Hitman: Blood Money - Profile

"Spring 2005 - release for the latest instalment in the multi-million selling Hitman series Eidos, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, announces the return of the world's deadliest assassin in Hitman: Blood Money. Developed by Io Interactive, Hitman Blood Money will be released worldwide in spring 2005 on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC.
When assassins from Agent 47's contract agency, The ICA, are systematically eliminated in a series of hits, it seems a larger, more powerful agency has entered the fray. For Agent 47 it's business as usual, until suddenly he loses contact with The ICA. Sensing that he may be the next target, he travels to America, where he prepares to make a killing.
Agent 47 is back and this time he's paid in cold, hard cash. How the money is spent will affect his passage through the game and the weapons at his disposal, resulting in a unique gameplay experience for each player. Powered by a new version of Io's stunning Glacier engine, Hitman: Blood Money will deliver the most brutal and realistic simulation of life as the world's deadliest assassin.

Mike McGarvey, ceo of Eidos says:
"The Hitman series is one of Eidos' biggest franchises and goes from strength to strength with every new instalment. Io-Interactive is one of the world's most accomplished developers, and yet again has raised the stakes in terms of graphics and gameplay with Hitman: Blood Money."

Janos Flösser, managing director of Io-Interactive says:
"Considerable time and effort has been spent developing a new version of the Glacier engine that enables us to implement many new and exciting features. The quality of the graphics and A.I. surpasses even our own expectations and this combined with a gripping narrative and the introduction of some really inventive characters makes us confident that Blood Money will be the greatest Hitman title to date."

Game Facts

Full title: "Hitman : Blood Money"
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Eidos
Release date : 2005, Quarter 2
Genre: Strategic Shooter
Platforms: Windows 95 / 98 / XP, Xbox, and PlayStation2.
Official Site: www.hitman.com
PC Requirements: unknown

New Features -
'Glacier' engine, with 'parallax normal mapping', 'refraction based effects' and 'rigid body dynamics'.
'prodding' opponents

List of weapons:

Sniper Rifles:

Name:Walther WA2000 Sniper Rifle
Source: "Sin" picture, magazine scans in the gallery
Attachments: Can be equipped with various attachements, silencers, magazines, trigger groups, barrels, etc.. Probably transportable in briefcase.

Name: Dragunov/SVD Sniper
Source: XBox 360 trailer on Gamespot

Information: This looked to me like the SVD from Contracts.
Attachments: probably different scopes...?

Name: Unknown Bolt-action sniper rifle (Maybe R93)
Source:
Information:
Attachments

Handguns

Name:Silverballer(s) .45
Source: Various artwork and screenshots
Information: Can be used to hit somebody, so he or she will pass out. Seen only single balller but Im assuming there will be double balllers.
Attachments It's possible to attach a silencer, or there will be one with standard a baller attached.

Name: Unknown Pistol
Source: Wallpaper (Vegas) picture in this thread on page 12
Information: Looks like an USP, or a Glock. Can't say for sure which
Attachments


Close Combat (stealth)

Name: Syringe
Source: Trailer #1
Information: In the trailer it is used to syinge a guard. Assuming it is not lethal.
Attachments None


Name: Fibre Wire
Source: Gamespot video
Information: 47's most trusted weapon....
Attachments: None


Assault Rifles

Name: Heckler and Koch G11
Source: Trailer #1 and Priest on the artwork with the multiple persons, can be found in the gallery
Information: Modern Assault rifle
Attachments

Submachine Guns

Name: MP5 submachine gun
Source: Trailer #1, Gamespot screenshots
Information:
Attachments: Flashlight, probably a silencer, Something to reduce the blowback

Name: Heckler and Koch MP5k
Source: PC Games Reporter - On DVD from a german video games magazine
Information: Submachine Gun, shorter and more compact than the normal MP5A4
Attachments: Silencer, Mini-Scope, shoulder support


Close Combat (non stealth)

Name: Baseball bat
Source: IGN screenshot
Information:
Attachments None

Name:
Source:
Information:
Attachments

Weapon List from Valkyrie at hitman forum



Articles



Eidos sees red in 2004, has high hopes for 2005


The British publisher blames the soft market in the US for its 2004 fiscal year loss, confirms a PSP title in the works, and says Tomb Raider VII is due next summer.

