E3 06: Jade Empire hitting up PCs

BioWare reveals its popular Xbox kung-fu fantasy will soon be mopping the floor with PC gamers.

LOS ANGELES--One of last year's most anticipated Xbox games was Jade Empire, the innovative hybrid of kung-fu action and high fantasy from Canadian developer BioWare. Though not as rapturously received by critics as was expected, the game still scored solid reviews. It has also sold over 385,000 copies in North America, according to figures from the NPD group.

Now, PC gamers will be able to decide for themselves if Jade Empire lives up to its now year-old hype. On its official Web site, BioWare today announced that Jade Empire is coming to PCs. The developer didn't give a release date or say whether or not the game would be exclusive to the forthcoming Windows Vista operating system, as several recently announced PC games are.

While short on release specifics, BioWare did drop some general details about how the PC Jade Empire will be different from its Xbox predecessor. It will sport "increased graphics resolutions and new visual effects," and contain "new monsters and enemies." On the gameplay tip, it will sport "new fighting styles," "improved combat AI and difficulty levels," and a "new world map interface."

For more on the Xbox version of Jade Empire, check out GameSpot's full review.

69 Comments

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Aug 21, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    This is awesome since i don't have it for my xbox

  • KING-TYPO

    Posted May 18, 2006 10:38 pm PT

    this is so cool i cant wait! i do hope they wont use the word "KI" to discribe the energy used in Kung Fu moves. it should be either CHI,QI or JI espically if this is a chinese inspired game

  • Manooh

    Posted May 14, 2006 3:18 pm PT

    Can't wait for this one to be released !!

  • mkeopong

    Posted May 9, 2006 1:49 am PT

    Yes! I was waiting for them to finally announce this. Almost entertained the thought of purchasing an Xbox/Xbox 360 for this game. Great news!

  • cinderkid

    Posted May 9, 2006 1:32 am PT

    Wish they made it into a MMO ..

  • rencie

    Posted May 9, 2006 12:45 am PT

    Woohoo! It's about time!

  • wytefang

    Posted May 8, 2006 8:22 pm PT

    This is great news, though it's lame that they didn't make it for the system that made them famous in the first place, the PC. Probably won't buy it due to that 'oversight' on their part. ::: shrugs :::

  • syafiqjabar

    Posted May 8, 2006 7:28 pm PT

    I find that for some of you, the hatred of PC/console games is overshadowing your love of quality games, like the Bioware RPGs. If this is a religion website, these types of people would all be infidels or excommunicated.

  • Valen_Ca

    Posted May 8, 2006 6:23 pm PT

    I honestly think that just shortening the loadtimes would be enough to sell this game.

  • marc_man3001

    Posted May 8, 2006 5:07 pm PT

    I really wanted to play this game, but never had a chance due to lack of an xbox. Now I finally get to check it out.

  • KynKoolij

    Posted May 8, 2006 5:05 pm PT

    I can honestly say I don't think jade empire is worth a pc port. I was thinking about what it would be like on pc myself, after spending about a hundred hours playing it. I still was very disappointed, but it shows how good bioware is. They can make a sub par game and it's still worth wasting a few days of my life on. But the combat really sucks. It's lame and nothing like what was promised way before it came out. It's only worth it for the story, setting and dialogue. I was surprised at first by the kind of low score on gamespot, but I completely agree after spending so many hours with it.

  • trancejeremy

    Posted May 8, 2006 4:46 pm PT

    Jade Empire flopped on the Xbox. Now it's supposed to be a big deal on the PC? How many fighting games work well with a mouse and keyboard?

  • fenriz275

    Posted May 8, 2006 4:45 pm PT

    I like Bioware but I'm really wary of a console port. Especially one that's getting dated like this one. Still if they really beef it up it could be good. Doubtful though.

  • kippesd

    Posted May 8, 2006 4:42 pm PT

    Fantastic news...maybe with the tweaking they do it will push up the review scores to a really great game. When a company proves over and over again how brilliant they are I have more than good reason to be optimistic and so should you 'port-box' trumpeters.

  • axia_777

    Posted May 8, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    About freakin time....

  • Disturbance505

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:34 pm PT

    oh yea this will be good

  • comthitnuong

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    jade empire was alright..

  • SergeStorms

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    You have to love Gamespot ; "Though not as rapturously received by critics as was expected, the game still scored solid reviews." Is this a sly way of saying that Gamespot was the low review for a game that got tons of high reviews and awards? Get over yourselves. The game is is a blast. But it is last gen. Bioware should be concentrating on the sequal for the 360.

  • BentSea

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    This is infuriating. One more game that I bought my xbox for that is coming to the PC after being told it would never come to PC. I hate my XBOX. The only game on it that hasn't been ported to PC after I was told it never would be is Ninja Gaiden. I love that game, but not 250$ love. I have lost complete faith in the Microsoft console, bioware, and lionhead. I don't think I'll be buying any games from any of those companies.

  • rugripper40

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:22 pm PT

    yeah man,this year is turning out to be the bomb,hell yeah,love it

  • wokisan

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    Ninja Gaiden a 'total letdown'? Most ridiculous statement ever......BTW...DevJin and mickel_darawan must have been separated at birth. Gotta be the same guy....simply trolling every Xbox article.

