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[Gearbox details the evolution of the playable Borderlands cast]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/gearbox-details-the-evolution-of-the-playable-borderlands-cast/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/gearbox-details-the-evolution-of-the-playable-borderlands-cast/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/gearbox-details-the-evolution-of-the-playable-borderlands-cast/#comments Gearbox previews the original heroes of BorderlandsDuring a panel at the SXSW Interactive Festival, Gearbox franchise director Matt Armstrong and Borderlands lead character designer Jonathan Hemingway provided a behind the scenes look at how the developer evolved its playable characters from faceless archetypes to its four-person killing crew.

Each character was originally conceived to give players a point of comparison to other genres or game franchises. The accessible and easy to use "Doom Guy" focused on giving classic shooter fans their familiar FPS fix; the tactical shooter archetype focused on delivering more strategic options, like in Metal Gear or Splinter Cell; and a world manipulator character concept wanted to give gamers a James Bond-like, gadget-focused killer.

Eventually, these original concepts - crudely drawn in shapes - evolved into the four playable characters featured in Borderlands.

Continue reading Gearbox details the evolution of the playable Borderlands cast

JoystiqGearbox details the evolution of the playable Borderlands cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2K-GamesBorderlandsBorderlands Game of the Year EditionGearboxGearbox-Softwaremicrosoftpcplaystationps3SXSW-2013xboxTue, 12 Mar 2013 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Navigating the free-to-play landscape in Command & Conquer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/#comments Command & Conquer Punching through routes in EA's freetoplay sequelThe term "free-to-play" carries with it a certain stigma in the video game industry. It invariably causes gamers to flinch, calling to mind social games like FarmVille. However, as more recognizable experiences enter the realm of free-to-play software, the knee-jerk reaction has begun to subside. With the Command & Conquer series launching under the freemium banner later this year, it would appear that EA is banking on tamer attitudes toward free, microtransaction-based titles.

Despite the simplified, non-sequel sounding name, EA's free-to-play Command & Conquer is a continuation of the strategy series. First announced as Command & Conquer: Generals 2 in 2011, developer BioWare Victory plans to launch the game this year with a campaign that continues the Generals lineage, and later refresh the free-to-play game with content set in the Tiberium and Red Alert universes.

There lies a very ambitious development plan in place for this series, with gamers playing a key part of the process. Immediately after launch, Victory says it will begin crunching numbers and plugging into the fan community to see what needs to be fixed, changed, or tweaked. Victory promises changes based on this feedback will be implemented every week. Calling it a "Live Service," Victory anticipates the instant feedback will allow Command & Conquer's new free-to-play focus to improve and expand quickly.

The downsides of shifting to a free-to-play focus are immediate for franchise fans. Though there will be single-player content, Command & Conquer will not include a single-player campaign and Victory has no plans to include cutscenes or cinematics, which is a massive blow to series supporters. Additionally, Command & Conquer is another in EA's growing list of games that require a constant internet connection.

Gallery: Command & Conquer (Screens and Renders: 02/25/13)

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JoystiqNavigating the free-to-play landscape in Command & Conquer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>command-and-conquer-2013command-and-conquer-generals-2EAElectronic-ArtsF2Pfree-to-playpcVictory-GamesMon, 25 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Dishonored and Leon The Professional]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/14/stiq-flicks-dishonored-and-leon-the-professional/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/14/stiq-flicks-dishonored-and-leon-the-professional/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/14/stiq-flicks-dishonored-and-leon-the-professional/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Dishonored and Lon The Professional
Dishonored puts you into the shoes (and mask) of a mysterious bodyguard who has been framed for the murder of his Empress employer. Saved from death by a band of insurgents, he becomes an assassin who stalks in the shadows and kills silently ... or with extreme noise, depending on how you play the game. Whatever way you decide to go at it, Corvo's ultimate goal is to find and protect the Empress' daughter, Emily.

Which brings us to our film pairing for the game. In 1994, Luc Besson wrote and directed Léon, which was called The Professional in the United States. It starred French actor Jean Reno as a Léon, a skillful hitman "cleaner" working for the mob who takes a very young Mathilda (Natalie Portman) under his wing after her family is murdered by crooked cops.

The character of Léon is a fleshed-out version of a similar cleaner character that Jean Reno played in La Femme Nikita, and Besson himself has said, "Now maybe Jean is playing the American cousin of Victor. This time he's more human." Which is an understatement. Although Léon is a hitman, he's more human than plenty of the heroes of cinema.

Gallery: Dishonored (4/26/12)

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: Dishonored and Leon The Professional originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dishonoredmicrosoftOpinionpcplaystationps3Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 14 Oct 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Resident Evil 6 and Universal Classic Monsters - The Essential Collection]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/stiq-flicks-resident-evil-6-and-universal-classic-monsters-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/stiq-flicks-resident-evil-6-and-universal-classic-monsters-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/07/stiq-flicks-resident-evil-6-and-universal-classic-monsters-the/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Resident Evil 6 and Universal Classic Monsters The Essential Collection
Resident Evil 6 infected numerous consoles this week, continuing the storyline of Capcom's flagship horror franchise. This time, the series brings you fresh terror in the form of C-Virus zombies, still bent on your demise. They are extremely persistent, and with any luck they'll eventually overrun the planet and kill humankind.

While the undead shamble through plenty of video games, we wonder where the rest of the monster squad is hiding out?

Since Resident Evil has the zombie angle covered, we're recommend the seriously impressive Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray set for this week's flick. Yes, it's a huge set, containing eight classic Universal monster movies, but this is definitely a must-have set for any cinephile or horror fan. There's enough material here to keep you entertained through the month of October.

Gallery: Resident Evil 6 (Gamescom 2012)

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: Resident Evil 6 and Universal Classic Monsters - The Essential Collection originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Capcommicrosoftplaystationps3resident-evil-6Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 07 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Borderlands 2 and The Good, the Bad, and the Weird]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/stiq-flicks-borderlands-2-and-the-good-the-bad-and-the-weird/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/stiq-flicks-borderlands-2-and-the-good-the-bad-and-the-weird/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/30/stiq-flicks-borderlands-2-and-the-good-the-bad-and-the-weird/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Borderlands 2 and the Good, the Bad, and the Weird
Loot, treasure, swag, the goods. It's what fuels the pursuit of plenty of video games. But when you boil that essence down into an experience that is extremely focused on the loot experience, you wind up with something that fuels that need perfectly, like Borderlands 2. There might be a firefight raging next to you, but if there's an orange gun on the ground, you'll ignore bullets, rockets, and certain death in order to grab it.

In the realm of the movies, there are plenty of films about adventurers seeking treasure, but we wanted something that had an unlikely band of daredevils coming together in order to find fortune and glory. While The Goonies is one of the best treasure-seeking films of all time, there just isn't enough gunplay in it to marry it to Borderlands 2. Then there are the Indiana Jones films, which recently hit Blu-ray. But he's definitely more of a lone gun type of guy, weighed down by sidekicks.

