Episodic Doctor Who Game To Be Free Digital Download

[DangerousDaze]

A new four-part episodic Doctor Who adventure game is to be released concurrently with the new season that stars Matt Smith as the legendary Time Lord.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/Dangerousdaze/DoctorWhonewpic1.jpg

In a move designed to delight fans (and news writers) everywhere the games will be distributed digitally, and for free! "Doctor Who: The Adventure Games", to be developed by Sumo Digital in conjunction with Charles Cecil, of Broken Sword fame, are financed by the BBC's license fee and as such can only be distributed gratis under the terms of the BBC's public service remit.

"It might put a few people’s noses out of joint and turn things on their head a bit given that it’s free," said Cecil. "But most importantly I think this can redefine what people expect of a computer game in terms of its story and really prioritise narrative as a part of the medium. That can only be a good thing.”

The stories will be penned by Phil Ford (co-writer Doctor Who 'Waters of Mars') and James Moran ('Torchwood Children of Earth') and executive produced by new Doctor Who supremo, Steven Moffat. Expect to see the first of the four episodes released for PC and Mac in June 2010 on the BBC's Doctor Who website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_100408_01/Doctor_Who_Adventure_Games_announced).

Source: BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_100408_01/Doctor_Who_Adventure_Games_announced) and MCV (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38383/First-Doctor-Who-game-dodges-retail?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mcvuk%2FoXMK+%28MCV%3A+games+ industry+news%29)

[Jason]

I'll give the game a go once it's out.

[Deimos]

I'll give it a go also. Of course that's only if the BBC is allowing this to be downloaded in America.

[MinorHero]

It will be funny when folks outside of England will have to pirate a free game to play it. I expect that in much the same way folks outside of england can not view doctor who episodes online via the bbc website, they won't be able to download this game.

[Inspector Fowler]

I always envision the BBC as our PBS but with an armed mob that comes to your house and takes your money, instead of running weaksauce pledge drives.

I would gladly pay for some content - I've been buying Top Gear episodes on Xbox Live, for example. But since the Brits have to pay anyway, I suppose they should be allowed free access to the content.

[Mike Kelehan]

I'll give it a go also. Of course that's only if the BBC is allowing this to be downloaded in America.

It won't be downloadable in America, at least not for free. However, I can't imagine they'll go crazy with DRM, so I think we'll be able to play it without too much trouble.

Or, perhaps, it'll be sold. I think the BBC would be very smart to have a subscription based service for the rest of us.

[MosBen]

I'm not completely sold on Matt Smith yet, but I'm always down for Doctor Who.

[Deimos]

It won't be downloadable in America, at least not for free. However, I can't imagine they'll go crazy with DRM, so I think we'll be able to play it without too much trouble.

Or, perhaps, it'll be sold. I think the BBC would be very smart to have a subscription based service for the rest of us.

I figured that would be the case. I really wish the BBC would let those of us in America pay a small subscription to enjoy their services online.

[Ravenlock]

As with others, hoping that there's a reasonable way for us to access it, I'll look forward to checking this out. The Dr. Who universe certainly seems ripe for adventure gaming.

[LongStepMantis]

As a US citizen and a huge fan of both Dr. Who and adventure games, I only have one thing to say:

bw4uj_ZPHvY

[muddi900]

The Digital Age(TM)
Stealing shit that's already free

[boratika]

The Digital Age(TM)
Stealing shit that's already free

It's not free, it's part of an already paid subscription.

[BigJonno]

I'd love to see the BBC starting some kind of paid subscription service for the rest of the world. Anything that increases their budget is fine by me.

[Trebor]

The BBC Doctor Who web site says the game will be free, so I'm somewhat confused here when Mike Kelehan says it won't be free. Did the meaning of the word "free" change recently? As for it not being downloadable in the U.S.A. I find that one hard to swallow too.

[muddi900]

It's not free, it's part of an already paid subscription.

I was just commenting on how the discussion went from "YAAAAY! free games" to "Fuck the noise! Torrent that shit!" in a matter of minutes, with no basis on fact.

I'd love to see the BBC starting some kind of paid subscription service for the rest of the world. Anything that increases their budget is fine by me.

