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Archived News:
The Team Fortress 2 Website has
details on a new "Alpine" art style Valve is introducing into Team Fortress 2
to combat fatigue they've sensed with the desert environments "both internally
and externally." They offer a few screenshots showing the new style, and here's
the accompanying explanation: We decided to create a new TF environment
after sensing some desert-fatigue, both internally and externally. The new theme
had to be a departure from the current look without being so different that the
characters felt out of place in it. We also wanted to leverage some content from
our existing environments, since crafting every asset from scratch would mean
we'd be moving the release beyond Valve time and into the realm of geologic
time. Given these goals and constraints, we settled on the Alpine theme for two
reasons: Its green foliage and blue-gray rocks let us introduce a new, cooler
color palette to the game, and the lumber mill / mining camp buildings fit our
existing set of structures. For Arena Lumberyard, the goal was to establish a
clear difference between the two sides of the map. One side climbs up toward a
large mountain peak, and the other dips down into a vast valley. We're excited
to have a new visual theme to play with, and we'll definitely be using it in
future maps.
Warhammer Online Not
Crediting All Developers on Shacknews follows up on word from an anonymous
developer from the Warhammer Online team who is going to stay anonymous because
his name will not appear in the credits for Mythic's upcoming MMORPG. This
failure to credit all the participating developers is not uncommon in the games
industry, as there is no set formula for determining who is and is not deserving
of such commemoration, though the IGDA has some suggested criteria. Shack
contacted Mark Jacobs about this, and the Mythic GM responds: "Over the years,
we've had hundreds of people work on the game, and we thank everyone who helped
us bring our Warhammer passion to life, but only current employees that have
continued until the end will be credited in the final game." He goes on to add a
comment that might rankle uncredited developers by implying they did not put
their hearts and souls into the game: "Accreditation in Warhammer Online
recognizes the incredible team that has poured their heart and soul into making
WAR an amazing MMORPG experience." It seems to us that adding additional names
to the credits would hardly be noticed by gamers, since they are usually tucked
into the back pages of manuals and ignored as they scroll on the screen after a
game is complete, but are probably significant résumé pieces to the developers,
who need to continually find new gigs in a competitive marketplace.
EA announces the NDAs have expired for participants in the Warhammer Online beta
test, so prepare for a deluge of previews and the like: "Like a barrage of
Orcapults fired upon the gates of a Dwarf fortress, Mythic Entertainment today
demolished the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for the Warhammer Online: Age of
Reckoning (WAR) closed beta in North America. Beta testers for the epic MMORPG
are now free to actively share their experiences on the battlefield and discuss
the best strategies for dominating the enemy in WAR’s signature Realm vs. Realm
(RvR) combat."
Massively reports a "huge" patch has been applied to Age of Conan,
Funcom's barbaric MMORPG. They offer the complete patch notes, but point out
this patch does not implement the new PvP consequence system.
There is a Far
Cry 2 map editor video and screenshots on Eurogamer along with their preview
of the modification tools for the upcoming shooter sequel. According to their
impressions, the editor is pretty simple to use: "You can set up a range of
mountains, drag a river across the landscape and fill in the landscape with
vegetation using a simple wheel system and manipulation tools for laying out
things like watchtowers and sandbags. It all takes seconds. There are over a
thousand objects, apparently."
Reset Generation is
live, offering a free-to-play multiplayer puzzle game described as "The world's
first game about video games" where every player has a princess. In addition to
references to every game ever made, Reset Generation features
cross-platform PC/mobile gameplay. This "playground" also includes
Reset
Arcade which allows you to create games of your own, and to that end,
currently offers Own 'em, created by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, so after you play,
fore up your video camera and rant out a review.
Acclaim will publish The
Chronicles of Spellborn in North America is the press release announcing the
NA distribution scheme for Spellborn's upcoming MMORPG, offering this
explanation, which vaguely resembles a sentence: "Acclaim already has almost
seven million registered users within their portfolio of currently five online
games and is committed to start a large-scale marketing campaign until its
launch in late 2008." Most of the rest is devoted to Dave Perry's résumé, but
there is a payoff within, as they say the game will include a free
area: Acclaim will give North American players a free-to-play zone while
subscribers will be able to explore the entire virtual world.
