Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comJoystiq interview: Nintendo spins 'core' gamer appeal, morehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/joystiq-interview-nintendo-spins-core-gamer-appeal/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/joystiq-interview-nintendo-spins-core-gamer-appeal/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/23/joystiq-interview-nintendo-spins-core-gamer-appeal/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


E3's oddly intoxicating cocktail of libation and lack of sleep can often give those in attendance a unique perspective on the industry. However, as we wandered into Nintendo's coolly lit corner of the LA convention center, we were quickly reminded that this is an outfit with a perspective all of its own.

If the company's ambivalence during its own pre-E3 presser wasn't enough to convince us of Nintendo's indifference toward core gamers, our sit down during the show with Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta proved that while the organization may preach that "hardcore" gamers play a critical role in Nintendo's strategy, its actions paint a different picture altogether.

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]]>casualcoree3-2008e32008expandedhardcorejoystiqfeaturesnintendo2008-07-23T08:30:00+00:00The unbearable smallness of E3 2008, in pictureshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/the-unbearable-smallness-of-e3-2008-in-pictures/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/the-unbearable-smallness-of-e3-2008-in-pictures/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/the-unbearable-smallness-of-e3-2008-in-pictures/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

After last year's detour to Santa Monica, E3 returned this year to its traditional home at the L.A. Convention Center. But the more things stay the same, the more they change, as they say (if they're a bit confused). Despite the return to the old location, much of this year's E3 had an empty, ghost town feeling when compared to E3s past. The general lack of participating developers and publishers, combined with the strict, invite-only attendee list combined to make a show that seemed incredibly small in the incredibly large convention center. To see just how small, check out our "E3, then and now" gallery, which compare scenes from previous E3s to similar scenes from this year's show.
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]]>comparisone3e3-2008joystiqfeaturesL.A.LACClos angeleslos-angeles-convention-centerLosAngelesthen-and-now2008-07-21T22:30:00+00:00Joystiq interview: Bethesda's Todd Howard on Fallout 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-interview-bethesdas-todd-howard-on-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-interview-bethesdas-todd-howard-on-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/joystiq-interview-bethesdas-todd-howard-on-fallout-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Hopefully we're not in danger of providing Fallout 3 overload, and if you haven't gotten the idea yet, we're really looking forward to this game. It's literally a cool science fiction series skin slapped on top of Oblivion, but we're not complaining about that. Blowing away mutants in the wasteland? Yes, please.

Here's the meat and bones from our time with Bethesda's Todd Howard, and you can listen to the full audio interview below. After the break, find out some tidbits like the size of the world, how many radio stations are in the game, and why you won't be dual-wielding or buying horse armor. Oh, and be sure to pay attention to the exploding pants achievement.

Continue reading Joystiq interview: Bethesda's Todd Howard on Fallout 3

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]]>BethesdaE3-2008FalloutFallout-3FPSjoystiqfeaturesRPGTodd-Howard2008-07-21T07:30:00+00:00Fallout 3 Vault-Tec phone number decodedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/fallout-3-vault-tec-phone-number-decoded/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/fallout-3-vault-tec-phone-number-decoded/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/fallout-3-vault-tec-phone-number-decoded/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Pete Hines from Bethesda shattered our crystalline dreams yesterday when he told us that the Vault-Tec 800 number for Fallout 3 means... absolutely nothing. He and Todd Howard had argued about it, and Pete wanted it to actually have something hidden inside for fans, but he got vetoed.

Although Bethesda would love for rabid Fallout fans to kick down the door of a 68 year old woman's house in Texas in search of hidden editions of the game, it just ain't happenin'. Listen to the actual audio dialogue below which busted up our hopes for a Rain Man level math secret hidden in the phone message.
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]]>BethesdaE3-2008Fallout-3Phonephone-numberViral2008-07-17T21:30:00+00:00The real-life Fallout 3 Pip-boy peripheral that almost washttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-real-life-fallout-3-pip-boy-peripheral-that-almost-was/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-real-life-fallout-3-pip-boy-peripheral-that-almost-was/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/the-real-life-fallout-3-pip-boy-peripheral-that-almost-was/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Writing about video games can often expose you to those heartbreaking stories of things in development that almost made it, but never appeared. Things like the Phantom game console, Shenmue Online, and the years-in-the-making Duke Nukem Forever.

