Sign on Options
Theme: [Light Selected] To Dark»

Scribblenauts dev sights up XBLA

5TH Cell cofounder Jeremiah Slaczka says upcoming downloadable console title will be "pretty big," but still "far away."

5TH Cell has thus far made its bones creating original handheld properties for Nintendo's best-selling DS. To date, the Bellevue, Washington-based indie developer has scored critical successes with Scribblenauts, Lock's Quest, and Drawn to Life. However, with Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter nearing its release date, 5TH Cell cofounder and creative director Jeremiah Slaczka told GameSpot in August that the studio is ready to advance into the console market.

As part of an interview with industry news site Gamasutra, Slaczka gave a clearer indication of 5TH Cell's console direction, saying that the studio is currently at work on a downloadable title for Xbox Live. "It's going to be pretty big," he said. "It's totally not ready to be announced. It's far away. The only thing that we've really announced is we're working on console stuff, and we'll see where it goes."

Slaczka went on to note that the shift toward console development is part of a larger effort to continue expanding the reach and scope of the company.

"We're competing against companies like Square Enix and Nintendo, triple-A products," he said. "People hold us to the same standard, which I'm totally fine with--I want them to hold us to that standard. But they get three years, and I get one year. That's the big difference. I feel like a boxer with one hand [tied behind] my back. I can make incredible stuff in three years, you know?"

For more on 5TH Cell, check out GameSpot's review of the studio's most recent effort, Scribblenauts.

Tom Magrino
By Tom Magrino

Tom Magrino has covered the games industry since 2006. He's been compared to Steve Martin by Ozzy Osbourne and Daniel Craig by Tim Schafer. His voice, heard largely on GameSpot's podcast, recalls that of Kermit the Frog. It ain't easy bein' Magreen.

Post comment as twitter logo facebook logo
Sort: Newest | Oldest
SonicDBZRacer 5 pts

If 5th Cell is competeing against Nintendo, why do they make games for them? LOL.

Exactlamento 5 pts

did you guys here about the Scribblenaut Sambo controversy!! I really hope they don't get rid of it in this build.

kamikaze_pigmy 5 pts

@ Me2nice, they didnt say it was a scribblenauts for XBL, they said they were developing a title, it'll likely be complete different from thier DS titles

Me2nice 5 pts

How exactly are they going to replicate the scribbling on XBLA? I pretty sure the stylus/pen, not a controller or your finger (in the case Natal) is the best way to do it, for thats what it was made for.

SalarianChemist 5 pts

This is great news, but lets just hope two things happen: 1. Let's make sure the game is good 2. Let's make sure the game is inexpensive Paying $10 for a worthless game such as Leisure Suit Larry just isn't right when we can spend that same amount of money on the legendary Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with remixed graphics and 5.1 sound on Xbox Live Arcade. Enough $15 games, and let's get back to $5 for the games, unless they are Castlevania quality, which deserves the price of $10. Only games like Super Street Fighter 2 that are in true 1080p should be $15.

Petercairns 5 pts

Kool hope they make somthing good!

fatpumba3 5 pts

Lol a Griffin wearing a sombrero awesome stuff.

frazzle00 5 pts

I think that Scribblenauts is overrated. It could do with better puzzles and controls. Having a story of some sort (like the Professor Layton titles) would really help as well.

VXLbeast 5 pts

These guys are still a little new at all this, but they have great potential.

jmartinez1983 5 pts

So, he makes Scribblenauts then starts comparing himself to Nintendo and Square?

lukas1051 5 pts

Damn, I knew I should've waited. Don't get me wrong, Scribblenauts is a great game, but the controls are just horrible.

eyebrowless 5 pts

i can see them making a game that uses voice recognition. that'd be sweet

LoserMike 7 pts

I'm surprised they're not doing iPhone games. Scribblenauts would be perfect on the iPhone.

dontstopmenow01 5 pts

I liked Scribblenauts, and I'm sure whatever 5th Cell brings to XBLA (or PSN, DSi Store) will be good stuff.

Jelley0 5 pts

@Killer rabbit20 How did it sound like it should be only on Wiiware and Dsiware? I said it should be on Wiiware and Dsiware and I said nothing more. Just because I don't meantion anything else, it doesn't mean I don't think it should be on anything else. Think of it as a suggestion.. It's honestly not that hard to misinterpret. I'm done argueing on what I said...

killer_rabbit20 5 pts

@ Jelley0 The way you said it sounded like it should only be on Wiiware and DS store, not on the 360 too.