Today in London, the UK's biggest game publisher, Eidos, released its financials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004. Revenues and profit were both off, with the company reporting FY 2004 revenues of 133.9 million pounds ($241 million), compared with FY 2003 revenues of 151.5 million pounds ($269 million). And instead of the 17.4 million pounds ($31 million) profit it reported last year, this year the company posted a net loss of 2.9 million pounds ($5.2 million).

"While the results for the year to June 2004 are disappointing, the company's underlying business and product portfolio remain strong", said Eidos chairman John van Kuffeler. "Management continues to focus on driving the business forward, and a significant release schedule, comprising a mix of sequel and new franchise titles, is planned for the year ahead."

In a statement, Eidos said its back catalog was strong, driving 15.7 percent of its sales, up from 11 percent the previous year. Of its new titles, the company said Hitman: Contracts was its top seller, moving 1.7 million units. Additionally, six other Eidos games sold between 500,000 and 1 million copies each. Those were Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home; Deus Ex: Invisible War; Championship Manager: Season 03/04, Legacy of Kain: Defiance, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, which sold a million copies despite dismal reviews.

One of the titles slated for FY 2005 is the seventh Tomb Raider game, currently in development at Eidos-owned Crystal Dynamics. The report stated that Tomb Raider VII will arrive in the fourth quarter of Eidos' 2005 financial year--that's April 1, 2005, at the earliest. The date jibes with earlier reports that said the as-yet-unnamed sequel would arrive in the summer of 2005.

Besides Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics is also at work on Eidos' first PSP game. According to the report, "a number of the new concept ideas and preproduction works, for both platform and PlayStation Portable application, are being developed in this studio." No other details on said PSP title were available.

Other upcoming titles the company touted were Championship Manager 5, due in the first half of the year, "with an online version of the game to follow." Nine more titles are due in the second half of Eidos' 2005 fiscal year, including Hitman 4 and the aforementioned Tomb Raider VII.

As for the recent reports that Eidos is courting corporate suitors, today's earnings statement obliquely addressed the subject. "Discussions, which relate to a possible sale of the company, are progressing well, although there can be no certainty at this stage as to whether or not they will lead to an offer being made for the company".

Fourth Hitman working for Blood Money

Ailing publisher Eidos names the fourth installment in its assassin series, due next spring.

In September, British publisher Eidos reported its financial earnings for the fiscal year 2004. Amid the disclosures of decreased revenues and sliding earnings, the report also revealed the company was working on two unnamed, new installments in its flagship franchises: a seventh Tomb Raider and a fourth Hitman, both due in the second half of 2005.

Today, one of those games got a name and a new release date. This morning, Eidos announced that the next Hitman will be titled Hitman: Blood Money. As with other Hitmans, the game will be developed by the now Eidos-owned studio Io Interactive, which also created the acclaimed tactical shooter Freedom Fighters. It will arrive in spring 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

Eidos also laid out Blood Money's basic plot: When his coworkers at the assassination agency ICA are getting whacked, series antihero Agent 47 is forced underground--ere he becomes the next target. He travels from his usual European digs to the good ol' USA, where he goes into business for himself.

Hitman: Blood Money will also live up to its name gameplay-wise. Since Agent 47 is now--no pun intended--a free agent, he is paid in cash, which he will use to buy weapons and pay informants, affecting the game's outcome. Blood money will also feature a revamped version of Io's Glacier engine, as well as the series' requisite shootings, bludgeonings, stabbings, garrotings, smotherings, car bombings, and other assorted means of human disposal.

Online Functionality for Blood Money

For three consecutive titles the Hitman series has kept itself out of the online gaming world. Now it seems they will finally break this trend, with Blood Money.

In Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende published a story on the 27th of December featuring IOI and what they've been up to at lately.
One particular piece of information seems particularly interesting for fans of the Hitman games, namely the mention of online functionality for the fourth title in the series.

We've made a crude translation into english of the relevant part of the article:

Quote:
...IO are also breaking a several year old principle of not making onlinegames. Computer games that can be played over the web is a gigantic success - based on the game Counter-Strike, but inspite of the "online wave" that's been brough to the gaming business for several years IO have kept outside of this market, especially with the game Hitman.