We spent time with Bethesda's Todd Howard beyond locked doors and found out about some of the dark secrets behind Fallout 3, including the massive real-life Pip-boy that would have had a screen built into it to allow you to interact with the game. Or possibly hold your PSP on your wrist to become a PiPSP-boy. Find out more after the breakage.

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]]>BethesdaE3-2008Fallout-3joystiqfeaturesPeripheralPip-BoyPSP2008-07-17T08:30:00+00:00Midway at E3: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Scorpion vs. Batman. Catwoman vs. Subzero. These aren't exactly matchups players have always dreamed of, but Midway is going to do their best to cram two disparate universes into one with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the very first Mortal Kombat game on the next-gen systems. Here at E3, Joystiq got to sit down with Brian Lebaron, senior designer for the game, and we talked about why it's OK to set the Flash on fire, why Bizarro probably won't be in the game, and what Midway is doing to Toasty uppercut the fighting genre.

After the break, find our hands on with the game, as well as details from our chat with Lebaron. When MK vs. DC comes out, you'll finally be able to find out whether Liu Kang's kicks can catch the Flash in the jaw.

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]]>batmandlce3e3-08e3-2008handsonjoystiqfeaturesmidwaymkdcmortal-kombatmortal-kombat-vs-dc-universeonlinesuperman2008-07-16T16:30:00+00:00Joystiq interviews Rock Band 2's Dan Teasdalehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-interviews-rock-band-2s-dan-teasdale/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-interviews-rock-band-2s-dan-teasdale/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-interviews-rock-band-2s-dan-teasdale/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


In the madness of E3, we got 10 minutes with Rock Band 2's Senior Designer Dan Teasdale. We rattled off a bunch of questions and jotted down his basic answers. Full quotes? We don't have time for full quotes! Check out the rapid-fire Q&A after the break.

Continue reading Joystiq interviews Rock Band 2's Dan Teasdale

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]]>dan-teasdalee3-2008harmonixjoystiqfeaturesmtv-gamesrock-bandrock-band-2teasdale2008-07-16T08:15:00+00:00Joystiq interview: Sonic Unleashed producer on nighttime stages, Werehog Sonic, morehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/joystiq-interview-sonic-unleashed-producer-on-nighttime-stages/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/joystiq-interview-sonic-unleashed-producer-on-nighttime-stages/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/joystiq-interview-sonic-unleashed-producer-on-nighttime-stages/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We've been wondering what everyone's favorite Sega mascot, Sonic, has been up to lately. Since Sega's Gamers Day in May, the company has been pretty quiet regarding Sonic Unleashed -- the latest console adventure for the speeding hedgehog. To find out, we caught up with the US Producer for Sonic Unleashed, Patrick Riley, to see what sort of information he could tell us. As it turns out, we've got tons more info on the blue hero. Here's but a small taste; we've got the full interview after the break.

Joystiq: We're most interested in the day and night gameplay, specifically when Sonic changes into an unleashed beast. We're wondering if this will play out in real-time as players go through a stage, or are there set stages specifically for night time?
Patrick Riley: Certain parts of the action stages are built for both day and night gameplay. When in these areas and when in the villages, in-game time will pass and Sonic will transform. However, we're making sure that the player won't be "stuck" in a form they don't want and it will be easy to automatically advance the clock. Other parts of the action stages are built specifically for day or night gameplay. While Sonic is in these areas, in-game time will not pass.

How many stages are there? We've seen "Greece" and "Europe" but what other themes are there?
We'll be talking about the number of environments later but there are plenty we haven't touched on at all, and of course we'll be reserving some of them to be found by the players. In addition to Greece and Europe, however, players will visit China and Africa, as well. There are daytime and nighttime stages in each environment, in addition to unlockable mini-stages. Players will explore numerous locations throughout the globe, each of which has been rendered like never before in a Sonic game.

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]]>e3-2008joystiqfeaturessegasonicsonic-unleashed2008-07-15T12:00:00+00:00Joystiq interview: Mercenaries 2 senior producer Jonathan Zamkoffhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/joystiq-interview-mercenaries-2-senior-producer-jonathan-zamkof/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/joystiq-interview-mercenaries-2-senior-producer-jonathan-zamkof/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/joystiq-interview-mercenaries-2-senior-producer-jonathan-zamkof/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We spent some time with the eagerly awaited Mercenaries 2: World in Flames at Electronic Arts recently, and we can safely say that it's a lot of fun blowing crap up in this game. In fact, if they dropped the storyline (you're chasing a druglord) altogether and called this game Blowing Sh*t Up!, we'd still buy it.

