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Friday , April 08, 2005 |
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WPG 06:14 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(0 comments)
Steam News Update 06:01 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(0 comments)
This week's Steam news update is somewhat short, but reveals that the winning maps from the Half-Life 2 Deathmatch map making competition will be released next week, in addition to a "small sneak peak" of the Aftermath expansion pack that was revealed earlier today.
The full update can be found here.
Coppola Pissed About Godfather Game 05:41 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(5 comments)
Francis Ford Coppola is pissed at Paramount Pictures and EA for turning his 1972 movie, The Godfather (the #1 rated IMDb movie), into a violent video game:
"I knew nothing about it. They never asked me if I thought it was a good idea," he says. "I went and I took a look at what it was ... What they do is they use the characters everyone knows and they hire those actors to be there and only to introduce very minor characters. And then for the next hour they shoot and kill each other.
"I had absolutely nothing to do with the game and I disapprove," he says. "I think it's a misuse of film."
You can check out the full interview on AMC's "Sunday Morning ShootOut" this Sunday, 11 a.m. EDT. Thanks Adam.
Battlefield 2 Shaky Cam Footage 04:09 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(8 comments)
At a press event held in Copenhagen, Denmark Boomtown hosted a Battlefield 2 event at its Cyber Cafe where EA showed off DICE's upcoming creation. It comes in at 88 megs and sports some 12 minutes of footage. Some mirrors are up at TotalBF2. I want a cyber cafe too. :(
GamePro Turns 200 03:34 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: General News
(1 comment)
Games sure have changed since 1805 and GamePro is celebrating its 200th issue, an industry first.
With its May 2005 edition, IDG Entertainment's GamePro magazine becomes the first U.S. console video-gaming publication to produce 200 issues. Redesigned with a fresh look, this milestone issue will inform and entertain GamePro's three million monthly readers with cutting-edge editorial content designed for 21st century gamers.
The May issue features a cover story titled, "From Mario to Master Chief," that chronicles the history of the last 16 years of the video-game industry's top games, biggest blunders and major milestones.
Top 10 Best Selling Games in Japan 03:26 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Consoles: General News
(1 comment)
Wondering how the market in Japan might differ with your own? Here are the top-10 best selling games in Japan across all systems ending the week of April 3rd:
1) Tekken 5 (PS2)
2) Winning Eleven 8: Liveware Evolution (PS2)
3) Touch! Kirby: Mahou no Efude (DS)
4) Wild Arms: The 4th Detonator (PS2)
5) Shining Force NEO (PS2)
6) Memories Off After Rain Vol. 3 Sotsugyou (PS2)
7) Shin Sangoku Musou 4 (PS2)
8) Rockman EXE 5: Team of Colonel (GBA)
9) Hanjuku Eiyuu DS: Egg Monster Heroes (DS)
10) Bleach: Heat the Soul (PSP)
Sony seems to have a nice deathgrip on the market.
Dungeon Siege II Impressions 03:22 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action / Roleplaying
(0 comments)
The boys at Action Trip tossed off some impressions of Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege II:
The graphics in Dungeon Siege 2 seemed really great to me. Even though the sequel is powered by a heavily modified version of the old code, the rather venerable 3D engine is by no means showing its age. Clearly, the overall number of polygons has been bumped up considerably, and the designers have included such features as advanced shader effects and soft shadows, which help make the game look... well, up to today's graphics standards. The game was rich in detail, and it also featured some neat special effects, with some great looking spells. All characters seemed nicely rendered and highly detailed, and the same goes for the many creatures I met on my way through the unforgiving world of Aranna. Every monster is clearly recognizable from a distance, even when you fully zoom out. Knowing who I was fighting at all times put me more at ease in the frenzy of combat. The monsters also had a small bar which informed me about their health status, as well as their weaknesses, which I found very useful.
