Today brings some slightly bizarre videogame announcements that don't involve publishers or developers -- you know, those minor details you have to bring into a game at last minute.

First comes Showtime's deal with Marck Ecko Entertainment -- the clothing company that was also involved in making Atari's game "Getting Up -- to do a "Dexter" videogame. I'm told the plan is for a small team at Ecko to oversee production of the game and hire a developer. It's not yet clear if Ecko will fund the game itself and then take it to a publisher to distribute, or bring on a publisher early to fund the game from the get-go. Either way, it's an unusual arrangement. Though, granted, it's a very unusual property to turn into a game. I would imagine publishers weren't knocking down Showtime's door to adapt a  drama about a serial killer who murders serial killers.

It's obviously becoming a slightly more common arrangement, though, as Kotaku tells us that famed s/f writer Larry Niven is working with "transmedia" (today's new buzzword) production company Alchemic Productions to create a new game property called "Free Fall." Its sounds like Alchemic is further along in development, since unlike "Dexter," they have gameplay details. But still, it sounds like they're going to need some outside development help to make it happen and they're definitely going to need a publisher to help put it out.

Developing a property with an independent producer is something we're used to seeing in movies and TV, of course. Now we'll find out if it works in videogames.