Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Looking into the world of Carmack's Doom through the Oculus Rift]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/looking-into-the-world-of-carmack-s-doom-through-the-oculus-rift/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/looking-into-the-world-of-carmack-s-doom-through-the-oculus-rift/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/looking-into-the-world-of-carmack-s-doom-through-the-oculus-rift/#comments
"When people have sort of hacked together first-person demos with head mounts before, they usually have to wind up pretending they're a mouse, which gives you this very limited interface," master of the Doom franchise John Carmack told me in a meeting during QuakeCon 2012. "It's like using it as a controller rather than really looking into the world."

Carmack would like to fix that, and he is now working with Palmer Luckey and the highly talked about Oculus Rift in order to do so. By combining Luckey's hardware with Carmack's software, they hope to remove a lot of barriers gamers typically experience when trying to immerse themselves in a virtual world.

When I put on the VR headset to look into the new and improved world of Doom 3 BFG Edition, I almost lost balance. My brain seemed to be fighting with itself in terms of where my body was, physically. I knew I was standing in a hotel room of the Hilton Anatole and that moving my feet wouldn't have any impact on my gameplay, while at the same time I felt like I was running through corridors on Mars, dodging fireballs from imps as I played Doom.

Gallery: Doom 3 BFG Edition (QuakeCon 2012)

Continue reading Looking into the world of Carmack's Doom through the Oculus Rift

JoystiqLooking into the world of Carmack's Doom through the Oculus Rift originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doom-3-bfg-editionJohn-CarmackOculus-RiftpcQuakeCon-2012Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Unleashing ludicrous gibs in the Rise of the Triad revival]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/unleashing-ludicrous-gibs-in-the-rise-of-the-triad-revival/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/unleashing-ludicrous-gibs-in-the-rise-of-the-triad-revival/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/unleashing-ludicrous-gibs-in-the-rise-of-the-triad-revival/#comments Rise of the Triad previewBy the late 90s, Apogee Software - the legal name of 3D Realms - was a household name for hardcore PC gamers. The Texas-based studio was responsible for franchises like Duke Nukem and published some of id Software's earliest hits such as Wolfenstein 3D.

Years later that partnership continues as Apogee made its return to id's annual QuakeCon event in Dallas to announce the revival of Rise of the Triad - a cult-favorite first-person shooter released in 1995. Though its popularity never reached the same level as Doom, Rise of the Triad gained a niche fan base for its over-the-top nature. It's the kind of game that has a character named I.P. Freely; the kind of game with a gun that shoots a literal wall of flame, because why not?

Rise of the Triad's return is being developed by people with at least a little experience in modernizing old Apogee products. Developer Interceptor Entertainment was formed in 2010 to create Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded, a fan project turned official remake that was put on hold indefinitely in late 2011. Apogee decided Interceptor could be trusted with another of its franchises and supported the development team by adding former Rise of the Triad devs and mod makers to Interceptor's squad.

Gallery: Rise of the Triad (QuakeCon 2012)

Continue reading Unleashing ludicrous gibs in the Rise of the Triad revival

JoystiqUnleashing ludicrous gibs in the Rise of the Triad revival originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apogeeInterceptor-EntertainmentpcQuakeCon-2012rise-of-the-triadTue, 07 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dishonored's chaos, morality and potentially over-powered hero]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/dishonoreds-chaos-morality-and-potentially-over-powered-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/dishonoreds-chaos-morality-and-potentially-over-powered-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/dishonoreds-chaos-morality-and-potentially-over-powered-hero/#comments Dishonored's chaos, morality and potentially overpowered heroMany elements of Dishonored - from its original setting and art style to the protagonist's arsenal of special powers - have made the game subject to a great deal of attention. But with great power comes a great fear: Will the game lack any sort of challenge? Where is the difficulty in being stealthy if you can teleport behind guards and stop time in order to get away?

"It was a hard paradox for us to get right in the game design," co-creative director Raphael Colantonio told Joystiq during QuakeCon 2012, "because we wanted to give you very strong powers, to make you really a badass, but at the same time we didn't want the game to be too easy. So it took awhile to get it right, and some of it is just obvious tuning. Every power has a duration, cost of mana, and some other tunable properties ... So even if your power is incredibly strong, you can mitigate it by saying 'Well, it only lasts three seconds.'"