Jelley0 5 pts

@Futil1ty: Yes, that is exactly what I meant. I never said it shouldn't be on another system.

Futil1ty 5 pts

@Jelley0: I think everyone REALLY MISSED what you were trying to say. You meant that if it's going to be something like "Scribblenauts", it should be on DS and Wii too...right?

Jelley0 5 pts

@killer_rabbit20 Dude, I never said it shouldn't be on another system. I said it should be on Dsiware and Wiiware, not meaning it should be only on those two. I really don't understand why I got -8

gohan2710 5 pts

yay, lets see if something good comes out of it, and hopefully its multiplatform, so everyone can enjoy. :)

athenian29 5 pts

Yeah, Scribblenauts! My mom has the gall to think it's a kid's game. What a chovanist - Pokemon is for kids. Scribblenauts? Not in a thousand years.

killer_rabbit20 5 pts

@Jelley0 Why can't it just be on both the Wiiware and XBLA? What difference does it make? It's not like it will make the game worse if it's put on both consoles. Saying it should only be on one console is just fanboy crap, because you don't want a good game to be on another console.

Jelley0 5 pts

It should be on Wiiware or Dsiware if it's going to be anything like the game they just made.

AncientDozer 9 pts

Haha, I like scribblenauts. It's a neat game where you can sick cthulhu on people. But it reminds me of the Zero punctuation review where you pretty much Cthulhu everything to win. I have no issue with that. xD

magicalclick 6 pts

Well, the scriblenauts will work well on Natal, but I am sure their game on x360 is not scriblenauts thought. Hope it is as original as Scriblenauts.

jmizzal 10 pts

I hope they are also working on Wii or Wiiware, they are pretty big in the Nintendo community that would make more sense.

nickmax1234 5 pts

@squidracerx you can use the keyboard with some 360 games, idk about scibblenauts though

squidracerX 5 pts

i want a working scribblenauts for ps3 so i can use my keyboard!

itsTolkien_time 5 pts

*sigh* I hope they produce some more for the DS too. I don't know how they will fare in the console market, but I hope they keep up the original titles and don't fall into monotony.

Intrakitt 5 pts

8smokes: He's not making Scribblenauts on the 360. Read the friggin article. It's going to be a brand new game.

8smokes 13 pts

I wonder how this is going to be on XBLA. Obviously the game's pretty dependent on the stylus-touch interface. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

wilard34 5 pts

As a gamer, Scribblenauts shook me to my core, simply because of this: Keyboard Cat. I don't what was worse, the fact that some guy/girl on the dev team thought it would be good idea to ACTUALLY include the internet meme Keyboard Cat, OR that fact that I actually (without knowing it was able to used) typed it in and used it to solve a puzzle.

WAIW 5 pts

Hope it's Lock's Quest 2. I've overdosed on Scribblenauts.

Conversation powered by Livefyre

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

  • New Star Wars game coming to E3

    New Star Wars game coming to E3 Thumbnail

    LucasArts to offer first look at new project May 31 on Spike, with gameplay debut slated for June 4 during annual Los Angeles tradeshow. Full Story

    • Posted May 25, 2012 1:14 pm PT
  • Reckoning dev lays off entire staff - Report

    Reckoning dev lays off entire staff - Report Thumbnail

    [UPDATE]: Source says beleaguered 38 Studios and Big Huge Games sent out pink slips to all employees, believed to number close to 400. Rhode Island governor calls Kingdoms of Amalur a "failure." Full Story

    • Posted May 24, 2012 1:59 pm PT
  • Skyrim adds mounted combat

    Skyrim adds mounted combat Thumbnail

    Update now live for PC version of latest Elder Scrolls title that allows players to do melee and ranged damage while on a horse; console release TBA. Full Story

    • Posted May 25, 2012 7:04 am PT
  • Diablo III servers not hacked - Blizzard

    Diablo III servers not hacked - Blizzard Thumbnail

    Dev says number of reported potential account compromises "extremely small," real money auction house delayed again; working "around the clock" to address issues. Full Story

    • Posted May 24, 2012 1:30 pm PT
  • Xbox 360 should be banned in US, says judge

    Xbox 360 should be banned in US, says judge Thumbnail

    [UPDATE] ITC judge recommends US import ban on 4GB and 250GB Xbox 360 slim consoles amid ongoing patent dispute with Motorola; Microsoft confident board will rule in its favor. Full Story

    • Posted May 23, 2012 7:17 am PT

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!