NewsSource: Pirates Director to Helm BioShock Film

ALSO: Niko off to San Andreas?, New Bizarre racer, Codemasters grabs F1 license, Innovation promised for Guitar Hero IV, Gran Turismo ships 50M.

Pirates Director Verbinski Helming BioShock Movie
Universal Studios and Take-Two say Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski will helm a new movie based on the BioShock franchise.

Gladiator and Sweeney Todd scriptwriter John Logan has been approached to write the script.

"I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that's cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential," Verbinski told Variety. "Of all the games I've played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative."

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick claims credit for the Universal deal.

"One of the things we decided early on is that we didn't want to go through a producer," he said. "It's terribly important to us to have a meaningful influence on how this project is produced. We didn't want any insulation between us."

GTA: Niko Off to San Andreas?
Grand Theft Auto fans have uncovered intriguing evidence that GTA IV character Niko may be set for a move to San Andreas.

Once you’ve completed GTA IV, the Gang Story option in the Rockstar Social Club opens up. In here, you find an air ticket for Niko Bellic showing an economy class journey to San Andreas.

What this actually means is any one’s guess. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it means that a GTA IV sequel will be set in the State, or maybe San Andreas plays host to the forthcoming Xbox 360 exclusive download content. No date is included on the ticket, so right now, it’s any one’s guess.

ew Bizarre Racing Game Due in 2010
Activision held an investor’s conference call yesterday in which it admitted that its first racing game from recent acquisition Bizarre Creations won’t be released until 2010.

"Bizarre is deep in development on two multi-platform titles and we are looking forward to the release of our first new racing IP in fiscal 2010, which already looks very strong," said Michael J Griffith, Activision president and CEO.

It’s worth pointing that fiscal 2010 actually starts in April 2009, so maybe the wait is not quite so agonizing as initially thought.

Griffith went on to confirm that Bizarre is working on two new IPs for Activision, and while one is certainly a racing title, the basis of the other has yet to be revealed.

Codemasters Grabs F1 License
UK-based developer-publisher Codemasters says that it has secured rights to the lucrative Formula One franchise, taking over game-making duties from Sony.

The new deal means that F1 titles will now be cross-format, with Codies announcing that the Race Driver GRID team will be working on the new game, due for release next year. Central to the developer’s effort will be an online community service dubbed Formula One online.

"As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with Formula 1 is the jewel in Codemasters' racing crown," said Codemasters chief Rod Cousens. "Formula 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host Formula 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack."

Significant Innovation Promised For Guitar Hero IV
Activision says that the next major Guitar Hero release is set for the holiday season, with company president Mike Griffith promising "a significant leap forward in innovation" on all platforms.

This innovation is presumably linked to comments made by Activision’s Bobby Kotick last month, where he revealed that other instruments and vocals are being added to the Guitar Hero mix, along with the promise of more "local" music.

"We've put a lot of additional development resources, a lot of additional music licenses resources, a lot of additional hardware supplier resources against the title to fuel growth over next year," Griffith said in an investor conference call. "We're excited by the increased musical content and innovation we're bringing."

Gran Turismo Ships 50 Million Globally
Sony has proudly revealed that it has now shipped over 50 million Gran Turismo games worldwide.

"Initially, Gran Turismo was an 'alternative' racing game, kind of an outsider in the genre," said Polyphony Digital’s Kazunori Yamauchi. "And we made it thinking that it would be okay as long as it reached out to 'the select few who would agree with us.' So this figure--50 million units--is simply astounding."

Sony also revealed that it has shipped two million copies of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and has pledged that the GT franchise will continue to evolve alongside PlayStation technology for years to come.