Ricardo Bare, one of the leads behind Dishonored, echoed that sentiment. "We're always in a discussion about where the line is. Should we move it back a little bit toward constraining the player, or should we go ahead and let the player do this? And as much as possible we try to say 'yes' to the player and enable the cool combinations and powers that they put together."

Continue reading Dishonored's chaos, morality and potentially over-powered hero

JoystiqDishonored's chaos, morality and potentially over-powered hero originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Arkane-StudiosBethesda-Softworksdishonoredmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxMon, 06 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[A game of murder in Arkane's Dishonored]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/a-game-of-murder-in-arkanes-dishonored/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/a-game-of-murder-in-arkanes-dishonored/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/a-game-of-murder-in-arkanes-dishonored/#comments What I learned from playing Arkane Studios' anxiously awaited Dishonored is that playing it like a standard action game isn't the best course of action. You may succeed, but you're more likely to fail or stumble disappointingly to the end of a mission - a far cry from those playing with patience and a plan.

The QuakeCon 2012 demo I played was from about halfway through Dishonored's campaign, a section taking place during a dinner party murder mystery. You are the murderer, tasked with assassinating a woman named Lady Boyle during a masquerade party taking place at her estate.

The catch is that there are three women who go by the name "Lady Boyle," and you're not sure which one is your target. All are masked and wearing different colored dresses. Which Lady Boyle you are sent to kill is randomized every time you play, so unless you plan on killing all three women, you're going to have to do some detective work.

Gallery: Dishonored (QuakeCon 2012)

Continue reading A game of murder in Arkane's Dishonored

JoystiqA game of murder in Arkane's Dishonored originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Arkane-StudiosBethesda-Softworksdishonoredmicrosoftpcplaystationps3QuakeCon-2012xboxMon, 06 Aug 2012 15:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Rise of the Triad's return will cost $14.99; free DLC planned]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/rise-of-the-triads-return-will-retail-for-14-99-include-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/rise-of-the-triads-return-will-retail-for-14-99-include-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/rise-of-the-triads-return-will-retail-for-14-99-include-free/#comments Rise of the Triad reboot will retail for $1499, include free DLCThe return of the PC classic Rise of the Triad from developer Interceptor Entertainment will be sold digitally for $14.99 and offer all post-launch DLC for free, the dev announced during QuakeCon 2012.

Marketing director Dave Oshry told Joystiq the priority was being faithful to the original Rise of the Triad in the core game, with add-on content allowing the Interceptor team to go crazy once the remake is finished.

Oshry says that co-op has been one of the most requested additions players at QuakeCon have asked for, so it's now on the minds of the developers as something to pursue in the future. Even weapons came up as a possible addition - such as shotguns, which were not featured in the 1994 original - but part of their inclusion would depend on player interest. As far as Interceptor is concerned, the sky is the limit, and the developer plans to support the game well after launch.

As if running down a checklist of oft-requested features from PC players, the game will also be DRM-free, completely moddable, run at 60 frames per second and have plenty of adjustable settings to let the game run on older hardware.

An exact release date has yet to be revealed; however, during a QuakeCon panel, the developer promised it would arrive "late this year or early next year ... at the latest, early 2013."

Gallery: Rise of the Triad (QuakeCon 2012)

JoystiqRise of the Triad's return will cost $14.99; free DLC planned originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ApogeeApogee-SoftwareInterceptor-EntertainmentpcQuakeCon-2012rise-of-the-triadSun, 05 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/04/get-your-nostalgia-to-mars-in-doom-3-bfg-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/04/get-your-nostalgia-to-mars-in-doom-3-bfg-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/04/get-your-nostalgia-to-mars-in-doom-3-bfg-edition/#comments Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG EditionIt has been a long time since I last visited the imperiled Mars research facility featured in id Software's 2004 shooter, Doom 3, but playing the upcoming HD revamp, Doom 3 BFG Edition, I felt like I hardly ever left.

