WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals
At the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris, Blizzard designers took to the stage to talk about the design goals and fundamentals behind their upcoming title, Diablo III. Jay Wilson, lead designer on the title, presented a rundown of the design philosophy behind the game, covering its origi...
WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals (Part 2 - Q&A)
Audience Q&A Q: Do you plan to keep the 4/5 man typical group size or will you design for much larger groups? A: Group size isn't a technical restriction, but a gameplay one. Smaller groups are better due to the camera restriction. We haven't really decided but we'll focus on whatever gives th...
UK sales charts, September 9-16: Lego leads the board
Despite entering the charts at number three last week, Lego Star Wars II has proved a popular favourite with the British public, rising to snatch the top spot from Dead Rising this week. The rest of the chart follows in similar vein, demonstrating only a slight shuffle from last week's positions. Se...
Jackson talks about Halo film
Over at Ain't It Cool News, there's a lengthy interview with Peter Jackson, covering the director, script and visual effects for the upcoming Halo movie. Jackson's enthusiasm shines through, and it's clear he's aiming at something better than your average "video game movie": It is original and new ...
Dance and cringe your way to a Pink concert
While dance games don't lend themselves well to online competition, this latest gem from Codemasters UK -- promoting upcoming game Dance Factory -- is enough to make anyone bust a move. Almost. By filming yourself dancing, then uploading the video, you could be voted to the top and find yourself at...
MMO golf game tees off
Massively multiplayer golf? Yes, you heard us right. Purporting to already have a million players worldwide, subscription-free MMO golf title Shot-Online hits retail stores this week. The game aims to combine the social aspects of MMO games with a serious golf mechanic, though its cartoony graphic s...
Gaming by introverts, for introverts
An interesting tidbit dredged up from Raph Koster's presentation at the Austin Game Conference comes via Wonderland: most gamers are introverts. Pardon us while we gasp in disbelief for a few minutes. Koster claims that most gamers fall into the Myers-Briggs types INTJ, INTP, ISTJ and ISTP. With INT...
Innovative controllers rounded up
This article over at bit-tech.net looks at ten of the more offbeat game control schemes -- from bongos and maracas to cameras and dance mats. It's a nice reminder that gaming isn't all "up up down down" and that sometimes you can have a little fun with the controller as well as with the game. Of cou...
UK sales charts, September 2-9: Dead Rising to top
The UK's fastest-selling Xbox 360 game yet, Dead Rising has rushed straight to the top of the all-format charts this week. Beating popular newcomers Lego Star Wars II and Test Drive Unlimited to number one, Dead Rising's debut means a drop in position for last week's high-rankers Cars and Saints Row...
The 'death of childhood'? Blame games, say UK childcare experts
An open letter in the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper condemns "junk culture" -- junk food, junk entertainment and a fast-moving culture -- for its effect on children, with sombre phrases like "ruining our children" and "the death of childhood" weighing down its paragraphs. From the letter: [Childre...