So, we turned to one of the most stunning films to come out of South Korea. It takes some liberty with one of the most famous western films of all time, and adds a ton of South Korean flavor and humor to it. When three very unlikely adventuring gunplayers come together in search of treasure marked on a map, you get a gorgeously shot, well-acted film that is The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.

Gallery: Borderlands 2 (7/13/12)

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Borderlands 2 and The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Borderlands 2 and The Good, the Bad, and the Weird originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borderlands-2microsoftpcplaystationps3Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 30 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: NHL 13 and Goon]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/stiq-flicks-nhl-13-and-goon/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/stiq-flicks-nhl-13-and-goon/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/16/stiq-flicks-nhl-13-and-goon/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks NHL 13 and Goon
The US is far from backing professional hockey with the same blind devotion it has for baseball and football, but the NHL's popularity continues to make inroads into homes and bars across the country - though the coming NHL lockout will stifle that progression. Heralding the potential stoppage and/or arrival of the new season comes NHL 13, arguably EA's best hockey simulation to date.

Surprisingly, the drama surrounding hockey has often translated to well crafted film experiences: it's hard to tap the sheer essence of Paul Newman in Slap Shot, there's the tugging-at-the-heartstrings true story of Miracle, and plenty of people have a soft spot for The Mighty Ducks, which spawned an entire franchise. You can also choose to go arthouse with Mystery, Alaska, or even indie with the iconic rooftop hockey scene in Clerks, which I'm including just because of Kevin Smith's predilection for wearing hockey jerseys.

But if you want to get to the pure heart of old-school, enforcer-focused, cement-head hockey, then look no further than Goon.

Gallery: NHL 13

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: NHL 13 and Goon originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftplaystationps3Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 16 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Zen Pinball 2 and the Pinball-based films 'Tilt' and 'Special When Lit']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/stiq-flicks-zen-pinball-2-and-the-pinball-based-films-tilt-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/stiq-flicks-zen-pinball-2-and-the-pinball-based-films-tilt-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/09/stiq-flicks-zen-pinball-2-and-the-pinball-based-films-tilt-an/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Zen Pinball 2 and Two Pinball Movies
Earlier this week, Zen Pinball 2 finally made its way onto the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita, updating the genius of the Zen Studios experience and making it mobile on Sony's new handheld. It also brings with it the shambling spectacle of the Plants vs. Zombies table, based on PopCap's botanic home-defense title, pushing to an impressive number of tables available for the digital pinball experience.

Alternatively, this piece could have been titled The Pinball Arcade and Two Pinball Movies, in reference to FarSight Studios' equally impressive flipper-flicker that recreates classics such as the Theater of Magic and The Machine: Bride of PinBot tables. With Zen Studios creating original tables and FarSight Studios bringing the oldies back to life, it's a good time to be a pinball fan.

But that hasn't always been the case. Pinball, the mechanical godfather to the video game industry, once reigned as the king of quarter-dropping entertainment. Pinball pulled in more money than the US film industry did from the 1950s - 1960s. In 1983, one of EA's early hits was the classic Pinball Construction Set from Bill Budge. Creating these boxes of glass, wires, lights, and plastic where you send a silver ball careening around ramps, toward targets, and through tunnels is and was an art form that nearly died. Though the modern spin on the classic game probably won't bring it near its former glory, it has returned in some capacity thanks to select developers.

There are two movies that can help bridge the gap and fill you in about pinball: Special When Lit and Tilt: The Battle To Save Pinball. Both films are well-produced, extremely informative and surprisingly emotional. If you're looking to be a true pinball wizard, both of these films are required viewing.

Gallery: Zen Pinball THD

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Zen Pinball 2 and the Pinball-based films 'Tilt' and 'Special When Lit'

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Zen Pinball 2 and the Pinball-based films 'Tilt' and 'Special When Lit' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Opinionplaystationplaystation-vitaps3Stiq-Flicksvitazen-pinball-2Zen-StudiosSun, 09 Sep 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Guild Wars 2 and Stand By Me]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Guild Wars 2 and Stand By Me
Guild Wars 2 seeks to revive the MMO genre that has been long-served by the now-aging World of Warcraft. While the game is different in many ways, you'll still be questing, adventuring and most importantly of all, partying up with others in order to become better, stronger and more resourceful.

That makes me think of all of the movies where a band of different adventurers come together in the name of a quest. There's actually a lot more than you would think, ranging from the ragtag group of time-traveling little people who snag hapless Kevin out of bed and into their hijinx in Time Bandits, to the motley group of kids in The Goonies who set out to find One-Eyed Willy's treasure.

There's also a slew of movies that deals with role-playing games. From Tom Hank's first starring role in Mazes and Monsters - based on the book of the same name, which is in turn based on events detailed in the investigative crime book The Dungeon Master - all the way to the documentary The Dungeon Masters, which I highlighted on the Joystiq Box Office a couple of years ago.

But without a great film that combines both a group of adventurers and the role-playing experience, at least until The Knights of Badassdom finally comes out, I'm applying the tried and true archetypes of adventure-partying to the classic Stand By Me.

Gallery: Guild Wars 2 (2/20/12)

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: Guild Wars 2 and Stand By Me originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetGuild-Wars-2NCSoftpcSun, 02 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and Real Steel]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/26/stiq-flicks-transformers-fall-of-cybertron-and-real-steel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/26/stiq-flicks-transformers-fall-of-cybertron-and-real-steel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/26/stiq-flicks-transformers-fall-of-cybertron-and-real-steel/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Image
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron rolled out this week and while we wouldn't have such a renewed interest in the franchise without the shudder-inducing films of Michael Bay, thankfully there have been other giant robot movies to turn to. Equally as thankful is the fact that High Moon Studios didn't have to tie their game, which is highly enjoyable, into one of Bay's awful films.

When I was working at Jim Henson Pictures, we had a film tentatively titled Giant Robot on our slate, and while it sadly got stuck in development hell (the place where Hollywood projects go to die), working on that script with the writers was one of those perfect geek moments where you get to combine something you love with something you love doing.

We would not have been the first to tackle such a project, with a long line of Japanese films and television shows before us, as well as the cheesy yet enjoyable Robot Jox having preceded us by many years. But what tends to boggle the mind is that with a concept as awesome as a massive robot, the best that the movie industry has been able to give us has until recently been The Iron Giant. Heck, they even fumbled the iconic Japanese Astro Boy, which should have been nigh-impossible. Then again, this is Hollywood we're talking about.

