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Sleeping Dogs (video game)

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Sleeping Dogs
True Crime: Hong Kong
Sleeping Dogs' box art by Tyler Stout
Developer(s)United Front Games
Square Enix London Studios
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Namco Bandai Games (AUS)[2]
Director(s)Lee Singleton (General manager)
Producer(s)Dan Sochan
Stephen Van Der Mescht (Executive)
Jeff O' Connell (Senior)
Designer(s)Mike Skupa (Director)
Writer(s)Jacob Krarup (Lead)
Composer(s)Jeff Tymoschuk[5]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Genre(s)Open world, third-person shooter, action, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Sleeping Dogs is an open world crime drama video game, developed by United Front Games in conjunction with Square Enix London Studios and published by Square Enix (Namco Bandai Games for Australia), to be released on August 14, 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[6] Sleeping Dogs will take place in Hong Kong and focuses on an undercover operation to infiltrate the Triads.

The game was originally in development as Black Lotus but was announced during 2009 as True Crime: Hong Kong, the third installment and a reboot of the True Crime series.[7] As a result of the game’s high development budget and delays, it was cancelled by Activision in 2011. Six months later, it was announced that Square Enix had picked up the publishing rights to the game, but the game was reannounced as Sleeping Dogs in 2012 as Square Enix did not purchase the True Crime name rights.[8]

Gameplay

The game blends open world elements such as action, street racing and role-playing games elements. The core gameplay of Sleeping Dogs consists of giving the player an open world environment in which to move around freely. Sleeping Dogs is played as an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective action-adventure game with RPG elements. The player controls Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer as he goes undercover to infiltrate the Triad organization called Sun On Yee (A reference to real-life triad gang Sun Yee On). On foot, the player character has the additional ability to walk, run, jump, climb over obstacles and swim, as well as use weapons and Wei Shen's martial arts skills in combat. Players are also capable of driving a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats and motorcycles.[9]

The combat system heavily revolves around hand-to-hand fighting with strong influences from Batman: Arkham Asylum/City's "Freeflow" combat system. The driving segments have been inspired by the Need for Speed series, with several developers having worked on previous Need for Speed titles. If the player is riding a motorcycle, Wei has the ability to jump onto a moving vehicle.[9]

Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain content and parts of the city, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not attempting a storyline mission, players can free-roam, giving them the ability to participate in activities such as stealing cars, join a fight club, karaoke, gambling dens and bet on cockfights. There are also several potential girlfriends for Wei Shen to date in the game. Side missions such as participating in street races can keep the player occupied for hours, and successful completion of such activities offer great rewards to the player. There are also stores within the game that Wei Shen can purchase new clothing from, which give him various bonuses. As suits will increase Face XP, gang attire adds Triad XP, and police uniforms increase Police XP.[9]

Sleeping Dogs features role-playing elements with three different XP stats (Triad XP, Face XP, and Police XP), which emphasized the personalization of the main protagonist. Clothing, accessories and vehicles are available for purchase by Wei, and have more of an effect on non-player characters' reactions. Sleeping Dogs tracks acquired skills in areas such as hand-to-hand combat, which improve through use in the game.[9]

Sleeping Dogs features online stats and leaderboards to compare scores with friends, however, there will be no multiplayer component to the game.

Interface

The interface of the game features a mini-map that displays a map of the city and key locations (safe houses and contact points) or targets. Wei's health is shown by a red semicircle on the left side of the mini-map, while a green semicircle on the right represents armour.[9]

Plot

Sleeping Dogs focuses on a police officer attempting to bring down criminal factions. The game takes place in Hong Kong with players assuming control of Detective Wei Shen, an officer of the San Francisco Police Department sent to assist the Triad Bureau of Hong Kong Police. Wei has returned to Hong Kong after spending most of his life in the United States. Wei has been assigned to go undercover and infiltrate the Triad organization called Sun On Yee. The plot focus on the moral struggle of Wei to stay true to his mission and stop the Triads while maintaining his cover and being as much like the criminals as possible.[10]

Development

Initial version

File:True Crime HK cover art.jpg
The original cover artwork for True Crime: Hong Kong.