FUEL Developer
Interview on ActionTrip is a video clip where the developers of this
upcoming racing game discuss what sets it apart from the competition, as far
from confining players to a track, FUEL features full freedom of movement and
destructible environments for unpredictable open gameplay. Several gameplay
scenes are included in the clip.
The Red Alert 3 Q&A
on 1Up talks with Amer Ajami about Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3,
specifically discussing the cooperative multiplayer play in the upcoming
real-time strategy sequel: "OK, when you're in a mission, you can't [just] jump
in; you have to start a mission together. But in between missions, you can kick
a person or swap him for another player or A.I., or just keep playing. So, it's
in between missions where the joining and kicking come in."
Well, my mobile internet setup worked pretty nicely again today: I was able to
stay connected on my round-trip train ride to Manhattan and make a couple of
updates along the way. Not quite finding the internet in a pond like the guy in
that commercial, but it was pretty close to the river, if that counts.
The final installment in
A Heavy Update on the Team Fortress 2 Website is online, clearing up the
mystery of the "sandvich," which turns out to be an "edible device." The update
includes a sandvich diagram, a movie (in standard and high resolution) offering
a fridge-eye view of said edible device, and the following
description: The Sandvich is the Heavy’s first unlockable. It tastes as
good as it looks and heals 120 health. Like in real life, the decision to eat a
Sandvich must not be taken lightly; The Heavy is completely vulnerable during
the four second eating process, and his loud, happy sounds of vigorous chewing
will draw enemies like tiny ant cowards to a picnic. OF DEATH. On the bright
side, the Heavy’s Sandvich supply is unlimited, so his only real concern is
being caught short while enjoying this delicious edible device. The Sandvich is
a great tool for a Heavy defending an area, as it gives him the ability to
replenish health between enemy waves without having to abandon his post.
Similarly, an offensive Heavy without a Medic can step back from the front line
and grab a quick snack before resuming his rampage. Beware, however: the Heavy
must set aside his shotgun to take the Sandvich, and enemy Snipers are much more
dangerous for a Heavy wielding only a minigun.
The EQ
Players Website and the
EverQuest Forums
are each offering sign-ups to beta test EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction,
the 15th expansion for SOE's long-running MMORPG. The testing is described as an
open beta, but the sign-up pages make it clear that they are limiting
participation. The beta test begins today and is scheduled to run through
October 7, with the add-on slated to launch on October 21.
GameCyte points out the loose-tongued ESRB now has a listing for a PC title
called World in Conflict: Complete. They speculate this might be some
sort of WiC bundle with the Soviet Assault content more integrated into
the main game, but also point out the possible complications the uncertain
status of developer Massive Entertainment ( story) would have for
such a release. They mention finding European e-tailer listings for this
targeting
late October and
early November, so answers should be coming soon enough.
The Dawn Of War 2
Community Website has news about plans to include Tyranids in Dawn of War
II, Relic's upcoming Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy sequel
(thanks Dagok). The update offers a screenshot illustrating their contention
that this was only possible thanks to their new game engine: Nothing makes
us more excited and happier to let you in on the secret we’ve been hiding (and
working so hard on) for so long. And not only are we letting you in on the
secret, we are letting you in first!
The Tyranids are in Dawn Of War II!
For us, the Tyranids was a way to give the fans something they have been asking
for ever since Dawn Of War… but it wasn’t until we designed the Essence 2.0
Engine did we think that the Tyranids could be brought to the Dawn Of War
universe they way that we felt we could do them justice and in the way that the
fans deserve. The Tyranids are a great way for us to bring something new and
different to the franchise… a completely different race which operates unlike
any other seen in Dawn of War to date.