While not as highly regarded as its predecessors, Doom 3 was an enjoyable (and, at the time, graphically impressive) game that garnered a fair following. For fans, Doom 3 BFG is a package filled with memories of the franchise. Along with Doom 3, its expansions, and brand new 'Lost' missions, the BFG pack includes both Doom and Doom 2.

Doom 3 BFG itself is not meant to be the original Doom 3 experience with prettier textures and 3D support. "We made some slight improvements to the original game," id creative director Tim Willits told me after I got my hands on Doom 3 BFG's 'Lost Mission' content. "Like the flashlight [which can be used in conjunction with your gun, unlike the original]. We made things a little bit brighter, we improved a lot of the character textures."

BFG features tweaks throughout: slightly increased player speed, adjusted ammo and health, new soundscapes, and new auto-save and checkpoint features. "It plays better, it really does," Willits promises.

Gallery: Doom 3 BFG Edition (QuakeCon 2012)

Continue reading Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition

JoystiqGet your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doomdoom-2doom-3-bfg-editionmicrosoftpcplaystationps3quakecon-2012tim-willitsxboxSat, 04 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Splatters review: Slip, slide, splat]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/the-splatters-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/the-splatters-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/the-splatters-review/#comments Physics-based puzzle games can be a little hit-or-miss - sometimes literally. While the element of unpredictability can be addictive in games about knocking down structures with furious birds, it can also lead the way to frustrating trial and error when the physics refuse to cooperate. The Splatters on Xbox Live Arcade hits more than it misses, but it has a few issues that keep it from splashing onto the walls of the physics puzzle hall of fame.

Gallery: The Splatters (XBLA)

Continue reading The Splatters review: Slip, slide, splat

JoystiqThe Splatters review: Slip, slide, splat originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmicrosoft-studiosspikysnail-gamesthe-splattersxblaxboxxbox-livexbox-live-arcadeWed, 18 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer, or 'How Gearbox played as Xenomorphs and dissected its guests']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/aliens-colonial-marines-multiplayer-or-how-gearbox-played-as/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/aliens-colonial-marines-multiplayer-or-how-gearbox-played-as/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/aliens-colonial-marines-multiplayer-or-how-gearbox-played-as/#comments ImageAt a recent preview event for Aliens: Colonial Marines, developer Gearbox didn't let us play through the single-player portion of its upcoming shooter, but gave us a shot at commanding our own marine in multiplayer. Playing Team Deathmatch, journalists took the reigns as marines, while a group of Gearbox employees faced off against as us the frightening Xenomorphs.

If you're familiar with team deathmatch from other shooters, Aliens: Colonial Marines will do little to surprise you. The multiplayer is asymmetrical, meaning the two sides of the conflict are pretty different in terms of abilities and play styles. While we didn't get to play as the aliens, we did get to watch them be played, which showed us that there is a least a little here that makes this different from your everyday red vs. blue combat situation.

Gallery: Aliens: Colonial Marines (4/4/12)

Continue reading Aliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer, or 'How Gearbox played as Xenomorphs and dissected its guests'

JoystiqAliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer, or 'How Gearbox played as Xenomorphs and dissected its guests' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aliens-Colonial-Marinesgearboxgearbox-softwaremicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3segawii-uxboxWed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The acid-blooded devil is in the details for Aliens: Colonial Marines]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/the-acid-blooded-devil-is-in-the-details-for-aliens-colonial-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/the-acid-blooded-devil-is-in-the-details-for-aliens-colonial-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/the-acid-blooded-devil-is-in-the-details-for-aliens-colonial-ma/#comments Image"You can see this pocket on the pants," Brian Burleson, senior producer of Aliens: Colonial Marines says as he points to a promotional image behind him. It shows one of the Colonial Marines standing over a Xenomorph while another alien leaps at him from behind. "When we released this [image], someone said to us, 'No, the pocket is on the front of the cargo pants.' And we were like, 'Seriously?'"

That's where a lot of developers might stop caring. It's a licensed product that serious fans will probably snatch up anyway, right? How important is a pocket on a pair of cargo pants? But Gearbox Software said "We're going back in and fixing that."