With Guillermo del Toro's awesome Pacific Rim towering on the horizon, and a possible Transformers reboot (albeit still with Michael Bay at the helm) on the way, there are a lot of fighting robots in our future. But as far as circuits and steel pounding it out in the ring, we're highlighting the fun and often overlooked Real Steel to go with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Gallery: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (8/24/12)

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and Real Steel originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionHigh-Moon-Studiosmicrosoftopinionpcplaystationps3Stiq-Flickstransformers-fall-of-cybertronxboxSun, 26 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Sleeping Dogs and Hard Boiled]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/stiq-flicks-sleeping-dogs-and-hard-boiled/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/stiq-flicks-sleeping-dogs-and-hard-boiled/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/19/stiq-flicks-sleeping-dogs-and-hard-boiled/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Sleeping Dogs and Hard Boiled
Sleeping Dogs is enjoying life this week after a near-death experience as True Crime: Hong Kong at Activision before being resurrected in its current form at Square Enix. But you can't even begin to think about Sleeping Dogs, let alone play it, without mentioning Hong Kong action cinema.

Once you've stepped into that arena, you can't go any further without discussing the films of directors Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and John Woo (to name a few). Then of course, you have to bring in Chow Yun-fat. While there are many other fantastic Hong Kong action actors, Chow rose quickly to the pinnacle, and became the actor most associated with the genre on North American shores.

It's hard to imagine Sleeping Dogs existing in a world where these filmmakers and their movies didn't exist. Where these directors pulled back the curtain on the seedy criminal element deep inside of Hong Kong, the game picks up and continues. While there are many terrific films that would go along nicely with this title, we're pegging Hard Boiled as the one to go with. In fact, without Hard Boiled, there would never have been Sleeping Dogs.

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Sleeping Dogs and Hard Boiled

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Sleeping Dogs and Hard Boiled originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftpcplaystationps3sleeping-dogsSquare-EnixStiq-FlicksUnited-Front-GamesxboxSun, 19 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Persona 4 Arena and The Raid: Redemption]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/12/stiq-flicks-persona-4-arena-and-the-raid-redemption/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/12/stiq-flicks-persona-4-arena-and-the-raid-redemption/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/12/stiq-flicks-persona-4-arena-and-the-raid-redemption/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Persona 4 Arena and The Raid Redemption
The newly patched release of Persona 4 Arena has emerged from the tunnel of video games to steam past us with whistles and bells, heralding the fact that the holiday game onslaught is nearly upon us. In Persona 4 Arena - an RPG series transformed into a fighter - you have different characters battling it out in a televised tournament. There's a story in there somewhere that fans will appreciate, but the Persona games have a history that needs a Ken Burns documentary series to explain. Suffice it to say: despite the genre shift, there's still a lot of fighting going on.

But Persona 4 Arena is about chaotic battles with avatars doing your dirty work for you, so we're pairing this with the dirty and gritty fistfights from the excellent The Raid: Redemption. If this movie doesn't inspire you to work out, or at least punch someone, then you might need to check your pulse. (Please don't punch each other - Ed.)

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Persona 4 Arena and The Raid: Redemption

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Persona 4 Arena and The Raid: Redemption originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arc-system-worksAtlusmicrosoftOpinionpersona-4-arenapersona-4-the-ultimate-in-mayonaka-arenaplaystationps3Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 12 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Myst and The Game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/stiq-flicks-myst-and-the-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/stiq-flicks-myst-and-the-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/05/stiq-flicks-myst-and-the-game/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Myst and The Game
Myst is out on the Nintendo 3DS this week, which now means that the title is available on every machine ever invented. Doubt us? If you're wearing a Casio watch, hit FUNCTION and STOP/START at the same time, and Myst will launch. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Since the game came out on the Mac in 1993, it has since been ported to everything from the Atari Jaguar CD to the iPad.

Unfortunately, this port of the game is a bit strange as it places the action on the 3DS' lower screen, with static images on the top screen. But despite the layout of the game, it's still Myst in your pocket.

Regardless of where you're playing it, Myst is still a great game, especially if you figure in the fantastic sequel it provided with Riven. It's all about mystery, puzzles, intrigue, and murder. Just like David Fincher's The Game.

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Myst and The Game

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Myst and The Game originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsCyanmyst-3dnintendoStiq-FlicksSun, 05 Aug 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: NCAA Football 13 and Dead Poets Society]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/29/stiq-flicks-ncaa-football-13-and-dead-poets-society/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/29/stiq-flicks-ncaa-football-13-and-dead-poets-society/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/29/stiq-flicks-ncaa-football-13-and-dead-poets-society/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks NCAA Football 13 and Dead Poets Society
NCAA Football 13 has been out for a couple of weeks now, providing players with the college football experience more than a month before it officially begins in the real world. For many, the collegiate experience ends and begins with sports. With college athletes being courted, hand-picked and groomed for the pros, the brainier student side has no real equivalent. You don't see tens of thousands of fans gathering in stadiums to watch a team of mathletes work out quadratic formulas by using Lagrange resolvents.

We know that the last thing you probably want to think about in the middle of summer is school, but we're pairing this rough-and-tumble game with the cerebral experience of Dead Poets Society in order to provide you with a fully rounded learning experience without the exams. So Blue-47-21, Carpe Diem and read on for this week's game / movie matchup.

Gallery: NCAA Football 13 (E3 2012)

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JoystiqStiq Flicks: NCAA Football 13 and Dead Poets Society originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftncaa-football-13playstationps3Stiq-FlicksxboxSun, 29 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Knights of the Old Republic I and II and Cloak & Dagger]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/stiq-flicks-knights-of-the-old-republic-i-and-ii-and-cloak-and-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/stiq-flicks-knights-of-the-old-republic-i-and-ii-and-cloak-and-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/stiq-flicks-knights-of-the-old-republic-i-and-ii-and-cloak-and-da/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Knights of the Old Republic I and II and Cloak & Dagger
We're entering the doldrums in the yearly video game release schedule, when the waters have calmed and the wind has stopped blowing. It's all in preparation for the busy holiday gaming season that appears to have spilled over into August, with games like Sleeping Dogs, Darksiders 2, Guild Wars 2, and more brightening the end of summer.

With that in mind, we're taking a look at something a little different this week. In case you never experienced the goodness of a Star Wars game done well, the Knights of the Old Republic I and II PC Bundle Pack is out now, providing two classic games in one $19.99 package. Sure, they aren't new, but both games provide a classic experience that still holds up today.

Since the light game season inspired us to go retro for the game, let's dip into the archives for the accompanying movie. Our movie pairing to accompany this retro release might not hold up as well as a KOTOR title, but it's a classic nonetheless. Video game movies are nothing new, and over the course we'll hit on some of the best from years past (including Joysticks, a personal favorite that is a terrible blend of Porky's and video games) but what we've chosen to accompany this double-pack is the 1984 classic film Cloak & Dagger.

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Knights of the Old Republic I and II and Cloak & Dagger

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Knights of the Old Republic I and II and Cloak & Dagger originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloak-and-daggermicrosoftpcstar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republicstiq-flicksxboxSun, 22 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Quantum Conundrum and Cube]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/07/stiq-flicks-quantum-conundrum-and-cube/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/07/stiq-flicks-quantum-conundrum-and-cube/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/07/stiq-flicks-quantum-conundrum-and-cube/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.
Stiq Flicks Quantum Conundrum and Cube
Quantum Conundrum has already been confounding people on PC for a couple of weeks, and soon you'll also be able to pick it up for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The first-person, puzzle-platformer offers up a more whimsical version of the reality-bending physics you'll find in Portal, with tons of tongue-in-cheek humor.