“Each Tyranid is a living weapon, perfectly adapted to its designated function,
but each creature is no more than a single cell in a galactic entity governed by
a monstrous Hive Mind. As the Tyranid hive fleets drift through space they strip
all life from the worlds in their path, leaving nothing but scoured rock in
their wake…
Codemasters announces the launch Spirits Awakening, a free third episode for
ArchLord, their free-to-play MMORPG: CODEMASTERS
ONLINE LAUNCHES FREE ARCHLORD EXPANSION PACK!
ArchLord, the Popular Subscription-Free MMORPG Receives All-New Free Expansion,
Episode 3: Spirits Awakening
(Warwickshire, UK) - Tuesday, August 19, 2008 – Codemasters Online are pleased
to reveal that their highly popular, MMORPG ArchLord has gone live with a new
expansion available now free of charge to all new and existing players.
Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds 30% new game content to the existing game
including three extensive new zones and over 80 new skills and abilities.
ArchLord Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds a number of new features and free
game content including:
• Expanded world – 30% all-new game content
• All-new zones – 3 new zones for players to explore
• New class skills – Over 80 new skills
• ArchLord abilities – New ruling ArchLord skills and
abilities
• New armour & items – New collectible armour sets with
unique stats
• New monsters & enemies – New monsters and zone bosses
Available now, Episode 3 is available either through an automatic patch for
existing players when logging into the game or included within the full free
game download on the game’s official website for new players at:
www.archlordgame.com
Futuremark Games Studio Unveils Shattered Horizon at Leipzig GC reveals
plans for Shattered Horizon, the first game project from Futuremark,
known for their system benchmark utilities. The
Shattered Horizon Website is
online, and here's word on this multiplayer shooter set in a zero-G environment:
LEIPZIG, GERMANY -- 08/19/08 -- LEIPZIG GAMES CONVENTION - Futuremark®
Games Studio (www.futuremark.com/games)
today revealed Shattered Horizon(TM), a new game where players fight to survive
in the aftermath of a catastrophic Moon mining accident which throws billions of
tons of rocky debris into near-Earth space. In this multiplayer first-person
shooter for the PC, teams of players experience realistic zero gravity combat
surrounded by the broken remains of orbital infrastructure and the millions of
asteroids now encircling the Earth.
With simple and intuitive controls, players have complete freedom of movement
making full use of the distinctive environment to control the battle. Shattered
Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games
constrained by gravity.
Appealing to everyone who has ever dreamed of going into space, Shattered
Horizon puts the player in the spacesuit of a survivor from the Moon mining
operation or one of the astronauts trapped on the battered International Space
Station. With Earth surrounded by debris, there's little chance of rescue or
return. Desperate battles are fought and control of limited supplies means the
difference between survival and death in the cold of space.
Jukka Mäkinen, Head of Futuremark Games Studio, said, "We are excited to reveal
the first details of Shattered Horizon. Fans of 3DMark have been asking us to
make a game for many years. We are working hard to create something new,
different and very, very fun."
"In zero gravity the player is set free to play in new ways," said Antti
Summala, Lead Game Designer. "Complete freedom of movement and unique level
design create an experience that is at once familiar to anyone who loves the FPS
style and yet strikingly different to any game they have played before."
Mikael Bowellan, Lead Artist for Shattered Horizon said, "Players will be awed
by the epic sight of countless asteroids circling the Earth. Our stunning
lighting effects create the look of real space for both the natural and man-made
objects. We have taken existing concepts in weaponry, propulsion and spacesuit
design to make the world of Shattered Horizon even more convincing and
believable."
The company says their intimate knowledge of the latest PC hardware allows them
to tune the game's engine to extract impressive visuals on a wide range of
systems. While the game will showcase stunning graphics on high-end PCs, gamers
need not spend a fortune to enjoy the unique gameplay.
