Windows

The Bard's Tale

Advertising Blurbs

Grab your lute and pull up a flagon of ale, as The Bard's Tale is retold on PlayStation 2 in
all its bawdy glory.

Many PS2 owners would have been mere twinkles in their parents' eye when The Bard's
Tale was released for the Apple II computer way back in 1985, but that shouldn't stop
anyone from enjoying this humorous and irreverent medieval RPG. If you're tired of saving
humankind or bored of game scripts that take themselves a bit too seriously, The Bard's
Tale could well be for you.

You play as the titular Bard, a roguish, manipulative and lewd songster whose priorities in
life are the acquisition of material wealth and carnal pleasures. The Bard's pretty sarcastic
by nature, but you get to decide just how scathing he is by selecting 'Nice' or 'Sarky'
responses. Watch out you don't get too cocky though; folk you've upset may come back to
haunt you.

During his raucous adventures, the Bard recruits a motley band of eccentrics and misfits to
help in his ignoble cause. Enemies can be defeated using traditional or magical weapons,
and you can also use the Bard's dulcet tones to summon creatures.


• Hilarious medieval action RPG with non-linear storyline



• Recruit your own party of strays and weirdos



• Use weapons, magic and song to get your way



Contributed by DreinIX (9294) on Mar 27, 2008.

Although humour is clearly the defining feature of The Bard’s Tale™, a great deal of attention has also been given to the plot and game rendering. Built on the superb engine from Snowblind studios used for Champions of Norrath™ and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance™, the game uses the popular top-down view method of gameplay, and benefits from excellent graphics and sound. Players can not only resort to traditional magical and non-magical weapons to get themselves out of tight spots but can also summon a variety of creatures using music.

Features:
• The console versions of The Bard’s Tale™ have already received praise from North American media for the game’s humour, personality and originality.
  It received 4.5 out of 5 from Official PlayStation Magazine for “the content, the script and the wit”.
  Official Xbox Magazine singled out the title as a “Pick of the Month”.
  Game Industry News gave it 5 out of 5 GiN gems.
  “The Bard’s Tale™ is a refreshingly different RPG, able to poke irreverent fun at both the genre and itself. It manages to respect the rules of its category while breaking them at the same time.
• We are delighted to introduce players to a title that can both satisfy those looking to try a lighter RPG as well as those RPG aficionados ready to sit back and laugh,” said John Parkes, EMEA Marketing Director at Ubisoft.
• “We think European gamers are waiting for an intelligently funny game, and are delighted to be working with Ubisoft to make sure they find out first hand what gamers in North America have been laughing about the last couple months!” said Brian Fargo, CEO and founder of inXile entertainment. “The IGN reviewer called it ‘one of the funniest games we’ve ever played.
• More information on the game is available at www.thebardstale.com



Contributed by Jeanne (58888) on Jul 26, 2006.

The Bard's Tale is an action/role-playing game in which the player takes on the role of the Bard - a sardonic and opportunistic musician and adventurer, driven by carnal rather than noble pursuits. The Bard is not interested in saving the world, his humble motivations are strictly "coin and cleavage."

A truly non-linear game, the player chooses the Bard's responses towards other characters he encounters with either 'snarky' or 'nice' dialogue. Each choice changes the course of events in the game. The action takes place in medieval times in a land based on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland - the inspiration for many of the classic fantasy stories.

Special Features:
• Forget the quest to save the world, our hero is interested in just two things...coin and cleavage.
• A deep RPG experience with non-linear game play resulting in many different outcomes and true replay value.
• Using the "Snarkom" conversation system lets the players choose the tone of the Bard's interactions between 'snarky' or 'nice'. Make your choice and live with the consequences.
• Develop your combat party by summoning a group of eccentrics and misfits to do your bidding.
• Brilliant graphics and bustling environments, alive with interactive townsfolk, original music (with singing), birds, animals, rustling trees, waving grass and trickling water, that immerse the player deep into the Bard's world.
• Based on the storied land of the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland - the inspiration for the classic fantasy worlds.
• The modern interpretation of the original Bard's Tale, the grandfather of all RPG's, by the original producer - Brian Fargo.
• Driven by the next generation of Snowblind's Everquest: Champions of Norrath engine.