Except the demand isn't big enough to cover the millions of pounds in international licensing they get. Old media stifling a new medium and all that jazz.

[Inspector Fowler]

The BBC Doctor Who web site says the game will be free, so I'm somewhat confused here when Mike Kelehan says it won't be free. Did the meaning of the word "free" change recently? As for it not being downloadable in the U.S.A. I find that one hard to swallow too.

Really? Have you tried to watch BBC episodes on their website(s) lately from the US? They are not available. The thought is not that the game won't be free in the United States but that it won't be available unless they offer it up for pay.

The BBC is a bizarre entity. They force taxpayers to subsidize their (admittedly pretty decent) content. They use music for which they have not paid licenses (Top Gear uses music from movies the same week they release in theaters sometimes). They therefore cannot license some stuff in other countries - and this makes sense. Why should I get, for free, something that British citizens have paid for, or which is violating my country's copyright laws?

[LongStepMantis]

I was just commenting on how the discussion went from "YAAAAY! free games" to "Fuck the noise! Torrent that shit!" in a matter of minutes, with no basis on fact.


No offense, but where is anyone saying this? I don't see anyone encouraging or even condoning piracy.

[Mike Kelehan]

"Doctor Who: The Adventure Games", to be developed by Sumo Digital in conjunction with Charles Cecil, of Broken Sword fame, are financed by the BBC's license fee and as such can only be distributed gratis under the terms of the BBC's public service remit.

The BBC Doctor Who web site says the game will be free, so I'm somewhat confused here when Mike Kelehan says it won't be free. Did the meaning of the word "free" change recently? As for it not being downloadable in the U.S.A. I find that one hard to swallow too.

It's not free, it's part of an already paid subscription.

UK residents pay about $20/month for their TV license, which pays for the BBC's programming. This also includes the iPlayer on their website, which we can't access, because we're not paying for it. On the other hand, they do SELL Dr. Who internationally to other networks, and I think that's what's going to happen here. If they choose not to sell it over here, then yes, we'll have no choice but to torrent it. I don't mind saying that I torrent games and television shows that I actually cannot buy over here.

This game is NOT free. It's financed by every UK taxpayer that owns a television.

[Trebor]

UK residents pay about $20/month for their TV license, which pays for the BBC's programming. This also includes the iPlayer on their website, which we can't access, because we're not paying for it. On the other hand, they do SELL Dr. Who internationally to other networks, and I think that's what's going to happen here. If they choose not to sell it over here, then yes, we'll have no choice but to torrent it. I don't mind saying that I torrent games and television shows that I actually cannot buy over here.

This game is NOT free. It's financed by every UK taxpayer that owns a television.

Ah, now it becomes clear. Thanks for the clarification.

[LongStepMantis]

UK residents pay about $20/month for their TV license, which pays for the BBC's programming. This also includes the iPlayer on their website, which we can't access, because we're not paying for it. On the other hand, they do SELL Dr. Who internationally to other networks, and I think that's what's going to happen here. If they choose not to sell it over here, then yes, we'll have no choice but to torrent it. I don't mind saying that I torrent games and television shows that I actually cannot buy over here.

This game is NOT free. It's financed by every UK taxpayer that owns a television.

That's what I assumed as well. Yes, it's free for UK citizens who already pay for their television license. As someone outside the UK who does not contribute to the BBC's funding, I expect to have to pay for it. If they announce that it won't be sold or distributed at all outside the UK either, well, then I'll weigh my options.

[J Arcane]

Really? Have you tried to watch BBC episodes on their website(s) lately from the US? They are not available. The thought is not that the game won't be free in the United States but that it won't be available unless they offer it up for pay.

The BBC is a bizarre entity. They force taxpayers to subsidize their (admittedly pretty decent) content. They use music for which they have not paid licenses (Top Gear uses music from movies the same week they release in theaters sometimes). They therefore cannot license some stuff in other countries - and this makes sense. Why should I get, for free, something that British citizens have paid for, or which is violating my country's copyright laws?

It's not really that bizarre. They can use copyrighted music largely because they are a non-profit organization, so they're not making actual money of it's use. The laws in Britain are also different which allows such things to be done more affordably.