Pariah Interview 03:20 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(2 comments)
Beyond Unreal greased up a quick interview with Digital Extremes' James Schmalz about Pariah:
BeyondUnreal: What are some of the additions you have made to the Unreal Engine that Pariah is based on?
James Schmalz: We added quite a bit including the Havok physics engine which you'll see on all the ragdolls, vehicles and lots of destroyable objects within the environments. We also added alot of performance improvements along with nice graphics enhancements such as pixel shaders, vertex shaders, bump-mapping and other cool post-effects technology.
Update: A new movie is available for download from FileRush that shows off CTF, DM, and FLA multiplayer gameplay.
Men Spend More on Games Than Music 02:44 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(2 comments)
Nielsen Entertainment (the company popular for its television ratings system) put out a report stating that men now spend more money on games than they do music. For males, Nielsen said, games now rank only behind DVDs as a purchase category, ahead of CDs, digital MP3 files and other ways of buying music. Nielsen also found that African-Americans and Hispanics spend more money on games each month than Caucasians.
Advertisers are quickly embracing video games as a better way to get to young men than the more traditional medium of television. Many games now have ads inside them, such as billboards in race games, and Nielsen is working on a method to measure audience response to the in-game ads.
Nielsen found 40 percent of U.S. households have some kind of system dedicated to game play, whether a gaming PC, a console or a handheld device. Among gamers, 23 percent own all three types of systems.
Catacombs Engine Free Upgrade For Camelot 02:06 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: MMOG
(0 comments)
In a somewhat confusing way, Mythic has released the Catacombs engine client as a free upgrade to people running the Dark Age of Camelot Trials of Atlantis or Shrouded Islands. The actual expansion pack content or character classes aren't included, but when Mythic gave the starting towns a facelift they got a little too aggressive with the art involved, thus needed to release the Cata client for all:
Please note! The SI/TOA versions of this patch contain the Catacombs engine, absolutely free. You need that engine in order to see the new town art. But that also means that your computer needs to be capable of running the engine - we suggest a system equal to or better than Windows 98/Me/XP, Pentium III 1.4 GHz processor, 512 RAM, 64 MB video card, and Direct X 9.0+. You won't get the Catacombs zones, of course, but we hope the engine will whet your appetite for more. The Starter town patch upgrade is an optional download, but if you don't have Catacombs, I'd suggest picking it up for the free engine upgrade. It comes in at around 50 megs.
RPG Vault Morsels 02:00 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Role-Playing
(0 comments)
Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising Interview
Perpetual Entertainment's novel online world featuring squad-based combat in a setting blending history and myth
The Witcher Peek #15
The dwarven sihil, the gnomish gwyhyr and other blades we may encounter in CD Projekt's tale of a monster hunter
Area 51 Media
A selection of exotic scenes from the PC version of Midway's action title set in the mysterious research facility - Four exclusive screenshots
Empire Earth II Golden 10:18 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Real-Time Strategy
(0 comments)
A short announcement reveals that Mad Doc Software's Empire Earth II has gone gold, and shall be on shop shelves in North America, courtesy of VUGames, come April 28th.
A demo of this $49.99 title can be found here.
Phantasy Star Goes Single-Player 10:13 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Role-Playing
(2 comments)
SEGA today announced a new Phantasy Star title for PC and Playstation 2 that will take the action offline, as well as online, for the first time in many years:
Developed by SEGA Studios under the guidance of Yuji Naka, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Universe offers long-time fans the single-player experience they have been clamoring for. The solo adventure features more than 40 hours of gameplay, an emotionally engaging story, traditional cut scenes, and strong character development. The title's hero is Ethan Waber, a 17-year old cadet intent on saving his sister, who is living on a planet under siege by mysterious life forces called THE SEED.
In Online Mode, players are given the opportunity to create their own characters from a range of races, and they get to explore all three planets in the Grarl solar system. Fans can travel with a squad of other adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of other players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors.
Look out for that in about a year's time.
