Chronicles of Riddick redux confirmed for '07

This weekend, SpikeTV's GameHead program confirmed rumors that a Chronicles of Riddick game is coming to next-gen consoles. Speaking with host Geoff Keighley, Sierra Entertainment executive producer Pete Wanat confirmed that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is being developed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Assault on Dark Athena will contain all the content from The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which was a critical and commercial hit on the PC and original Xbox. It will also add new material that takes place after the previous game's titular jailbreak and feature reworked graphics.

"This isn't a case when we took the old-gen game and up-rezed it," said Wanat. "All the textures are being redone so it truly looks like a next-gen game." The producer also confirmed that developer Starbreeze, Universal Pictures, and Tigon Studios--Vin Diesel's game company--are all collaborating on the new game. Diesel himself is also doing new voice work for the expanded storyline.

Wanat also confirmed that the PS3 version of the game will take advantage of the console's motion-sensing Sixaxis controller. He called the controller "totally perfect" for the game's shiv-based prison combat, but did not elaborate. Wanat also dodged questions about whether or not Assault on Dark Athena would have a multiplayer component, saying only "it would be beneficial if it did in the era of Xbox Live."

[UPDATE 2] Early Wednesday, Sierra formally announced Assault on Dark Athena--and answered some of the questions Wanat left hanging. The game will indeed "for the first time in the Riddick universe, take action in intense multi-player combat." Sierra clarified that said MP mode would be online-enabled. Both the 360 and PS3 editions of Dark Athena will be released later this year.

Sierra also revealed some plot details about the game. "The game introduces the ominous Merc-ship Dark Athena, which sits silent like a marauding spider, awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy," the publisher said in a statement. "Players must face a large, bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-controllable combat drones, storm though death-defying events and fight fierce enemies in a battle of malice and gore."