Senior Producer Jonathan Zamkoff answered several of our questions about the game after we took a breath to check for scorch marks and shrapnel wounds. We'll be spending a lot more hands-on time with this one at E3, so look for more coverage next week. In the meantime, check after the break to find out why they hope driving won't suck in this one... although they don't explain why this screenshot looks like Motorstorm 2: Save Your Own Ass.
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Continue reading Joystiq interview: Mercenaries 2 senior producer Jonathan Zamkoff

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]]>Blowing-Stuff-UpInterviewJonathan-ZamkoffLucasArtsMercenariesMercenaries-2Pandemic2008-07-10T21:00:00+00:00Joystiq interview: Treyarch's Jeremy Luyties on James Bondhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/joystiq-interview-treyarchs-jeremy-luyties-on-james-bond/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/joystiq-interview-treyarchs-jeremy-luyties-on-james-bond/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/03/joystiq-interview-treyarchs-jeremy-luyties-on-james-bond/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


During out whirlwhind tour through the new Quantum of Solace game, we were able to spend a few minutes speaking with Treyarch's Jeremy Luyties, who serves as design director on the title. Luyties has worked on everything from Return to Castle Wolfenstein to Call of Duty 3 to the heavily Bond-influenced classic No One Lives Forever. Find out what secrets he spilled about the new Bond title after the break.
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]]>ActivisionJames-BondJeremy-LuytiesQuantum-of-SolaceTreyarch2008-07-03T08:29:00+00:00Joystiq chats with Jay Wilson on Diablo 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/29/joystiq-chats-with-jay-wilson-on-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


click to embiggen
The buzz here at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is all about Diablo 3. When will we have a playable demo? When can we expect a release? Blizzard, of course, isn't willing to commit to a date other than their standard "when it's done" answer:
  • What classes are going to be available? Blizzard's answer: we're not ready to talk about that.
  • Will there be a cow level? Blizzard's answer... well, more on that later.
Joystiq had a chance to catch up with Diablo 3's lead designer Jay Wilson (whom you may know from his work on a little game called Dawn of War) and pick his brain about how he got on the Diablo 3 project, what's in store for Battle.net, and the secret cow level.
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]]>battle-netbattle.netblizzarddiablodiablo-3entertainmentjay-wilsonjoystiqfeaturesparissecret-cow-levelworldwide-invitationalwwiwwi-08wwi-20082008-06-29T03:00:00+00:00Scared Stiff: Why should we care about Resident Evil 5?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/28/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-resident-evil-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Okay, it's confession time. This article series, as much as we hope you've enjoyed it, was originally set out to only discuss those titles of the survival horror persuasion that have been cemented into the 2008 release calendar. However, there is an ordnance that says something to the effect that you can't talk about survival horror games without devoting some face time to Capcom's seminal Resident Evil franchise. Or at least there should be. And while a date for when we can expect to continue slaughtering zombies -- or some derivative thereof -- hasn't been announced, we fully expected Resident Evil 5 to ship sometime in 2009.

That said, we nonetheless felt the game would make an appropriate end cap on our week long look at the genre Capcom helped not only create, but perfect, so we ended our week by speaking with producer Jun Takeuchi, and asked him why we should care about Resident Evil 5.
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]]>capcomjoystiqfeaturesre5resident-evilresidentevilscared-stiff2008-06-28T08:00:00+00:00Scared stiff: Why should we care about Silent Hill: Homecoming?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-silent-hill-homecoming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Konami's Silent Hill franchise has forgotten more about keeping us hiding beneath our covers than most games will ever know. Even EA's own Glen Schofield tips his hat to the series, telling us earlier this week that he considers the 1999 PlayStation original to be among his favorite survival horror games ever. But after nearly a decade of stumbling through the fog, it's easy to feel that the dilapidated burg of Silent Hill has gotten a bit too long in the tooth.

For the series' sixth installment, Konami has handed the blood-soaked baton over to external developer Double Helix Games, a recent mash-up of The Collective and Shiny Entertainment. The result is this fall's upcoming release, Silent Hill: Homecoming, and we recently puzzled our way out of mist long enough to ask the game's lead designer, Jason Allen, just why we should care about this latest return trip to Silent Hill.

