GDC offers a chance for unproven games, new IPs, and new development teams to get a chance in the spotlight. Nearby Tiki Games' Galaxy's End booth was The Black Corsair, from an Italian game development team, Virtual Identity. This action adventure game combines platforming and multiple fighting styles in an imaginative pirate-inspired world. Although the game is headed to the PSP, the developers are trying to make it anything but small: supposedly, there will be over 100 NPCs to interact with, and over 40 minutes of cutscenes. The supposed 80 hour playtime seems inflated, but it would be incredible if this team is able to pull it off.
The Black Corsair certainly looks interesting. Although I didn't get my hands on the game, it's great to see independent studios try to do something new for our handheld.