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ground control to major tor

Gamespot has begun a column called Rumor Control, which I enjoy. However today's listing makes it hard to take them seriously:
RUMOR #5: EA has begun development on a game based on the upcoming Halle Berry movie Catwoman.
Source: Too many to count--apparently this Ms. Berry is rather popular.
The official story: "As you probably already know, EA makes it a policy not to comment on rumors."--Electronic Arts
What we heard: Not much--just that the game will be released this year. However, two facts cast doubt on the story. First, the movie's July 30th release date is only six months away. That's not a lot of time to develop a high-profile film tie-in game, which usually take at least a year (unless it's Gods and Generals). Secondly, Warner Bros. is financing and distributing Catwoman. Two weeks ago, the studio re-launched its games division--inventively titled Warner Bros. Interactive--with the mission statement that the subsidiary would "focus on the creation, development, production, and distribution of games under the Warner Bros. Games brand." Wouldn't Catwoman be a perfect debut game for the fledgling publisher? Since there's no way it can be finished in time for the movie's marketing blitz, Warner Bros. Interactive could take its time. And Lord knows corporations like their synergy....
Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.
While I am both a fan and practitioner of wild, inexplicable Self Confidence, Tor's judgement that the title is "Bogus" smacks of naïveté. It assumes that the Catwoman game would be starting production now. It assumes that the reincarnated games division of Warner Bros. would handle it, since it's a flagship title. Or if an EA project, he again cites the timeframe, as if only has projects that have been announced to the public via press sources. It seems more likely that the game could have been started some time ago, potentially through an external developer.

Well, hell. It's only a rumor, but I'd like to rely on a news source that purports to be thinking about possibility level to actually do some thinking. (via gamespot)

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