The game has not yet been rated by ESRB, PEGI or other rating bodies. The
official website is
www.shatteredhorizon.com
Perfect World International announces
closed beta testing is now underway for this MMORPG that is already online in
some territories, and open beta testing will begin in the fall. A new
Perfect World International trailer is online, which can be found on
FileFront, and here's the announcement: August 19, 2008 – Redwood
City, CA - Perfect World Entertainment Inc. ("PWE" or the "Company"), a wholly
owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd., today announced the closed beta
for its highly anticipated online game "Perfect World International" has now
officially launched. Beginning today, registered gamers will have the
opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the expansive game world and
experience "Perfect World International" prior to its open beta this fall.
"Today's beta launch is an exciting milestone for us as it provides the
opportunity for North American gamers to receive their first introduction to
Perfect World International," said Dr. Alan Chen, CEO of Perfect World
Entertainment Inc. "Providing early access to the full game underscores our
commitment to customer satisfaction while demonstrating the well-designed, high
quality entertainment experience that gamers can expect from Perfect World
International."
"Perfect World International" is the English-based, international version of
Perfect World II. With millions of players worldwide, the game has been heralded
as one of the most successful 3D MMORPGs in a number of countries. "Perfect
World International" offers an immersive online world with three unique races
and six different classes; all the while maintaining its free-to-play business
model. In addition, it boasts one of the most in-depth character creation
interfaces known to date, numerous quests full of lore and depth, and an
extensive selection of customizable fashion items.
Fans of PVP will also enjoy Territory Wars, a unique feature in "Perfect World
International" in which guilds fiercely compete in weekly battles to dominate
certain parts of the world. The victors walk away with a great deal of reward in
addition to the many added benefits that the conquered territory provides.
For additional information on "Perfect World International" and the closed beta,
visit http://www.perfectworld.com.
Just Your Average Gaming God on The Escapist is a Q&A with Sid Meier,
following up on that deified headline by asking what it's like to be an icon and about his responsibilities as a "pillar of the videogame industry." They also get into
the nitty-gritty of the game industry, touching upon ongoing questions about the
state of gaming on the PC versus consoles: I think PC gaming and console
gaming have different strengths. I think we're seeing a lot of people taking
advantage of those strengths. That's why we're seeing more independent games
being made for the PC because of the internet being a more open environment. You
also see MMO games flourishing on the PC because they kinda lend themselves to
that platform. And a lot of the high-tech action games are flourishing on the
consoles, 'cause the consoles do a good job with that. With [Xbox] Live and the
PSN, we're seeing a lot of multiplayer in consoles where that used to be an
exclusively PC thing. We're lucky to have a game concept in Civilization that
works well on both platforms.
Ragnar Tørnquist On… Storytelling on Rock, Paper Shotgun is a Q&A with the
Funcom designer in a conversation that took place before Age of Conan
shipped (which, combined with the fact that he was not on the AoC team explains
his comment that "Ship a finished game" is the lesson learned from the rocky
launch of anarchy Online). The conversation mostly focuses on The Secret
World, offering some of the first perspectives on the project: For
The Secret World, our background is in adventure games, so… we’re building an
immensely detailed world, and we’re going to spread that over a number of years.
We’re not necessarily going to have a set storyline that spreads over a number
of expansion packs, but we are going to have a story that involves the players.
I think that’s something that people really want – they want meaning when they
go into these games. Even if it’s a game where you spend 80% of your time
killing monsters, they’re still looking for that meaning – what am I doing here?
Even on a spiritual level – I think people seek that always. Not everybody’s
going to care about it, but if one out of five people – if that’s important for
them – well it’s there, and you can dig into it and spend years living inside
this world and finding new stuff all the time. That’s the great things about
MMOs – it’s not finite, there’s always going to be more, places that you haven’t
seen, lore you haven’t learned. And we’re definitely going to build on
that.
The PC Gaming Alliance
that was recently formed to promote the PC platform
has issued a report on the state of PC Gaming, echoing the now-familiar
premise that traditional sales metrics do not convey its continued success.
