We just received word that Publisher Gamecock and Hamburg Germany Developer Replay Studios have changed the name of the stealth-action game we first experienced at last years EiEiO Conference in Los Angeles CA titled “Sabotage” to “Velvet Assassin”.

“Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like ‘Sabotage,’ ‘Velvet Assassin’ captures the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios.

Being that the main character is an attractive dark haired woman by the name of Violette Szabo who boasts a mean killing streak, the new title resonates well with us. Full press release after the jump.

THE “VELVET ASSASSIN” STRIKES DOWN SABOTAGE

REPLAY STUDIOS ANNOUNCES NEW NAME FOR THEIR WORLD WAR II STEALTH ACTION TITLE

Cockpit, Austin, TX – February 29, 2008 – Today developer Replay Studios, along with publisher Gamecock Media Group, have announced the official name change for ’Velvet Assassin’, their upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as ‘Sabotage’. The new title creates a perfect marriage between the story of real life hero Violette Szabo and the clandestine art of sabotage she championed. From the incredibly innovative art style, storyline, and combat gameplay, Velvet Assassin is poised to revolutionize the stealth-action genre later this year.

“Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like ‘Sabotage,’ ‘Velvet Assassin’ captures the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. “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.”

Inspired by the true story of British Agent Violette Szabo, players will take on the role of Violette Summer. Behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied Europe, Violette risks her life fighting to fell the Third Reich with anything she can get her hands on, including enemy soldiers. With no support or official backing from the British Government, Violette puts everything on the line to defeat the German war machine – one mission at a time. Velvet Assassin combines lush, surreal visuals, a ground-breaking stealth combat system and one of the most unique perspectives ever brought to gaming. Velvet Assassin is planned to release in Fall 2008 on PC and next-generation consoles.

“Most of the time a name change happens because it’s not ‘catchy’ enough or because the marketing team didn’t like it,” said Tim Hesse, Executive Producer at Gamecock Media Group. “I have to say, the Replay crew have outdone themselves by making Violette into one of the best looking stealth-killers ever. This game has come so far since last year that Sabotage just didn’t do the game justice – ‘Velvet Assassin’ sums up every aspect that makes this game great.”

Publisher Gamecock and developer Spark Unlimited have announced today that “Legendary”, formerly known as “Legendary the Box”, is on schedule and set to hit the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC this summer.

Legendary is a fast paced first person shooter, set in a modern world, with a mythical twist. It tells the story of an art thief by the name of Charles Deckard, who is tricked into a stealing and ultimately unleashing Pandora’s Box.

According to Craig Allen, CEO of Spark Unlimited, Legendary is the type of project the company wants to be working on and they believe it is shaping up to be “something amazing”. He also made it clear that they are taking the time necessary to ensure an optimal experience across all systems, which should come as good news to gamers.

“I’m happy to report that the team on Legendary is well on target for a simultaneous multi-platform launch this summer,” said Rick Stults, Console Chief for Gamecock Media Group. “It’s no easy feat to pull this off on a game of this caliber, but Spark Unlimited is a talented group.”

We got our first glimpse of this game at Gamecock’s EiEiO Conference last year, and our own Emily Balistrieri had a chance to preview the title in November as well.