Our film pairing for this title offers up similar brain-crunching puzzles, albeit without the lighthearted humor. Director Vincenzo Natali's excellent movie Cube (Rated R) is a perfect puzzle in a box, but is anything but a cute, whimsical adventure.

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Quantum Conundrum and Cube

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Quantum Conundrum and Cube originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftOpinionplaystationps3quantum-conundrumStiq-FlicksxboxSat, 07 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Flicks: Spec Ops The Line and Apocalypse Now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/04/stiq-flicks-spec-ops-the-line-and-apocalypse-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/04/stiq-flicks-spec-ops-the-line-and-apocalypse-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/04/stiq-flicks-spec-ops-the-line-and-apocalypse-now/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.

Spec Ops: The Line is one of those rare video games where the story often outshines the gameplay. Even though you might have tired of pumping bullets into sand-covered foes, it's the story in Spec Ops that will undoubtedly push many players forward.

With a story inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness, our film pairing recommendation for the game is obvious: Francis Ford Coppola's iconic Apocalypse Now - a film that has also heavily influenced the Yager-developed video game.

Gallery: Spec Ops: The Line (E3 2012)

Continue reading Stiq Flicks: Spec Ops The Line and Apocalypse Now

JoystiqStiq Flicks: Spec Ops The Line and Apocalypse Now originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftOpinionpcplaystationps3Spec-Ops-the-LineStiq-Flicksxboxyager-developmentWed, 04 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Brian Fargo on Hunted: The Demon's Forge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-brian-fargo-on-hunted-the-demons-forge/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-brian-fargo-on-hunted-the-demons-forge/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-brian-fargo-on-hunted-the-demons-forge/#comments
Brian Fargo is no stranger to the world of video game development, having originally founded Interplay back in 1984. He's worked on titles like the original Bard's Tale and Wasteland, and Interplay developed everything from Battle Chess to Fallout to Baldur's Gate. When Interplay was acquired by Titus in 2002, Fargo left and founded InXile Entertainment, which later released an updated Bard's Tale for PS2, Xbox, and PC. Now both Fargo and InXile are moving onto next-generation consoles with the swords and scorcery co-op title Hunted: The Demon's Forge.

We recently spoke to Fargo about the game, which you can find just after the break. But be warned! Just prepare yourself for the sheer about of verbiage manages to foist upon us when we asked what the initial genesis for the game was. It's quite an answer! Read on to see what he has to say about the upcoming title, including why they limited to two characters, the depth of the puzzles in the game, and boob jiggle. Yes, boob jiggle.

Gallery: Hunted: The Demon's Forge (05/04/10)

Continue reading Interview: Brian Fargo on Hunted: The Demon's Forge

JoystiqInterview: Brian Fargo on Hunted: The Demon's Forge originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksBrian-Fargoco-opHuntedhunted-the-demons-forgeinterviewinxileinxile-entertainmentMicrosoftXbox-360Mon, 10 May 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Jason Kim talks RAGE]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-jason-kim-talks-rage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-jason-kim-talks-rage/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/interview-jason-kim-talks-rage/#comments What does a video game producer do? Well, the brutally honest Jason Kim from id's RAGE summed it up for us. "I'm just a producer; I don't make anything that actually shows up in the game." So there you have it! Okay, we're kidding (slightly). It's a producer's task on a game to make sure everything is running smoothly, that schedules are being met, budgets being adhered to, all so that one day the game can end up on your system of choice. That's no small task.

Kim has been working on RAGE at id for the past several years, and has seen the project move from EA, to being an internally developed project at id, and now on to Bethesda. He's definitely enthusiastic about the project (and the word megatexture), and you can read on beyond the break for the full interview with him were he talks about the game, and why a lot of developers seem to be using the post-apocalyptic realm as a backdrop.

Gallery: Rage (05/04/10)

Continue reading Interview: Jason Kim talks RAGE

JoystiqInterview: Jason Kim talks RAGE originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 May 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksEAElectronic-ArtsFPSidid-tech-5InterviewJason-KimMicrosoftpost-apocalypticRAGEXbox-360Mon, 10 May 2010 17:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Minority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/minority-report-ui-designer-john-underkoffler-talks-about-the-fu/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/minority-report-ui-designer-john-underkoffler-talks-about-the-fu/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/07/minority-report-ui-designer-john-underkoffler-talks-about-the-fu/#comments
Unless you're an engineer who designs cutting-edge user interfaces, you've probably never heard the name John Underkoffler before ... but you've definitely seen his work. Remember the computer Tom Cruise uses by waving his hands around in Minority Report? He designed that. And it wasn't just faked together for the movie, Underkoffler had a working prototype at MIT before that, and now he's designed a version that you can actually purchase.

Underkoffler now serves as the Chief Scientist at Oblong Industries, and we spoke with him recently in connection with the now-on-Blu-ray Minority Report, and he talked extensively about the future of computing, how video games are driving technology forward, what in the hell the game Tempest is all about, and why it's time for the mouse to die. Read on after the break for the full interview.

Continue reading Minority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures

JoystiqMinority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 May 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>G-SpeakgestureinterfaceJohn-UnderkofflerMinority-Reportoblong-industriesPlayStation-MoveProject-Natalsony-motion-controllerUIFri, 07 May 2010 17:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/interview-josh-sawyer-on-fallout-new-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/interview-josh-sawyer-on-fallout-new-vegas/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/interview-josh-sawyer-on-fallout-new-vegas/#comments
Imagine going to work on "Van Buren," the original Fallout 3, as a designer for Black Isle Studios, only to see the title canceled due to parent company Interplay's financial problems. Then, imagine Bethesda buying the Fallout 3 license and developing an entirely different game, which goes on to win multiple awards and accolades. Now, imagine you're brought back into the franchise, as a designer for Obsidian Entertainment, to create a sequel to Bethesda's popular title. Preposterous, you say?

Josh Sawyer is the lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas and, after having the rug yanked from under him on the original Fallout 3, he's happy to be working on the latest new Fallout project -- one that will be released later this year. Read on for our conversation with Sawyer.

Joystiq: What's your history with the Fallout franchise?

Josh Sawyer: I worked on what's called "Van Buren," which was the codename when Black Isle started to work on what would have been Fallout 3, and we had worked on it for maybe half a year, and then it was canceled because Interplay had a lot of financial problems.