Here's a portion: Speaking at the Games Convention Developer’s Conference
in Leipzig, PCGA president Randy Stude announced that PC gaming was a $10.7
billion industry during the year of 2007, with retail sales accounting for just
30 percent of total revenues. According to the report, growth was largely driven
by online revenues from Asia, the world’s largest market, which is approaching
half of total worldwide sales.
Online PC gaming revenue led the way in 2007 with $4.8 billion, nearly double
the worldwide retail sales numbers for PC games. Digital distribution sales
approached $2 billion, while advertising revenues from websites, portals, and
in-game ads accounted for $800 million. Both are expected to grow substantially
as major developers and publishers begin to adopt formal strategies to take
advantage of new online opportunities.
“Our analysis clearly shows incredible growth in online PC gaming, proof that
this industry is far stronger than anyone has reported,” said Stude. “Today’s
consumers shop where they live - online.”
According to DFC Intelligence, there is even more room for growth as the
broadband market matures.
“By pioneering new business models, the PC has quietly remained the single
leading platform for games, not only in terms of consumer usage, but revenue
generation,” said David Cole, an analyst with DFC Intelligence. “The most
fascinating thing about PC gaming is its ability to attract such a diverse
audience, both demographically and geographically. The real key has been the
rapid growth in penetration of broadband-connected PCs in all markets around the
world. Broadband-connected PCs are the key driver of growth for PC gaming. DFC
Intelligence estimated that by the end of 2007 less than one-third of households
in the top 20 markets for games had a high-speed Internet connection. That
clearly indicates that there is still plenty of growth to come. The initiatives
of the PCGA will be a key enabler of growth as they will help the industry
identify key trends and opportunities in this rapidly emerging market.”
IGN quotes a
Games Convention
presentation by Cevat Yerli where the Crytek CEO reveals that Crysis only
cost them 15 million Euros ($22 million USD) to make, a relative bargain for a
AAA title. This means in spite of complaints about PC sales and piracy, the game
still turned a profit, with Yerli saying: "if it wasn't profitable I wouldn't be
able to stand here."
QuakeUnity.com has video of
the QuakeCon one-on-one finals played on Quake Live, as well as a few
other matches from the tournaments at the just-completed convention. The clips
include commentary, and show off the upcoming browser-based shooter, as well as
some high-level competition.
Codemasters announces FUEL, an upcoming racing game in the works at Asobo
Studios to join their garage that already offers DIRT and GRID, as
they apparently feel racing is a capitalized four-letter word. The game is set
in an "alternate present" where climate change and soaring gas prices exist
(where do writers come up with these unbelievable premises?), and a release is
planned for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 next year. More details are coming at this
week's Games Convention: Friday 15th August/...Set to revolutionise
multi-terrain racing with the largest environment ever created in race gaming,
Codemasters today announced signing the worldwide publishing rights to FUEL™
from Asobo Studios. Promising a truly next generation addition to the racing
genre, FUEL is in development at Asobo Studios in Bordeaux, France, for the
PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft®, Games For Windows® LIVE and due to release
in 2009.
Born of Asobo Studios’ cutting-edge proprietary engine, the result of over four
years in development, FUEL will present players with an astonishing
no-boundaries playfield that’s over 5,000 square miles (14,000+ km²) in size.
Creating the ultimate competitive go-anywhere racing experience, FUEL will have
players competing across wildly different terrain and executing spectacular
death-defying stunts as they race dozens of varied two and four-wheeled rides
and explore this epic world on an unprecedented scale.
FUEL is set in an alternate present in which whole swathes of the globe have
been ravaged by the effects of climate change brought on by decades of
environmental abuse. Here oil prices have rocketed and yet a new breed of racing
junkie takes to the wastelands, pitting their grungy home-tuned vehicles against
each other in an all-new extreme sport as they compete to win fuel supplies. To
triumph means travelling the wastelands to challenge the best; from the
tsunami-wrecked pacific coast through the Nevada wastelands, including the Grand
Canyon, up treacherous snow-capped mountains, thick forests, arid deserts,
abandoned lakeside resorts and much more.
