There's a Q&A with Shane Kim on
MTV Multiplayer Blog talking with the head of Microsoft Game Studios at the
DICE summit. Along the way they ask Shane about rumors that Marvel Universe
Online is canceled, and he confirms the superhero MMORPG that was being
developed by Cryptic Studios is indeed dead, with the reason offered implying
that Microsoft would only consider an MMOG successful if it equaled the
staggering success of World of Warcraft:
I don’t think it’s necessarily a
case of what went wrong. I don’t know that that’s the right way to put it. For
us we look at our priorities and all of the things we have to do. It’s a tough
space. It’s a very competitive space. And it’s a space that’s changing quite a
bit. …When we first entered into the development and agreement of the
development of ‘Marvel Universe Online,’ we thought we would create another
subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there’s basically one
that’s successful and everything else wouldn’t meet our level or definition of
commercial success. And then you have to look [and say]: ‘Can we change the
business model for that? Is that really viable given how far we are in
development? And so forth. Does Marvel want to do that?’ There’s a whole bunch
of factors.
Steam is offering discounted presales of Audiosurf, an IGF-contending music
game that will incorporate the soundtrack from The Orange Box:
February
11, 2008 - Audiosurf, Dylan Fitterer's innovative new title that allows gamers
to "ride their music," is now available for pre-purchase via Steam.
Audiosurf on Steam will include The Orange Box soundtrack, integrated with the
game to enable "Still Alive" surfing and more. In addition, Audiosurf is one of
the first titles to leverage the recently announced Steamworks, offering full
support for the Steam Achievements that appear on the millions of Steam
Community profile pages.
The title, which is a favorite to win at this year's Independent Games Festival,
will be made available for play this Friday, February 15. Those who pre-purchase
prior to that time will save 10% off the regular price of $9.95.
Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where you use your own music to
create your own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is
determined by the song you choose. You earn points for clustering together
blocks of the same color on the highway, and compete with others on the internet
for the high score on your favorite songs. For more information, please visit
www.steamgames.com
The
Tyrant Studios Website is online
for a new Washington-based development studio. No game projects are announced at
this time, but the studio is headed up by Hardy LeBel, who worked on Oni and
Halo for Bungie and Anders Hejdenberg whose credits include Battlefield 2:
Modern Combat and Battlefield 2142. According to
Next Generation, "The seven-person core team at Tyrant has credits from
Interstate '76, Spider-Man, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Midnight Club 2, Alter Echo,
Crimson Skies (PC), Cel Damage and Viva Piñata – Party Animals."
As
announced
here, the
Blizzard
Worldwide Invitational 2008 is scheduled for June 28-29, 2008 at the Porte
de Versailles Exposition Center, Paris, France.
Incgamers points out StarCraft II was revealed during last year's WWI,
leading them to ponder whether the rumored announcement of an MMO Diablo or
Starcraft game will occur during this year's show. Tickets will go on sale in
the next few weeks on a first-come, first-served basis.
Apple applies for trademark extension relating to gaming on Ars Technica (by
way of
Trademork) offers
indications Apple is cooking up some new gaming related plans that sound like
they are connected to a new gaming device, perhaps portable (thanks
Ant). Word
is they have filed to protect the Apple trademark as it relates to: "hand-held
units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games;
stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for
use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational
game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games."
Fraxl on
User Interface, the Usability Lab and More on Pirates Of The Burning Sea Vault
transcribes a conversation with Janice Von Itter, a User Experience Researcher
at Flying Lab Software. They discuss her group's role in supporting the MMORPG
by giving voice to players' ideas about game design, testing new features, and
more. Word is they are in the process of deploying a UI "strike team" to
overhaul the game's interface.
A new edition of
Warsow updates
this cross-platform freeware shooter based on the Quake II engine to version
0.41. The new version addresses missing texture problems, projectile speed
adjustments, bug fixes, and a pair of additional maps. The PC, Linux, and Mac
editions are all mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
Gamer's
Hell.
Holy mackerel is it cold out there. It's been such a mild winter around these
parts I almost forgot what that is like.
R.I.P.:
Jaws Star Roy Scheider Dies.
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