The stakes are pretty high with Colonial Marines, and not just because the series has had passionate fans for decades. This isn't an inconsequential "what if" side-story like the Aliens vs Predator games, nor is it a retelling of any of the films in the franchise. It's an entirely new, canonical entry in the Alien mythology - a true, official sequel to Aliens and Alien 3 -- and the developers are taking that opportunity and running with it.

Gallery: Aliens: Colonial Marines (4/4/12)

Continue reading The acid-blooded devil is in the details for Aliens: Colonial Marines

JoystiqThe acid-blooded devil is in the details for Aliens: Colonial Marines originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aliens-Colonial-Marinesbrian-burlesongearbox-softwaremicrosoftmikey-neumannnintendopcplaystationps3Randy-Pitchfordwii-uxboxWed, 04 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Gearbox boss says impressive Wii U 'a really nice bridge' to the next generation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-boss-says-impressive-wii-u-a-really-nice-bridge-to-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-boss-says-impressive-wii-u-a-really-nice-bridge-to-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-boss-says-impressive-wii-u-a-really-nice-bridge-to-the/#comments Nintendo's Wii U demo reel at E3 last year contained a clip of Aliens: Colonial Marines, but we haven't heard much about the version since then. Speaking with Gearbox President Randy Pitchford, we tried to surgically extract a viable specimen of information out of him, but he refrained from getting too specific.

"Nintendo still has a lot to announce with their platform, and it's not up to us to go ahead of them," he told Joystiq. "I think it's a great platform and I'm really excited about it, particularly with this game, there's a lot of exciting opportunities like, 'Wow, my motion tracker is there, and I can move it like this!'" he said as he moved his arms side to side. "There's just so much cool stuff."

Gallery: Aliens: Colonial Marines (4/4/12)

Continue reading Gearbox boss says impressive Wii U 'a really nice bridge' to the next generation

JoystiqGearbox boss says impressive Wii U 'a really nice bridge' to the next generation originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aliens-Colonial-Marinesgearboxgearbox-softwaremicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3Randy-Pitchfordwii-uxboxWed, 04 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gearbox: Aliens Colonial Marines was announced before development started]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-aliens-colonial-marines-was-announced-before-developmen/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-aliens-colonial-marines-was-announced-before-developmen/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/gearbox-aliens-colonial-marines-was-announced-before-developmen/#comments ImageDespite first being announced by publisher Sega in 2006, development on Aliens: Colonial Marines didn't begin at Gearbox until after the title was revealed to the world.

"Everyone was just so excited that the deal got done," Gearbox President Randy Pitchford told Joystiq at a recent event for the title. "20th Century Fox, Gearbox and Sega all had to agree to do this and commit themselves to it. The fact that that deal even existed -- everyone on the business side was so excited that the deal happened that they just wanted to tell the world. So before we even started on the game they announced the deal."

Because the announcement was made so long ago, many gamers feel the game has been taking an exceptionally long time to come out. "I think there have been a couple of things that have kind of created that feeling. One thing is that it was announced before we were even started. Another thing is that there was an [Alien] RPG game in development by Obsidian which was canceled. And I think when that happened we hadn't even really shown this game or talked about it yet, so that created some confusion of, 'Wait, what was canceled?'"

Gallery: Aliens: Colonial Marines (Concept Art)

Continue reading Gearbox: Aliens Colonial Marines was announced before development started

JoystiqGearbox: Aliens Colonial Marines was announced before development started originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aliens-Colonial-Marinesgearboxgearbox-softwaremicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3Randy-Pitchfordwii-uxboxWed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shank 2 review: Refined brutality]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/shank-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/shank-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/shank-2-review/#comments
Evidence would suggest that the developers at Klei got together in a board room and said, "Shank was really good. We should do another game exactly like it, only a little bit better." And wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what they did. Shank 2 could be mistaken for its predecessor at first glance, with similar 2D visuals and fast-paced violence. But look a little deeper and you'll find a little more meat, a little more nuance and, somehow, even more brutality.

Gallery: Shank 2 (2/8/12)

Continue reading Shank 2 review: Refined brutality

JoystiqShank 2 review: Refined brutality originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsklei-entertainmentmicrosoftpcplaystationps3shank-2xboxFri, 10 Feb 2012 11:45:00 EST