Bringing this vast, open ended landscape to life is a dynamic weather system
with full day and night transitions, brilliant sunshine, torrential rain and
everything in between, plus destructive tornados, sandstorms, thunderstorms,
lightning strikes, and blizzards requiring mid-race strategy changes.
“FUEL raises the bar in terms of scale and exhilaration for racing games. We
begin with the largest racing environment to appear in gaming – ever. With our
accelerated effects of climate change and dynamic weather system we add an extra
dimension that change races on-the-fly and constantly presents new challenges to
players,” said Sebastian Wloch, Chief Executive Officer, Asobo Studios.
“Player choice lies at the heart of FUEL’s action-packed races and with a huge
range of vehicles, packs of up to 16 vehicles speeding across diverse terrain
and a no-boundaries, no-limits approach to racing, means players have never had
so much freedom to conquer the wilderness and take the chequered flag.”
“The technology Asobo Studios has developed to build FUEL is ground-breaking. To
create a game on this unprecedented scale to this level of graphical quality,
complete with all the dynamic weather effects, is a great achievement,” said
Barry Jafrato, Senior Vice President of Brand, Codemasters. “FUEL had to be a
special title for Codemasters to include in our racing portfolio and we believe
that from both a gameplay and a technical perspective, FUEL compliments our long
standing tradition of driving excellence.”
Complete with the ability to go online to explore this massive world and compete
in hundreds of multiplayer challenges, FUEL is coming in 2009 for the
PLAYSTATION®3 system, Xbox 360 and Games For Windows. More on FUEL will be
revealed from Games Convention Leipzig (20 – 24th August, 2008).
Neverwinter Nights
2: Storm of Zehir Q&A Part 1 on RPG Vault forms a party of developers to
quest for details about Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, Obsidian's
upcoming D&D RPG expansion. On answer describes the tone they are setting with
the add-on, and also sets the game's release date at some point this
year: These days, sequels tend to get darker and grittier, but we've gone
in the other direction with Storm of Zehir. While it certainly has some such
elements, overall, it's a tale of light-hearted adventure and exploration. It's
more fun and less serious. This direction for the title can be seen throughout -
finding random (and not random) goodies while searching the overland map, the
addition of the Swashbuckler class, the variety of personalities in the
cohorts...
Storm of Zehir will be in stores before the winter holidays.
The Unofficial Tex Murphy Web Site Message Board has a teaser trailer for
Three Cards To Midnight (thanks Todd), an upcoming game from Chris Jones and
Aaron Conners, creators of the Tex Murphy series. Not a lot about the game is
revealed except that it is a mystery in which tarot cards will play a
significant role.
Monday's Installment in Team
Fortress 2 - A Heavy Update may have taken all day, but it is extra-heavy,
offering details on Arena Mode, a new game type that will come along with the
upcoming Heavy class update for the teamplay shooter. The mode will play on five
maps to start, altered versions of Well, Granary, and Badlands, and two new
maps, Lumberyard and Ravine, and here's word on Arena Mode:
NO TIME FOR CRYING!
TF2 Arena keeps the class diversity of Team Fortress 2 while focusing goals
around combat between two teams. Where other game modes lean towards a broad
overall strategy for the team over a number of lives, Arena concentrates on the
specific tactical choices the teams make in a single fight.
Arena features smaller maps that play out in shorter periods of time. The round
ends once one team has no players left in the arena, or when the central capture
point has unlocked and been captured. Rounds tend to be very fast and highly
competitive, with an emphasis on your team’s class makeup and your plan to
counter the opposing team’s class choices. Arena mode is great for smaller
matches of three vs. three players, while still comfortably supporting huge
knockdown twelve-on-twelve brawls.