Continue reading Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas

JoystiqInterview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-Game-StudiosBethesda-Softworksblack-isle-studiosfalloutfallout-3fallout-new-vegasinterplayinterviewjosh-sawyerMicrosoftobsidianobsidian-entertainmentRPGvan-burenXbox-360Wed, 05 May 2010 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Hunted: The Demon's Forge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/hunted-the-demons-forge-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/hunted-the-demons-forge-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/hunted-the-demons-forge-preview/#comments
Clicked: The Full-sized Gallery Bethesda's undoubtedly one of the best developers in the industry; however, as a publisher, it's had its fair share of ups and down. Last year's Wet and Rogue Warrior illustrate both extremes quite well. Earlier this year at GDC, when Bethesda unveiled the clumsily titled Hunted: The Demon's Forge - a new co-op dungeon crawler from inXile Entertainment, Interplay-cofounder Brian Fargo's new digs - we immediately wondered which side of that gulf it would live on. Would it be worthy of the Bethesda name on its packaging, alongside promising shooter Brink, surefire-hit Fallout: New Vegas, and id Software's Rage? Fargo certainly thinks so.

In fact, Fargo is so sure about his new game, that he wasn't afraid to recall the past glory of games like the original Bard's Tale and Wizardry at a recent Bethesda press event, and Fargo had previously introduced the concept, saying "What you're going to see here today is a reimagining of the dungeon crawler, the classic game that got me into this industry." He continued, "It was the Might & Magic series, it was the Ultima series, Dungeon Master from FTL was a bit of a breakthrough product ... that's very much the experience I grew up with." And as action games supplanted the dungeon crawlers, Fargo "felt like the core experience of that good ol' dungeon crawl, getting lost in the dungeon, had sort of fallen away. And it hadn't fallen away because the titles were doing bad. People forgot or something."

While we don't know if they forgot - Demon's Souls, Torchlight, and Diablo 3 say hi! - Fargo's "reimagining" certainly doesn't look like what you imagine when you think dungeon crawl. "The gamer today has a different metaphor for engrossing themselves, which is more the action, Gears of War-type thing," Fargo explains. "So what we need to do is take today's experience and mix those two together but ... we the take you someplace very different, and in the beginning we need to get your attention." Read to to find out where your attention will be going, and to find out if inXile has been successful in grabbing our attention.

Gallery: Hunted: The Demon's Forge (05/04/10)

Continue reading Impressions: Hunted: The Demon's Forge

JoystiqImpressions: Hunted: The Demon's Forge originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksBrian-FargoHunted-The-Demons-ForgeinXile-EntertainmentXboxTue, 04 May 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Obsidian CEO describes Fallout: New Vegas as 'almost' original IP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/obsidian-ceo-describes-fallout-new-vegas-as-almost-original/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/obsidian-ceo-describes-fallout-new-vegas-as-almost-original/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/obsidian-ceo-describes-fallout-new-vegas-as-almost-original/#comments Obsidian Entertainment has worked on a number of games based on existing franchises, including Star Wars, Forgotten Realms and Aliens*. While the studio will release an original IP in Alpha Protocol in just several weeks (through publisher Sega), its following release will be the next installment in the Fallout franchise, Fallout: New Vegas, with publisher Bethesda.

At a recent Bethesda press event, I asked Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart about the studio's decision to take on the next Fallout versus pursuing an original IP. Head past the break for Urquhart's thoughtful response.

*[Editor's note: The Aliens-based game was ultimately canceled.]

Gallery: Fallout: New Vegas (preview)

Continue reading Obsidian CEO describes Fallout: New Vegas as 'almost' original IP

JoystiqObsidian CEO describes Fallout: New Vegas as 'almost' original IP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-Softworksfalloutfallout-new-vegasFeargus-UrquhartObsidianTue, 04 May 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Brink screenshots arrive (thanks, Eyjafjallajokull!)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/new-brink-screenshots-arrive-thanks-eyjafjallajokull/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/new-brink-screenshots-arrive-thanks-eyjafjallajokull/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/new-brink-screenshots-arrive-thanks-eyjafjallajokull/#comments The recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced as ... uh ... never mind) may have prevented Splash Damage from properly showing off its latest game at a Bethesda press event, but at least the internet remained functional. We've got some new screenshots of Brink in our gallery below -- just think of it as a collection of "I'm sorry I couldn't be there" cards.

Brink, which promises to embed player customization, first-person shootering and elements of parkour into a futuristic world, is due on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this fall.

Gallery: Brink (05/04/2010)

JoystiqNew Brink screenshots arrive (thanks, Eyjafjallajokull!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksBrinkFPSMicrosoftscrenshotsSplash-DamageXbox-360Tue, 04 May 2010 17:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: RAGE]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/rage-id-game-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/rage-id-game-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/rage-id-game-preview/#comments
RAGE is a gorgeous game. The Xbox 360 version of id's post-apocalyptic shooter, running at 60 frames per second, stunned at a recent Bethesda event, and removed any doubts as to whether the idTech 5 engine would hold up nearly three years after the game's unveiling.

RAGE's story starts in the near future: a giant asteroid is heading towards Earth, and rather than launch a team of wacky oil-rig drillers at the problem, the governments of the world convene and decide to put most of the population into suspended animation and bury them beneath the surface in giant Arks. Years later, you're revived as the sole survivor of your malfunctioning Ark. I watched a hands-off demonstration a bit further along into the game, but there will be a brief tutorial during your revival process.

Gallery: Rage (05/04/10)

Continue reading Impressions: RAGE

JoystiqImpressions: RAGE originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksFPSidMicrosoftRAGEXbox-360Tue, 04 May 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/interview-bethesdas-pete-hines/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/interview-bethesdas-pete-hines/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/interview-bethesdas-pete-hines/#comments
Two years ago, our discussions with Bethesda were dominated by Fallout 3. Now, the publisher has four new titles in the pipeline: Fallout: New Vegas, Brink, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, and RAGE. Oh, and it also recently announced plans to dominate the world.

At a press event each of those four upcoming games, we spoke with company vice president Pete Hines about future plans and, of course, Fallout: New Vegas. Read on for the full interview.

Continue reading Interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines

JoystiqInterview: Bethesda's Pete Hines originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-Game-StudiosBethesda-SoftworksBrinkFalloutFallout-3Fallout-New-VegasHuntedhunted-the-demons-forgeinterviewPete-HinesRageRPGTue, 04 May 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Impressions: Fallout New Vegas (update)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/fallout-new-vegas-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/fallout-new-vegas-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/fallout-new-vegas-preview/#comments
 Are we really ready for more Fallout? No mere expansion pack, Fallout: New Vegas is equal in size and scope to Fallout 3 and will require a significant time investment to fully explore. Bethesda has brought in Obsidian to develop the title, and the studio is adding a lot of content (more than double the number of weapons in Fallout 3, for example) and necessary tweaks to the Fallout foundation.

Set three years after Fallout 3, New Vegas stars a mysterious stranger, though not a vault-dweller, who recovers from a bullet to the head and ventures forth to figure out the identity of the shooter. Of course, this journey of discovery is just as much about meting out that particular brand of Fallout justice.