Gallery: Silent Hill: Homecoming

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]]>double-helixdoublehelixjoystiqfeatureskonamiscared-stiffsilent-hillsilent-hill-homecomingsilenthillsilenthillhomecoming2008-06-25T16:15:00+00:00Scared stiff: Why should we care about Dead Space?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-dead-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-dead-space/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-dead-space/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Looking one part System Shock and another part Event Horizon, Electronic Arts' Dead Space is another of 2008's most eagerly anticipated experiments with freaking us right out. In development by a "renegade" team of devs at EA Redwood Shores, the game represents one of the few truly original offerings from a company that has rightfully earned a dubious reputation for recycling IP.

However, if our interest was piqued by the sci-fi survival horror romp through outer space, it completely pales to EA's own enthusiasm for the project, which has seen Dead Space cast in both comics as well as an upcoming animated prequel in the run up to the game's release this Halloween. But EA throwing money at a game to keep it in the news is hardly surprising, so we spoke with executive producer Glen Schofield about the project, asking him point blank why we should care about a game that, as he tells it, is about "a normal guy in a horrible situation."
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]]>dead-spacedeadspaceelectronic-artselectronicartsjoystiqfeaturesscared-stiffsurvival-horror2008-06-24T08:20:00+00:00Scared stiff: Why should we care about Alone in the Dark?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-alone-in-the-dark/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-alone-in-the-dark/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/23/scared-stiff-why-should-we-care-about-alone-in-the-dark/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The survival horror genre is set to get a shot in the arm in 2008 with a number of high profile, not to mention highly anticipated entries all vying for the opportunity to keep us jumping at shadows and screaming like little girls. Or, for those gamers who are, in fact, little girls, just keep them screaming.

But as all of us know, build-up seldom equals pay-off, leaving us to look upon these titles with what could be described as a mixture of cautious excitement and malaise. However, rather than simply sit and wait to see what the games have in store for us, we decided to corner the teams working on this year's more notable survival horror titles, and pick their brains in true survival horror fashion -- with an ice pick.

But having left the ice pick at the office (my bad!), we opted to simply ask those working on these titles why we should keep their games on our collective radar. This week we'll be talking with people working on such games as Dead Space, Silent Hill: Homecoming and Project Origin, and kick things off today by asking Eden Games' producer Nour Polloni about her studio's re-imagining of survival horror architect Alone in the Dark, particularly, why should we care?
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]]>alone-in-the-darkaloneinthedarkedeneden-gamesjoystiqfeaturesscared-stiffsurvival-horror2008-06-23T17:15:00+00:00Ready at Dawn talks abandoning the PSP, piracy and being originalhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/ready-at-dawn-talks-abandoning-the-psp-piracy-and-being-origin/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/ready-at-dawn-talks-abandoning-the-psp-piracy-and-being-origin/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/ready-at-dawn-talks-abandoning-the-psp-piracy-and-being-origin/#commentsFiled under: , ,


When it comes to developer Ready at Dawn, creating games for the PSP is just so last week. But while the company has closed the book on any PSP aspirations, going so far as to mail its entire stock of dev kits back to Sony, the developer of both Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus has played the reason for abandoning PSP development close to its chest.

It's a mystery, but mysteries give us headaches, so we tracked down Ready At Dawn's president, Didier Malenfant, to find out why exactly the studio has turned up its nose at developing for Sony's sexed-up portable. "We feel like we've done everything we wanted to do with the PSP," admitted the exec. "We have new projects on other platforms and we like to focus on one thing at a time."

Even so, Didier championed the state of PSP development, stating matter-of-factly "Good games sell. Who would have thought?"

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]]>chains-of-olympuschainsofolympusdaxterjoystiqfeaturespspready-at-dawnreadyatdawn2008-06-11T05:00:00+00:00Insomniac's Dezern and McCabe talk new North Carolina digshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/insomniacs-dezern-and-mccabe-talk-new-north-carolina-digs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/insomniacs-dezern-and-mccabe-talk-new-north-carolina-digs/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/insomniacs-dezern-and-mccabe-talk-new-north-carolina-digs/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Insomniac's push eastward was one of last week's most intriguing items of interest, despite a lack of details concerning what exactly the Ratchet & Clank developer has in store for its new Raleigh, NC studio. However, while we don't know exactly what the Burbank, California-based developer has up its sleeves, we figured if anyone had the scoop it would be current Insomniac art director Chad Dezern and gameplay guru Shaun McCabe, both of whom will be given reigns over the company's eastern arm once it opens in January.