ARENA CLASS STRATEGIES
Health pick-ups are limited in TF2 Arena (some levels don’t have any Health
packs at all) so being careful is a good strategy for any class. As well, with
so little health available, having a Medic or a Health dispenser-building
Engineer on your team can be a crucial element to success. With their
reconnaissance abilities, the Scout and Spy play a far more vital role in Arena
than in other game modes. Knowing the location of the enemy team can often mean
the difference between a win and a loss. The Soldier and Demoman will find many
areas in Arena specifically designed for them to get a vertical advantage.
Traditional Heavy/Medic pairings will still be highly useful as the anchor to a
good Arena team. However, commit too far in this direction and the enemy can
quickly overwhelm you with Snipers and Spies. In Arena, water is as scarce as
Health. This makes the Pyro a much deadlier class, as any enemy player he sets
on fire with his flamethrower or flare gun will be unable to put out the flames.
Igniting enemies quickly, then retreating to safety, can be an effective
strategy for the Pyro.
PunkBuster
Online Countermeasures Announcement page has word that Call of Duty:
World at War will use Even Balance's anti-cheating software: "Activision has
contracted with Even Balance, Inc. to integrate PunkBuster™ Anti-Cheat software
into the game Call of Duty®: World at War™ developed by Treyarch."
Lord of the Rings Conquest movie on G4.com offers direct-feed footage from
the E3 build of the game. The clip shows combat for different characters, and a
complete run through of a few different scenarios, including a failed mission
that was successful upon retry.
Fan Faire
2008 Q&A session #1 on The Agency HQ transcribes a Q&A session with Matt
Wilson, Hal Milton, Lorean Gremoire, Steve Kramer, Dan Myers, and Jose Araiza of
the team behind The Agency, SOE's upcoming MMO spy game. A number of topics are
covered in good detail, with some of the more noteworthy bits already having
appeared in the news.
The Bill
Roper Interview on 1Up is a Q&A with the cofounder of Flagship Studios about
the developer that is in essence deceased at this point, as well as thoughts on
Diablo III and other topics later on. As to the subject of Flagship, they
ask about what he can discuss (at one point he makes a pointed reference to
Hanbitsoft not honoring their nondisclosure agreements), and he describes
efforts at paying off institutions and employees still owed money by Flagship
and the attempts to save the company from going under. His comment about losing
the Mythos IP, indicates he thinks the new owners got less than they
bargained for: Yeah. But I think part of it is -- the challenge they face
is -- it's like if somebody says, "Hey, I made you a loan against your Ferrari,
[and] now the loan's due, so I want the Ferrari." And I say, "Great, here's a
box of parts, because I didn't actually finish building the car yet." So they
have it, but it's not done, and they don't have any of the engineers that were
there that know how to build the game or use the tools or use the tech or
anything. So yes, you have it, but you have it where it is, which isn't done
yet. It's a lot different from a movie. With a film you can say, "Here's all the
footage. Get some competent guys with an Avid system, and you could piece
something together. Go shoot some more scenes. Release the film." Totally
different situation here. There isn't just a quick way you can slap something
together. So I think that they're facing a big challenge: How to actually get a
shippable title out of this without that team being there anymore.
Unfortunately, it isn't something we didn't kind of warn them about. We said,
"We want to know what you guys will do." We had transition service agreements
that we have done everything we can to fulfill. Flagship at this point is unable
to actually provide those transition services. I don't have programmers anymore,
or artists to work on the title, but we provided them with all the personal
contact information with anyone they wanted. After that the onus is on them as
far as whether or not to bring those people in.
Factor 5 Careers Page
outlines a number of openings at this San Rafael, California-based developer.
Word is: "Founded in 1987, Factor 5 is committed to making only AAA titles. Best
known for the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series, Factor 5 is now developing
multiple titles for Sony’s Playstation 3. Currently, we are developing projects
for multiple console platforms."
- 1701 A.D. Gold Edition on
GameZone.
- Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar
Ruiner on
Hooked Gamers.
I'll be on the move a bit later today with an opportunity to put my mobile
internet dealie further to the test, though I don't expect it should be a
problem. In the old days travelers feared falling off the edge of the earth,
today we worry about reaching the edge of our signal. Can you hear me now?
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