True Crime: New York City was met with mixed reviews and did not meet sales expectations. Although a True Crime 3 was said to be in production, these low sales numbers for New York City made Activision cancel a third game and focus on other titles.[11] No mention of another True Crime game was made for several years. Work on a open world action-adventure video game began in 2008 by United Front Games, almost immediately after United Front Games was formed.[12] The game was meant to be a completely original IP called Black Lotus, however Activision (the publisher) decided that the True Crime name would help the game sell, so it then became True Crime: Hong Kong.[13] Then, on December 12, 2009, Activision debuted the announcement trailer for the series third game, simply titled True Crime, at the Spike Video Game Awards 2009. The trailer confirmed that Activision would be publishing and that a new developer, United Front Games, would be developing in place of traditional True Crime developer Luxoflux, largely due to the studio being closed in February 2010.[14]

On August 6, 2010, it was announced that the game would be delayed until 2011 to give more development time.[15] According to Activision CEO, Eric Hirshberg, who’s assured that the August delay of True Crime: Hong Kong had greatly "paid off." "The additional development time invested in this game has really paid off, for gameplay mechanic the make the fighting and shooting as sophisticated as the driving, which is something that’s very hard to achieve in the open-world genre," said Hirshberg.[16]

On February 9, 2011, Activision decided to cancel the game, in order to focus on online games that have a higher margin.[17][18] The game was declared cancelled for being "just not good enough" to compete in the open world genre. Even with its most optimistic projections, said the firm, it couldn't see True Crime reaching the top of the open-world genre.[19][20] Activision didn't expect True Crime to generate enough profit and stopped development.[21][22] United Front Games announced their disappointment on their website: "We are sorry we did not get a chance to complete this project with Activision, but we understand why. We are both committed to doing quality games and nothing less. Maybe we will have a chance to work together in the future, but in the meantime we are setting our creative sights on a different horizon."[23] The game's executive producer Stephen Van Der Mescht told Computer and Video Games that True Crime: Hong Kong was playable from start to finish and "virtually complete" in terms of content before Activision canned it.[24] Despite Activision's low expectations, Van Der Mescht said the game "stood apart" from the competition.[24]

On June 22, 2011, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg explained the reason for the decision, stating that the game’s development budget and delays were, in a sense, also a contributing factor in its cancellation.[25] "The market changed dramatically since the game was first greenlit", Hirshberg said. "Back then, it was possible for more titles with such a large scope as True Crime: Hong Kong to find sizeable audiences". However, according to the CEO, competition has become stiffer and now only the top games end up being successes.[26] Hirshberg didn't foresee True Crime: Hong Kong becoming a blockbuster on the scale of a Grand Theft Auto, and without blockbuster potential, it didn't make sense to compete.[27]

Rights acquired by Square Enix

"Our team has worked very hard to find a solution where everybody wins. Square Enix gets the benefit of the tremendous investment we've made in the game thus far. UFG gets to stay together and complete their vision. And gamers get to play a great game. We couldn't be more thrilled."

—Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg about the publishing rights[28]

On August 2, 2011, Square Enix picked up the publishing rights to the game. Square Enix will still be working with United Front Games on True Crime, but the game will be renamed as Square Enix did not pick up the True Crime IP.[29] "When we first saw and got our hands on the game we fell in love with it," Square Enix London Studios general manager Lee Singleton told Gamasutra. "It's one of those games where you don't want to put the controller down; it's what we call 'sticky'," Singleton added. "When we met the team at United Front Games, it was a done deal in our eyes - we instantly recognised the huge potential in the game and the team."[28] United Front Games' President Stefan Wessels stated he is excited and "really pleased to be working with Square Enix London Studios and their excitement on the game means a great deal to us".[30]

Reports of the rename Sleeping Dogs surfaced following a Sony retailer event in February 2012. No information had been released publicly by Square Enix, but numerous reports from the Destination PlayStation event indicate that the game will be released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in August 2012.[6] Following U.S. online retailer Future Shop Gamer published an image, which looked a lot like True Crime: Hong Kong, but with the Sleeping Dogs logo.[31] A Sleeping Dogs trademark by Square Enix was spotted January 2012, mistakenly associated with a new entry in the Kane & Lynch franchise.[6]

Following the reports, Square Enix revealed that True Crime: Hong Kong is now Sleeping Dogs. The announcement was accompanied by a live action trailer and several in-game screenshots. Square Enix London Studios general manager Lee Singleton stated that Sleeping Dogs "has one of the best melee combat systems out there".[32] The developers stated that the game's fighting system was inspired by Tony Jaa's movie Tom-Yum-Goong.[33]

