The most interesting aspect of Liithos’ announcement was obviously the prospect of seeing what an alliance between Michael Mumbauer and John Garvin could bring. The first was the former boss of PlayStation’s visual arts department, who left Sony after realizing his dream of becoming a full-fledged studio would not come true under the guidance of Jim Ryan and Hermen. hurst. The Last of Us Part 1, remember? According to information provided by Jason Schreier, it was Michael Mumbauer’s team who started work on this PS5 remake before Naughty Dog took over the project completely.
John Garvin, who acknowledged and explained the responsibility for his firing from Bend Studio, has been the team’s lead game writer since the first Siphon Filter. His volcanic temperament clearly contributed to this departure, and somehow contributed to the work of Sony, which apparently didn’t want to validate a Days Gone sequel.
It’s probably no coincidence that John Garvin is now working on a new open-world action-adventure game called Ashfall, which is meant to be released on consoles and PC. The game is set in the Pacific Northwest (yes, like Days Gone), but hundreds of years in the future, as global warming has ravaged the planet in alternating floods and fires. So far everything seems to be working fine, but the launch of Liithos brings its game into a “Web 3.0” based modernity which is not good for understanding the project.
John Gavin and Michael Monbauer
“Our goal is to create a true next-generation open world experience that leverages new technologies to support user-generated content. As always, we’re focused on creating beloved characters, engaging stories, evolving gameplay, and a fun world to explore, not just in games but in other media as well.”, Michael Mumbauer assured shareholders in a press release, not for players.”At Liithos, we want to bring the next evolution of AAA gaming to the masses with unprecedented connectivity.”, he added. To this end, Ashfall relies on the Hedera network, a cryptocurrency that serves as an alternative to blockchain technology and is less harmful to the environment.
That’s good, because Ashfall will have players fighting for survival in a world suffering from the devastating effects of global warming. It was advertised as a networked single-player game that would evolve into a PvP and PvE multiplayer cross-media world. According to the press release, the use of the Hedera network is actually optional, and its purpose is to build an experience based on building, selling and exchanging.
Determined to awaken the specter of transmedia, Ashfall has also partnered with creators, artists and influencers in the comics industry. So the first contact with the gaming world will be through a digital comic written by John Garvin, with a cover by Brett Booth (DC Comics). The comic in question is even being sold as an NFT on the Liithos store for $100. Global warming or not, the future is definitely a dream.