Update: We mention later in this piece that Fallout: New Vegas apparently wouldn't have a fast travel system. We decided to contact Bethesda about that ... since just like you, we don't want to spend all of our gameplay time walking from one town to the next. Here's the response we received: "Fallout: New Vegas will have a fast travel system - just like Fallout 3. The guys were just pointing out that unlike Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas won't have any underground tunnels (the metro) linking the various locations."

Gallery: Fallout: New Vegas (preview)

Continue reading Impressions: Fallout New Vegas (update)

JoystiqImpressions: Fallout New Vegas (update) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BethesdaBethesda-SoftworksFalloutFallout-New-VegasMicrosoftObsidianXbox-360Tue, 04 May 2010 11:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard's Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/blizzards-dustin-browder-talks-starcraft-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/blizzards-dustin-browder-talks-starcraft-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/02/blizzards-dustin-browder-talks-starcraft-2/#comments Dustin Browder isn't just the lead designer on Blizzard's StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty -- he's also in the game! Well, sort of. According to a Blizzard spokesperson, "There are a few examples of Blizzard employees making it into the game. The portrait of the Vulture pilot was based on the likeness of Jason Huck, a level designer. Brian Sousa, a senior 3D artist was the inspiration for the regular Goliath pilot. A running joke amongst the team is that Brian and Dustin look similar enough to be brothers - so the extension of that joke was to make the mercenary goliath pilot (Spartan Company) look like Dustin."

So there you have it. If you want your face in a multimillion dollar game, just get a job working on it. Easy enough, right? We talked to Dustin about StarCraft 2 last year, and this time he gives us more details about the development of this eagerly awaited title, and not just his vanity unit portrait. He discusses multiplayer plans, balancing, Blizzard's hardcore fans, and more, just beyond the break.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (04/19/2010)

Continue reading Blizzard's Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2

JoystiqBlizzard's Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 May 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzardDustin-BrowderstarcraftStarcraft-2Starcraft-2-Wings-of-LibertySun, 02 May 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 26 - April 30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-26-april-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-26-april-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-26-april-30/#comments

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

Doctor Zhivago (Blu-ray: $35.99 MSRP, much lower at most retailers)
How do you follow up Lawrence of Arabia? If you're director David Lean, you do it by directing a film based on a contemporary popular novel of the same name, that's set in tumultuous Russia in the days of World War I and through the Russian Civil War. Lean also cast Lawrence's right-hand man Omar Sharif as Doctor Zhivago, and this is easily of one Sharif's best performances. My generation has mostly known him as the guy who gets crushed in the car in Top Secret!, and it's high time that this movie put him back where he belongs as a terrific actor ... and not a guy who hosts video games about bridge. Zhivago is a true epic, and Warner Bros. has done one of its meticulous restorations to this film and put it in Digibook format. The film looks truly gorgeous in high definition, and there are a ton of extras, including an eight song soundtrack sampler. The treatment of this movie, combined with the fact the Warner's just announced it'll be bringing Citizen Kane and Ben-Hur to Blu-ray in 2011, set the bar high for future classic movie releases.
Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, then chime in below!

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 26 - April 30

JoystiqJBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 26 - April 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>filmjbojoystiq-box-officeMicrosoftmoviesNintendoWiiXbox-360Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Obsidian CEO: Aliens RPG felt like a finished game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/obsidian-ceo-aliens-rpg-felt-like-a-finished-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/obsidian-ceo-aliens-rpg-felt-like-a-finished-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/obsidian-ceo-aliens-rpg-felt-like-a-finished-game/#comments Of the perils one encounters when writing about games, the most painful is arguably following the games that almost were; games that were canceled just shy of release. Some are simply vaporware, announced one day and then were never heard from again, and others are in the spotlight for years, before being banished to a dusty hard drive in a closet somewhere. Duke Nukem Forever will stand ... well, forever as the most prominent example of the latter, but the Obsidian-developed Aliens RPG that Sega canceled could very well hold the second-place trophy.

At a press event last week, we asked Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart some followup questions about the axed title, which he'd previously asked us to do; however, it still hasn't been the required year since we first talked to him, so we're still missing the details as to why the title got the guillotine. But we did learn that the game looked and felt nearly complete before its cancellation. "Oh, if you had come in and played any of the last builds we were working on, you would have said it was a finished game," Urquhart told Joystiq. "That's how close we were. It looked and felt like it was ready to ship."

He went on to explain that you only played as the Colonial Marines in the game (not to be confused with these Colonial Marines), and that missions would have involved tasks like protecting the robot sentry guns that were featured in a deleted scene in Aliens. One of the biggest challenges, Urquhart said, was, "How do you make a 15-foot long Alien turn around at the end of a hallway?" Besides terrifying turn-based hallway combat, there also would have been multiple types of Marines, lots of gear to play with and ... wait. This is just like pouring salt in a freshly reopened wound. Thanks, Feargus!

JoystiqObsidian CEO: Aliens RPG felt like a finished game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AliensAliens-RPGFeargus-UrquhartMicrosoftObsidianSegaXbox-360Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Exclusive: Polaroids from Capcom Fight Club]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/exclusive-polaroids-from-capcom-fight-club/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/exclusive-polaroids-from-capcom-fight-club/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/exclusive-polaroids-from-capcom-fight-club/#comments
"I'll poke out your eyes," Cammy sneered menacingly.
Last Friday, Capcom partnered with i am 8-bit to bring Capcom Fight Club to Los Angeles to support this week's launch of Super Street Fighter IV, and we'll never stop being amazed by the number of people who enjoy dressing up in costume for video game launches. Our amazement usually reaches a fever pitch when there's an eerily accurate Dhalsim in the mix. We're surprised The CW hasn't snapped up the rights for this game to bring us Street Fighter: The High School Years.

Unfortunately - and because people don't universally adhere to the number one rule laid down at PAX - i am 8-bit had a ton of equipment stolen ... including all of their footage from the event. But what did survive was their old school Polaroid camera, and this stack of portraits. Check out the exclusive images in the gallery below while trying to contain your excitement over the wonders of spandex.

Gallery: Capcom Fight Club (04-23-10)

JoystiqExclusive: Polaroids from Capcom Fight Club originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CapcomCapcom-Fight-Clubi-am-8-bitMicrosoftPolaroidStreet-Fightersuper-street-fighter-ivXbox-360Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview: Chris Metzen talks StarCraft 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/interview-chris-metzen-talks-starcraft-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/interview-chris-metzen-talks-starcraft-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/26/interview-chris-metzen-talks-starcraft-2/#comments
click to enlarge
Chris Metzen, Blizzard's VP of Creative Development, has a lot of things to keep in his head as the loremaster / worldbuilder / storymaster at Blizzard, and he's been busy utilizing all of those titles on the Terran-heavy StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty and its two planned expansion packs that will focus on the Zerg and Protoss races. Ensconced in an office that overlooks the bustling Blizzard campus, Metzen's office is packed with enough action heroes, statues, and toys to open his own store, which is (for some unknown reason) a requirement in the gaming industry.