In May 2012, Mike Fischer, president and chief executive of Square Enix US, said Activision was "crazy" to abandon True Crime: Hong Kong:

The game was, in a sense, discovered. I’m making air quotes: ‘discovered’ by the folks in Wimbledon. The minute they showed it to us, we really felt like we had found a diamond in the rough. Obviously the game was originally True Crime: Hong Kong from Activision. I can’t speak to why they let that go. I’m not going to speculate on their behalf. All I know is, they’ve gotta be crazy. Because this game is just fantastic. The scale and scope of the game really encompasses all of everything you’d want to do in Hong Kong. The acting, the story, the characters are very deep. There’s clearly a lot of inspiration from [the movies] The Departed and Infernal Affairs. You play an undercover cop who starts to feel mixed loyalties. But the open world feels like Batman: Arkham City, the combat feels as good as a fighting game, the driving is as good as a Need for Speed, and the story is every bit as rich as compelling as a Mass Effect. All in one game.[34]

Marketing

Prior to its release, United Front Games is relied heavily on viral marketing. Sleeping Dogs is being marketed and promoted heavily through the use of numerous Internet and TV trailers. Monthly videos were posted on the company's official website and YouTube offering fans a preview of upcoming content.[35] To keep in touch with fans during development, social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter were utilized by members of the game's production team.[36][37] Sleeping Dogs has appeared at game conventions with its own booth, including at Game Developers Conference '12[38], PAX East[39], MCM London Comic Con[40], E3[41] and will maybe appear at Comic Con.

Square Enix has revealed North American pre-order bonuses for Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon shoppers. Each chain is offering up its own exclusive in-game content for the retail versions of the game. Best Buy is offering the "Georges St. Pierre (GSP) Pack", GameStop is offering the "Police Protection Pack", and Amazon is offering the "Martial Arts Pack".[42] A Limited Edition of the game will be available at all UK games retailers for consumers who pre-order, which includes the "George St. Pierre (GSP) Pack" and the "Police Protection Pack".[3] A special edition for Australia will be available at EB Games and JB Hi-Fi, and carry the same price tag as the standard edition, but will be limited stock only. The special edition includes the "George St. Pierre (GSP) Pack", the "Police Protection Pack" and the "Martial Arts Pack".[2] Exclusive content for the digital PC version of Sleeping Dogs will be announced at a later date.[3]

A demo for the game is set to be released on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.[43][44]

Reception

Preview

Previewers who had access to the game in February 2012 compared the games elements to several other critically acclaimed games[45], praising the free running aspect of the game (similar to the Assassin's Creed series),[46] the melee combat systems (similar to Batman: Arkham City),[46][47][48] the slow-motion while shooting (similar to the Max Payne series),[47] the vehicular combat (similar to Just Cause 2),[47] the mission structure (similar to the Grand Theft Auto series),[47][48] and the depth of the storyline.[47][13]