Half Life 2: Aftermath Expansion Pack Revealed 07:41 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(28 comments)
PC Gamer UK's latest issue features a 10-page article on Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the first of undoubtedly many expansion packs. Unlike Half-Life expansions, Aftermath will present a new story that follows on from the cliff-hanger ending, and predominately feature Alyx, although not necessarily alongside Gordon Freeman. Little was revealed, but Valve suggests that the expansion may only be published via Steam in the Summer.
Eurogamer has reprinted various sections of the article, all of which you can read here.
Publishers Line Up For Xbox Next 06:54 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Xbox Next
(9 comments)
"Microsoft Corp. today unveiled its all-star lineup of award-winning publishers committed to making the leap into the HD Era on Microsoft's next-generation Xbox platform." Below is the rather lengthy press release, and in the comments you'll find quotes from a number of publishers:
The future Xbox will deliver on the company's vision of the HD Era — an era fueled by consumer demand for experiences that are always connected, always personalized and always high-definition — through the amazing clarity of high-definition graphics, extraordinary benefits of constant connectedness and exceptional personalization abilities. To help make this a reality, Microsoft has assembled some of the most powerful publishers to drive the industry into the high-definition gaming revolution. Together, these publishers have sold more than half a billion copies of current-generation Xbox console video games worldwide and represent approximately 70 percent of all current-generation console games sold in 2004.
"The key to bringing the vision for the HD Era of gaming to life is our partners: world-class publishers and developers that have molded and shaped the history of interactive entertainment for tens of millions of gamers worldwide," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Xbox global content and marketing at Microsoft. "This stellar lineup of publishers and developers is poised to deliver games experiences our customers only dreamed were possible, and is ultimately committed to elevating video games to be the No. 1 form of entertainment."
These premier publishers join Microsoft Game Studios, whose stable of game developers will bring exclusive content to the next-generation Xbox platform. These developers include BioWare Corp., Bizarre Creations Ltd., Bungie Studios, Epic Games Inc., FASA Studio, Lionhead Studios Ltd., Rare Ltd., as well as newcomers Yoshiki Okamoto's Game Republic Inc., Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker and Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment Inc.
The next-generation Xbox titles will provide exhilarating entertainment experiences that will drive the HD Era. Gamers can expect technological advancements such as multichannel audio fidelity that will plunge them into a world so realistic, even the faintest enemy footsteps can be heard. These advancements will be fueled by richer online communication and by an abundance of on-demand content delivered by the Microsoft Xbox Live service.
Further Xbox Next fun and games can be discovered via the Our Colony viral marketing scheme.
Second Sight Demo 04:56 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(3 comments)
3D Gamers has the debut of the demo/trial for Second Sight: "There is a playable demo of Second Sight, allowing you to experience the recent psychic third-person action game by Free Radical Design and Codemasters. This is a trial version that can be played for a rather restrictive 15 minutes, but also includes all content of the full game that you can activate after purchasing a license key online." It comes in at a cheeky 600+ megs.
Hardware & Tech Nuggets 02:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- hardware: General News
(0 comments)
Game Reviews 01:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(0 comments)
Sorry for the late start; I kept telling myself I'd update as soon as I finished the level, but um, it turned into about three or four. :)
In Other News... 12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- In-House: In Other News...
(29 comments)
TGIF, mofos! I got Doom 3 Xbox and the expansion pack for the PC, Resurection of Evil (RoE) yesterday. I haven't checked out the Xbox flavor of Doom 3 yet (already played it on the PC, so I'm not in a huge rush) but I did scope out the first few levels of RoE. Visually, the game is stunning (I'll post some early shots in a bit) and like most id games (well, Nerve for this particular addon) there isn't much (if any) story to get in the way of the action.