Contributed by Evilhead (1039) on Dec 01, 2005.

THE BARD'S TALE FOR THE PLAYSTATION®2 AND XBOX® SHIPS TO RETAIL STORES

inXile entertainment’s Critically Acclaimed, Action Role-Playing Game Ships to Retail Outlets

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - October 27, 2004 – Interactive entertainment developer and publisher inXile entertainment today announced that The Bard’s Tale’, its eagerly anticipated action role-playing game (RPG) for the PlayStation®2 and Xbox® video game system, is shipping to retail outlets in North America today. The title is being distributed by Vivendi Universal Games.

“Official PlayStation Magazine gave The Bard’s Tale 4.5 out of 5 because of ‘the content, the script and the wit’ and we think gamers are waiting for an intelligently funny game,” said Brian Fargo, CEO and founder of inXile entertainment. “I’m 100% confident that in the medieval/top down/action RPG/musical/comedy genre we will achieve #1 status. And if you are going to buy a game on October 27th… it will probably be GTA: San Andreas BUT if you are going to buy two… The Bard’s Tale is the obvious 2nd choice”.

The Bard’s Tale was recently chosen as “Pick of the Month” for October and noted for having “…more humor than the entire Xbox library combined…” by Official Xbox Magazine; given a 4.5 out of 5 review by Official PlayStation Magazine; and called “…one of the funniest games we’ve ever played” by IGN.

The Bard’s Tale is an action-RPG where the player takes on the role of the Bard – a sardonic and opportunistic musician and adventurer, driven by carnal rather than noble pursuits. The Bard, voiced by actor Cary Elwes of “The Princess Bride” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” fame, is not interested in saving the world, his humble motivations are strictly “coin and cleavage”. A truly non-linear game, the player chooses the Bard’s responses towards other characters he encounters with either ‘snarky’ or ‘nice’ dialogue. Each choice changes the course of events in the game. The action takes place in medieval times in a land based on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland – the inspiration for many of the classic fantasy stories. Details and images of the game are available for viewing at inXile’s website, www.thebardstale.com.

The Bard’s Tale game carries a suggested retail prices of $49.95 for PlayStation 2 & Xbox and has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB with descriptors for blood, language, suggestive themes, use of alcohol and violence. The Bard’s Tale is being published by inXile entertainment and distributed by Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) in North America. For additional information please go to www.thebardstale.com.

About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/) is Microsoft’s future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox is now available in the continents of North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

About Vivendi Universal Games
Headquartered in Los Angeles, VU Games is a leading global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive and Massive Entertainment. VU Games’ library of over 700 titles features multi-million unit selling properties such as Warcraft®, StarCraft®, Diablo® and World of Warcraft® from Blizzard Entertainment®; Crash Bandicoot®, Spyro The Dragon’, Empire Earth®, Leisure Suit Larry’, Ground Control® and Tribes®.

About inXile
Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, inXile entertainment was founded in 2002 by industry veteran Brian Fargo, who turned one of the first small game developers from the early 1980s into one of the top 5 PC game publishers of the 1990s. Development focus is on producing Role-Playing Games (RPGs) from a legacy of creating and releasing iconoclastic RPGs to market like Wasteland, Dragon Wars, Fallout, Neuromancer, and Baldur’s Gate. For more information, visit www.inxile-entertainment.com.

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Contributed by Xoleras (66998) on Oct 30, 2005.

A QUEST FOR COIN AND CLEAVAGE



You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Through magical song you summon characters to join you in battle-waging attacks, healing your party and taking damage on your behalf. Ready your weapon as you embark on a quest for coin and cleavage.

Summon up to 16 creatures to fight, heal, block and get crushed by traps.

Less A, More I
Smarter foes, fiercer battles.

Advanced Attitude System
Your snarky or nice decisions change the course of the game.


Contributed by Corn Popper (66198) on Dec 18, 2004.