We recently spoke with both execs about the new studio, and we couldn't help but kick off the interview by asking the one nagging question on our mind: Why North Carolina?

"We wanted to expand Insomniac's capabilities while retaining the small team culture in Burbank. Opening up an office in The Triangle lets us do that while also offering an alternative for talented people who want to stay on the East Coast," Dezern answered. "Plus, Shaun and I are from the South and we missed the distant strumming of the banjo."

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]]>insomniacinsomniac-gamesinsomniacgamesjoystiqfeaturesnorth-carolinanorthcarolinaratchet-and-clankratchetandclankresistanceresistance-22008-06-09T08:30:00+00:00Massively.com's exhaustive coverage of Warhammer Onlinehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/massively-coms-exhaustive-coverage-of-warhammer-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/massively-coms-exhaustive-coverage-of-warhammer-online/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/massively-coms-exhaustive-coverage-of-warhammer-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,

All week long, Massively.com has been offering up feature after feature on EA Mythic's in-development MMO, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The Massively goes to WAR feature series takes you front to back through almost every moment of our time at Mythic's Virginia headquarters. To wrap it all up, we've got a handy-dandy clickable guide to the series. Whether you're into hardcore PvP, dungeon delving, crafting, or are a total MMO newb, we've got you covered. Click on through, and explore the world of Warhammer.

Continue reading Massively.com's exhaustive coverage of Warhammer Online

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]]>ea-mythicfeaturedmassivelymassively-goes-to-warwarwarhammerwarhammer-online2008-06-07T01:00:00+00:00Joystiq interview: BioWare's Ray Muzyka talks Mass Effect 2, DLC and his favorite interfacehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/joystiq-interview-biowares-ray-muzyka-talks-mass-effect-2-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/joystiq-interview-biowares-ray-muzyka-talks-mass-effect-2-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/joystiq-interview-biowares-ray-muzyka-talks-mass-effect-2-dlc/#commentsFiled under: ,


Normally, when we want to talk to Ray Muzyka, General Manger of BioWare, we have to camp outside his palatial mansion and wait for him to get his morning paper. He's pretty spry though, so we can usually get out "When is Mass Effect 2 go--" before he slams the door in our face. But this time, EA actually asked us to pick the good doctor's brain. Here are the results:

BioWare has worked in several fantastical settings. How did working in a sci-fi world like Mass Effect differ from some of your earlier titles?

That's a great question. The creative inspiration for both fantasy and sci-fi, and contemporary settings for that matter, certainly come from very different sources on different projects - for example, we're inspired by the classic fantasy novels for our fantasy games like Baldur's Gate or Dragon Age, and by classic science fiction films for science fiction IPs like Mass Effect, and by contemporary setting movies and novels for other titles. We're always striving to deliver powerful emotional experiences to our audience.

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]]>biowaredragon-agejoystiqfeaturesmass-effectmass-effect-2ray-muzyka2008-05-23T14:25:00+00:00Tycho Brahe weighs in On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darknesshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/tycho-brahe-weighs-in-on-the-rain-slick-precipice-of-darkness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/tycho-brahe-weighs-in-on-the-rain-slick-precipice-of-darkness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/tycho-brahe-weighs-in-on-the-rain-slick-precipice-of-darkness/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

penny arcade
The unique experiment of Penny Arcade Adventures has already begun in earnest. The long-term question in the making -- "Can game comic-makers make a videogame?" -- is moot. On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is now available via Xbox Live and the Greenhouse website (with demos here: Windows, Mac and Linux). The question now becomes: What do the creators think of their spawn? We sat down with Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, Penny Arcade's writer-in-residence, to get some perspective on that very issue.

We had the chance to discuss a number of the game's elements -- from the origins of the Startling Developments Detective Agency to the foul creation of the evil bums. Mr. Holkins also shed a dim light on future episodes in the series as we discussed the music and writing that surround the overarching story. We also clarified that for Penny Arcade, as a creative team, there is no rest. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins are not celebrating today, they're not patting themselves on the back. Instead, they're returning to what they do best: working.

Read on to find out why these guys are driven to mine the funny for your benefit.
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Continue reading Tycho Brahe weighs in On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>gabehothead-gamesjerry-holkinsjoystiqfeaturesmike-krahulikpenny-arcadepenny-arcade-adventurestycho2008-05-21T12:27:00+00:00