, 2008
A Pixar film getting a game translation? Get out of town! Yes yes - it isn't much of a surprise to anyone, but THQ is busy preparing the video game version of the next big Pixar film WALL●E for just about every console marketable, including both the DS and PSP, Mac and PC, and all points in between. WALL●E is the story of a little robot left on the Earth to clean it up after humanity trashed it, who falls in love with a robot named EVE who arrives 700 years later on a probe to check on his progress. Unless the folks at Pixar were kidnapped and replaced with cardboard cutouts, expect the film to make millions and the game of the film to follow suit. A small part of me hopes it will fail, if only because typing WALL●E out is a bitch and a half. Look for the game this summer, on or around the movie's June 27th release.
THQ Announces Plans To Launch Disney•Pixar's WALL●E Across All Major Gaming SystemsGamers Will Bring Humanity Back to Earth in Summer 2008
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - January 3, 2008 - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced plans to release the WALL●E video game in conjunction with the film's eagerly awaited theatrical debut from Disney•Pixar in the summer of 2008. WALL●E is anticipated to launch across all major gaming systems including the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, WiiTM home video game system, Nintendo DSTM, Windows PC and Mac, as well as wireless devices.
The long-running relationship between THQ and Disney•Pixar has achieved shipments of more than 35 million units worldwide. THQ's current agreement with Disney•Pixar, which was announced in 2004, includes rights to create games based on four newly created Disney•Pixar film properties. Last year's Ratatouille video game was the first property released by THQ under this agreement.
WALL●E is expected to release this summer and will mark THQ's next installment in the company's well-established and successful association with Disney•Pixar. Development for WALL●E will be led by THQ's internal Heavy Iron Studios.
About the WALL●E Videogame
Players will take control of WALL●E and EVE through a fast-paced adventure based on the upcoming Disney•Pixar film. The game will allow fans to relive some of the movie's most thrilling moments as they explore 10 worlds filled with non-stop action and adventure, along with head-to-head multiplayer challenges. Players will recognize the storyline, characters and key locations from the WALL●E film as they carry out intense missions, dodge dangerous enemies and navigate their way through a futuristic world. In addition, the game will contain new storylines and environments that movie-goers will not see in theaters.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
macBdog
Posted January 4, 2008 10:31 AM
Johnny 5 is alive!
riabear
Posted 8:47 AM 3/1/08
aww licensed game programmers are people too. I will provide hope that they win to counter your hope that they fail :P F-f-f-failure breaker!!!
riabear
noble007
Posted 9:11 AM 3/1/08
Doesn't WALL●E look kinda like WALLOE? Maybe pixar expects to wallow around in the money it's going to make for them.
noble007
Godpyre
Posted 10:57 AM 3/1/08
Name notwithstanding, I too, hope it fails if only to see a blemish in Pixar's, all too spotless, library of films. Yes the character looks like a poor man's "Johnny Five," but I'm wondering how the game will pan out, premise-wise it sounds unattractively close to the idea behind "Super Mario Sunshine." Cleaning up other people's litter has always been an idea I've been meaning to see implemented intelligently, hopefully this works. :/
Godpyre
platinum
Posted 2:36 AM 4/1/08
@Tale:
Johnny Five!!! Aaaah, sweet childhood memorys ...
platinum
JohnnyLA
Posted 9:53 PM 3/1/08
"Innovative unique games aren't difficult to create for Christ sake! But look at the company I'm talking to."
I call Shenanigans! Are you kidding me? Innovative uniques games aren't difficult to make? Ask any top publisher and dev house about that one.
As for THQ, Cars was a reasonably fun game..so was "The Incredibles" if anyone who wasn't an elitist game snob cared to actually try it out instead writing it off outright without even touching it.
Dunno how Wall-E will do but I imagine not too bad for the casual market.
JohnnyLA
SirGecko
Posted 8:05 PM 3/1/08
I really can't wait till this comes out. I just watched the trailer and if it is anywhere near as good as that trailer indicates it'll be one of the best animated movies ever.
