Propaganda Developing Pirates Of The Caribbean: Armada Of The Damned

Disney-owned Propaganda Games is breaking away from its dinosaur-ridden past, instead turning to seafaring pirates. Disney Interactive Studios said that the Vancouver-based Turok developer is currently at work on Pirates Of The Caribbean: Armada Of The Damned, an open world action RPG whose story takes place prior to the events of the Johnny Depp-starring blockbuster films. The video game is slated for fall 2010 for consoles and PC. Armada of the Damned puts players in the role of a pirate, and incorporates “numerous moral and character choices” that will affect the game's story and world. Propaganda’s first and only game to date is 2008’s Unreal Engine 3-powered first-person shooter Turok. For months, the studio had been hinting that it is working on an action RPG as its next project. Overseeing the project is Dan Tudge, VP and general manager of Propaganda, who recently left his role at BioWare, where he was heading up development of the high-profile RPG Dragon Age. In a statement, he said, “Our team’s collective experience with industry-leading RPGs and action titles provides a strong foundation for us to create and build a compelling action role-playing title.” The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which started as a theme park ride at Disney, has spawned multiple video games, including 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and the online Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Disney Interactive Studios said it has shipped over 6 million units of Pirates of the Caribbean video games worldwide. The three films have grossed over $2.6 billion in theaters.