"Hitman 4 will have functions that use the internet, but it will not be an online game.
The next title we produce however will become an online game" Flösser promises.


Whatever this 'functionality' might encompass, the article does not say. Could it be downloadble content (plug-in missions)?

Remove Sigs

This message was edited by Poached_Egg on Feb 19 2006.

Screenshots

Official Screenshots



Ingame Shots

Magazine Scans

Note : The images I posted don't seem to be working. You can get them all here.

Trailers

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

This message was edited by Poached_Egg on Nov 19 2005.

First ever screenshot,recived via email from Hitman_blood_money@xmr3.com, it also say:

Subject: Santa is dead...

47's coming to town
Spring 2005
Merry Xmas
Hitman Blood Money
This is the first screenshot to be seen from Hitman:Blood Money, exclusive to pre Xmas Registrans*.

*Not anymore.

More BM details in 'Play the Playstation'

It's that time before the release of a game where articles start raining in... this time forum poster Vicarocha (to whom we owe many thanks) provided us with scans from german gaming magazine 'Play the Playstation' which features a lot of information about the latest installation in the Hitman series.

Among other things we find tidbits on new moves, AI intelligence, the much talked about money system, and much more...

We made a rough translation of the german text.

Quote:
He's a professional. He knows what has to be done. He's always in total control. He makes no mistakes. He who makes mistakes

dies. Noone ever said that the life of a contract killer is easy.
This time Agent 47 has lost control over the situation for the first time. A new Agency for contract killings is trying to

get into the market. To accomplish this, the involved would do anything.
Employees of the ICA, Hitman's contract agency, are disappearing one by one. As suddenly contact with the Agency is broken,

47 suspects that he's the next one on the competitors' hit list, and goes underground.

FROM HUNTER TO HUNTED
He disappears to America. However he cannot escape his past or his calling. Even in the United States Hitman must do what he

knows best, and take on a mission or two.
The concept of the earlier games is also a big part of Hitman: Blood Money.
Once again you have to kill important people. And once again you have a wide variety of ways in how to accomplish this.
Still there are some serious differences compared to the first three games in the series. The way in which you complete a job

has consequences in the following missions. If Agent 47 is careful and remains undetected and if he leaves the murder looking

as an accident, he will not be noticed by civilians and guards at the next mission.
If 47, on the other hand, leaves a blood bath the word will soon spread.
Then he'll be recognised quicker, and future victims will strengthen their security.



THE PRICE OF SUCCESS

Things don't always go as expected, and a carefully planned mission could suddenly end in a rain of bullets. Then 47 has the

possibility to correct his errors. At his request police or ewyewitnesses will keep quiet or a discreet team of Crime Scene

Cleaners (they cost money) will clean the scene and wipe the tracks of the Hitman.
These services are however not only a bad thing.
No problem: A professional killer gets payed for his completed missions - like in the first game, which was only for PC.
The ammount of pay depends on how cleanly the job is done on each level.
You can however, invest the money in other things. New weapons, equipment, etc. are available to buy, or you could pay for a

number of upgrades to your primary weapons. It's not possible to get everything however.
If you get high speed ammo, you can't use a silencer anymore.
Now you have to decide what to get for your money - which isn't easy, as the equipment is expensive, and you're always low on

cash.

MULTIFUNCTION-KILLER

It would be mindless to put all your efforts into equipment only. You wouldn't be a very sought after contract killer if

you're not flexible. Like in the earlier games you can sneak, hide and use disguises. However, you have to think about

everything in Hitman: Blood Money, make sure your disguises have no bloodstains, or onlookers could get excited.
47 has learnt a large number of new moves. Now he can climb boxes, through windows and over walls. With the well chosen throw

of a stone he can distract guards. However, these guards can also be used as human shields in close combat, or be pushed,

for example over a railing.