  
I knew there was a gravity gun, and I knew that it was in Half-Life 2, but I was still taken aback at how similar they were. You might say, hey - id invented the first person shooter so they have the right to do it since Valve copied from them in the first place, but still... Anyhow, the gravity gun is fun in both games, so more the merrier I suppose. It's not like you can put a patent on a FPS weapon. Today's question:
What is the most influential first person shooter series? This can be from the past, or games out now that you think will be cloned in the future.
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Thursday , April 07, 2005 |
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Surpise E3 Announcements? 09:39 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(2 comments)
Computer Games Magazine has a feature up called Black Ops Game Projects which speculates on what some companies will be announcing at E3 this year. Included, is 3D Realms (Prey), Human Head Studios (making Prey for 3DR), Remedy (who used to make games for 3DR) and more. Here's a pinch about the makers of Far Cry (who oddly enough have no connection to 3DR; well not that we know of):
The developer of the acclaimed first person shooter Far Cry is already working on their next game, but it's not likely to be a sequel to the Ubi Soft published shooter. We know this because several months ago the developer signed a new deal with publisher Electronic Arts for their next major project. We can speculate that it will be a shooter and that it will use a highly improved version of their own CryEngine game graphics technology. But at of this moment, we can't know for sure.
City of Villians Q&A; 07:51 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: MMOG
(5 comments)
PC.IGN has a quick interview with Cryptic Studios's Lead Designer Jack Emmert about the upcoming City of Villians:
IGNPC: We've been told that City of Villains is going to be a stand-alone game. But it's hard to think that it can be completely disassociated with City of Heroes. Frankly that just doesn't make sense to us. How can City of Villains be both a stand-alone product and still work with City of Heroes?
Jack Emmert: If a customer doesn't own City of Heroes, yet buys City of Villains, he'll be able to be a bad guy and play all the villain content, but he won't be able to go to Paragon City (or at least parts of it). If a player owns City of Heroes and doesn't buy City of Villains, he'll still be able to enjoy City of Heroes, but he won't be able to fight against villains or travel to the City of Villains. If a player owns both - he can do everything!
City of Heroes never appealed to me since I usually don't play the "good" side, but this City of Villians thing sounds cool. The PvP might be interesting too.
WPG 06:37 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(3 comments)
- 'Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder' - Grey Tigers Bonus Pack
- This bonus pack adds the all-new Grey Tigers campaign to your
English Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder retail game.
- 'Wildlife Park' - v1.19 Update Patch
- This update brings your German retail game to v1.19 and addresses
various little problems, but mainly an issue where Grizzlies could not
procreate.
- Various Game Trailers
- 'Goldeneye: Rogue Agent' (NDS) - Trailer
- 'Pariah' (Xbox/PC) - Trailer
- 'Sniper Elite' (PS2/Xbox/PC) - Trailer
- 'Still Life' (Xbox/PC) - Trailer
- 'World Racing 2' (PS2/Xbox/PC) - Trailer
Source Engine SDK Update 03:27 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(0 comments)
A new Half-Life 2 Source SDK update is available via Steam:
Source SDK
New hl2mp character model sample
Fixed some cases of having to run the base game before being able to debug your mod
Optimized bandwidth usage in mods based upon the hl2mp code base
Implemented a fix in the lag compensation code that was occasionally preventing players from respawning correctly
Fixed xwad running vtex incorrectly
Fixed xwad building into the wrong target directory
Just restart Steam to snag the update.
RPG Vault Morsels 03:09 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Role-Playing
(0 comments)
Jade Empire Interview, Part 1
Six members of BioWare's team band together to tell us about their Xbox RPG in an ancient Chinese fantasy world.
Fate Media #2
WildTangent's title lets you change your pet into forms like a Cave Beetle, Tunnel Spider, Dire Wolf and Wyvern. - Four exclusive 1280x1024 screenshots
Catalyst 5.4 Drivers Released 02:22 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- hardware: ATI
(7 comments)
It seems only like yesterday that I removed the 5.2 drivers, rebooted into Safe Mode, Driver Cleaner'd my system of all ATI components, rebooted, installed the 5.3 driver set, and rebooted a final time... Ah well, here's the 5.4 set that focuses mostly on Catalyst Control Center changes.
