100 Bullets was in
its fourth year of publication when Acclaim Entertainment signed
a deal with DC Comics and Vertigo to publish and develop a video game
adaptation of the series in 2003. The comic first appeared for sale in July of
1999 with Volume 1 by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso for $2.50 US dollars.
The press release for the announcement closed out by stating the game would
become available a year later in 2004 for what was then, “next-generation systems.” That is, the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and
GameCube consoles. These systems had all been out for at least two years by
summer 2003 however, and the Xbox 360 would not be announced until E3 2005,
making the next-generation systems claim outdated.
Part hard-boiled crime story, part paranoid espionage
thriller, 100 Bullets follows what happens when people from all walks of life
meet Agent Graves, a mysterious figure who offers his “clients” the
opportunity of a lifetime: an attaché case containing the proof, the gun, and
the carte blanche immunity to exact revenge on a person who’s done them an
irrevocable wrong. But who is Agent Graves? An emissary from an unknown
government bureau? A rich man getting his kicks from granting people a personal
justice where the judicial system has failed? Or is there something more
sinister at work, a hidden framework that links his clients’ personal dramas in
a twisted game of shadowy conspiracies?
“The 100 Bullets
universe possesses all of the key elements that comprise what consumers are
looking for in today’s games – great characters, deep storytelling and
edge-of-your-seat action,” said Marc Metis, Senior Vice President of
Brand Management for Acclaim. “In
keeping with its comic book origin, we will challenge players to ‘think before
they shoot’ and allow them to explore the moral implications of their actions.”
“We’re exited to
bring the first of VERTIGO’s preeminent titles to the video game consoles,”
said John Nee, DC Comics, Vice President - Business Development. “This will redefine what a comic book game
can be.”
The game never released of course, and died its first death
at the hands of Acclaim Entertainment’s bankruptcy in September of 2004.
Before Acclaim’s demise, a playable version of 100 Bullets was shown off before, at,
and after E3 2004. It was in GameSpot’s
January 2004 preview, a mere 7 months after the announcement, that game press
got their first look. A new character was introduced alongside the comic’s Cole
Burns: Snow Falls. She was a female character and would alternate with Cole
over the course of the story.
A lock on system featured a timed mechanic in which the
player could lock on quickly, or wait and allow the lock on to become more
accurate for more damage. The game also allowed you to take human shields and
smash their heads into walls when they wore out their use. This was years
before Gears of Wars’ meat shields
and neck snaps.
IGN
also had their own session, comparing the game to Max Payne, Minority Report,
and Dead to Rights. They claimed the
game was 50-60% completed, and made mention of a gameplay feature teased by developer
Acclaim Studios Austin that would be later revealed at E3.
At E3 2004 Acclaim lets loose the details on their unique
gameplay feature, a rage meter that, when activated, kills everyone in the room
with a flashy animation. The ability was later changed from an animation to
something the player had an active role in. You would “paint” the
targets you wanted dead and would be quickly dispatched once the attack began.
Despite the positive coverage, parent company Acclaim
Entertainment went bankrupt and laid off all of their staff in August of 2004.
It wasn’t until May
of 2006 that we hear of a possible 100
Bullets video game again when Warner Brothers Interactive and D3 Publishing
Inc pick up the deal with DC and Vertigo. They give a release window of Q3
2007, just a year from announcement, and list the platforms as PlayStation 3,
Xbox 360, Wii, and the PlayStation Portable.
“100 Bullets has
all the elements necessary to translate exceptionally well into video games,”
said Careen Yapp, vice president of licensing and business development of D3PA.
“We look forward to bringing the
unique characters and storyline of 100 Bullets to life with the latest
interactive technology and graphics, and will work closely with Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics/Vertigo to maintain the authenticity
consumers demand.”
However, 2007 comes and goes, the PlayStation 3 and Wii
launch, and it is not until April of 2008 that we again hear about 100 Bullets. Following up on a rumor of
the game’s release date being pushed to February 2009, Joystiq
reaches out to D3 who respond with, “we
are working on the game from the ground up but we do not have any more details
than that.” A little strange that the game announced in 2006 with an
attached release date of 2007 was still being worked on “from the ground
up” in early 2008.
Again, another year passes and we don’t get any mention of
the game until 100 Bullets creator
Azzarello gives an interview with Wired
in April 2009. He states the game is dead and is generally optimistic about a
future deal, “I know we can make the
story work as a game. I have an open mind about that.”
However, a few months later when speaking to Digital
Spy, Azzarello mentions the game again saying, “100 Bullets is a really seductive name for a video game, but if you try
to stay true to the story of 100 Bullets, it’s not a very good video game. [The
100 Bullets game] was nothing I was ever looking for, but when the opportunity
arose, we thought, might as well see what happens.”
D3 Publisher Inc is still around, mainly working on licensed
games. Bandai Namco took over in 2009 after gaining a controlling share of the
company, and currently owns about 95% of its stock. Warner Bros Interactive,
meanwhile, is far too interested in larger Triple A efforts with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Batman: Arkham Knight, Mad Max, and the various Lego properties
to go back for a forgotten IP.