DEATH SUITS HIM

These maneuvers might sound easy, but they're not. The NPC's are quite clever. They won't fall for every trick this time and

wont just carelessly come running into every situation you create. In short: They are suspicious and very watchful.
To hide bodies is an essential element of the series. As the gaurds in Hitman: Blood Money now also follow blood stains it

will be harder than ever in the fourth installation.
Not only the AI of the enemies has been enhanced, but the the Glacier engine, developed by IOI, has also gone through an overhaul. The rag-doll-system is now even more realistic. The same is true for the animations as well as the lighting and shading effects.
A first peek at the the graphics and the new features are shown in our pictures. Unfortunately we only have these four

screenshots, where Hitman is at a job in the Rocky Mountains. During a christmasparty he'll be killing a porno producer.

It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Silent Night".

This message was edited by Poached_Egg on Mar 15 2005.

The phantom of the "Opera-Mission"

Waiting for the real news... the real meat on Blood Money, at times we at the Hitmanforum feel things seem to slow down a bit too much. In order to fill the gaps, and incite discussion, we've decided to do a feature on the much discussed "Opera House mission", first mentioned in interviews leading up to Contracts.

As Hitman: Contracts started, we saw 47 like we rarely see him, wounded, after a mission gone (gasp) wrong.
This situation created a few distinct questions:

Who shot him?
Where was he shot?
Why was he shot?

And of course, most importantly:

Will we ever get to play it in a game?


Some of the answers are easy and short, for some we'll have to wait until Blood Money, and for some... healthy speculation seems to be the only cure.




The phantom of the "Opera-Mission"
Waiting for the real news... the real meat on Blood Money, at times we at the Hitmanforum feel things seem to slow down a bit too much. In order to fill the gaps, and incite discussion, we've decided to do a feature on the much discussed "Opera House mission", first mentioned in interviews leading up to Contracts.

As Hitman: Contracts started, we saw 47 like we rarely see him, wounded, after a mission gone (gasp) wrong.
This situation created a few distinct questions:

Who shot him?
Where was he shot?
Why was he shot?

And of course, most importantly:

Will we ever get to play it in a game?


Some of the answers are easy and short, for some we'll have to wait until Blood Money, and for some... healthy speculation seems to be the only cure.








The briefing for "Hunter & Hunted" (the last mission of Hitman: Contracts) gives us a few interesting clues. Fournier seems to be the only one of the targets left alive from a certain Opera House Mission. He is the most likely candidate for shooting 47, at L'Opera D'Orleans. Why he was shot, seems like a question that will be answered in Blood Money.
So... what about the final question? Will we ever get to play it in a game? If we're to trust Thor Frohlich of IOI, we will.

Quote:
I promise you will be able to play this mission. Just not in 'Contracts'. You'll have to wait and see what we have in store for you.


When Contracts was still waiting to be released, this seemed quite cryptic. At this time, we didn't even know about Blood Money, and some where speculating about the demise of the series, noone really considered the possibility of Contracts leading straight into another game, with cliffhanger and all.
Now, the statement seems more clear, though Thor's managed to make himself cryptic enough to deceive in the past.
Our guess, L'Opera D'Orleans will be a flashback mission in Blood Money.


Quick research made it all too clear... L'Opera D'Orleans does not appear to exist. As a matter of fact, the only really known opera (based solely on google results) in Paris seems to be one L'Opera Garnier. It seems obvious, that if there is one piece of architecture out there that will stand as inspiration for L'Opera D'Orleans, it is this.





The foyer of the Opera. Should he decide to visit, 47 should be glad he brought his suit... this is a pretty fancy place. But where's the bathroom?



The main staircase, slightly remeniscent of the stairs in Invitation to a Party.



Going backstage to fiddle with the equipment would probably be a fan favorite. Rigging things to crash down on innocent (or not so innocent) performers can't be a bad thing.



This is the main auditorium. We doubt 47 would came here to enjoy the show. But maybe there's a good sniping spot somewhere?



A good cross section of the Opera reveals architectural details, and the sheer size of the place. It's a good thing the developers "conveniently" chose what seems to be a non-existing opera name. It would probably help to not be so constrained by the exact layout and size of the building.

Source

This message was edited by Poached_Egg on Mar 15 2005.

German 'PC Action' magazine - new info!

The magazine includes some general information aswell as a short interview with developer Rasmus Hojengaard.

New features / details (from PC Action 04/2005, German PC Gaming mag):
-The game will include the already infamous Opera House Level:"L'Opera D'Orleans at Paris, hit a famous singer and his buddy, both are involved in an east-european ring for child-prostitution."