500,000 PSPs Sold In First Two Days 02:16 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: PSP
(18 comments)
1 million PSPs were shipped into the U.S. for launch, yet only 500,000 of those were sold in the first two days according to Sony figures released today.
The company is keeping mum regarding first week and beyond sales however.
Omikron 2 & Infraworld Announced 02:09 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action / Adventure
(9 comments)
Quantic Dream has announced a sequel to their 1999 hit -Omikron: The Nomad Soul- is in the works alongside Infraworld, a new franchise of their creation:
Both projects are aimed at X-Box 2, PS3 consoles and for PC and will be developed on Quantic Dream's proprietary next gen' engine. The later will offer enhanced physics capabilities through a recently signed partnership with NOVODEX and a range of action orientated features. Talks are also being finalized with major middleware creators to integrate enhanced AI capabilities.
No word on whether David Bowie's returning for the sequel though.
Abysmal Bond Game Moves To DS 11:41 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Nintendo DS
(7 comments)
I guess EA didn't see the reviews or lacklustre sales figures of the recently released GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, because now they're porting it over to the Nintendo DS:
"We are thrilled to bring GoldenEye: Rogue Agent to the Nintendo DS and create distinctive new features to benefit from the platform's unique technology," said Jon Dean, Executive Producer at EA Tiburon. "Playing this action-packed game on the go and right in the palm of your hands is incredible. Bond fans will not be disappointed."
The dual-screen display provides a gameplay window on the top screen and the heads-up-display (HUD) on the touch screen. The HUD provides vital intelligence to players and allows for them to check ammunition levels, hack electronic devices and weapons, decode security locks, and more. In the all-new for DS 'Virtual Training' mode, players sharpen their lethal edge and gain experience by defeating infamous Bond villains in order to earn valuable upgrades for their GoldenEye weaponry. Left and right-handed gameplay controls, plus stylus and thumb-pad play, take full advantage of the platform's unique touch-screen capabilities.
Dungeons & Dragons Online Alpha Signups Open 11:35 am
- Andrew Burnes
- MMOG: Role-Playing
(2 comments)
Turbine Games is looking for Dungeons & Dragons Online: Secrets Of Eberron alpha testers, and if you think that's you, then head over to the official site to sign up.
Close Combat: First To Fight Ships 11:21 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Xbox
(2 comments)
Destineer's Full Spectrum Warrior-esque tactical action game, Close Combat: First To Fight, is now shipping to North American stores for the Xbox, with the PC version following in a couple of weeks time.
First to Fight is a tactical first-person shooter in which you lead a four-man fire team in close-quarters urban combat in the streets and buildings of Beirut. It was created with the help of more than 40 active-duty U.S. Marines fresh from firefights in the Middle East and will be used by the United States Marine Corps for training.
CC:FTF also happens to feature online co-op.
Call of Duty 2 Officially Announced 11:16 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action
(3 comments)
Announcing a Fall release for Call of Duty 2, powered by a new proprietary engine:
Attention soldiers! Activision, Inc. and acclaimed developer Infinity Ward are back in action with Call of Duty 2, an all new epic title which delivers an unparalleled portrayal of the chaos and intensity that was World War II. The sequel to the award-winning Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2 is powered by a proprietary new engine featuring striking new visuals, advanced A.I. technology, the most realistic squad combat and explosive action in new historic campaigns. The title is scheduled for release this fall and is not yet rated by the ESRB.
Call of Duty 2 lets players experience four individual soldier stories as they overcome insurmountable odds in multiple campaigns. Players have the freedom to follow each of the four storylines through for the ultimate character-driven experience, or they can engage in the historic battles chronologically for quick hitting action.