SirGecko
brave_otaku
Posted 1:46 PM 3/1/08
Andy Stanton (writer/director of Finding Nemo) is writing/directing. This is going to be an awesome flick.
brave_otaku
chewbenator
Posted 1:38 PM 3/1/08
After the art direction in TF2 they should have gotten the Valve team to make the game.
chewbenator
PriorMarcus
Posted 1:22 PM 3/1/08
@RaepGoblin: It's something that bares no resemblance at all too Short Circuit except for the deliberate visual similarities and the name.
For one it's based in the future, has barely any dialogue, and is aiming to showcase some incredibly visions of the future that have never before been imagined.
PriorMarcus
RaepGoblin
Posted 1:17 PM 3/1/08
Is this a sequel to Short Circuit, or just a blatant rip off. John-E / Wall-E
RaepGoblin
icarusprime
Posted 1:06 PM 3/1/08
Pixar deserves a better game publisher/developer of their films. Why did they decide to continue to work with THQ when their contract was up a few years ago?
icarusprime
Mr. Fap☆Fap!
Posted 12:12 PM 3/1/08
@Timsobuff74:
That should be Kotaku's New Year's Resolution.
Get on it, Crecente! Send out a staff e-mail! Don't forget to include Witzbold on it, too.
Mr. Fap☆Fap!
Mii
Posted 11:57 AM 3/1/08
all those ●'s are getting annoying...
Mii
dead_red_eyes
Posted 11:29 AM 3/1/08
Cut and Paste Fahey!!!!
dead_red_eyes
Mia-Mo
Posted 11:23 AM 3/1/08
@Timsobuff74:
Yeah, I love that movie! "Here comes the dog, here come the dog..."
Mia-Mo
LordChris47
Posted 11:21 AM 3/1/08
WALL●E is the cutest damn robot i ever did see and although i will not be buying the game, as always i will watch the movie.
Movies and games are very close companions, take Final Fantasy for example.
LordChris47
BambooCactus
Posted 11:11 AM 3/1/08
Aw WALLoE's cute. That trailer was awesome. Well, both of them.
BambooCactus
lunarworks
Posted 11:10 AM 3/1/08
THQ. Fine purveyors of movie licensed shovelware.
lunarworks
Zeag
Posted 10:02 AM 3/1/08
Hey! Where's my GBA version?
Zeag
hahnchen
Posted 9:54 AM 3/1/08
@hahnchen: Oh, the Pixar short that Unirally apparently ripped off was called "Red's Dream".
hahnchen
hahnchen
Posted 9:53 AM 3/1/08
Everyone forgets the first Pixar game - Unirally/Uniracers.
Except that it wasn't a Pixar related game at all, but Pixar sued the shit out of DMA Design claiming that they owned all digital representations of unicycles, and somehow won.
What a bunch of cunts.
hahnchen
NecronomiconUK
Posted 9:53 AM 3/1/08
The game will be ass, it's THQ...
But god damn i'm looking forward to the movie. By the same 'core' Pixar team behind Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo.
NecronomiconUK
Echo_Hotel
Posted 9:30 AM 3/1/08
I think in concept it could have been a cool game in a sort of post-apocalyptic Katamari Damashi / Chibi Robo way, with a sort of Logical reason you are gathering things up. However making it into an action platformer (with a hero on tracks no less) It'll be another P.O.S. from T.H.Q.
P.S. BIG IDEA
First person "'Mars' Rover" game for the Wii, navigate with the nunchuck switch between camera arm and other tools to be maneuvered with the Wiimote. Never been done innovative but with low hardware requirements ( you don't even really need moving 'enemys' )and making use of new interfaces. MY GOD and I'm giving this idea away free guys! Innovative unique games aren't difficult to create for Christ sake! But look at the company I'm talking to.
Echo_Hotel
September
Posted 9:27 AM 3/1/08
Can't be as bad as typing out S.T.A.L.K.E.R. all the time eh?
September
OneManFreakShow
Posted 9:25 AM 3/1/08
I bet this'll be like Chibi-Robo. I've already said that the plot of the movie reminds me of the game, so if this game is like Chibi-Robo, I'll be very happy.
I love me some Chibi-Robo.
OneManFreakShow
Doomstink
Posted 9:21 AM 3/1/08
I might be the only one here, but I actually liked the Ratatouille game. My girlfriend rented it and I played it for a bit and it was actually quite fun for what it was.
