IGF Winner Super X Moves Wild Earth From Digital Jesters

Seattle-based independent game developer Super X Studios has announced that it is terminating the company's agreement for its Independent Games Festival-winning Xbox and PC safari adventure title Wild Earth with apparently still-troubled UK-headquartered publisher Digital Jesters and related companies. Though the primary movers at Digital Jesters have apparently announced new funding via a $5 million investment plan with U.S. firm Myriad Interactive, which is headed by Marco Landi, ex-president and COO of Apple Computers, under the name DJ Group, it appears that they will not be honoring many agreements with Digital Jesters developers, despite the clearly related goals and naming of the company. Super X Studios owner James Thrush commented: "It has come to our awareness that the company we signed with, Digital Jesters Limited, will not be able to fulfill its publishing role as its staff and assets are being subsumed by the new DJ Group publishing company. We wish them well on their new venture but as of this moment we are looking to place Wild Earth, which is now completed, with another publisher." Digital Jesters was also recently in the news when representatives from French Bet On Solider developer Kylotonn Entertainment announced a similar severing of ties for its already-published game, alleging "non-payments and breaches of contract perpetrated by the management of Digital Jesters." Wild Earth is a PC and Xbox safari adventure which centers which centers on exploration of the spectacular African terrain and photography of an immense array of beautifully and accurately rendered indigenous flora and fauna, and has also been developed by Super X Studios as a motion simulator thrill ride recently installed in several locations worldwide, including the Philadelphia, San Diego, and Miami zoos. It was the winner of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize, Innovation in Game Design, and Innovation in Visual Art awards at the CMP Game Group-run Independent Games Festival in 2003.