We talked with Chris about how Blizzard is spreading this story out, what the expansions packs hold in store, how he feels about offending South Korea, and more. If you're done searing your retinas with the newly released game footage, then jump on by and read the full interview just after the break.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (04/19/2010)


Continue reading Interview: Chris Metzen talks StarCraft 2

JoystiqInterview: Chris Metzen talks StarCraft 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BlizzardChris-MetzeninterviewStarcraftStarcraft-2Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 19 - April 23, plus Joyswag!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-19-april-23-plus-joyswag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-19-april-23-plus-joyswag/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-19-april-23-plus-joyswag/#comments

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (Blu-ray: $24.99 MSRP, much lower at most retailers)
Earlier this week, Cheech & Chong returned to the world. Most appropriately, the date it happened was 4/20. For those of you who might know know, Cheech & Chong invented pot humor. Then they rode the top of that world for 14 years before breaking up in 1985. Then there was no Cheech & Chong. People turned to replacement movie stoners for years, looking for someone to identify with. But now, 25 year after they last appeared together on film, they're back. They reunited for a very successful tour in 2008, and the San Antonio portion of that tour was filmed and turned into this Blu-ray, which is also chock full of special features and skits created just for the film. It's a concert tour with a bonus. You don't have to be a stoner to appreciate some of this, although it probably doesn't hurt. They're touring together again right now, and are reportedly working on a new narrative film, Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke Part 2. To tide you over until then, we're giving away three Blu-ray copies of Cheech and Chong's Hey Watch This. Head to the bottom of the post to learn how to enter.
Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, then chime in below!

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 19 - April 23, plus Joyswag!

JoystiqJBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 19 - April 23, plus Joyswag! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-rayDVDFilmJoyswagMicrosoftMoviesNetflixNintendoWiiXbox-360Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: New StarCraft 2 single-player missions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/hands-on-new-starcraft-2-single-player-missions/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/hands-on-new-starcraft-2-single-player-missions/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/hands-on-new-starcraft-2-single-player-missions/#comments
click to enlarge
Blizzard has been handing out Starcraft 2 beta keys like free lunch, but it's not just for the benefit of starved-craft fans. "Oh, we don't think of this as a demo," Blizzard's Dustin Browder told me during a recent studio visit, "It's a beta test." So-called testers are contributing piles of feedback data, which has led to nine game patches so far, with more surely in the works. "The Archon has been on my chopping block for months," Browder muttered, referring to the powerful Protoss ground unit.

The focus of my recent visit to Blizzard HQ was not to talk beta, however. It was to preview three new single-player missions from StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. In doing so, I learned more about how the developer is incorporating at least one other race into the Terran-centric game and tried out some new game-altering mechanics and the new tech upgrade process.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (04/19/2010)

Continue reading Hands-on: New StarCraft 2 single-player missions

JoystiqHands-on: New StarCraft 2 single-player missions originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blizzardhands-onStarcraftstarcraft-2Starcraft-2-Wings-of-LibertystrategyFri, 23 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[New StarCraft 2 gameplay footage: This is not a drill ...]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/new-starcraft-2-gameplay-footage-this-is-not-a-drill/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/new-starcraft-2-gameplay-footage-this-is-not-a-drill/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/new-starcraft-2-gameplay-footage-this-is-not-a-drill/#comments It's a Laser Drill! Check out the awesome power of this anti-Zerg Rush weapon, featured in this new footage from the most eagerly awaited "Adults Only" game in South Korea. Don't worry -- it's just StarCraft 2 and the video's totally Safe For Work.

We'll have our hands-on impressions of three new single-player missions posted later today. In the meantime, enjoy the gameplay video above and the new screenshots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (04/19/2010)

JoystiqNew StarCraft 2 gameplay footage: This is not a drill ... originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blizzardgameplay-footageStarcraftstarcraft-2Starcraft-2-Wings-of-LibertyvideoWings-of-LibertyFri, 23 Apr 2010 09:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Swag Saturday: Reading! [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/swag-saturday-reading/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/swag-saturday-reading/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/10/swag-saturday-reading/#comments Update: We've closed the comments and will be contacting a winner shortly. Thanks for entering (and keep an eye on your commenter-tied inbox)!

We know you're probably asking yourself, "What the heck is this? I want Joyswag to include something coo! Like a PS3 on fire with zombie monkeys coming out of it! What's with this homework junk?!" Well, hear us out. Every single one of you enjoys playing games, right? We're also hoping that in the grand scheme of things, some of you might actually end up making games one day. This is your first step down that road. We're not just giving you swag, we're giving you knowledge.

To paraphrase the ancient Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Give him a slew of books about gaming, make him develop a bestselling game." Plus, in the effort of not being entirely boring, about half of these books are actually fun. Here's what you get on the development side: Real-Time Cameras: A Guide For Game Designers and Developers, Artificial Intelligence for Games, Digital Art Masters Volume IV, and 3D Game Textures: Second Edition (complete with a DVD). On the fun side, you get Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts, The Splended Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11 1/2 Anniversary Edition, and Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe.
  • Leave a comment telling us what you'll do with your newfound knowledge.
  • You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- you know why).
  • Limit 1 entry per person per day.
  • This entry period ends at 3:00PM PT on Sunday, April 11.
  • At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Real-Time Cameras: A Guide For Game Designers and Developers (ARV $59.95), Artificial Intelligence for Games (ARV: $74.95), Digital Art Masters Volume IV (ARV: $39.95), 3D Game Textures: Second Edition (ARV: $49.95), Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts (ARV $60), The Splended Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11 1/2 Anniversary Edition (ARV: $24), and Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe (ARV: $14.99).
  • For a list of complete rules, click here.
What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.

JoystiqSwag Saturday: Reading! [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BookscontestGame-DevelopergiveawayHaloJoyswagLucasartsPenny-ArcadeReading-Is-FundamentalSwag-SaturdaySat, 10 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 5 - April 9]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-5-april-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-5-april-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/09/jbo-joystiq-box-office-april-5-april-9/#comments

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

The Killer (Blu-ray: $29.99 MSRP, much lower at most retailers)
This week's recommendation is a bit tongue in cheek, mostly because the video quality isn't the sharpest in the world. Granted, the source material is 21 years old, but I've seen what they can do with movies like The African Queen and The Wizard of Oz on Blu-ray, so why not one of director John Woo's and actor Chow Yun Fat's best films, The Killer? Still, all of that complaining aside, the film does look better than I've ever seen it look on home video format, and it runs circles around the murky theatrical print I saw back when I was in college. While probably not a disc you'll slap in to show off how much Blu-ray rocks, it still looks fantastic, and it's got a completely new interview on the disc with Woo (where's Yun-Fat, though?) that is well worth it. There's also a Q&A session where he talks about The Killer and Hard Boiled. This is being produced by Dragon Dynasty, a joint company venture from the Weinstein brothers and Genius Products, and I'm hoping things improve a bit in the transfer department. Let's get Chow Yun-Fat's God of Gamblers, A Better Tomorrow trilogy, City on Fire, and Treasure Hunt on Blu-ray, stat.
Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, then chime in below!