Infinity Ward, creator of the blockbuster, original Call of Duty, has also expanded the scope of combat to deliver a truly realistic battlefield experience. Squads now have the freedom to take on a variety of mission objectives, on expansive battlefields that allow for multiple paths and the ability to utilize actual combat tactics like outflanking and fire and maneuver capabilities.
Call of Duty 2's new engine and A.I. technology set the stage for authentic squad combat and astonishing action. Concealment can be key as battlefield smoke or even deployed smoke grenades cloud visibility. Weather effects such as the dusty sandstorms of North Africa and whiteout blizzard conditions of Russia, for example, will keep soldiers glued to their bunkers. The team has also employed a state-of-the-art Battle Chatter System that brings the action to life as squad-mates bark out context-sensitive updates in real-time to players through an advanced A.I. system.
"Our team at Infinity Ward is committed to thrusting gamers into the heat of battle like no other, taking players on a thrill-ride of adrenaline that leaves everyone gasping for air," states Grant Collier, president, Infinity Ward. "In Call of Duty 2, we are creating the most intense and realistic action game imaginable with a stunning visual atmosphere and an advanced technology that delivers an unprecedented level of authenticity."
Sounds funkeh, but I must admit the scans from various magazines I've seen aren't all that impressive.
Blizzard Banhammer Back Again 08:06 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Real-Time Strategy
(10 comments)
5,900 of those dirty rotten Warcraft 3 cheaters have been banned by Blizzard:
A number of additional accounts and CD keys have been tied to the use of a hack or cheat program while playing Warcraft III on Battle.net. In keeping with our aggressive stance against cheating, we have permanently closed 5,900 Warcraft III accounts. 2,300 of the Warcraft III CD keys used with the now-closed accounts have been banned from ladder play for one month, and 500 more have been banned from ladder play permanently. Repeat offenders risk having their CD keys disabled, which will result in the permanent removal of their copies of Warcraft III from Battle.net. We will continue to monitor Battle.net for cheating and take action as needed.
State of Emergency Developer Goes Bust 08:01 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(4 comments)
VIS Entertainment, developer behind forgettable titles such as State of Emergency and Powerpuff Girls: Relish Rampage, has gone bust according to MCV, although deals are being negotiated to allow completion of several titles:
Scottish developer VIS Entertainment has gone into administration - its Dundee office closed with immediate effect, and work suspended at its Edinburgh studio.
The developer's 96 employees were informed of the situation earlier today. 26 staff at Dundee have been made redundant, and 28 at Edinburgh - with the remainder of the staff sent home.
EALA RTS Q&A; 07:54 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Real-Time Strategy
(1 comment)
Louis Castle, co-founder of the now deceased Westwood, spoke to GameSpy about his work as VP of Creative Development at EALA, and the philosophy behind their popular real-time strategy games:
GameSpy: From a gameplay perspective, does your studio have an RTS "philosophy" -- a guiding principle for the types of RTS games you want to create? Could you elaborate on it?
Louis Castle: Yes, but I can't share specific development guidelines because our ideas are what make us unique and are our competitive advantage. On a broad level, though, we believe that our RTS games should always offer:
- Immediacy and ease of use - any player should be able to pick it up and play.
- High audio/visual entertainment value - television and film are our competition, not other games. We are competing for entertainment time and attention.
- Deep and interconnected functionality - even the most experienced player should find new and interesting ways to combine units and strategies to defeat the computer or other players.
Eidos Board Backs SCi Bid 07:47 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(1 comment)
It's now a near certainty that SCi will be the new owners of Eidos as the board of directors today recommended their bid of one SCi share per six Eidos shares:
"In the light of the recent movement in the SCi share price and in the absence of an increased cash offer from Elevation, the Board recognises that whilst there are certain key risks for Eidos shareholders in accepting the SCi offer, the current implied value of the SCi offer… represents a significant premium to Elevation's offer," noted an Eidos statement.
Bungie Programmer Heading For Industry Chat In Utah 07:35 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: General News
(2 comments)
Thanks to Alison Kelly who sends word to tell us that
Luke Timmins, Programmer on Halo 2, will be at the University of Utah on April 21st to talk to students and anyone else who wishes to attend the free event:
Student International Game Developers Association at the University of Utah presents:
Luke Timmins, Programmer on Halo 2 - Bungie Studios
Date: Thursday April 21
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM
Where: University Of Utah
80 S Central Campus Dr (1620 E.)
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Building: Engineering Mines Classroom Bldg (EMCB)
Room: 104
Bio: Luke Timmins has been with Bungie since 2001. Recently he worked on the networking side of Halo 2 multiplayer, but in the past he was a tester and test tools developer on Halo 1 (which gave him experience in such arcane subjects as build sites, as well as the ability to play through Halo 1 Legendary in seven languages in under four days).
More info on the Student International Game Developers Association and their past events can be found here.
Xbox Next Viral Marketing Campaign Launched 07:25 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Consoles: Xbox Next
(6 comments)
Looks like Microsoft's in love with the whole 'bees' thing, as they last night launched a new viral marketing campaign to tease folks about the Xbox Next/360/Xenon/Spiffypants. Named 'Our Colony,' this head-scratcher requires you to form teams (colonies), recruit others, and then use your collective brain-power to solve clues, whereupon you're given an image of Spiffypants, some info, or yet another clue. All colonies are ranked, and apparently the colony with the highest score when the clock ticks to 0 will receive an expos� on Spiffypants, although this is four days before the official announcement, so somehow I doubt it'll be the whole shebang.
GameSpot has more on this, as well as the first incredibly unexciting images of the controller stick and d-pad.
Why is Duke Nukem Taking Forever? 01:11 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action
(34 comments)
VIA Gamers Arena has a "rant" up called Why Duke Nukem Forever is taking forever that tries to explain why 3D Realms' latest creation is taking so very long to develop:
The most recent whisperings from 3D Realms suggest to me that they may not be using Unreal technology at all now and who knows what extra delays this might result in. An announcement was made that they had licensed some new fandangled physics technology, which would provide unparalleled interaction within the game world. The reason I suspect this may mean that they have moved on to a completely new engine because the Unreal 3 engine appears to have mind blowing physics incorporated already - so why would 3D Realms bother licensing anything else? The mind boggles.
In any case, that announcement is another clear example of the perfectionism that has infected the founders of 3D Realms. I reckon a fly on the wall would have witnessed them playing through Half-Life 2, saying to themselves 'Oh my god... this is so cool... Duke has got to one up this, otherwise it just won't live up to the hype'.
You may have already noticed the pattern yourself. It's called feature creep and it's a well-known industry term. It refers to a project that has an overwhelming appetite for new and dazzling features as it progresses and when these features weren't factored in to the game design from the start, it typically causes problems for the forward momentum of the project.
SOE Cracks Down on EQ2 Cheaters 01:07 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: MMOG
(3 comments)
SOE's new and improved PR team sends word that they've banned some 700 people the past week in EQ2. "We'd like to thank our EverQuest II customers for all of their reports in rounding up these crews, and helping us show them they're not welcome in Norrath," said EverQuest II Senior Producer Scott Hartsman. "A few hundred 'bot subscriptions just aren't worth the money when compared to keeping the game fun for hundreds of thousands of people."
Interviews 01:00 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(0 comments)
Hardware & Tech Nuggets 12:45 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- hardware: General News
(0 comments)
Game Reviews 12:30 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News
(0 comments)
In Other News... 12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- In-House: In Other News...
(23 comments)
People can be really stupid. Today's question: What type of reviews do you prefer: longer multiple page features that explain every fascet of the game, or shorter (1 page or less) articles that just give you the reviewer's opinion and score?
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