BBC is basically no different than our PBS, it's just much bigger, and the taxes that fund it are more open and specifically laid out than just coming from the general budget like they do in the US. Because it's separate tax as well, it means they have a funding source they can count on, instead of potentially getting some congressman with an axe to grind to cut their budget and force them to rely on corporate and private sponsors instead, like what happens here.

I think it's fantastic. Yeah I'd imagine it sucks having to pay the license fee, but look what you get for it? The BBC has produced some seriously awesome stuff over the years. Fuck, if *I* could pay the license fee, I would, just to not have to torrent so many of my favorite Brit shows anymore.

[Serapth]

Isn't kinda funny how much BBC shows have improved in the last 10 years or so. I mean really, other than a few oddities like Black Adder, BBC programming was pretty efing horrible, pretty much on par with PBS, unless soaps were your thing.

Now they bring us Top Gear, Torchwood, Doctor Who( that dont suck ), Spooks, The Office, Extras, and a bunch of series I dont personally watch ( Mi-5, Robin Hood, some show about after the bomb ). Would be nice to see the CBC start producing good content.

Well except Torchwood, which oddly enough the CBC did produce... please no more fucking reboots of Anne of Green Gables, that shit sucked in its first second and third form, please something new!



Oh, I do have to say, BBC pricing in Canada blow. 90$ for a tv season, fuck that!

[BigJonno]

TV licensing isn't much at all, about £12-15 a month or something like that. As someone who has studied the history of journalism a bit, I love having the BBC. The idea of all of our media being commercially controlled is just as worrying to me as all of it being state controlled. Knowing that the BBC doesn't have to justify anything it does to investors or shareholders is a great comfort.

[Serapth]

TV licensing isn't much at all, about £12-15 a month or something like that. As someone who has studied the history of journalism a bit, I love having the BBC. The idea of all of our media being commercially controlled is just as worrying to me as all of it being state controlled. Knowing that the BBC doesn't have to justify anything it does to investors or shareholders is a great comfort.

I remember reading something that gays took over the BBC ( in a British paper ). Funny thing is, they made a pretty good point instead of just being hate speech. Apparently the number of producers and writers that are gay is quite high, especially in proportion to the population.

This is where state media gets scary, when a segment with a very defined agenda or bias has a misappropriate amount of control.

[Inspector Fowler]

The idea of all of our media being commercially controlled is just as worrying to me as all of it being state controlled.

I will agree with you 100% on that.

You will, however, recall that our two nations had a rather unpleasant scuffle regarding the amount we were being taxed. You may say we are somewhat allergic to being taxed for things. ABC or CNN or Fox or whoever may be just as biased as any state-controlled media, but they also don't take any money from me.

[MagGnome]

I'm not completely sold on Matt Smith yet, but I'm always down for Doctor Who.

I'm sold! He's dreamy. ;)

I can't wait for this game. Hopefully it's good.


The BBC is a bizarre entity. They force taxpayers to subsidize their (admittedly pretty decent) content.

You are aware that PBS is at least partially funded by American tax dollars, correct? I realize that you have a political agenda against the BBC and other things funded by the government, but to paint them as "the mob" is ridiculous, to say the least.


I remember reading something that gays took over the BBC ( in a British paper ). Funny thing is, they made a pretty good point instead of just being hate speech. Apparently the number of producers and writers that are gay is quite high, especially in proportion to the population.

This is where state media gets scary, when a segment with a very defined agenda or bias has a misappropriate amount of control.

Did you just say that the gays are pushing their "agenda" through the BBC? Congratulations on channeling Anita Bryant there.

I guess one could argue that old straight white men control the agenda in the US, which is pretty fucking scary IMHO.

[Serapth]

Did you just say that the gays are pushing their "agenda" through the BBC? Congratulations on channeling Anita Bryant there.

I guess one could argue that old straight white men control the agenda in the US, which is pretty fucking scary IMHO.

Not much of an argument at all, I think that is pretty much exactly true.

[MagGnome]

The first part, or the second part?

I'd like to see evidence of the gays pushing their "agenda", whatever that is. Maybe it's on Top Gear?

[DangerousDaze]

Please stay on topic. This is the news forum, not P&R.