  • Withoutme

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:16 pm PT

    Yea...not to troll or whatever, but this is making people NOT want to buy 360's since eventually all their really good games will get ported.
    Think about it.

  • abelmaestro

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:13 pm PT

    great,now I don`t need to buy an Xbox,I can play Jade Empire in my Pc wich is a lot better

  • ArsenalArmor

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:13 pm PT

    This is a little overdue, they should just make a Jade Empire 2 for teh 360!!

  • Mindphaser

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:13 pm PT

    This is a total rip... why did I bother buying it for my Xbox then? They said it would be Xbox exclusive. What a bunch of a*******s!!!

  • xEviLLyAMuSeDx

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:07 pm PT

    Jade Empire wasn't even that good of a game. It was all hyped up because it was from the makers of Kotor. How about instead of bothering to port old 'sub-par' games we make something new and interesting!?

    Blah.

  • EvanO_O

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:06 pm PT

    I love the game too, but the satisfaction of having it as an exclusive to the Xbox is out the window now...

  • Edeal

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:03 pm PT

    Thanxxx to Bio...PC is alive..

  • byge

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:02 pm PT

    Good news. I liked Bio wares Rpgs especially neverwinter knights and star wars kotor.

  • Royas

    Posted May 8, 2006 3:01 pm PT

    I hope that they take good advantage of the greater power the PC allows to really improve the game across the board. Done correctly, this could almost be a whole new game. I will wait to read reviews, myself, as I already have the game on the Xbox.

  • Lee2000

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:57 pm PT

    My god fanboys -.-

  • DevJin

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:55 pm PT

    Die 360.

  • Psyren

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:54 pm PT

    Sweet! I was hoping that this would happen. It was only a matter of time.

  • Glazkrak

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:53 pm PT

    ^^^ Same here. There are only two games I want to play on the xbox and now they will both be available on the PC.

  • matthewjackman

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:45 pm PT

    I'm just thankful Bioware has saved me the trouble of buying an Xbox to play one game.

  • tektrader

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:45 pm PT

    Non-PC games are just simple games. To see a game company like BioWare trying to port something from one of 'those systems' to a PC is ridiculous. Good luck with that. I'll wait for NWN2, thanks.

  • DevJin

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:29 pm PT

    We only need a PS3, PSP, and a PC to play all the GAMES out there, HA HA HA (^^) !! SWEET!! bye2 xboxer, just sell your boxes before it's too late!! ha ha ha!!

  • balnso

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:26 pm PT

    great news really.i am looking forward to playing it .i think it wll be great .

  • Oni

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:24 pm PT

    This is news that makes me roll my eyes. I'll pass and focus on their real PC game "Dragon Age". Oh yeah, Gamespot moderators having a field day. Probably didn't read the comments, just saw the word "sucks" and hit "delete" lol.

  • Seraphim_24

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:22 pm PT

    Interesting... Still I love Jade Empire, but I'm more interested in a next gen sequel at the moment than a PC port.

  • gsx1100

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:14 pm PT

    Cool I've always been curious about this game.I enjoyed KOTOR and this is supposed to be similar.

  • jenoke

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:06 pm PT

    I wonder if Bioware will release a 360 version along with the PC port.

  • decebal

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:02 pm PT

    DolphinDude31 Don't buy an XBOX just for those games. That's what I did. I bought a 360 for Jade Empire and Ninja Gaiden Black. I thought NGB will be amazing, but if you played God of War, Ninja Gaiden is a total letdown. I felt so bad for wasting my money. Now my 360 is collecting dust.

    I'm ok, because I am looking forward to some 360 games like Lost Oddysey and Mass Effect... but I could have waited and got a 360 cheaper when they come out.

    If you like more games, then great, go ahead and buy an XBOX. It's a nice system. But if you are like me and the titles you mentioned are the only ones that interest you... then it's a huge waste of money.

    Everything on 360 nowadays, seems to be on PC as well.. Kind of renders the 360 useless, if you have a good pc.

  • frankpaladin

    Posted May 8, 2006 2:01 pm PT

    SEEN!!!!!! finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Drudaddy

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:56 pm PT

    alot of deleted messages i'll say

  • VGMusicFreak

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:45 pm PT

    game is horribly short (only 12 hours) and the story and dialogue are horrible as well. Games like this should be left in last gen.

  • DolphinDude31

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    AWESOME! I was going to get an XBOX for this, Stranger's Wrath, PGR, and Ninja Gaiden...now one more to cross off the list! I read all the reviews and everything of this game even though I didn't have an XBOX...can't wait for this.

  • reallifebatman

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:39 pm PT

    This is rather pathetic, I typically prefer PC over Xbox for Bioware RPGs, and only bought Jade Empire for Xbox thinking that they'd never do a port over to PC, now they are, its just real pathetic.

  • SnowFarmer

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:36 pm PT

    Maybe this is how MS plans to sell those Xbox like controlers that plug in to your PC via USB. Port over a lot of Xbox and 360 games to the PC, but leave the control system hobbled with a mouse and keyboard. Oh yeah and make them all Vista only.

  • got_systems

    Posted May 8, 2006 1:23 pm PT

    Yes new Jade Empire stuff, though it's going to be pretty tough with a keyboard and mouse.

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