Doomstink
Clushje
Posted 9:13 AM 3/1/08
How do you make a successful game with fresh gameplay mechanics which breaks the traditional movie tie-in mold based on a Pixar film about the last robot on earth cleaning trash and falling in love with another robot, anyway?
Clushje
Interstella5555
Posted 9:04 AM 3/1/08
@Clarke: The Red Hot Chili Peppers theme at Space Mountain, Disneyland was bad enouh when they had it in place, but that would be terrible....
Interstella5555
Timsobuff74
Posted 9:03 AM 3/1/08
@Mr. Fap☆Fap!: I am often confused why their are not daily Milo and Otis mentions om Kotaku. It isn't fair.
Timsobuff74
Clarke
Posted 8:56 AM 3/1/08
Expect Mission Space at Epcot to be renamed "WALL●E the Ride". The Living Waters has already been Nemofied so I wouldn't doubt it.
Clarke
sloner
Posted 8:51 AM 3/1/08
On the internal e-mails, they're typing it as Wall-E. I assume that makes it acceptable.
sloner
liquid_kore
Posted 8:50 AM 3/1/08
@Mr. Fap☆Fap!: Here comes the dog, strong and brave - woof! Here comes the dog, your life he... [falls into a hole].
That movie is awesome.
liquid_kore
jihadjoe343
Posted 8:49 AM 3/1/08
I've gotta hand it to Pixar, they always seem to amaze me with the graphics of their CGI and I'm pretty jaded when it comes to that kind of stuff.
jihadjoe343
blackadvent
Posted 8:48 AM 3/1/08
/movie games suck
...No, can't think of anything else to say.
blackadvent
Zombie_Crunch
Posted 8:47 AM 3/1/08
I saw the trailer in the theater the other day and I thought it was cute. I mean super cute. Surely the trailers out on this here Internets.
Zombie_Crunch
shilmafone
Posted 8:46 AM 3/1/08
"Waste Allocation Load Lifter"? In my dreams, I'm seeing a killer Chibi Robo crossover...
shilmafone
Mr. Fap☆Fap!
Posted 8:43 AM 3/1/08
Oh cool! They're making a new Short Circuit movie!
But what I really want is a sequel to Milo & Otis.
...no seriously. I love that movie. Quite good.
Mr. Fap☆Fap!
denki
Posted 8:42 AM 3/1/08
This is the last Pixar film since...ever that I've actually been remotely interested in, even though I just heard about it 5 seconds ago.
Maybe if instead of the crap THQ is going to make, if they instead took the idea of "cleaning up the earth" and "making GF presents" (the latter of which I am sure will happen in the movie) and applied it to a videogame successfully, we'd have a robot version of Animal Crossing, which ain't all that bad an idea. Played out, sure, but better than some "fast-paced adventure based" on what is essentially a more complex and sentient Roomba that looks like Johnny Five, which in turn looks like those police robots that enter houses and shoot people.
denki
z0mbi
Posted 8:42 AM 3/1/08
@Stefanten:
Waste Allocation Load Lifter●Earth-Class
z0mbi
PriorMarcus
Posted 8:36 AM 3/1/08
@Stefanten: Are you asking what WALL●E is? Google it. Were on the Internet, the amount of time it would take you to get an answer is ridiculous compared to the amount of time it takes to use a search engine.
In the interest of not being a utter prick though it's the new film from Pixar.
PriorMarcus
Black_Ops_19
Posted 8:36 AM 3/1/08
Copy and paste it. lol.
This is only the second bit of info I've heard of this film/game. Hoping it is as good as Ratoutille and the Incredibles.
Black_Ops_19
AGiES
Posted 8:34 AM 3/1/08
@Fahey :"A small part of me hopes it will fail, if only because typing WALL●E out is a bitch and a half."
Cut and paste, buddy, cut and paste.
AGiES
Tale
Posted 8:29 AM 3/1/08
Hopefully this will pave the way to the eventual released of a Short Circuit videogame. Johnny Five is alive!
Tale
Stefanten
Posted 8:27 AM 3/1/08
WALL●E?
Stefanten