-Over 30 weapons with specific modifications available to the player (overall 50 modifications are available)

-Blood has to be removed/ cleaned up or guards will follow the blood stains until they find the body.

-A new "Notoriety System" gives information about how 'suspicious' you are to guards or how much attention you create.

-New moves: grab a guard and use him as a human shield or distract guards by throwing objects (sounds like Splinter Cell), as well as dumping bodies into trash containers or sewers.

-The atmosphere of the game will NOT be as dark as it was in 'Contracts'


Some of the new features are reminiscent of other video games (Splinter Cell), and the "Notoriety System" sounds a lot like an improved version of the "Suspicion Meter" which is already present in Hitman 2 and Contracts.

In the interview, Rasmus Hojengaard also mentions a couple of other interesting things about the new game, namely the ability to make deaths appear as accidents, and the fact that the game will consist of 12 individual missions (the same ammount as 'Contracts') which should be good for about '10 to 12' hours of playthrough time.
Rasmus also mentions that the game will have an 'online feature', but it will not be multiplayer.

Source


This message was edited by Poached_Egg on Mar 15 2005.

Release Date(s):

Europe (PAL): 31ST December, 2005
North America (NTSC): TBA 2006

quote dark from hitman forum

ok, just went out and bought the magazine that Mikeawmids spotted, don't own a PS2 but it doesn't matter there's a bunch of new stuff! I'm sorry I don't have a scanner, so I can't show you the shots, and I'll ahve to type out the information myself ok....

Weapons

Not so much weapons but just sniper rifles. There is a section titled 'Oswald was a fag' which says that you can take a basic sniper rifle and swap its trigger group from semi to fully automatic, change the scope's focal length or swap it for night vision, add a silencer and increase the size of the magazine. By modifying your weapons, you can alter their range, precision and a whole load of other aspects. There is a diagram of a W2000 sniper rifle with the following attachments around it -
Night vision scope (NVS 28 X 95)
Marksman Scope 2.5 / 10 X 56
Super Sniper Scope / SS 20 X 42
Carbon Fibre Barrel
Silencer Suppression - 2808
Silencer Suppression - 4508
Custom Bolt Action Maximum Accuracy
Semi Auto Trigger
Full Auto Trigger
and a 12 round double capacity clip
There are also cartoon representations of a magnum, a bayonette, and some really big gun that I don't recognize...and there is a shot of 47 holding something that looks like a bloody long knife, which he sticks in someone's throat sending blood srpaying everywhere!! Yes!!!!

Locations

There are shots of the Xmas party mission, new shots of the opera house mission and shots of a large bathroom with rows of lockers. There is also a large 3d map of the opera house mission - it looks big. (I don't think this is a 3D map you will be able to use in the game, just a opened up shot of the level) There is a shot of a restaurant, but I think it may be part of the Opera house mission. One shot of the opera house mission shows 47 up in the rafters of the roof about to tamper with a rope....
Rasmus Hoengaard is quoted as saying - "Blood Money's locations are the most famous and interesting locations we've had so far (in my opinion). Some are very public indeed and some are very isolated from the public also."

People

The article has a few shots of people we haven't seen before and some cartoon artwork, but most interesting is an advert on the back of the magazine with tons of cartoons of characters in the game. These people are -
1. A nasty looking clown making balloon animals
2. A cheesy guy with a ponytail in shades and a hawain shirt, holding something....possbily matches
3. A nasty looking mime woman in a top hat with a cane
4. A fat waitress blowing bubblegum
5. An arabian looking guy carrying a tray of drinks
6. Quite a young looking guy in a dressing gown with a gun stuffed down his boxers. He has 'KK' tattooed on his chest.
7. A guy dressed entirely in a red suit, with an upside down cross emblem on his clothes. His face is red and he has horns....
8. An old security guard with keys, and ID tag and a walkie talkie
9. A priest with a bible in one hand, swigging a bottle of whiskey with the other
10. A girl dressed in an angel suit similar to the one in the other aritcle
11. A short fat man playing a cheap piano. He has a briefcase next to him
12. A guy in a chicken suit with an AK! best disguise ever!! There is another cartoon of him in the article with his chicken head off, smoking.
13. A grocery delivery boy, similar to the one in Anathema but with an orange uniform. The crates he carries appear to have a japanese logo on the front
14. A really stupid looking mechanic
15. A really awful looking 47
16. A rich looking older guy with a small medallion, wearing an oriental style robe, although he looks american or english
17. A smoking guard in a uniform with an AK
18. A really fat weird looking naval officer (i think its naval) in the white uniform with cap
19. A really thick looking american
20. An insane bishop with his tounge poking out carrying some bloody massive gun on his shoulder
21. A World War 2 soldier in full uniform with gas mask and bayonette...?
22. A little black kid with thick glasses who has a thought bubble about chess. There is a cartoon in the article where he and 47 are playing chess on a plane. First appearance of a black person I can recall in the Hitman series!
23. A really fat black woman in a crap pink dress thumbing through lots of money (bribe?)
24. A slim woman jogging listening to what looks a lot like an iPod (custom soundtracks?)
25. An old woman who is carrying a camera, looks like a tourist
26. A fat guy in a hawain shirt, shorts and sandles (sunny level!!) sitting in a chair with a magnum. Looks like someone out of vice city, much like number 2
27. An old frail guy in a wheelchair! Please let us drive the wheelchair!!!
There are also screenshots of a man in the toilets wearing a white uniform, a trucker hat and gloves, and there is a shot where 47 is wearing a similar uniform and headphones. That probably means the bathroom is in the opera house mission. The article mentions there will be carpenters and tour operators (the opera house is being decorated whilst running tours)

Bribing

It's true, you can do it! Apparently money can be used to cover your tracks by buying people's silence (aswell as obviously spending it on weapons)

Other Features

Your performance in one mission will define how the next attempt on someone's life goes. The more you create bloodbaths the more of a reputation you will get, meaning less pay and harder levels.

Glacier 2 Engine - first IO game to use it, making lots of new things possible....

'ambient behaviour' - artificial intelligence has been totally built from scratch, and now guards have believeable movement patterns and investigations. They will react to more things aswell. Hoengaard refers to this as ambient behaviour.

hiding in a dumpster - the artwork shows 47 climbing into a dumpster and being pushed along by an unsuspecting worker (i think this was shown in the german article) theatre is also similar artwork of 47 intimidating people with a shotgun, in one case getting the guy to surrender, in the other making him kneel down and then blowing his brains out.

Training Modes - This time training modes are available to teach new players how to make the perfect kill.

More info before missions - apparently we are now given a lot more opportunity to plan before beggining a mission.

Better Graphics - Rasmus Hoengaard states that the quality of the screenshots that have been released (including the ones in the magazine) don't actually represent what the game currently looks like. He also says "You will see better water, static soft shadows and more realsitic reflections." I actually noticed in one of the bathroom shots you can see 47's legs reflected perfectly in a pool of water! finally!

Rigid dynamics - (rigid body physics Kent!!!) the game uses 'rigid dynamics' and they have improved the ragdoll system. They have also intrduced new gameplay features to take advantage of the system.

Other possibilites - One piece of 3d artwork shows 47 hiding behind a pillar with light shining through bullet holes in the wall behind him...bullet holes? Shooting through walls? Also the cover shot if of 47 holding a toaster about to drop it into a bath...oh please The gasmask guard suggests gas grenades and possibly a level in a....WW2 museum!?!? I dunno! And I think there seems to be a nasty religion theme, what with all the evil angels and corrupt priests and men with horns.

(Scans in screenshot post.)

Source

Reading that has me salivating now over this game. It's bitter/sweet that it's not out now. Bitter because I want to play it so bad. Sweet because I can't afford it (and therefore wouldn't be able to play it right now). The bitter overpowers the sweet and obviously I'm very poor.

I hope this series never ends and gets better with each edition.

First off, It is getting better every time the release a new one. I heard so many spoilers about how to kill people in the Opera level and the Casino level. I think they were very impressive.

I've been waiting for months now, has the game been shelved or what?

No. Aaccording to Amazon Uk, it is out on January 1st so it might be released sooner in the US.

That's wrong, it's just Spring 2006 right now.