References

  1. ^ "Sleeping Dogs release date announced". New Game Network. 13 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Harris, Leigh. "Sleeping Dogs to receive ANZ exclusive special edition | Asia Pacific games industry news". MCV Pacific. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  3. ^ a b c Ivan, Tom (2012-04-13). "News: Sleeping Dogs gets August release date". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  4. ^ "Square Enix confirms Sleeping Dogs for Japan". VG247. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  5. ^ "Filmmusicsite.com - Interview with Brian Tyler". Filmmusicsite.com. Retrieved 05/08/2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ a b c computerandvideogames.com Andy Robinson. "Sleeping Dogs Release Date and Platforms Announced". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  7. ^ "True Crime Gets a New Name, Lets Sleeping Dogs Lie". Kotaku.com. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  8. ^ "Square Enix Nabs Rights To True Crime: Hong Kong From Activision". Gamasutra. 2011-08-01. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  9. ^ a b c d e SleepingDogs. "Sleeping Dogs 101 Trailer [HD]". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  10. ^ "Gamers to Return Deep Undercover With True Crime in 2010". 2009-12-14.
  11. ^ Ink, Thorsen (2006-01-11). "True Crime and Gun sequels stillborn?". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  12. ^ GamerAccess (2012-04-16). "Sleeping Dogs: Cringing Brutality At Its Peak (Interview) - PAX East 2012". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  13. ^ a b "Preview: Getting in deep with the Triads in Sleeping Dogs". Destructoid. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  14. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (2009-12-12). "True Crime spree hitting Hong Kong". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  15. ^ "True Crime: Hong Kong delayed". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  16. ^ "True Crime delay paid off, says Activision CEO". That VideoGame Blog. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  17. ^ "Activision Dissolves Guitar Hero Business, Refocuses On Digital". Gamasutra. 2011-02-09. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  18. ^ "Activision Blizzard Reports December Quarter and Calendar Year 2010 Financial Results". Activision. 2011-02-09. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  19. ^ computerandvideogames.com Andy Robinson (2011-02-09). "Confirmed: Activision axes Guitar Hero, True Crime". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  20. ^ Dutton, Fred (2011-02-09). "True Crime was "not good enough" News". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  21. ^ "True Crime: Hong Kong gets Cancelled". Destructoid.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  22. ^ Thorsen, Tor (2011-02-09). "Guitar Hero business unit disbanded, True Crime: Hong Kong canceled, Tony Hawk on hold". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  23. ^ computerandvideogames.com Andy Robinson (2011-02-10). "True Crime dev 'sorry' over cancellation". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  24. ^ a b computerandvideogames.com Andy Robinson (2011-02-10). "True Crime was 'virtually complete'". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  25. ^ "Acti: True Crime wouldn't have hit "the top" of its genre". VG247. 2011-06-23. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  26. ^ "Why Activision Cancelled True Crime: Hong Kong". Cinemablend.com. 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  27. ^ Klepek, Patrick (2011-08-01). "Rise From Your Grave, True Crime: Hong Kong". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  28. ^ a b computerandvideogames.com Tom Ivan (2011-08-02). "News: Square Enix picks up True Crime: Hong Kong rights". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  29. ^ "News - Square Enix Nabs Rights To True Crime: Hong Kong From Activision". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  30. ^ "Square Enix will publish True Crime: Hong Kong under a new name | SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS". Member.eu.square-enix.com. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  31. ^ Yin, Wesley (2012-02-08). "Square Enix announces Sleeping Dogs at retailer event". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  32. ^ Yin, Wesley (2012-02-08). "Square Enix makes Sleeping Dogs official". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  33. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2012/04/25/sleeping-dogs-fighting-system-inspired-by-tony-jaa-action-flick-the-protector/ Sleeping Dogs’ Fighting System Inspired By Tony Jaa Action Flick "The Protector"
  34. ^ May 25, 2012 8:00 AM (2012-05-25). "Square Enix's Mike Fischer says Activision was "crazy" to abandon True Crime: Hong Kong (interview)". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2012-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ sleepingdogsgame. "Sleeping Dogs - Youtube". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  36. ^ "Sleeping Dogs - Facebook". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  37. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/sleepingdogs
  38. ^ Johnson, Neilie. "GDC 2012 Preview: Sleeping Dogs - Free video game downloads, news, reviews, videos, patches, demos, screenshots and more at AtomicGamer". Atomicgamer.com. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  39. ^ "Sleeping Dogs Beats Up PAX East (PC) - GameSpot Video". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  40. ^ "Sleeping Dogs to Make UK Debut at MCM London Comic Con". Electronic Theatre. 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
  41. ^ "Square Enix E3 2012 lineup detailed – no Versus XIII". VG247. 2012-05-07. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  42. ^ April 13, 2012 8:36AM PDT (2012-04-13). "Sleeping Dogs awakens August 14". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 2012-05-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ "Sleeping Dogs - Possible Demo". Forums.sleepingdogs.net. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  44. ^ HipHopGamer1 (2012-04-15). "Sleeping Dogs, Ninja, Max Payne 3, Borderlands 2: Welcome To The PAX HipHopGamerShow". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-05-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ "Sleeping Dogs gets first footage, impressions". VG247. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  46. ^ a b By CVG Staff for computerandvideogames.com (2012-02-17). "Preview: Sleeping Dogs: 'The best combat you'll get in an open-world game' Gameplay Preview". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  47. ^ a b c d e "Sleeping Dogs is Arkham City meets Just Cause ..." GamesRadar. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  48. ^ a b "Sleeping Dogs PS3 preview: GTA meets Arkham City. With power tools". Official PlayStation Magazine. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
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