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 5 - April 9

JoystiqJBO: Joystiq Box Office, April 5 - April 9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-rayDVDFilmsjboJoystiq-Box-OfficeMicrosoftMoviesNetflixNintendoPSNWiiXBLXbox-360zune-video-marketplaceFri, 09 Apr 2010 21:47:00 EST<![CDATA[JBO: Joystiq Box Office, March 29 - April 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/jbo-joystiq-box-office-march-29-april-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/jbo-joystiq-box-office-march-29-april-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/jbo-joystiq-box-office-march-29-april-2/#comments

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

 The African Queen (Blu-ray: $39.99 MSRP, much lower at most retailers)
Can you believe Humphrey Bogart only won one Oscar in his lifetime? It was for this movie. Personally, I think he was robbed from winning it for Casablanca, but The African Queen is a worthy win as well. He really delivers a powerful performance as Charlie Allnut, the rough and tumble boat captain working his boat, the African Queen. But it's Katherine Hepburn who really turns in a tour de force performance as Rose Sayer, a tough as nails missionary in East Africa. Paramount recently completed a massive 4k restoration on this title, and it looks simply amazing on Blu-ray. The standard Blu-ray set gets you the movie, while the slightly more expensive box set comes with a CD of the original radio production of The African Queen (with Bogart) and Hepburn's book The Making of The African Queen or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind. Seriously good filmmaking and performances against a wonderful story based on C.S. Forester's novel of the same name. Highly recommended. Now someone just put Bogey's The Caine Mutiny on Blu-ray and I'll be happy.

Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, then chime in below!

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, March 29 - April 2

JoystiqJBO: Joystiq Box Office, March 29 - April 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-rayDVDFilmsJBOJoystiq-Box-OfficeMicrosoftMoviesnetflixNintendoWiiXbox-360Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: Risk Factions (Classic Mode)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/risk-factions-classic-mode-xbla-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/risk-factions-classic-mode-xbla-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/risk-factions-classic-mode-xbla-preview/#comments Risk: Factions is coming to Xbox Live Arcade this summer, and a version of the classic Risk board game, dubbed Classic Mode, will be included.

The verdict? It's classic Risk, albeit with a couple of key tweaks. Most game-changing is a bonus star feature, which randomly awards players 1-2 "stars" at the end of a turn. Stars can be used to make additional troop movements. Additionally, Classic Mode abandons the card system of the original game. Getting rid of the cards streamlines the game a bit, and so does the option to skip the dice-rolling attacks (and just view the results), but the random star bonuses can lead to one player steamrolling the opponents rather quickly -- as happens to me and another human player in the video above.

Just like in the original game, once a player builds up a powerful army, there's nothing to stop total domination of the game board. But that's always been a part of the game of Risk, and now, through Xbox Live, diehard tabletoppers can test their riskiest maneuvers on a truly worldwide battlefield, say, against an opponent from the Ukraine.

One thing Risk: Factions is sorely lacking, however? Little wooden cubes. Toss in some DLC wooden cubes, and I'll be happy.

Gallery: Risk: Factions (Classic Mode)

JoystiqHands-on: Risk Factions (Classic Mode) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Board-gameEAElectronic-ArtsMicrosoftRiskRisk-FactionsXBLAXbox-360Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: Snoopy Flying Ace (XBLA)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/hands-on-snoopy-flying-ace-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/hands-on-snoopy-flying-ace-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/hands-on-snoopy-flying-ace-xbla/#comments
Click to barnstorm into the gallery, and watch out for The Red Baron!
First of all, this is not an April Fool's joke. Remember how passionate the Joystiq team got about Torchlight last year? That's how I'm feeling about Snoopy Flying Ace. There are two reasons for this: 1) the gameplay is a direct descendant of Crimson Skies, right down to the customizable weapons on your planes, and 2) you get to shoot down Lucy Van Pelt. It's payback for all those years of her yanking the football away from Charlie Brown at the last second. Charles Schulz might be spinning in his grave over this game, but points one and two combine into joyous gameplay with the lovable Peanuts gang that you've grown up with.

Joystiq showed off the trailer for this almost two years ago, but now I've finally gotten my hands on the flight stick. Which also means I got to fly around as Snoopy in the seat of his faithful Sopwith Camel -- another childhood dream fulfilled. According to Clark Stacey from developer Smart Bomb Interactive, "It is, we maintain, the most detailed and realistic World War I simulation ever created; capturing every nuance of what it was like to be a dog flying a biplane over the skies of Europe in 1917. Consideration for the Nobel Prize for Literature has been bandied around the game with growing seriousness, and we are in talks concerning a possible film adaptation starring Uma Thurman as Snoopy." That's more of an adult dream, yet to be fulfilled.

Update! Ask and you shall receive, courtesy of Clark at Smart Bomb: "Of COURSE you can fly the doghouse. We have two kill streak bonuses in the game for multiplayer. Shoot down 4 planes in a row and you get the Woodstock bonus: Woodstock appears perched on the back of your plane with a pair of six-guns, shooting anyone behind you. Score 9 unanswered kills in a row, and your plane transforms into Snoopy's doghouse, with the most powerful machine gun in the game. It's pretty cool to see your avatar flying around on it."

Read on to find out why you're going to pick up this XBLA title later this year.

Gallery: Snoopy Flying Ace (XBLA)


Continue reading Hands-on: Snoopy Flying Ace (XBLA)

JoystiqHands-on: Snoopy Flying Ace (XBLA) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>MicrosoftPeanutsSmart-Bomb-InteractiveSnoopySnoopy-Flying-AceXBLAXbox-360Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/hands-on-the-silver-lining-the-game-activison-doesnt-want-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/hands-on-the-silver-lining-the-game-activison-doesnt-want-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/hands-on-the-silver-lining-the-game-activison-doesnt-want-you/#comments Here's the real reason Activision doesn't want you to play this fan-made sequel to the legendary King's Quest series: It caught a whiff of money. Rather than working out a deal with with the developer, Activision sent it a cease and desist, even after a deal had been worked out with Vivendi Universal games that would allow the game to be distributed for free (as long as King's Quest was taken out of the title).

But the game does indeed exist. At least, one episode out of a proposed five does, although the developers are no longer actively working on it due to Activision's legal saber-rattling. I played it at PAX on a laptop belonging to one of the developers, and I'm desperately hoping that this will make its way into the wild so you can play it for yourself. If the developers are able to buy the license from Activision, that might actually happen. The Silver Lining might not have the words "King's Quest" in the title, but the heart of that series definitely beats in this game.

Gallery: The Silver Lining

Continue reading Hands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play)

JoystiqHands-on: The Silver Lining (the game Activison doesn't want you to play) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionKings-QuestPAX-EastPAX-East-2010The-Silver-LiningThu, 01 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST