Gamecock is one of our favorite publishers.  Their stunt at the VGA’s this year may have been a bit of a screw-job to Ken Levine, but dammit, it was funny.  We’re also excited about their wacky slate of upcoming games developed by wacky European developers; Insecticide, Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, Mushroom Men, just to name a few. They’ve also got a couple of more traditional titles in the works.  There’s Legendary: The Box, a first-person shooter that pits you against mythological creatures in modern times.  Then there’s Sabotage, a WWII stealth-action game featuring a, let’s say ‘visually pleasing’ leather-clad female protagonist who is apparently based on a real-life heroine of WWII.  The game is being developed by Replay Studios, and is set for a Fall 2008 release, and though there hasn’t been a ton of updates or hype surrounding it, we’re relatively excited about it.  If you’re like us, and you know you are, you’ll be interested to know that the game is getting a title change.  What was once Sabotage is now known as Velvet Assassin. 

Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay explained the name change thusly: "Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like 'Sabotage,' 'Velvet Assassin' captures the heart of what we're trying to accomplish," "From the start we've wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue."

Riiiight.  I’m sure the name change has nothing to do with Pandemic Studios’ upcoming title, Saboteur, which shares more than a similar sounding name.  Both are set in Eastern Europe during WWII, both are stealth-action games, and both involve freeing neighborhoods from Nazi occupation.  Weird coincidences, to be sure.  

Velvet Assassin is a fine name.  Not taking anything away from it. But seriously, you know the name change is a result of the similarity to Pandemic’s game.  C’mon, Gamecock, you guys are known for your honesty, senses of humor and candor.  Live up to it.  We’ll buy the game regardless. Probably.